In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes story,
"The Hound of the Baskervilles," there's a wonderful
conversation about whether the Lord of the Manor has
installed electricity in the castle. The reply is, "No,
Sir. He's decided to wait a generation or two to see if it
catches on."
I love that story because it lends perspective to our need
to rush and worry. As George and Ira Gershwin noted over 70
years ago, we live with a "need for speed." But I'm not
sure the need is as intense as we believe.
Some things, like wine and wisdom, seem to mature slowly.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate being able to fly to
meetings in Chicago. I appreciate instant messaging,
Twitter and the convenience of email. I love watching news
from around the world live, as it happens. These are
marvelous things and they serve us well.
As a coach, my job is to help my clients be more
productive, achieve bigger goals, make more money or have a
larger impact on the world. It's amazing to see what we can
achieve with smarter strategies and better tools! We can do
far more than we have imagined, and helping my clients
achieve important goals is where the joy is!
So long as "doing" more allows us to "become" more.
Many years ago, I think it was Ann Murray who sang about
the clowns at the circus and at the end of the song, she
asks, "Is that all there is?" I fear that at the end of
life, many of us will be left with the question, "Is that
all there is?"
Obviously, we are not going to turn back the clock. We are
not going to "wait a generation or two" to see if the
digital age will "catch on." We are not going to abandon
email or give up our phones.
But with all the options and opportunities in front of us,
it is essential that we ask, "How do I want to live my
life?" More than ever, we have an obligation to choose our
priorities.
It seems to me, the sequence is this:
1. First, decide your values and priorities. What's
important to you? What do you want more of in your life?
Who do you want to meet, spend time with, learn from? What
books do you need to read? And, what do you want less of?
What do you need to stop or avoid? Get clear!
2. Second, choose a strategy. How have other people
accomplished what you want to achieve? What skills,
strategies and partnerships have worked for other people?
How should you spend your time? What gets in your way? Find
out and make the changes!
3. Execute your strategy! In the end, it comes down to
daily action. Once you know what you want and have a plan,
the key is execution.
You can have just about anything you want in life. You can
live just about any lifestyle you wish. You can be or
become any one you choose. The only question is, "What will
you do with your one and only, glorious life?" Once you
answer that, the rest is just a matter of strategy and
execution.
"The Hound of the Baskervilles," there's a wonderful
conversation about whether the Lord of the Manor has
installed electricity in the castle. The reply is, "No,
Sir. He's decided to wait a generation or two to see if it
catches on."
I love that story because it lends perspective to our need
to rush and worry. As George and Ira Gershwin noted over 70
years ago, we live with a "need for speed." But I'm not
sure the need is as intense as we believe.
Some things, like wine and wisdom, seem to mature slowly.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate being able to fly to
meetings in Chicago. I appreciate instant messaging,
Twitter and the convenience of email. I love watching news
from around the world live, as it happens. These are
marvelous things and they serve us well.
As a coach, my job is to help my clients be more
productive, achieve bigger goals, make more money or have a
larger impact on the world. It's amazing to see what we can
achieve with smarter strategies and better tools! We can do
far more than we have imagined, and helping my clients
achieve important goals is where the joy is!
So long as "doing" more allows us to "become" more.
Many years ago, I think it was Ann Murray who sang about
the clowns at the circus and at the end of the song, she
asks, "Is that all there is?" I fear that at the end of
life, many of us will be left with the question, "Is that
all there is?"
Obviously, we are not going to turn back the clock. We are
not going to "wait a generation or two" to see if the
digital age will "catch on." We are not going to abandon
email or give up our phones.
But with all the options and opportunities in front of us,
it is essential that we ask, "How do I want to live my
life?" More than ever, we have an obligation to choose our
priorities.
It seems to me, the sequence is this:
1. First, decide your values and priorities. What's
important to you? What do you want more of in your life?
Who do you want to meet, spend time with, learn from? What
books do you need to read? And, what do you want less of?
What do you need to stop or avoid? Get clear!
2. Second, choose a strategy. How have other people
accomplished what you want to achieve? What skills,
strategies and partnerships have worked for other people?
How should you spend your time? What gets in your way? Find
out and make the changes!
3. Execute your strategy! In the end, it comes down to
daily action. Once you know what you want and have a plan,
the key is execution.
You can have just about anything you want in life. You can
live just about any lifestyle you wish. You can be or
become any one you choose. The only question is, "What will
you do with your one and only, glorious life?" Once you
answer that, the rest is just a matter of strategy and
execution.
No comments:
Post a Comment