American Sniper

Powerful! Go see this movie if you have not. There has been a lot written and said about the movie, much of it has been politically oriented. That is not what struck me. The reality of war is what struck me about this movie. What our service men and women do every day to protect us, struck me. We enjoy great freedoms in this country, and we often thank and acknowledge those in uniform for those freedoms. But do we really understand what the protection of that freedom entails? This movie will show you. Sure the focus of the movie is a hero that is an exception. But just see if you can watch it without being emotionally moved by those who serve.

I am writing this MMM, and you are reading it, because of the freedom we have in the USA. The reality of war depicted in American Sniper is the price of that freedom. Don’t forget it. Don’t ignore it.

Productivity

Procrastination is a problem for me. I am not near as productive as I could be. In fact, improving my effectiveness is one of my New Year resolutions. I need to work through projects and my “To Do” list more quickly. There always seems to be good excuses to put things off. Sound familiar? I feel a little bit like I am writing this MMM directly to myself! There are two specific things I need to remind myself in order to become more productive…

Stop planning, start doing!

I am a great planner. There are a lot of plans in my head, notes in my desk, and lists on my computer. I have regular work projects that need completion. There are also books to write and businesses to start. Planning is important, but at some point you have to just do it. Plan appropriately but don’t let planning become the work. More importantly, don’t let planning be your excuse for procrastination.

Don’t be a perfectionist!

Chasing perfection causes you to take longer to complete tasks. It just takes more time to be perfect and it is almost never required. This is actually a bigger challenge for those of us that are self-employed. We don’t have others to impose deadlines and demand completion in spite of imperfections. Just know that it always takes longer to be perfect and the payoff for that perfection seldom offsets the time it took.

Say What You Mean, And Mean What You Say...

Talk is cheap in this day and time. It just does not seem like it is as important to stand behind your word anymore. I have always felt it was important to communicate your intentions clearly and stand by them. Don't say something if you don't really mean it! When you speak, make sure you communicate what you actually mean. This concept is based on honesty and integrity. Those are characteristics we should all aspire to. Don't talk for the sake of hearing yourself, or just hoping to bring a quick end to a conversation. Think before you speak, and when you do, say what you mean, and mean what you say!

Tweaking Your Trajectory

Where is your current trajectory taking you? The ongoing process of self-improvement is all about trajectory, and for that matter, so are New Year Resolutions. We owe it to ourselves to check our current direction and see if we are headed where we want! This requires honesty, transparency, and objective self-analysis. It may, or may not, be a pleasant process. Either way it has to be taken seriously. Some changes require significant admissions and major life changes. However, for many of us our trajectory just needs to be tweaked. We need to slightly increase our positive habits and back off the more negative ones. But, just because they are only tweaks does not mean they will be easy. Change is hard. Bad habits are hard to break and good ones are difficult to become routine. Change is how you alter the direction your life is taking.

Think about where you are headed. Are you happy with that direction? Could your trajectory use some adjustments? Should some tweaks be part of your New Year Resolutions?

Happy New Year and be blessed in 2015!