JKLTIp What can you do to put yourself in a new opportunity to learn, or to set a goal beyond your wildest dreams?
Formally the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, more currently Aladdin, and more formally, Will Smith has been praised for asking the question “if being realistic is the most common path to mediocrity, then why would anyone ever want to be realistic?” Realistic may only be necessary if we have fears, anxiety tied to failure. It rings true that those who perpetuate mediocrity are driven to “perform” by fear. Fear of questions, fear of failure, and fear of being scared, rather than an intrinsic belief in relentless resilience, pioneering and problem solving. We need only be fearful of the enormity of regret if we don’t find out what is possible.
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So, what about those who do aspire to greatness? Is it not the case that they need to remove the idea of “realistic” from their goal setting process? Perhaps it’s simple enough that those who seek to amplify their impact on the world in this day and age should put a premium on the ability to change. The concept of rapid iteration must be embedded in the very way we design our work and make progress. Gone are the days of “I just have to get organized and then it will finally get done”
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It comes down to going through life with the constant wonder and surprise of a child, with a perspective wide enough to take it all in and have a reset button at the ready. To never limit opportunities through the restriction of narrow mindedness. In this marathon, rather than a sprint, we must take every opportunity to learn, because before we know it there aren’t any opportunities left. It is easy to think that we can “learn from where we are”, without taking on new experiences, but equate that to learning what salt, or sugar tastes like simply by Googling it. We have to get out there and take in new information. We have to lead, be vulnerable, take risks and learn from triumph, but more importantly failure. Show your whole face, let your whole you shine.