A few weeks ago, I received a holiday greeting from a good friend who shared her recipe for baked cranberries (posted on the left). The warmth of her message and memories of the times we shared filled my head as the 'glorious' (her word) smells wafted through my kitchen and I then shared the final product around the Thanksgiving table.
I wanted to create that same kind of impact in today's Second Cup for you, but am aware that my cooking skills are on par with
my glass blowing skills.
That said, I will share an observation I have made on the three ingredients necessary for 'glorious' success that takes on the form of a recipe, of sorts.
One thing to note: Do not skip any ingredients! When there is an absence of just one ...success and satisfaction levels drop significantly.
Mike's recipe for your success in 2014
One part INSPIRATION
Embrace the answer to WHY: Why have you chosen the work you do? Why do you stick with it? Get intimate with that which drives you from the inside out. Know it. Understand how it manifests in the decisions you make and the approaches you take. If you're fresh out of inspiration, I found some in my pantry..read this:
One part PREPARATION
Do your homework ! Know the goals, objectives and anticipated outcomes. Get the education, the credentials, and the experience necessary to be the most qualified person in the room. Don't ever 'fake it 'till you make it', that is crackpot advice that sets you up for a completely avoidable fall. If you need a few reminders of the power of preparation, I found 8 in my pantry...watch this under
4-minute Ted Talk:
One part PERSPIRATION
Work harder than you ever have. Leave no stone un-turned, leave no option unexplored, leave no room for doubt that you are IN the game completely. Stop dogging it, justifying it, and shifting blame. Embrace these two slightly altered well known mottos:
Work smart AND hard....and...Let 'em see you sweat.
If you have run out of steam and need a reason to sweat again, I found 25 of them in my pantry...print and post this prominently:
So two holiday recipes for you:
one to make your house smell glorious and the other to nudge you toward a gloriously
successful 2014.
