E.P.O.

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Pain + Reflection = Progress.” -Ray Dalio

“The trick, researchers say, is realizing that a prerequisite to motivation is believing we have authority over our actions and surroundings. To motivate ourselves, we must feel like we are in control.” – Charles Duhigg, Smarter, Faster Better

Struggling? Find the thing or project that gives you E.P.O.

E = Enthusiasm

P = Progress

O = Ownership

What can you be highly enthusiastic about? Something that gets you out of bed in the morning and fired up. Because we and the rest of the world need your enthusiasm. Badly.

What’s something that you can track your progress? Remember change isn’t linear. There will be many bumps on the road. But over a long enough period of time, you can definitely measure your progress. To paraphrase Peter Drucker, “if you can measure it, you can manage it.”

What’s something that you have ownership of? Meaning you have control over whether it gets done and the way it gets done. Hopefully with excellence and generosity.

If you have E.P.O., then you’re home free.