030: My 52 'Lyden's Life Lessons' at 52
How do you avoid future regret? Shorten the distance between thought and action.
Today’s email is for you if you’re experiencing these problems:
You hesitate to act on big ideas, missing out on opportunities.
You’re stuck in your comfort zone, setting yourself up for regret.
Your decision-making is bogged down by over-thinking and under-acting.
You’re second-guessing decisions instead of committing and moving forward.
You’re talking about your goals and dreams but not taking concrete action to achieve them.
Two years ago, I shared 50 ‘Lyden’s Life Lessons’ for my 50th birthday to document principles I’ve learned to live by.
I’ve added to the list each year since.
Yesterday, I turned 52.
So, here’s the next one:
#52. How do you avoid future regret? Shorten the distance between thought and action.
My biggest regrets aren’t things I’ve tried and failed.
(Though I have plenty of those “learning experiences.”)
No.
Any regrets I have stem from hesitation.
You know, ideas I should have acted upon but waited.
Never taking action.
But then, I would see others flourish and execute similar ideas.
There’s a saying in sales that “Time is the killer of all deals.”
You could also say, “Time is the killer of great ideas.”
So, when a big idea comes to mind, don’t hesitate.
Shorten that distance between the moment a thought enters your mind and the time it takes to act on it.
How?
When you have a big idea, ask yourself, “What’s the first step I can take right now to test whether this idea is worthy enough to continue pursuing?”
If you think you should call, text, DM, or email someone, DO. IT. NOW.
If you can’t do it immediately, put it on your list to do ASAP.
Remember: A critical component of sales and entrepreneurial success is speed.
The shorter the distance (between thought and action), the sooner you’ll hit your targets.
Lyden’s Life Lessons: 51 to 1
51. Follow your systems, not your feelings.
50. In the race of life, commit to ‘finish strong.’ Don’t back off before the finish line. Surge through it!
49. Lean into Imposter Syndrome. It’s the feeling you get at the cusp of any breakthrough success.
48. Spend money to save time.
47. Learn how—and when—to say no.
46. Fear mediocrity, not failure.
45. Find joy in the journey—especially the struggles.
44. Surround yourself with people who raise your game.
43. Dress to show respect.
42. Treat everyone with dignity and respect—especially your enemies and critics. The high road leads to less drama and more time for those you love.
41. Solve people’s problems, and you’ll never be unemployed.
40. In sales, replace “ABC” with ABS: Always Be Serving.
39. Reject rejection. People don’t reject you as a person. They reject your words, ideas, offer, or product. Don’t take it personally.
38. Inspire others to break through their barriers to success by breaking through your own.
37. Thank those who doubted you.
36. Turn setbacks into stepping stones to success.
35. Practice the Power of Negative Thinking. “What could go wrong? What could derail me from my goals? How can I counteract those obstacles preemptively?”
34. Accomplish big goals with small steps.
33. Stay grounded by deepening your faith.
32. Don’t worry about the failure that could be. Worry about the regret that’s guaranteed if you don’t try.
31. Embrace the grind to savor the breakthrough.
30. Learn how to sell without selling your soul.
29. Be intentional about rest and recovery. (In music, the rests are just as important as the notes.)
28. Learn from mistakes. Preferably other people’s mistakes.
27. Complain with kindness.
26. Live each day with urgency—and patience.
25. Celebrate success, but don’t rest on it.
24. Embrace failure, but don’t repeat it.
23. Stretch your comfort zone daily. Life’s best opportunities lie on the other side of fear.
22. Pursue excellence in the 5 F’s of your life—Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, and Friendships. Weakness in any area puts your entire life out of kilter.
21. Demand more of yourself than anyone else could ever imagine expecting of you.
20. Earn respect by respecting yourself first.
19. Replace a bad habit with an enjoyable good one.
18. Make the decision and move on. Second-guessing yourself is a colossal waste of time.
17. Be willing to feel hurt to experience love at its fullest.
16. Remember the Caterpillar and the Butterfly. In your struggle to break out of your darkest moments, you transform into something new and build the strength in your wings to soar.
15. Persist until you succeed, but also know when it’s wise to quit.
14. Be generous with your time, ideas, attention, smiles, compliments, and money.
13. Stop arguing and start listening. You don’t win people over with logic. You win them over by listening.
12. Cover your downside when taking big risks.
11. Question your faith to strengthen it.
10. Embrace change before it’s forced on you.
9. Assume any text, email, or anything in writing will become public.
8. Master persuasion as the most valuable skill you can learn for success in life.
7. Give your kids the gift of working through their own struggles.
6. Date your spouse. Marriage is a garden that requires consistent attention to flourish.
5. Be your own boss—no matter who you work for.
4. Never let your ego get in the way of your wallet.
3. Work smart—and hard.
2. Get over yourself. Anything worth doing is worth sucking at it…at first.
1. Stop talking and start doing. NOW!
That’s a wrap!
See you later this week 👊
Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Systematic Selling, a sales systems and coaching company for growth-minded SMB founders and owners looking to scale their sales (without the chaos).
PS: CEOP is Now on Audible👇
This book is for you if you want to scale your business but keep finding yourself getting in the way.
