The Money is in the Monotony

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Most people want to be noticed and recognized for some historical achievement. Several years ago, I headed to a friend’s office to discuss strategy for my consulting company Monarch Environmental. After laying out my ideas and the case for what I was proposing, he pointed out two pictures on the wall. The first black and white framed picture was none other than Babe Ruth. Adjacent to the Bambino was an identical size and shaped framed photo of Ty Cobb. After admiring the photos, he simply asked who would you would rather be? With almost no hesitation I blurted out… Babe Ruth. He quickly retorted; you know they are both in the hall of fame, right?

The reality is that I wanted to build a company and a life that resembled mammoth home runs and other record-setting statistics. Ty Cobb is in the hall of fame for multiple reasons but namely for the number of hits he had. Sure, Cobb hit home runs but that is not what made him great. Besides his fierce attitude towards competition, Ty Cobb is immortalized for doing the basics well over and over and over again.

We love high marks in our lives and we work for moments of achievement. This is a noble pursuit but if we sincerely look at our stories, the real value of our years are measured in the monotony. Doing the little things right, treating others well, paying our bills, listening and so many other seemingly low-impact activities truly make up the measure of a person’s life.

Sound principles and truth work at home and the office. The money you are making is due to you getting up and being faithful in the monotonous task that nobody hands out awards for. Your future success will be contingent on your ability to remain humble so that you can have your picture next to Ty Cobb someday.

Keep Grinding,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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WORTH

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Worth is defined by Merriam-Webster to mean the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held. Almost every time I drive to Newport Coast on the toll road, I see a Lamborghini. When that amazing car races past me I think to myself is that really worth $200,000. That comment in my head is usually followed by who would pay that much for a car?

The answer to the above stated question is the guy driving that beast would pay $200,000 for that car. The driver clearly has the resources but also sees the worth. Self-worth is no different. When we don’t see our self as having worth, we set a course for self-destruction.

Here are a few tips on valuing yourself appropriately:

  1. Discount your own opinion. The voice you hear and judge yourself with is rarely encouraging.
  2. Don’t shy away from a compliment. When someone compliments you, don’t relegate it to the sidelines. Embrace it.
  3.  Stay positive. It cost the same to be optimistic about the future as it does to be a pessimist. It takes discipline but it is entirely possible to rewire your brain and turn negative thoughts into excitement towards the future.

Know your worth,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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EXIT THE DRAGON

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Much of life feels like firefighting. We run around pouring water on flames and stomping out embers from past fires to prevent future flare-ups. These fires typically consist of relational issues, bills, lack of employment, anxiety, family, and an overall feeling of being unsettled.

The dragon in your life is happy to see you play volunteer firefighter. He laughs at our attempts to manage the heat with our bucket and garden hoses. He relishes the opportunity to keep you occupied while he hides in the corner.

The challenge for you all this week is to take a step back and find the dragon. We are spending too much time mitigating the damage when we should be picking up our sword and addressing the root cause of the inferno. Sure, some things may sizzle while you are on the hunt, but this may be your only shot to get to where you were meant to be.

Level Up,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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WALKING ON SUNSHINE

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Today is the day! Today is the day you were made for! Go ahead, say it out loud… I was made for today! Recently, I spoke to a longtime friend who expressed a feeling of being lost and untethered. During the conversation, it dawned on me that disillusion is closely tied to need. The harsh reality is that when you have a need you have purpose.

So how do you stay needy? How do you maintain a level of humility that continues to push you down the track? It starts with your goals. Most people set goals that have temporal qualities. For instance, I want to make this much money, buy that house or retire at this age. These types of goals when accomplished feel like a sugar rush but ultimately lead to a flat feeling.

Your goals need to be bigger than your life! Our goals must require two key components:

– Our goals must require other people’s help to accomplish them. (Keeps you humble)

– Our goals must be about the next generation. (Keeps you hungry)

I recently heard someone say that you can’t be hungry when you have a full pantry. If your pantry is full today you are blessed. As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I ask that you empty your pantry by investing what you have stored up into the next generation. By doing this, you put yourself in a place of need and dependence that will surely give you purpose.

Stay hungry my friends,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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