Golden Oldies: ERing Means Progress
by Miki SaxonIt’s amazing to me, but looking back over nearly a decade of writing I find posts that still impress, with information that is as useful now as when it was written. Golden Oldies is a collection of what I consider some of the best posts during that time. I recently read an article in Inc. on a better way to move yourself forward then setting goals or making resolutions and it reminded me of something I wrote back in 2009. Same idea; different language. Read other Golden Oldies here.
I write and talk a lot about what happens when you choose to change your MAP through awareness and the resulting boos to your energy and creativity.
What I can’t remember sharing with you is a critical ingredient in the change sauce that I call the Philosophy of ER.
I consciously developed it formally and have shared it for decades to offset all the talk about failure when people are working to change.
First, you have to understand that I don’t believe in failure; I don’t think that someone has truly failed unless they’re dead. As long as they’re breathing, the worst bums on skid row have the potential to change, i.e., the possibility is there, even if the likelihood is not.
For decades change has focused on setting goals and if they aren’t achieved as stated, then you had failed.
Over the years I’ve worked with a lot of people (including myself) whose self esteem was at best badly bruised, at worst like Swiss cheese.
They started by telling me how they had failed at this or that, but in more detailed discussions it turned out that, although they hadn’t achieved their stated goal within the deadline, the goals and deadlines (one or both) weren’t exactly reality based or had changed along the way and not been restated.
To be valid, goals must come with delivery dates, but those dates must be achievable—not easy, but achievable.
When you set goals without taking into account minor details, such as friends/family/spouse/kids/working/sleeping/eating, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Beyond being reality-based, we all need an ongoing sense of accomplishment, especially for that which can’t be done in a few days, to sustain the long term effort that big goals take—thus came the Philosophy of ER.
Over the last couple of decades I’ve ERed almost everything (even when it’s grammatically incorrect).
- I may not be wise, but I’m wisER.
- I may not be rich, but I’m richER.
- I may not be patient, but I’m patientER.
- I may not be skinny, but I’m skinniER.
You get the idea.
So start ERing today and tomorrow you too will be happiER, smartER, healthiER and successfulER.
Just keep reminding yourself that to err is human, but to ER is divine.
Try it. You can do a lot worse than adding some ER to your life!
Image credit: Warning Sign Generator
