Walking by the door of a neighborhood gym, I saw a note on the door.
It said: Congratulations the toughest part is over – you’re here! I giggled to myself thinking: what a cute welcome message. Then I realized – this was something bigger. It was affirmation. It was a celebration. The hardest thing about working out is actually getting to the gym – and you DID it!
Last week in #3nomorethan5-in-5 we chatted about an NPR story I heard. The topic was the number of self-help books on the market and whether or not they actually helped people. According to the reporter, better than 50% of readers say they only get through the first few chapters before they quit reading. So if you only read part of the book… and… you don’t exercise the advice from the book, does the book really help?! Probably not. For any advice to work… you actually have to go do something.
It made me think about the many times I’ve advised, counseled, mentored and coached people throughout my career. They generally fell into these groups:
- Those who love to talk talk talk about what their challenges or ambitions… but rarely did much more
- Those who would talk and try some of what I recommended… but couldn’t seem to follow through
- Those who would talk some, listen lots, ask questions, take advice and make it their own … and would see results – good, bad, or ugly – that they’d share so we could learn and grow together
Engaging with someone from the last group was the most energizing. I’d get excited hearing about what worked for them… or… what didn’t. When they came up with variations to my advice, I learned from them and got to share those adaptations with others. The last group would go do and they grew as a result.
So here’s a bonus feature for you! A clip of a friend who asked for advice… went and did something… and what she learned. I’m thrilled to introduce you to my friend Christine and would love to hear your thoughts / comments about our conversation. (Read interview here.)