Hi, it's Andy
There's a tweet from Greg McKeown that gives us an insight into why we, as leaders, find ourselves overwhelmed.
The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities.
If, like me, you find yourself going from meeting to meeting, does it feel as if you have one priority? Or many priorities?
Today I'd like to share a few tips and tools I've learned along the way. It's crucial to set priorities that matter to you AND find a way to keep them top of mind. (If you don't, you know they'll be drowned by everybody else's priorities.)
Ultimately, it's about making your life better and easier.
And, if I get it right, a great deal less overwhelming.
Rather than jam all those ideas into one long newsletter, I'm going to invite you for a leisurely stroll over the next three days. I want to show you how simple, and sometimes obvious-now-I-see-it approaches can make a huge impact on the results you deliver.
And yes, there's a big surprise waiting for you at the end of the journey. I don't want to give anything away yet so I'll just say it's something I've never done before, although I've wanted to for a long time.
More about that later…
I could tell you that setting clear priorities will help you stay focused, get more done, and hit the goals that matter to you most.
I could also tell you that the success you want of free time, more money, happier life, is on the other side of this too.
And all of that is true.
But that's not really what I'm writing about. All that is the part you can see.
I'm more interested in what you can feel…
When you can influence others with your level of focus and the results you create, everything changes. You feel… different.
Powerful isn't exactly the right word, but it's close.
The things you want. Accomplishments, respect, and influence are no longer out of reach.
You begin to realize you're in the driver's seat, creating what you want to be true in YOUR life.
Then, before you know it, you feel as if you're winning each day. You don't feel "used up" as you head home.
Step by step, one foot in front of the other, you get more done. It's easier. It's faster. And the things you get done are not just firefighting. It's the things that matter most to you. Your dreams.
Stepping out of overwhelm is just the effect of putting this in place. It's the measure of the change you've created.
As great as that is, it's nothing compared to the internal way you feel. The feeling of being in control of your life.
Now you know how important setting priorities that matter to you is, the question you may be asking yourself is…
"How do I find the time to make it happen?"
As much as I hate to say it, answering that question is where things start to fall apart…
I'll explain why in tomorrow's email.
Here's to your success,
Andy