“Shoot for average and fail cheerfully.”
Not the advice I expected from Stanford School of Business lecturer Dan Klein. Apparently, his odd words also unsettled his high-achieving students. But over the course of the semester they—and I, vicariously—learned the wisdom in his advice.
I stumbled across Dan’s words in a podcast called “Think Fast, Talk Smart,” but his insight reminded me of principles from the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Written to the Israelites who’d returned from exile to rebuild God’s temple, the book records instructions and encouragement for Israel and its governor, Zerubbabel. As they faced the enormous task before them, He reminded them, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT).
Personally, I lean toward overachieving, not underachieving. To big accomplishments, not small. This mindset especially manifests itself at the start of every new year. I set big goals and lofty resolutions. And fail almost every time.
My failures made Dan Klein and Zechariah’s advice seem especially appealing as I approached January 1, 2023. This and the age-old adage that insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. I knew something had to change.
Wise mentor Mary Hunt, in an article called “Foolproof Secrets to Guarantee You’ll Keep Your New Year’s Resolution,” suggests four steps:
Read the rest of this post on God Hears Her blog by clicking here: “Why Not Shoot for Average?”
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Interesting thought Ms. Lori. I’m more of a “If I’m going down, it’ll be swinging for the fences” person, I can appreciate both Zechariah’s and Mr. Dan Klein’s thoughts, but I’ve always believed that if I settle for average, that’s exactly what I’ll be/get. God didn’t create me to be average. 🙂 But then, that’s just me. Perhaps my expectations are unrealistic or too far-reaching for me to achieve, but I grow stronger in trying. God’s blessings precious sister-in-Christ.
I, too, have long held the “overachiever” approach to resolutions. Sometimes with success, other times, not so much. We live and learn, and, Lord willing, discover what works best for us. May God grant us wisdom to press on in faith! Thanks for chiming in, J.D.!