When did you last go all in on a project or goal? If it has been a while, there\u2019s a great opportunity coming up. July 26 is All or Nothing Day \u2014 or, as I like to call it: the one day of the year I don\u2019t slack off.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m kidding! I aim to put my heart and soul into everything I do, whether it\u2019s my work, hobbies, or health. It has always served me well.<\/p>\n
One of my first experiences going all in was as a young teen who needed to make some money. My family had six kids, and we didn\u2019t get an allowance. I made business cards advertising my services as a handyman and passed them around to the\u00a0 neighbors. One woman asked me if I could put a new roof on her garage. I said, \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a 13-year-old, I had no idea what I was doing. But in the pre-internet days, I went down to the library and read a magazine article about how to install a shingled roof. It didn\u2019t seem that hard, and I completed the job. \u201cWow,\u201d my customer enthused when I finished. \u201cYou must have been doing this for a while!\u201d<\/p>\n
My first real job was working at the department of public works. After a few years, I thought I deserved a raise and asked for one. My boss told me the head town administrator was the only person who could grant that request. I\u2019d never met him before, but I scheduled an appointment.<\/p>\n
He made me wait for a while, then asked me to justify why I deserved 50 cents more per hour. I was prepared, and I laid out my reasons. I also explained that it would only cost the town $40 over a two-week pay period, and it was a reasonable request. The administrator peppered me with all sorts of questions. \u201cWhy do you deserve a raise? Doesn\u2019t everyone else deserve one, too?\u201d he asked. I stuck to my guns and argued my case.<\/p>\n
But while he was putting on a tough guy act, I could see him holding back a smile. He eventually \u201ccaved\u201d and told me he could stretch the budget enough to accommodate my request. The decision to go for it paid off.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had slip-ups like anyone else though. Interestingly enough, my biggest failure to commit was at the start of my college education. That changed after a humorous but fateful encounter at a fraternity party.<\/p>\n
I still remember my shoes sticking to the basement floor from layers of spilled beer as I crossed the room to reach a bar stool. The guy sitting next to me was drunk out of his mind, but he struck up a conversation. He asked me about my major, and I told him I was an engineering student. \u201cHave you always wanted to be an engineer?\u201d he asked. \u201cNot really,\u201d I responded, \u201cI originally wanted to go to medical school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should!\u201d he insisted. But I explained I wasn\u2019t cut out for it; I\u2019d gotten a B in my high school biology class. This wasted stranger turned to me and said, \u201cYou\u2019re an idiot. They don\u2019t care about your high school grades.\u201d Then he became annoyed and slurred, \u201cYou don\u2019t deserve to go to medical school!\u201d<\/p>\n
He was right; I was being an idiot. And I didn\u2019t deserve to live out my dreams if I was going to give them up so easily. But this guy changed my thinking and made me realize I\u2019d only get what I wanted if I went for it. I frequently think it would be great to track down that drunk fraternity brother to thank him.<\/p>\n
Following this crazy encounter, I switched directions and committed myself to getting into medical school. During medical school, it required some doing to try to get into a great ophthalmology residency \u2014 I studied for hours to impress an ophthalmology professor at my medical school. He really appreciated my drive and eventually wrote a critically important letter of recommendation that helped me to get in to my residency program in New York City.<\/p>\n
Let All or Nothing Day be a wake-up call. Now is the time to try that new hobby you\u2019ve been thinking about or commit to improving your health. Don\u2019t put your toe in the water with one painting class or one healthy meal \u2014 go after it with all your heart. When you\u2019re willing to commit, incredible things can happen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When did you last go all in on a project or goal? If it has been a while, there\u2019s a great opportunity coming up. July 26 is All or Nothing Day \u2014 or, as I like to call it: the … Continue reading