I am a list maker. It helps me to synthesize my thoughts and organize my activities rather than to operate freeform, without a plan. It is too easy to be in action for the sake of feeling like there is accomplishment. Yes, at the end of the day it is better to have cleaned closets, gone to the gym and emerged from the darkness with the purchase of proper wattage light-bulbs. However, task driven busyness is not a substitute for long term measurable results, improved relationships and clarity. Thinking in broader terms may be useful in creating your own list. Below is a sample of a place to start and #10 is a reward in and of itself.
1. Increase your response time to requests. 2. Improve the brevity and simplicity of your electronic correspondence. 3. Connect with 5 new people and 7 existing colleagues or friends each day. 4. Inspect your business process cycle from start to finish for improvement. 5. Rethink your approach to helping others succeed. 6. Increase the number of times you connect others to build new relationships. 7. Resolve 3 pieces of unfinished business, no matter how painful. 8. Live closer to your goals and your main points of focus, and less by reaction. 9. Take time to thank the people who make your life possible. 10. Rest and unplug!
Your list may be quite different and it must be one that makes sense for you. Who wouldn’t want to be better at understanding the value of designing a process, an internal plan that is uniquely yours? How effective will you be when the questions you ask, the calls you make and the level of engagement you choose are consistently in alignment with your list!
• What are your most fundamental guiding principles? • Too big? Begin with 3 or even 1 and add as you choose • Notice the shift in your focus – what’s different? • Notice the response of others to you – what’s different?
© 2014 Maureen Weisner