You had every intention of starting this year by developing good habits. No, not just good habits, the best habits. But instead we sleep in, check our email in bed, and have “just one more.” You get frustrated and you say "this habits stuff suck!" So, how do we start breaking bad habits and start making good daily habits? Isn’t there a simple three-step plan or a good habits list that will set me free?

Not really. But there are tools and there is hope! Just like dominoes, there are lots of tiny, daily, doable steps that make a huge difference.

So What Do You If Your Habits Suck?

Well, let’s answer that question with the acronym – H.A.B.I.T.S.

Healthy Identity

Ask yourself – what is the “soundtrack” I play about myself? Do I tell myself I can, or I can’t. Do I tell myself I will or I won’t? Many habits that suck are there to cover or cope with something unhealthy in your identity. Alcoholism, comfort eating, and even bingeing on entertainment is often a way to cope with something deeper. As you begin to break a bad habit and replace it with a good one, it’s time also to open up about pain, confusion, or anger with people you trust. I often say, “When you know who you are, you’ll know what you do.”

Ask for Help

You’ll have no problem keeping your bad habit on your own; breaking it is going to require others.  I like to say "you can not read the label when you are in the jar".  We all need perspective and that often comes from others. Ask some close friends, family, or even coworkers you trust to check in with you and ask you how you’re doing. Accountability is key to removing habits that suck. Maybe you need to join a group or individual coaching, encouragement is vital too. A good rule of thumb is: The more personally destructive the habit, the more people you’ll need help from.

Be Kind to Yourself

Making good daily habits is not a perfection zone. On the day that you slip up, be kind to yourself. Don’t give into negative self-talk and self-hatred. (Remember that soundtrack)  Think of it as an opportunity for growth, deeper healing, and another chance to reinforce a good daily habit that stands up to all sorts of difficulty. Just like when you get a cold and your immune system gets stronger, this is an opportunity for the self-control to grow and get stronger.

Investigate and Make Changes

Maybe the old habit just won’t give and the new one just won’t set in. It’s time to investigate and make changes. Remember to keep being kind to yourself and asking for help through this process. As you investigate, you might not have any changes to make just yet. Don’t change what’s working. Do keep repeating what is! Only make changes to your new habits that propel you toward health, growth, and a meaningful life connected to others. This approach also helps you to tackle and push beyond procrastination.

Trust the Process

Habits tend to get a bad rap, but they’re actually a process. You should trust the process of working something new and beautiful in your life as you discover healthy identity, ask for help, be kind to yourself, investigate, and trust process. Processes like developing good daily habits take time, take effort and require patience.

Small Wins Every Day

In his book Atomic Habits James Clear argues relentlessly for the power of small, daily wins. He challenges us to become one percent better each day. If you want to run a marathon one day, create an identity goal to enjoy running and a small keystone habit of running at least one minute each day for the first week of your habit. Make your new habit easy and obvious. Allow yourself to grow in strength and discipline incrementally—one day at a time.

Above all remember this  … “Small disciplines done consistently lead to big results over time.”

If your habits suck then strive for a small discipline. If you do not feel able to instil habit, then choose a discipline. For example

I do not feel able to instill the habit of running in the morning. Choose the discipline of some form of exercise at some point in the day. Start with that. Be faithful to that. Embrace that. That discipline in time will produce a habit (and it won’t suck). This approach is very similar to one that James Clear calls "The Paper Clip Strategy" - check it out here 

As 2023 begins - if we can help you here at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada to develop long-term solutions and drive your personal success and professional success - do not hesitate to Contact us

One of the ways we do that is with Full Service Coaching – which gives you not only one to one coaching with me, but also access to our #Makeitso Platform with over 100 tools, articles, masterminds and resources to help you, free access (including unlimited replays) to our Group Coaching Masterminds and lets you be part of our Facebook Group as well as so many other features including tools like our #Makeitso Journal, some of our 23 Books for 2023, our Summit in the Spring and so much more.

