Damon Zahariades Quotes

“In our personal lives, we hesitate before saying hello to strangers. We immediately call a plumber before trying to fix plumbing problems on our own. We stick to the same grocery stores rather than visiting new stores. We gravitate toward the familiar. In our professional lives, we shy away from taking on unfamiliar projects. We cringe at the thought of creating new spreadsheets and reports for our bosses. We balk at branching out into new avenues of business. Instead, we remain in our comfort zones. There, after all, the risk of failure is minimal. One of the biggest reasons we do this is because we believe we’re unready to tackle new activities.”

“Individuals who have achieved success in their respective fields claim their success is a reflection of their persistence and grit, and an ability to adapt to their circumstances. It is not dictated by whether the individual has achieved mastery in any particular area.”

“Psychologists and researchers claim our brains need up to 25 minutes to regain our momentum after each distraction.”

“Stop telling yourself you’re not ready.”

“We fear the unknown.”

“We feel we lack the practical expertise to handle new projects with poise and effectiveness. We feel we lack the knowledge to know what we’re doing. In other words, we tell ourselves that we’re not 100% ready. This assumption stems from a basic and common fallacy: that we must be 100% prepared if we hope to perform a given task effectively. In reality, that’s untrue. The truth is, you’ll rarely be 100% ready for anything life throws at you.”

“Burdened with a low self-image, we mistakenly believe our time is worth less than others’ time. We wrongly assume our goals and interests are inferior to other people’s goals and interests. We perceive our value to the world as somehow less than the value offered by those around us.”

“Consider how flight attendants explain airline safety to passengers. In the event the cabin decompresses, you’re supposed to put on your oxygen mask before helping others put on their masks. Help yourself first. Then, assist others. These instructions aren’t intended to promote self-preservation. Rather, the airline knows that if you help others first, you risk succumbing to hypoxia. And that would prevent you from helping anyone.”

“Disappointment springs from unmet expectations.”

“Helping others is honorable. But your resources are limited. You only have so much time, money, and attention at your disposal.”

“It’s important that we attend to our own needs before attending to the needs of others. This assertion may make you feel uncomfortable, particularly if you strive to be loving and giving in all that you do. But allowing your needs to remain unaddressed while you continuously cater to others is the path toward resentment and bitterness. It can even become a health issue if you run yourself ragged.”

“Most people act out of self-interest; they naturally put their own priorities ahead of others’ priorities. But it means each of us is responsible for making sure our personal needs are met. No one is going to do it for us.”

“My brother has a neighbor who’ll come over and knock on his door until it’s answered. He’ll sometimes persist for 20 minutes or more. Worse, he’ll look through the mail slot to see if my brother’s family is home, and even try the doorknob (presumably to enter if it’s not locked).”

“One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that no one will protect my time or prioritize my needs as vigilantly as me.”

“Self-care has a higher priority than giving care.”

“Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. The problem is, if you’re constantly saying yes to other people, putting their priorities ahead of your own, you won’t have the time or energy to care for yourself. And you’ll slowly become irritated, cynical, and miserable.”

“The word 'no' carries an air of finality. Many people are ill-prepared to hear it, and lack the ability to accept it with poise and understanding.”

“There will always be someone who could benefit from your attention. There will always be people who will gladly accept your help if you offer it. But keep in mind, you’re not responsible for solving other people’s problems. You’re responsible for yourself and those who depend on you.”

“We have a limited number of hours to play with each day. That means every time we say yes to someone, we’re saying no to someone or something else.”

“You cannot be held responsible for his or her disappointment.”

“The biggest challenge in working on a task you consider to be boring, difficult, or unappealing, is starting on it. But a strange things happens once you start: the anxiety and dread associated with it rapidly declines.”

“The right verbs encourage execution. They encourage you to take action. The wrong ones do the opposite. They encourage procrastination. Verbs like explore, plan, and touch base lack specificity. As a result, they’re less effective than verbs like research, draft, and call. These latter choices have more impact because they imply specific actions. They leave nothing open to interpretation.”

“You have a limited amount of time to get things done during the course of a given day. It follows that you should limit the scope of your to-do list to accommodate this constraint. If you only have four hours at your disposal, make sure the items on your to-do list can be completed within that time frame. Otherwise, you’ll set yourself up for failure.”