Live Your Life Like It Was On TV
59. Live your life like it was on TV.
How would you live your life if it was on TV? That question may be a little easier to answer these days with all the lame reality shows that have evolved. The reason I ask is that many of us would act differently if we knew we were being watched. Just think about a time you have been watched, by a boss, parent or security camera. We make better choices when we think we might be being watched. I don’t mean that we act like bad people when we know we aren’t under surveillance; I simply mean that we make better choices if we think we are being observed.
The benefits are many. The first thing is that it keeps you more ethical. There are opportunities to cheat all around us. We most often cheat when we believe no one is going to find out. So pretending we are on TV all the time will dissuade us from doing this. If you are in an area of high risk for cheating, implement this Tool for your benefit. The unethical label is one that is hard to shake.
Another aspect that I like about this technique is that it keeps you from giving a B effort. We want to give the best we can in all we do every day. It can be easy to fudge a little here and there when we know that no one will notice. The key is that you will notice and we now know how our inside world shapes our outside world. We also want to do what successful people do and they don’t cut corners. Lastly, it works with the simple things. If you are watching your nutrition and you know you are on TV, chances are you won’t sneak in that bag of chips while you’re all alone.
Now we know that this is a little bit silly and most of us will never have this experience, but it is an exercise we want to use to make us think before we act. That is mainly what it is designed to do. Think about the action before you perform it. Chances are if you wouldn’t do it on TV, maybe you shouldn’t in real life. My brother Harry was the one who inspired this Tool. He made the comment that he lives his life often thinking about what the people he respects the most would think. What would he want them seeing? I really thought this made a lot of sense. It is easier to cut corners when we think others won’t notice.
To assist you in using this Tool do what I do. Over my desk I have a picture of my grandfather and the two godfathers of my profession. By having them close and watching, I am more likely to give my best because I wouldn’t want them seeing anything else. If you need to change how you are “acting,” live your life like you are the star of your own TV show, and guess what, you already are.