Do not hesitate to Contact us

Go ahead and take a listen to this Podcast Episode - it will give re enforce some of the points in this post and also give you much more insight into Habits themselves.

Let’s get after it - #makeitso

We all have moments when things overwhelm us. So what do we do – well here are 10 things we can do if we are in a rut

1. Work on the Small Tasks

When you are in a rut, tackle it by starting small. Clear away your smaller tasks which have been piling up. Do your laundry, make a snack, take out the trash. Whenever I finish doing that, I generate a positive momentum which I bring forward to my work.

2. Do a Fun Task

Get yourself away from anything that weighs your down, maybe its your desk, your room, and go take a walk. Go for a short walk (even just to get the mail), go out and get a snack. Take a Bike Ride or check out the mall. Your mind is too bogged down and needs some airing. Sometimes I get new ideas right after I walk away.

3. Upgrade Yourself

Consider learning something new. Lots of apps and webinars are short. Consider a language, a new task, or watch a video about an area of your life you always wanted to learn a bit more about (eg a hobby, task or talent). Does this work – yes, the modern computer uses different typefaces because Steve Jobs dropped in on a calligraphy class back in college. How’s that for inspiration? Check out this great article by Entrepreneur Magazine

4. Talk to a Friend about something except what is getting your down

Talk to someone and get your mind off stuff for a while. Talk about anything, from casual chatting to a deep conversation about something you really care about. You will be surprised at how the short encounter can be rejuvenating in its own way.

5. Forget About Trying to Be Perfect

If you are in a rut, the last thing you want to do is step on your own toes with perfectionist tendencies. Just start small. Do what you can, at your own pace. Let yourself make mistakes.

6. Paint a Vision to Work Towards

If you are continuously getting in a rut, maybe there’s no vision inspiring you to move forward or you have forgotten the one you already have. Think about why you are doing this, and what you are doing it for. What is the end vision in mind? Make it as vivid as possible. Make sure it’s a vision that inspires you and use that to trigger you to action.  I did a Podcast episode on this - take a listen to Episode 14 here 

7. Read a Book (Or Blog)

The things we read are like food to our brain. If you are out of ideas, it’s time to feed your brain with great materials. Check out our 22 Books for 2022. My weekly E Newsletter offers suggestions of books, movies and apps to check out – look them up or drop me an email and I will send you a full list.

8. Discern the Reason for the Rut

You might recognize that you are stuck in a rut, you might not know what the next step should be. One thing to remember is that not all ruts are the same. Figure out what's causing your discontentment before you make any drastic changes in your life. Consider working with a coach. Don't criticize or berate yourself once you understand the root cause of your feelings.

9. Remember Why You Are Doing This

Sometimes we lose sight of why we do what we do, and after a while we become jaded. A quick refresher on why you even started will help.

What were you thinking when you thought of doing this? Retrace your thoughts back to that moment. Recall why you are doing this. Then reconnect with your reason. Simon Sinek has a great Ted Talk on this - check it out here 

10. Find Some Competition

Nothing quite like healthy competition to spur us forward. Set for yourself small reasonable targets as part of the bigger goal and work toward those small targets and don’t let the big picture overwhelm you. If you want to know if your targets are on track drop me an email.

Always know that you are not alone…. I am here to support you in One to One Coaching - drop me a line

#makeitso

One of the questions I often hear from clients is “How can I become more efficient?” I often reply by saying “I can help with that, but I would rather invest in your becoming more effective.”  You see it comes down to asking - are you living for today or do you want to Thrive tomorrow? 

What is the difference? Well for the clear distinction check out my Podcast – Episode 7 – where I crush the explanation, but for now let’s look at three principles it would be good to implement so that you can be ready for efficiency which leads to effectiveness.

