Posts Tagged ‘Goals’

2013 Goals Update – May 16

Posted: May 16, 2013 in Goals
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Progress ReportIn my first post for the year on January 1, I shared 11 goals divided into the categories of body, mind and spirit.  I review my progress here monthly to help hold me accountable.  I have some good news and some bad news on my goals for 2013 to date.  The good news is that I’m well ahead or on target for several of them.  The bad news is that I’m woefully behind on a couple and it will take quite a bit of time to catch up.  Catching up is possible, especially since I’m now in a stretch of three weeks I’m (mostly) taking off from work with more time daily to devote to them, so I’m hopeful that my report next month looks better.  Here are the details…

Goals related to body:

1. Keep my weight at or below 150 pounds.  All continues to be well on this one.  I still weigh in daily, and that weigh-in determines what and how much I eat as well as influencing physical activity for the day.  I look forward to the 1-year anniversary of reaching my target weight July 26.

2. Walk/jog/run a total of 10,000 steps per day three days per week. I’m way ahead of schedule on this one, having done it enough days to already be in the month of July ticking them off a calendar.  With our company’s annual 100 Day Dash starting June 3 where my goal is to average 10,000 steps per day for 100 days, I’ll easily pass the goal for the year by the end of that Dash in September.

3. Average at least six hours of sleep per night.  I still don’t record numbers here, but more nights than not when I set my alarm and lay down, it’s for more than six hours from the time I’m going to bed.  I’m enjoying a little extra time in bed during these weeks off in May.

Goals related to mind:

1. Read a book every other week.  I am more behind on this goal than any other.  I’m a few dozen pages away from completing book #5 for the year.  By this time, I should already be in book #10.  I have some work to do!

2. Blog every other day (at least).  I’ve posted 59 blog posts this year, but an every-other-day schedule would have me at 68 already, so I need some daily ones in this time off to reach the goal.

3. Continue to follow My 3 Words: Ground, Stretch, Reflect.  Same as reported last time, this one still sneaks up on me because of not blogging every day like I did in 2012.  Nightly blogging provided a built-in time for this reflection.  Without that, I’m missing it too many nights.  I still think through the sequence on days I blog to see what is worth writing about, but other days I tend to forget about the framework even though I may still do two of the three instinctively every day.

4. Double the blog’s readership from 10,000 views in 2012 to 20,000.  I’m running 20% ahead of schedule on this one and will pass last year’s total readership either this month or next.  Many thanks to all of you for making that happen!

5. Continue to write hand-written letters to my sons.  As reported before, this is only done a couple of times a year, so having done it last in December, it will be this summer before I do it again.  Time to start making notes on what the focus of these next ones should be for each son.

Goals related to spirit:

1. Finish reading the ESV Study Bible and read half of The Apologetics Study Bible.  I am a month behind on this goal.  My time off this month is allowing me the luxury of peace and quiet at home to do more reading, so the report on this next month should be much improved.

2. Review 100 Bible memory verses weekly.  So far, so good. This takes less than an hour weekly, so it’s easy to stay current.

3. Come to some resolution to an unsettled situation where I worship.  Completed in January.

Life has been a little weird around our house the last six weeks.  My wife just had her second knee replacement surgery since early April, so our schedules are anything but normal.  I learned from the first one that I can’t keep a regular work and personal routine going with her in the hospital and rehab and then needing more help than normal around the house.  That’s a large part of why I’m taking off so many days from work now through the end of the month.  I needed to take some time off, anyway, for a breather and to work on some of the above matters that are very important to me.

So that’s how I’m doing on my goals after the first 4+ months of 2013.  What about you?  How are you doing on your goals for the year?

2013 Goals Update – April 6

Posted: April 6, 2013 in Goals
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With Progress Report2013 now 1/4 complete, it’s time to report on how I’m doing with the many goals I set for the year.  My first post for 2013 on January 1 is where I shared 11 goals divided into the categories of body, mind and spirit.  Reporting on my progress here helps hold me accountable, so that’s why I’m doing these monthly updates.

There’s good news and bad news on the goals front this month.  The good news is that I’m still doing well on some of them.  The bad news is that I’m more behind on others now than I was a month ago.  One big reason why I’m more behind than expected is that I had to cancel a week of vacation for late March where my plan was to catch up with the reading and writing goals.  With simply too much happening at work to walk away for a week, I felt the impact of not having that time for working on my goals.  I’ve scheduled a vacation week for April and another for May to try to catch up some, but with other schedule oddities going on that I will mention below, it will still be a challenge to completely catch up anytime soon.

It is what it is, so here is the update…

Goals related to body:

1. Keep my weight at or below 150 pounds.  All continues to be well on this one.  I still weigh in daily, and that weigh-in determines what and how much I eat as well as influencing physical activity for the day.  I look forward to reaching the 1-year anniversary of reaching my target weight this summer.

