progress reflections halfway through January

I did my three words.

I’m keeping track of how much water I’m drinking, how often Nancy and I are walking. I’m working on a couple other things.

I’m trying. I’m really trying.

But I spent part of several hours of driving yesterday thinking about my three words and about what has felt like little progress.

I picked up a little thread that Chris Brogan included in “Wiring Yourself for Success.” He shows how to take three words and lay out a plan. As part of the planning process, he says to identify “Distractions to Avoid”.

So yesterday I made a list of distractions or barriers or obstacles for each of my words. I looked for what has been throwing me off track.

For example, I realized that when I am agitated, I snack. Having an open container of Cats Cookies from Trader Joe’s on the car seat next to me makes it very easy, when trying to focus, to take way more than the 16 that make up a serving.

On the other hand, if I have a bag with only 16 and can’t get to the rest, I’ll only eat those sixteen.

This is not, by the way, focusing on failure. It is looking at the places I get off track, identifying what happens, and making changes to avoid those behaviors.

Because, after all, I want to eliminate the distractions that are keeping me from accomplishing what is represented by my three words.

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remembering three words 8 ways

Some of us created lists of three words at the beginning of the year. But how do you remember them? Because it’s Tuesday and February, I figured we could all use a reminder about reminding ourselves.  (See Chris Brogan’s post on three words for 2009 for background.)

1. Create a wordle (wordle.net) of the three words and other words that matter to you. If you type the three words multiple times, they show up bigger. If I were good, I’d provide a wordle tutorial, but I’m not that good. (Besides, there is this issue of focus that I’m working on).

2. Let other people know your three words. They can help you find material or ideas or accountability. For example, I have a guy in Texas feeding me ideas and asking how I’m doing. (Thanks, Tim).

3. Explore your three words regularly. I’m doing it here at the Levite Chronicles. In fact, if you look back through my posts this year, you will find regular links to focus and to deliberate practice. Singing is my own problem and I’m not writing about it.

4.  Find opportunities to talk about your words in other settings. For example, I had the opportunity to do some training. I had my choice of topic. Of course I picked deliberate practice. The more we become our own experts on our own words, the more likely we are to do what we wanted to do.

5. Be willing to change your words. So your three words for the year become your three words for six weeks and then two of them change. Big deal. You are adjusting.

6. Write summaries of your progress. Whether in your blog or in a journal or using a Sharpie on your bathroom mirror, let yourself know that you are working on this list. You’ll be more likely to trust yourself in the future if you are holding yourself accountable to yourself for encouragement as well as criticism.

7. Lighten up.

8. On your calendar for April 22, write “three words review.” That way, after Easter, after spring break, around the equinox, you’ll have a reminder to think through what you are doing.

So, do you remember your three words?

living to deadline

I’ll write quick and then get to my real project for the afternoon. I mean, I have to get an enewsletter written today, but I can do it. I work better under pressure.

That’s what I always say. There is something about the pressure that makes my brain work more creatively. That’s what I always say.  (Of course, it could be the coffee that I’m drinking as I get closer to the deadline). And that feeling of success when I walk to the precipice and then finish…it’s wonderful.

Doesn’t seem to make much difference what the project is. There is just something about getting it done just in time.

If you are nodding right now, I have a question for you, the same question that hit me this morning. Is it possible that you and I have confused the idea of goals with the idea of deadlines? That we have made meeting deadlines our goal?

Confused? Here’s what I mean. Goals are things that you want to accomplish. Goals are levels of performance that we want to achieve. Goals are measurable and specific and achievable and all that stuff. (If you want to be more precise, google “goals”.)

It is possible for some of us to establish as our goal ‘making deadline’. It doesn’t matter what the activity is, we go for the rush of making deadline. The problem with that approach is the first part of the sentence: “It doesn’t matter what the activity.”

