The Rarest Skill of All

 

It is interesting to me that all of the things I’m learning in my entrepreneurship class not only apply to the business world but have great potential to improve one’s personal life as well. This week we read an article called “A Message to Garcia” from The Action School of Business.  In this article, we learned that the rarest skill of all is the ability to execute.

 This concept resonated with me as I thought back on the vacation my family took just last week.  We took a trip to the Oregon Coast with some of our extended family.  I was in charge of planning the activities for the vacation.  Every day was packed with hikes, games, and adventures.  It was going to be a vacation the kids would never forget.  I can see why the ability to execute is rare. When it came time to execute the plan one adult became painfully ill,  the Oregon rain was unceasing, none of us actually knew how or where to go crabbing, and every adventure took much longer than planned. I could have become very discouraged by the forces outside of my control that tried to ruin our trip, and listened to the voices in my head that I shouldn’t have been in charge, or that it was my fault everyone was miserable. I was faced with the choice to give up or overcome.  By working through the obstacles with positivity and with a bias toward action, we were able to find creative ways to overcome those obstacles creating an even better experience than what I had originally envisioned for the family.

This brings me to the next concept: Action Oriented Habits.

The article mentioned above also talks about “cultivating a bias toward action.” This means “developing habits, attitudes and instincts for crisp execution.” Developing these habits will make you “indispensable to any organization.“

This makes me think of my husband’s coworker, Jill.  Jill has found that intersection where her gifts and talent meet her “deep burning need”.  She radiates joy and positivity because she IS happy. People are inspired by her and want to be taught by her.  She’s a wonderful role model, and example that finding your calling can truly make for a joyful life. She is indispensable not only in her organization, but in her personal life as well. 

These two concepts have helped me realize that it’s easy, even fun to create a plan.  But the execution of a plan takes ambition, passion, persistence, confidence, and logical reasoning skills to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably arise.