Personal Growth – Page 15

No Need to Be Perfect

When you are driving and a great song comes on the radio, do you find yourself singing? What if you don’t know the words? Do you hum? I think many of us do.

Life can be a lot like that. Sometimes we sing. Sometimes we don’t know the words, so we hum. Sometimes we whistle, and sometimes we just listen.

When I find myself in a situation I am not familiar with, I spend time observing. When I find myself in a situation that is familiar, but I am not sure how to proceed, I do my best to follow along. When I am in a familiar situation, it is fun to just jump in.

Even though I strive for productivity, and continuous improvement, life is not about being perfect. Life is about participation on whatever level we are able to contribute at the moment.

Next time you find yourself struggling to make progress, instead of searching for the perfect next step, just hum.

Can We Change?

“Tomorrow we will become what we choose today. To change means to choose to change.” – John C. Maxwell

I love this quote because there is so much wisdom in just fifteen words.

1. Change takes time. We must work today for what we want tomorrow. Our focus needs to be on the future. Very little permanent change occurs within one day.

2. Change is a choice. It will not occur without intent. We have the opportunity to decide what we wish to change.

3. Change is never ending. Every day we can work towards tomorrow’s goals. Incremental change has a huge impact over a lifetime of effort.

Often we stumble on these points, and we don’t change as much as we expect. We can choose to change to meet our goals in our professional life, our personal life, in our diet, our exercise, or our habits. Can we change? Each day we can strive to make ourselves better tomorrow.

Stopping the Distraction

When I agree to something I really don’t want to do, it can remain on my list of things to do for a long time. It can make me feel unproductive. It affects my attitude about my day.

It’s funny that most of these commitments are made with myself. Repairs around my house that I need to do. Emails that I intend to write. Books that I would like to read. You get the idea.

All of these open commitments slow me down. The more I have open the less agile I am during my day.

The lesson learned for me is to not accept responsibility until I am ready to take action. Instead I keep a list of all the things I need to do, but not yet ready to start.

Then I focus my priority on three to five areas that need my attention. This system makes me more effective. I accomplish more within a shorter period of time. As I complete one item, I add another from my list.

Too simple? It is easy to manage on a daily basis. Aren’t the best systems simple?

If you feel overwhelmed with all that is on your daily agenda, maybe a similar system will help you. With this approach, I am able to stop distractions and create a sharp focus.

What Is Truth?

We are celebrating the 241st anniversary of the United States this July. At times, I wonder if we remember the founding principles and values that created our country.

Divided opinion is nothing new in America. Throughout our history, our country has enjoyed diverse thinking and differing views. If we were unable to voice our ideas, then we would not be the land of the free. So even if we disagree with one another, healthy debate keeps our country strong.

Conflict is something we face consistently in life. I use this question for my personal reflection when faced with a struggle. “Am I seeing the truth of this situation, or just what I choose to believe about it?”

Enjoy your Independence Day wherever you may be celebrating! I hope you have a few moments to reflect on whatever is on your mind.