#PV - Learning To Fly

By John R. Nocero & Sandy Abell

John: I heard a quote this week I can't shake - we are all learning to fly as we are falling.Think about it - we have no playbook for this current Covid lockdown situation, and yet,companies still want us to be productive so they can stay profitable.The key in staying motivated now for me is staying ahead of the curve. When people tell me I can't do something, or I am not good enough, or I am letting them down, that is all the motivation I need. Negative reinforcement to me is an amazing, thing as is anger.I am not a big positive feelings guy - it is not always going to be okay and you may not always get what you want no matter how hard you work. Life's unfair, but you can always put yourself in the best position to succeed by doing your best. To do your best,you have to find what works for you.I have a slew of memories I tap into if I just don't feel like doing something - those aret he fuel that keep me going. And if someone down talks me as I am in that mood - that is gasoline on top of a roaring fire. Sandy, what about you.

Sandy: Hey John, I agree that to do your best you have to find what works for you. It appears that somebody criticizing or being negative to you will motivate you to prove that they are wrong.I am just the opposite. I respond to appreciation, support and encouragement. If somebody believes in me, I definitely don’t want to let them down. I also don’t want to let myself down, and when there are two or more of us focused on the outcome, it makes it even more important for me to do a great job.I think the key is for each of us to be honest with ourselves. Know what makes us tick and how we feel about and react to outside input.Also, it’s very important to pay attention to what we think and feel about the person we are. If you like yourself you are much more likely to want to take care of yourself by living up to your potential. If you don’t like yourself you might tell yourself negative things about how unimportant and untalented you are, and undermine whatever you’re trying to do. Either way, the bottom line is that we each need to be reliable, responsible, do our best and get the job done, regardless of how we choose to motivate ourselves to make it happen