Nothing wastes more time than taking a shortcut to nowhere. Before taking that next exit ramp to a better, quicker or cheaper route, think again. Even better, think BEFORE.
Tag: planning
Thriving in Change & Beating the Cold
A helpful change reality: Once we come through a challenging time, the strength we’ve acquired will last much longer than the chill of the moment.
That’s Why God Made [insert noun here]
The phrase “That’s why God made [ insert noun here ]” covers a multitude of situations. Just don’t use it as an excuse.
Happiness: Schedule Some!
It doesn’t matter if you’re striving for a crown of righteousness, shooting to win 72 virgins, craving a couple of hours to read a good book, or longing for a summer vacation, it’s easier to pull ourselves through the tough parts of today when we are holding on to the promise of something that makes us happy tomorrow.
The Delay-Dread-Repeat Cycle of Procrastination…
Ever feel dismay around starting a new task, assignment or goal? If you have, remember these truisms: 1. A task avoided grows, if not in size, in its ability to make us anxious. There’s nothing quite like a little trepidation mixed in with a dose of procrastination to cause paralysis. And that fuels a cycle…
Takeaways, Not Turnovers
Born under the shadow of the city of Chicago, I follow the Chicago Bear’s each season. If you hate football in general or the Bears in particular, don’t worry. This blog is not about football as much as it’s about life. This last Sunday I caught the game between the Bears and the Lions. Early…
Tyranny of the Urgent
If you haven’t read Charles Hummel’s book The Tyranny of the Urgent written in the late 60s, you really should. Hummel created the distinction between the URGENT and the IMPORTANT items that take our time each day. In the event that you were too busy working on urgent things to read this book, let me…
Success: Is It Planning or Good Habits?
I had the opportunity to lunch with some new friends, Ken and Nancy Grant, the other day. During the conversation, Ken made a casual comment about his current position in life: “I’m entering the final six months of my eight year plan,” he said as a transitional statement about his career. AWESOME! Who thinks like…
Just 5 Minutes
The other day at the grocery store, I found myself being impatient. The line moved slowly in front of me. The person checking out seemed to be paying with pennies that she dug out of the bottom of her purse…one at a time. I checked my watch. I shifted my position. I scanned the tabloids….
Survival: A Perspective of Success
This morning I watched with interest a small drama of nature play out between two predators and their intended prey. Attached to the lower portion of a tree, a clever spider had spun a silken trap. Caught inside the web several feet off the ground, I could see a small, white moth struggling to get…