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Last week was a banner week for our business.
ADDO hosted business leaders at the Inside Out Business Collective in Atlanta, and I launched an updated website: www.KevinPaulScott.com
Both of these are examples of some things I challenged myself to do in the last year. When I turned 40 last year, one of my goals was to remain relevant.
Understand this:
Relevance isn’t about chasing trends, but standing the test of time.
I made a decision that I didn’t want to look back and believe that my greatest impact was behind me. This is easier said than done, because it’s tough to fight the gravitational pull to the past.
I prefer things that are familiar.
I like the music from when I was growing up.
I want to show my kids the movies from my childhood.
None of those are inherently bad. However, if left unchecked, I could quickly become someone who spends the majority of their time wanting to go back to the good old days.
To combat that tendency, here are three commitments I made to myself:
1. I don’t want to be an expert in what used to work.
There’s tremendous value in mastering your craft. It’s helpful to be at the top of your game. But things are changing. Technology is advancing, methods are evolving, and the landscape is adjusting. If I decide I’m unwilling to change, I need to be content with limiting my impact.
2. I want to be curious and not a critic.
Every person you meet knows something that you don’t know. Each one has something to offer. I don’t have to like everything, but I want to start from a position of curiosity and a willingness to learn.
I’m not advocating to chase every trend, but don’t dismiss something just because it’s different.
3. I want to be willing to make bold asks.
When I was in my early twenties, I had endless optimism, a lot of chutzpah, and no fear of rejection. At our first ADDO Gathering we invited a sitting US Senator and a Hall of Fame Football Coach to speak. As I get older, I didn’t want to be embarrassed so I was hesitant to ask. Last week, we had some of the top business leaders in America because our team was unafraid to ask.
So today I’m celebrating these two milestones because they are outward sign that I’m keeping the inward commitment I made last year.
My hope for you is that you’ll make the same decision to keep moving forward. What you do matters. And the world needs you--- not only for what you’ve done in the past, but for what you’re going to do in the future.
Decide today that you’ll look ahead to solve the problems of today, choose to be curious, and have a willingness to risk rejection in the pursuit of purpose.
I’ll be cheering you on!
