The Executive and the Elephant: A Leader's Guide for Building Inner Excellence

Chapter 6. Follow Through on Your Intentions

Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.

—Bertolt Brecht

He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.

—Lao-Tzu

DURING PETER'S COACHING SESSION, he wanted to talk about procrastinating on his to-do list. He was pretty well organized, but he would avoid or delay doing some items on his list. He understood why people procrastinate—they feel some unconscious anxiety associated with the focal task—but that insight did not help him. He wanted to complete the to-do list without any resistance. The items on his to-do list were big, such as "Study for corporate valuation exam," which did not provide much traction for his inner elephant. It would ...