Focused

A wise man once said,

“Schedules are meaningless if they are notfilled with what’s truly meaningful”.

Actually, that wise man was Joe, my longtime friendand co-founder of Llama Leadership. While we often trade jabs and joke witheach other over just about anything and everything, this quote hit a nerve withme…in a good way.

You see, I suffer from a condition called opportunitis.And as I draft this article, I see a red squiggly line that lets me know thatit’s not a real word (don’t worry, you won’t see it and will probably assume atfirst, that I have a strong vocabulary). To better describe my condition; I lovedoing “stuff”. I love being a part of committees, special projects, events, andimportant meetings. I say yes to just about every opportunity to lead,follow, facilitate, and/or participate in anything that sounds exciting,hi-vis, shiny, and new.

To be honest, I do well with a lot on my plate and Ithink my ADHD-like personality (not officially diagnosed by the way) is acompliment to that. Over the course of several years of fine tuning andtweaking my scheduling, I’ve developed a successful formula. I do well withcompartmentalizing my day, focusing on one thing at a time. Working on tasks inshort bursts, switching gears, and then moving on to something else. In thisway I’m able to balance multiple projects at the same time.

But here’s where the problem lies. At times I’vefound myself focusing so much on projects, and events, and activities, thatI’ve left little left of myself for things that are critically important to mypersonal wellbeing and growth. I’ve come home grumpy, and downrightdrained. While those “opportunities” I spoke of often provide a great deal ofshort-term happiness, I have come to realized there are more important thingsin life I should put first; Faith and Family.

For as long as I can remember, spirituality has been alarge part of my life. However, the last couple of years I’ve become morefocused on working on my faith and beliefs. As part of this journey, here’swhat I’ve learned. When I start and finish my day with God in the forefront;through prayer, devotion, and Bible study, my day seems to just be better.I have better clarity, am able make better decisions, and I’ve noticed that myattitude is more positive. The Bible is loaded with great lessons onleadership, followership, stewardship, gratitude, and personal discipline,which have all contributed to a more meaningful and happier life.

A result of the increased focus on my faith, strongerfamily bonds have developed. As a family we pray together, worship together,and grow in faith together. Sharing this time creates better communication andunderstanding. It allows my sons to see the example I set for them on how totreat others and serve our community. Just as importantly, they arelearning respect, discipline, and caring for others.

Over the past few years I’ve learned to focus onwhat’s important. I’ve worked in industries and for organizations where working12 to 16-hour days was a badge of honor. Where leaders would one-up each otherover how late they stayed behind at the office. While, I know there will alwaysbe times when things come up, and we do what we need to do to get the job done,I can’t help but to think about all the time I spent wasted on things thatturned out to be meaningless from a big picture standpoint. In this focuson what’s important I’m learning that it’s critical to do a few things in orderto help refocus on the priorities in my life:

Declutter Your Activities: Defer,Delegate, or Delete. Evaluate those things you absolutely don’t have timefor. While an opportunity may seem exciting and lucrative, you need to behonest about your ability to fully commit to it. If you cannot, defer it to apeer, delegate to an employee/staff member, or delete it and just say noaltogether.

Declutter Your Routine:Own your schedule, identify your priorities, and get into a rhythm. You’ll findthat getting to a work/life rhythm will result in becoming more efficient andenergized. Be sure to build whitespace into your schedule. Use this time toplay catch up on outstanding tasks or to get a head start on other work. Doyour best to not let this time be invaded by activities that are simplyunimportant or that you cannot fully commit to.

Declutter Your Mind:Pray, meditate, journal. Allow yourself some time to clear your mind and focuson yourself. Limit what you let in. I your intent is to give your mind areprise, scrolling through social media or watching the news will only counterthat intent.

Declutter Your Priorities:Identify what’s truly important to you. Then determine if your currentbehaviors contradict or support you in these areas. If your current routinedoesn’t include or allow you to fit in time to focus on these, ask yourselfwhat changes need to be made to allow you focus on a fulfilling life.

Editor’s Note:  W. Scott Greene is the co-founder of LlamaLeadership, an Air Force veteran, adjunct college professor, and leadsworkforce and organizational development programs for a non-profit agency inSouth Texas.