2. Walk/jog/run a total of 10,000 steps per day three days per week. I’m still way ahead of schedule on this one because I’ve been doing it five days per week instead of three for a couple of months now to reach some reward goals with my company’s incentive program, HumanaVitality.  In March, I ran my first 5K race in about 5-6 years when my company scheduled one just for our employees and families in downtown Louisville.  My race time was the slowest 5K I’ve ever done at 31 minutes, 18 seconds (my previous race before this one, for example, was under 24 minutes), but I’ll use it as a benchmark going forward.  At least there were only seven people my age or older who finished before me.  I was #232 overall out of 2074 finishers.  I’ll take it.  Also helping with this goal is that the weather is finally getting warmer, so I will be more inclined to go for runs or longer walks with the dog than during the cold weather.

3. Average at least six hours of sleep per night.  I still don’t record numbers here, but more nights than not when I set my alarm and lay down, it’s for more than six hours from the time I’m going to bed.  I’m probably pretty close on this one.  Unless I buy something like a Fitbit that tracks sleep, I won’t know exactly how well I’m doing on this goal, but I’ll have a good idea.

Goals related to mind:

1. Read a book every other week.  I really bombed on this one in March.  I didn’t complete any book.  I’m about 2/3 through the one I’m reading, but this is one of the goals impacted by me canceling my vacation a couple of weeks ago.  I have much to do here.

2. Blog every other day (at least).  I keep lagging a few days behind in this goal, having published 45 posts this year when an every-other-day schedule would have me at 48 by now.  Catching up won’t be difficult.  Blogging daily for one week would do it.

3. Continue to follow My 3 Words: Ground, Stretch, Reflect.  As I reported last month, this one still sneaks up on me because of not blogging every day like I did in 2012.  Nightly blogging provided a built-in time for this reflection.  Without that, I’m missing it too many nights.  I still think through the sequence on days I blog to see what is worth writing about, but other days I tend to forget about the framework even though I may still do two of the three instinctively every day.

4. Double the blog’s readership from 10,000 views in 2012 to 20,000.  I’m very happy to say that as of today I’m running 46% ahead of schedule on this one.  At the current pace, I’ll pass last year’s total readership in either April or, more likely, May.  A couple of pairs of popular posts have helped the cause with each receiving hundreds of views and the most popular (The Worst Mistakes I’ve Made As An Employee) now approaching 1000 views.

5. Continue to write hand-written letters to my sons.  As reported before, this is only done a couple of times a year, so having done it last in December, it will likely be this summer before I do it again.

Goals related to spirit:

1. Finish reading the ESV Study Bible and read half of The Apologetics Study Bible.  I am more behind on this goal than any other.  Again, canceling the vacation week really hurt me here.  I have much to do to get back on track, but just a few solid days of vacation devoted to this would do it.

2. Review 100 Bible memory verses weekly.  So far, so good. This takes less than an hour weekly, so it’s easy to stay current.

3. Come to some resolution to an unsettled situation where I worship.  Completed in January.

I don’t expect to be caught up on all goals by the end of April.  My wife just had knee replacement surgery two days ago and will have the other knee replaced in about four weeks.  She needs assistance from me, of course, when she returns home, and the schedule meanwhile is way different than normal.  I’m also officiating at a wedding later in April, going out of town for a couple of days for that.  Whenever I perform a wedding, I rehearse it a bazillion times so I can say everything just right without depending much on notes, so I know I’ll spend a lot of hours on that the next couple of weeks instead of other matters my time would normally be given to.  That isn’t a complaint, of course, since it’s a great privilege to officiate at the wedding of dear friends.  It’s just a notation that spending more time in one effort means there is less time to spend in others, so there may be consequences related to these goals that I’ll have to make up later.

So that’s how I’m doing on my goals after the first three months of 2013.  What about you?  How are you doing on your goals for the year?

It Takes Vision, Plans, and Action

Posted: March 25, 2013 in Business Processes
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Dilbert Vision

dilbert.com/strips/comic/2004-04-17/

When I think of ambitious goals that I have seen or personally attempted in businesses I’ve worked at, it is easy to recall some that were successfully achieved and others that were not.  Of course, there are many factors that go into the success or failure of each individually, but I’d like to share some thoughts around the high-level components of any major endeavor and the business personnel implications of those components.

Vision.  Someone or some group of people needs to have and share a vision that others buy into.  If the company is to be more than it has been, if it is to make forward advances rather than maintain the status quo, then that vision needs to exist, be communicated, and willingly shared by those expected to implement the necessary actions to support the vision.

Some leaders are outstanding at this, sharing a vision and then providing high-level guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to keep the ship on the right path.  Others, unfortunately, may think they are good at this, fancying themselves as vision casters while the people lower in the org chart know it’s just a passing fancy most likely influenced by the latest book, article or conference to which the leader was exposed – one that will only be top of mind until another book, article or conference replaces it.  People in the trenches learn to not pay much attention to these types of pronouncements.

