Chasing Greatness
Published July 17, 2010
For those of you who don’t know, I am a senior web developer and scrum master for a leading online company. It’s a great job, I love the people I work with, and I’m skilled at what I do. I’m sure many of you are employed and doing a tremendous job wherever you work. I’m also willing to bet that many of you look at your current position and wonder, “Is this as far as I will go?” Let’s tackle this issue now.
That’s an important question, “Is this as far as I will go?” I think about it daily. My standards of what I should expect in my life continue to jolt me to exceed what I am currently doing. But the results I am hoping for are just not happening. I can even predict that if I continue to do a great job and bring people together over the next year, that I will be having this same conversation with myself this time next year. With that realization, here’s what I’ve discovered.
A better question to ask would be, “What am I going to do daily to set me on a new course for greatness?” This is a big reason I am writing about daily disciplines. This is the one area needing major tune up for me. Perhaps some of you reading are struggling with the daily disciplines such as retiring to bed early, arising early, healthy eating, exercise, reading the right books, increasing memory, persuasion, speaking, and more. I believe these small things are essential to doing the great things. Here’s why:
Humans are creatures of habit. It’s a simple statement. We are the product of what we do consistently. If we consistently eat junk food, our body shape generally tells the story. If we exercise regularly and lift weights, our physique tells the story. If we study the best books and become an expert, our knowledge tells the story. If we master communication and persuasion, the results tell the story. You can get a good idea of the habits of someone by seeing them and speaking with them for a few minutes.
Therefore, to be great, consistently do the ‘little’ things that will repetitively increase your skills. Jim Rohn said it well, “If you want to become good at something, then you’ve got to do it often. Repetition repeats the skill.” This is the charge of greatness. It is the daily disciplines that I am currently writing a series about. That is where it starts. Let’s master the daily disciplines together. Stay tuned for more disciplines so that we can become great together!
Jeremy Reply:
July 17th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
Hi Jonathan. I looked at your website, Zippy Gamer and it very well done. I am impressed with it and that you are a co-founder. Thanks again for stopping by.
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Jonathan Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Thanks for the compliment. I’ve had fun working on it with friends.
Jonathan´s last blog ..Rapture Rising Issue 5
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