What Comes First?

At 5 a.m. this morning, half-awake in bed, this question formed in my mind: what if the order of the words in my personal credo were reversed? Would its influence on me shift?

For over a decade, my personal credo has been:

Be generous and expert, trustworthy and clear, open-minded and adaptable, persistent and present.

The eight principles it describes are universal. They are not specific to me. Anyone can use them to become a better professional and human being.

In reverse order, the credo would become:

Be present and persistent, adaptable and open-minded, clear and trustworthy, expert and generous.

Here's a quick overview of each principle...

Present means to literally inhabit the present moment as much as possible. Another way to say this is to maximize your time in the Zone, because the flow state is being utterly absorbed in the present. (And the flow state is where the magic happens.)

Persistent means to keep trying, even when times are tough and you are tempted to quit.

Adaptable means to keep your options open, so that when the world surprises you, it won’t be that surprising.

Open-minded means no matter how expert or successful you become, never stop listening and learning.

Clear means to know what you want and to be able to communicate it effectively.

Trustworthy means to take ownership of your words and actions, and recognize that you live in a world in which they will increasingly be recorded, remembered, analyzed, and replayed.

Expert means to be very competent in one or more areas that others value. It also means that whenever you take on a new task, do your best.

Generous means to help others long before – and after – you need their help.

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I just paused to consider this new order. To me, it feels more aligned with how my life and the world has shifted. For example, I feel that being generous and expert are table stakes for being a decent human being; they are essential, but not enough for me to reach my full potential.

On the other hand, my efforts to be fully present and consistently persistent are now occupying much of my focus. They are the qualities that underlie the best of what I have been able to accomplish.

Here are the three reasons I decided to share this exercise with you.

First, because it demonstrates that the order in which we say and do things really matters. When we have eight tasks on a list, they do not have equal value; the ones that come first will get more attention.

Second, because the genesis of this issue involved absolutely no conscious thought on my part. I am realizing that the more I let go of my habit of always thinking, the more progress I make. My best ideas and eureka moments come from being still and opening my heart (i.e. being fully present in my body).

Third, because being playful pays wonderful dividends.

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I would very much value hearing how today's post sits for you.