Written by someone who made a living as a life coach for successful CEOs and promoted personalised 360 degree feedback. Lovely self-improvement book with exercises to rate your own Mojo.
Mojo is that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside. This is very similar to ‘flow state’ or being ‘in the zone’. Truly successful people spend a large part of their lives engaging in activities that simultaneously provide meaning and happiness – they have Mojo. The only person who can define meaning and happiness for you is you!
Fair bit about careers and interesting stories that reinforce points he makes about people who have mojo in different aspects of their lives. Encourages you to actively consider the amount of engagement in your job objectively.
The four vital ingredients that you need to combine to have great Mojo are:
1. Identity Who do you think you are?
2. Achievement. What have you done lately?
3. Reputation. Who do other people think you are? What do other people think you’ve done lately?
4. Acceptance. What can you change, and what is beyond your control?
Regarding your reputation think whether are you aiming for people to regards you as smart or effective, sometimes being aware of this choice helps you opt for the best action.
Loved the concept of Nojo opposite to Mojo! People with Nojo have a negative spirit that radiates from inside out towards what they are doing now.
MOJO Take responsibility, Move forward, Run the extra mile, Love doing it, Appreciate opportunities, Make the best of it, Inspirational, Grateful, Curious, Caring, Zest for life, Awake
NOJO Play the victim, March in place, Satisfied with the bare minimum, Feel obligated to do it, Tolerate requirements, Endure it, Painful to be around, Resentful, Uninterested, Indifferent, Zombie-like
Mojo levels fluctuate around day and depending on task
Consider grading activities through the day with these two questions
1. How much long-term benefit or meaning did I experience from this activity?
2. How much short-term satisfaction or happiness did I experience in this activity?
Assessing meaningfulness and happiness in turn pushes you to break inertia and try harder.
Identity is constructed from different types of identify – your identity if not fixed don’t hold onto self limiting identities
Remembered identity – memories
Reflected identify- often thought of as feedback
Programmed identity – learnt from teachers, parents or training marine, trader etc be careful not to use this as an excuse for your own behaviour.
Created identity – create your own as you want to define yourself.
The Great Western Disease is that we fixate on the future at the expense of enjoying the life we’re living now.
The way to increase overall satisfaction with life is to increase both happiness and meaning, this is for both at work and outside work
Why do people give up? six reasons:
1. It takes longer than we thought.
2. It’s more difficult than we thought. Improvement is hard.
3. We have other things to do, distractions tempt us.
4. We don’t get the expected reward.
5. We declare victory too soon.
6. We have to do it forever.
Nice story about someone starting a job as a CEO who was given 3 envelopes from previous CEO and instructed to look at these when needs to overcome difficulties as they have the answers. First envelope blame last CEO, second envelope blame economy and third envelope says to start writing three envelopes! Suggests when leaving keep working hard and showing professionalism until the end, end like you started.
