Accomplishment is a wonderful experience.  We achieve, we celebrate and then we move on.  Unfortunately, the moving on part is not always easy.  Now that we have realized a success, what’s next?

In this graduation season, we witness people celebrating a great achievement.  They did the work, put in their time, and have been recognized for it.  Now what?  Graduation is not the end; it is merely a step toward another beginning.   After graduation everyone moves on to the next stage in their lives.

Like graduation, most of our achievements are celebrations…

…successfully running a marathon or completing that 10K race

…achieving a weight target or overcoming a health issue

…getting that promotion or finally landing that new job

Regardless of what we are celebrating, eventually we have to get back into our “routine” and get busy.  That is the harsh reality of any achievement – we don’t get to stop and celebrate for long.

There is an element of achievement that is often lost in this process.  It is the lesson of the experience associated with our accomplishment.  While we often remember and internalize the euphoria and celebration of our achievements, the more powerful takeaway is the lessons in the experience.

Achievement does not simply come by accident.  Attainment of a goal or realization of a vision involves time, commitment, and focus.  Getting to any outcome involves a consistent effort toward that goal.  Every single day brings a new experience, a different challenge, and a unique obstacle.  With each new adventure comes an opportunity to learn, grow, and develop.  Without these experiences, these challenges and these lessons, the accomplishment would not be as rewarding or incredible.   It is through our success in adversity that we appreciate and celebrate our accomplishments.

The next time you find yourself creating a vision for your success and begin to craft a roadmap for that desired outcome, remember how you accomplished and succeeded before.  Every one of us has something that we can look back on and celebrate.  In that accomplishment is the lesson of experience.  In that outcome, there is also confidence and ability.

Every one of us has accomplished a great deal in your life.  We all have successes and achievements that we are proud of and enjoy reflecting upon.  While we cannot go back and relive those moments, we can reflect on what we learned and did in order to achieve and celebrate.  Those are the lessons that can inspire and drive you forward today.

Every celebration, every achievement, and every accomplishment is the result of a focused and committed effort.  It is the result of hard work and time and overcoming obstacles.  That is the lesson from the outcome.  While you may not be able to stay on the mountain and celebrate your achievement for long, the lessons and the confidence of the experience will drive you forward to the next one.  They are also what inspires you to engage and celebrate your normal and routine life every single day.

The other day I had a conversation with a person who was lamenting the fact that there a lot of people who “struggle to get the things they want in life.”  No matter how hard they try, they simply don’t achieve their goals.  And, there are others who seem to “effortlessly hit their goals and live their dreams.”

The more we talked, the more they shared their disappointment with their lack of progress in realizing the success they desired in their life.  Part of their frustration was the perceived ease with which other people go through life.  While it is true that some people are more adept at certain skills and have the ability to accomplish some things easier than others, this does not mean that they simply discovered success – they still had to work for it, struggle through failures, and maintain a focused effort.

We rarely see the challenges, struggles, frustrations and failings of those who are successful.  We only see the byproduct of that effort.  We only see and witness the outcome of their success and the momentum created by their accomplishments.

When a farmer plants his crops in the field, we see a guy driving his tractor, tilling the soil, watering his fields, etc.  It is only when he loads up his barn do we actually see the fruits of his labor.  It all looked so easy.  Anybody can plant, water, grow and harvest, right?  We all know that is not true.  There are aspects to farming that we may never see.  For example, many farmers are up before dawn.  Unless you are up at dawn you wouldn’t see that.  Sometimes crops fail.  Unless you went to the market on a regular basis, you wouldn’t know that.  There are weeds, pests, and insects that can threaten a crop.  We wouldn’t see or understand the process or the work associated with managing that.  To the ignorant eye, a farmer just tools around in his tractor waiting for his crops to be harvested.

The same is true for those who seem to ease into their successes.  There are stories, experiences, failures, and behaviors that have led to their success.  Yes, some are more talented and skilled which make succeeding seem easier.  But, that doesn’t mean it was easy.  And, you have your own unique gifts, talents, and skills that give you an edge in other areas that make things seem easier for you in the eyes of others.

