Thinking In a New Dimension.....
One of the more popular “Reality” shows in recent times is “The Apprentice”.
During the show 16 or 18 individuals go through a 4-month interview process to work in the Donald Trump organization.
The candidates are placed in teams, and every week they are assigned a new task. Each team selects a project manager, and then goes about delivering on their task. For the winning team members, a nice reward is provided. The loser’s side has to meet Donald in the Boardroom, where someone is fired.
I enjoy the show. In fact, I think anyone who is entrepreneurial or wants to be an effective leader will benefit from watching it.
It’s fun for me to try to pick the finalists during the first couple of shows. When you watch these folks week after week, after a while, if they’ve got character flaws, they show up. Eventually, the cream really does rise to the top. Those who have major chinks in their abilities and personalities get found out and get fired along the way.
Of all the shows, the most profound thing I heard was from one of the finalists after he’d been fired. He was riding in the taxicab leaving Trump Towers, as all the losers do, and he was talking about what he learned during the process.
He said that the greatest thing he learned was that projects that he thought should take weeks to complete were being done to a high level of proficiency in just 2 or 3 days. He was referring to the tasks he had been a part of throughout the show.
He went on to say that he was excited to get back to work, because he now thought in a whole new dimension. He realized, perhaps for the first time in his life, how much he was capable of doing in a very short period of time when he had the resources and the focus to get the job done. For him, this was a major breakthrough.
In a previous post, I referred to Parkinson’s Law. There are several definitions to it. One of them is that expenses rise to meet income. Another definition is that work expands to meet the time envelope for its completion.
If I tell you that you’ve got 3 days to complete a project, how long will it generally take you to complete it? 3 days!
If I tell you that you’ve got 2 weeks to complete the same project, how long will it generally take you to complete it? 2 weeks!
If I tell you that you’ve got a month to complete the same project, how long will it generally take you to complete it? A month!
For this candidate, he now realized that projects that he thought should take him weeks could actually be done in less than 10% of that time. He’d done it. He’d done it week after week on the show.
Let his breakthrough be your breakthrough! Realize that if you have a dream, and you have a plan, and you focus on making your plan a reality, you can accomplish amazing feats in just a short period of time. Sometimes in only a few days!
Of course, as Napoleon Hill wrote, it all starts with knowing what you want, and having a burning desire for it. That is the starting point for all success. First, you must truly know in your heart what you want, what you are passionate about.
You must develop a desire for it strong enough that you will make every sacrifice to achieve it. With this mindset, you are well ahead in the game.
Passion and desire aren’t enough. You have to have a plan. It needs to have definite time lines, so that you have a target to shoot for (remember Parkinson’s Law). You have to have focus. Most important, you have to take ACTION.
The Apprentice is only a TV show. But it is designed in a way that demonstrates what ambitious people are capable of doing in a very short period of time. Even I’m amazed at what gets done.
Sometimes, to complete the task by the deadline, the teams pull all-nighters. Those who are sincere about the opportunity to become the Apprentice and win the competition will do whatever it takes to get the project done.
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? Have you ever been involved in anything where you were so excited about what you were doing that you couldn’t sleep because your mind was racing a mile a minute? Have you experienced that feeling recently?
Find something to get excited about. Keep looking and don’t stop until you’ve got it. Once you do, you’re life will take on a whole new meaning.
Namaste.
Jeff
During the show 16 or 18 individuals go through a 4-month interview process to work in the Donald Trump organization.
The candidates are placed in teams, and every week they are assigned a new task. Each team selects a project manager, and then goes about delivering on their task. For the winning team members, a nice reward is provided. The loser’s side has to meet Donald in the Boardroom, where someone is fired.
I enjoy the show. In fact, I think anyone who is entrepreneurial or wants to be an effective leader will benefit from watching it.
It’s fun for me to try to pick the finalists during the first couple of shows. When you watch these folks week after week, after a while, if they’ve got character flaws, they show up. Eventually, the cream really does rise to the top. Those who have major chinks in their abilities and personalities get found out and get fired along the way.
Of all the shows, the most profound thing I heard was from one of the finalists after he’d been fired. He was riding in the taxicab leaving Trump Towers, as all the losers do, and he was talking about what he learned during the process.
He said that the greatest thing he learned was that projects that he thought should take weeks to complete were being done to a high level of proficiency in just 2 or 3 days. He was referring to the tasks he had been a part of throughout the show.
He went on to say that he was excited to get back to work, because he now thought in a whole new dimension. He realized, perhaps for the first time in his life, how much he was capable of doing in a very short period of time when he had the resources and the focus to get the job done. For him, this was a major breakthrough.
In a previous post, I referred to Parkinson’s Law. There are several definitions to it. One of them is that expenses rise to meet income. Another definition is that work expands to meet the time envelope for its completion.
If I tell you that you’ve got 3 days to complete a project, how long will it generally take you to complete it? 3 days!
If I tell you that you’ve got 2 weeks to complete the same project, how long will it generally take you to complete it? 2 weeks!
If I tell you that you’ve got a month to complete the same project, how long will it generally take you to complete it? A month!
For this candidate, he now realized that projects that he thought should take him weeks could actually be done in less than 10% of that time. He’d done it. He’d done it week after week on the show.
Let his breakthrough be your breakthrough! Realize that if you have a dream, and you have a plan, and you focus on making your plan a reality, you can accomplish amazing feats in just a short period of time. Sometimes in only a few days!
Of course, as Napoleon Hill wrote, it all starts with knowing what you want, and having a burning desire for it. That is the starting point for all success. First, you must truly know in your heart what you want, what you are passionate about.
You must develop a desire for it strong enough that you will make every sacrifice to achieve it. With this mindset, you are well ahead in the game.
Passion and desire aren’t enough. You have to have a plan. It needs to have definite time lines, so that you have a target to shoot for (remember Parkinson’s Law). You have to have focus. Most important, you have to take ACTION.
The Apprentice is only a TV show. But it is designed in a way that demonstrates what ambitious people are capable of doing in a very short period of time. Even I’m amazed at what gets done.
Sometimes, to complete the task by the deadline, the teams pull all-nighters. Those who are sincere about the opportunity to become the Apprentice and win the competition will do whatever it takes to get the project done.
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? Have you ever been involved in anything where you were so excited about what you were doing that you couldn’t sleep because your mind was racing a mile a minute? Have you experienced that feeling recently?
Find something to get excited about. Keep looking and don’t stop until you’ve got it. Once you do, you’re life will take on a whole new meaning.
Namaste.
Jeff
posted by Jeff Fagin at 5:38 AM
3 Comments:
Jeff,
I have that excitement right now. I am excited at the progress I have made already in changing my life. I'm going to continue using this excitement to propel myself into a zone that I have never been in.
Jeff
Motivation is moving into a new dimension, it should be life changing.
Larry E.
I continue to think about my idea but have not found it yet. I am motivated to the point that I know I will find it.
Post a Comment
<< Home