Thoughts, highlights and stories from the week:
(1) He has so much self belief
"He has so much self belief. At least that's how he came across to me at that time" - Michael Schumacher's agent
"One thing makes all the difference. And that's your mindset. Michael was good at focusing on one thing and shutting everything else out. He was a master at that. When he was focused, he was completely in the zone. And I think that helped him.” - Michael Schumacher' wife
"One day I'll win races. One day I'll be world champion" - Michael Schumacher
I was watching the Netflix documentary called Schumacher '94 - the birth of a legend. I paused and wrote out the above quotes to highlight that belief comes before capability. The mindset matters. You have to believe in yourself before you can achieve. Everything after that is figureoutable.
(2) People follow leaders who are in the trenches
Kids follow parents who do what they say.
Teams follow managers who take the blame and share the credit.
Students follow teachers who never stop learning.
Customers follow brands that keep their promises.
Friends trust those who show up when it's inconvenient.
Influence isn't granted by title.
It's earned by example.
We don't follow words.
We follow proof.
(3) Nothing erodes self-esteem faster than breaking your word to yourself
Every promise you make to yourself is a small test. Wake up at 6. Skip the second drink. Finish the chapter tonight. When you follow through, you gather evidence that you’re someone who can be counted on. When you don’t, you gather evidence of the opposite.
Self-esteem isn’t a feeling you can talk yourself into. It’s a reputation you hold with yourself, and it’s built entirely on that evidence.
That’s why broken self-agreements cut deeper than broken promises to others. Other people might forget. They might forgive. But you were there every single time, and you know exactly how often you said you would and didn’t. Each lapse quietly teaches you that your intentions are negotiable.
Eventually you stop believing your own plans. You commit less, attempt less, and expect less of yourself. That slow loss of trust is what low self-esteem really is.
The good news is that it works in both directions. You can rebuild self-trust the same way you lost it, one kept promise at a time. Start smaller than feels impressive. “I’ll walk for ten minutes” beats “I’ll run every day,” because the goal isn’t the activity. The goal is proving that your word holds. Keep the small promises without exception, and the bigger ones become believable again.
Integrity with yourself isn’t about grand resolutions. It’s about becoming someone whose word means something, even when the only person keeping score is you.
(4) Instincts vs Ideas - which should you follow?
"I've found that for good entrepreneurs, our instincts are right 95% of the time, but our ideas are right at best 25% of the time" - founder of Zynga
I have often found myself getting a feel for what the market wants. What's selling? What are others doing? It is important and relevant because one must know the field they are playing on.
However when I've let others actions define mine, it hasn't worked. What has worked has always been adding my unique perspective to the solution, which has often been driven by my unique perspective, my instincts.
You must test your instincts and ideas without fear of whether they would be accepted by others or not. What matters is that you try. And when you get from point A to point B, you'll get feedback which will then take you to Point C and then D and on from there.
Be sure to keep moving forward. Take that left or right. Just don't stand still.
(5) What if everything goes right?
Challenge your limiting beliefs by asking yourself this question.
(6) Often all you need is a good night sleep
The ability to stop your mind and say "I gave it my all today, tomorrow we shall wake up and tackle another day", is also a super power.
Stop. Recharge. Continue... Everyday.
Harsh
I spent sixteen years helping build a business till it sold. Now I'm helping build something much bigger. I share what I learn on the way, on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and this Sunday Email. Start your mornings with us on the Board of Optimists.