Throughout life you’ll know when you have had a great leader, teacher, coach, manager or role model, when there are things they would say that last with you forever. I’m big on one-liners. One line that puts everything into perspective. One line that helps get you through a tough moment. My goal in life is to have a lasting impact on people to a point where one of my one-liners rings in their head when they are faced with adversity. 

Here are 5 one-liners to live by:

1. “Be comfortable in the uncomfortable” – One of the most influential people in my life was my soccer coach. Growing up he taught us discipline, he taught us work ethic, he taught us about having pride in what we do. This line has stuck with me from 10 years old on the soccer field as we were doing conditioning and he would be screaming “be comfortable in the uncomfortable”, all the way through my professional life as I was heading into a panel interview with multiple Directors, Sr. Directors, and Heads of Sales. This line will stay with me forever as a reminder to keep a level head and remain calm under pressure all while being comfortable in the uncomfortable. This skill will take you very far in life. It will ensure you aren’t making moves or decisions out of fear, and allow you to present yourself as a leader. If you present as a leader, people will trust you and they will thrive off of your energy. Learn to enjoy those uneasy feelings; embrace them, enjoy them. A lot of those feelings are the currency to your success — feeling nervous when you take on new opportunities, feeling discomfort as you grow and evolve, having fear of the unknown as you chase after your dreams — all these feelings are feelings you should embrace as they push you towards greatness.
   
2. Don’t let one mistake lead to two. We are human. We are going to make mistakes — I promise you that — so stop trying to avoid them. Instead, I would like you to focus on limiting the number of times you let one mistake lead you to two. That is where you let one mistake derail you from all your progress and hard work. Instead what I want you to focus on is how quickly you are able to bounce back from that mistake. The goal isn’t to avoid mistakes at all cost, the goal is to keep one mistake from throwing you into a downward spiral causing ten mistakes. As you start to pay attention to how quickly you can get back on track when making a mistake, you will notice that the length of the downward spiral lessens or shortens each time. You will notice a trend or pattern within your behavior and you will be able to catch yourself beginning to spiral much quicker. When mistakes occur, have grace for yourself as you are only human, but remember to get back on track; it is all a part of the process.
   
3. Make it happen. This one comes from a director I had that helped me catapult my career in an upward direction. At the end of the day find a way to make it happen. If you have a goal in front of you you can make it happen. If there’s a will, there’s a way. You just have to push forward and find out how.
   
4. “It’s as good as you make it” – As I stepped into a leadership position, I reflected on some of the obstacles I faced as I wanted to ensure I also had my own one-liners that I could use to leave a lasting impact on my employees or mentees. This was a big one for me. Everything, and I mean everything, in life is as good as you make it. Let’s imagine you’re on your early morning ride to get your iced coffee. Are you still half asleep thinking negatively about your day ahead, wishing you were still in bed, not having to go to work and deal with responsibilities? Or are you thinking about everything you are blessed to have, grateful for your morning rides to get coffee, fully enjoying this special time with the windows down and music up, blessed to have a job and people that need and depend on you? It’s as good as you make it. This one means everything to me. As a leader and people manager myself, this is a line I encourage my employees to embrace. You control how good an experience, moment, relationship, or job is.
   
5. “Position yourself to be successful” – A lot of us look at others with success or money and think “right place, right time”. It’s a way of making ourselves feel better that they have the success and we don’t. Well what if I told you it’s the right person, right place, right time. You need to be the right person first. Success will not just fall into your lap UNLESS you are consistently proving your worth, striving to be great, and always looking to get better. Put yourself out there by volunteering to be a part of opportunities, become involved, and participate in life. First, make sure you are the right person. Second, get yourself out there, take chances, and be involved! Put yourself in a position to be successful.

What one-liners ring in the back of your head? What one-liner do you want to leave a lasting impression with?