Robert Pagliarini

Sarah Palin Going Rogue by Donna Grethen
Sarah Palin (© Donna Grethen)

"Sarah Palin is an idiot." "Sarah Palin is stupid." These comments, and many others not fit to print, are what I've been hearing lately (even though I live in one of the most conservative counties in the United States). Why? She had notes written on her hand during a question-and-answer session at the recent Tea Party convention.

The former vice presidential candidate wrote "Energy," "Tax Cuts" and "Lift American Spirits" on her hand. When I first heard about it, I immediately thought it was a bad joke -- maybe some "SNL" skit or something. But this was no joke. She actually had hand notes that she appeared to review while presenting. Where was Sarah when I was barely passing high school geometry tests?

Is Palin dumb? I think she's a genius. Before you get your political panties in a bunch, let it be known I'm an equal-opportunity learner -- I've done a column on what you can learn from Barack Obama as well.

So, why do I think she's so smart? I love this idea of focusing on three critical ideas. When we are flooded with information, requests and commitments, it's nice to peel away all of the excess and concentrate on just three things. It's easy to turn into a human pinball, constantly bouncing from one thought or idea to another. This is a recipe for failure in life and in business. True success comes from concentration. Warren Buffett famously said, "Diversification may preserve wealth, but concentration builds wealth."

I think it would be powerful to see President Obama write his top three goals for the country on his hand every morning. Or, what if your CEO wrote her top three goals on her hand every morning and proudly showed them to everyone she met during the day?

Here's how you can benefit from writing your top three goals on your hand every day:

Identification

It forces you think about what's important and what you want. The simple act of writing your goals has a transformative effect.

Concentration

We have a limited amount of the other eight hours toward which we can direct our energy and resources. It helps stop the static and allows us to focus intently on our most significant goals.

Commitment

By writing them on your hand instead of a Post-It note, it shows you are committed.

Declaration

By publicly displaying your goals, you're saying, "Look, folks: This is what I believe, and this is what I'm all about."

Inspiration

Feeling down? Unmotivated? Simply look at your hand to immediately feel reconnected to what's most important in your life.

Want to fire up your next church or networking event? Have everyone write their top three goals, insights, lessons, Bible verses or mistakes on their hand. Instead of swapping business cards, it would be much more intense and personal if we swapped hand notes. You'd immediately get to know a person on a much deeper level.

Try it yourself. Do it tomorrow. It will connect you to what's most important in your life, and it will be a great conversation starter.

 

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The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House

 

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What You Can Learn From Sarah Palin | Robert Pagliarini

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