Welcome to the 10th edition of North Star Blueprints! In this weekly newsletter, we embark on a journey of personal and professional growth, offering observations, strategies, and inspiration to help you navigate life’s challenges and reach new heights of success. This edition will provide a summary of the daily insights I posted throughout the week, packed with valuable tips, thought-provoking ideas, and actionable advice designed to provide you with techniques and strategies to improve your interactions with people around you, recognize the power of sharing ideas, and reducing stress caused by constant comparisons, helping you to unleash your better self.
April 22: Share Your Ideas
“I have a great idea!”, you exclaim as you come up with the next best thing – whether it’s a small idea that will make a slide look better or a groundbreaking idea that will change the world, we have a tendency to be very protective of our own intellectual property.
Very often, we need to share our ideas with others in order to make them a reality, triggering the big question “What if someone steals my idea?”. We want to implement the idea but we also want to make sure it remains ours, what should you do then?
However, there is a fine line between thinking of something and making it happen. Remember, ideas are cheap but execution is everything. And you can’t steal execution. So go ahead and start sharing your ideas, collaboration will only enhance your thinking, and the benefit of working with others far outweighs the slim chance of someone stealing ideas from you.
April 23: Go Slow to Go Fast
“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast” is a well known Navy SEAL mantra that emphasizes the importance of accuracy, consistency, and a controlled pace in executing tasks. When you slow down, focusing on each step with precision and clarity, you eliminate errors and pave the way for seamless execution. In doing so, you can find a smooth rhythm, allowing you to move swiftly and confidently towards any goals.
Think of the simplest example – tying up your shoes. When you rush through it, you will often have to redo your laces several times, going slower will only require one attempt. Or learning a new skill, rushing through practice sessions may lead to sloppy technique and frustration. Instead, by slowing down and focusing on each drill, you gradually develop smoother motions. As you become smoother, you’ll find yourself doing it faster and more accurately in the long run.
The same applies in business, rushing through a writing process can result in disjointed paragraphs and unclear arguments. However, if you take the time to outline your ideas, carefully craft each sentence, and edit for clarity, your writing will flow smoothly. Or perhaps releasing a new product to market, carefully planning and executing step by step may seem slower initially, but it ultimately leads to a faster release and a more polished final product.
Embracing this principle reminds us that the fastest route to success isn’t always about rushing head first into tasks. It’s about maintaining a rhythm – patience and precision breed success.
April 25: The Grass is Not Always Greener
Early on in my career I remember one of my managers telling me that “the grass isn’t greener on the other side – it’s greener where you water it” and it has stuck with me ever since. In our pursuit of happiness and success, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparing our careers, achievements, or aspirations to something or someone else. However, we need to start comparing less and instead invest our energy into nurturing what we have and where we want to go so that we can grow productively.
Focus on Your Journey: Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on your own path and what you can control.
Nurture Relationships: Quality connections enrich our lives and contribute to our overall happiness and fulfillment.
Embrace Challenges: By facing obstacles with perseverance and determination, you can cultivate resilience and develop valuable skills that contribute to your personal and professional development.
Practice Gratitude: Adopt a mindset of gratitude by appreciating the opportunities, and experiences in your life. You never know where your next lesson or chance for growth will come from.
So, next time you are daydreaming about how much better “the other side” looks, stop yourself and invest that energy into making your own path better from where you are today. This doesn’t mean you have to stay in one place, it just means that in order to improve on something you need to put in the effort, simply chasing the next best thing rarely produces the outcome you want.
April 26: No One is Self Made
A few days ago, I finished listening to “Be Useful” by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a book with a message that resonates deeply: none of us achieve success in isolation. Behind every triumph are the hands that lifted us, the minds that guided us, and the hearts that believed in us. It’s a humbling reminder that we are not self-made; we are the products of countless interactions, opportunities, and support from others.
Throughout the entire book, you get to learn about Arnold’s accomplishments and his meteoric rise to fame, but you also quickly realize the amount of people that were involved in his success. It is so easy to look at larger than life individuals in this world and to think that they had a secret formula, a genetic gift, or an unfair amount of luck that has led them to where they are. Perhaps all of that is true, but a large portion of their success also came from the circles of people around them – other giants on whose shoulders they stood in order to rise.
Arnold also challenges us to recognize our responsibility to give back, to contribute positively to the world around us. Whether it’s through mentorship, philanthropy, or simply extending a helping hand, each of us has the power to make a difference. He closes his book by listing all the people who made him who he is today and how they’ve done it.
Reflecting on his words and his closing remarks, I have made my own list of the mentors who guided me, the people who supported me, and the opportunities that shaped me, as well as the ways I have been paying it forward. I highly recommend you take some time this weekend to try this exercise as well, you’ll quickly realize that we all need to get help and to give help in order to achieve our goals, there is no such thing as a “self-made man or woman”.
Arnold’s story, and the book “Be Useful”, are powerful reminders that true success isn’t measured only by what we achieve for ourselves, but by all the people who stand behind and beside us along our journey.
Thank you for joining me on this journey of growth and discovery. I hope these insights illuminate your path forward as you pursue your aspirations with purpose and determination. See you in next week’s edition!