First choose to be consistent. Now more than ever before, we are all surrounded by more options and noise. We have more choices — but also have more distractions. These can push you off your course. That moves you away from the goals and the targets that you set. That’s why it’s so important that you’re moving consistently towards your goals.  I’ve been deeply studying over the last many months what the best companies all have in common and the role that leadership plays in those companies.

The one thing I have found in the leaders of those companies is that they consistently show up. They may not, due to the turbulent times we live in, make as much progress every single day as they wish, or they may be fighting head winds along the way, but as long as they are moving forward consistently, they are going to achieve meaningful progress.

That’s also why accountability is so important. In our Full Service Coaching one thing that we’ve done with all of our clients is we’ve helped them to develop a strategic quarterly action plan so they’re clear on their highest value goals.

We ensure that they’re working on the right goals to create the result that they desire. Then, we support them and provide accountability to work through their quarterly plans. Doing this consistently creates breakthroughs in your business and personal success.

Second, choose community- surround yourself with the right people and community. Jim Rohn said, “You’re the average of the five people that you spend the most time with.”  The question is, what type of community. Are you part of a community of people who are not only doing what you are doing, but are also doing what you have not yet done? This community must share your values and goals. This community must seek to make you better, not just affirm where you are at.

You want to be spending time with others who are at a level above you, and where you aspire to be. That will keep you inspired and motivated. When you have a community of big thinkers and successful people, you start to see what’s possible. You start to think, act, achieve bigger and greater levels of success come with that.

If you’re not surrounding yourself with that community, you don’t have people at the next level around you that is motivating, inspiring, supporting you, it’s going to be much more challenging for you to achieve that success all by yourself.

Third, if effectiveness and not just efficiency is your goal you have to adopt Learning as a principle.

The fact that you are reading this is a good indication that you are a learner. You are constantly wanting to grow and improve. That’s fantastic. Welcome because you’re in the right place. This is, in fact, one of our core values at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada. To achieve more, you want to learn more.

The more that you learn, study, work on improving yourself and your knowledge, the more success that you’re going to create. This may sound daunting to some but it doesn’t need to be. We started the 22 Books in 2022. It can be accomplished by spending one hour a day reading as a baseline and then and push yourself to learn more. If you’re not doing any reading, make time for it.

Reading and learning are some of the best investments that you can make. In fact one of my relatives asked me once “what can I give you as a gift to invest in you?” Knowing where he was at in life I replied “a bookstore gift card”. He has for over a decade now done that yearly and  when I buy a book I often think “How is it possible that I invest in such a small amount but I tapped into the knowledge of this author, who’s spent 15, 20, 30 years accumulating that knowledge?” They’ve gone through trial and error. Here I am able to accumulate that knowledge for such a small investment.

Whether you are investing in books or podcasts or a coaching program, whatever it might be, the more that you can learn, that truly is the best way to shortcut your path towards greater success. I don’t mean you get a cheat sheet, you just avoid the scrapes and scuffles. You still have to do the work, if you want to get the results.

Most good things in life take time and require hard work. They require focus. But if you truly want to find ways to accelerate your progress, to identify those shortcuts, that will come through learning. That’s why, if you look at athletes, any performer artists, they have mentors and coaches. They’re studying and learning. Without it, they only know what they know.

When you can get access to learning, you’ll see new things and perspectives that you haven’t seen before — or can’t see by yourself because you’re not even aware that those things exist. That’s where you can find a much faster and direct path to achieve the result you ultimately want. Not only a more efficient, but a more effective self. It will help you live in a way today that will help you Thrive tomorrow.

#Makeitso

 

We're almost through the first quarter of the year, and if you're feeling overwhelmed trying to achieve the goals you set at the start of 2022 in the midst of a Pandemic and a European Conflict, you're not alone.

In fact, many people are feeling not only overwhelmed but also somewhat doubtful that their goals will be met. You can #makeitso - but how? I've got five tips for you.

