Hello…It’s Monday! Let’s get this party started! I was recently reading an article on the Goldilocks Rule and was intrigued by this philosophy. Think of a time when you were playing a game – maybe a board game. The first game you play is a children’s game – it’s super easy and you could win every game. How did you feel? After awhile you get bored right? There is no challenge in this at all except maybe figuring out how to let your opponent win – but even that gets boring. The second game you play is a game of chess and your opponent is a pro – now the situation is in reverse – you may hold your own, however, you lose every game – very frustrating right? Even though you are not a quitter…your motivation to continue waivers – why lose all the time! Now the third game you play is with an opponent who is equally skilled. You win one, your opponent wins one…and you have a good shot of winning the entire game…now this feels pretty good…challenging enough that it keeps you going. You want to come back for more…you may even want to learn more about the game so you can be even better!
Today analyze your day. Are you bored with what you are doing? If so, ask for another project or find a purpose that inspires you to do better. Are you stressed to the max? Is it because you are in a job or working on a project that strains your knowledge base? Don’t let it get you down, find a co-worker who may be able to assist you, or ask questions. Break down the project into smaller projects so you can have a sense of accomplishment! The point is to find the sweet spot of challenging yourself just enough to keep you coming back for more because it is exciting and you feel invigorated and successful! It’s not too easy. It’s not too hard. It’s just right!
Continue to monitor every day to see where you are. If you stick to the Goldilocks Rule…working on things that stretch your ability but are not too easy or too difficult…then measure your success…and solicit feedback quickly whenever possible you will want to get up every day with enthusiasm to tackle the day.
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” — Vince Lombardi
