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How to Be Successful Without Running Yourself into the Ground and more…

In This Issue:

How to Be Successful Without Running Yourself into the Ground
How do you get to play with the cool kids?
What Kind of Person Are You? The Four Rubin Tendencies
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How to Be Successful Without Running Yourself into the Ground

by Hayley Hobson

I'm a type A personality. Maybe an A+. I've tried to go into recovery, but I always get kicked out.

I'm an addict. That's just the way it is. Addicted to striving to be my best. Addicted to perfection.

For me, I'd hate to die with regrets. To feel like I could have but didn't. Knowing I really wanted to do something but never really having the guts to go for it—that feels terrible. But even though I push hard in my own life to succeed, I know there are many out there who ride the wave of contentment.

And I get it. Everyone has the right to decide how far they want to push.

As humans, we are given the gift of intuition. We are able to visualize our potential and reach it if we desire.

But what happens when we push too hard? When the price we have to pay to get there is just simply too high? When does the consequences of proving yourself do more harm than good?

I always strive to be the best I can be. And for me, pushing myself comes easy.

...

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How do you get to play with the cool kids?

by Michael Bungay Stanier

If you've had a chance to check out the faculty of the Great Work MBA, you'll see we've got some pretty amazing people there. From TED superstars like Brené Brown to Oscar winner and director of Pixar's Brave, Brenda Chapman, from the CMO of GE Beth Comstock to New York Times bestseller Chris Brogan.

And that's just the people with "B" in their names.

So why did they say Yes?

How exactly did I get these busy and influential people, most of whom charge five figures to give a keynote speech, to do this for free for me?

Well, here's the secret.

(Wait for it.)

I asked them.

And not really because it's me, Michael Bungay Stanier. Sure, I'm a "player" on the C-List of business authors. And while I have built up a "weak links" relationship with some of the participants over the years, I'm clearly no superstar with Hollywood connections and a black book of contacts. It's not like I could get my agent to reach out and tap the people I had in mind.

...

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What Kind of Person Are You? The Four Rubin Tendencies

by Gretchen Rubin

Back by popular demand–the four Rubin Tendencies (I keep changing the name of this framework. Any suggestions or comments welcome. Do you like the Rubin Character Index better?)

It's very important to know ourselves, but self-knowledge is challenging. I'm like a Muggle Sorting Hat! I sort everyone into four categories, which describe how people tend to respond to expectations: outer expectations (a deadline, a "request" from a sweetheart) and inner expectations (write a novel in your free time, keep a New Year's resolution).

Your response to expectations may sound slightly obscure, but it turns out to be very, very important.

In a nutshell:

Upholders respond readily to outer and inner expectations (I'm an Upholder, 100%)
Questioners question all expectations; they'll meet an expectation if they think it makes sense (my husband is a Questioner)
Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike
Obligers meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet...

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