Where do you go to seek clarity? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“You don’t need clarity on the rest of your life, just on what’s next in your life.”
Sometimes just stopping makes space for something new to show up.
“Before picking up the phone, pause for a moment and think about the purpose of the call.”
Image from Unsplash by Chase Baker
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is one of my all-time favorite books.
I’ve read it numerous times over the years and even participated in several workshops and seminars based on its wisdom.
For some unknown reason I can’t recall ever seeing today’s quote.
The idea that our habits can be created and strengthened at the intersection of our knowledge, skills, and desires really hits home!
EXERCISE:
Draw a Venn Diagram with three overlapping circles to include each of these attributes.
Place the word Habit where the circles intersect and consider displaying this visual in an area you visit often to foster your capacities to create and strengthen the habits you most desire.
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When was the last time you took a road trip?
On most trips, especially the long ones, I always fill up the tank and check the tires and fluids before we depart.
Given today’s quote, ambition seems similar to having a map and only having a few gallons of fuel to get going. Persistence is the knowledge and ability to fill up and refuel along the way to make sure you get you where you’re going.
EXERCISE:
What are all the necessary ingredients to your personal and professional success journeys?
How have your ambitions and persistence contributed to getting you where you wanted to go?
—Stephen St. Amant, author of the Savenwood Blog
Image from Unsplash by Marcel Fagin
New babies are a gift to the world.
The miracle of their birth is a chance to celebrate with family and friends and each new aspect of growth and development is a joy to behold.
The workload of raising children can sometimes become heavy, and our initial delight can shift to feel like a burden rather than a gift.
It’s in these times we need to be more patient and look extra hard for what lies below the surface.
As our little ones grow, we grow with them and our collective contribution to the world beyond can benefit our communities in wondrous ways.
EXERCISE:
How and in what ways have you touched the lives of children over the years?
How else has your own life been a gift to the world?
Image from Unsplash by Celpax
How do you determine if you are having a good day?
In what ways do you measure your areas of progress and success?
What factors must be met for just surviving versus thriving?
In his book Drive, Daniel Pink points out three areas to consider to experience that “get up and go” that drive us forward in life. They are:
EXERCISE:
To what degree do your days include these factors?
What steps can and do you take to grow and expand your autonomy, mastery, and sense of purpose in order to feel the drive to get up and start each new day?
Consider your career thus far. Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.”
“To set the world on fire, warm up to your job.”
Image from Unsplash by Francisco De Legarreta C.
Today’s quote contains three separate nuggets of coaching:
EXERCISE:
How frequently do you stretch yourself to try new things that may or may not work?
How caring and compassionate are you with yourself when you fail or make mistakes?
How do you capture and keep the lessons learned to limit or prevent yourself from making similar mistakes in the future?
Image from Unsplash by Caleb Fisher
What qualities and character traits do you associate with Abraham Lincoln?
What pops in my mind is the moniker “Honest Abe.” A close second is his focus on serving others, and his considerable humility when it came to serving himself.
If you follow the work of Jim Collins, Abe would be considered a level 5 leader. Collins’ work and extensive research focused on making organizations that were built to last, and what it took to have them go From Good to Great.
EXERCISE:
How does today’s quote reflect your views of yourself and the world around you?
How can Lincoln’s words serve as a guide for all of us as we step into each new day?
Image from Unsplash by Patrick Tomasso
Today’s quote takes me back to grade school. Back then, we had hefty textbooks to lug around from class to class.
I specifically remember the math books. What made them different from the rest was that they had an answer key in the back to check our work. They usually contained only half the answers, and we were left to work out the rest on our own.
In life, many of us wait too long to discover the answers to the problems we experience along the way.
There is no answer key even at the end of many years with the right answers. The only thing we often find there is regret.
EXERCISE:
As you turn the pages of your life, how can you trust the answer keys of your head, heart and gut to come up with many more of the right answers for you?
Image from Unsplash by Jeffery Workman
What is your average attention span? How many minutes or even seconds can you maintain your ability to concentrate and remain focused on a specific activity or train of thought?
When was the last time you saw a waterfall? Beyond the water cascading over the edge, how often did you follow it long enough to see the splash below? For many of us, our focus stops there, and our attention reverts back to where the action is.
EXERCISE:
How often do you find yourself distracted and pulled away from people and things that require prolonged attention and focus?
How can you exercise and practice extending your attention to build and strengthen your mental muscles?