What Won't You Do This Week

This week, instead of frontloading your Monday-Wednesday block of days with MORE items to do, try taking some things off the list, in essence doing LESS.

So what could you eliminate this week?  Here are but a few suggestions:

• one pointless meeting


• one sarcastic email


• one angry phone call


• one silly online purchase


• one dinner out (instead, try out a home cooked meal with fresh ingredients)


• one hectic drive to a place that you don't really want to go anyways

By doing less, you may actually find that you accomplish MORE.  The point is not so much to accomplish anything but to be open to whatever grace God provides and receptive to His leads.

A friend of ours recently share the details of a day in which she felt as if she had accomplished very little.  After a glass of wine and some reflection, she realized that she had indeed accomplished quite a bit:

After getting the kids off to school, I set in to do some house work, only to be interrupted by a woman on the phone who needed some encouragement.  Her child was diagnosed with cancer and she was distraught.  Two hours later I emerged for lunch, only to receive a guest at the house who just needed to talk.  Turns out, she is going through a terrible life situation as well.  That took up another hour.  By the time the kids got home from school, the day was done.

The world would tell you that this friend had just wasted her day.  In retrospect, she has simply been open to the moments that God provided and then used them well.

That's quite an accomplishment.

Take Time to Pause

I just returned from the annual National Catholic Education Association convention in New Orleans.  It was a terrific event and the NCEA does a great job of bringing speakers, practitioners and vendors together for three solid days.

While I was there I purchased Terry Hershey's The Power of Pause from Loyola Press. Something about the title really caught my eye and I read it while on my two flights back to Jersey.

Hershey's point is simple enough- practicing Sabbath is important in and of itself.  Yes, it's a means to an end (deeper relationship with God) but it might also be of benefit on its own.

Pausing/Sabbath is important on any given day in that it...

• Renews your senses


• Anchors you in the ordinary


• Physically removes your stress


• Provides an opportunity to listen to God


• Slows you down


• Disconnects you from technology

Each of us can find a moment in our day to pause.  I call this a Quiet Time and I often fill it with some Scripture reading as well as a time to write in my journal. Mornings are best for me but I don't stress if it comes later in the day.  The key is to simply do it and not stress whether it's "good enough" or perfect.  Sort of like a runner, I just get out there and let it happen.  I don't wait for perfect conditions to have a Quiet Time.

I think that another of Hershey's points is that Pausing need not try to accomplish anything.  Don't try to get really, really good at your Quiet Time.  Don't try to become a Master Journaler.

Just pause and see what effects take place in you over time.

When was the last time that you had a week where Pausing was a regular feature?  Psalm 46: 10 provides a great starting point if you are hoping to add more Pause to your day:

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Are You a Productivity Poser?

When I was growing up in Boxford, MA, skateboarding was emerging as much more than a hobby.  As kids, we all had skateboards. Some were expensive and others were generic models from Walmart.  I think mine had some flames on the bottom along with a skull and crossbones to make it look more tough.  Then one day, my friend, Lane, announced that his dad was building something in the backyard.

The thing was called a "half pipe".

We had no idea what it meant and there was no internet to turn to for answers.  Rather than admit our uncoolness to Lane, we simply went along with it as if a halfpipe was the stuff of common knowledge.  Turns out a halfpipe is basically a fancy bit of construction for those who want to take their skateboarding to the next level.

This new fangled construct of plywood and 2x4s would eventually separate us townies into two groups: true skaters and what came to be known as "posers".  I was definitely in the latter category with my Walmart skateboard and a deep-seated apathy towards competitive skating.

As you can imagine, Lane was not a poser and heck, with a halfpipe in his backyard his dad practically ordained him a professional skater.  And so the story goes.

When it comes to productivity, we can apply the same metaphor.  Some people take their productivity seriously and invest in the right tools for the job.  They also commit to honing their habits and rituals such that quality work becomes the norm.

And there are the posers among us.  I admit that I still dip into this category from time to time.  I love trying out new software, retooling my lists and reading reviews of products.  The problem is, this doesn't amount to much more than window shopping.  The real skaters are those that work their system and achieve the best results.

Most of us want to be really, truly, consistently productive.  We don't like it that our email inbox is overflowing.  It bothers us when we don't return phone calls even though we should.  The clutter in our homes seems to form an alliance against our best intentions.

And yet from a spiritual perspective, all of this is a reminder that our own intentions are simply not enough.  We need context.  We need faith.  We need a relationship with God to motor our day.  We know that we want to move from poser to productive in our work and in our faith.

It's the journey from one to the other that matters.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, begin again.  When the clutter and to-do lists are getting the best of you, take a breath.  Progress is possible.

 

Lent, Productivity and Single Tasking

Lent comes from a Middle English word meaning "lengthen of days" and relates to many Christians who take the 40 days before Easter for prayer and fasting.  While most years I give something up, this year I've decided to take another direction.

I made this decision after some reflection.  The past six months have been very full and the past three weeks, frenetic.  The early morning meetings and late night events have left me sapped for energy.  As I approached Lent, my desire to give something up or do one more thing really felt off.

I've opted for something totally different- single tasking.  One description that I like is from Leo from Zen Habits who puts it this way,

"Multi-tasking leads to a lot of switching and distractions and stress. Keep things simple, focused and effective by single-tasking. Focus on one task until it’s done, then move to the next."