While those at the helm of organizations should be the primary sources of vision for their orgs, they should not discount the potential insights and contributions of others at any level of the org chart.  Being visionary is not limited to certain roles or pay scales.  Vision from others in the org need not compete with the large-scale vision for the whole enterprise.  It may relate only to a specific part of the business with which that employee has great familiarity.  As long as such smaller scale visions fit within the larger ones, they may be great assets to help move the enterprise forward.

Plans.  Some may not like me grouping strategy in with the plans section here, but I do that with the understanding that strategy refers to the high-level plans which must, of course, be broken down into far more detail for implementation.  How many times in different settings have we heard some grand vision proposed, only to never see it come anywhere close to fruition?  Why does that happen?  Perhaps because the vision was never translated into the necessary strategy and detail plans to make it happen.  Merely thinking about a direction we want to go (vision) doesn’t actually move the needle in that direction.  It takes plans and the people who are good at making those plans to take this vital step.

Action.  Finally, the plans have to be carried out.  They may or may not be executed exactly as originally planned, based on the ongoing evaluation process used to make adjustments and changes as needed, but it’s certain that the vision won’t become reality without people actually taking action to get it done.

It should be obvious that any major initiative in business needs the three components above.  Visions without plans die.  Plans without actions fail.  Actions that are not tied to plans made to implement the larger vision are wastes of time and resources.  That isn’t earth-shattering news.

However, there are personnel implications that we may need to remind ourselves of from time to time in light of the above components.  First, it will take a variety of people, skill sets, and personality types to fill all the roles required to formulate the vision, make the plans, and implement them.  Very few people are good at all three of the above.  Many enthusiastic entrepreneurs ultimately fail because they do not have and do not hire to account for the breadth of abilities it takes to handle everything from seeing the big picture to implementing the detail actions needed.  In a large organization, though, there is more likely a variety of people available to get the job done if they are properly positioned in the effort according to their passions and abilities.

It is tempting when hiring for an organization to hire others like ourselves.  After all, each of us thinks he/she is wonderful, right?  We might think, “How can I go wrong with adding more people like me?”  The truth, however, is that in addition to our strengths, we also have weaknesses whether we see them very clearly or not.  We’re really not good at everything individually, and it’s in our best interests as well as the organization’s for us to know where we need help.  We need people around us who are complementary (as in completing the knowledge and skills needed by a team) rather than just complimentary (as in paying us compliments).

If we do a good job at bringing on a variety of people to make up the right teams, then another challenge will quickly present itself – learning how to get along with a mix of others.  That takes people skills, some positive character traits, and a willingness to work together in spite of occasional differences.  It can be done with the right team.

When our team at work was looking to expand recently, we had to take time to consider where our gaps were, where we needed help, and what new roles fit within the overall vision of where we are going and our strategy for getting there.  I’m pleased to say that last week was the first week for our newest teammate to join us and next week we’ll welcome another addition to the team.  Those additions, along with shuffling some responsibilities between team members, will better position us to move forward the remainder of this year toward accomplishing the vision for our area, one that we know fits within the larger vision of the enterprise.

It isn’t enough in competitive business today to be mediocre, to remain the same, or to cruise along doing what you’ve always done just because that’s the way it’s always been done.  It takes vision, plans, and action to get from point A to point B in a desired time frame, and it takes the right mix of people all working well together to make the journey successful.

Do you know your company’s vision?  Do you know where you and your area fit within that vision?  Do you have a strategy and plans you can articulate to do your part?  Do you have the right team in place to get it done?

2013 Goals Update – March 1

Posted: March 1, 2013 in Goals
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Progress Report2013 is now 1/6 complete, ready or not.  That means it is time for a progress report on the goals I set at the beginning of the year.  My first post for 2013 on January 1 is where I shared 11 goals divided into the categories of body, mind and spirit.  Reporting on my progress here helps hold me accountable.

Goals related to body:

1. Keep my weight at or below 150 pounds.  All is well on this one.  I still weigh in daily, and that weigh-in determines what and how much I eat as well as influencing physical activity for the day.

2. Walk/jog/run a total of 10,000 steps per day three days per week.  I’m way ahead of schedule on this one, actually shifting to five days per week instead of three because I want to reach some rewards goals with my company’s incentive program HumanaVitality.  I admit to doing a lot of jogging in place in front of the TV some nights to reach this goal, but that movement counts like any other.

3. Average at least six hours of sleep per night.  I’m back on track with this one after a rocky couple of weeks in January.  I don’t record numbers here, but more nights than not when I set my alarm, it’s for more than six hours from the time I’m going to bed.

Goals related to mind:

1. Read a book every other week.  Another couple dozen pages of book #4 this weekend and I’ll be up-to-date on this goal.  I’ll read three and write book review blog posts of them in March to be where I want to be after the first quarter.

2. Blog every other day (at least).  I’m two posts behind this schedule, so that will be easy to make up.  It was nice blogging every day of my week at home last week to make up ground.

