David Mooring

Faith. Fatherhood. Freedom.

Success

Willpower is Overrated

By

You don’t need more willpower. You don’t need stronger willpower. You don’t even really need to “suck it up” or to “just do it”.

What you need is a better understanding of why you do what you do. Why you fail at critical moments. Why you always do what you’ve always done.

In addition, you need a better set of tools. Methods. Systems. Ways to handle the difficult times. Ways to set yourself up for success.

What you don’t need is to continue failing while you wait for that one miraculous moment when your willpower suddenly kicks in, surprises you, and saves the day.

The Problem With Quitting

By

You’re a quitter. You can’t help it, you were born that way. We’re all quitters.

That’s a problem. It’s not a problem because quitting is inherently bad. It’s a problem because you’re very bad at quitting.

You don’t know what to quit.

You don’t know when to quit.

You don’t know why to quit.

You also don’t know when to not quit, or when to stop with the quitting and start again.

I’m bad at quitting, too. But I’m learning. I’m improving.

As for blogging, it’s time for me to stop the quitting.

The One Time That Makes The Difference

By

Whether you want to eat more healthily, stop smoking, run your first 5k, or educate yourself, it’s not the first step that makes the difference.

It’s not the first time you skip the burger and fries. It’s not the first cigarette you start to light, but toss in the trash. It’s not the first walk around the block or the first time you turn off the TV to read.

That’s not what makes the difference.

It’s not the second time, the third time, or the fourth time that counts.

Those times don’t really make the difference either.

What makes the difference is the one time that it’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.

The time that you find yourself debating yourself on why it’s ok to take the step backwards. Why it’s ok to eat fries this one time. To take that one drag. Skip the nightly run, or leave the book on the table because that show you’ve been wanting to watch is on.

That’s the time that makes the difference.

And no matter what your goal is, or what you’re trying to accomplish, your success is riding on that one time that makes the difference.

Do You Make Your Free Throws?

By

It’s March. College basketball is everywhere. I’m not a big sports fan, but I really enjoy college basketball.

I’m always struck by the number of poor free throw shooters there are on most teams. Some shoot as low as 50-60%.

When games are often decided by less than 5 points, free throws can easily determine the winner.

And if that’s the case, I wonder why more players don’t do what’s necessary to excel at free throws.

Players know they’re going to have to shoot them in almost every game. They know exactly what the conditions will be – where they’ll stand, where the goal will be, what ball they’ll be using.

In other words, free throws are gimmies, they should be made 90% of the time. Games shouldn’t be lost because of missed free throws.

What’s your “free throw”?

The Oscars: Plenty Of Trophies, Few Successes

By

We have no way of knowing who was successful at the Oscars.

Sure, we know who won. But the only award winners that were also successful were the ones who’s ultimate goal for their work was to be recognized by the Academy with a trophy.

In fact, I wonder how many people in the movie industry allow bright, shiny objects and flashing lights to preclude them from true success.

Here are some potential benchmarks for success in the movie industry:

Fame
Power
Wealth
Approval
Personal Satisfaction
Creative Expression
Social Impact
Influence
Inspiration
Motivation
Popularity
Admiration
Honoring Someone
Security
Sense of Accomplishment
Promotion of an Idea or Cause
Gaining Experience
Making History
Imitation
Escaping
Demonstration of Expertise
Teaching

What are some benchmarks for success in your industry? What awards or trophies serve as the greatest distractions?

Are You Unknowingly Hurting Yourself?

By

No living thing is the same today as it was yesterday. And no living thing will be the same tomorrow as it is today. Living things grow and thrive or decay and die. They are in a constant state of change.

We are living things. We are in a constant state of change. And because of this, every decision we make helps us or hurts us. If we choose to eat well, exercise, and get sufficient sleep, we will be better off tomorrow than we are today. If we eat poorly, remain sedentary, and get little sleep, we will be worse off tomorrow than we are today.

The same is true for our professional lives. What we choose to read, or what we choose to watch, will either move us closer towards our goals or further away. In difficult situations, we can hold to the truth, or we can lie to save face. One strengthens our integrity, the other weakens it.

Whether our daily decisions are related to health, spirituality, people, or professional success, we have choices. Each time we choose one option over another, we are making a decision to move forward or fall backwards.

Are you hampering your success by the everyday choices you make?