“Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win. “
Jonathan Kozol: On Being a Teacher, 1981
Truthfully I do not know if I completely agree with the above quote,
I bring it to you anyway because part of me thinks, ‘well this makes sense, I want to pick battles I can win’; but part of me wonders, ‘is this discouraging me from thinking big?’
I have spent so much time learning that so many of us really under estimate ourselves, that I would never want the above to be an excuse for playing it too safe or not fully utilizing our potential.
Or is it just about being strategic? As-in, push yourself and absolutely take on large goals that are challenging but don’t take on unrealistic goals. How do you know if a goal is challenging as opposed to unrealistic?
I can’t tell you if the plans you are making for yourself are realistic or not, only YOU can tell YOU that. Sure if you say you are going to sprout wings this year and fly, I might have a sense that this is not going to work out.
Only you have a sense for what you can accomplish, a stretch goal for some people is completely easy for another person. So set yourself goals that are not too easy, but that are obtainable, with full acknowledgement of your current schedule, lifestyle, your commitments, energy levels etc.
Can you go from just joining your company to becoming CEO of your company within a year? Some people can and do so don’t let anyone get in the way of your vision. Just be sure that you feel confident in your vision.
The key is not to underestimate yourself, then you won’t pick tiny battles or goals; you will stretch yourself in the right ways and pick the goals that will help you grow.
What do YOU think?
Margaret developed a passionate belief that it takes courage and skill to be human at work and that all individuals have a responsibility to treat each other with dignity, respect and compassion.
Motivated by her beliefs and the desire to make a difference in the lives of others, Margaret acted on her vision by founding Meloni Coaching Solutions, Inc. Her vision is to create a group of successful individuals who are at peace with their authentic selves; a group of people who help and support others; a group who bring humanity to the office and thrive because of it. Margaret sees a world where achieving peace and achieving success go hand-in-hand.
Margaret’s students and clients often find that what she really brings them is freedom to bring their authentic selves to the office. As a former Information Technology Executive, Margaret always knew her preference was for the people behind the technology. Now Margaret brings those beliefs to individuals from many professional backgrounds. The common thread across her client base is the desire to experience peace at work and the recognition that peace is not absence of conflict, peace is the ability to cope with conflict. For these people, Margaret Meloni is truly ‘A Path to Peace’. ™
You can learn more about Margaret and her courses, programs, and products at: www.MargaretMeloni.com
Additional Resources covering Conflict Resolution can be found at:
Website Directory for Conflict Resolution
Articles on Conflict Resolution
Products for Conflict Resolution
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Margaret Meloni, the Official Guide to Conflict Resolution