Did anyone see the 60 Minutes piece on Russell Crowe Sunday night? It was interesting to see what one of Hollywood's best actors had to say about himself, and the way that he works. Two quotes really rang true as I consistently strive to be the best in the arenas in which I choose to fight. The first Crowe comment was, "it's the effort that set's me apart." Crowe attributes his success not to his talent, but his effort. Obviously he's got talent, but the important part is realizing that many people have talent, but it's often wasted without effort. More importantly, it's wasted without extra effort. So many of us can easily qualify as an 8 out of 10 in certain categories, but how often do we push ourselves to reach a 10. Do you know what a 10 is? A 10 is top of the game, knowledgeable, experienced, respected, and well compensated. What are you going to do this week to raise your 8 to a 10? You know what you need to do, now do it.
Quote number two was particularly important in the fast paced world we live in. "I respond in the moment", Crowe said. How agile are you in the ever changing high tech universe? Can you respond to your clients needs, your family's wants, and your business's goals "in the moment". One of my favorite words and one I aspire to always embody is nimble. The definition of nimble is quick and light in movement; moving with ease; agile; active; rapid. I think that says so much about the way we should be able to respond to those around us. Our world is changing in the blink of an eye. We'd better be able to blink back.
My new favorite quote comes from Mario Andretti:
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."
Posted by: Aaron Starck | November 13, 2006 at 08:29 AM