Seth Godin wrote a great book called Linchpin.

In it (and throughout the rest of his massive body of work), he makes a distinction between being what he calls a “cog” or being a “linchpin.” Here’s my very quick take.

A “cog” basically does the bare minimum. They do what they’re told. That’s it. Often complaining about what they need to do and the people for whom/with whom they “have to” do it and certainly not finding deep joy in the opportunity to do what they do as well as they possibly can.

The “linchpin,” on the other hand, is the kind of person who shows up every day on fire and ready to do whatever it takes to make today another Masterpiece. They’re not grudgingly going through the motions. They enthusiastically take initiative and try to astonish themselves and the people with whom they’re blessed to create and those they’re blessed to serve.

Linchpins are, as Seth says, the ones we can’t live without.

Today’s +1.

Two questions. (Plus some follow up questions.)

1. With whom do YOU like to work? The cog or the linchpin?

Seriously. Take a moment and imagine the most awesome people with whom you work and the, ahem, less than awesome ones. Do you enjoy working with one group just a tad more than the other? 🤓

2. Who do you see when you look in the mirror in your office bathroom? The cog or the linchpin?

So… Are you showing up like a cog or a linchpin in your Work?

Of course, it’s never either/or. Just as there are no enlightened beings, no one is 100% cog or 100% linchpin. But… The most enlightened/best among us string together more and more of those enlightened “linchpin” moments.

So…

That’s our “Work” linchpin discussion.

Let’s round out the Big 3 by taking a quick peek in a couple other metaphorical mirrors.

Two more questions.

1. Who do you see when you look in the mirror in the bathroom at your house? Are you a whiney, stare-at-your-smartphone “cog” with your Love life or are you a super-present “linchpin” with your loved ones?
2. And, finally, who do you see when you look in the mirror in your (actual or metaphorical) gym? Are you a couch potato (and potato chip-eating) cog with your Energy or are you a “what-am-I-truly-capable-of?!” linchpin āthlētē when it comes to your Energy?

Cog or linchpin.

It’s a moment to moment choice.

Let’s astonish ourselves Today.

Energy. Work. Love.

Moment to moment to moment.

+1. +1. +1.

Cog vs. Linchpin #592

Which Are You?

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This +1 Inspired by:

The Icarus Deception

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This +1 Inspired by:

The Icarus Deception