Sep 14

Personal Transformation

The May 25, 2014 New York Times profiled Brett Wilson, C.E.O. of TubeMogul, a video advertising software company. In the interview, Brett talks about three values he created in the company culture which have contributed to their success. What if the values of a successful start-up are the same that are required for personal transformation?

Value #1: Don’t let the fear of making a mistake prevent you from taking action. Brett assumes that if you’re not making a mistake, you’re not moving fast enough. And when you do make a mistake, recognize it and course correct. Notice he talks about ‘when,’ not ‘if’ you make a mistake! Is the fear of making a mistake holding you back?

Value #2: Have a high “do-to-say” ratio. Brett’s company culture values people who do what they say. His advice reminded me of Don Miguel Ruiz’s book The Four Agreements. If you’ve not read this book yet, get it. The first of the four agreements is “Be Impeccable with Your Word.” The secret to making the changes you want in your life isn’t mysterious. It starts with deciding what you want and then doing what you say you want to do – or creating a high “do-to-say” ratio.

Value #3: Be kind to one another. This value makes the workplace better and deepens empathy. How kind are you to yourself? Is your internal dialogue mostly positive or negative? If you have any doubts about the impact of negative self-talk, watch Dr. Masaru Emoto’s video about the impact of words and music on water.  Over 60% of our bodies are water so this video dramatically illustrates why what we say to ourselves does have an impact.

For the next 30 days incorporate these three values into your daily life and see what happens. Don’t be afraid to take action, do what you say you’re going to do, and be kind to yourself by monitoring your internal dialogue.