1. Take a break. It may seem counterproductive to take a break when you feel behind or overwhelmed, but rest can be just the thing you need to refresh your mind and refocus your energy. In fact, studies show that regular time off improves your productivity. So give yourself permission to rest intentionally. Personally I book a quarterly "break" specifically to refresh and refocus - it is possible!

2. Revisit your goals. I mentioned last week in our Blog that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them, so it's time to look at those goals again and remember your why. If you're a Phoenix Life Coaching Canada Client, spend some time in your #Makeitso Journal looking at your goals module setting up action items to help you achieve success. (Not a Phoenix Client? Request a demo to keep better track of your goals.)

3. Involve Others. Individual goals are personal, but they do require require teamwork. This comes with coaching or mentoring which helps provide clarity and alignment on what the goal is so that you know when you're winning. One of the best ways to create clarity is through 1:1 mentoring. For help on how to get started implementing 1:1 mentoring, get in touch.

4. Habits beat goals. Take a look at your habits, are they in the service of your goals? One of the principles which we teach at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada is that Habits are more essential than Goals. Goals can be limiting, but Habits have an unlimited potential. I have been speaking on this a lot in both my Podcast 

5. Remember your "why." When we get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent, it can be easy to forget why we do what we do. With my clients, I always keep our mission of developing leaders front of mind as we're setting our goals and developing habits. If your goal doesn't align with your mission, it's probably time for a new goal (not to mention a new set of habits).

I'd love to hear from you. What 2022 goals are you working on? Drop me a line and let me know.

#makeitso

Have you ever watched “The Office”?

The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom television series that depicts the everyday work lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It aired on NBC from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013, spanning a total of nine seasons. It’s a story about co-workers, but it’s even more so a story about a mishmash of individuals who care more about each other then they are willing to admit, and who grow to become a family. I have to admit to you that I love the show (sorta addicted I think to it). The characters, cast and script are both humerous as well as human. As the series was coming to an end, the series writers were asked how they made the sitcom so successful, their reply was humbly honest: “we showed up every day.”

So often, especially as men, we seek to have “monumental” victories of success. This is especially true when it comes to our personal goals or habits. However, it is consistency that keeps your habits and goals focused. Small tasks that can be completed each day, consistent victories that keep the momentum going. If you want to make progress, you’ll need to trade intensity for consistency. Some thoughts to help you show up every day.

Clarity before Action. You can’t accomplish a goal until you’ve defined it. Vision is first. Get clarity about the end result you want. Get specific about your goal. And write it down. When you can write down a clear goal, you become clear about what you want. You may feel clarity in your mind, but you can’t create action until it’s on paper. This first step is critical to success.

One of the actions we talk about often with our One to One Clients, and something we mention in our #Makeitso Journal, is that “tomorrow begins the night before”. Consitently choosing the night before to write your goals, objectives, timelines for the next day increases your success – monumentally!

Identify the right Action. After you have clarity on what you desire, then you will be flooded by the number of ways to “get it”. Determine what behavior will enable you to achieve your goal. Don’t make this behavior too difficult. Every day, focus on one step. It doesn’t have to be an insurmountable goal or action. Simple and consistent. 

On my Podcast - You Can Make So - I talked about the importance of "Who Goals" and not "What Goals". Its not the action itself, its what the action is meant to do that matters. Check out the Episode One of the Podcast here 

Track your Wins and Woes. Tracking accomplishes many things: it provides self-accountability, reinforces action, boosts motivation, and keeps the goals before you. Making note of the “wins” will then off set that first “woe” you experience and generate momentum when you need it most.

In our #Makeitso Journal process we invite everyone we coach to track nightly your Wins, Woes and Wants – this simple exercise becomes refreshing, recharging and regenerating for all our clients. In fact, check out how I expand on this in a recent blog I wrote here.

