Coming out of this better…

There is a lot of commentary out there on how things will be different after COVID-19.  Certainly, we are learning what we miss the most and what we deem to be really important.  Discovering creative ways to work from home and how to be flexible are daily challenges.  Of course, we are also being reminded of the importance of health care workers, first responders, truck drivers and grocery store staff.  Oh, and maybe most importantly, Teachers! 

But what are you doing to come out of this a better person?

·       Are you going to have better family relationships?

·       Will you learn a new craft or skill?

·       Are you growing in your faith?

·       Have you discovered new ways to give back in your community?

·       Will you be more serious about saving of 2-3 months of living expenses?

·       Has your perspective about work/life balance changed?

·       Do you have new goals and objectives for the balance of the year?

·       Will you bring a new level of commitment and energy to your job or your business?

·       Have you read a business or self help book you have been putting off?

This is not over, but most of the above take some time.  Take advantage of the opportunity of time. What are you doing to make sure you come out of this a better person? Think about it.

Know Yourself

“Effective leaders have an acute sense of their own strengths and weaknesses.  They know who they are – and who they are not.  They don’t try to be all things to all people.” 

-       Gallup Management Journal

What a great statement about effective leadership.  It all begins with knowing one’s self.  That means truly, objectively, and critically knowing who you are.  It means knowing enough to know what you don’t know.  It means knowing who you are not, and never will be.  Leaders often feel some pressure to know all the answers, be everything to everybody.  Truly effective leaders know they cannot do that.  They have an understanding of their own weaknesses.  They do not pressure themselves to answer every issue.  That pressure leads to poor decisions and marginal leaders.  Be an effective leader, know yourself!

Life Plan

Do you have plans and goals?  Do you methodically plan out the direction of your life?  I have to say that I am not very good at this.  Too many of us just let life come at us.  We take what life brings us.  The problem with that is that you never know where you are going or where you might end up.  Setting priorities based on goals and objective gives us structure and direction.  It allows us to measure progress and impact the trajectory of our lives.  It is how we grow, change and improve.  We just have to learn to be flexible, knowing that plans will always changes.  What is that saying?  Man plans, God laughs!  God has given each of us a unique skill set and He wants us to use those gifts.  We just have to be open to the fact that our plans may not always match His!  Goals and plans are good proactive life tools, just be sure and be open to the influence of God in those plans.  I do not known Jim Rohn, but his quote below is on point for this topic.

“If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's, and guess what they might have planned for you? Not much.”

--Jim Rohn