Tag Archives: motivation

Annie Dillard On Time Spent

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.– Annie Dillard

I’ve been thinking about this a lot because I’ve been particularly harried these days. I said Yes to too many things, and these are high-stakes commitments that must get fulfilled. So it’s crunch time, get-fewer-hours-sleep time. Is this how I want to spend my days? (Rhetorical question, of course, as the answer is No. I need to figure out a better way to get to my goals without losing myself in the process.)

Do you say Yes too much, causing day after day of busyness rather than the life you want to have?

What are some thing you can do day-after-day or week-by-week that would add up to the life you want?

How can you be more intentional about time spent?

David Allen on Finishing What You Started

Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started — David Allen

It’s February. The momentum (and pressure) of the New Year has died down. What have you started that you haven’t finished? Can you drop it?

Sometimes not finishing is a good thing. You do enough to realize this isn’t the right move, hobby, next step to take, and then you know enough about yourself that you redirect your efforts. That’s a good example of not finishing.

But sometimes not finishing is inadvertent. We meant to continue, but other things got in the way. If it still matters, resolve to finish. Get the support, clarification on next steps, blocks of time, or whatever you need to get to the end.

Either way, you don’t want open items running around in your mind or your schedule. It’s like a computer that didn’t properly shut down an application and then needs to use extra resources to keep something unwanted running in the background. Reboot! Either redirect to begin anew or resolve to finish.

Jean Anouilh on Saying Yes

To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It is easy to say no, even if saying no means death. — Jean Anouilh

OK, I wasn’t keen on using a quote on Valentine’s Day that had the word death. But there is so much good intensity and passionate feeling in this one and its message about saying YES. It’s that same good intensity of falling in love, of committing to someone (or something), of working ferociously with both hands, both feet, whole heart IN.

What have you said YES too?

Do you need to renew your YES – remember why you decided to jump in, remind yourself that the sweaty work is part of the deal?

Wikipedia says of Jean Anouilh: One of France’s most prolific writers after World War II, much of Anouilh’s work deals with themes of maintaining integrity in a world of moral compromise (sourced to Smith, Christopher Norman (1985). Jean Anouilh, Life, Work, and Criticism. London: York Press)

Don’t be tempted by the easy No. Maintain integrity despite external moral compromise. What can you say YES to?

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn on Little Things

The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little — Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

The big things in life come down to little moments – for me, it’s making pancakes in the morning for my 12-year old. To her, it’s a big thing because she loves it so much. But it’s also a little thing because it takes just 20 minutes. Now it does require the presence of mind to stop what I’m doing and make the time to make the pancakes.

Is this a contradiction of the Don’t-Sweat-The-Small-Stuff school of advice? I don’t think so, since both our valid. In the pancake example, stopping what I’m doing is not sweating the small stuff. Often I’m in the throes of just one more email or check out that interesting blog post…Sometimes that’s big stuff (an email to pitch a new project, a blog post that points out something interesting about someone you will be meeting with). But oftentimes, we get swept up in the small stuff of day-to-day unnecessarily and unconsciously.

So we need to be more conscious of the little things and little moments that matter. What is the pancake equivalent for you? What activity, though seemingly little, matters a lot? How can you do more of these little things and have more of these little moments?

Chinese Fortune Cookie Wisdom on Happiness

Happiness is activity — Chinese fortune cookie

A lot of times we over-think things. We weigh decisions that are not yet upon us – I just got an interview at company X, but do I really want to work there (or even more inconsequential, do I really want that commute)? We replay options and scenarios again and again in our mind, even though we can’t possibly know the value of any of them without taking further steps. We worry about what might be or what might happen or what people might think, even when nothing has occurred yet.

Anxiety feeds on the unknown. Taking action diminishes the unknown and therefore the anxiety. Focusing on activity rather than analysis makes you happier.

Happiness is also supported by activity because getting our body moving increases energy. It also improves concentration. At times it feels like my cardio workouts are the only time my mind is quiet! Activity lightens our mood.

Where are you spending too much time thinking rather than doing? What activity can you add to your daily practice to fuel your energy, improve your focus and lighten your mood?

Leonardo da Vinci On Simplicity

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo da Vinci

I finally ordered about $350 worth of new organizers from the Container Store and went closet-by-closet and drawer-by-drawer to purge and reorganize. I had more than a few, “Oh that’s where that was!” or “I didn’t know I had that!” a-ha moments. I found a $10 bonus card that was still good (cashed it!), as well as a year’s worth of school supplies I now won’t need to buy for next year. Everything is much clearer and simpler now. My file cabinets are next!

Where can you simplify?

Beyond organizing your possessions, can you simplify your career? What is your elevator pitch – your unique value or super-power in 20 seconds or less?

Can you simplify your schedule? What are the 3 key things you need to do today, not just copying and pasting your unfinished to do list from yesterday?

Can you simplify your inputs? We are bombarded with emails, advertisements, news (you have 50 messages, invites and pokes on Facebook!). Can you start a daily practice of silence for 5 minutes or turning off electronics for one hour before sleep or reaching for something other than your mobile device first thing in the morning?

Berrnadette Penotti on Awareness

With awareness, we can make new choices – Berrnadette Penotti

I worked with Berrnadette Penotti as my life coach in 2013. This quote on awareness is one of my favorite lessons from our work together. I would often lapse into, “I always do _______.” Berrnadette would remind me that every day, indeed every moment within the day, we have the chance to start anew. Even if I habitually reacted a certain way, once I was aware of that tendency, things weren’t pre-ordained; I could CHOOSE a different behavior, reaction, or outcome.

January has the natural momentum of a new year. But that puts a lot of pressure on January. What happens in February if you’ve already missed a milestone, dropped a habit, or run out of self-motivation.

If that happens to you, just start again. With awareness, we can make new choices.

Yisroel Bruce Krinsky on Thinking Long-Term

Play the long game. “If you can think of any problem you have today, picture your reaction in seven years,” he suggests. “Will it be affecting you then?” – Yisroel Bruce Krinsky, Renegade Furniture Group, No 127 on the 2013 Inc 500 list

Do you let everyday nuisances take you away from what’s really important?

Are your new year’s resolutions playing the long game? Are you focusing too narrowly or short-term?

Are you choosing goals for your life that you really care about? Or are you focusing on where you think you SHOULD focus?

My grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this week. Now that’s playing a long game!

Rebecca Matthias on Business Success

Think big.  Focus.  Never give up.  That’s your mantra.  Everything else will fall into place. – Rebecca Matthias

Rebecca Matthias is CEO of Mothers Work (retail outlets include Mimi Maternity, Pea in the Pod, and Motherhood). This quote is from her book, Mothers Work, one of my favorite business books — an inspirational and informative biography detailing how a 28-year old new mother took $10,000 and built a multimillion-dollar retail company.

Are you thinking big enough?

Are you focusing your attention on your most important priorities?

Are you persisting?