I violate the Law of Single Tasking all the time and I imagine that you might too.  Often, when I'm watching TV, my laptop is right next to me.  When I'm driving to work, I'm fielding calls and listening to podcasts.  Some of this is simply my DNA- it's not easy for me to relax but that's no excuse and Lent is my opportunity to focus on one thing at a time.

I've taken evening downtime more seriously and I've deleted a ton of apps from my iPhone.  I'm trying harder to focus on doing just one thing at a time.  My stress has dipped a little and my ability to focus seems to be growing.

What are you planning for Lent?  Maybe this is the season to single task.

For more information on this powerful concept, check out these helpful posts:

• How Not to Multitask


• A Case for Single Tasking


• Multitasking Fast

*Photo by Thomas Hawk

How Are You Taking Care of Yourself?

They say that it's lonely at the top and there is a wisdom to that.  Leaders are the ones who have to look you in the eye when bad news is on the horizon.  They are also the ones who bear the burden each night as they go to sleep, worrying more than anyone else about the health of the organization.

That "organization" can be a business, a church or even a family.  Ask any parent (leader) and they can easily share a story of a time when they went to bed, worrying about their child.  When everyone else can turn work off, the leader endures a constant chatter in his head about how to fix and improve things.

Leaders also get credit for the big wins, but in my experience, this kind of back-patting is extremely rare.  The day to day grind can easily consume whatever internal passion that was once a driving motivator.

This is what I call The Pull.  The Pull is that feeling you get when everyone wants a piece of you.  It's that sense you have that others aren't fully pulling their weight and their constituents turn to you to help fill the void.  It affects you physically and emotionally.

The Pull can destroy a leader if you let it.  It can make you cynical, quick with your words and physically exhausted.  Worse yet, it only increases the "loneliness factor" of being a leader.

About a year ago, I was confronted by a colleague of mine who looked me in the eye and told me to slow down.  He said, "Mike, if you don't take care of yourself, you're going to burn out.  The rest of us would like to see you here for the long haul."  His words stung because I knew he was right.

In order to counter the sucking effect of The Pull, you must ensure that you're being fed.  Here are some good questions to ask yourself:

• Are you a member of a faith community that you enjoy and gives something back to you each week?


• Is your marriage in a healthy place?


• Do you regularly visit with friends simply to hang out, share a meal or do fun things?


• Are you taking time each day for prayer and devotions?


• Are you doing something, 2-3 times a week that is good for you physically?

It is possible to head The Pull off at the pass. Just remember that it will come back so you'll need to ask these same questions again in the future.  Great leaders take care of themselves because they know that God can get more out of them when they are in a healthy place.

One of the best ways that I know of to counter The Pull is to get away.  This may be a retreat or a conference as Michael Hyatt posts on his blog.  It may also be the practice of meditation as Bradley Moore posts on Shrinking the Camel.

One way that I get away is to work from an alternate location.  My friend Gene Monterastelli is a master of this.  He may work from home one day, from a Starbucks the next.  He keeps fresh by avoiding a stale work environment.

If you feel inadequate at times, remember the words of Blessed Theresa of Calcutta, "God doesn't call those who are already equipped.  He equips those who are called."

*photo by E. Carton

The Importance of Preparation

I watched as the preacher walked through the church, talking about the Scripture reading related to the Ten Commandments. Things went south when it became evident that he himself didn't know the Commandments.

Oops, minor detail!

We saw the same thing during the SuperBowl as Grammy winner Christina Aguilera tanked on the national anthem.  I can imagine her embarrassment afterwards, wishing that things had gone differently.

What the preacher and the Aguilera had in common was talent, charisma and a platform on which to showcase their talents.  What they also shared on that particular Sunday was a lack of preparation.  It's not that they didn't prepare- I'm certain they did but their readiness wasn't deep enough for the moment of action.

Leaders know that practice makes perfect.  (And more practice and then some more.)  They are humble enough to prepare, recite and burn their rituals into their minds and bodies.  No one does this better than championship athletes.

Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics is a classic example.  He's 34 years old, and just became the all time 3-point scorer in NBA history.  What's just as impressive is his stamina and workout schedule which have actually gotten more intense as he's aged.  While many would get soft in their post-prime years, Allen still shows up four hours early for games and is said to be in the best shape of his career.

The preacher I saw wasn't into it.  Not enough at least to take 10 minutes to revisit the Commandments.

Some leaders prepare and rehearse in order to save face.  This may seem completely self serving but if you've ever sat through a Board meeting and not had the answer to a question, you know why preparation is critical to strong leadership.  Similarly when your boss has a question that you don't know the answer to- you better rebound and fast. When you don't prepare, your leadership takes  a negative hit.  People think that you're less intelligent or worse- lazy.

Here are some ways in which we can reclaim preparation as a leadership principle:

• Write out your thoughts. Avoid the temptation to wing it.  By outlining your thoughts on paper, you'll think through issues on a deeper level.  Writing helps the brain to be more comfortable with content.


• Rehearse with someone else.  Role playing is a powerful vehicle for precision and confidence boosting.  Find someone whom you trust who can be a sounding board and potential acting partner.


• Anticipate questions that others will ask. If you're going to be in a meeting setting, this step is vital.  Which questions will people ask you?  How can you respond?


• Be honest when you don't know the answer. Nothing covers for a lack of knowledge like an honest response.  "I don't know but I can definitely find out..." is valid enough once or twice.  Just make sure that you follow up and eventually provide the data that was requested.

Nothing is better than preparation.  Whether you are getting ready for a meeting or about to give a speech, 20 minutes of preparation will ensure that you not only look professional but perform as a leader.

Isn't your career worth it?