When it comes to accomplishment, especially with those who are frustrated with their relative results, there are three realities:

1. Is your goal is too “BIG”?  Everyone desires to do something amazing.  And, when many people set goals, their goals are based on incredible outcomes in unreasonable time frames.  Going “big” is a wonderful story of accomplishment when realized.  While significant outcomes are possible and achievable, all success starts with little steps, smaller accomplishments, and some sense of momentum.  Going for big is awesome – it is also a huge burden.  Building and creating momentum around smaller accomplishments builds confidence and identifies a path for a future of successes.
2. Is your time frame is too long”? In our society we want everything now.  We want to lose weight instantly.  We want success to come quickly.  What people don’t see in those that are incredibly successful is how much time, effort, energy, and failure have been invested to facilitate their success.  I am a firm believer in creating incremental success plans in 100 Day blocks.  Focus on a single achievement in 100 Days, realize your outcome, create another, and move forward.  You will get where you desire to go provided you can maintain the focus and the commitment to get there.
3. How clear is the vision of success and accomplishment? Finally, the goal is not the desired outcome.  It is merely a yardstick.  What drives us is a desire to feel as it relates to the accomplishment – more time, more energy, more freedom, more influence, more joy, more peace, etc.  When people get away from simple goal setting and attach a vision of what that success or accomplishment allows, they will be better equipped to work through the frustrations and challenges of time and adversity.

Accomplishment is a focused effort.  It is rarely easy.  It almost never comes instantaneously.  And, it requires a commitment to the outcome despite the perceived lack of progress.  Your successes are not defined or critiqued by how or what others do.  Your successes are defined by your vision of accomplishment, the path you traveled to get there, and the lessons learned and shared along the way.  Remember what is important to you and keep your eye on your commitment.

How many times have you half-jokingly said to someone, “I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up“?

Why become anything? Why not be the best you that you can be?

Everything that you need “to be” already exists within you.  You have already been blessed with unique gifts, skills, talents, and abilities.  Whether you have realized or discovered them or not, they have always existed in you.

Many of us spend so much time trying to become something is because we have not yet discovered the awesome power embracing who we are.  Until we discover who we are — what gives us passion, gives and gets us energy, and where we find our happiness and peace — we are stuck trying to become something, rather than simply being ourselves.

This is a difficult lesson.  We have spent our entire life trying to discover a role for ourselves.  Based on what we believe about ourselves, what we have heard from others, or how we have been taught in school, we have always pursued a role for our life. Many have defined success and happiness in life by our financial successes, our job titles, our vacations, and our status in the community.  All of these yardsticks play to our belief that who we are is defined by how successful we are at playing a role.

What happens when you lose your job, your wealth,  your house, or your community status?  What happens when you are kicked off the stage and lose the role you have embraced or been connected to for so long?  It is in the loss of a roles that you may start to wonder who you really are because you have been dependent on this role for so long.  Often, this is an unsettling and disturbing process.  For many, there comes a stark reality that they aren’t really certain they are happy or comfortable with the role they have been playing; however, they have no idea how to connect or rediscover themselves.

In my journey, I recently came to the realization that everything I did was defined by creating something big.  I have shared this discovery in a previous blog.  Rather than simply embracing my passion for sharing the lessons of my life experiences as a resource for others, I focused on creating things that needed to become big in order for my passion to be legitimized or valued.

It was my quest for building things that could become awesome, that blocked my ability to simply guide and embrace what it is and what it will be.  Once I let go of all the building and construction of something big, I discovered the gift of my experiences for what they already were.  That is when I realized there is so much more energy, passion, and opportunity in the authenticity of simply being.

While this may be a puzzling concept, at first, I am confident that with patience and honest introspection you can retire the actor and embrace your authentic passion.

You know what energizes you.  You know what gives you the greatest joy.  Explore why those things are so important to you. Focus not on the role but on the emotional experiences and the joy associated with them.  Embrace these emotional experiences.  Focus less on what you were doing and more on what you were thinking, feeling, and being.  Make a commitment to yourself that you are going to seek out and live in that mindset and experience every day.  As that attitude, energy, and emotion become part of your behaviors and mindset, you will become more aware of activities, conversations, and opportunities that better match with who you are.

