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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajving. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul

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<v Speaker 1>fella Aledo. Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute

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<v Speaker 1>Leadership Podcast. It's episode five sixteen. I want you to

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<v Speaker 1>pause for a second and think about this phrase, respect

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<v Speaker 1>your future self. It sounds simple, but when you really

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<v Speaker 1>think about it, this might be one of the most

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<v Speaker 1>powerful leadership lessons of all time. Imagine you're tempted to

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<v Speaker 1>skip studying for an exam. You tell yourself, I'll be fine.

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<v Speaker 1>Then tomorrow comes and you're sitting there wishing you had

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<v Speaker 1>studied that moment. That regret is your future self realizing

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<v Speaker 1>that your past self didn't have your now flip that

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<v Speaker 1>idea to leadership. You're leading a team, you've had a

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<v Speaker 1>long day, and you're staring at that stack of reports

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<v Speaker 1>or that performance review that's due tomorrow. You think I'll

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<v Speaker 1>get to it later, but later always comes, and when

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<v Speaker 1>it does, your future self walks into chaos, unprepared, stressed,

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<v Speaker 1>and frustrated because past you didn't do the work. Respecting

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<v Speaker 1>your future self is about making decisions today that set

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<v Speaker 1>tomorrow's version of you up for success. When I was

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<v Speaker 1>learning to fly, my flight instructor had a rule, never

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<v Speaker 1>make your future self have to work harder than your

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<v Speaker 1>present self could have. In aviation, that means staying ahead

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<v Speaker 1>of the airplane. Anticipate the next step, the next frequency,

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<v Speaker 1>the next altitude change. You don't wait until the air

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<v Speaker 1>traffic controller tells you to climb. You already know it's coming.

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<v Speaker 1>That's leadership, too. Great leaders stay ahead of the organization,

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<v Speaker 1>ahead of the decisions, ahead of the chaos. They respect

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<v Speaker 1>their future selves by building margin, preparation, and structure into

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<v Speaker 1>their day. And here's a question to ask yourself. If

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<v Speaker 1>tomorrow's version of you could talk to you right now,

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<v Speaker 1>what would they say. Would they thank you for getting

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<v Speaker 1>ahead on that project. Would they appreciate that you made

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<v Speaker 1>the tough call today instead of letting it drag out

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<v Speaker 1>for weeks. Would they say thank you for getting enough sleep,

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<v Speaker 1>eating writer, taking that walk instead of working yourself into burnout.

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<v Speaker 1>Or would they shake their head and say you knew better.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the internal accountability system of great leadership. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>need a boss, a policy, or a deadline to do

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<v Speaker 1>the right thing because you're already thinking about your future self,

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<v Speaker 1>sitting in that next meeting, leading that next project, or

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<v Speaker 1>facing that next challenge. So here are a few ways

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<v Speaker 1>to respect your future self starting today. Number one, plan

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<v Speaker 1>one step ahead before you leave work right tomorrow's top

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<v Speaker 1>three priorities. That's your gift to your future self clarity.

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<v Speaker 1>Number two, say no to short term comfort. Every time

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<v Speaker 1>you take the easy way out, your future self pays

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<v Speaker 1>for it was stress, clean up, and regret. Don't do

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<v Speaker 1>that to yourself. Number three, protect your time. Future You

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<v Speaker 1>will thank you for the boundaries you set today. That

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<v Speaker 1>extra meeting you didn't need, that email you didn't answer

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<v Speaker 1>right away, Those small decisions protect your mental runway. Number

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<v Speaker 1>four do the boring things early. Great leaders know that small,

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<v Speaker 1>consistent effort compounds, whether it's budget's, maintenance schedules, or documentation.

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<v Speaker 1>The earlier you tackle it, the easier your future becomes.

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<v Speaker 1>Number five, take care of your body and your mind.

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<v Speaker 1>Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. Your future self

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<v Speaker 1>needs you healthy, centered and sharp, not burn out and

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<v Speaker 1>running on caffeine and anxiety. When I first became the

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<v Speaker 1>chief of EMS, I used to say yes to everything,

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<v Speaker 1>every meeting, every request every event. It felt like I

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<v Speaker 1>was being productive, but my future self, the one who

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<v Speaker 1>showed up exhausted and over extended, wasn't impressed. So I

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<v Speaker 1>started asking a new question before I said yes to anything,

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<v Speaker 1>Will this decision make my future self's life better or harder?

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<v Speaker 1>That one question changed everything. It gave me permission to

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<v Speaker 1>protect my time, my energy, and my priorities. And it

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<v Speaker 1>forced me to think long term, not just about what

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted now, but who I wanted to be six

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<v Speaker 1>months from now. You see, the best leaders aren't living

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<v Speaker 1>for the moment. They're building for the moments ahead. They're

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<v Speaker 1>engineering a future where they can look back and say

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<v Speaker 1>thank you past me for doing the work. So here's

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<v Speaker 1>your challenge today, do one thing your future self will

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for. It could be as small as cleaning

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<v Speaker 1>out your inbox, as big as setting a financial goal,

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<v Speaker 1>or as personal as finally having that conversation that you've

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<v Speaker 1>been avoiding. Whatever it is, take action today, because tomorrow's

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<v Speaker 1>leader you is counting on it. This has been the

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<v Speaker 1>seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more Paul fell of Alito Podcasts, visit Paulfellavalito dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>Um