Creating a Mental Scorecard
Blog #3 - February 28, 2022
If you recall from last week, values can provide stability in times of uncertainty or challenge. Values act as the guardrails on a windy road. The exercise that was provided is something I do with my clients to help them identify their core values, or qualities that help them to become the best versions of themselves. For those who did it on their own, I hope the exercise helped you to identify your core values and have found ways to incorporate them into your day-to-day life.
This week’s post builds upon what was discussed last week. I’m going to introduce a concept that I borrowed and have since adapted from a fantastic book by Joshua Medcalf called “Chop Wood Carry Water.”
The book illustrates the concept of keeping a life scorecard. The book argues that people’s traditional scorecard is focused on gaining more and more, whether it is status, success, or any other external validation. The book states “Like thirsty people guzzling salt water, achievement only creates a greater desire for accomplishing more, dehydrating us of our true satisfaction and fulfilment.” I really like this quote because it suggests that nothing will be good enough if it’s based solely around personal achievement or success. The only thing this leaves us is unfulfilled. Having said that, I do not believe that striving for personal success or achievement is a bad thing. So, how do we get around that? I call this keeping a Mental Scorecard.
Creating a Mental Scorecard
The concept of keeping a Mental Scorecard is very much aligned with one’s values. A Mental Scorecard enables us to focus on the qualities about oneself that are completely within our control. While success and status are determined externally, the Mental Scorecard focuses on factors that we can control. This is called keeping an internal locus of control. The better able we are at scoring well on our Mental Scorecard, the more fulfilled and satisfied we will be.
How can we create a Mental Scorecard? The first thing I recommend to my clients is to choose one or two people that you truly admire (e.g., mentor, significant other, friend, colleague, etc.). Next, I ask them to choose at least ten qualities about those people that they would want to be known for. For example, their list could include effort, determination, resiliency, courageousness, communication, critical thinking, and the list goes on. I have my clients write them down on a sheet of paper, which they title “My Mental Scorecard.” Once they have at least ten qualities written down, I ask them to narrow down that list to 3-4 qualities that they deem to be most impactful and important to them becoming the best versions of themselves. Oftentimes it can be difficult to narrow down the list, but I always encourage them to persist and create a core list that completes their Mental Scorecard. Finally, I have my clients rate themselves twice a day to see if they are living according to those qualities and characteristics. I generally recommend them grading themselves around lunchtime so that they have an idea on what to work on in the afternoon, and evening so they have a plan for the next day. They often carry around this list somewhere close (e.g., pocket, wallet, purse, etc.) so that they are constantly reminded of who they want to become. Sometimes when in challenging or difficult situations, simply touching their list reminds my clients of how to deal with the situation in a positive way. I always say the more often they are reminded of who they want to be, the more likely they are to become that person.
In my opinion, the greatest attribute of a Mental Scorecard is that it is completely within one’s control. Whereas success, status, and achievement often lie within the hands of an external entity, the Mental Scorecard keeps people striving to become the best versions of themselves. Candidly, the Mental Scorecard is something that really helps me. I can sometimes get caught up in chasing down arbitrary success in the form of higher wages, projects, and status within my organization. Unfortunately, when I reach those points I continue to strive for the next best thing. The Mental Scorecard for me is a way to focus on those qualities that I view as the person I strive to be, and by doing so I feel a lot more at peace and fulfilled. The Mental Scorecard has helped me to stop focusing on elements that I can’t control, and rather focus on those that I can every single day.
I encourage you all to create your own Mental Scorecard. Are you currently living according to the traditional scorecard focused around success and achievement? Is this constantly leaving you striving for more? Do you feel unfulfilled? If so, adopting the Mental Scorecard could be the right thing for you. Simply taking a 4x6 sheet of paper and completing the exercise I do with my clients could change how you view personal success. Rather than viewing success as receiving a big promotion or bonus, you can now view success as the process of building more skills that enable you to be the person you wish to become, such as a better leader, colleague, friend, or partner. It’s your turn to make a Mental Scorecard.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoy my weekly posts, please consider subscribing or passing along to those who might be interested.
Tyler
(P.S. For those interested in how to achieve personal success and mastery, I highly recommend Joshua Medcalf’s book “Chop Wood Carry Water”. It’s an excellent read and will completely transform how to view success and the process of becoming great.)