3. Continue to follow My 3 Words: Ground, Stretch, Reflect.  This one still sneaks up on me because of not blogging every day like I did in 2012.  It was actually easier getting into a routine last week and blogging every day than I’m finding it is to blog every other day.  This one needs some work.  Nightly blogging provided a built-in time for this reflection.  Without that, I’m missing it too many nights.

4. Double the blog’s readership from 10,000 views in 2012 to 20,000.  I’m thrilled at the progress on this goal.  Through February, I’ve had more than half the number of blog visits I had all last year.  I’m well ahead of pace to meet this goal with February being my best month ever and one day in February being my best day ever in number of views.  Many thanks to the readers who join me on the journey!

5. Continue to write hand-written letters to my sons.  Like I reported at the end of January, this is only done a couple of times a year, so having done it last in December, it will be a few months before I do it again.

Goals related to spirit:

1. Finish reading the ESV Study Bible and read half of The Apologetics Study Bible.  This is on schedule.  Even though I’m a few days behind in my readings, I read a little more daily than required to meet the mid-year goal for completion of the ESV.

2. Review 100 Bible memory verses weekly.  So far, so good.  This takes less than an hour weekly.

3. Come to some resolution to an unsettled situation where I worship.  This was reported as complete in my report on Feb. 2.

My week at home last week helped with a number of my goals.  I’m planning at least one week at home per month for the foreseeable future, so those times can help me catch up a little if needed.  I still use the low-tech approach of a little Post-It note with a checklist on the stand beside my recliner so that it’s near me nightly.

It’s time to round out the first quarter now that March is here.  I’d like to be completely up-to-date in all categories by the end of this month.  Let’s see how I do!

How are you doing on your goals for the year?

Don’t Lose Sight

Posted: February 13, 2013 in Priorities
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Don't Lose SightTwo months ago I wrote down the three words that serve as this post’s title: Don’t Lose Sight.  I do things like that occasionally when a random thought comes to mind that might serve as the basis for a future blog post.  Then I let it simmer for as long as necessary until it’s fully cooked in my mind and it’s time to pull it out of the oven.  This one has simmered long enough.

Unless you are in the most simple and casual of environments and lifestyles, chances are fairly good that you have many things clamoring for your attention.  Between work, family, other relationships, basic survival, education, entertainment, hopes, volunteerism, taking care of material possessions, discovering and living out one’s perceived purpose in life, and who knows what else, most of us do not lack for ways to invest the 24 hours we are given daily.  In fact, many are challenged to decide what doesn’t get done on a long to-do list.  What are the mandatory tasks versus items that will have to remain on the wish list?

When so many competing tasks vie for our attention, it is frighteningly easy to get distracted and off course.  It is simple to lose sight of the goal, of those things which are most important, and to wander off in some other attractive direction until we look up one day and realize we are no longer remotely close to heading in the direction we set out to follow.

When I consider the competing opportunities for involvement in my life, I am on one hand blessed to have so many interests and opportunities and ways that bring joy and gladness.  On the other hand, there are more of those available than time and physical limitations allow, so I must constantly prioritize and say “no” to some things that I’d really like to do.

The biggest single consumer of my time is my work, understandably, and that won’t change.  Still, I strive to limit it to the 50+ hours per week I average, even though there is always much more to do.  I set ambitious goals at the start of the year about reading and blogging and exercise and living out my faith – goals that at a high level exist to strike a healthy balance between body, mind and spirit.  Here at the mid-February point, I’m a little behind in some of those goals, so the challenge is not to stress about them, but to bite off daily what is reasonable and carry on without such goals becoming a burden that weighs me down and has the opposite effect from what is intended.  At least I know the answer should someone ask me to take on more right now: the answer is a resounding “no” until something else comes off my calendar.

Being busy does not guarantee that one is doing things that are meaningful and worthwhile.  Being busy may impress some onlookers, but it probably doesn’t impress the family member who feels neglected, the coworkers who aren’t seeing the results needed for the team, the neighbors or friends or passersby who feel invisible due to your lack of acknowledgement and attention, those in your community of faith who see you burning a candle at both ends but who don’t see much lasting light and warmth from your efforts, or the God who gave us life and is waiting for the time, worship and attention He deserves.

Being busy is tiring.  It is wrong to equate busyness with fulfillment or effectiveness.  It is better to do a few things really well than to do a mediocre job on many tasks.  It takes discipline and guts and wisdom to learn to say “no” to some things so that you can say “yes” to the most important ones, and do them well.  That is an ongoing learning experience for me that I don’t expect to master once and for all this side of heaven.

So what do I need to do?  I need to think daily about what is most important – not just what appears to be urgent.  I need to remind myself of my core values and principles and act accordingly.  I need to take positive action daily to live out those priorities and be willing to say “no” to opportunities that would be a distraction, be they pleasant and desirable or not.  I need to keep focused on the primary goal, on the prize.  Perhaps the same is true for you as well.

Don’t lose sight.

