Maximum Gains from Small Goals

Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero. Let me ask you, is there something that you've always wanted to do but you don't do it because you're intimidated? The thought of doing it, you think, I can't do it, I don't have the knowledge to do it. Look at all these other people doing it. How can I do that? I had the same thing, but with the stupidest thing in the world, and that is just changing the wires on a bicycle. You know, the wires when you change your gears. Decades, not years, decades, I've looked at mechanics and other people doing it. Oh my God, how do they do that? And then yesterday I did it. It took me 20 minutes with even making little mistakes here and there. 20 minutes to get over something that has intimidated me, that has— I've spent mental time thinking to myself, how do these people do that? I wish someday I can do that. Do you have anything in your mind, anything that you've blown up that you hold, that holds you back, that you hold yourself back from, that you haven't tried, that you know that you want to do it really, really bad. It could be surfing. It could be pottery. It could be— maybe it's bicycling itself or unicycling with one wheel. That's really cool. Did that when I'm my brother. I was able to do it, but he was able to do it. Learning to play the flute. Learning a new language. My point of this is that it's something you have to do now, and it's not that difficult. It took me 20 minutes to accomplish something that I've been— inside of me burning and eating at me for years. And now I'm going, what a simple thing to do. And I could fix all the bikes in my garage now. What is it that's burning you that you think is so big and monumental? Is there a project at work? Is there an email that you haven't attacked yet? What is it that you think is so big that you procrastinated on? It's only gonna take you 20 minutes max. I promise you. What we do in our minds, we play these big games and we make things bigger than they actually are. We want to talk to somebody. Is there somebody you should be talking to? You go, "Oh, I can't talk to that person. They're so famous, or they're so— they're a vice president or president of a company, or they're this famous internet person. Let me tell you something: everybody is the same. Now, some people may wake up and be able to, after a few moments, get a little bit more pompous and cocky, but they were all the same. I can officially tell you as a man that every single man you've even ever met or ever will meet in your whole life is insecure in one way or another. The more macho the idiot is, the more insecure he is. Just fact of life. We all are the same and we all want to be talked to. Don't be intimidated by anyone. Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone is the number one way to do it. Don't send an email. Don't send a direct message or a tweet. I know they are. I don't get it. I'm old school. Talk to the person. Let them hear your tone. Your inflections when you speak. Let them hear you pause when you say something profound and then you have to think about the answer. Say, "Wow, this person's actually thinking about it." Let them get to know you. That doesn't happen in an email, a tweet, an Instagram, a direct message. It happens when we talk to each other. Pick up the phone now. Well, make a list now. Who is it that you want to reach out to? What is it that I want to accomplish now? And then spend 20 minutes calling that person or accomplishing that once impossible task. And then you'll be like I am today. I'm confident as hell. I changed a wire on a bicycle. Woo! It sounds like a joke today, but let me tell you, up until yesterday, that thing was the most daunting, humongous mountain I could never climb. And today I'm like, you got to be kidding me how simple that thing was. It was like putting a— just threading something as a joke, how easy it was. But yet how easy it was and how difficult I made it. How difficult are you making something that you haven't done yet? It's so simple. I'm not insulting intelligence. I'm just letting you know now, after you talk to that person and after you accomplish that thing, whatever it is, you're going to go, oh my God. Okay, I love you. I look forward to you laughing at yourself the same way I'm laughing at myself now. I'm not laughing at you. I think it's ridiculous. I spent so many decades wondering how to do this thing, and then I do it and it's a joke. If I had to do it again, I think it would take me under 4 minutes. That's how easy it is. But yet it's taken me decades to even attempt it. Don't, don't be like me. Don't wait decades to accomplish something that can only took me 4 minutes to do. Okay. Love you. Take care. Go forth and spread your beauty and light. And the way you spread it is by picking up the phone, is by doing the things that you want to do, talking to the people you have to talk to. No, don't be intimidated. Everybody wants to love you and hear from you. And then moments later, you'll be like me, laughing at yourself, like, come on, that was so easy. And then you have a great day like I'm about to have today too. Okay, take care. I love you. This is Thomas Anglero. Until the next time. Thank you for listening to that episode. If you want to contact me, you can contact me on my website at anglero.com. And you can also subscribe to the newsletter, or you can find me anywhere on social media with Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Thank you so much, and I hope to hear from you very soon.