Saturday, August 6, 2011

How Long is your "To Do" List?

Good Morning!

Upon rising this morning...I mentally went over what I wanted to accomplish today...the Weekend Update seemed really low on my list...

I also reflected on what success observation I should share this week...and felt that I had nothing meaningful of of value...

My "To Do" list seemed so long....that I had initially decided not to write an update...

It is a good thing that I have made "second guessing" my decisions a part of my thought process...

"Second guessing" is not (as some superficial psychologists would have you believe) an indicator of a lack of self-confidence...

It is a critical step in the decision-making process that should never be circumvented!

It is Cause/Effect/Impact ...an exercise of WISDOM...

It is our Quantum Obligation!

I almost missed a great opportunity because I had convinced myself that I had things much more important to do than write an update today...

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A Great Injustice

Before I go any deeper into the prior thoughts...I want to point out a great injustice that has been done to aspiring leaders...

Cutting to the chase...It is the belief that successful people and great leaders make decisions and with stubborn resolve make them happen...

Just from a random perspective...that behavior is wrong 50% of the time!  It is pure chance!

My advice...stop lauding those who do that...stop admiring people who do that!

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More on Second Guessing

Please do not misinterpret me..."second guessing" can also be a detriment too...

This is easy to identify...with the answer to this question...

"Is your "second guessing" slowing your action?"

If yes...you may be proving the superficial psychologists correct...

You may be lacking self-confidence...or...

It may itself mean that it is not time to act!

Think about that...If you cannot act with a STRONG confidence...you may lack sufficient information to do so...and that specific behavior is not your top priority!

Two different insights from that same event!

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How does this relate to Quantum Obligation?

Those who have committed to and follow the Quantum Obligation hold that they must strive to leave every moment better for their having been a participant...

In other words...they have added value...rather than drained from the moment!

Of equal importance...is the choice of which moments you choose to participate in!

YOUR "TO DO" LIST!

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How long is your "to do" list?

My was and remains VERY long!

I realize that it is however my starting point...

It contains items that:

  • I must do...
  • I should do...
  • I want to do...
  • I shouldn't do...because I am wrong!

What I realized is that...if I possessed infinite abilities...my "to do" list would take on a different meaning...

But since I am finite and most of the things on my actual or perceived list...are of little or no importance...or within my ability to truly affect...my list gets significantly shorter!

How short?

It actually becomes a "list of one" at any given time!

WHAT?

It is true...

We deceive ourselves that our list contains things of equal importance...this is not true!

There is one and only one thing that we should be doing at any given time!

Do not think yourself so important that you have multiple things you need to be doing!

For some of us...the "big" list contains things that we can not really affect...

Activities in which our efforts will add no real value!

Others that are not properly timed...and can be done later...

As we chop at the list...we can get it down to a single event...

At that point...our Quantum Obligation "kicks in"

Know what to do...and DO YOUR BEST!

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A List of One!

Although this is the most controversial aspect of Quantum Obligation and "to do" lists...it is important to point it out...

Much of life is loaded with random and meaningless "stuff" that diverts our attention and activity from the real meaningful things...

When you can get that "to do" list down to that single item...you have arrived...

How long is your "to do" list?

If it contains more than one item...you are not there yet!

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High School Wisdom!

This takes me back to a memory of a framed quote that hung in the office of the principal in my high school...

It would pay for you to look it up on the Internet and read it in its entirety...

The lines that are indelibly etched within my mind...

Credit is given to the philosopher and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and is called the Serenity Prayer...

It says in part...

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference...



This is the beginning part of our Quantum Obligation...to get our "to do" list down to a "list of one!"


There is a poem that parallels Neibuhr's prayer...


It is by W.W. Bartley 



For every ailment under the sun
There is a remedy, or there is none;
If there be one, try to find it;
If there be none, never mind it.


Understanding life from this perspective...makes it so much more meaningful and effective...

It will take you one step closer to your destination on your success journey...

Enough said!

Pura Vida my friends...

Keep the list...but make it realistic!

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