Today I came across this quote:
‘Action is the real measure of intelligence.’ Napoleon Hill
I think it is so true!
In times of economic crises it is so easy to blame the Government, blame luck, blame anyone and anything but ourselves.
This does not mean that life is easier than it was 10 years ago.
Boy! It is much harder!
The thing is that it is harder for everyone! That levels the field!
In fact, so many people let themselves fall pray of the ‘crisis syndrome’ or the ‘self-pity syndrome’ that there are less competition for a place in the sun!
I don’t think I’ve been so full of ideas and so enthusiastic about doing things for years!
The challenge is that to succeed in new times you need new skills and new solutions and I tend to fall in love with the learning process, which spiced with a pinch of perfectionism and occasional lack of focus has the same results of procrastination… not enough ACTION, not enough results!
I have always been quite competitive.
At school and University, with a system that was based on IQ values and commitment I did very well.
Auditing with Deloitte’s and then as a CFO, with hard work, commitment and emotional intelligence I did very well too.
Now I’m playing a different game! Being one of two partners (the other having been my life partner for 28 years) we are unique, what we are working on is different from anybody else and so we can’t compare our careers with our friends or colleagues. Additionally no one is pushing us and we are not accountable to anyone but ourselves.
That is where I realize that the high IQ and EQ that were so valuable in the past are not enough and that ACTION is the real measure of intelligence.
It is great to love learning new skills but like any riches they lose value if they are not put to good use…
So I’m raising the bar one nudge. I’ve been competing against myself by making sure every day I am a little bit better than the day before, by being able to say that I’ve learnt something I did not know. I now commit to one ACTION step everyday as well. I commit to take one step from my strategic plan that involves implementation and not just knowledge acquisition or planning and preparation.
Knowledge can be a selfish thing if you don’t apply it.
You take great satisfaction from it but if you use it consistently to create value for other people and the community you can make this world a better place.
And this is, and has always been, my true reason for living!
