Formula I

“Do what you’re supposed to do

and life will turn out the way it’s supposed to be.”

[Found on an old farm house calendar] 

It’s a pretty simple formula – not rocket science.   

But it’s a bit deeper than the water in the tin cup at the well head next to the farm house, and so hard to do.  

The “catch” is that what we’re “supposed to do” covers a lot more territory than simply staying out of trouble.   

First of all, “supposed to do” implies that somebody else is calling the shots – doing the “supposing”.  Early on, they do.  Parents, teachers, coaches, etc., are usually pretty clear in lining out the ground-level “supposed to dos”.  For the most part, these are the STDs that are “supposed” to keep us out of trouble.   

But we’re “supposed to do” a lot more.   

The unspecified supposition – expectation – here is

that we will do everything we are capable of doing.

[Whoa!  Who does THAT?] 

Furthermore, at some point, WE are the ones who have to start picking up the “supposing” on our own behalf … lining out the above-ground formulation for wherever it is we’re going. 

Ownership of our own journey – ownership of our own Destiny –

is the crux of the game called “Life”. 

Simply “meeting [everyone else’s] STD expectations” may allow you to come back to do the same job tomorrow, but it will not get you a promotion or whatever else it is you’re going to want or need … and it most likely will not be a sustainable engagement.   

The ones who advance are those who visibly progress beyond expectations … who add particular value to whatever they do. 

This brings us to the Formula I guiding principle summation: Success is built most solidly on purposeful, goal-directed, productive accountability – on the demonstration of “supposably” diligent stewardship, not only of our own personal time, energy and resources, but also those of significant others invested on our behalf (see below).   

But don’t panic!  It doesn’t have to be all that tough!  As implied above, we only need to do what we CAN do.   

“There is only so much you can do,

but you have to do that much.”

Garrison Keillor, Prairie Home Companion

The tough part is moving above and beyond all the nothing we’d rather be doing … beyond the distractions, the trivialities, the “chilling out”, the degenerative disengagement.  

However, there are also some impressive collateral benefits in the formulation because you don’t have to do it all alone!  Consider: how much more could you do … how much better could you be … how much farther could you go … if you had a host of willing and able supporters nudging you along and "greasing the skids"?  As soon as we start demonstrating the heart, passion and initiative beyond baseline STDs – i.e., as soon as we start going out of our way to be useful … as soon as we start doing things as if we really meant to do them with every best effort, we start turning heads … people take notice … and bonus points start appearing on the scoreboard.  Teachers, supervisors, business leaders, coaches, talent scouts and movers-and-shakers at all levels are perpetually tuned-in to “who’s got game”.  They’re not into losing propositions or “average” players who are simply along for the ride and unlikely to become positive “change agents”.  Geniuses, “Superstars” and “Unlikely Champions”, alike, garner support at the highest levels because they demonstrate incredible accountability for talents with which they have been endowed.  It’s called the “Bandwagon Effect” or “Tidal Wave Phenomenon”; people can’t resist jumping on a moving train … they can’t bear NOT being part of a “going enterprise”.   

NOTE: Sometimes all you need to do to get a commitment of support is to ask for help.  Anyone with a genuine capacity to assist is hard pressed to forego a legitimate opportunity for engagement.  Get over the idea that it makes you look “stupid”, “vulnerable”, inept or incompetent!  Anyone who’s anxious to learn, who is sincere in their quest, who shows promise/potential and who is non-threatening is a prime target for generous assistance.  

So there’s the deal.  Start “supposing” toward the highest Destiny and brightest future you can Dream, and then get Formula I fully engaged to make it happen.  Quartermaster 

“If you have built castles in the air,

Your work need not be lost;

…

Now put the foundations under them.”

Henry David Thoreau

“Walden”