A Head Start – Part 2
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

Last week, I shared some thoughts on how you can get a head start over your peers and the competition. We addressed the first three of five daily activities that will keep you ahead and growing: learning something new daily, reflecting, and writing. Today, I would like to dive deeper into the importance of writing and share the final two activities with you. Let’s jump right in.

Writing – Last week, I gave you these three tips: 1) Capture the thought before you lose it, 2) Clarify the thought so you understand it, and 3) Change the thought so you can use it. As you continue thinking about what you are writing, ask yourself the following clarifying questions:

• Does this thought speak to me?
• Does this thought fit my giftedness?
• Does this thought fit my life journey?
• Does this thought add value to others?

These simple questions will help you make the most of the thoughts you are capturing.

Sharing – Once you have captured what you have learned and reflected on, share it with others. Sharing what we are thinking about expands our thoughts. The more we share our thoughts, the deeper our insight into the thoughts is. The people we share our thoughts with help us see nuances in the ideas we may have missed. Remember, sustained thinking deepens the thinking, and we find the gold in deeper thinking.

Applying – Please remember, there is no growth without action, and the greatest gap in all the world is the distance between knowing and doing. You may not see progress every day, but your growth is occurring. Your work stores up before it shows up, and every action you take is a vote for the person you want to become.

Next week, we will examine what it takes to be a great partner. Have an amazing week.