Don't Wish...

By Mark Inboden

“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.”

— Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn was a legend in the field of personal development, and this is just one of his many quotes that I like. I came across this the other day, as I was thinking about my last blog post on Meaningful Work.

Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.

I think this part of the quote tells us to look at something that is presently hard, as a challenge to get better. Instead of wishing that something was easy, tackle the task at hand with the knowledge that you will be better at it the next time you face it. Learn to become better by doing more research, or asking co-workers who are subject matter experts for advice. This will make you better the next time a challenge presents itself.

Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills.

To me, this is the “glass half-empty; glass half-full” analogy. Those who want more skills should look at problems as an opportunity. When a customer says they have a “problem,” you should respond with enthusiasm because you will likely learn something new about their company, your company or yourself in helping solve this issue. Once the problem is solved, reflect on any new skills or insights you developed during this process. Share the cause and solution with your team to make your skills known, and your company better.

Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.

Mark Inboden

Perfect segue for a golf analogy! Over the years, the greatest impact on my golf game has not been new technology or golf lessons, but course management derived from the wisdom of playing over the years. I know that if I am going to score well, it is not just important to hit good shots, but to manage my game so that my “missed shots” are landing in areas that give me a greater chance for recovery success. If the pin is on the right side of the green next to a bunker, I need to hit a shot that will “miss” to the left, and not in the bunker to the right. Challenges come our way daily, but with experience, you gain the wisdom to handle them and know where your “miss” should be.

To sum things up...One should always want to be better, want more skills and gain wisdom from the challenges they face. Those three things should make every day, and the work you do, a lot more meaningful.    

Mark is President and CEO of UCEC. 

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