This may take some time.  It may take some work.  The most powerful advice I can offer through this process is to avoid creating or defining roles for this process – for it will only put you back on stage as an actor in your life, not a passionate person living their life.  Be open and receptive to those that come into your life.  As you come to and live this reality of who you are, the people you are drawing in are those with which your gifts resonate most.  Connect with them, share with them, and learn from them.

As  you shift from becoming to being, you will find incredible peace, joy, happiness, and energy.  And, you will discover what the future holds for you without having to concern yourself with becoming anything.  Now, go be the best you that you can be!!

I was reflecting this morning on a very productive and engaging conversation last week.  I was reviewing and sharing Lesson One – Embrace Responsibility from the 100Pedals Journey.  In reviewing the words in the lesson I was reminded of the importance of the word choices in our lives.

The words we choose, the words we use, the words we hear, and how we hear them have tremendous influence on us.  The more I focus on my experiences, my vision, and my lessons from 100Pedals, the more sensitive I am to the words I use when I am speaking, writing, or chattering with myself.  For all of these conversations reflect our perspective on our life, our experience, and our future actions.  And, I have become highly sensitized to the word choices of others, as well.

One of the most obvious word selections are “right” and “wrong.”  I have clients who, as we review a sales conversation, immediately say “I didn’t do that right.”  Or a friend will reflect on a life’s choice from years ago and say “I made the wrong decision.”  Impossible.

When we do things in life we are making decisions and choices based on the information available at that time and in an environment constantly supplying us with new data and insights.  Because we made a decision based on the best information available and relied on our best knowledge, skill, and experience at that time does not mean we made the wrong decision — it merely means that, in retrospect, we didn’t make the best decision.

I do not have the time or energy or patience to evaluate the various decisions I made in my life.  I am sure I made some very poor choices.  And, I probably do not always have the best conversations with people — even today, when I am most committed to them.  That does not mean I do things the right way or the wrong way.  It means I am constantly discovering ways to improve and do things differently.

Next time someone tells you that you are wrong — ask them to show you the rule book.  I want to know where it says, “I am wrong!”

When we have a conversation, make a decision, or attempt to solve a problem, we are taking what we know and taking action.  There are times when what we do, say, offer, or suggest may not be the best answer.  And, when able to look at the situation with more insight, we may have done something differently.  That is exactly how we need to treat our choices — discover, learn, improve.

Try this approach: “I am not as confident that I handled that as well I would have liked.  I had hoped things turned out different.  Next time I am in that situation what would I do, say, or offer — based on this experience and this outcome — differently?”

Our life cannot be defined by right and wrong.  And, those that do and are, spend far too much time judging and being judged.  And, they spend far too much time trying to please or satisfy people — real or imagined — which interrupts their ability to freely and openly express their true personality and the gift of their experiences.

Empower yourself to make choices in life.  Trust that these choices are part of life’s experiences, reflect your commitment to pursue your vision, and demonstrate a willingness to passionately take some risks in the learning curve.  Conversations about right and wrong will only slow you down — you don’t have time for that.  You are too busy, too committed, and too inspired about your vision and your mission to let judgement interrupt progress.

There are hundreds of reasons to explain why we can’t accomplish something.  We can be very creative about all the various scenarios preventing us from finishing what we start; or, stop us from even putting our efforts into gear. In reality, there is only one reason for our inability to engage – us!

Today’s blog comes from recent personal experience. In fact, today’s blog emanates from my inability to passionately embrace and share the gift of 100Pedals. Much of what many of you have been able to share and experience with 100Pedals has been me being safe with it. I write a few blogs, offer daily inspiring quotes, and offer my story to those who are interested in it; but, I have yet to truly embrace and engage the passion, the energy, and my experiences of 100Pedals.  This is because I have crafted all kinds of reasons that prevent me from fully engaging. Though 100Pedals has touched many people, inspired many lives, and influenced many positive outcomes, I have not allowed it to be all that it can be because I have been holding it back.