The Best Behaviors I’ve Shown As An Employee

Posted: February 5, 2013 in Professionalism
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As promised in yesterday’s post about “The Worst Mistakes I’ve Made As An Employee,” I’d like to share with you a few of the key things I think I’ve done well through the years where I’ve worked.  These are the decisions or patterns of behavior that I hope have characterized my time as an employee, from the time I got my first job as a 16-year-old small town grocery store clerk making $1.60 an hour to my current role as an online community manager for a Fortune 100 company.  I can’t help but think that people who exhibit these behaviors will have good success and satisfaction in their careers as well.

Here goes…

Take on more responsibility than is required.  I take no pleasure in doing only what is expected of me in a role.  I want to do my best at my work, and that includes acting on the thoughts that come to mind about how to improve processes, get more accomplished, better organize work, and voluntarily tackle things that nobody else seems to have on their radar.  Willingly taking on more responsibility than expected helps the business, creates new opportunities, solves problems, expands one’s capabilities, and usually paves a path to officially expanded roles and career advancement.

For example, in the early 1990s I was the associate dean of a small business college, having been promoted to that role from instructor.  One of the perennial issues at that college was the operation of the bookstore.  It was inefficiently operated, disorganized, and a frustrating experience for students as well as a financial drain for the college.  After considering the work I thought it would take to turn it around, I made an offer to the college dean that if he would give me responsibility for operating the bookstore in addition to my current duties, remove the current manager from her position and add half her salary to mine, I would turn it around.  He did just that, and I kept my end of the bargain, making it an organized and smoothly operated bookstore that next semester and thereafter.

Similarly, I can’t tell you the number of times that I have inherited (willingly or otherwise) the responsibilities of others when people on my teams have left the company or moved to other departments, leaving fewer of us to do more with less.  By accepting and even seeking out greater responsibility with a positive attitude, people learn that I am serious about getting things done.  Supervisors learn that they can give me a job to do, leave me alone, and it will get done.  If I need their help, I will ask for it.  Otherwise, they can assume all is well.  I will squeal if and when I reach my reasonable limit, but until then, they can rightly know that I’m on top of my duties.

Put in more time than is required.  While the previous suggestion centers around taking on more responsibility, this one is about putting in extra time.  I don’t remember how many years it has been since I’ve averaged only 40 hours per week.  I tend to average in the low 50s instead of the 40s.  Occasionally, I go well beyond that, but I don’t recommend doing so except for rare occasions when there simply is no other alternative, and only then for a very short period of time.  It isn’t nice when employers expect extra hours every week from salaried employees, but it is good to be in a situation where you love what you do and willingly give it more time in order to do the best job possible in a reasonable, sustainable amount of time.  Not everyone is in a life situation that allows them to give extra hours with no corresponding increase in compensation, but for someone like me whose sons are long gone from home, I have that luxury and am glad to do so.

Ask for what you want.  You may not get all you want, but you certainly won’t get what you wish for if you don’t ask for it.  There have been two times in the past four years alone when roles were created for me on other teams that would not have been created without me initiating the conversations.  In 2009 I called the manager of a different team out of the blue and pitched an idea about the possibility of a new role being created on his team with me filling it.  It took a few months to go through all the internal hoops for it to happen, but since the manager liked the idea, he worked with others as needed over several months to make it come to pass.  Something similar happened in 2011 when I thought it was necessary for our internal social network to be owned by a different business area, and for me to go along with it to that area to manage it.  Again, after a few months and several discussions with key stakeholders working together, it came to fruition.  Dream Big.  Show the potential benefits of your ideas, and go for them.

Be kind to others.  This seems rather basic, but you’d be surprised how often people don’t follow this simple principle.  Being rude, self-centered, sharp-tongued, avoiding others, being unresponsive to requests, not returning calls or emails, and generally being a pain in the behind to others just makes you the kind of person coworkers have no desire to be around.  Why would anyone want to be that person?  Most of us spend more waking hours with our work colleagues than with those who live under own own roof at home.  Why wouldn’t you want to have the best relationships possible since you’re going to be spending a huge amount of time together weekly?  I want to be thought of as someone who generously gives to others, is OK with occasional interruptions in order to help people out, speaks kindly, encourages others, and who does a reasonably good job of living the Golden Rule, treating others the way I want them to treat me.  We teach it to our kids.  Why should we be any different as adults?

Trust others.  I tend to trust others until they give me a reason not to trust.  This approach seems to be better for relationships, easier on the mind and emotions, and benefits everyone involved since trust is usually rewarded with trust returned in your direction.  I understand that there are certain roles in businesses which lend themselves to being very cautious, skeptical and perhaps lacking in trust.  People in such roles need to do what their positions require without coming off as always distrustful of others.  I know I am a person of integrity, so when someone questions that integrity in any way, it is highly offensive.  Likewise, I don’t want to appear to question someone else’s integrity unjustifiably.  Of course, if you ever give me a reason not to trust you, I will continue to cooperate and work with you as needed, but I will be extremely cautious and you will have to earn that trust back over a long period of time which is outside of your control.

