This approach sounds paradoxical but it can work. It is to be dispassionate when following your passion. It is then to be disciplined and do your best to achieve the desired positive results.
Great workers recognise that their passion can provide positive energy and be a great help. At the same time, however, it can cloud their ability to make good decisions and affect their discipline.
Bearing these things in mind, they may aim to become calm and clear when pursuing things they feel passionately about. They can then channel their energy in a disciplined way and aim to deliver the desired results.
Great workers sometimes go through certain stages in their careers. They may get hired for their passion, promoted for their professionalism and then build a reputation for being strategic and having perspective.
Some also develop a sense of perspective about life. They recognise that they are small in the great sweep of history and do not see themselves as important.
Such people recognise that their actions are important, however, because these can affect other people. They therefore try to do positive things during their time on the planet.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Sometimes it involves focusing on the following themes.
They Aim To Be Dispassionate
Great workers sometimes follow a passion where they have the ability to deliver peak performances. This can be a good start but sometimes this can cloud their judgement.
How to manage this emotion? One approach is to become more dispassionate when following their passion. It is to balance being caring with also being calm and cerebral
A doctor in Accident & Emergency will immediately treat any life-threatening condition. At the same time, however, they will aim to see the big picture and gather information about the person’s injuries.
Some football coaches show their passion by prowling the touchline. They yell at their players and have arguments with the officials. Sometimes this works but can affect the quality of their decision making.
Some coaches take a more scientific approach. They stay calm, observe what is happening and look for patterns. When appropriate, they give clear instructions that the players can use to influence the game.
Different people choose different ways to be dispassionate when following their passion. Some focus on following the next theme.
They Aim To Be Disciplined
Great workers may start their careers by demonstrating certain strengths. They may produce moments of creativity that get them noticed or enable them to make breakthroughs.
Such people may only progress further, however, if they are able to demonstrate consistency. Sometimes this calls for them aiming to follow certain disciplines.
How to take this step? One approach is for them to learn from their best performances. Looking back at their positive history, they can explore the following questions.
When have I done superb work in the past? When were the specific occasions that I did such work and delivered success? What did I do right then?
What were the principles I followed? How did I translate these into action? How can I follow these principles to do consistently superb work? What else may I need to do to always perform at my best and deliver success?
Great workers focus on the results they want to achieve – the destination. They then aim to follow certain daily disciplines that will increase the chances of achieving these goals.
Some people do this when following their passion as artists, athletes, dancers or in other kinds of work. They aim to maintain consistently high professional standards. They then focus on the following theme.
They Aim To Deliver The Desired Results
Great workers do their best to deliver the desired results. Some are also good at maintaining perspective and seeing the bigger picture. Paradoxically, this approach can also free them up to do superb work in the present.
Such people may start by doing the following exercise. They clarify the specific things they want to have done or achieved by the end of their professional career.
Great workers keep their long-term aims in mind. At the same time, however, they do their best to achieve their present goals. Different people do this in different ways. Some focus on the following themes.
Present Goals
Such people focus on the present piece of work they are doing. Bearing in mind the real results they want to achieve, they clarify their present goals. Some do this by completing the following exercise.
Priority Management
Great workers are good at priority management. Bearing in mind the results they want to achieve, such people sometimes explore the following themes.
What are the real results I want to achieve? What are the top priorities – such as the top three things – I want to focus on that will increase the chances of achieving the desired positive results?
They keep focusing on these strategies and aim to translate these into action. This can then lead to them taking the next step.
Positive Results
Great workers aim to get some early successes. Taking this step can help to create momentum. They then aim to do superb work, find solutions to challenges and focus on continuous improvement.
They are good at reading reality. They aim: a) to keep building on what is going well; b) to focus on what they can do better and how. They then aim to translate these ideas into action.
Such workers often follow their successful pattern for finishing. They then aim to flow, focus and finish successfully. They aim to achieve the desired results and sometimes also add that touch of class.
There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to be dispassionate when following your passion. It is to be disciplined and do your best to achieve the desired positive results.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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