Produce results and stay sharp

I once contended for a promotion with a colleague, and didn’t get the job. It was quite clear – I wasn’t the one people were rooting for. I could’ve spent a hundred years speculating why I lost out, and how I should do better, but I figured that this that was totally uneconomical and prone to failure. It’s one thing to be as great as someone, but it’s another thing to be someone you’re not.

I decided to focus on what I do best at work. I got all the credit for that effort because it was obvious to everyone. I didn’t do it with the expectation of gaining another promotion, although I almost got one… but that it just made sense.

Now, I get to choose what story to tell about my successes. It stays on my resume, and the lessons I’ve learnt from it are mine. I stick with those stories, and I handle all the objections from people who give me crap about otherwise.

Sticking with what you believe and the results from your work gives people less reasons not to believe you. If there’s one thing that’s scarce in the world, it’s trust. Build on it, and you’ll get far.

Be remarkable

Being remarkable is an art. Youtube is proof of that. If you haven’t discovered what makes you remarkable, maybe you need to ask your most honest friends.

A few months ago, I decided a push for a new way of implementing projects, and came under heavy fire for that. By some measure of fortune, I was allowed to do it, and I thank God the project actually went somewhere. It was a big gamble, but I’ve always taken gambles like that in life.

When I announced my departure, a few of my colleagues thanked me for being a “stubborn donkey” and praised me for actually doing more than mere talk. They encouraged me to stick to my ways. I know it’s not the best way to get things done, but it’s a way I’ve learnt by myself. I’m not quite sure how to explain it.

If you ask some of your closest friends about what makes you remarkable, you may be surprised. Sometimes, being remarkable isn’t about doing crazy things, but becoming more of the person you really are.

Give

Giving breaks a lot of social norms, and cuts to the chase. It instantly makes you vulnerable to the things you really care about, and people take notice. Even better when you don’t expect anything in return.

In a way, giving is a way to shut the voices in your head. A lot of people think they’re good people, but they also want to be successful. When is the right time and wrong time to give and get? Logic can be deconstructive as our minds play tricks on us. Giving helps you break that cycle, and keeps things in perspective.

In the past, I’ve given regularly to charities, tithes, personal gifts to specific people, the needy, children… I’ve done this because I needed to understand I could do this on my own, without anyone’s help. I needed to remind myself that climbing to the top of the food chain isn’t worth it without the essential things in life.

Giving helps me understand what’s important to other people, and not just myself. If they have different labels for what’s important in life, then there’s no real “top”. It’s just a personal description.

If you had 1 year left to live, how would you live it? If you had 6 months left, how would you live? How about 6 days?

It’s hard to imagine, because it forces us to stop focusing on the little things in life that keep us going. Things like waking up, taking a shower, going to work, having lunch, going home, watching TV, and then going to bed.

It forces us to stop thinking about getting that house, or that new car, or getting married, or getting a new job.

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. – Henry David Thoreau

Maybe part of you longs for something else. Maybe you want to write that book, or sail the seven seas, or speak every language spoken by man. Maybe you want more control over your life. Maybe you want to give back to the world.

Let me offer you an alternative. There’s no cost involved, and can choose at anytime when to start and when to quit. Here’s what you need to do… ready?

Measure your success by how much value you create into the world

There’s no doubt that everyone creates value. But the value I’m talking about is value to the world – in the way the world perceives value (and often spends time, effort and money based on).

For example, people want world peace. They want to get rid of AIDS. They want free beer. And so on.

What are you doing to make these people happy?

If the answer is nothing, you have not created any value. You are part of the system that does not create any new value, but seeks to maintain itself so that the wheel of life can continue turning.

If you want to get off the wheel of life, you have to create real value. More than what you think you’re doing now. Only by creating real value does it break the vicious cycle of mediocrity and self-promotion with little results. This is because every bit of good you add to this world makes it better anywhere, for everyone.

If it sounds so good, why doesn’t everyone do it? What’s the catch? I’ll make it easy – here it is:

Don’t expect anything specific in return for creating more value

This is not to say that you will never taste the reward of your hard work. No, this is quite different. Let me explain.

95% of the world is caught up in a never-ending cycle of chasing life, otherwise known as the system. These people, as hard working as they are, do not have time to stop and smell the roses, look at the big picture, or even thank you for the value that you have created for them. So, it is OK to assume that most people are “selfish, lazy, uninformed, and impatient” (with credits to Seth Godin for the statement).

