Someday I’ll…

A colleague passed away recently.  It was unexpected.  I do not think she was much more than 60.  That is too young!

She worked extremely hard and put in very long hours.  She also played hard, which was good!  She did not wait until retirement to do the fun things she wanted to do.  Had she waited, she never would have done them because for her, retirement never came.

I think this is a good lesson for all of us.  We need to be wary of the “someday I’ll…”  Someday may never come.  We need to do those things that are most important to us now.  This may be accomplishing something or spending time with someone. 

Values

Ultimately, values are what define us.  Our values are what make us who we are.  It is imperative that we know our values and live by them.

“Actions speak louder than words” applies to values.  For example, we may state that we value honesty.  However, if we lie to others and ourselves, what do we really value?

We need to define our values and then live by them. 

Take Responsibility

I know this may sound harsh, but I am tired of people not taking responsibility for themselves and the consequences of their actions.

When we do not take responsibility, it means others have to pick up the pieces we drop.  The work still needs to be done.  The bills still need to be paid.  The world still has to function.  If the people responsible for doing these things do not, the rest of us have to do them.  This happens in our professional and personal lives.

Quite honestly, I have enough trouble trying to keep my own pieces picked up!  I really do not have the time, energy, or desire to pick up other people’s pieces as well.

I am open to comments on this!

Success Strategy: Sometimes We Have to Let Go

If you are like me, there are so many things that you want to do that you just cannot do them all.  This means we have to prioritize and do those things that will help us the most in achieving what we want in our professional and personal lives.  To do this, we need to let go of those things that are not helping us as much.

I am a board member in two professional associations.  I like both associations and find them beneficial.  However, when I evaluate the amount of time that I am putting into these associations and what I am getting back, I am not getting a good return on my time investment.

I have decided to remain a member of one association, but not run for another office.  The other association I have decided to drop after my term ends.  Even as a member, never mind an officer, I am putting more into it than I am getting out of it.

There is another association that is interested in having me on the board.  This association has already benefited me greatly and I think this position would help me even more.  In addition, since this association has given me so much, I want to give something back.

To take on this new responsibility, however, I will have to let go of the others.  We cannot keep everything!  Sometimes we have to let go.

Success Strategies: 20/20 Hindsight

Our vision on what we should have done is usually 20/20.  Because we know what we did and what happened because of it, we know what we should have done.  We cannot change what has already happened.  However, how often do we use the lessons learned in similar situations?

If we apply what we learned from 20/20 hindsight, we can greatly improve our vision of current situations!  Better vision leads to better decisions.