Here are a few seemingly innocent statements that we hear often and perhaps even say ourselves.
- If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,
- Let sleeping dogs lie,
- Don’t rock the boat,
- Don’t make waves,
- It’s good enough
These are the sayings of people who are happy with the status quo, who don’t want things to change and who don’t want to stand out from the crowd.
They may have been helpful and relevant 20 years ago, but not in today’s landscape where change is rapid, flexibility is valuable, true excellence is rare and leadership is required.
Let’s make sure that our mindsets are wired for success and get rid of some of these limiting statements.
As an alternative, I would advocate using the following sayings instead:
- If it ain’t broke, break it and make it better
- Wake up that dog and take it for a walk
- Don’t just rock the boat, push it to its limits
- Make waves and then go surfing on them
- It’s never good enough, you can always push yourself to greater heights and new ways of thinking
These are the kinds of attitudes that drive great leaders, thinkers, athletes and difference makers.
Are there any other commonly used sayings that hold us back in our thinking?
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August 5, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Stacey
LOL-I was all about “not standing out” and “Not rocking the boat” growing up. I missed a lot of opportunities as I tried to blend into the background and not be seen. Of course, I then followed that period of invisibility with a period of not only rocking the boat, but flipping it over and occasionally capsizing. Oh well-it was all a learning experience and I think I have it down pat now. I just make sure I wear my life jacket now and rock away.
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August 8, 2011 at 9:55 am
Darren Poke
Nice one Stacey, keep rocking!
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