How can something I am so passionate, excited, and energized about be held back? The answer is simple – fear. I am not going to get into all the details about these fears, except to share that now that I realize and own my responsibilities associated with these fears I will not be holding back anymore.  I am guiding 100Pedals to its full capabilities without hesitation, without fear, and without permission or approval from anyone.

I have been presented with a gift that reflects everything I believe in and am passionate about; and, regardless of my internal issues, I am turning 100Pedals loose.

We all have tons of reasons for holding back on opportunities, dreams, and visions that are important to us.  Often we hear terms like “try”, “but”, “can’t”, “what if?” – which reflects these internal fears and self-imposed limitations in full swing.

When you passionately pursue something, the worst that can happen is failure. And, it is in our human nature to avoid failure. Unfortunately, we confuse not succeeding with failure. Not succeeding does not mean we failed. Not succeeding means we ended up in a place that was different than what we expected. That is not failure.

How can passionately pursuing an outcome, moving forward with purpose and ending up in an entirely new and different place be considered failure?

The experiences of the journey, the lessons learned along the way, and the transformation that occurs in your life as a result of the committed effort are all accomplishments. Accomplishment is growth and progress – it is not failure. The challenge is to avoid creating expectations for your journey. Expectations have a way of limiting your view of accomplishment and it specifically, narrowly defines your definition of success.

Instead, focus your perspective on a vision of your accomplishment – the emotional, physical, psychological impact of you living your life in complete passion, embracing your purpose. It is the daily celebration of our living with passion and purpose that brings peace, joy and clarity in our lives.

I held back on 100Pedals because I had started to create an expectation around its outcome –100Pedals had to be something. What got lost in this mind game was that 100Pedals is already something. All I need to do is passionately share it and confidently guide it on its path and 100Pedals will be whatever it is supposed to be. And, rather than my success by a defined set of expectations, I can celebrate – with passion and purpose – the experience, the lessons, and the journey of all that I learn and share along the way. This is a lot more inspiring and energizing than focusing on an outcome.  Embracing the opportunity allows the journey to be the outcome.

You have two choices: Pursue, with passion, that which energizes and inspires you where the worst that can happen is “nothing.” (which is not true –something will happen!) Or, you can stay frozen –stuck in place — where the best that can happen is “nothing.”

Simply put, get your “but” out of your way – you are guaranteed to learn, enjoy and celebrate something along the way!

I have often heard people talk about their “legacy.”  And, have participated in numerous conversations tied to the question —  ”what is your legacy?”  Previously, I considered this a significant, poignant question.  However, over time, my perspective on this has changed in a subtle, yet significant, way.

What is important to me, regarding my time here on earth, is not how will I be remembered; rather, on how my lessons will be shared.  I do not need any experience of these lessons to be attributed to me or credited to me, I simply desire they have enough of an impact on the lives of others that they live on long after I am gone.

There are those who worry about being forgotten.  They have concerns that what they accomplished when they were alive is remembered, treasured, and valued.  And, all this talk about “legacy” sounds like pyramid building — making certain I am remembered and not forgotten, when I am not gone.

If I have made an impact on people’s lives, I may not be forgotten by them.  However, once those folks are gone, very likely I will be, too.

What will always live on is not the lessons, the experience, the commitment, and the insights that I brought to people; but, it is the application of all those teaching that continue to exist in the lives of others.  When I touch people enough to influence their behaviors, attitudes, and conversations in a manner that they inspire, guide and love others, those lessons will live on even if no one remembers where they learned it.  And, I am okay with that.

That is why I spend so much time encouraging everyone to discover, embrace, and live their passion.  We have all been blessed with very unique gifts, talents, and abilities.  Our uniqueness is why we are here.  It is the open and free sharing of these gifts that enable us to make the difference in the lives of those around us.  When we touch people with what we have to offer at a time when they need it most, we have an influence and an impact in their lives.  And, that experience — that gift — will live long after you are gone, even if they don’t remember who gave it to them.

I have spent most of my life trying to build something to reflect my self-important brilliance, creativity and genius.  It was important to me to be something awesome and big! Then, I realized that what I do best didn’t need to be built, constructed, or promoted — it simply needed to be owned, embraced and shared.  When I discovered the incredible power of simply being me and the impact on others of sharing my gift, I realized the biggest challenge in my life is to be the best me I can be.

