Note to Self (06.14.23)
06.14.23
It’s Wednesday, the middle of the work week, and you may very well be tired. I hope today’s brief message provides an important perspective to fuel the remainder of the week and beyond!
“Life is long if you know how to use it.” (Seneca)
I want you to take inventory of two things:
Your priorities
Your calendar
Do these two components align? Are you taking action on your priorities with daily action?
This is one of the most powerful, yet simple ideas that I’ve learned in the last year.
We can’t just say we have priorities, and fail to honor them through ignorance and inaction. There are no rewards for an investment never made. When we devote time and energy to the aspects of our lives that truly matter - our priorities - these areas grow.
The investment compounds and as the work stacks up, you begin to notice transformation. As if suddenly, you are in better shape, more proficient at your job, a greater friend, significant other, parent, and so on. All because you did the work necessary to honor the priority. You lived it.
Work done will result in progress made; and if you work on the right things, you grow in the areas that matter most to you.
“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” (Steven Covey)
Living out your priorities requires a few important disciplines.
Planning - Did you schedule the time and place that you will take action?
Accountability - Can you depend on yourself to follow through?
Intentionality - Are you present in the moment?
Reflection - Do you learn from your strengths and shortcomings?
It will never be enough to schedule a priority and fail to follow through; and similarly, it’s not worth scheduling if you aren’t intentional with the opportunity.
Do it not for the sake of doing it, but because it truly matters to you.
We can’t fake results. What we do today, tomorrow, and each recurring day thereafter, will ultimately compound into a complete life. But will it be a good one? Will we be proud of the decisions that we made and the person we’ve become?
The answer to that question lies in your ability to identify what matters - and more importantly, to act on it.
Note to Self: Don’t talk about it, be about it.
