Resisting furry tyrants!
A few weeks back, I shared
we got a new yellow lab puppy. Sure enough she is all we could want in a new
dog. She is playful, cute,has not destroyed anything of real value, and is
pretty much sleeping throughout the night.
But there is a dark side
to this adorable ball of fur. She is needy, manipulative demanding of our
attention, is easily displeased, and get can a little cranky right before
feeding time (actually I can too!). In short, she is a furry tyrant!
Obviously we are not going
to send her back, but it got me thinking out loud about other furry tyrants in
our lives. You know, those very attractive things that can take a lot of our
time and energy. Your list can be different but some things that I have
observed or heard in conversations include:
- Binge watching episodes of favorite series now available in our on-demand culture
- On-line or console based gaming
- On-line browsing within various social networks
- Reading tons of fiction on our tablets
- Fill in your guilty pleasure!
Now, like all things, used
in moderation, these are fun, stress relievers that entertain or give us
pleasure. The issue is when such diversions distract us from important things.
When that happens, it is critical we set limits and develop discipline. Even
with our new puppy, we discipline when needed, feed her on a healthy schedule
(certainly now her's!), balance play time with crate time, etc. So in order to
resist or control those furry tyrants in our lives, I recommend the following:
- Determine how much time, energy, effort, etc. you are putting into such diversions
- Consider if they are keeping you from things that must be done or should be accomplished (home maintenance, work commitments, personal and professional development, etc.)
- Ask yourself can any of these be done in concert with helpful activities (watching Netflix while on a tread mill or taking both you and the dog on a run)
- Determine, as author and speaker Paul Martinelli asks, “What is of higher value?”
- Set priorities accordingly
- Calendar appropriately
The point is time is our most precious resource and as a result many of us stop growing personally and professionally due to not controlling our time. We want to get in better shape or read that leadership book, it's just that Game of Thrones is starting a new season!
Point being, you are the ultimate scheduler of your own life. It all comes down to the choices you make.
As
always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love
to hear from you. Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website
(www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will
send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your
organization! Such an initiative would be critical in either your makeover or
comb over efforts!
Yours
in Leadership,
Bill
Faulkner
Co-Founder
– Out Loud Strategies
Independent
Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
No comments:
Post a Comment