I have no concern about my legacy.  It is my focused commitment to use the insights and lessons from all of my experiences to help others navigate through their adversity to discover incredible outcomes in their life.  The lessons, when successfully applied and shared, will live on long after I am gone.  I don’t need credit. I don’t need people to remember where they learned it.  And, I don’t need any fancy eulogy.  My only quest is that these lessons make enough of a difference that they continue to inspire and guide for years to come.  End of story.

As you struggle to find your way in this world.  Focus on what provides you the most peace, joy, and energy.  Discover it.  Embrace it.  And, bring that emotional energy into your life every single day.  That is you living your passion.  When you share that energy you are sharing your gifts with others and you are making a difference every single time you do it.  Build that into your life and you will have something much more influential and powerful than any legacy — you will be touching people in ways you may not even realize possible.

Instead of focusing on legacy, leave footprints.  Unless someone knows whose footprints they are, no one will know they are yours.  However, footprints always leave a mark and let’s others  know someone has been there already and must know the way.

It was a year ago that I celebrated the accomplishment of my goal — 100 consecutive bicycle rides of one hour or longer.  I began those rides in a quest to gain control and perspective in my life in the face of the pain, confusion and desperation with Brandon’s addiction related issues.  While I had no idea what these rides would offer me in terms of a solution or outcome, I proceeded forward with the mindset that I had to do something.

On this journey I discovered so much.  I found strength, peace, my inner spirit, and perspective.  And, as I shared my thoughts, pain, and experiences, I found a community of people who were both fans of the commitment and of the insights.

What I didn’t realize was how the lessons, the experiences, and the community would continue to influence me long after I celebrated my 100^th ride.

Today, I celebrate the gift of the lessons and of a heightened awareness of all the incredible opportunities placed before me daily.  It is because of the experiences of my journey that I am able to discover opportunity in the midst of conflict; and, I have found the confidence to embrace these challenges with a significant  passion and commitment.

This does not mean any conflict is easy.  It doesn’t mean I do not get nervous or concerned about it.  Believe me, I have my moments.  But, that is what they have become – mere moments. The lessons learned from previous experience and my ability to discover opportunity in the midst of these conflicts empower me to face adversity with the confidence that I can and will move through this; and, I will discover a solution and a lesson in the process.

I have two very close friends who faced their own adversities in the past year.  Both of them loved their work — they enjoyed the experiences, the relationships and found incredible joy in being a resource to those around them in their professional assignments.  In both situations, they found themselves rudely forced out of their jobs.  In one case, their employer simply didn’t recognize the value of their work; and, in the other, their employer decided to plan for their retirement – even though they weren’t ready.  In both cases, the experience was hurtful and painful.  They had each made a passionate commitment to their profession.  They loved what they were doing and they made a difference in the world.  And, they felt kicked to the curb and devalued when they were forced out from something they really loved.

Fast forward a year.  Both of them have begun to discover the joy and opportunity associated with the changes in their lives.  They each embraced the future with the commitment that there is another opportunity waiting them.  While they still feel the emotional pain of the overall experience, they have each found new joy as they discover and embrace other activities, opportunities and relationships.  What each of them has started to realize is that the role that they played in their respective “jobs” may have been taken away; but, it does not change who they are.  They have each discovered how to leverage their previous lessons and experiences to embrace opportunity in their lives. And, they have discovered that their ability to be awesome was not dependent upon their jobs, but exists within them.  They can celebrate who they are anywhere, with anyone, at any time.  That is very empowering!

What a difference a year makes!  So true.  Life throws us curves.  Life can give us pain.  Life can be very, very frustrating and hurtful.  However, every painful, hurtful struggle is an opportunity to learn, grow and improve.  We are often not prepared for what comes our way.  However, we can have faith in who we are — our make-up, our previous experiences, and our community – that we will get through this; plus, we will discover a benefit from the experience, as well.  When you look for opportunity in the challenge, you will find the strength and courage to face it.  Enjoy and celebrate your life!