Get a Second Voice. Having a Coach or an accountability partner might be the most impactful step you can take. It’s critically important to choose the right person. Back in the 1990’s I was invited to play golf, I chose a partner that ended up being ruthless with my mistakes. His ridicule caused me to give up on the sport. I often wonder what it would have been like if he had been a voice of encouragement or had offered tools and techniques to make me better. Choose a professional counselor, coach, or trainer who is that second voice that makes you better and helps keep you going.

You have the ability within you to reconsider how you see your goals. When you "show up ever day", and lean into small tasks you can complete every day, you’ll get moving in no time and be victorious. Remember, it’s choosing to show up every day that will make the difference.  Now go ahead - #makeitso

 

“I am an optimist - because I have never met a successful pessimist”.

Several decades ago I heard that quote and it struck a chord. So very often as we get to this point in January, we start to doubt the goals we set out the New Year with. We had such possibilities on the horizon on January 1^st and, come two weeks later, we see storm clouds asking ourselves, Who am I to do this? or Who am I to attempt something so big? Self-doubt, fear, and insecurity fuel a pessimism that says “it will never happen”. If you are, or have been, at this point let’s explore three tools to help you achieve your biggest goals.

Stop being a critic:  Your “inside voice” is often a critic capable of wreaking havoc. This can show itself in such phrases as “I don’t deserve this” and “It’s only a matter of time before this fails.”  When you get stuck here, progress grinds to a halt. Here again I go back to something I coach often ignore the start and imagine the finish  by intentionally choosing confidence and optimism. I dream in technicolor about the finish and keep the start in black and white. We don’t just say #makeitso as a slogan, we believe it is possible!

Stop listening to cynics: There are people in your circle who will try to cut your goals off at the knees. This attack says more about your naysayers than it does about you. The disappointment in their own lives leads to a defeating of others’ dreams. While it is important to listen to some external comments, you need to filter the critics from the coaches. In other words, find people who are in it for you - encouragers who are committed to equipping your betterment. You may select formal executive coaches, informal mentors, or close friends with a history of constructively speaking into your life – everyone else is simply not invited.

Stop playing small:   Big goals are scary. They require us to enter our discomfort zone. It’s safer, we tell ourselves, to not try than to try and fail. This risk management keeps us playing small, as we try to avoid failure. But focusing on avoiding failure can lead to self-sabotage. When you realize failure is necessary for progress, you can own your goals. You won’t reach the peak by simply wanting it. You must own your goal and, once again, ignore the start and imagine the finish by intentionally choosing confidence and optimism. This does not mean you are unrealistic, but it does mean you are faithful to who you are, who you see yourself as, and where you see yourself going.

Owning your goals will shatter them. As you go on with your day, keep this in the forefront of your mind: successful and selfish are not synonyms. You hold the power to either being an optimist or a pessimist – choose well and #makeitso.

A common question as people have started 2022 is they speak a lot about “daily routine”. I would love to share with you my daily routine - - drop me a line today and I can send it to you directly.

Routine, however, is different then Habits. Habits are actions and Routines are patterns. You need Habits before you can have a Routine. Today, I wanted to propose these simple weekly habits for 2022. If “all” you did this year were the following 4 points, you'd crush it!

1. Morning Mindset / Daily Fire. I often coach about the importance of “tomorrow begins the night before”. The importance of setting yourself up for success before you close the door on the day. It is like a plane getting on the right runway before take off. (I can talk about that a bit more next week).

If “the night before” is getting on the “runway”, then the Morning Mindset is “the take off” . Our new #Makeitso Journal helps with a series of questions I call the “Daily Fire” to give you the speed on the runway to take off. These questions focus on Clarity for your day and include some mediation too - - drop me a line today and I can send it to you directly.

2. Tune in Tuesday. Dedicate ONE HOUR every week to personal development training. You're WORTH one hour of learning! Choose Tuesday to listen to a podcast (ours is starting soon), an online course, extended time with a book, learning a new skill - something that will help you grow and expand.

