We all know the value of margin in our lives. We use the latest and greatest productivity tools to buy back maybe 30 minutes each day of additional time only to waste it watching too much Sports Center. Sleep is really a bid deal and we should value it more according to Michael Hyatt:
“Ive been thinking a lot about sleep recently. Most research shows that we don’t get enough, and our deficit is seriously hurting our productivity, our physical health, even our mental well being.”
One of the hardest things we do as Christians is share our faith. It becomes extremely challenging at times when we try to do it at work. For that reason alone and because of all our other fears we just by default don’t do it at all. The front lines of the gospel have moved from the churches we attend to the places where we work and this post by Greg Gilbert is incredibly helpful:
“God has entrusted to you the message of reconciliation, the good news that Jesus reconciles rebels to God. That’s as true from 9-5 Monday through Friday as it is for any other hour of your life.”
There is no doubt that every generation faces its own unique set of issues that must be dealt with in a different way. However, the core issue of how to respond to peer pressure has been a dominant right of passage for every generation. This is where parents need to lead instead of just reacting. Mark Merrill has some helpful insight:
“Every child faces peer pressure. I faced it, my five kids faced it, and their kids will face it too. That pressure can be positive or negative.”
I have probably tried more crazy ideas over the years to try to improve my performance than I can even remember. Most of them were fads of the moment and never produced any lasting change. I have found though the repeated use of less than a handful of daily disciplines has proven to be the foundation of any lasting momentum. John Maxwell has a list that you need to read:
“Everyone wants to be thin, but no one wants to diet. Everybody wants money, but not many people want to work long hours or to follow a budget. Lots of people would like a nice yard or garden, but few want to pull weeds.”
We spend so much of our emotional energy thinking about the mistakes of the past or worrying about the fears of the future that we routinely miss the gift of today. I am convinced that our personal and professional success is bound up in the whole idea of maximizing each and every day. David Hoyt has an excellent post on how he does this in his life:
“In just 2.5 weeks I turn 40. As I enter a new decade one of the areas where I’m working on being more intentional is in my daily reflection. The older I get the greater level of accountability I feel to steward my time wisely. No matter your age we all have a finite number of “todays” that we get to experience.”
Work and life balance is a hard thing to come by these days. The reality is that we bring our work home too much and we know it. On the other hand we must all remember that we bring our home to work as well. Personal productivity demands we are being successful in both areas. Casey Graham has some practical suggestions:
“We just conducted a survey with over 100 small business owners & asked them some open ended questions about their biggest challenge in business. About 1/3 of the responses had to do with the issue of balancing business & having enough time to do everything.”
There is not a week that goes by that at some point in time I don’t feel stuck. Sometimes this can build up to the point of a total loss of momentum and even discouragement. Thats whey its so important to have some clearly defined steps that you can take that have worked in the past. I love everything Brad Lomenick writes and this one is near the top:
“Sometimes we just feel stuck. Not that anything is really wrong, but more the sense that we’re not going anywhere. That place where you sense that things are okay, but not great. Where it seems like you are just going through the motions. Dependable and reliable, yes. Consistent, absolutely”
For the most part the majority of us are not good listeners. How many times do we already start thinking about what we should say before someone else is finished talking? We all drift off in meetings and hope we don’t get caught surfing on our smart phones. The ultimate failure is when we don’t listen to the people that matter most. Mark Merrill has some things we men need to hear:
Okay, men. You get home from work, walk in the door, and your wife starts talking about her day. Frustrations with her boss at work, her lunch with a friend, and challenges with a child are the first things she shares.”
I hear it said all the time there is good stress and bad stress. I have to admit I have not reached the point where I appreciate the good type because of being overwhelmed by the bad. This post by John Maxwell was a helpful reminder of the value of stress in helping us as leaders grow and become more effective:
“To live stress-free would be to deny our responsibility as leaders. Stress accompanies growth. We have to accept that all worthwhile change, every amazing transformation and renewal, brings about temporary stress.
For example, think about an expectant mother.”
I love the next and coolest new leadership idea. I find myself looking at how I can improve myself for the future. Many times the answer to that challenge lies in the lessons learned in the past. This perspective that allows us to learn from our mistakes and yet still have the passion for the future is called wisdom. Ron Edmondson had a great experience with someone who has a lot to say:
“And, as a result, he has tremendous influence and a very comfortable lifestyle. He’s a straight, candid talker. In spite of his success, he was exceptionally approachable and genuinely seemed to be a kind-hearted man.”