Be More Intentional

This week I've seen a real clarity in my work. I credit a new technique I learned and have been trying to implement into my daily routine. 

Before each task I ask myself two questions:

1. What is my intention for doing this? 
2. How do I want to feel when doing it?

Think about how often we just go through the day on autopilot, rarely taking the time to question why it is what we do. For years the lack of examination caused me to keep busy without questioning for a moment if what I was doing had any value.

By asking yourself those two simple questions (which takes literally 2 seconds) you prime yourself before tackling your objectives. If it connects with a broader and deep-seated "why," you're driven to do the best work you can. 

And when you condition yourself to feel energized, optimistic, or driven before the work you're more likely to see it through. 

Setting your intention and priming your mind are incredibly powerful techniques for doing your best at work that matters. 

Failure is Not the Problem - Our Reaction Is

You've heard me say, the greatest gift being an actor has given me is learning to have no fear of failure. Instead, developing the capacity to lean into what most frightens me. This is a skill that took years to cultivate, but will undoubtedly serve me the rest of my life.

What I discovered is that failure is a necessary part of success. Think about it, the two literally cannot exist without each other. What's most important about setbacks is how we frame them in our minds.

I believe failure is just deferred progress. Each time something does not go our way we're instantly given a set of choices, which is itself a gift. You can take a setback personally and allow it to thwart any future attempts towards your goals. Or, you can use it as a Masters Class to ask yourself a series of questions:

-- Why didn't this work?
-- What could I have done differently?
-- What did I learn from this experience?
-- What strategies do I need to implement so it doesn't happen again?
-- How can I pass on the lessons from this experience to others?

In time, you will condition your mind not to get worked up about failures. You'll learn to take failure less personally. And once you develop the skill of taking setbacks in stride and not allowing it to stop you your capacity for innovation and bold risks grows.

Create. Fail. Rinse and repeat.