“The best way to complain is to make things.” – James Murphy, musician and record producer.
Marketing guru Seth Godin evolved this to: “The best way to complain is to make things better.”
When a recent Harvard study revealed that our external circumstances predict only about 10% of our happiness, “making things better” suddenly becomes a go-to solution for predicting the other 90% of our happiness.
Most entrepreneurs, non-profits, and even politicians are born out of a desire to make things better. While we don’t always agree with their approach, their intentions are admirable.
When I lived in San Francisco and accepted a job in Silicon Valley, I immediately began complaining about the traffic and having no time to workout. A simple 45-minute commute from the city quickly deteriorated into a 90-minute excruciating slog during rush hour.
I decided to make my mornings better. I became certified as a spin instructor and taught indoor cycling at the YMCA near my office at 6am. This schedule required me to leave my house before the traffic, rewarding me with an easy commute and a workout. After class, I showered and headed to the office stress free and stronger!
Today when I find myself or my team complaining about a process or a result, I measure my efficacy as a leader by how quickly I can move our conversations from complaint into action.
- What can we learn from this?
- What can we do differently, more efficiently or effectively?
- How can we make this situation, process, or result better?
It’s easy to complain, for despair attracts an abundance of company. Butcomplaining without action is complacent. Only through action do we energize and embolden ourselves and others.
As singer, songwriter, activist Joan Baez says, “Action is the antidote to despair.
