“There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most.” This message from Thomas S. Monson is eloquently said, yet it is advice that has been received over and over from leadership figures for years. The concept has been a said a million different ways, and yet it has taken me years to fully comprehend the deep significance in my leadership and personal success.
There are a lot of businesses still struggling in this economy. There are still a lot of good people without jobs and a lot of good people struggling personally and financially. There are people working long hours for little pay and struggling to make ends meet.
With that said, there is something that really breaks my heart and cuts me to the core. It boggles my mind and I struggle to comprehend the reasoning. I can only come to a conclusion that people are emotionally broke. The problem I am referring to is the unwillingness to become greater today, for a better tomorrow. I talk with a lot of business owners and employees of businesses that know things are not peachy. Yet what are they doing to improve their ability. Do they read books, to overcome their weaknesses and find answers to their problems? Do they read blogs of experts that teach tidbits of clues on a million topics of self-improvement? Do they make goals and plans and actually stick to those plans?
It breaks my heart that I can see the capacity of individuals, that they cannot see in themselves. So instead of a book, instead of a blog, instead of goals, instead of asking for help, instead of preparing for the future…….they “do their job,” go home, and “veg.”
The world needs good leadership, our nation needs leaders, our businesses need leaders. Leaders and managers that have a hunger and thirst for knowledge, improvement, and execution. These are the people that will get ahead, these are the people that will understand, these are the people that will have a brighter future – because, “There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today”
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So, now that you’ve read this article, how are you going to use this information to create urgency and preparation for a better tomorrow?
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The world is full of recipes for success, but many times we forget that success comes from within ourselves with work that we do. I would even claim that success is mainly about attitude. When you have the right attitude, you focus on the right things, obstacles are there to overcome, you feel better and work more efficiently. I am sure you know what happens if you have a bad attitude: nothing seems to work at that time. Here are some questions for you to ask to become more successful through your own attitude towards other people and life. Even though you may not have answers to every one of them, thinking about these matters will already take you towards your personal success.
Tom Rutledge is a somewhat hidden hero in the story of Charles Lindbergh’s historic non-stop flight of the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. Tom Rutledge worked at Wright Aeronautical as an engine builder, starting in 1926. The story goes that when Tom first heard that he was assigned the task of building the engine for Charles Lindbergh he asked to be reassigned because he did not want to build an engine for someone he didn’t know.
I recently heard a poem, that while amazingly simplistic, held a very powerful message about parenthood. But later, when I found the text of the poem online and read it, I was amazed at the how the same message could ring true to leadership and management. I am fascinated at the intricacy of leadership and the lessons that can be pulled from all walks of life, including as in this case, parenthood.
Sometimes life can throw you for a curve. I think it is those moments in life that can either bring anxiety and dread; or they can bring clarity and direction. Recently the company I was employed at, was acquired by a slightly larger company. There were some great people at this company. The CEO struck me as one that really understands the precepts of leadership. The project manager and service manager that reported to me were awesome people. There were many others, but ultimately I realized, with great clarity, that it was time to move on. 
Several years ago I was in Argentina on a mission for my church. On one particular day I walked down a dirt road in a small town called General Castex, located in the Las Pampas region of Argentina. I spotted an animal at the end of this street, but could not figure out what it was. It was walking on 2 legs, but did not appear to be a 2 legged animal. As I got closer to the animal, I stopped and gazed in disbelief. It was a dog, but no ordinary dog. This dog had lost the use of both its hind legs in some kind of accident, but strangely enough, it was not immobile. It actually had learned to walk on its front 2 legs. When it walked, it would bring the back-end of its body high in the air and walk on its front legs. It could go up and down steps and across the not so even terrain of a small Argentine street.
