Acting Without the Drama

December 23, 2008.  My little girl is on to me.

She knows that when I say, “Hmmm,” or, “I don’t know,” I’m not really paying attention to her.  Her new phrase is, “Daddy, you can’t say, ‘I don’t know.’”

Except that saying “I don’t know” can be a really good thing sometimes.  When I really don’t know something, pretending that I do is not so swift.  It gets me into trouble.

But you and my daughter both know that using not knowing as an excuse to not stay connected is not acceptable.

I used not knowing how to certain things as an excuse for not partnering as well as I would have liked in my business.  Thing is, I did know, I just didn’t think I knew well enough.  My business partner was better at it.  I didn’t have enough practice.  I wanted to make sure I wasn’t screwing everything up.

Had enough of the lame excuses?  I know I have.

So now I’m doing things that I’m not sure I do all that well, and guess what?  I have made plenty of mistakes.  Rookie mistakes.  Because I’m a rookie.  Today I made fewer than yesterday.  In the future, I hope to make fewer than today.

That’s just the way progress works.

So, how about an idea for a New Year’s resolution?  We stop using “I don’t know” as an excuse for not doing.  How’s it sound?

I may be working on this already, but I sure don’t feel like I have a head start.  I’ve just been catching up for past excuses.

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