Tweaking Your Trajectory

 

Where is your current trajectory taking you?  The ongoing process of self-improvement is all about trajectory.  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. Whether this process is pleasant or not, we should take it 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. 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 and ask yourself these questions. Are you happy with that direction? Could your trajectory use some adjustments? 

One Thing

  

Let's make this easy. Make it your goal to do “one thing” different in 2024. Pick one thing that is important for you to change, or improve. Then develop a “one thing” plan to make that change not only happen but stick.

We all know the annual resolutions regarding health and fitness, work goals or personal habit improvements. If we try to fix all of these at one time, we can be overwhelmed. I don’t know about you, but I have a long list of challenges in those areas. I don’t need 15 goals. I need one goal to focus on. One that I can work on in 45-60 days and then I can pick another one.

Pick one thing…

·        Do less of something (Quantify it)

·        Do more of something (Quantify it)

·        Stop something (Specifically how)

·        Create something (Specifically how)

·        Accomplish something (Specifically how)

What is your one thing?

Twenty Minute Magic

 

I think it is interesting what the use of Outlook calendars and others has done to our scheduling habits. Everything we schedule falls into 30 minute or one-hour increments. I mean Outlook defaults to that, and we just tend to fill in the blocks. We all know that calls and meetings do not always need to take up to 30 minutes or an hour (Note to my assistant), but our calendars are full of nicely blocked meetings. Not surprisingly, mine are color-coded.

Do you know why the maximum time limit for a Ted Talk is 17 minutes? There has been a lot of study regarding attention spans and the length of time we can focus. Several articles and podcasts have recently addressed the power of a twenty-minute meeting, including an “At The Table” podcast. There is power in knowing that you only have 20 minutes to accomplish something; You have to act fast. There is also the popular concept of a huddle or a stand-up meeting. The idea is to conduct a quick exchange of information, update and move on with the day.

There are nice, neat, blocks in Outlook. That does not mean that we need to use the full 30 minutes or hour. Have the courage to schedule meetings, or end meetings, sooner. No need for a meeting to take a full hour only because it was scheduled to do so.

Explore twenty minute magic…

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

 

“Only you can change you.”  That is so true.  To implement change, you need to be intentional and proactive.  It takes action and determination.  Resolutions do not instigate change.  Goals do not prompt change.  Good intentions only go so far.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

 

Change is not easy.  We humans are resistant to it.  It is important to note that big changes usually start with small steps. There must be an initial step, a starting action item, a simple goal.  Make incremental changes to your diet.  Increase your workout frequency or intensity over time.  Start a new daily habit of quiet time, reflection, or prayer.  Eliminate the negative forces or distractions. Set a stretch goal in your professional life.  These are all easier said than done.  However, they have one thing in common, they all require something to change. 

 

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Balance

 

There is always a lot of talk about work life balance. I want you to consider a different aspect of balance. There are fine lines in life that requires intentionality to navigate.

Consider…

·         Our strengths too excess, become our weakness

·         We often treat our loved ones worse than people we don’t even know

·         Things we love can become obsessions and unhealthy habits

·         A singular hyperfocus on any one aspect of life leaves voids other parts of our lives

·         Ever had a love/hate relationship?

How do you balance these aspects of your life?

Remember this line from a Jimmy Buffett song…

-       “It’s a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.”

Intentionally

Do you live intentionally?  Do you act with intention?  Do you plan your day with intentionality?  Often, I find myself just allowing the day to come to me.  My business discussions may have a hopeful direction, but maybe not an intended goal.  Conversations with family are not always the teaching moments they should be or result in firm decisions.  I know people who are very intentional about what they do.  Those that are good at being intentional are thoughtful and purposeful about every action they take and every decision they make.  Intentionality is powerful.  It increases our influence as leaders.  It leads to greater productivity.  It can lead to a healthy lifestyle and better personal habits.  Be intentional.  Influence what happens to you and around you.

 What are you intentionally going to accomplish this week?

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

The closing line in the MMM from last week was “Only you can change you.”  That is so true.  To implement change you need to be intentional and proactive.  It takes action and determination.  Resolutions do not instigate change.  Goals do not prompt change.  Good intentions only go so far.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Change is not easy.  We humans are resistant to it.  It is important to note that big changes usually starts with small steps.  Something has to be the beginning of change.  There has to be an initial step, a starting action item.  Make incremental changes to your diet.  Increase your workout frequency or intensity over time.  Start a new daily habit of quiet time, reflection or prayer.  Eliminate the negative forces or distractions.  Set a stretch goal in your professional life.  These are all easier said than done.  However, they have one thing in common.  They all require something to change.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

What will you change in 2018?