There is no way to guarantee whether or not people will give you anything in return for the value you have created. Even if they do, there’s no guarantee how much they will offer, or when. Business people will have market reports, SWOT analysis charts, and purchasing trends, but you won’t. This is a different kind of game.

The only thing that should motivate you is what you already have inside. In other words, you should create value in ways where you can keep going on without expecting anything in return.

Ask yourself what is that ONE thing in the world which you can do over and over again and not get tired of? Then ask yourself how you can generate value out of that. You’ll save a lot more time doing this than trying to figure out how to get to the top of the corporate ladder in order to achieve your goals.

We put conditions to our attempts so easily:

• I want to get a promotion, but I don’t want to look like I’m sucking up to the boss.
• I want a lot of money, but I don’t want to work like a dog.
• I want peace in the world, but I’m not willing to give too much to charity.

Forget about those things!

Focus on what you’re good at, what drives you. Find ways to create real value from your strengths and passions. Don’t try to be the best employee just because everyone’s doing it. Do it because you want to and you love to do it. Or quit and do what you should be doing.

Find people who understand the value you are creating, and work with them

It is almost impossible to keep going without some kind of authentic feedback. This is why you need to find people who can rate your work, cheer you on, and be a friend.

Not many undertake the task to create real value, and by deciding to embark on this path, you will no doubt face long streaks of loneliness, doubt, frustration, and an sense of incapacity.

At this bottoming point, you should do everything you can to stay on track and not quit. And this is where genuine relationships can help a lot.

These are not the people you see at the office, who smile at you after grabbing their hot cup of coffee… or your mother who tells you that only professionals like lawyers or doctors can ever earn a decent living… or your friends who keep asking you when you’re going to get married or have children.

No, the people you need to connect to are people like yourself – who have also decided on a unique journey to create real value that has long lasting effects for the good of mankind. Speak to anyone else, and you’re in for a beating. Why? Because people in the system don’t want people to stop the wheel of life, going round and round, after spending years trying to navigate it.

And don’t try to please everyone either. Make a stand. Choose sides. But don’t stay in the middle. Stay on the wheel, or get off completely.

What you get from creating real value

By creating real value, you break the self-perpetuating cycle of assumptions, rules, and habits that are designed to do nothing but perpetuate itself. By creating real value, you offer hope to those who seek to find answers not found within the system. By creating real value, you learn new and better ways of doing things, and become a sole recipient of bearing that wisdom – giving you a unique right to provide others the ability to do the same.

Try it, and life will never be the same again.

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Most people don’t take advantage of giving, because they see it as part of their finances. Sure, there’s cost involved, but most people don’t think twice about buying a meal or treating a friend for dinner.

1. Giving can make you famous (or infamous)

I’m not trying to take anyone on a guilt trip here, but having a right mind about giving will give you an edge over a lot of people. A lot of people take notice because so many people aren’t in the mode of giving. Even your bosses can get a bit embarrassed if their donations can’t match yours.

2. Giving implies dedication

Most people who give willingly, and not sparingly, are people who have already gone through the thinking process of what that giving means. They don’t have to give it a second thought. In fact, good givers give on a regular basis, because they’ve already planned out their finances in such a way to be able to give. I practice that 10% of my salary goes to the church, but on top of that, RM20 goes to a cancer fund every month. By that I make an active stand about my giving priorities, no matter what the circumstance. You don’t have to take my word for it – Bill Gates has a stand too.

3. Good companies give

Good companies tend to be the ones who give back, and tend to provide better working environments. Though it may not be a crucial part of the interview process, having healthy giving practices does help to mold your character to be more employable. And you’ll want a good working environment that nurtures you and helps you grow.

4. Giving forces you to think

No doubt there are a lot of scams out there, which is why thinking is a necessity for purposeful, regular giving. It means that you’re willing to address an issue that’s real, and dig deeper to find out about the problems. This sort of thing happens at work every day. Having a bigger perspective improves your ability to perform at work.

5. Giving provides new perspectives at very low cost

AOL Finance and Money published six surprising reasons to give to charity, which includes meeting celebrities, doing interesting things, getting cool stuff, and other things. Giving is such a radical thing that only radical people do it. It’s a great way to get out and embrace change.