Help others reach their goals.  This involves being an encourager to people, taking time to genuinely listen to them, and then taking action to the extent that it is within your ability to assist.  Even though I am not currently in a management role, it is very possible for me to help others achieve their goals by providing assistance within the scope of my responsibilities and authority.  You do not have to have positional authority to have an effective impact on the organization and individuals within it.  Individuals can have significant influence without having a single person formally reporting to them.  For those who are in supervisory positions, I consider this one of their primary responsibilities–one characterized by developing others, being a cheerleader, inspiring, encouraging, empowering, guiding, leading, and genuinely celebrating others’ success as they accomplish challenging business objectives and personal career goals.

Looking at the above patterns of behavior that I believe characterize the bulk of my work history, I would summarize them in two simple thoughts: (1) strive to do your very best, and (2) focus on others as much (or more) than you focus on yourself.

So there you have it–my worst mistakes discussed in a previous post, and several positive and helpful patterns of behavior that have contributed significantly to success and satisfaction in my work.  I’d love to hear your thoughts about work experiences and patterns that have shaped your career.

2013 Goals Update – February 2

Posted: February 2, 2013 in Goals
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Progress ReportIt’s hard to believe that a full month of 2013 has already passed.  That means it is time to share with you how I’m doing on the goals I set at the beginning of the year.  In a post on January 1, I shared 11 goals divided into the categories of body, mind and spirit.  It helps hold me accountable to update publicly how I’m doing, so here goes…

Goals related to body:

1. Keep my weight at or below 150 pounds.  So far, so good on this one.  I continue to weigh in each morning, and if I’m at the max of 150 I know I have to be very careful that day, eating a little less or being more active or both.  If I’m a couple of pounds below my goal, I allow myself a little splurge.

2. Walk/jog/run a total of 10,000 steps per day three days per week.  I’m a little ahead of schedule on this one.

3. Average at least six hours of sleep per night.  I don’t keep a record of this, and I know I’ve had a few stretches of too little sleep, but I also know I’ve gone to bed earlier than what was previously normal many nights and have had more evening naps than in the past.  I may not be at six hours on the average, but I don’t think I’m far from it including the naps in my cozy recliner.

Goals related to mind:

1. Read a book every other week.  I’m a little behind on this one since I’m in the middle of my second book.  I have to pick up the pace on this one to get back on schedule.  I should finish book #2 this weekend which will put me back on track.

2. Blog every other day (at least).  I’m only one post behind this schedule, so that will be easy to make up.  Having blogged all 366 days of 2012, it feels like I’m hardly ever blogging by dropping last year’s frequency in half, but I’ll stay with this goal for 2013.

3. Continue to follow My 3 Words: Ground, Stretch, Reflect.  It’s easy to miss some days on this goal because of not blogging every day and, therefore, not ending with that intentional time of reflection that accompanied last year’s daily lessons learned posts.  Still, the regular task of deciding what to blog about brings this goal to mind frequently.

4. Double the blog’s readership from 10,000 views in 2012 to 20,000.  I’m pleased to say that I am well ahead of schedule on this goal.  Through January, the average number of daily visits to this blog is up 179% from last year’s daily average.  January’s 2,403 visits more than doubled by previous best month ever, and January 25 saw the greatest number of hits in a single day ever.  The biggest difference is that I’ve done more promotion of particular posts on our internal social network where I work, and that has helped increase readership.  Onward and upward!

5. Continue to write hand-written letters to my sons.  This is only done a couple of times a year, so having done it last in December, it will be several months before I do this again.

Goals related to spirit:

1. Finish reading the ESV Study Bible and read half of The Apologetics Study Bible.  This is on schedule.  I read a little more daily than required in January to get a good jump start on the year, so I’ve backed off the daily quantity a bit now, but am still at a pace to reach the goal.

2. Review 100 Bible memory verses weekly.  This is not a time-consuming goal (less than an hour a week), so it is fairly easy to stay on track with this one.  So far, so good.

3. Come to some resolution to an unsettled situation where I worship.  I won’t share details, but this matter is thankfully resolved and the goal can be marked as complete.

To be honest, there were some times during January when I wish I hadn’t set as many goals – times when I would have preferred to just rest and relax and do something for the fun of it in the evening or on the weekend.  That was going on when I wrote “When does busy become too busy?”  For the second weekend in a row, however, I will be able to rest a reasonable amount and have a relaxing schedule, so I’ll keep plugging away at all of the goals above.  It helped that I took a few days of vacation in early January, and I will do so again one week per month for at least the next several months, staying home and resting a little while focusing on my goals the remainder of the days off.

As a side note, would you like to know the secret to me keeping up on my goals daily?  I keep a tiny little Post-It note with a checklist on the stand beside my recliner so that it’s near me nightly.  How is that for high tech and for this guy who is constantly online and connected to technology?  Hey, it works.

Overall, then, it looks like I made it through January very close to the goals – either right on target or slightly ahead or behind, depending on the goal.  February, here we go!

