On Duty And Circumstance

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Morality is complicated. The right thing is usually clear and intuitive enough to feel in our gut. This can be for easy choices or hard ones. I have had to take myself out of my comfort zone before to address issues I’ve seen or need to correct. I still struggle with it. Feedback is something that I’ve instituted with my team. It’s both positive and negative. I don’t feel I give enough of it. It usually leans towards positive because that is the more fun feedback to give. Negative feedback is not as fun and just as crucial to the success of the people working for you. I’ve been doing it for over a year now and I feel like I haven’t come close to using it effectively. I am pushing myself to apply it more and more though. I have a duty to put the people that report to me in the best position to succeed.

Do Your Job

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Do your job feels appropriate for father’s day. We all have a part to play in the larger picture. Each person and thing has a purpose. I’ve struggled with purpose because I’ve accomplished my career goals. I don’t need anything past that. Yet I yearn for some kind of purpose. I’ve started to focus on the things around my life that I may have ignored will reaching my career goals. It’s frustrating because at times I feel like I should be doing more. Take up some cause. I’ve come to the conclusion that I still need a lot of work, so I’m doing more self-discovery while also spending time with my family.

The Obstacle Is The Way

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

This has been a key realization for me recently. Early in my career I saw obstacles as opportunities to learn and better myself. At some point I got so good at it that my ego took over and my though process switched from solving problems to complaining about problems. I thought I had established myself to a point that my words were gospel. That’s not the case though. I’ve had to reel in the ego and look at obstacles as opportunities. it’s helped me sleep better at night and given me more peace about things in my life. It’s allowed me to redirect my energy to something more productive.

No Excuses

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

KTE - Keep The Excuses was something I used to use in first person shooter games. I didn’t care or want your excuses. I don’t really use it much in games anymore. I don’t really respond much in general because chat and comms with people in games (particularly on the other side) can get heated. It’s best not to engage. I do hold myself to that standard of not making excuses. If I’m late to a meeting, I apologize. There could be outside factors but ultimately the fail falls on me. This is something I’m teaching my kids. You have controls over the choices you make. Being late or falling down on roller skates is on you. You apologize (maybe to yourself) and move on.

No Self-Flagellation Needed

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Forgiving myself is something I’m trying to do more and more. We are complicated individuals and beating ourselves up for mistakes or missteps does nothing. It’s already in the past. It’s time to move on and hold myself to a higher standard, but not an impossible one.