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WHEN WE LAST MET

Nearly a month ago I questioned whether my month long absence from posting was due to priorities or excuses.  I can say with 100% certaintity that it is priorities and continues to be priorities.  Since that post I was fortunate enough to have a little inspiration from my sons commencement ceremony and then a helping hand from a friend and former colleague with a guest post.  If not for those two events I would again be facing another month long gap in posting.  I hate it.  I am dedicated to keeping this project alive but I also know that a big key to success is knowing and managing your priorities.

LOOKING FORWARD ANOTHER 30 DAYS

As I have mentioned before I am a big fan and diligent follower of David Allen’s Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (affiliate link).  I honestly feel that this book saved me from a near nervous breakdown at a previous employer and has been key to my successes ever since then.  I have also mentioned the FOUR CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING ACTION + MY ADDITION in a previous post.  As I look forward at the next 30 days I know that those criteria will most likely result in another gap in posting.  July is packed with deliverables both at home and at the day job.  I have a couple subjects burning in my mind but I am not sure the “Time Available” criteria will allow them to be created in July.  I plan to try if and when the “Context” and “Energy” criteria lead me to that action.  In the end all that really matters is that I have negotiated the priorities of the next 30 days with myself and can live with what I have decided to put on the back burner based on those priorities. 

My fifth criteria is “Balance.”  Its the toughest criteria to manage.  I have seen and read about systems that work to create a daily balance.  I struggle with that one given how short 24 hours really is.  There are days that need to be focused on one goal in order to bring it to completion.  I personally try to focus on a weekly balance but even that time span can at times need to be focused on a project or goal.  Monthly, in my eyes, is about the largest span of time you should go without at least reviewing the priorities and entire “To Do” list to ensure you are not falling to far out of balance.  Here again, it can be tough at times and requires a level of discipline that I can’t say I have fully achieved although trying my best.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN…

My goals are set and my priorities are clear.  It may be a few weeks until we meet again but I will not allow it to be more than a month.  Remember:

1. Context
2. Time Available
3. Energy Available
4. Priority

and never let the hardest one – BALANCE – go without consideration.

What do your priorities and BALANCE look like right now?

My second son graduated High School last night.  What a great moment it is for a parent to watch their child officially complete the first step in their journey of life.  Its no where near the end of the journey.  Its no where near the end of time and energy a parent will need to put in to facilitate their success.  It is a huge milestone that brings many emotions.  Emotions of relief but also concern, excitement but also fear, and of course PRIDE.

ENVY

As one of the speakers addressed the class he told them they should know that everyone in the audience is in some way envious of the opportunities and adventures the new graduates had in front of them.  At first this statement had me nodding my head in agreement.  With my two oldest children graduating over the past two years it did bring about emotions that could be considered envious.  As we toured college campuses I would day dream of how exciting it must be to start a journey of learning without the stress of a job, a mortgage, bills, yard work, home repair and children.  The opportunities that lie ahead are infinite and they have the freedom to do and be what ever they want.  They dont realize how fortunate they are.  If only I could have those same opportunities and freedom.  WAIT A MINUTE!

WAKE UP!

Then it hit me.  I DO HAVE those same opportunities and freedom.  We all do!  Sure, its not exactly the same but in general everyone has the freedom and opportunities to dream, create, succeed and build their journey.   Every day is a graduation from some lesson or experience.  The path before you every morning has infinite possibilities and opportunities.  You have to choose to pursue them.  Choose to pursue a passion.  Choose to create something great.  And when things don’t go as planned you have to choose to learn from your mistakes and move on down the next path.  Each evening you are a graduating Senior facing a world of opportunities.  Each morning you are Freshman in a new day of learning and experience.

THE GRASS ISN’T GREENER

I remember a conversation with a colleague and friend of mine a month or so ago where we were complaining about certain challenges and frustrations at work.  I stated that “in the end I just have to remind myself that the grass isn’t any greener somewhere else” to which she replied with a statement I immediately posted on my wall:

I like my grass, there are just a few weeds that need pulled to make it better!

Love it!  Time to pull the weeds and capture the opportunities that lie ahead.  I graduated yesterday and I am a freshman in the course of today.  Hope I can improve my GPA!

