On this week’s episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast, McKay talks about perseverance, how to adapt and overcome mistakes/failure, and why you should start doing ordinary things with excellence.  He opens up the episode with brief remarks about Walmart and the company's evolution. In 2010, when Walmart slowly started to fall to a new competitor on the scene, Amazon, they shifted their online marketing strategies to catch up, and they did.  So in a world that’s constantly changing, McKay urges us to,  like Walmart, adapt and overcome.  It’s okay to take inspiration from others, but we must do what they do better to stand out.  

Take Markelle Taylor for example.  After years in prison that felt like they would never end, Taylor joined his center’s local bible study and 1000 mile running club.  And with thousands of hours spent running and reading the Lord's word under his belt, his time for parole arrived.  And when it finally did, he competed in the Boston Marathon and got a job in his neighborhood.  Like the strenuous hours that Taylor put in, it often doesn’t take anything special to embark on a new journey.  All you have to do is continue to do the same things, but this time with diligence and excellence.  Reinvention can feel scary though, and that’s why McKay tries to constantly make the right decisions that support his future and goals.  So like him, spend some time soon thinking about your purpose and what changes you need to make in your life to take yourself to the next level.

The Finer Details of This Episode: 

• The story of Walmart
• Take action
• Adapting and overcoming
• Do what others do but better
• Markelle Taylor  and the 1000 mile club
• Becoming a first class noticer
• Doing things with excellence
• British Petroleum’s fatal mistake

Quotes: 

“You see early on, Wal-Mart built new stores, not in large city markets, but rather in rural markets.  Because in rural markets, Sam was competing against mom-and-pop independent retailers who suffered from lack of volume or economies of scale.”

“And for many of us, the type of reinvention and work required to shift midstream can seem overwhelming.”

“The way things used to work aren’t working so well anymore.”

“ But like Walmart, my experience is that you make the very best decision you can and move forward keeping your options open to modify and adapt.”

“You and I, too, can do the same.  We can run, work, lead, serve like others but we can do it better. Don’t be afraid, like Markelle, to follow the advice of others to get you running.  Then once you’re running, run better.”

“The pivot required in our life to face new circumstances often doesn’t involve doing new things.  It requires doing old things with excellence. 

“Now one of the most important lessons to take away from this podcast today, is the realization that what got you here may not get you to where you want to go.  Spend some time soon thinking about this principle and getting purposeful about what you are going to do to move you and your business and your team and your family to the next level.”

Links: 

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen