TD Jakes - Signs of Complacency
Forbes, a women-focused platform, recently published an intriguing article on complacency in women’s careers. As I read the article, it emphasized that complacency can ruin your career. There are several points I want to share with you. Although the article was aimed at career women, its insights are truly genderless; they apply to ministry, marriage, or any aspirational achievement you might pursue in life. All of it rings true. They identified five warning signs of complacency, which I would like to share.
Number one: You become complacent when you are no longer striving to do your best in every area. If that stretches you too much, consider dropping some areas. I would prefer to focus on fewer areas and excel there than to spread myself thin across many and achieve little. In our country, we often say, «You can be a mile wide and an inch deep,» which means that if you spread yourself too thin, you’ll be ineffective in everything. If you know you can handle only three tasks, take on only three. You become complacent when you don’t strive to present your best self, your best mind, and truly be present in the moment. Visionaries often struggle with this because they have a tendency to live in the future at the expense of the present. If you lose sight of where you are while focusing on where you’re going, you may not enjoy the journey.
Number two: You’re operating from an outdated playbook. You must remain a lifelong learner. What worked 20 years ago is not sufficient today. When I learned to type, we used typewriters—manual ones that made noise. If you could type 90 words a minute on a typewriter, you should be able to type 150 words a minute on a laptop. Those old typewriters required significant effort. Many of you are living in a laptop world while using a manual typewriter mentality. Giving someone what they used to need doesn’t work anymore. Immerse yourself in growth. Read, seek, and knock. Stay updated to continue developing. You cannot be a doctor and stop taking classes after earning your degree. Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean your learning stops! You must keep enhancing yourself. This requires you to be comfortably uncomfortable, always striving to know more and grow further.
Number three: You aren’t actively seeking out new opportunities. I like to refer to this as remaining in a state of growth and challenge. Just as we need rest, we need new challenges to keep us engaged. You shouldn’t need someone to tell you to rest or get up in the morning. Keep reading, learning, studying, praying, worshiping, and conversing with God. Don’t wait until Sunday morning to connect with your faith. Many struggle to lead worship because they themselves haven’t worshipped all week. In just 15 or 20 minutes, you can’t make up for a week of neglect.
Number four: You aren’t maintaining or building current contacts and relationships. Relationships are the currency of growth. If you have no new relationships, you cannot grow. If you prefer to keep things as they are and avoid growth, you risk missing your destiny. Keep your network fresh. Seek challenges that make you nervous, place yourself in environments where you must rely on prayer, and go beyond your comfort zone. If all your contacts are outdated, it indicates a lack of growth. Relationships should reflect your progress. New friends should challenge you and help you evolve.
Lastly, number five: You don’t risk sharing your opinions or ideas. It’s frustrating when people merely echo what others say without adding to the conversation. This complacency stems from fear. Speak up and express your thoughts, regardless of others' reactions. You can’t evaluate your growth if you hide behind safety and silence. Being a leader requires taking risks, and not everyone will agree with you. If you’re a frontliner, expect criticism; it’s part of the role.