April 23, 2014, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day - CareerGuy.com

April 23, 2014, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

Apr 23

“Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.” –Hannah Arendt

Every morning I have a 10-15 minute call with my “Action Buddy”. We play a game of being “cause in the matter” of our day…vs. at the effect of whatever winds might blow around or over us.

Making a promise of what I’ll get done to someone else is a lot more powerful than making that same promise to myself. I’ll lie to myself. And given nobody is watching, I’ll get away with it.

It’s not about a “to do” list as much as putting our butt on the line in particularly challenging areas — the things that we really want to make headway in (e.g., growth, dreams) — which, left unpromised, would go untended. Therefore, those gardens would never grow.

Sometimes we eat the bear. Sometimes the bear eats us. Yet, with a daily, diligent practice of “calling the ball”, we move forward way better than otherwise.

Which reminds me of a story of three professional baseball umpires with varying levels of experience. They were being interviewed by a reporter in the locker room about their profession, how they determine balls vs. strikes, and what makes for a great umpire.

Umpire #1, the greenest of the three, stated “What makes me a great umpire is that I call them the way I see them.” Umpire #2, a bit more senior, stated “Well, that’s how I felt in my early years too…but what makes me a great umpire is that I call them the way they are.”

Finally, Umpire #3, the most veteran and seasoned of the three, stated “I appreciate both of these young men, and felt the same way as they did way back then. However, now I’ve learned that it ain’t nothin’ until I call it.”

Got accountability?

“You cannot live on other people’s promises, but if you promise others enough, you can live on your own.” –Mark Caine

About the Author

DARRELL W. GURNEY, Executive/ Career Coach and 20-year recruiting veteran, supports people at all levels to make fulfilling and profitable career transitions. His first book, Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters, was winner of the Clarion Award for Best Book by the Association for Women in Communications and was reviewed in Publishers Weekly. His newest book, Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest, has been endorsed by bestselling thought leaders such as Harvey Mackay, Keith Ferrazzi, and Dr. Ivan Misner. A personal and business brand strategist, Darrell’s Stealth Method of networking has helped folks expand their reach within both careers and new client circles. He speaks, leads workshops, and is a media expert on subjects such as recruiting, networking, and finding one’s passion. He was recently named Networking Expert for BeyondB-School.com and offers webinars and programs that get MBA students and working professionals out, connected, and landed.

>