Extra Credit for Achievers: If you're like me and want to spend MORE than just one hour per week, and you want more teachers and topics, - - drop me a line today and I can send you directly a list of some of my favourites.

3. Friday Finishers. Every Sunday, or whenever you plan your week out in advance (which I hope you do!), set out your weekly goals and aim to finish by Friday 5pm. This will keep you focused. Need some help with this - - drop me a line today and I can send you some Friday Finisher tools directly.

4. Sunday Life Review. Every Sunday, spend 30 minutes scoring your week in the Weekly Review assessment, which asks about four areas - Clarity, Energy, Necessity, Productivity . Again these are part of your #Makeitso Journal - - drop me a line today and I can send you the Scorecard directly.

This basically means: Motivate yourself every day with the morning mindset prompts and daily fire; do some mid-week personal development on Tuesdays; plan out your goals so you know what to finish by end of day Fridays; and review/score your past week on Sundays. That's a pretty solid set of habits for your 2022!

How long before these habits become a routine? Everyone is different, but if you invest about 2-3 hours per week on the tasks above planning your week, scoring/improving your habits, journaling to release feelings, capture gratitude and gain self-awareness, and setting yourself up with a positive mindset each morning, then you will stay focused, grateful, productive...and GROW! I also think one to one coaching excels all this, as it keeps your motivated and focused. 

No matter what you do this year, always remember you are stronger than you think. As long as you choose to be yourself and make self-improvement a way of life, then the future will always hold good things for you. Here's to an extraordinary #Makeitso 2022! 🎉

P.S. Don’t forget I post daily on Instagram and weekly on LinkedIn. so check it out! This year I add my takeaways (and some related bonuses) to our new Makeitso™Platform which we hope to unveil very soon. This new platform will be available to our full service coaching client exclusively. If you’d like me to become your mentor so that 2022 becomes the year it can truly be - drop me a line today

As another year comes to a close, and what a year 2021 has been. We are anticipating 2022 with great hope and eagerness. With our one to one coaching clients, right now, we are envisioning 2022. It's based on 5 principles:

1. See the Possible. You often experience what you expect. To achieve your highest potential, you have to shift your thinking.

2. Be Done with the Past. If you are committed to moving confidently into the future, you must first be done with the past.

3. Sketch Your Future. Look ahead to the coming year and distil your dreams into #Makeitso™goals.

4. Grab Your Why. Get connected to your motivations; they create momentum.

5. Makeitso™. Propel your goals into strategic action to start well and stay on track all year.

When we take charge of what we can control, outside stressors lose their sting. You can create the environment for you to flourish.

We want to make it easy to look after your needs. In 2022 we will be introducing:

“You Can Makeitso™” Podcast - launching early in 2022

Makeitso™Platform - a developing library including Podcasts, Webinars, Books, Resources, and Self - Assessments

Makeitso™ Journal - look for it in the new year - its spectacular!

Expanded opportunities for all of our Full Coaching Clients including expanded text support, our “Client Connect Email” with our ‘Tool Box’, “Inter Nos” a monthly special newsletter for our Full Coaching Clients, quarterly webinars and of course our bespoke one to one coaching offered at your pace and schedule.

Looking ahead to 2022, you may have questions about what’s on the horizon and how it will affect your goals, we can help. Our Phoenix team is ready with expert advice and personalized solutions to help keep your ambitions on track — drop us an email - talk to us.

With the signs of the holidays all around us, gratitude and thoughts of pausing a bit seem to circulate. There's never a bad time to pause and reflect on the things that matter most in our lives. Our support systems, our abilities, our talents.

About once a month I - Unplug. It’s usually on a Sunday. I don’t jump at my phone as quickly, I don’t hover around my keyboard, I don’t pause at my TV screen, or even sit for my favourite book. I unplug and I notice. I unplug with a long walk, a country drive or a quiet corner and most of all some silence. Why do I do this?

