Ego is the enemy of execution

Somewhere around my eight book, I had a humbling but profound realization. 

Most people will never, ever hear about this product. The few who do, won’t read it. The few who read it, won’t notice its flaws. The few who do, won’t care. The few who do care, won’t say anything. And the few who do say something, are probably assholes. 

So why am I killing myself? 

The final twenty percent of these anal retentive and obsessive compulsive editing efforts will have a minimal impact on the finished product. It’s good enough. Get it out the door. 

This ego trap delays, derails and destroys people’s ability to execute on a daily basis. It reminds me of the story about the corporate marketing team who spends a two hour meeting thinking up a hashtag absolutely nobody on planet earth will ever use. 

Engaging in numerous protracted debates, the team creates a social media hashtag that will be neither noticed nor remarked upon by any of the planet’s eight billion inhabitants, all of whom will give precisely zero seconds of their attention to the phrase that was pored over and workshopped by thirteen strategists over the course of a one hundred and twenty minute brainstorming session. 

The equation for execution is simple. 

Less ego, more humility. 

Accept that you’re the only one who cares, and then let it go. Whether it’s coming up with a new company name, making another round of comments on your product wireframes, or revising the sixth draft of a presentation during which most of the audience will be checking their email, remember the lyrics:

Let it go. Let it go. Turn away and slam the door. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway. 

It will half your stress, double your productivity and triple your velocity. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you willing to look beyond the illusion the ego has created?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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