Which game are you playing? It’s an important question I learned from interviewing successful women.
They taught me that, in the world of work, you are either playing The Underearning Game or The High Earning Game. There’s a big difference between the two.
The Underearning Game is called Not To Lose. The goal is to stay safe, look good, and be comfortable. There’s only one rule—avoid anything that feels uncomfortable or scary.
The High Earning game is called To Win. The goal is to go as far as you can with all that you got, and when you fall down, you get back up and keep going. The only rule here—play Full Out.
Problem is, sometimes it’s hard to tell which game you’re actually playing. There are times when I swear I’m giving my all. Then later it hits me—I was fooling myself. I really wasn’t playing a true Full Out.
So I devised the following list to assess if you’re actually really playing Full Out. You might want to check the ones that apply to you.
8 Signs I’m Playing Full Out:
- I know what I want and am committed to getting it. (And if I don’t know, I devote time and energy to figuring it out).
- I am willing to experience whatever it takes— disappointment, loss, embarrassment, even failure—to achieve what I want.
- I make at least one unreasonable (i.e. scary) request a week.
- I don’t say ‘yes’ when I really want to say ‘no,’ even if it means rocking the boat or upsetting another.
- I regularly seek out support, and refuse to spend time with or discuss my dream with naysayers (even if they’re related)
- Every time I’m afraid to do something, I force myself to do it anyway. (And I catch myself when I try to justify not doing it.)
- I am rigorous about the thoughts that I think and the words that I use, making sure they’re positive, supportive, and appreciative (of myself and others).
- I take time to relax and pamper myself so I don’t burn out.
My challenge to you: For 1 month, use these 8 signs as a daily checklist. Put a copy where you’ll see it and every day, check off the ones you followed. My bet–this simple exercise will have you playing Full Out in no time!
Are there any other signs you look for to determine if you’re playing Full Out? Let me know in the comments.
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