After creating my goals and sub-tasks, and living daily in the Momentum Zone, I found myself resisting setting any deadlines.

I just kept thinking, "Oh, I'll get to that by the end of the year."

There was the little calendar icon staring right at me, but I just didn't click it and set any deadlines.

Then, I realised how unproductive that was.

If I don't set due dates, I won't complete the goals or tasks. I know this because we all know this...

Without clear deadlines we just let our dreams fade into distant “somedays."

I realised that if I, “Mr. Coach”, was resisting setting concrete dates for my goals and plans, then maybe others were too.

I think it has to do with all the uncertainty of these times?

Or maybe it's just that there's so much opportunity.

Or that I'm so busy or overwhelmed, and I think I'll just "fit it in soon."

But you and I both know that's not how success happens.

No, success happens like this:

Drive (aka Purpose or Motivation) + Goals + Deadlines + Discipline + Self-improvement until it gets done.

Without the deadlines, there's no "psychological necessity" to activate our efforts. We'll just keep waiting until we hit a threshold of pain, consequences or regret.

Or, we'll just forget the dang goal and settle for less than our real dreams or potential.

But if we leave our growth to randomness, we'll forever be locked in mediocrity. We need goals and dates. So I Unplug and I set, review and focus on my goals – where I want to be. But then here is the crux, I set a date for when I want to be there.

Yes, we need deadlines... especially if we want to push beyond our comfort zones and stretch for a remarkable future for ourselves and our families and teams.

It's a funny thing about us Men: We need targets and we need to will ourselves to complete things, even easy things or things that we know we should do.

And so I say, this is a good time to plan to end the year strong. Otherwise, we just limp across the finish line, directionless.

Take away is this question: When was the last time you Unplugged? Click here and let’s take that answer and set some goals together effectively.

#makeitso

We have been sharing the principles of our #Makeitso movement which is dedicated to helping you celebrate your ‘wins’, help you tackle your ‘woes’ and make your ‘wants’ something that becomes a met achievement. Check out the details on our blog

Principle # 5 - Not Efficient but Effective

 

The urgent vs. the important.

We grapple with it every day in our work and our daily life.

The urgent is staring us in the face: the email that demands to be answered or the Zoom call you’re already three minutes late for.

The important is gentler and less insistent. It speaks with a still, small voice.

It’s so very easy to let it languish.

But if we do, we pay the price later in the form of missed opportunities.

People who should have heard of you…haven’t. And invitations and contracts and job offers that should have gone to you…go to someone else.

Should you be efficient? Yes, you should be. But like time management, eventually, you hit a wall.

I’m all for efficiency when it matters, but to go one step further, some activities are by nature not inherently efficient but they are effective in the long term.

Sometimes you need the gifts of space and time. You need uninterrupted, unhurried time to explore whatever you need to explore, relationally or otherwise.

In all matters where you can be efficient, do it. An accounting system that cuts the time in half is probably worth whatever it costs. Ditto with email, routine meetings and so much of what occupies daily life.

But as efficient as you may become, you only have so many hours in a day. And part of what you do will never be fully efficient.

Stop asking yourself how to be more efficient. Start asking yourself how to be more effective. Becoming more effective might mean you cut 6 efficient things out of your life. Sure, you may be efficient at a lot of things, but being efficient at things that don’t matter isn’t a win. It’s a loss.

Becoming more effective might mean you cut out six meetings you don’t need to be at or that someone else can represent you, so you can have a full day to ponder and think about the future, or to work on your message, company long term vision, or to handle those difficult personnel problems that never go away.

It might mean you hire someone, or employ a consultant, to do a task so you can focus on the highest value activities that move your mission forward.

Don’t ask yourself how you can be more efficient. Ask yourself how you can be more effective.Don’t ask yourself what is urgent, ask what is important.

So Principle # 5’s take away is this question: What is one thing that occupies a great deal of your time? Click here and let’s take that answer and transform it effectively.

#makeitso