wiser EVERY DAY 30 DAY
wiser EVERY DAY{30 DAY{
KICKSTARTER!
wiser EVERY DAY { DAY 1
{
A wise person once said,
i really like it, and i really don't
A few weeks ago, while sitting in my conference room, I waited for the clock to strike 2pm. I couldn't wait to share my “big idea” with someone who was a pretty big deal. Through a mentor, I was able to land a meeting with a top “mover and shaker” in my city who was willing to give me an hour to discuss my big idea. When he walked in, I did my best to win him over with my usual warm, vivacious personality. He was not moved. No worries, I thought to myself, my idea is gonna knock his socks off. He listened, asked questions, and pushed back on the idea several times, seeking more clarity. After several rounds of back and forth discussion, the room got quiet, he took a deep breath and said:
"i really like it and i really don't!" While his reasons for both liking and not liking were profound and helpful, what really stood out to me was the wisdom he showed in recognizing what
he really liked and didn’t like about something. Having this ability to balance emotions is critical when trying to solve a big problem. Often in our excitement, and even in our “hopes” that something we care about will come to fruition, we can lose the ability to see both the upside and downside to our ideas and opportunities. We are allowed to both like and not like something. We are allowed to balance these juxtaposed emotions. We are allowed to have more than one, contradicting opinion on something!
Day 1
{ continued {
Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one area in which you need to exercise the balanced wisdom of defining not just what you like about your ideas, but also what still needs to be improved upon?
Day 2 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area? What do you like about your idea?
What needs to be improved?
Day 3 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: List at least one action step you will take to make improvement. 1
2
3
Day 4 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 5 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{
DAY 6
{
A wise person once said,
if you don’t let it unfold, it will unravel.
Staring at my computer screen with my arms crossed, I felt nearly frozen. I had sent a large proposal to a client, knowing that if they accepted, it would alter the state of my career. My mind was racing with what else I could possibly do to nudge the decision in my favor. Should I text some of the folks involved? Should I send a personal follow up thanking them, or should I wait? What was the right next move? Hey man, a colleague called out, whatcha doing? The voice breaking me out of my deep mental plotting was much welcomed; maybe he would know the answer! Sharing the full state of the current situation, I was now anxious to hear the sound advice that would propel my next decision. With a smile, he simply said:
"If you don’t let it unfold, it will unravel." Wait, what? I couldn’t just sit back and let it unfold, could I? What if I could do more? What if one more push would make all the difference? But on the
other hand, what if one more push, one more controlling move would have ruined my chance of success? There comes a moment in every situation in which you have taken all the right steps, dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” and now it’s time to simply let the situation unfold.
Day 6
{ continued {
Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one area in which you have done all the right things and now it’s time to allow the process to unfold so that it doesn't unravel?
Day 7 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area? What have you done right?
Day 8 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you let it unfold? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 9 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 10 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{
DAY 11
{
A wise person once said,
the goal is not to admit your mistake; the goal is to stop doing it.
I’m a huge fan of mentors; I think everyone should have two or three. I look for people who are a couple seasons of life down the road from me and who are straight shooters. But often we end up looking for folks that tell us what we want to hear, rather than what we need to hear. As I sat across the table from my mentor in a typical New York diner, I shared openly and honestly about challenges I was facing in my everyday leadership roles. I’ve always prided myself on being an open book, unafraid of being vulnerable. With that, I boldly shared a series of mistakes I had been making, while making sure to pat myself on the back for the courage it took to share such exposing flaws. He politely listened, nodding his head in compassion for all the struggles I had to endure. As I finished my verbal dissertation, the thousand pound gorilla I had been carrying on my back seemed to climb off. After all, I did what I needed to do. I had admitted my shortcomings. It was now my mentor’s turn to reassure and encourage me. Josh, he said:
"the goal is not to admit your mistake; the goal is to stop doing it" A knife went straight into my gut! Ouch! I had just taken a courageous step. Admitting my mistakes was no easy task. But he was right and looking back now, the knife in the gut was not his dismissal of my vulnerability; rather, it was a challenge to not stop there. We should never be satisfied with simply admitting our mistakes. We have to move past and begin the transformation into a better person who no longer makes those mistakes.
