Words That Focus on What Matters Most

Last week I was utterly spent. If you and I interacted and I seemed distant, discouraged, or just a bit off, I’m sorry. At times I felt myself slipping into darker mental places. Places I’ve been in my life where I don’t want to return.

When I’ve confided in a few others, some have admitted that they are there, too. Fortunately, those trusted conversations helped buoy my energy. Other things helped as well. I tried to eat healthy and get moderate exercise each day.

But here’s what was most helpful — and I feel compelled to share it because it has been helpful to me for years and it’s been a proven practice for individuals and organizations across time and cultures:

Every day, I repeat the words that matter most.

Do you remember Stuart Smalley’s Daily Affirmations? Yeah, like that.

But this is no joke. Individuals and organizations repeat words to live by to keep people focused on what’s most important. Whether it’s a creed, a pledge, a catchphrase, or a mantra, repeating the same word or words has a way of reminding us of who we are and want to be.

For example, in the 1930s, Herbert Taylor’s company, Club Aluminum Products, was on the brink of financial ruin. Utterly spent, he put his head down on his desk to pray, and these words came to him, which he wrote down and began repeating daily: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? 

After two months of reciting these words daily, he shared them with his leaders, who also adopted the daily recitation and encouraged their teams to do the same. What happened next? The company survived their financial crisis and became a thriving organization.

As you may know, Rotary International adopted those words from Herbert Taylor and has been repeating them in their meetings for years to great effect.

Rotary isn’t the only successful organization that’s found success repeating words or phrases. Daniel Coyle, author of The Culture Code, writes, “When you visit highly successful cultures, you’ll notice they use a lot of catchphrases. I mean, they use tons of them.”

The catchphrases in successful cultures are not corporate-speak buzzwords or empty mission statements built by a committee. They come from inspirational leaders and team members who regularly use them to focus themselves and others on what matters most. And as the name implies, they catch on. They get repeated over and over to remind everyone what they’re all about.

This concept is also a key part of yoga. Yoga incorporates words that matter into its practices in what are referred to as “mantras.” The word mantra is derived from the two Sanskrit words manas, which means “mind,” and tra, which means “tool.” So “mantra” literally means a “tool for the mind.” 

Last week, I especially needed a tool for my mind. Maybe you do too right now.

My words are written in a Notes page on my iPhone. I used to read them every morning. Now they are memorized. I usually say them out loud while I’m walking my dog in the morning or, on some days, while I’m driving my car. Other days, I repeat them in the dark quiet at my kitchen table. 

When I say them, I literally feel my body and mind change. Reassured and reminded. “Oh yeah, this is who I am, this is what I believe, and this is what matters most.”

I still finished my week feeling spent. But I never slipped too far into those dark places, and even though I might have been a bit off, I held on to my true self.

What are your words to live by? I’d love to hear examples if you’re willing to share one or more with me! If you’re interested, here are some of mine (the last one comes from our team at work):

• Prioritize availability over productivity.
• What does love require of me?
• God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline.
• Be great. Focus on others. 

Patterns are Inevitable. Growth is Optional. Check out my award-winning book Four Patterns of Healthy People to become more aware of the healthy and unhealthy patterns in your thoughts, relationships, ego, and daily operations.

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About the Author. Matt Norman coaches and advises executives on how to build great people and culture. He is President & CEO of Norman & Associates, which offers custom coaching and consulting in the areas of talent strategy, personal effectiveness, planning, and goal alignment. Norman & Associates also provides Dale Carnegie cohort-style action learning programs to help people improve how they communicate, lead, influence, and work together.

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