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O P I N I O N
Rational and emotional
R ecently I saw a coffee mug in a grocery store with the phrase, “Perform as though you will succeed.” I thought, “Wow! How powerful and courageous.” It’s OK to wrestle with yourself as you chart the path to success. The AEC industry needs its performance metrics and monetary goals, but don’t forget about your heart.
market. The goal requires some stretching, but not too much so that it is unachievable. The emotional decision is a full and deep commitment that one might call the “gut check.” We need to learn to rec- ognize when our subconscious mind says, “I can’t.” Instead of suppressing it we need to bring those subconscious thoughts to light to address them. The emotional decision is more imaginative, like remem- bering what it was like to be a child, or like the mov- ie Men in Black . We imagine being an alien entering “We are all familiar with metrics that are used in the industry to measure performance. What is spoken about less often is the personal struggle we must wrestle with to perform.”
It reminded me of the messages in the popular motivational book, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. We face a need for courage in almost everything we do in life, from the professional world to personal relationships, family, and even in our leisure time. In the AEC industry, the idea of success coincides with financial performance, including business development. We are all familiar with metrics that are used in the industry to measure performance. What is spoken about less often is the personal struggle we must wrestle with to perform. Below are a few ideas from my experiences that may aid in that internal struggle: 1)Success requires dual decisions, a rational one and an emotional one. The rational decision is the development of a vision and a marketing plan with financial goals based on effective research of the
Thomas L. Frederick GUEST SPEAKER
See THOMAS L. FREDERICK, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER July 16, 2018, ISSUE 1256
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