Skip to main content

Life is what happens while you're distracted

Mental clutter is the bain of a successful career. It's what distracts you from your primary purpose as you busily get things done. You suddenly look up and it's November 12th or something and you wonder where the year went and why as it's Thanksgiving, you're thinking of what to give thanks for.

The design of a year's action plan ought to have enough buffer to allow life's random form to take place. And yet it should move forward in a way that serves your personal growth and development in ways that authentically align with your purpose on earth. What you feel connects you to truth is worth holding onto as a rudder for life. Evenso, after chats with Mother, I've also learned that values must be pliable enough to flex to new knowledge you gain as you travel. There's nothing more foolhardy than holding on to old beliefs that no longer serve you. I think it's suicidal.

That means, that you do the work of self introspection. That delicate work of journalling, dreaming, going for walks along the fall leaves and mapping in your mind, among the moon and the stars a vision for your life. Include thoughts about who travels alongside you. Deliberately include who supports and encourages you and how you'll stay close to them. And be clear with them about your dreams. Let them help you moderate your action plan so it's realistic and allows you to be truly human. And we must run new ideas as they shape by trusted others outside our brains to check ourselves for mad exursions.

To laugh, play, sleep, eat good food and exercise is worthwhile. It tempers our drive to outwit the world, and allows us to live well on the journey. Sometimes, that's all there really is. There may be no there there.

So if, as I do, you feel this year has moved you little forward on the hunt for some great achievement, know this: life is sometimes more about living, than winning or collecting trophies and toys. If I measure the living I've done this year, I am enormously blessed and fortunate, humbly grateful. If I count based on promotions, and certifications, raises and project completions, I could fall into a worthless depression.

So I'm choosing to count as a success, a year well lived. And somehow I'll find a way to write a decent self-appraisal. One about treading water well.

Work and live well.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I make mistakes (and I bounce back)

I hate making mistakes.  I love my luxurious fantasy of perfection.  And today my humanity, my imperfection shone through fiery.  I hung in there and cleaned it up. I've learned, you just tell people you screwed up.  Say how you're going to fix it immediately, and how you're protecting it from happening going forward.  It matters little whether anybody else had anything to do with it.  Throw no one under the bus, however, you may want to bring them in on the effect the error had and get their buy in for the proactive solution for future transactions. Truth is, things move so fast that especially with transactional work, there are bound to be errors now and then.  The time it takes to be perfect would result in paralysis.  It's that magical balance between getting it done (and maybe having to beg forgiveness) and taking so long to deliver that by the time you do deliver, it's too late to be of any use (especially since you've now teed off ...

I'm Happy

I'm so happy that I can't stop crying--Sting. These are beautiful days.  It's amazing how absolutely gorgeous Spring is in New York City.  The light alone streaming through the delicious apple green trees makes everyone sparkly. I called my Mom today, on a pause riding my bicycle down the West Side Highway bike path.  I looked at the Hudson, choppy with the wind bursting with joy.  I say joy, though I have no idea if rivers experience joy as they approach salty water.  I was joyful and projected it on the cresting water, white with air. My mother is happy.  She has a deep faith which she passed on to me.  It's sustained me and kept me strong in the face of the impossible.  We said prayers for each other on the phone.  She's got a new adventure coming up and I have one too: so we held faith for each other that something bigger than both of us would guide us.  We reflected on the fact that we as a family have been through many challe...

Draft your Dream Job

Every once in a while, just for kicks, take a blank piece of paper and write out your ideal next job. Keep all the things you do now that you love, drop the things you're less good at or have mastered and want to let go, and fill the remaining space with stretch tasks and goals. Then write out the names of people who have your ideal job. Make a plan to reach out to them and have a 15 to 20 minute coffee break with them over the next month. Find out what it would take for you to get to the next job that's right for you. Do you need to ask for a stretch assignment? Would you be willing to make some time outside work hours to work on a related project with a mentor? Maybe do some volunteering in line with the new vision work? I suggest that you create a plan and list the milestones. It will amazing you in December how much closer you are to your vision, if you're just a little deliberate about it. Once you've created a plan for yourself, ask a friend to keep you acco...