Go. Do it. Make a wish. Be wild! Be wise! Be audacious!
How much does your wish cost?
Can you afford it?
Then pay and do it.
You can’t?
Calculate how much you’ll need to achieve it, then pay and do it.
It’s free?
Go and do it!
If you tell people you are going to be at X location at X time, people take your word for that. If you’re not there, they decide that next time, you’re not reliable for being where you say you’ll be. If you tell people you’ll do something, people expect you to have done it by when you say you’ll do it. If you don’t, people rely on you less the next time around. If you give your word to things offhandedly, and then don’t fulfil on it. People see you as someone who throws your word around, but doesn’t get stuff done.
If you want to be seen as trustworthy, credible, reliable and powerful, it’s simple.
Be your word. Do what you say you’ll do by when you’ll say you’ll do it. Furthermore, deliver on the intention of what you say- do things wholly, completely and with integrity. That way, people will be able to relate to you powerfully, and your word will be powerful.
What is power? Power is being able to say whatever you want to say, whatever the situation.
If you don’t keep your word, don’t make yourself wrong. All there is to do, is to clean it up, so that your word may be powerful again. To clean up with people you first have to think about what you will put in place so that what you did doesn’t happen again. How will you do it differently next time? What’s going to make the difference? Once you’ve figured that out (and don’t take too long - life’s short) you say to them what you gave your word to, you say what you did, and then you tell them the structures you’ve put in place such that it’ll never happen again. If they get your commitment behind what you’re saying then they will forgive you and relate to your word powerfully again. If they don’t, don’t stress. Keep your word again and again and again and again and again… and show them!
Do you take a bold stand in how things are going to turn out?
Do you take responsibility for your actions?
Do you have an empowering context for what you are doing?
Do you stand for the honour of another?
Do you consistently perform at an outstanding level?
… Are you a champion?
Being the champion of a project, an organisation or a company is no easy feat. It requires you to take a bold stand in how you want things to turn out. If you’re dead-keen committed to the project, organisation or company working out, then no matter how many set-backs or failures you encounter, you’re going to keep going.
Being responsible for your cause is being willing to take on any consequences that your actions may incur. If you put your word to something, and don’t uphold your word like others would expect you would, acknowledge that and be with any consequences that that may cause. Be responsible for why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Why are you doing what you’re doing anyway? Do you have a reason that touches, moves and inspires you? Or is it all just mechanical for you? Have something which drives you, makes you want to see a project through to the end and motivates you. Your empowering context what will get you through the hard times, when everything looks like it’s going to fail, and see you through the project.
Providing service in whatever way you can to help others is standing for the honour of another. It’s being selfless when others are being selfish, giving when others are taking, nice when others are cruel and standing for justice rather than justifying your inaction.
Let your individuality shine for the world to see by creating with personality, humanity, passion and love. Then, you will create something that has never been created before, and your work will be outstanding.
And lastly, be on time. Champions are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Planning things with integrity means to plan things such that you have done all you can in your base for things to go as smoothly as possible. It means being prepared for the worst-case scenario, being prepared for the best-case scenario, and actually preparing full-stop. Sure, you can always ‘wing’ something at the last minute - which makes your heart pump faster and you feel like you’ve ‘gotten away with it’ again. But when you actually prepare yourself for what is going to happen, you’re calm, focused, and know that whichever way it goes, you did all you could for it to turn out well. Answer the following questions to plan stuff with integrity.
What am I out to achieve?
By when?
What will I need to do in order to be able to achieve it?
By when?
Will doing what I say I will do really achieve it?
Really?
Have I factored in contingencies?
How will I do those things anyway?
By when?
What are the next actions I can take?
When will I take those next actions?
Forbes named me a world's top 50 woman in tech & 30 Under 30. I founded Robogals and Aipoly and was Young Australian of the Year 2012. Currently working on robotics company Aubot. I'm the youngest Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and I give speeches around the world.
I tweet @maritacheng and I'm on Facebook.
In March this year, I was invited to the Australian Office in Taipei, Taiwan, to give a speech for International Women’s Day. During my 10-hour...
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