Day 11 { continued { Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Are there any areas in your life that you need to move past just admitting and begin to start changing?
Day 12 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area you need to change? Why did you choose this area?
Day 13 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you begin to change? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 14 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 15 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{ DAY 16 {
A wise person once said,
95% of people can solve 95% of their problems
It was one of those days when pressure was coming at me from every side. My email inbox was filling up, text messages were dinging every other second, and my slack alerts were racing across my computer screen while I was trying to concentrate just long enough to respond. Amidst the chaos, I heard a knock on my door, and before I could say “don’t come in,” the door swung open. “Josh, I need your advice.” Ugh, I thought to myself, you can’t say go away when someone who works for you needs advice. Listening as intently as I could, while also wishing the moment would go away, I decided to turn the tables. As he wrapped up, I thanked him for sharing and asked, “What advice would you give me if I asked you the same question you just asked me?” Looking a little surprised, he hesitated and then shot back an excellent answer. I then said to him:
"95% of people can solve 95% of their problems."
I believe this is true! While not a scientific fact, we are far smarter and far more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Often, the fear of being wrong or doubting that we are even capable forces us into submission. The truth is, by slowing down and asking ourselves tough questions, we more often than not come back with great answers!
Day 16 { continued { Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one challenge you are facing that you need to trust yourself to solve on your own?
Day 17 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area you need to trust yourself more in? Why did you choose this area?
Day 18 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you demonstrate trust? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 19 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 20 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{
DAY 21
{
A wise person once said,
every day, like the first day
It had been about six months since I hired a talented young designer to take our digital platforms to the next level. What I loved most about him was his hunger to achieve and the can-do attitude he brought to any situation. Every day, he came in five minutes early with a huge smile, eager to work! As is with most things, the new wore off and the daily grind followed. I had a small presentation due for an idea we wanted to launch, so I messaged my young, passionate designer some of the basic information and a timeline for completion. He quickly wrote back. “Sure thing… how much effort do you want me to put on it?” I was shocked. When should we ever give anything less than our best? With that in mind, I simply said:
"every day like the first day" Think back to your first day on a job, at school, or on a date. Did you have to motivate yourself to give your best? No way! On that first day you show
up early, smile at everyone, ask questions and always give maximum effort. You make a great first impression, since you’ll never get a second chance at it. This was a powerful reminder for me, and this young designer, that we need to approach everyday like it was our first day!
Day 21
{ continued {
Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How are you doing at work and or relationships? Are you giving each day like the first day?
Day 22 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area you treat each day like the first day? Why did you choose this area?
Day 23 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you refocus your efforts? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 24 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 25 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{ DAY 26 {
A wise person once said,
insecurity creates unintended outcomes
It was a big day for me. Several senior executives were coming to my office to hear about a new product we were launching. We had been working on it for months, and while I knew there were a few wrinkles to iron out, for the most part I was ready to “wow” them! With a bang, I shot out the gates, completely confident in what we had. But scanning the reception I was getting, my confidence began to falter. Puzzled looks gave way to critical questions, riddled with doubt. I got frustrated and even annoyed. It was clear these folks had no ability to recognize a good thing when they saw one, I thought to myself. My emotions had hit their pinnacle, and then thankfully began to retreat. I settled in, began to listen to their questions, and as irony would have it, their ideas were the ones that stuck with me long after. Afterwards, one of the executives pulled me aside to share that he had noticed how worked up I had become. He then said:
"insecurity creates unintended outcomes"
He was right! I was so close to tuning out and turning off wise and willing people. My insecurity almost sacrificed my opportunity to gain valuable insight. Rather than being humble and willing to listen, I had wanted to the most brilliant person in the room. My posture was unattractive and dangerous.
Day 26 { continued { Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: We all struggle with insecurity from time to time. Can you think of any area in which your insecurity might be creating unintended outcomes?
Day 27 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one area that you tend to feel insecure about? Why did you choose this area?