One of the most incredible realizations along my 100 Pedals journey was the number of people who entered my life during my greatest struggles, offering to help.  And, because of the inward facing, self-determined nature of my being I was not able to receive and accept their gifts when they visited me.  It was only when a few of those more determined resources forced their way into my consciousness did I realize how much I was missing and how much others had to offer me.

Despite my belief that I was alone, that this was my battle, and I had to be a strong enough force to work through the pain and the challenges, the truth is I was never alone – there was a constant stream of people who stepped up and offered encouragement, advice, counsel, and love.  Though I wasn’t in a place to receive or accept it, it doesn’t mean help wasn’t offered.  For it was – time and time again.

One of the powerful lessons in the 100Pedals journey is practicing humility.  I recently shared a lesson in humility in a recent blog post.  Humility is recognizing that we cannot and need not fight our battles alone; and, there are people in our lives who are willing and prepared to assist us in our struggles and our life challenges.  Our willingness to ask for and receive involves overcoming our determination that this is our battle and ignoring the misplaced perception of admitting failure if we have to ask for help.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our real failing in our journey is our inability to ask for and receive help when it is offered to us.  For it is our inability to recognize and appreciate the visit from committed and experienced resources who are offering help, that extends the struggle.

When I reflect on the number of people — many who I really did not know that well — who offered me counsel and guidance in my most difficult days, I am awed and humbled.  The number of  individuals who visited me on my journey, offered their profound empathy and counsel, and moved on is staggering.  They moved on mostly because I was not in a place to receive or celebrate their visit and the gift of their support.  I was still engaged in my internal struggle and embracing the notion that this was, after all, my personal battle.   Had I been open to receive their guidance, their advice, their counsel, their support, I would have found strength in their presence.  Instead, I sent them on the way, comforted by the fact they offered me something; but, I only received a very small piece of what they were attempting to give me.

The following quote relates to this experience: “People parade through your life for a reason; make the most of the opportunity to learn from every one of them.” Remember, whatever your challenge, your issue or your pain, you are never alone.  People are brought into your life every day to assist you with what is troubling you the most.  Be receptive and aware of their visit so you can maximize the opportunity to find the strength, guidance, support and love they have to offer.  Though it may be your journey, you are never alone in it. 

Though I am a very socially outgoing and engaging person, I value my private and alone time.  When it comes to certain activities, like working out, riding my bike, and even in travel, I really value the solitude of my personal, private, quiet space.  Having been a serious competitive swimmer in high school and college, my competitive training always involved hours of laps in the pool — alone.

The advantage of this alone time is that I learned to rely on my ability to push myself to be successful. The downside of this lesson is that I came to believe that it was up to me to discover solutions to the challenges I faced in life.  At an early age, even before swimming, the safest place for me in the face of adversity was to call upon my internal resources to survive and figure it out.

My ego became the foundation upon which I survived everything and through which I accomplished what I did.  I came to believe that my ego enabled me to be strong, successful, and focused in the face of every conflict.  And, I learned to trust the power of my will and ego over everything and every one.

What I did not realize is that my ego, while protecting me, was also preventing me from accessing the very resources I needed to not only survive; but, to be successful in my adversity or conflict.

You never need to be alone.  In fact, your are never alone.  The belief or notion that you are solely responsible for dealing with pain, conflict, and adversity is incredibly misplaced.   There are people who come into your life for the sole reason to be a resource to you in your time of trouble. And, there are people who exist in your life, who have been brought into your life, to inspire you to greater levels of success and accomplishment.  Unfortunately, we often erect these incredibly high safety walls through our ego that give us a false sense of protection while preventing us from accessing what we need most.

Humility is that moment of authentic reality that we cannot do this alone.

Humility allows us to be honest with ourselves and others that while we believe in our ability to manage our chaos, we need the guidance, support, and inspiration of our trusted resources to work through it.

Humility is where we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and let people into our inner circle with openness and trust.  For, it is in this authentic, honest, and receptive place where we find the reinforcements that will guide us through our personal challenges.

