Are you “settling”?
Michelangelo reportedly once said: “The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”
I’ve been thinking lately about how resilient, creative, smart and generally amazing we humans are. And yet so many good people are wallowing in mediocrity.
Aiming too low – doing what’s obvious and easy – is the best way I know to sabotage your career. Settling for mediocrity leads to cynicism, apathy, low morale and boredom. Because nothing much ever happens.
Aiming higher – doing what feels hard and stretching into discomfort – can be a pathway to fulfilment, success and sometimes some very happy surprises.
Sure, there’ll be bumps and setbacks, but I’d rather the adrenalin rush of ‘failure’ (knowing that I’ll do better next time) than coasting through my days feeling uninspired and ‘meh’.
So as you move through your day, reflect on where you are settling for “easy”. Is it time to lift your gaze and look up?