Day 28 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you establish confidence in this area? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 29 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 30 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
KICKSTARTER!
wiser EVERY DAY { DAY 1
{
A wise person once said,
i really like it, and i really don't
A few weeks ago, while sitting in my conference room, I waited for the clock to strike 2pm. I couldn't wait to share my “big idea” with someone who was a pretty big deal. Through a mentor, I was able to land a meeting with a top “mover and shaker” in my city who was willing to give me an hour to discuss my big idea. When he walked in, I did my best to win him over with my usual warm, vivacious personality. He was not moved. No worries, I thought to myself, my idea is gonna knock his socks off. He listened, asked questions, and pushed back on the idea several times, seeking more clarity. After several rounds of back and forth discussion, the room got quiet, he took a deep breath and said:
"i really like it and i really don't!" While his reasons for both liking and not liking were profound and helpful, what really stood out to me was the wisdom he showed in recognizing what
he really liked and didn’t like about something. Having this ability to balance emotions is critical when trying to solve a big problem. Often in our excitement, and even in our “hopes” that something we care about will come to fruition, we can lose the ability to see both the upside and downside to our ideas and opportunities. We are allowed to both like and not like something. We are allowed to balance these juxtaposed emotions. We are allowed to have more than one, contradicting opinion on something!
Day 1
{ continued {
Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one area in which you need to exercise the balanced wisdom of defining not just what you like about your ideas, but also what still needs to be improved upon?
Day 2 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area? What do you like about your idea?
What needs to be improved?
Day 3 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: List at least one action step you will take to make improvement. 1
2
3
Day 4 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 5 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{
DAY 6
{
A wise person once said,
if you don’t let it unfold, it will unravel.
Staring at my computer screen with my arms crossed, I felt nearly frozen. I had sent a large proposal to a client, knowing that if they accepted, it would alter the state of my career. My mind was racing with what else I could possibly do to nudge the decision in my favor. Should I text some of the folks involved? Should I send a personal follow up thanking them, or should I wait? What was the right next move? Hey man, a colleague called out, whatcha doing? The voice breaking me out of my deep mental plotting was much welcomed; maybe he would know the answer! Sharing the full state of the current situation, I was now anxious to hear the sound advice that would propel my next decision. With a smile, he simply said:
"If you don’t let it unfold, it will unravel." Wait, what? I couldn’t just sit back and let it unfold, could I? What if I could do more? What if one more push would make all the difference? But on the
other hand, what if one more push, one more controlling move would have ruined my chance of success? There comes a moment in every situation in which you have taken all the right steps, dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” and now it’s time to simply let the situation unfold.
Day 6
{ continued {
Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one area in which you have done all the right things and now it’s time to allow the process to unfold so that it doesn't unravel?
Day 7 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area? What have you done right?
Day 8 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you let it unfold? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 9 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 10 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{
DAY 11
{
A wise person once said,
the goal is not to admit your mistake; the goal is to stop doing it.
I’m a huge fan of mentors; I think everyone should have two or three. I look for people who are a couple seasons of life down the road from me and who are straight shooters. But often we end up looking for folks that tell us what we want to hear, rather than what we need to hear. As I sat across the table from my mentor in a typical New York diner, I shared openly and honestly about challenges I was facing in my everyday leadership roles. I’ve always prided myself on being an open book, unafraid of being vulnerable. With that, I boldly shared a series of mistakes I had been making, while making sure to pat myself on the back for the courage it took to share such exposing flaws. He politely listened, nodding his head in compassion for all the struggles I had to endure. As I finished my verbal dissertation, the thousand pound gorilla I had been carrying on my back seemed to climb off. After all, I did what I needed to do. I had admitted my shortcomings. It was now my mentor’s turn to reassure and encourage me. Josh, he said:
"the goal is not to admit your mistake; the goal is to stop doing it" A knife went straight into my gut! Ouch! I had just taken a courageous step. Admitting my mistakes was no easy task. But he was right and looking back now, the knife in the gut was not his dismissal of my vulnerability; rather, it was a challenge to not stop there. We should never be satisfied with simply admitting our mistakes. We have to move past and begin the transformation into a better person who no longer makes those mistakes.
Day 11 { continued { Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Are there any areas in your life that you need to move past just admitting and begin to start changing?
