Happy Veterans Day!
Happy Veterans Day to our nation's veterans!
Looking back. As I think back about my time in the armed forces, I remember some of the challenges and, of course, the experiences we go through that are unique to the armed forces.
Memories and friendship. But mostly, I think about and remember the incredible friendships and camaraderie we had. The opportunity to serve in the Navy was life-changing for me personally, as I know it is for so many who answer the call to service in the military. I learned so much during my military service -- nearly 23 years between 1988 and 2011. It was seldom easy, but it was always worthwhile. I miss my friends terribly but take comfort that I have so many people that would answer my call and bail me out of jail, no questions asked. My point is these are true friends that can be counted on no matter what. That is an incredible gift that I truly appreciate.
Looking forward. As I think about the future, I remain excited. I've been working on a book this past year. Trying to see the positive in almost any situation helped me make it through. It was a choice, one that involved intentionally being optimistic and focusing on the positive. Those things have made an incredibly positive impact on my life. Earlier this year, I set an incredibly big goal, one that I wasn't entirely confident I could accomplish. I decided that I would write and publish my first book before year's end. In a year where there has been so much unprecedented uncertainty, anxiety, and turbulence, I decided to do what I do best and act differently. I have worked evenings, weekends, and holidays (including this Veterans Day) to finalize things and get this project ready to present to the world.
I'm incredibly proud of the work itself. It is not perfect, but that's perfectly OK with me. The ideas in the book have helped me. I hope they will help others too. If it can help at least one other person, then the effort was worthwhile.
The book is called Awaken Optimism: 366 Meditations for Making Each Day Amazing. It's been a labor of love, and I remain incredibly optimistic about the future. I suppose that's proof the ideas contained in the book really works!
To all those who have served in our armed forces (past, present, and future), please have a Happy Veterans Day. I know what it means to serve, and I'm incredibly grateful to each of you for answering the call. Thank you!
Cheers,
Greg
Distractions.
Distraction is a far bigger problem many companies understand. Now, more than ever, the ability to focus and to do meaningful work while minimizing distractions is more important than ever.
Distraction is a far bigger problem many companies understand. Now, more than ever, the ability to focus and to do meaningful work while minimizing distractions is more important than ever. I work with companies who have the problem of not being able to attain forward progress in the areas that are most important to their business.
Step one is to acknowledge that there is is a problem. Step two is deciding that things should be different. Step three is coming up with an action plan. Step four is having the courage to go against the grain, despite overwhelming odds, and execute the plan.
Progress
Progress isn’t always easy. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge to get us moving in the right direction. Other times it takes a bit of a shove. The resistance is real. Progress shouldn’t be hard to achieve. Or, should it? The fact that it can be hard to achieve progress makes it that much sweeter when you get to see real signs of progress. It makes it apparent that we are moving in the right direction and that what we are doing works. Change is inevitable, but forward progress is a choice we all have to make. Do we want to make progress, or do we want to get left behind?
Surfing through time
Music takes me back to another place and time. Remembering the feeling and sensations of back when the song played. It’s as close to time travel as anything I’ve experienced.
Sunny and 55
Today it’s sunny out and 55 degrees with a very small chance of rain. Why can’t every day be this good? Having clarity and focused intent is like that for me. On the days when you have them, it’s amazing. On the days when you don’t, you’re hoping it will be sunny and 55 again.
Once upon a rumination
Once long ago, we had few distractions. We didn’t have mobile wifi. We didn’t have smartphones. We din’t have music and YouTube whenever we wanted. We didn’t have Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon home delivery, Facebook, LinkedIn, SMS messaging, or even mobile phones. We had time to ruminate on things. But times have changed. And so have we. Do you have time to ruminate blocked out on your calendar? A time to simply think with no distractions or disturbances. A time to reflect. A time to daydream. Schedule it. Do it today.
Establishing new habits
Ask anyone. They will tell you how hard it is to break an old habit. We know what we shouldn’t be doing. It doesn’t serve us. It is illogical. It doesn’t make sense. Others tell us. We tell ourselves. We know it inside our heads to be true. But the new habit persists anyway despite the strategies we try to overcome them.
What if we decide to change our focus? What if we focus on establishing a new habit? One the makes more sense. One that is pretty simple and easy. One that requires less time and energy, but moves is in a slightly more positive direction. Just one baby step at a time can be a giant leap in our trajectory.