In order for us to change the world, even the corner of the world that we are responsible for, our goal should be to do something more than just getting something done. Our goal should be to do the work of our calling, to do work in keeping with our calling. Our goal should be to do measurably better than we are doing now with whatever that is.

Getting done is PART of accomplishing goals. There needs to be a deadline for accountabilty purposes.

But.

I’m afraid that some of may get hooked on the adrenline rush.

Does that make sense? Any of it? I mean, I could probably take the time to explain it better…but I’ve got a deadline to work on.

not much year left

At the beginning of the year, I wrote an 8 ways post about goals and about accomplishing stuff (January 1, 2008) . With a month left in the year, I went back to that post to see what I had said, to see how I was doing.

I realized that the original post is worth reviewing as we get to the end of 2008. There is still time to redeem the time.

1. Ask yourself or your partner in accomplishing life, “list three words for the year.”
Rather than giving you a roadmap, these can give your heart direction for the year. (One of our words for the year is “smaller”, reflecting a desire to live more simply with many fewer purchases.) [This was a great idea, except that I don’t remember all three words. One was “smaller,” one was “simpler,” and one may have been “finish.” I’m hoping it was because this has been a year of finishing some things.]

2. Identify month-long rather than year-long goals.
This year I set a goal for August, for thirty days of posting. It was achievable because it was sustainable. I did the same for Advent. I’m planning it again for Lent. [The lent project turned into a group project, which was great And I’m finishing two months of posting tomorrow. And I’m still working with shorter-term goals. What about you?]

3. Talk next to rather than across from a guy.
Nancy realized that part of our success in walking and talking this year came because we weren’t looking at each other. I’m certainly not opposed to looking at my wife–quite the contrary. However, it is easier to talk while side by side. (The real principle here is that we need to make progress comfortable).

4. If “purposes” or “directions” are more helpful than “goals”, great.
Progress is more important than language.

5. Interact with people.
I’ve been stretched by conversations this year in ways that I never would have imagined at the beginning of the year. I think differently than I did…and so do some of the people that I’ve talked with. And the truth? Our projects may fail or fizzle, but the more we are deepening in relationships, with both other humans and with God, the less significant those projects are. [This has been ever more a year of meeting people and talking with people. And of having to remember how important that is.]

6. Let goals masquerade as things you want to do.
You think, “I want to read that particular book.” Do it. Then you will have read something, grown your world, given yourself something to talk with others about, challenged your thinking, and kept either a library or bookstore in business. (And here are some books to consider…from my “bookstore” or I could loan them to you)

7. Tell other people about what you are wanting to do in as direct or vague a way as you want to be held accountable.
There are a bunch of people who are really tired of hearing that we’ve been walking. The more we talked about it, however, the more we knew we needed to keep going. And as we were at the mall this morning, we noticed a couple we know who have decided to walk at the mall. So we’ll keep talking about walking. [They didn’t keep walking. We have. But I am also sure that we need to tell people our core goals. Or we’ll forget them.]

8. Forget about lists. Just live.
(Although ironically, just living can turn into a whole collection of 8 ways lists.)

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Advent starts on Monday, December 1 (at least my book does). You could make one of your goals to use an advent calendar or book.

My advent ebook is available as a FREE downloadable pdf, advent2008, (Right click on the link to the left and save the file to your computer). Or leave me a comment and I can email it to you. It’s also a digital book on yudu.

8 ways to maybe be sort of successful goalwise.

At the end of 2006, Nancy and I started walking. Together. Around the neighborhood and then around the mall. We kept walking all year long. We know for sure we went more than 600 miles during the year, though we probably went farther.

This morning we started the new year by taking another walk around the mall (or three times around the mall). Unlike most mornings, however, we treated ourselves to a cup of coffee (black) and some additional conversation, trying to list some things we are considering for the year. Out of that conversation and some other thinking, here’s today’s 8 ways list, rooted in the reality that most of us are really good at not being really good at accomplishing goals.

