To overcome challenges, stop comparing yourself to others ~ Dean Furness

WHEN:

Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 1600 GMT

DESCRIPTION of TALK

To overcome challenges, stop comparing yourself to others

Summary - Being average has its advantages, especially when you use it to put the focus back into YOU.

Abstract - Over 11 years ago I became a paraplegic due to an accident on my acreage. Being in a wheelchair permanently it’s pretty hard to hide from my daily challenges but I quickly learned to embrace my new normal, not only excelling in my professional life, but also personally – even being able to compete in high level events like the Boston Chicago, and New York City Marathons and I've been lucky to have my story shared on TED gathering over 3.75 million views. While my challenges are highly visible, many of us are fighting very private challenges and with my accident as the core underpinning of my talk I focus on understanding my personal average and how to improve on it every day. After some introspection of what ‘average’ means for each of us, I discuss a few of the strategies I use and how they help me continually raise my performance, including stories on moving past bumps in the road, owning your calendar, and the impact that can be realized on the teams you are a part of. With an almost habitual focus on small improvements, your average can become your advantage. I'll dare you to attack your day, focusing on you and the skills you bring to the table. Its not a technical session - there are no demos, no code to review. And some of the discussion might be overly obvious - but that's the point. It might just launch you into a new gear - simply by putting the focus back on you. Come listen in and beat your average, take ownernship of your day, and strive to focus on what's next.