Are you seizing the opportunities that lie ahead?  What “life classes” are you currently taking?

It has been over a month since my last post of coming full circle around the convergence target.  It was as if completing that milestone pushed my attention to the blog way down the priority list which in some ways is OK.  There is certainly a need to adjust and focus based on the priorities of the day but clearly identifying an excuse vs. a priority is key.

EXCUSES

I could go on and on with excuses as to why I haven’t posted.  My Lizard Brain has enjoyed continuously calling them out.

The Lizard Brain thrives on excuses!

• “Its the end of the fiscal year at the day job which is always very intense with heavy deliverables.  Everything else can wait”
• “Yard work is growing daily.  You have to keep up with it or it will consume you.”
• “Your second son is graduating High School.  Getting him into a good college with scholarships is the only thing you should be thinking about.”
• “Stop wasting your time on this thing”

BY DESIGN

I could also claim my hiatus from JTC has been by design.  The top three bullets from the lizard brain are actually very valid and do require an increased portion of my available time.  I consider myself well above average when it comes to time management and I owe a great deal of that skill to David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (See all Time Management Books) (affiliate link) and the GTD process of productivity.  One of the key elements to the GTD process directs how to choose your next action in the moment based on four criteria:

• Context – what could you possibly do, where you are, with the tools you have available?
• Time Available – If you only have 30 minutes available don’t start something that really needs 2 hours of focus.
• Energy Available – Even if you have the 2 hours available – is your energy level and mindset correct for the task at hand?
• Priority – Given that the above three criteria are met – what is the highest priority item for completion?

My thoughts and really one of the main points of the JTC concept is adding one more criteria to this:

• Balance – Priority can be subjective.  There can certainly be numerous items with very similiar priority that could be accomplished with the Context, Time, and Energy available.  When that happens, balance comes into play to make that final decision on the next action to take.  What area of your life is out of balance and in need of more focus?



PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!

Was the month long hiatus from JTC due to priorities or excuses?  A little bit of both.  The last month has certainly had priorities that would reduce the frequency of posting but I have strayed away from the balance criteria over the last month.  There is no valid reason for a month long gap between posts that was not planned.  Unfortunately the regression from balance has also effected the other points of focus causing them to slip backwards as well.  The good news is that I know it and can course correct.  The journey continues and its a long exciting road.

I want to give a quick shout out of gratitude to my good friend Paul Hendricks for reaching out with what I know would have been a swift kick in the rear to get back on track if I wasn’t already kick starting myself.  Check out his blog at www.paulehendricks.com

Are you setting priorites or making excuses?

FULL CIRCLE

Here we are are full circle around the “points of focus” on the first “convergence target” in my Journey to Convergence with the last point – Personal Development.  Its only fitting that this post be titled nearly the same as my first true post back in January.  It has been 15 weeks since that first post and its already been quite a journey with some big wins and of course some challenges along the way.  The biggest win is this post today, completing the circle with an even stronger resolve to continue the concept and journey.  I have connected with some great people all over the world and built deeper relationships with friends and family.  That alone is worth the time and energy.

THE JOURNEY THUS FAR

22 posts in 15 weeks – not too bad.  I did fall short of completing one point of focus per week as I had committed in Next Steps which obviously means I fell short of meeting that plus an additional post each week as committed in No Excuses.  I could give a 101 excuses on why I missed those goals but they don’t really matter.  What matters is that I have stuck to it (even if at a slower pace than hoped).  I have a new personal record at 22 posts.  I continue to battle the Lizard Brain and all his attempts to keep me average.  So I overstretched a bit on what I could actually make time to complete.  Learn and move on!

I am amazed at how few Leadership posts I have made.  It is the area where I believe I bring the most value, experience and understanding to the table.  They might become more frequent now that I have completed the foundation of working around the convergence target but since this is primarily my journey and learning experience it is an area I am less likely to be seeking knowledge on.  NO, I am not saying I am perfect and have nothing to learn.  There are just much higher priority areas for improvement in my JOURNEY.  THATS THE WHOLE POINT!  Time and energy are not infinite so you have to prioritize where you expend both.