How are you doing on your goals for the year?

Are You Doing What You Love To Do?

Posted: January 25, 2013 in Passion
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Leap and the Net Will AppearI had a recruiter from a hiring agency call me today and ask if I might be interested in a job they were filling for another company.  When he introduced himself and asked if I might be open to something else, my response was “Probably not, but I’ll listen to what you have to say.”  I always listen to such calls whether I am in search of another job or not, just because I’m curious.  He went on to tell me about the position and, as I suspected, I had no interest in making such a move, so I cut the conversation short and wished him well in his search.

It felt good that my first thought upon being approached for another job was “No, I love what I’m doing, where I’m doing it, and with whom I get to do it.”  Not everyone is that fortunate.  I am, indeed, blessed.  Would I consider a different role for my current employer, or moving up the food chain a little?  Perhaps, but I’d have to be convinced of the personal fulfillment potential of the new role and of the likelihood that I would contribute more to the long-term benefit of the company than I am in my current role (and that isn’t likely).

Many people have to make tough choices, working at jobs that are less than fulfilling – positions that pay the bills but don’t quite live up to everything they might have dreamed about.  If people want to eat and have the basic necessities of life, then it can require swallowing a little pride, making sacrifices, and putting dreams on hold (perhaps forever) while real-life personal and family needs are met.  Those who have suffered a period of unemployment may well find themselves taking whatever job they can get out of necessity.  Younger workers may have to spend years paying their dues and working their way into more appealing positions over time.  I have the utmost respect for anyone who works faithfully at any job giving it their best, whether or not it is their dream job.

As an optimist, though, I’m always hopeful for myself and others that positive change can happen.  For the worker who is feeling stuck in a dead-end role with little hope of advancing or moving on to something better, I always like to see efforts at continuing education and baby steps in directions that keep those hopes for something better alive.  To the extent that personal and family responsibilities allow, I am inspired by those who take great leaps of faith, risking much in an effort to gain much.  There is something deeply human and captivating about a can-do spirit and drive to succeed.  Such people remind me of a stone I have on a shelf in my man cave that says “Leap and the net will appear.”  It is difficult to balance the faith and personal responsibility involved with such leaps, but they can be invigorating launchpads to new beginnings.

You don’t have to search long to find studies that speak to the importance of people being passionate about what they do if they are to remain happy, contented, and highly engaged in their work.  An easy test of passion for me is to answer the question, “Is this something I would enjoy doing for a while in the evening at home after a long day of work?”  Currently for me, the answer is, yes, I’d be glad to continue for a few hours several evenings a week if needed.  In fact, I do that very thing because I love what I do.  I’m passionate about it.  I want to accomplish much.  I want to do my best.  So why wouldn’t I drift toward doing more than what a mere 40-hour work week calls for (not that I’m too familiar with 40-hour weeks since mine are more like 50+ most weeks).

Are you doing what you love every day?  If so, congratulations!  Be thankful for your situation.  If not, why aren’t you?  I understand that circumstances and opportunities may have played a part in you putting your dreams on hold, but I encourage you not to forget them.  They may need to be revamped from time to time, but they should not be forgotten.  Perhaps through doing something every day or every week toward your dream, you will find yourself a year from now far closer than you are today.

Work hard.  Be responsible.  Educate yourself.  Take chances.  Keep the dream alive, and work diligently to see it come to pass if you really want to do what you love to do.

When Does Busy Become Too Busy?

Posted: January 20, 2013 in Time Management
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The title of this post really is a question to you, the reader.  I want to know what your criteria are for knowing when you cross that line from just being busy to being too busy?  When does living an active, fulfilling life morph into having so many commitments and expectations that you begin to wonder if you are in an unhealthy zone?

As you might suspect, since I’m pondering the question myself, I am not quite sure where I am on that continuum at the moment.  I set a number of goals for the year that I blogged about on January 1.  So far, they are going well and I am enjoying the attempt at well-rounded goals categorized into areas of body, mind and spirit.  Where it gets a little old, though, is when I find myself on a Sunday night (like right now) wishing I could just veg in front of a TV for a while and relax, but I have a number of things I still want to cross off my list before going to bed and starting another work week tomorrow.  Does that mean I set too many goals, or am I just battling with a desire to be lazy?  I’m not sure.

Part of what drives me to try to accomplish a lot is a sense of purpose.  I don’t think I was put on this earth just to enjoy myself.  I can do more than that in making a difference for others, so it seems reasonable that my time – both at work and personally – should be given to that cause and not just for selfish pursuits.  Scientists tell us we use a small fraction of our brain capacity.  I also think we tend to use far less of our productivity potential than possible by thinking, for example, that work should be 40 hours per week and the rest is “free time” to do as we please.  Of course, parents with children at home know the “free time” concept in theory only, but now that it’s just my wife, my dog and me in our home, we have many more options in how we spend our time.

