Being a High Achiever

For John, BLUF:  Top performers have traits, and those can be learned traits, like making lists.  But, everything in moderation.

So here we have advice from Ms Penelope Trunk regarding the 15 things high achievers do.

I am not recommending all 15 of these items, but Item 1, right off the top, makes sense.  I am not sure it has to be on paper, making mental lists could work, but making lists helps to organize one's thoughts.

For me, Item 2 is a BENO.  Maybe I have spend too much time listening to the Flight Surgeon, but I am against unprescribed medicine.  Even if it is legal.

Item 3 is about letting doors close and stay closed.  I agree here.  One has to move on.  R L Lilly squeezed me out of a chance to go to the Fighter Weapons School as a Back Seat Pilot in the old F-4.  No point in crying about it.  After a year as a Front Seater and then two years and a few months in the Procurement Dodge I went back to Southeast Asia and I got my re-currency check at the Fighter Weapons School.  Not the same thing as getting to be a "Target Arm",♠ but it was a better training experience that I would have gotten three year previous.

Enough of commenting on lists.  Read the thing for yourself.  Remember that not everything Penelope Trunk write at the blog post fits you.  Pick and choose.

Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  A "Target Arm" is a graduate of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School (think Navy Top Gun School), due to the patch they wear on their shoulder, which is a bullseye.