Move Your Desk

You may be the spontaneous type. Always available to go try out something new and looking forward to the interruption.

This isn’t me. I’m a planner. I love to plan and feel like I’m moving forward toward my aspirations.

Yet, even with the greatest of plans things don’t go the way I thought they would.

In fact, most of life involves interruptions to plans.

Does this mean you shouldn’t plan? No. It’s still important. Planning requires using the focused, decision-making part of the brain.

But, just as important as planning may be the ability to know when to step away from the plan.

Be open to the opportunities that disrupt the plan. And, notice what you can experience and learn in these moments.

If you are spontaneous, you may benefit from more planning practice.

If you aren't, this can be a time for allowing more spontaneity. Allowing changes of plans can often result in further insights and experiences that… help you find and offer up your best work.

I've had a song in my head all month. It's from The Sound of Music.

The funny thing is that it is called "My Favorite Things" and most of the favorite things mentioned don't resonate with me. But, I like the idea of it.

The song also mentioned the hard stuff that happens - when the dog bites, when the bee stings, and when I'm feeling bad kind of hard things.

For me, it's provided some reflection on my favorite things. It's shown me that some things that are hard, I actually do love because they have brought me goodness.

Wrapped into this conversation are thoughts about abundant thinking, wanting what you have, and being grateful.

It's relevant to talk about these topics all year round, but especially important at a time of year where many of us decide to be purposeful in our gratitude.

Tune in to hear me talk about some of my favorite things. Not because mine are interesting, but perhaps by hearing them you will identify your own.

After listening to this, I am surprised at how many of my favorite things I didn't mention. And, that's ok. It shows that our own reflections can trigger more insights and gratitude if we take time to speak them or write them out.

When the United States Navy defeated the British Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie, the Master Commandant Oliver Perry penned this now famous line to Major General William Henry Harrison, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

This was in 1812, but on a daily basis there are moments where you come to a new awareness that you may be an unwitting accomplice to a problem.

My experiences may not be as strategic or life-threatening as those experienced in the great lakes during the War of 1812. But, the insights from the day-to-day interactions can influence how and and why to move forward in a new direction in your work and how you show up in the world.

Tune in to find out how I discovered that I was part of the root cause of a problem at home and work. And, decided to change because of it.

Trying new things is an important way to build your skillset and knowledge.

It can get messy and bring up insecurities and confusion as the new insights mix with the old knowledge and you are caught figuring out how to keep, discard, and build upon it all.

Still, you can get to a point where your confidence is greater than 7our capabilities. And, then error on thinking expertise means that you somehow have a corner on the market of being incapable of making big mistakes or can avoid the process of experimentation and practice.

It's a mental balancing act for sure. But, don't let that stop you from trying new things, building confidence, making mistakes, and deciding what to ultimately keep pursuing within the constraints of the time available.

In project management, part of setting up a project requires determining the scope - what you are seeking to accomplish and what you are not. It's like setting boundaries for yourself based upon the objectives, the time you have to allocate to the effort, and the money you are willing to spend.

As I've thought about scope this week, I'm reminded that scope is not so black and white and clear cut. There's always some wiggle room. And, it's good to have a little wiggle room to exploit opportunities as they arise and to give ourselves a chance to surprise and delight those that will be a recipients of the project or work outcome.

So, this is a reflection on some thoughts that have come up this week. Thoughts about checklists, the nuances of carrying out work by yourself and how it changes when other people enter the mix.

Of course, some people have the issues of always piling on ideas and expectations that are well beyond the basic requirements to any form or work or project. Others us would do well of thinking about the possibilities of adding additional value within the baseline expectation of a project.

Either way, I hope it is a reminder to do what you say you will do, but leave a little space to give something extra.

Are you curious enough to find out how to do better work?

This past week I've had interactions at the library, at the gym, and in an online course that caused me to stop and reflect on my motivations, my talents, and my willingness to keep working through the obstacles.

We've all been given a different set of circumstances, obstacles, and challenges.

You may think you are at a disadvantage, but there is always an example of someone that is pushing through it all.

Why not you?

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing?

The picture associated with this podcast episode shows exactly where I was standing on September 11, 2001 at 9:37 a.m. This picture was taken approximately between 9:45 a.m. - 9:59 a.m. because at first there was no smoke.

I'm one of the lucky ones.

I was supposed to be walking on the sidewalk right at the Pentagon crash site at that moment, but I was delayed about 15 minutes when I turned on the tv to see what all the commotion was about in New York.

My life was spared. Others lives were not.

Some years I don't spend more than a minute thinking about that day.

This year is not one of them. Against my desire, it suddenly hit me that I wanted to delve into some of the memories and emotions of that day and the year that followed (e.g. remember the anthrax attacks and then the snipper all part of the Washington DC experience in 2001 - 2002).

This episode was recorded spur of the moment this week after I read an old journal entry and blogpost that I decided to share. And, I tuned in to watch a funeral of a family friend that worked very hard a a dispatcher these past few years which somehow brought to the forefront gratitude and emotions surrounding those that are constantly seeking to protect, serve, and help all the rest of us on a daily basis.

As I share in this episode, in the 30 minutes before the Pentagon was hit I had an overwhelming feeling that I would remember that day for the rest of my life.

Twenty years later, that feeling continues to prove true.

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Do you manage projects?

Yes.

Regardless of whether you think you do or you don't, you most likely use some of the project management principles and skills to accomplish things at work or in your personal life.

There are well known frameworks related to managing projects. I'm not going to cover it all here. But, I do believe that anyone that wants to accomplish personal goals, work performance outcomes, or anything else in life... can benefit from learning more about project management.

Just a few thoughts about it today, and certainly more to come as I embark on a new adventure teaching an introduction to project management course this week.

You are strong and capable in so many areas. And, not so much in other ways.

It's ok.

Some weaknesses you'll want to keep, because you aren't interested in working on them. And, others are great at filling in those gaps for you.

Some weaknesses you'll want to work on in some ways - changing something about yourself or changing something about your situation.

Not sure what your weaknesses are?

Try new jobs or neighborhoods, explore different places, spend time with family. The weaknesses will make themselves known.

And, you get to decide what to do with what you discover.

Are you hustling for the quick buck today at the expense of offering up your best work?

Yes? No? Kind of?

As you transition into the career or business of your dreams, there will be trade offs to consider. It may require pulling in some money today to meet your basic needs while making sure to prioritize daily habits that will ultimately lead you to what you really want.

This is just a reminder to be aware and deliberate as you make these trade offs. If you get into the habit of grabbing the quick reward today, you may never get around to offering up the work you actually desire.

Pay attention, make decisions, and trust that sticking to your priorities and vision will ultimately payoff.