Mojo

1. Mojo: The Positive Spirit That Radiates From Within

Mojo is that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside.

Mojo defined. Mojo is the harmony between our internal feelings and external actions. It's the moment when we do something purposeful, powerful, and positive, and the world recognizes it. Mojo consists of four vital ingredients:

• Identity: Who do you think you are?
• Achievement: What have you done lately?
• Reputation: Who do other people think you are?
• Acceptance: What can you change, and what is beyond your control?

When these elements align, we experience a positive spirit that not only makes us feel good but is also apparent to others. This alignment creates a powerful momentum in our personal and professional lives.

2. Overcoming the Mojo Paradox: Breaking Free from Inertia

Our default response in life is not to experience happiness. Our default response in life is not to experience meaning. Our default response in life is to experience inertia.

Inertia as the enemy. The Mojo Paradox states that our natural tendency is to continue doing what we're already doing, even if it doesn't bring us happiness or meaning. To break this cycle:

1. Evaluate every activity on a 1-10 scale for:

   • Long-term benefit or meaning
   • Short-term satisfaction or happiness

2. Ask yourself these questions regularly to increase mindfulness and make deliberate choices about how you spend your time.

By consciously evaluating our activities, we can overcome inertia and make choices that enhance our Mojo.

3. Identity: Defining Who You Are and Who You Want to Be

Our Created Identity is the identity that we decide to create for ourselves. It is the part of our identity that is not controlled by our past or by other people.

Shaping your identity. Our identity is formed by four sources:

1. Remembered Identity: Based on past events
2. Reflected Identity: How others see us
3. Programmed Identity: Messages from others about who we are
4. Created Identity: The identity we choose for ourselves

The key to enhancing Mojo is focusing on our Created Identity. This involves:

• Defining who we want to be, independent of past limitations
• Making conscious choices about our values and goals
• Regularly reassessing and adjusting our identity as we grow

By actively creating our identity, we can align our internal sense of self with our external actions, leading to greater Mojo.

4. Achievement: Balancing Personal Fulfillment and External Recognition

We can learn a lot about ourselves from our Mojo Scorecard. We can learn where we may need to spend more time—and where we should try to find others to help us.

Redefining achievement. Achievement in the context of Mojo involves two aspects:

1. Professional Mojo: What we bring to the job (motivation, knowledge, ability, confidence, authenticity)
2. Personal Mojo: What the job brings to us (happiness, reward, meaning, learning, gratitude)

To enhance your Mojo through achievement:

• Regularly assess your Mojo Scorecard to identify areas of strength and improvement
• Seek balance between internal fulfillment and external recognition
• Be honest about what truly matters to you, not just what others value
• Adjust your definition of achievement to align with your personal values and goals

Remember, true achievement is about finding harmony between what you do and how you feel about it.

5. Reputation: Shaping How Others Perceive You

Our Mojo is apparent when the positive feelings toward what we are doing come from inside us and are evident for others to see.

Managing your reputation. Your reputation is the intersection of your identity, achievements, and how others perceive you. To positively influence your reputation:

1. Be consistent in your behavior and values
2. Communicate your intentions clearly
3. Seek feedback regularly to understand others' perceptions
4. Take responsibility for your actions and their impact on others
5. Align your Created Identity with how you want to be perceived

Reputation-building strategies:

• Deliver consistent, positive performance over time
• Be authentic in your interactions
• Actively manage your personal brand
• Address misconceptions promptly and professionally

Remember, your reputation is not just about being liked, but about being respected and trusted in your personal and professional spheres.

6. Acceptance: Letting Go of What You Can't Control

When we cannot accept a situation for what it is and we refuse to forgive people for causing that situation, who do we ultimately hurt? The answer is always the same: ourselves.

Practicing acceptance. Acceptance is crucial for maintaining Mojo in the face of challenges. It involves:

1. Recognizing what you can and cannot change
2. Letting go of resentment and anger towards situations or people
3. Focusing your energy on areas where you can make a difference

Strategies for cultivating acceptance:

• Practice mindfulness to stay present and avoid dwelling on the past
• Reframe challenging situations as opportunities for growth
• Develop empathy for others, understanding their perspectives
• Use the "lifetime pass" concept for friends who have significantly helped you

By accepting what we cannot change, we free up mental and emotional energy to focus on enhancing our Mojo in areas we can control.

