“The secret to my success is that I bit off more than I could chew and chewed as fast as I could.”~Paul Hogan
Sometimes the people who really get things done are the ones who try to do more than they really should be able to do or at least to do more than others expect of them. Sometimes it’s just jumping into the deep end of the pool (or the fray) that teaches us to swim.
We teach our clients the tenets of self-care and to set exciting, yet realistic, goals. We remind our clients that they’re only human, and sometimes they have to accept their limitations. We repeat – and repeat – that they should manage others’ (and their own) expectations as to how much they can get done and what can practically happen.
And then there are times to bite off more than you can chew and do your best to chew.
As many of you may know, my memoir was published this September. It still blows my mind. It truly is my example of biting off more than I can reasonably chew and chewing as fast as I can.
I wrote my memoir to hopefully help make a difference in the world. I figured that perhaps my story could provide perspective (and maybe hope) to others, and I’ve done (and am doing) all I can possibly imagine to promote the book (even mentioning it here). Let’s just say that for the past six months or so, my mouth has been very, very full and I’m chewing as quickly as I possibly can.
I am hoping that it will lead to success – for the book and the sharing of my story. But whether or not it does, I’ll know that I gave it everything I could, and in many ways, whatever happens, that will be enough.
That is also what we share with our clients – that the only way to see if something is possible is to do your best and then see what happens. See if it’s possible. There will always be times to go slow, take time for self-care, and manage your expectations and goals. And there are times for biting off as much as you can and giving it your all.
When have you pushed for success by biting off too much?
Please leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For support in chewing as fast as you can, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
Photo Credit: Pexels.com