Show up. Do it daily. Focus on the new. Do it for 100 days. Maybe the old habit will just die out because we’re a little busier, have a little more headspace, and have a little more positive energy to contribute our best work. A little inspiration can go a long way and we might find that our focus on breaking the old habits was the wrong thing altogether.
We have met the enemy
We have met the enemy. These are some characteristics of our enemy.
It is distraction. There’s too much. We need less distraction, so we can focus on more meaningful work that really matters. Focus is key to success. It is in shorter supply than ever. We must overcome distraction. Our future depends on it.
It is complexity. Complexity can prevent us from moving things forward. Keep it simple. It makes more sense and everyone will be a lot happier.
It is mediocrity. Settling for something that is simply OK rather than something that is excellent. Let’s do great things, together.
It is us. Sometimes the enemy is the voice in our own heads. It is the voice of that nagging, self-doubt that says to us, “we’re not good enough.” Or that “we can’t” or maybe the question, “should we?" Sometimes it is the voice from others closest to us. Friends or family members — those who offer advice because they’re ’trying to help’ but don’t truly understand what it is we are determined to bring about into existence.
Consistency
Being consistent really matters. Consistency is key to simplicity. If we are consistent, it goes along way toward keeping things as simple as possible and reducing the confusion associated with unnecessary complexity.
Consistency is an exercise in prevention. I consider it an investment — a good investment. We all know prevention is better than response after the fact. Preventing a fire is far better than reacting to one. It saves time, energy, and mood of ourselves and those with whom we communicate. It also saves money in the long run. Being consistent is worth the effort. It pays dividends that sometimes go unnoticed.
Too busy…
It’s easy to get distracted and thinking that we’re too busy to do what we committed to, or what we know we should do. It’s so easy to get off-track in the modern world with endless distractions. Even though I post this at 9:30 PM, I still got it posted ’today’ so to speak. What we’re committed most to gets done.
An earthquake of the mind
Sometimes we have a seismic shift in our thinking. When we do, things shift dramatically almost instantly. Things look and feel different, radically different. These shifts can be positive or negative, good or bad. When they are positive shifts and we have greater clarity, real magic begins in our lives. And when we look back, it is hard to imagine how things looked before.
It doesn’t affect them…
Time is our most precious resource. Spending 55 minutes in a physicians office waiting room for a routine appointment that was scheduled weeks in advance is nuts. Why not schedule the time better to not waste the patients' time? Healthcare providers can do better. They should do better. Why don’t they? Surely, it’s not because they don’t care…. Or, is it? Or, is it that they don’t see it as a problem because it doesn’t affect them?
A modus operandi for the future
Change. I am mentally prepared for any changes that I encounter. I will answer them all with confidence. I will be kind to others as always. Adapting significantly more quickly than others is a unique, high-value skill because it is essentially adapting to the inevitable without the usual resistance.
Come hell or high water
There is really important work to be done in the world. More than ever, we each face endless distractions and competing priorities. Sometimes these become conflicting priorities. Often, I view the most important things differently than others. You could call it a difference of opinion. And I believe it’s OK to agree to disagree. So many things to get done within a constrained time period. Those are some of the reasons I prefer working from a 'must do’ list instead of a 'to do' list. I try to keep it to an absolute minimum. This is my come hell or high water list. These things get done each day, period. This is how I move myself and the people I work with forward. We maintain traction as long as we’re focused with intent on our absolute musts.
Change is Easy
Change happens. It is unavoidable. What matters most is how we process it. How we view it. How we deal with it. Do we accept and embrace, or do we push back and resist? What changes are you observing and how are you handling it? What are the best strategies, tactics, techniques, and procedural systems we may be able to use to best process the change that is inevitable for us all? Who is world-class in this area?
Better Lighting
It is difficult to see things clearly in a dim room. Once the lights are on, things become much more clear. Our thoughts benefit from clarity, which leads to better informed decisions. What areas of your life would benefit from better lighting?
Lean In and Act
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Knowing is good. Doing is usually better. Of course you’ll make mistakes. You have permission. Conduct an experiment in which you act more quickly than you’re comfortable. What did you learn? You can almost always iterate and adjust later. Future you will thank you.
Is it that easy? Maybe not. Or maybe so. Is there a chance that we make things more difficult than they need to be? Is there a chance that we already know what we need to do, but we don’t act for some reason? Maybe we learned as a child from being constantly reminded of all the things we’re not supposed to do. Maybe an embarrassing experience along the taught us to hesitate rather than act. If we can adjust later, why not act? What are you waiting for?
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