Your ego is designed to protect you.  Remember it also can be a deceptive fortress that also prevents valued and trusted resources from assisting you.  I love training alone.  I love the solitude of my own thoughts, ideas, and meditations.  I love pushing myself to limits I never believed were physically or personally possible.  However, I discovered that in my most difficult and trying times, the best outcomes were realized when I finally admitted that I didn’t have the ability or the strength to go it alone.  When I finally made that discovery, the power and influence of those around me took off and I found an entirely new and empowered level of accomplishment and peace.

You can go it alone.  You can convince yourself that it is hard to know who to trust.  You can burn yourself out carrying the load alone.  Or, you can openly and freely admit that you cannot go any further without help.  When you do that with authentic honesty and trust, the world opens up to you.  The people in your life are there for a reason — ask for help and trust their commitment to you.

How many of you organize and manage your life through a to-do list or daily planner?  There was a time when the people who organized, managed, and maintained a detailed list of tasks, responsibilities, and commitments really impressed me.  I always felt so lost compared to the organizational skills of those folks…

Until I realized how much time was being spent keeping track of things that needed to get done, creating priorities for stuff that didn’t get done, and adding stuff to the list that will not get done.

That is when I started to rethink my lists and obligations.  Being busy is not being productive.  Being organized does not translate into efficient productivity.  And productivity is not merely measure by what gets accomplished, it also involves how it is accomplished — honoring commitments, quality of performance, plus accomplishment and fulfillment.

Personally, I do not manage a to-do list.  My list is not defined by what I need to do in terms of tasks, it is managed by what I intend to accomplish. Splitting hairs?  Maybe.  Let’s explore.

Making lists of what needs to be done is a perpetual cycle.  We put stuff on our list that we have no idea when or how we are going to get it done.  We even tell ourselves we will do it, even though we know we have no time to do it.  Then, when the end of the day comes and we look at the long list and the few things we actually took off of it, we redo our list for the next day, next week, or next planning cycle.

We are constantly moving tasks around in perpetual motion of all the things we need to do, without thinking about why we are actually doing them in the first place.  And, since the list never stops growing, we have very little time to truly celebrate accomplishment or focus on what is most important.

Not keeping a list is very empowering.  It allows me to focus on those activities that are most important.  It also enables me to manage a simple list while discovering and celebrating accomplishment and energy along the way.  And, I spend almost zero time managing the strategy and size of my list.  I focus on what is important, I make and honor my commitments, and I have more time to focus on the actual tasks, not planning the tasks.

Here is how it works.

1. Understanding your priorities:  My personal objectives are: mind, body, spirit.  My professional objectives are: business, clients, relationships.  I manage my time, my responsibilities, and my commitments to these priorities.  I make time for these things most every day.  When one day takes me out of balance, I balance it back by adjusting my priorities the following day or later in the week.
2. Manage your commitments:  I only commit to time frames that I can honor relative to my priorities, I manage the demands and expectations of others, and I only focus on what is important once I understand WHY it is important.  I am not selfish with my time, I simply know that my time is more important to me than it is to others.  And, I know what is important and critical to my personal and professional success and manage my commitments in a manner that enables me to be most successful.
3. Find your resources: I am a pretty talented, creative, and resourceful person.  I do not do anything that I do not do well.  If I take on something that is over my head, complicated or scary, I enroll the support of someone who is better at that task than me.  That way I have the time to focus on what I do best while developing a collaborative relationship with others.  Over time I build and develop a team of resource partners which becomes more productive for all of us in our quest to be efficient and productive.
4. Keep it simple:  My to-do list is never longer than three to four tasks a day — that is all I have time for.  I cannot make a list of ten things and expect to accomplish them in a day.  Do the math.  If each task averages one hour that is ten hours.  How can you do that?  If each task averages thirty minutes, that is still five hours.  Is breakfast, lunch, dinner, time for your friends, children or spouse on that list?  Is that unplanned meeting on your list? Guess what, you cannot manage a list of eight to ten tasks and be successful — it is logically impossible.  Keep your list simple. Focus on what is most important and empower yourself to discover, understand, and embrace what is important. The rest is simply details.

Thanks for your time.