You are always responsible because you are always choosing. In every moment, you are choosing how to respond, how to react, how to see things.
Even when you fail to choose, that is itself a choice.
One of the most valuable skills in life is being able to see another person's perspective.
If you're going to someone's house, think about how it might feel to be the host. If you're creating a product, spend as much time as possible thinking like the customer. If you're calling customer service, think about how it might feel to be on the other end of the conversation.
The more clearly you understand the viewpoint of your spouse or customer or coworker, the better positioned you are to find a solution.
Finish something. Anything. Stop researching, planning, and preparing to do the work and just do the work. It doesn’t matter how good or how bad it is. You don’t need to set the world on fire with your first try. You just need to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to produce something.
There are no artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, or scientists who became great by half-finishing their work. Stop debating what you should make and just make something.
"No one has ever been a success betting against America since 1776 — and they're not going to be a success in the future doing it, either." – Warren Buffett
Call me a slow learner, but it took me nearly 40 years and visiting 65 countries to realize how exceptional and historically unique the United States is. Happy Birthday America.
Why is improvement hard?
Part of the issue is everyone wants to improve, but nobody wants to destroy. Change often requires destruction. Or, at least, unlearning.
Let's call it gentle elimination. You may have to leave little habits, update current beliefs, eliminate comfortable patterns. When you want better outcomes, your daily norms may need to change. The process of improvement is not just about adding things you like.
Sometimes habits and patterns belong to who you were, not who you are trying to be. If you'd like something better, then a routine you are comfortable with may have to die.
Everything good comes to an end. Learn from it. Grow from it. Be grateful for it. Everything bad comes to an end. Learn from it. Grow from it. Be grateful for it.
In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering.
In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don't have much time? Scale it down. Don't have much energy? Do the easy version. Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day.
Adaptability is the way of consistency.
Darkness is preparation for light.
Sadness is preparation for joy.
Failure is preparation for success.
But only if you keep going and remain open to what comes next.