1. Ask yourself or your partner in accomplishing life, “list three words for the year.” Rather than giving you a roadmap, these can give your heart direction for the year.  (One of our words for the year is “smaller”, reflecting a desire to live more simply with many fewer purchases.)

2. Identify month-long rather than year-long goals.
This year I set a goal for August, for thirty days of posting. It was achievable because it was sustainable. I did the same for Advent. I’m planning it again for Lent.

3. Talk next to rather than across from a guy.
Nancy realized that part of our success in walking and talking this year came because we weren’t looking at each other. I’m certainly not opposed to looking at my wife–quite the contrary. However, it is easier to talk while side by side. (The real principle here is that we need to make progress comfortable).

4. If “purposes” or “directions” are more helpful than “goals”, great. Progress is more important than language.

5. Interact with people.
I’ve been stretched by conversations this year in ways that I never would have imagined at the beginning of the year. I think differently than I did…and so do some of the people that I’ve talked with. And the truth? Our projects may fail or fizzle, but the more we are deepening in relationships, with both other humans and with God, the less significant those projects are.

6. Let goals masquerade as things you want to do.
You think, “I want to read that particular book.” Do it. Then you will have read something, grown your world, given yourself something to talk with others about, challenged your thinking, and kept either a library or bookstore in business.  (And here are some books to consider…from my “bookstore” or I could loan them to you)

7. Tell other people about what you are wanting to do in as direct or vague a way as you want to be held accountable.
There are a bunch of people who are really tired of hearing that we’ve been walking. The more we talked about it, however, the more we knew we needed to keep going. And as we were at the mall this morning, we noticed a couple we know who have decided to walk at the mall.  So we’ll keep talking about walking.

8. Forget about lists. Just live.
(Although ironically, just living can turn into a whole collection of 8 ways lists.)

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For more 8 ways…

To recycle a month
To cross-pollinate your world
To fall off a horse
To audit my (spiritual) time
To waste the month
To waste your blogging time
To ruin your day
To be thanked
To increase your stress
To explain 2.0 friends to 0.0 parents
To lose your faith
To make yourself angry
To make yourself jealous
To make yourself depressed
To ruin your marriage

Subscribe to this blog for free by clicking here.

8 ways to look ahead.

Shiloh is a quiet dog. I almost wrote “quiet and thoughtful” but I have no clue what is happening in his head. At one of the four holiday gatherings at our house, Shiloh spent some time reflecting on the year behind, gazing at coffee and my lifesigns series.

That kind of looking back and looking ahead is all the rage among humans right now. I’m not ready to do my own goal setting yet, but I’m ready to suggest some words to think about.

Compared to last year or to my life so far or to lives around me that I think have been misguided or to lives around me that are well-lived, what do I want to do:

1. More. More often, more intentionally, more consistently.

2. Less. Less often, less reactively, with less intensity, with less (fewer) people.

3. Better. You know what better means for you. What do you want to do better?

4. Worse. What are you, what am I, willing to be worse at…if it will buy space for what is better? Do I want to be a worse packrat? Do I want to be a worse daily blogger?

5. Faster. What could I do faster that would create more time?
6 Slower. What could I do slower that would create more relationship?
7. Thoughtfully. What do I need to actually stop and think about? And how can I plan for that? (Gift-giving, for example)

8. Impulsively. What do I need to release from planning and strategizing?

I’ll get around to goals, maybe after the first of the year. I think that I probably want to be more thoughtful than impulsive there. But…maybe not.

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For more 8 ways…

To recycle a month
To cross-pollinate your world
To fall off a horse
To audit my (spiritual) time
To waste the month
To waste your blogging time
To ruin your day
To be thanked
To increase your stress
To explain 2.0 friends to 0.0 parents
To lose your faith
To make yourself angry
To make yourself jealous
To make yourself depressed
To ruin your marriage

Subscribe to this blog for free by clicking here.

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