“These are the times that try men’s souls.”
Thomas Paine wrote those stirring words in the winter of 1776 as it became evident the Crown would not surrender its grip on the Colonies without bloodshed.
Paine went on to say “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.”
Last week, I spoke of the “tyranny of the urgent” and how it leads us to abandon our long-term visions. This pattern of behavior is not reformed overnight.
There will be fits and starts. There will most certainly be challenges. We will fall off a horse or two.
And then, we will get back on, because this year, we bring a new ally to the fight against the tyranny of the urgent – Resolve.
Not Resolutions. No, we’ve tried those before, and they seldom pan out.
So, what is the difference between a resolution and resolve?
Imagine you look into the sky and see two objects, a cloud and an eagle.
The cloud blocks the sun. It thunders and brings rain. When the angle is just right, the cloud reveals a rainbow. The cloud looks much bigger than the eagle, so it must be superior, right? Not true. The cloud also dissipates easily under the right atmospheric conditions. It is only vapor.
Both are “up there.” Both are held aloft by wind currents. The cloud floats. It is at the mercy and direction of the wind. The eagle soars. It leverages the wind to gain more power. It strikes like lightning from the clouds when it catches its prey. A Bald eagle lives about 20 years. It’s symbolic representation of the United States of America has endured for centuries.
Resolutions are like clouds – here today and gone tomorrow.
The eagle epitomizes Resolve – staying power in the face of hardships.
Resolutions are made perennially, and we begin to abandon them about this time every year. Our thinking is “I’ve missed my chance to do ‘X’ every day this year, so I might as well quit.” It is goal-oriented with the expectation that we have the wherewithal to achieve a 365-day mission on Day One.
Resolve is a mind-set that states “I will forge a new habit in pursuit of a bigger vision, and I will faithfully return to that new habit every time I falter, until it’s encoded in my DNA.”
Last Thursday, we examined your BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal). This week, think about the strategic operational changes you must make so that you’ll achieve your BHAG. What must you stop? What must you start? What must you continue? What will you change for the better?
Just as John Hancock and the Signers of the Declaration found out, defining a dream and declaring your vision is the start of a long battle. Will dreams for your business, family or personal life be supported by a cloud that’s here today and gone tomorrow? Or will they soar on eagles’ wings?
You determine that with your resolve.
