Accelerated Irrelevance

What a pungent phrase! A recent review of the "Big 3" automakers in the United States used the phrase "accelerated irrelevance" in describing how the industry had reached it's current poor state of affairs. I think it could aptly apply to how many of us move through our day, week and sometimes, our very lives.

The phrase brings to mind the idea of moving more quickly away from what is relevant or important. It means choices made that are not grounded in a person (or industry's) purpose or mission statement. It is shaky ground to say the least.

Think about the last choice you made that moved you quickly away from what was more important. Was it an unimportant task you took on at home? How about a management decision you made at work that not only took you away from what was relevant, but it also propelled the people on your team in the same direction as well? One poor choice led to another until you were on a fast track to nowhere-nowhere important to be more specific.

The antithesis of the phrase is even more interesting: "Accelerated relevance." What choices could you make today that would move you more quickly back to what is important? Remember, we are all working and living at a breakneck pace-but in what direction (and how quickly) are we moving?

The Magic 3 Hours

I had the privilege and opportunity to hear Hyrum Smith speak many times. One of his personal convictions was a philosophy that he called "the magic three hours." He would encourage those in his seminars that said, "I just don't have time to do what I want to do," to consider the 3 hours before going to work or the 3 hours before going to bed. Which 3 hours you consider would depend on whether you are a morning person or an evening person. The concept is to focus on those 3 hours and make them an effective part of your day. Now you may be saying, "I go to work at 8:00 AM. Does that mean that I have to wake up at 5:00 a.m.?" Well, the answer is YES!

The magic 3 hours for me are in the morning (I am usually exhausted and my brain is toast by the evening). I find that I get so much more done when I get up early and have some "uninterrupted time." Uninterrupted time is important-especially with a young family (a blog for another day).

My magic 3 hours include exercise, reading, planning my day, spending time with my wife and daughters before school and work (breakfast, packing lunches and last minute homework, planning dinner), playing the guitar and then getting ready to get out the door for work.

I find that I do better at work when I have had a successful "magic 3 hours." I am more focused, more relaxed and have more energy. I will admit that it takes some time to get accustomed to 5:00 AM. But, if you are consistent and try it for 3 weeks, it becomes a habit and whole lot easier. If you are not a morning person, focus on the late evening. Keep your time clear and make that your magic 3 hours. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Timing is Everything

I picked up a local newspaper Wednesday morning and laughed out loud when I got to the "Life" section. There was an article entitled, Winning Tomatoes-Home cooks make magic with summer specialty. It was complete with a gorgeous picture of homegrown tomatoes. Let's review, class. The date of the article: September 3, 2008. While it was a good read, the timing was less than ideal. Most tomato plants in our area are producing little or no tomatoes, and the ones we can pick are often small, tainted by disease or insects and lack the taste of the ones produced a month or so ago.

Imagine the impact this article would have had back in late July when tomatoes were abundant. Many avid gardeners would have been thrilled to see the article and use the recipes contained within it. Now, the article is merely a tease for next year's growing season.

As humans we often attempt to improve our circus by performing the right act at the wrong time. The act is a failure or at best a limited success because the timing just wasn't the best. Some examples include:

• Exercise: We try to start exercise programs in the evening. Research (and my own personal experience) has shown that morning is the best time.
• Healthy Eating: Many people try to begin healthy eating immediately after a holiday. What a shock to your system. A better solution is to begin moderating DURING the holidays so the transition is not as difficult.
• Managing Others: Instead of dealing with smaller issues in a simple, non-threatening way, we wait until they magnify into much larger ones and create a negative work environment.
• Dealing with Interruptions: How often do we wait until the interruptions have completely derailed our day-and then attempted to do something about it? Imagine the difference if we proactively planned for those interruptions before they stifled our productivity.

The next time you plan your lineup, ask yourself, "Is this the best time to bring these acts into my lineup?" If the answer is "no" try to move them to a more appropriate time. You don't want people laughing at you when your act is less than a success.

Family Schedules

While my family and I have maintained somewhat of a daily "schedule" we have often strayed from it to accommodate things that in reality were not important or could have been done later. We also just got lazy from time to time.

A few weeks ago my wife and I decided to make a change. We created a daily schedule that includes both a morning routine and our afternoon/evening routine. We built in regularly weekly activities such as piano practice and church events. We also included the weekly family "intermission" as well as time for just mom and dad. We didn't just put in the things we "had" to do, but also the things we wanted to do.

It is incredible how liberating it has been to everyone in our family. Each of us know when/where we need to be and what has to accomplished each day. It has helped us to "police" our own personal schedules and get the most important things done so we are ready for family events. I have personally benefited from the increased focus time in the evening. I'm finally getting the personal reading time I have been looking for. Our stress level as a family has diminished, due in large part to having "no surprises." Before going to bed each night, we talk as a family about the next day, and see what changes might be needed to keep our lives in better order.

Yes, there have been some adjustments and changes made. The benefits, however, have been terrific-for all of us.