“Approach every task as though it were the moment that will define you.”

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Barry

“Approach every task as though it were the moment that will define you.”

—Jol Dantzig, one of the founders of Hamer Guitars

Image from dantzig.com

What’s your brand? How do you represent yourself to the world through your various efforts?

Jol Dantzig designs and builds guitars. Over the course of his career, he has designed instruments for many of the biggest names in music including John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles, three of the Rolling Stones, and members of the Pretenders, Def Leppard, and the Police.

His famous orange five-neck guitar—built in 1981 for Rick Nielsen of the band Cheap Trick—was exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Art, and some of his other designs have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute.

EXERCISE:

What are some of your most important tasks? How can and will you more fully express your very best work at this moment to make the impact you desire?

A place to start may be to examine how pleased you are with your efforts. Seeking constructive feedback from trusted friends, colleagues, and family before you deliver can also help you stay on brand and provide remarkable, defining work.

Let us keep our silent sanctuaries, for in them the eternal perspectives are preserved

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Barry

“Let us keep our silent sanctuaries, for in them the eternal perspectives are preserved.”

—Etienne Pivert de Senancour, 19th Century French essayist and philosopher

Image from Unsplash by David Edelstein

Where do you go to do a little soul searching? Where are the silent sanctuaries in which you can reflect on the most important aspects of your life? How often and how much time do you commit to these inner journeys?

Our new home in Pennsylvania has a loft that, with a set of two doors closed, provides for the silence and solitude I seek to do some of my most valuable reflective work. I’ve also found that walking in the very early morning hours makes most places a silent sanctuary to examine one’s eternal perspectives.

EXERCISE:

What are some of your own silence-seeking strategies and tactics that you preserve and protect to recharge and do your most important work? Please reply to this post with the approaches that work best for you.

A penny will hide the biggest star in the universe

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Barry

“A penny will hide the biggest star in the universe if you hold it close enough to your eye.”

—Samuel Grafton, 20th Century American Journalist

Image from Unsplash by Daniil Kuželev

We all experience hyper-focus from time to time. Some top priority grabs our complete attention and the rest of the world just disappears.

What are the benefits and costs to you personally and professionally in such situations? What is one such priority that comes to mind today or in the recent past where this was an opportunity or an issue?

EXERCISE:

Where in your life is keeping things too close blocking your view of other stars that need your attention?

“How will you take time for yourself today?”

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Barry

“How will you take time for yourself today?”

Calm app “Reflection”

Image from Unsplash by insung yoon

Notice the flow of time throughout your day. How rushed, excited, or perhaps bored do you feel?

There are so many possibilities in each moment if we look closely.
Some questions I’ve asked myself this past year include:

What have I done to grow myself mentally, physically, and spiritually?
What have I discovered about the process of aging?
Who are the people and what activities help me remain positive and enthusiastic about my life?

EXERCISE:

Consider these questions and make up a few of your own to discuss with close friends, family members, and colleagues to gain their perspectives.

If you are interested in a free copy of my Time Management Strategies and Tactics workbook, please reply to this post and I will happily send you a PDF copy.

Friday Review: Achievements

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Barry

FRIDAY REVIEW: ACHIEVEMENTS

How do you define “achievement”? Here are a few Achievement-related posts you may have missed.

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little extra.”

“Teamwork is the ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”

“How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them!”

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Barry

“How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them!”

—Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father of the United States

Image from Unsplash by Adi Goldstein

We can all be a bit judgmental and critical from time to time. When things appear wrong with the world in general or specifically with others in our various communities, it is pretty easy to point the finger at the mistakes and shortcomings we observe.

It is natural to hold our observation up against our own beliefs and values and see those that do not align as bad and wrong.

Most of us, on the other hand, do not look at ourselves with a lens of complete objectivity to see our own shortcomings and faults as worthy of our best efforts to mend them.

EXERCISE:

The next time you point your finger in the direction of the faults of others, consider that there are three fingers in your palm pointing right back at you.

What is one fault that you are resolute to mend in the days and weeks ahead?

“Energy creates energy. It is by spending myself that I become rich.”

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Barry

“Energy creates energy. It is by spending myself that I become rich.”

—Sarah Bernhardt, 20th Century French stage actress

Image from Unsplash by Sharon McCutcheon

How do you plan to spend your day? How did you spend yesterday? How energetic have you been feeling lately?

I like the idea that through the act of spending we can actually become rich. If the adage “It takes money to make money” has truth behind it, perhaps to spend our energies wisely and actively we can create a life of greater abundance and good fortune as well.

A good place to begin may be with our awareness of our level of vitality and to augment our strategies to both store and release our energies with greater intention and generosity.

EXERCISE:

Take some time today to examine your current approaches to nutrition, exercise, and rest as three places to look to augment and maximize your energy levels. A resource I recommend often is Chris Johnson’s book On Target Living. Please reply to this post on how you plan to pursue a richer more energetic life.

”Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves.”

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Barry

”Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves.”

—Laura Esquivel, Mexican novelist, screenwriter and politician

Image from Unsplash by Georg Eiermann

Just like a single hand is unable to clap without another, we all need assistance from time to time to have our inner spark ignite and keep burning.

Consider your relationships with close friends, parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, and other individuals. How have they sparked ideas and helped you stay motivated and in action to see things through?

Most images of match boxes show only a limited number of matches inside, with somewhere between 20 and 32 matches. I did, however, find a jumbo box with a count of 300 and numerous multi box options!

EXERCISE:

How many matches have you used so far? How many are left? Who are the current individuals who partner with you so that you can burn brightly and perhaps shed light on others? Where and with whom are you the flint to help others spark their unique gifts and talent?