Day 12 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area you need to change? Why did you choose this area?
Day 13 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you begin to change? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 14 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 15 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{ DAY 16 {
A wise person once said,
95% of people can solve 95% of their problems
It was one of those days when pressure was coming at me from every side. My email inbox was filling up, text messages were dinging every other second, and my slack alerts were racing across my computer screen while I was trying to concentrate just long enough to respond. Amidst the chaos, I heard a knock on my door, and before I could say “don’t come in,” the door swung open. “Josh, I need your advice.” Ugh, I thought to myself, you can’t say go away when someone who works for you needs advice. Listening as intently as I could, while also wishing the moment would go away, I decided to turn the tables. As he wrapped up, I thanked him for sharing and asked, “What advice would you give me if I asked you the same question you just asked me?” Looking a little surprised, he hesitated and then shot back an excellent answer. I then said to him:
"95% of people can solve 95% of their problems."
I believe this is true! While not a scientific fact, we are far smarter and far more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Often, the fear of being wrong or doubting that we are even capable forces us into submission. The truth is, by slowing down and asking ourselves tough questions, we more often than not come back with great answers!
Day 16 { continued { Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one challenge you are facing that you need to trust yourself to solve on your own?
Day 17 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area you need to trust yourself more in? Why did you choose this area?
Day 18 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you demonstrate trust? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 19 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 20 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{
DAY 21
{
A wise person once said,
every day, like the first day
It had been about six months since I hired a talented young designer to take our digital platforms to the next level. What I loved most about him was his hunger to achieve and the can-do attitude he brought to any situation. Every day, he came in five minutes early with a huge smile, eager to work! As is with most things, the new wore off and the daily grind followed. I had a small presentation due for an idea we wanted to launch, so I messaged my young, passionate designer some of the basic information and a timeline for completion. He quickly wrote back. “Sure thing… how much effort do you want me to put on it?” I was shocked. When should we ever give anything less than our best? With that in mind, I simply said:
"every day like the first day" Think back to your first day on a job, at school, or on a date. Did you have to motivate yourself to give your best? No way! On that first day you show
up early, smile at everyone, ask questions and always give maximum effort. You make a great first impression, since you’ll never get a second chance at it. This was a powerful reminder for me, and this young designer, that we need to approach everyday like it was our first day!
Day 21
{ continued {
Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How are you doing at work and or relationships? Are you giving each day like the first day?
Day 22 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is the area you treat each day like the first day? Why did you choose this area?
Day 23 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you refocus your efforts? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 24 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 25 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
wiser EVERY DAY
{ DAY 26 {
A wise person once said,
insecurity creates unintended outcomes
It was a big day for me. Several senior executives were coming to my office to hear about a new product we were launching. We had been working on it for months, and while I knew there were a few wrinkles to iron out, for the most part I was ready to “wow” them! With a bang, I shot out the gates, completely confident in what we had. But scanning the reception I was getting, my confidence began to falter. Puzzled looks gave way to critical questions, riddled with doubt. I got frustrated and even annoyed. It was clear these folks had no ability to recognize a good thing when they saw one, I thought to myself. My emotions had hit their pinnacle, and then thankfully began to retreat. I settled in, began to listen to their questions, and as irony would have it, their ideas were the ones that stuck with me long after. Afterwards, one of the executives pulled me aside to share that he had noticed how worked up I had become. He then said:
"insecurity creates unintended outcomes"
He was right! I was so close to tuning out and turning off wise and willing people. My insecurity almost sacrificed my opportunity to gain valuable insight. Rather than being humble and willing to listen, I had wanted to the most brilliant person in the room. My posture was unattractive and dangerous.
Day 26 { continued { Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: We all struggle with insecurity from time to time. Can you think of any area in which your insecurity might be creating unintended outcomes?
Day 27 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What is one area that you tend to feel insecure about? Why did you choose this area?
Day 28 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: How will you establish confidence in this area? List at least one action step you will take. 1
2
3
Day 29 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: Who will you share the information with: Name:
Day 30 Over the next 24 hours consider the following question{s}: What do you envision the outcome looking like? Describe:
COMPLETE
