Remember when Lauryn Hill was all the rage? The Fugees R&B rock star hit it big in 1998 when she released her own album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Then, after announcing that she felt pulled in a million directions, she quickly fell off the map, bowing in and out of the music industry for the next decade. Last year, Hill made a comeback, though many wondered if it was just another blip on the rock star radar as she consistently frustrated her fans by showing up 3+ hours late for concerts and appearing tired and run down. That said, there’s no question that Hill’s got it in her because she still manages to bring the house down—when she shows up, that is.
Before you give Hill the hand, take a second to evaluate whether you’ve got a little Miseducation in you. For the last few weeks, I’ve been blogging about how you can rock your life and headline the You show as I break down the 4 steps to love your way to success. The third step in your leap of love is action, i.e. making it to the concert and rocking out.
It’s easy to look at a headliner like Lauryn Hill and roll your eyes when she rants about the rigors of rock star life. But haven’t we all felt that way—pulled in a million directions, overwhelmed with the many shiny distractions that keep us from rehearsing and playing the “big show” in our world? We are tugged between meetings, dinner parties, yoga classes, date nights, business planning, TV shows—the list goes on. Many of my life coaching clients tell me that, sometimes they don’t know where to start. So they simply don’t, disappointing their “fans,” angering their “managers,” and ultimately feeling like flops.
But you shouldn’t give up on Hill anymore than you give up on yourself. The Fugees alum is turning it around—and it looks like she’s discovered the secrets to loving your way to success.
After years of running herself ragged, sprinting towards every shiny distraction, Hill scored a pair of shades and is starting to focus her attention on what matters most—her family, her songwriting, and her relationship with herself. And it looks like it’s working. Just a few weeks ago, Lauryn rocked out for thousands of screaming fans at the Coachella Music Valley Festival and she seemed to be in great spirits. See? I told you she’s still got it.
When my clients begin to burn out, Hill-style, unable to focus, delivering lukewarm performances at work, at home, and in their personal relationships, I help them simplify and navigate the sea of shiny distractions. The truth is, even real life rock stars can’t do it all and still get ovations. The trick is to identify the activities, projects, and events that will keep you in tip top concert-ready shape while not packing your schedule so tight that you show up 3+ hours late.
How exactly do you do this? I love Tim Ferris’ idea of choosing one mission critical task every day. It’s not about packing your agenda with every autograph signing and publicity shoot under the sun. Each day, you simply must pick the most important task—the one that enables you to perform at your peak—and, when you accomplish that, you’ll feel like a rock star, even if you can’t actually sing to save your life. I especially encourage my clients to start getting in the practice of a daily jam session or power hour, where they slip on their shades and blind themselves to all the shiny distractions, focusing on their song of the day—that one essential task.
Rumor has it that Lauryn Hill is working on a new album and I have a hunch it may be her best yet.
Next week, catch the finale of my Rock Your Life series with Step #4.
