Mastering the Ability To Do More
Do you know someone who is able to accomplish 150% more than the average person? How about someone can do this and still maintain his or her composure when the "soup hits the fan"? I'll bet you do – and if you're like me, you want to know the secret to this ability.
I have a friend who excels at everything he tries. A father of three, he holds a senior position in a national organization; he's a marathon runner who frequents Boston (that means he's fast); he writes a dynamic blog (which unfortunately I cannot link to because it's internal to the company); and I'm pretty certain he broke a record for becoming fluent in a second language a couple of years ago. Yet with all of his responsibilities and accomplished goals, he somehow has the ability to make time to help others.
Right now, Lorne has even more on his plate than usual. And you know what, he still seems calm and on top of it all. And he still made time last week to offer me advice and to listen to my cold-medicated rambling about why this rowing thing is important to me.
So what is his secret? Well I think there are a number of elements to mastering the ability to do more – and Lorne told me one very big one.
Focus on what is important.
This statement may seem obvious, but for many of us, it's something we know but often something we don't put into practice. For example, many times I've slipped into mindless activities such as surfing the internet instead of working on additional ways to raise more money towards my goal of $40 000. I either have excuses for wasting time, or don't even realize what I'm doing.
Now, how many times do I do this type of behaviour in my day? Doing the habitual, reactive things instead of maintaining clarity and honing in on what is important? I've caught myself in the email trap at work, and in spending too much time on things that do not make the biggest impact. If I focus on what is truly important, I could probably cut my to-do list in half, or maybe even change it completely. And become more effective.
I've also lost focus at times in other areas, but am working on correcting that. A few weeks ago, I made a scheduling change in my training plan in order to spend more time with my husband. That was a very good decision.
Being sick a lot this past month has made me really think hard about how to make the most of what I have, in terms of energy and time. I had to adjust my training plan and my expectations to accommodate being unable to row, or do much of anything at times. What absolutely had to get done? What have been the most important things to focus on? All the rest can wait.
(No rowing has been done since last Monday; my sinus-cold turned into another flu which hit both hubby and I this weekend. I hope to try the machine tomorrow, and will take it easy – I am still 3 weeks ahead of schedule for distance, so there is no need to fret.)
vv