7. Professional Mojo: Bringing Your Best Self to Work

Confusing the Mode You're In

Maintaining professional Mojo. To enhance your professional Mojo:

1. Establish clear criteria for what matters in your work life
2. Regularly assess your Professional Mojo Scorecard
3. Find your "blue water" - areas where you can excel with less competition
4. Influence up as well as down in your organization
5. Avoid common Mojo killers:
   • Over-committing
   • Waiting for facts to change
   • Looking for logic in all the wrong places
   • Bashing the boss
   • Refusing to change due to sunk costs

Remember to maintain a professional demeanor consistently, even in relaxed settings, to avoid damaging your reputation and Mojo.

8. Personal Mojo: Finding Meaning and Happiness in Life

A life spent primarily in succeeding mode is a life filled with both accomplishment and joy.

Balancing life activities. Categorize your activities into five modes:

1. Surviving: Low satisfaction, low benefit
2. Stimulating: High satisfaction, low benefit
3. Sacrificing: Low satisfaction, high benefit
4. Sustaining: Moderate satisfaction, moderate benefit
5. Succeeding: High satisfaction, high benefit

To enhance your Personal Mojo:

• Aim to increase time spent in "succeeding" mode
• Minimize time in "surviving" mode
• Find a balance between short-term satisfaction and long-term benefit
• Regularly reassess how you spend your time and energy

By consciously choosing activities that provide both meaning and happiness, you can significantly boost your overall life satisfaction and Mojo.

9. Criteria That Matter: Establishing Personal Guidelines for Success

It's a core belief through which he interprets everything that happens to him.

Setting personal standards. Establishing criteria that matter to you is crucial for maintaining high Mojo. This involves:

1. Defining what success means to you personally
2. Setting clear, specific goals aligned with your values
3. Creating boundaries for what you will and won't accept in your life

Examples of personal criteria:

• Time management rules (e.g., no meetings after 5 PM)
• Work-life balance standards (e.g., dedicating specific hours to family time)
• Professional ethics (e.g., only taking on projects that align with your values)

By establishing and adhering to personal criteria, you create a framework for decision-making that enhances your Mojo and overall life satisfaction.

10. The Power of Optimism in Maintaining Mojo

If you can maintain your optimism in the face of these six negative forces, you have an enormous advantage over most people.

Cultivating optimism. Optimism is a key factor in maintaining high Mojo. To develop and maintain an optimistic outlook:

1. Recognize common obstacles to goal achievement:

   • Taking longer than expected
   • Being more difficult than anticipated
   • Distractions
   • Lack of expected rewards
   • Declaring victory too soon
   • The need for ongoing effort

2. Strategies for maintaining optimism:

   • Focus on progress rather than perfection
   • Celebrate small wins along the way
   • Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities
   • Surround yourself with positive, supportive people
   • Practice gratitude for what you have achieved

Remember, optimism is not just a mindset but a behavior that can be developed and strengthened over time.

11. Influencing Up: Treating Your Boss as a Key Customer

Every decision in the world is made by the person who has the power to make that decision—not the "right" person, or the "smartest" person, or the "most qualified" person, and in most cases not you.

Effective upward management. To enhance your Mojo and career prospects, treat your boss as a key customer:

1. Understand your boss's priorities and challenges
2. Communicate in a way that aligns with their preferences
3. Proactively offer solutions, not just problems
4. Follow up consistently on commitments and actions
5. Accept decisions gracefully, even when you disagree

Strategies for influencing up:

• Build a strong professional relationship based on trust and reliability
• Anticipate needs and provide timely, relevant information
• Demonstrate how your work contributes to their success
• Be open to feedback and show a willingness to adapt

By mastering the art of influencing up, you can significantly enhance your professional Mojo and career prospects.

12. Beyond Self-Help: Enlisting Others in Your Mojo Journey

If you want to improve your performance at almost anything, your odds of success improve considerably the moment you enlist someone else to help you.

Collaborative self-improvement. While Mojo is largely an internal state, involving others can significantly enhance your journey:

1. Find an accountability partner to check in with regularly
2. Seek mentors or coaches in areas you want to improve
3. Join or create a peer group focused on personal development
4. Share your goals with supportive friends and family

Benefits of involving others:

• Increased motivation and accountability
• Access to different perspectives and experiences
• Emotional support during challenges
• Celebration of successes and milestones

Remember, seeking help is not a sign of weakness but a strategy for success. By involving others in your Mojo journey, you create a support system that can propel you towards your goals more effectively than going it alone.

Last updated: November 22, 2024