My subscriber list has over tripled since the Write Here, Write Now post.  The offer still stands but you better hurry up I am getting close to that one million mark.  Only 999,962 more to go.  At the end of the day I value every single one more than you can imagine.  I was honored to have my good friend Lou as my first guest post.  I would absolutely add that to the list of things that made this worth the time and energy.

So “Personal Development” is the last point of focus needing goals.  The JTC project in its entirety actually spells out the personal development goals with one exception.  I need somewhere to capture my burning entrepreneurial spirit and goals in that area.  Here is a great list I found on Wikipedia defining personal development.

• Improving self-awareness
• Improving self-knowledge
• Building or renewing identity
• Developing strengths or talents
• Improving wealth
• Spiritual development
• Identifying or improving potential
• Building employability or human-capital
• Enhancing lifestyle or the quality of life
• Improving health
• Fulfilling aspirations
• Initiating a life enterprise or personal autonomy
• Defining and executing personal development plans
• Improving social abilities

I think I have the list covered in JTC.  Now I just have to keep working each area – “Competing with my self to become my future self!”  I do have a seperate project underway that would cover the entrepreneurial aspect of the personal development point of focus.  I am not ready to share much detail on it but will do so as I get further along.

The image to the left depicts my goals in the Personal Development point of focus.  I will update my progress here.

Have you started your own journey?  What are your goals?   Are they prioritized,  focused and balanced?

(The war against the part of my brain that wants to hold me back and looks to keep me average continues.  So does the correspondence.  If you are new to the discussion you can catch up here.)

YOU GOT SERVED!

Dear Lizard Brain,

“YOU GOT SERVED!”

“YOU FELL FOR THE BANANA IN YOUR TAIL PIPE!!”

“YOU’RE GOING DOWN LIKE A LAWYER ON A HUNTING TRIP WITH DICK CHENEY!!!”

“YOUR GAME IS LIKE MOLDY SWISS CHEESE, FULL OF HOLES!!!!”

“I AM LIKE TIME… I CANT BE STOPPED!!!!!”

But I digress…

The last three weeks have been rough for you.  Your weapons have been ineffective.  You continue your constant barrage but to no avail.

• “This diet sucks, eat something tasty!” – Actually worked a few times but guess what – down two more pounds.
• “Ha, you are at home for a while, how are you going to workout?” – Small and deliberate actions:
  • Dumbells under the desk for those long conference calls.
  • Plenty of self contained weight to get good results out of some pushups.
  • Situps and crunches – ouch you hate that don’t you!
  • Walks at lunch – when there isnt a conference call.  Coming soon – runs at lunch!
• “No time, no time, stick to the norm, stop adding things to do!” – Organize, adjust, and make good use of the available time:
  • Subscriptions growing
  • Posts flowing
  • Beta site of project #2 – complete
•  ” The red tape is out of control.  Go get a pack of cigarettes.  It will make you feel sooooo much better!” – Not this time.  FIVE MONTHS SMOKE FREE and going strong.

The outlook is bleak for you, Lizard Brain.  I am definately a child of nature with the seasons driving my energy levels.  Spring and Summer bring a burst of energy that may just be your final demise.

Talk to you soon.

Brazen and energized,

Mike

How are you battling your Lizard Brain?  What small and deliberate steps can you take to push through the dip and accomplish things you have always been capable of but unable to get into motion? 

CHIP AWAY AT THE RESISTANCE!

(Continuing from the initial letter in the No Excuses post this is the second in a series of correspondence to that part of your brain that is the resistance – wants to hold you back – and looks to keep you average) (You can find Issue 1 here)

BATTLES LOST, WAR CONTINUES!

Dear Lizard Brain,

You are strong opponent.  I must concede the battle of the last 3 weeks as your victory in my war on your resistance.  However, I know you are becoming frustrated with the strength of my counter resistance and must foresee some big defeats coming your way.

