One Question

I was on a call with several other business professionals and someone mentioned the "secret question". I asked if that was thinking about a question you want answered and listening for possibilities and hints to the answer in a conversation. "Yes", they replied.  They were surprised I knew what it was without asking.  In reality, it is one of a million techniques to inspire your creativity. 

I decided to create my own version of the secret question.  In the past, I have encouraged those who want to up their creativity factor to write down three questions each day and think about them throughout the day.  It is not a requirement to solve them - but be open to any ideas that might come up in relation to the questions.  It may be how to fix a problem, handle a difficult person, or a decision you are contemplating. The questions can be about anything.  I tried the experiment myself and found that I frequently forgot completely about the questions. So, I decided that one "secret" question each day would be more reasonable and easier to focus on.

The first question I posed myself was "How could I get into the habit of writing every day?".  Everything else always seemed to get in the way.  From proposals to clients to laundry and grocery shopping - there was always something else that needed to be done.  No sooner had I put that question into my head, then the next person to speak on the call mentioned she was having trouble getting into her writing and presented two challenges she was committing to. One was to write several hours a day and the other was to get a few friends lined up to review parts of her book every week. Now there was commitment!  And - there was the answer to my question - committing to a certain amount of time and lining up friends to review my writing - which means I had to have something to give them.

It's working. What question will you play with tomorrow?

Risk and the Blue Jean Pile

It needed to be done.  They were multiplying on the hangers and it needed to be done.  I grabbed the whole rack of them, it must have been twenty at least, and pulled them out in one giant armful that I couldn't see over as I walked and dropped them in a pile on the bedroom floor.  My jean collection now lay in a neat stack on the floor and a whole section of open space existed in my closet.  Well, step one accomplished.  They weren't going back until I went through every one of them and tried them on and made a decision.

With each pair of jeans there's a story.  There is the pair I had my first horseback riding lesson in, (is that the day I became a real Texan?) and continue to ride in - just enough stretch to allow me to swing my leg over the horse to mount.  I wouldn't wear them anywhere else.  They probably shed horse hair as I walk even though they are washed after every ride.  Another pair is the one that I truly wore until the material became baby soft.  It takes a long time to get a pair of jeans to that state.  And the stories go on.

So, it is hard to let go of them.  I separated them into piles; ones that I was sure needed to be thrown out or given away, ones that I wasn't sure about and ones that I would keep.  At least I was making progress. Finally they went on for the final fitting and decisions were made.  A bag of beloved jeans made its way to the garage to wait for a Goodwill delivery date. 

The same kind of process happens when we want to make a change or take a risk.  We hesitate. We look at the risk as something that is too big to tackle right now or as a situation where we are not sure about the outcome and we put it off.

If we can just break it down into smaller pieces (i.e. smaller piles) and tackle it piece by piece, we are finally able to break through and make some progress.  There are emotional obstacles to overcome, but they too fall.  And the end is finally realized - (the closet is finally clear) and it feels great!

Here's to tackling a risk - bit by bit!

Just Say NO To More Work

I think we are overwhelmed because simple activities or requirements slip quietly into our lives one by one and before we know it we are overloaded.  We didn't think it was a big deal when it came up so we didn't resist but now that we see the whole shebang - it is a big deal. 

Years ago I worked as a contract engineer in technical sales.  We frequently entertained customers - especially on the golf course.  Apparently one salesperson was playing a lot more than they were working and the CEO started mandatory Friday afternoon meetings at 3:00 pm to indirectly address the situation.  We were all punished because he didn't address the situation with the individual and no one would address the unnecessary meetings with the CEO.  I didn't mind at the time because I was contract and the meetings served as an opportunity for me to catch up on everyone else's projects (as I wasn't in the office as frequently as the full time personnel).  If I had worked full time it would have been another one of those "things you had to do but didn't have time for and wasn't necessary that just slipped into your already busy schedule".

I also teach fitness classes at several studios.  One of the studios acquired new stereo equipment and some instructors were unfamiliar with how it worked.  The manager wanted to have a meeting with everyone to provide simple instructions on how to set the controls and wanted to know when I was available.  I said it wouldn't be necessary - that I could easily figure it out and if anyone had questions they could contact her. Whew - an unnecessary meeting avoided!

Take a serious look at your daily and weekly activities. What has slyly slipped into your schedule that could be eliminated? Take a risk - speak up - be a time waster eliminator.