Denise OBrien-Peterson Denise OBrien-Peterson

“Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most, but I still have my core values”

The last post I started was on November 5th. I started with a completely different thought in mind, then I remembered a quote I used to keep in my journal that somehow reminded me not take myself too seriously. As it turns out, Ozzy Osborne is most commonly attributed with making the comment:

“Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”

I’ve come into this year reflecting on what I've learned about setting up Activate 10. I’ve had moments when I've wondered what to do next. To say whether it was a success or a failure would set false parameters around the work put into it. I started to question whether this is where I should be spending my time. Then I stepped away from what was right in front of me and reflected on why I chose to pursue coaching in the first place. I remembered the core values my coach helped me maintain at the forefront of everything I do.

  • Success: achievement of desired visions and planned goals

  • Wonder: causes astonishment and admiration; something that is very surprising, beautiful, and amazing

  • Learning: the lifelong process of transforming information and experience into knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes, which leads to change.

  • Playfulness: the tendency to see the light or bright side of life, to joke with others, and not to take matters too seriously.

  • Trust: consistent, firm belief in someone's character, ability, strength, or truth.

As quickly as the inner critic got the best of me, I took control of my vision and decided to learn from others who built their businesses and evolved over time. Amazon wasn’t originally what it is today. The same is true for Netflix.

Netflix and Amazon in the beginning

Netflix

1997 – DVD-by-mail
2007 – Streaming begins
2013 – Original content
Today – Global content studio

Netflix didn’t protect the DVD model. They disrupted themselves before someone else did. That’s strategic courage.

Amazon

1994 – Online bookstore
2005 – Prime launches
2006 – AWS launches
Today – Infrastructure powering much of the internet

Amazon didn’t abandon books. They leveraged customer obsession and logistics into infrastructure dominance. That’s strategic evolution.

“The companies that win aren’t the ones that start perfectly, they’re the ones that evolve relentlessly.”

What part of your business or career are you protecting that might need to evolve? Have you asked for help?

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