• First a week of illness:  All productivity and discipline to the diet plan went out the window.  With my defenses down you launched a major offensive strike and gained significant ground.  However I came to a great realization from that battle which will prevent you from ever having that advantage again.
• Next a week of heavy travel & meetings:  I would call this week another stalemate in the war.  The front lines did not move either direction.  For every poor meal choice I countered with 30 minutes in the fitness room (regardless of how poor the quality of the equipment may have been).  You thought you had another opportunity to question why I started the JTC project given the already high demands on my time but I was able to post by having drafts in progress ahead of time.  I am getting smarter at how to battle you on the road.
• This past week at home:  It would actually be your largest victory in a long time.  With 8-9 hours of meetings a day causing my workload to pile up and the weather causing the snow to pile up I ended up in some serious winter blues.  You were in total control this past week:
  • “Go ahead and eat those comfort foods!”
  • “You don’t have time to workout nor the right equipment!”
  • “You are mentally exhausted, just veg out in front of the T.V.”
  • “Just relax – aren’t you grateful for what you already have and have accomplished?”

These are some of your favorite weapons in your efforts to hold me back.  They are powerful and you have become very adept at just the right times to use them.  But in the end – they are just excuses to overcome and the key to this battle is that I KNOW IT!  My intelligence team is on to you and your strategy, Lizard Brain.   We will use that intel to fight your resistance.  Victory will be ours.

Yes, Lizard Brain, you have won the battle of the last three weeks but it was a very minor win.  Even after all the poor eating, lack of exercise, and just all around poor mind set – you only managed to plateau me!  No ground was won!  No pounds were gained!  And most importantly my resolve to continue the Journey to Convergence and its planned benefits is even stronger.

Next week brings more travel but beware Lizard Brain.  I am headed to sunshine and warm temperatures.  This is exactly what I need right now to get the momentum going again.  I will crush your excuses and gain ground.

Like a dear friend and colleague once said: “You can start over immediately!”

As always,

Firmly committed,

Mike

YOU CAN “START” OVER NOW!

Has your Lizard Brain been holding you back?  The key is to realize it and talk back!  Tell that part of your brain that you are on to them.  Tell it how you plan to defeat it, how you plan to pursue your dreams and goals!  The Lizard Brain really, really hates it when you do that!  Remember, the Lizard Brain is you – you are the only one holding yourself back!

Talk Back now in comments.  Don’t comment to me or the post – talk back to your Lizard Brain.

GET IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR

Have you ever thought about starting your own blog and just haven’t found the time to do so?  Do you have something you would like to say and see it in print on the internet somewhere other than Facebook?  Well, here’s your chance to get in on the ground floor of an up and coming blog.

I am looking for guest posters to provide content that I will post on YOUR UNDER CONSTRUCTION (A Journey to Convergence.)

RULES

The only rules are:

• Content needs to be relevent to one of the 8 points of focus on JTC or about Leadership.
• Must be “G” rated.
• Cannot be a sales pitch but can highlight your business or enterprise.
• I reserve total rights on whether to post and when.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE IN RETURN

In return you receive:

• Visibility of your content to all 12 16  25  28 38 of my subscribers. 🙂 Hey, thats the point – get in on the ground floor and as it grows your content is out there and may be referenced or reposted when that number is 100 – 1,000 – 10,000 – 100,000 – heck, 1,000,000.  The skies the limit.
• My gratitude and an open invitation to guest post again when I have those million subscribers.  (OK, more realistic – 100,000) 🙂
• Most importantly – maybe – just maybe it will be your first action that triggers a long string of actions that motivates you to build something great on your own.  I would love to play a role (albeit it small) in your building something great!

Join the conversation – better yet – START the conversation.

Contact me here if you are interested.

A colleague gave me one of these at a recent meeting and now I am giving one to you.  They are hard to find and very valuable so dont lose yours.  Now that you have one you don’t have any more excuses to not achieve every success you have ever dreamed.

They are very effective weapons.  Make sure you keep it handy to battle the Lizard Brain.

So print, cut, and keep this rare and valuable treasure where you can always find it.  Now that you have one you can accomplish all those things you have been putting off until you got a ROUND TUIT!

I know – a little cheesy but what have you been putting off?  Why not start it? NOW!

Oh yeah, and FINISH IT!