Live each day with purpose and intention
I have been thinking about a concept where we begin each day, not just with a list of things that we want to accomplish, but also a purpose and an intention for that day. When I wake up, I try to establish in my mind what I want to accomplish for the day, then I think about my purpose as well as my intention for the day also.
For example, one of the things that I may want to accomplish is to publish my next amazing blog post, but my purpose may be to share information or a story so that I may be helpful in some way to a person or group of people. Additionally, my intention may be to have a positive impact to that person or group of people.
By starting out the day this way, it helps me to focus on what is really important, which helps me to prioritize the tasks for the day as well.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Personal goal setting with a twist
Personal goal setting with a twist
Today my theme relates to personal goal setting. I was thinking about goal setting and how important it is to write our goals down. This not only helps in simply remembering the goals, but also there seems to be some magic to writing out goals. This is described quite regularly in self-help books and articles on personal growth and success.
In thinking about today's theme, I began pondering other areas where I write things down so that I am sure not to forget them and this led me to the preparation of grocery shopping lists. The twist came when I considered the relative importance of certain items on the shopping list. I thought, "what items, if I were I to leave the store without them, would most certainly prompt a return visit to the store to purchase them?" Would it be the milk, the bread, the bathroom tissue? The items that would prompt a return visit are, from my perspective, the most critical ones on that list.
As a personal example, I might have on my list of tasks for the day to have the oil changed in the car and also to do some research on a business idea that I have. At the end of the day, if I accomplished the task of changing the oil, but I didn't do the research on the business, my car may be in better shape, but my business has to wait for another day. Is it okay that my business has to wait another day, or another day, or until I finally get around to that research? Will I ever get to it at all?
If we make a list of goals for the day or the week, just like our shopping list, We should also decide which goals must be accomplished today? Especially if, like my lists, there are more items every day than time to accomplish them all. What goals, if we look back at our list at the end of the day, or the end of the month, or the end of the year, were the most important to accomplish? Did we accomplish the most important things on our list? Or did we spend too much time on the less important items?
By considering the relative importance of each goal or task that we strive to accomplish, we have a better chance of achieving what is really important to us in whatever we do, without worrying about whether or not we need to return to the store for the forgotten milk.
RJ Clement
Entrepreneur
Today my theme relates to personal goal setting. I was thinking about goal setting and how important it is to write our goals down. This not only helps in simply remembering the goals, but also there seems to be some magic to writing out goals. This is described quite regularly in self-help books and articles on personal growth and success.
In thinking about today's theme, I began pondering other areas where I write things down so that I am sure not to forget them and this led me to the preparation of grocery shopping lists. The twist came when I considered the relative importance of certain items on the shopping list. I thought, "what items, if I were I to leave the store without them, would most certainly prompt a return visit to the store to purchase them?" Would it be the milk, the bread, the bathroom tissue? The items that would prompt a return visit are, from my perspective, the most critical ones on that list.
As a personal example, I might have on my list of tasks for the day to have the oil changed in the car and also to do some research on a business idea that I have. At the end of the day, if I accomplished the task of changing the oil, but I didn't do the research on the business, my car may be in better shape, but my business has to wait for another day. Is it okay that my business has to wait another day, or another day, or until I finally get around to that research? Will I ever get to it at all?
If we make a list of goals for the day or the week, just like our shopping list, We should also decide which goals must be accomplished today? Especially if, like my lists, there are more items every day than time to accomplish them all. What goals, if we look back at our list at the end of the day, or the end of the month, or the end of the year, were the most important to accomplish? Did we accomplish the most important things on our list? Or did we spend too much time on the less important items?
By considering the relative importance of each goal or task that we strive to accomplish, we have a better chance of achieving what is really important to us in whatever we do, without worrying about whether or not we need to return to the store for the forgotten milk.
RJ Clement
Entrepreneur
Monday, October 17, 2011
Erratic theme of the day: how frustrating a sabbatical can be
Erratic theme of the day: how frustrating a sabbatical can be
I began a short, 3-month voluntary sabbatical at the beginning of October, 2011. The events leading up to this can be described in another post, but suffice it to say that I am now just a few weeks in, and I am surprised how frustrating it can be. It seems like it should be so easy, just sit around, catch up on some sports watching, eating, relaxing, maybe even a little reading.
One of my frustrations comes when I attend a social or business function, where, inevitably, I am asked what I do for a living. I can't just tell the person asking something simple like, "I am a doctor" or "I am a fireman" because those things are not the case. The truth is that I have just sold a business that I founded a few years back and am in the process of researching my next venture, so I don't technically have a specific "job" at present, nor did I before selling my company. However, even writing this makes me cringe. To answer the question posed by the innocent inquisitor at whatever function I am attending, I simply state that I am an entrepreneur and I am looking into my next project. Still, it sounds a bit lame. "Really? An entrepreneur?" I hear them saying to themselves, "he is probably unemployed."
Another frustration is that I feel the need to already be doing something productive, even though I owe it to myself to do the proper research and be sure that whatever I get into next is worthy of my time. It is difficult to wait. So, to feel like I am contributing, I spend way too much time doing projects around the house, and not enough time doing the research that I really need to be doing.
I am new to blogging, but plan on opening this up to comments from anyone who wants to add feedback, suggestions, funny anecdotes, or whatever. I look forward to reading them.
RJ Clement
Entrepreneur
I began a short, 3-month voluntary sabbatical at the beginning of October, 2011. The events leading up to this can be described in another post, but suffice it to say that I am now just a few weeks in, and I am surprised how frustrating it can be. It seems like it should be so easy, just sit around, catch up on some sports watching, eating, relaxing, maybe even a little reading.
One of my frustrations comes when I attend a social or business function, where, inevitably, I am asked what I do for a living. I can't just tell the person asking something simple like, "I am a doctor" or "I am a fireman" because those things are not the case. The truth is that I have just sold a business that I founded a few years back and am in the process of researching my next venture, so I don't technically have a specific "job" at present, nor did I before selling my company. However, even writing this makes me cringe. To answer the question posed by the innocent inquisitor at whatever function I am attending, I simply state that I am an entrepreneur and I am looking into my next project. Still, it sounds a bit lame. "Really? An entrepreneur?" I hear them saying to themselves, "he is probably unemployed."
Another frustration is that I feel the need to already be doing something productive, even though I owe it to myself to do the proper research and be sure that whatever I get into next is worthy of my time. It is difficult to wait. So, to feel like I am contributing, I spend way too much time doing projects around the house, and not enough time doing the research that I really need to be doing.
I am new to blogging, but plan on opening this up to comments from anyone who wants to add feedback, suggestions, funny anecdotes, or whatever. I look forward to reading them.
RJ Clement
Entrepreneur
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