Thursday, September 29, 2011

Learning to Fly

"Experiencing one's self in a conscious manner -- that is, gaining self-knowledge -- is an integral part of learning."
  - McCown et al. (From Self-Science: The Emotional Intelligence Curriculum)



Do you ever feel so caught up in your to-do list that you can't seem to get out from under it? You have so much you feel you just have to do that your head starts to spin and you have no idea where to start?

You are sooooooo busy that it all seems never-ending and you are constantly feeling like you are not doing enough? Not progressing fast enough? Not liked enough? Not good enough?

I'm running out of sticky notes people!


Well peeps, I am one of these people. I have gotten very caught up. Caught up in wanting to do it all and wanting to do it all perfectly. And guess what? It has resulted in me feeling very, very tired. Very overwhelmed. Kinda down. It's like I am spinning my wheels and going no where fast.

Looks like fun. But as a metaphor for life...not so much.

I very recently had a conversation with a friend who happens to be an amazing leader and coach. This person is wonderful and smart and intuitive and lovely. This person is an emotional intelligence expert. But this person also has flaws. As do I. That is what helps this person help others.

Emotional Intelligence. It is within.


Anyways, so this person said something to me. Something I already knew but had quite obviously put to bed somewhere in the back of my jumbled mind. He said "You have to distinguish between the activities and the accomplishments."

Distinguish between activities and accomplishments.



So everything I have been doing...everything I think I need to be doing...should be doing...could be doing...I needed to stop and re-group. Re-evaluate. What is busy-work? What am I doing that really is not directly related to my personal and professional goals? What am I doing that is not directly in line with my values?



This caused me to pause. This cause me to stop and think. To really be in the moment and quiet my mind and focus on what it is I really want in my life. Where am I now? Where do I want to go? What do I strive to become?

I want to fly!


What am I doing that can reasonably be delegated, outsourced or eliminated? Well....lots in fact.



I am working towards some goals and I need to focus on what I need to do to reach them. I need to be able to ask for help. I need to get rid of all the stuff I do that takes up time, stresses me out, but does not really result in anything real. Anything that really matters to me.

So the reason for this post is two-fold. I wanted to clarify this little epiphany of sorts for myself.

Yup! A little switch went off. This is not me by the way. Nice tie though.


I also wanted to share it with you. Think about what you do. What your goals are. How things match up. What can you strike off of your long to-do list? What are your values and are you living them...really living them? What is holding you back from crawling, to walking, to flying?

I think I am one step closer.

"Step by step...little by little..."


Why don't you come walk with me? Then maybe...just maybe...we will fly.



Smiles,


Lora

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