Be Your Best

Todd Gifford - Success Coach

‘Hervae’, our family Hamster died this past month.  Very, very tough on Megan, our 8 year old Daughter.  Hervae’s cage was in her room for all 3 years of Hervae’s time with us, and I am convinced that his spinning ‘running’ wheel noise actually soothed her to sleep every night.  Everyone was very sad, but our girls actually bounced back a little bit when I mentioned that we would hold a funeral for little Hervae.  Lots of tears were shed, but it was nice, and it was the first funeral they have ever been to.  This event, as any event like it, reminds us that life is short, and you only get one shot (as far as I know) at it.

Hervae’s funeral got me thinking about how time flies by, and that fact reminded me of a list of “10 Ways to Stay Young” that I read from George Carlin some time back. These also strike me as great ways to maximize ‘life’ on this one-way journey we are all on.  See what you think:

• Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.
• Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
• Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s family name is Alzheimer’s.
• Enjoy the simple things.
• Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
• The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
• Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keep sakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
• Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
• Don’t take ‘guilt trips’. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, or to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
• Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND, ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

The ‘life is short’ thing really reinforces a couple of important points.  First, it is really important to jot down a list of goals or ‘things to get done during life’.  And second, it is super important to keep a personal focus on what is important to you.

Goal Setting: (Your Life ‘To-Do’ and Want List – the compass)

Although I talk about setting goals a lot and spend a fair bit of time on my own goal setting, I never feel that I do it enough.  The reality is that this process of dreaming up and writing down (somewhere) goals [aka: things to do or get done before I die (or sooner)] should be a constant, never-ending process.  Crossing things off that are completed, crossing things off that you don’t care about any more, and adding new things — should be happening all the time.  It’s not a New Year’s Resolution thing or a once/year thing —- to be really effective and meaningful, it should be a daily/weekly process.  It does not need to be pretty, but it’s gotta be near by so you can see it once in a while.  Oh, and get some ‘Due Dates’ on there too!

Personal Focus: (the Engine)

If setting goals is the compass for maximizing life, then Personal Focus is the engine that makes life go the direction the compass is pointed.  It is so easy today to be in constant distraction mode (often referred to as “multi-tasking”).  Distraction and lack of focus, whether it be at work or in your personal life, wastes precious time and dilutes your ability to get important things done.  If it is not moving you toward your goals, question whether it deserves your valuable time.  If it is causing you grief and wasted time (like a poor performing supplier!), then take action to change that situation so you can focus on your most important objectives.  There are all kinds of ways to free up your time from distractions to make life more productive, but you have to buy into the concept of: “Accomplishment” is more important than “Activity”.

Be Your Best,
Todd D. Gifford