Book review: Scrappy — Terri Sjodin
“Perpetuating past behaviours, from the brain’s reptilian perspective, is the safest way. This is why innovation is difficult for most individuals and organisations.”
Everyone likes an underdog. After 2020, it feels like the underdog population has swelled. The odds are stacked against you, traditional methods to succeed have failed, and now it is time to dig deep and get scrappy.
Reframing ideology:
I enjoyed this book for it’s meshing of creativity to desire. This book shows you how to overcome and never give up while unlocking your ability to think laterally.
Maybe you are trying to think outside of the box, but what if there is no box?
After a challenging year, this book allowed me to see that hitting my head against a wall over and over was not optimal. I could not brute force my way to my goals. The central reframing ideology was about my own brain. It is lazy. My brain will always find “the out” and use it to give up. Sometimes I have to get scrappy to defeat myself and activate through the discomfort.
Lesson 1: Attitude
Being scrappy is an attitude. Scrappiness requires creativity and not accepting the status quo. What systems or routines do you have in place to encourage scrappy thinking?
Lesson 2: Plan and Execute
If you’re scared or insecure about pushing forward — get over it. You must. Anything worth doing is going to be difficult, is going to push your boundaries and make you uncomfortable. So much so that if you’re not afraid, it means the stakes aren’t high enough. Keep moving forward until you reach the next edge of your comfort zone.
Terri suggests that you ask yourself this question — “If I do not do this if I do not take this step, will I regret it?”
Lesson 3: Keep it Classy
Being scrappy must not change who you are. Play hard. Play to win. But keep it classy. Scrappy is about choosing to play big — not being a giant douchebag.
Who should read this book?
It is an exciting book in its framing of the idea of scrappiness. It goes on to specifically mention how being scrappy can assist maximise connecting, networking and mentorship. The idea was not one I was unfamiliar with, so I would not necessarily suggest you read the book unless you are interested in maximising those last three ideas.
Published on: tramayne.co.za
