Every Monday our social feeds are filled with #MondayMotivation and #hustleporn images, quotes, and inspirational messages. Some are decent but most just get swiped past and lost in the noise that comes with getting caught up online after a busy weekend. While I appreciate and have even participated in the cultural phenomena that is “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” I’m going to start taking a different approach here on the blog.
Why?
Well, if you’re committed to building a real business it probably requires that you show up in your business all the time - not just Monday. And, I think there is more value in giving you some internet cringe to chuckle about while connecting it to content that might actually be useful for you. I mean, honestly, when was the last time a Zig Ziglar quote moved the needle for you when you scrolled past it sipping your first coffee of the day? Exactly.
Welcome to Monday Memes!
So in the spirit of showing up to do the work that matters I offer today’s meme:
I thought this was hilarious for a few reasons.
1. Putting in the extra work you need to succeed often goes unnoticed. That’s just how it goes. What’s the over-generalized adage? “You’re an overnight success ten years in the making.”
2. I’m also of the opinion that the amount of time you spend at your desk is not a direct corollary for success. Doing something that matters, that you care about, or that is important is going to demand real work (and time) from you. Sometimes it requires you putting in the extra hours. That’s very different than just filling your schedule with things that feel like work but add no real value to what you’re doing or that are ultimately just busywork. So, because most people don’t like to think that they might not be as effective in how they work as their peers (letting ego get in the way) they compare efforts using a metric that’s objective - time. Then it becomes who’s working harder as a function of how long they’re working, not how effective they are. That never ends well.
3. I can admit that in moments of weakness early in my professional life I’ve silently judged someone for showing up late. I was young, naive, and let my own ego get the best of me. These days I’m empathetic to the hurdles that come with managing a schedule as a professional in 2019. It’s tough and life happens. Being willing to work with people at the “speed of business” is super important if you plan on ever getting real buy-in from them or are hoping to develop a real relationship. Now that’s not to say that being habitually late need not be addressed. It might just be a symptom of a set of processes that haven’t been looked at in a while. And, if after that it’s really about the person not respecting your time then it’s time to look at the rest of that relationship and see if it’s still working for everyone, the culture you’re building, etc.
See, there’s lots of good stuff that can come out of a cringe-worthy meme! Maybe you laughed at how quickly you can go from calm to an irrational rage-boil in a professional environment because someone didn’t meet your silent expectations, did a bit of reflection on working smarter not longer, and were briefly entertained by a meme based on something that was popular a few years ago.
Have a great Monday.