In my lazier or more physically tired moments, I want to spend time doing something rather mindless that isn’t on a to-do list.  I want to find a book to read for pleasure or take a nap or play with the dog or channel surf for a show or movie to watch without the guilt that usually accompanies such leisure activity.  I would love to spend time occasionally doing things just because I enjoy them and not because they are on a checklist.

Today, for example, I decided to stay home from church this morning (a once or twice a year rarity) and sleep later than normal, then catch up on some reading.  The reading was on my to-do list, though, and since getting up at the very late hour of 9:15, I’ve been busy tackling to-do list items ever since.  I still have reading about half of a new book, finishing out 10,000 pedometer steps for the day, plus another couple of items on the list – actions that would take me more hours combined than there are remaining tonight if I am to get a decent amount of sleep.  That’s discouraging.

So, back to my question to you, dear reader.  What is your criteria for knowing you are on the healthy side of the busy vs. too busy continuum?  For me, I’m thinking the physical criteria are far too little sleep or the appearance of other negative physical side effects, and the emotional criterion is a sense of being overwhelmed and trapped, neither of which are true for me yet.

What about you?  How do you know you’re too busy?  Tell me in a comment.

Metamorphosis Happens from the Inside Out

Posted: January 9, 2013 in Change
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metamorphosisThe start of each year is when we hear much about resolutions and goals for the new year.  I’ve shared with you my goals for 2013 categorized by body, mind and spirit.  I’m sure you’ve had conversations with others about your goals and/or theirs.

Some have an aversion to the word “resolution” and clearly state that they don’t make resolutions.  I’ve never quite understood the aversion to doing so unless they are operating from a wildly different definition of “resolution” that I am.  It just means to resolve or determine to do something, so why the aversion?  Many will just use the word “goal” instead.  Some will use them interchangeably.

I heard one person on the radio this week describe a resolution as that which is the broad objective that then must be broken down into various goals.  His example was having a resolution to be the best dad possible, with a goal of spending quality one-on-one time daily with his children.

Frankly, it matters not to me which word you use – resolution, goal or something else.  That really isn’t important.  The point of the whole thought process and consequent actions is to get something done, to accomplish something, to make a positive change, etc.

We hear a lot at the beginning of the year related to fitness goals.  We see fitness center memberships and activity soar early in the year, only to typically trail off to previous levels of activity within a couple of months.  You won’t have to search Google very long to find articles about how to keep your New Year’s resolutions, how to reach your goals, or how difficult some find it to do so.

It seems we lull ourselves into thinking that just because the clock struck midnight on January 1 to ring in the new year, we are somehow magically and instantly a different person than we were the previous year (or the previous day).  It’s as though we say, “Yesterday, I didn’t have the resolve to eat right, exercise more, spend more time with family, read more, give more, etc., but now that the calendar says it’s 2013, I am a new person!”

I don’t think it’s quite that easy or instantaneous.  The change of a calendar doesn’t guarantee a change in you or your resolve to do something.

If we are to keep our resolutions and reach our goals – especially ones that have escaped us year after year in the past – then something else has to change.  Something inside us has to change.  Otherwise, after a few weeks of energy and enthusiasm the old self will just take back its presumed rightful place in the driver’s seat and take us down that same ol’ path we’ve traveled way too many times before.

To come back to the radio guy’s distinction between a resolution and a goal, I think he’s on to something.  In his example, if he really does want to be a better dad, then surely there is nothing that can easily erase that desire.  It is a core principle that he wants to live out in meaningful ways.  For the person who knows his/her health habits are detrimental long term, is there a real, heart-felt desire to be healthy and take care of one’s body for the benefit such health will bring for yourself as well as others?  If so, and that desire is central to how you see yourself as a person with a purpose, then why would you allow anything to stop you from taking action toward success?

Many reading this may have a hard time understanding how people don’t make and reach goals.  Some who are very task oriented just find it natural to set such goals, carve them up into little bite-sized pieces and tackle them until done.  I happen to be in that crowd more often than not.

Others, for whatever reason, tend to struggle with such efforts.  Perhaps they rely more on how they feel at the moment than on keeping the bigger picture in mind.  ”Oh, I’m tired.  I think I’ll skip the gym today.”  Then one day skipped becomes two, then three, and the habit dies.  ”I know I shouldn’t eat this pint of ice cream, but I’ve had a really hard day and I deserve it.”  That won’t end well, either, after several “deserved” breaks from the stated goal show up on the scale.

My point is simply this – more than the calendar must change if you are to make significant improvements in your life this year.  Those changes are largely internal, but can certainly be accompanied by helpful external, environmental changes that you find motivating and beneficial.  External changes alone won’t change who you are at your core and won’t overcome an inner voice that gets louder and stronger and fights against the changes that you say you want.

Even if many of your goals relate to external things that can be counted, measured, weighed or timed, make sure you begin the change from the inside where it counts the most.  I can’t tell you exactly what that should be, since I am not you, but you probably have a good idea, yourself.

Metamorphosis happens from the inside out.

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