Relationships

 

Life moves at the speed of relationships. I am not sure where I first heard that statement, but it resonated with me immediately. Think about the relationships in our lives…

• God
• Spouse and significant others
• Children
• Parents and siblings
• Close friends and confidants
• Church groups
• Mentors and mentees
• Business partners
• Employees and co-workers
• Clients and vendors

 

Relationships are valuable and important to us. I do not believe we are meant to do life alone. The people we surround ourselves with are critical to how we navigate life. Failed and broken relationships can be devastating. Strong and healthy relationships can be lifesaving. As vital as relationships are, they are seldom easy. They can be challenging and messy. They require work and attention. Relationships need to be valued, nurtured and protected.

Life moves at the speed of relationships. Are you investing enough in yours?

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…

Growing Up

 

I have always heard that it really is possible to grow up, I just never have met anyone who has really done it.

 

What does it really mean to grow up anyway?  Does it mean to...

Stop acting like a kid?

Be responsible?

Stop having fun?

Take on Debt? Be out of debt?

Act mature? (What is mature?)

Get a job? Keep a job?

 

Growing up is subjective, and it means different things to different people.  I tend to believe that growing up is the sequence of life's events that makes us who we are.  The nature of those events may cause some of us to feel grown up sooner than others.  Those events may cause some people to never really grow up.  For that matter, maybe none of us ever actually grow up.  That may not be all bad.  After all, life is a journey and not a destination.  If we were to all be grown up, what would we have to look forward to?

A Lecture…

 

“Don’t offer a lecture to a person that needs a hug!”

-        Anonymous

We humans can be a bit judgy. Many of us are set in our ways and view the world from only our perspective. We think we have all the answers. The problem is when we feel the need to press our answers onto others. These lectures might be about how others should live their life, who they should date, how to parent, or what they need to tell their boss. Sure, there is a place for these discussions with our friends. Note the use of the word discussion, not lecture. But, oftentimes people just need a sympathetic ear. They need to be listened to, not lectured to. Think about the difference. Big opportunity here for both parents and employers.

Sometimes, friends, employees and kids may actually want to know our thoughts. Other times they may even need to hear our thoughts. But there are also times when we need to keep our mouth shut. Never pass up the opportunity to give someone a hug. It might be all they need.