Go Get It!

Leonardo Da Vinci was a genius on so many levels. Each time I read, hear or see something about his brilliance I am reminded of the capabilities of the human mind. And then I start rationalizing that only people like him could ever come up with new ideas or dream up solutions to complex problems.

But if I am honest with myself, part of the secret to his genius was simply his will to seek solutions instead of being content with the status quo. I came across a quote that I had not seen before by Da Vinci which reads: It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.

As the new year is upon us, where do you need to be more proactive than reactive? What are you facing that might require some Da Vinci-like searching? Here's are some general questions to get you started:

• What would happen if I ___________________ instead of always ________________?
• If I don't want ______________________, then I should be working on _______________.
• A discovery I need to make this (week, month, year) that would be of tremendous benefit to me would be ___________________________. And I could start looking for it (at, in) __________________________________.

We may not create a design for a flying machine or a specialized boat, but we may come up with some solutions that will improve our work flow or success in our personal endeavors. Something that might reduce the stress of having too much to do. And that's something worth exploring at any period in history.

Quality vs. Quantity

Think about this question for a moment-Is it easier to put more time into something or to improve the quality of something? In other words, is it easier to do more (work faster) vs. doing better?

Doing more is an investment of time but doing better is complicated. It takes learning, brainpower and trial and error. In fact, doing better can require an investment in time as well (quantity). Maybe it is time to slow down and assess the quality of the work that you are producing. If the quality of work is related to the things that are most important to you then the quantity isn't going to be as important.

Ringmaster Literacy

I was reading about "Financial Literacy" a few days ago. It's a basic concept that is found in many financially-based books. Many tout it as the way to begin creating real wealth for yourself. Here are the 4 key elements:

1. Understand the difference between an asset and a liability.
2. Concentrate your efforts on buying income-earning assets.
3. Focus on keeping liabilities and expenses to a minimum.
4. Mind your own business.

As I reviewed the process I began thinking about how I could apply this same process to how I use my time and energy. Kind of a "Ringmaster Literacy" if you will. Would it have the same effect? Let's look at it:

Understand the difference between an asset and a liability. I would evaluate every use of my time from the perspective of how it would contribute to my purpose (asset) or take away from an opportunity to accomplish my purpose (liability).

Concentrate my efforts on buying income-earning assets. I would look for ways to invest my time to get the best return on accomplishing my purpose. Not just spending it with no thought as to its future impact on my success.

Focus on keeping liabilities and expenses to a minimum. Every potential distraction or interruption would take only the minimum amount of time and effort from me-unless it was an opportunity to further contribute to my purpose. Sometimes you might get a chance to invest in something that was originally not in your portfolio. If you have built up some "wealth of time" you might be able to invest in it-and reap the rewards.

Mind my own business. I would look at what is important to me and my purpose. I would be my own ringmaster more often and not let others run my circus.

Hmmmmmm... it just might work.

Take Care of Yourself

I am not a big fan of sleep-especially when I am worried, have too much to do and can't get to sleep in the first place. It is one of those things that is necessary that I wish I didn't have to worry about. I find myself saying (and maybe you do too), "If I could get by on just one less hour of sleep, that will equate to an hour of extra productivity. I could get more stuff done!" Unfortunately, that isn't the case.

For most people, we need on average 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Don't cheat yourself. You will be less able to focus and have less energy during the day if you don't get your rest. Dr. Charles A. Czeisler, the Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School has been quoted as saying, "The general effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance is well-known: Stay awake longer than 18 consecutive hours, and your reaction speed, short-term and long-term memory, ability to focus, decision-making capacity, math processing, cognitive speed, and spatial orientation all start to suffer. Cut sleep back to five or six hours a night for several days in a row, and the accumulated sleep deficit magnifies these negative effects."

Short and long term memory, focus and decision-making capacity all seem like important things in our day-to-day lives. If you do any additional research on the subject you will also find that sleep deprivation can affect your physical well being-an increase in illness, high blood pressure, etc. You are the only you that you have got! Take care of yourself first and then go after the rest of the stuff in your life. You deserve it.

Patient with...You!

We often think about being patient with others, but how patient are you with.... you? We may look in the mirror, confront our faults and then simply walk away feeling helpless to change. The next time you find yourself being impatient with where you are physically, mentally, emotionally or even financially, try a few of these strategies to improve your point of view about you:

• If you want to improve some area of your life, remember that it takes time. Research shows that if you want a new attitude or behavior to "stick" you have to practice it for at least 21 days.
• Reflect on other challenges you have overcome and reflect on what you learned about yourself in those situations. Apply that learning to this new situation.
• Focus on your strengths. What is it that you do well? How often do you have the opportunity to engage in those strengths? If it is not frequently, what changes could you make?
• If you are trying to stop a negative habit, replace it with a positive one instead of just trying to stop the negative one. If you don't replace the void with something, something else will.
• Spend some time with people who have your best interests at heart. They can sometimes give you a more objective view of yourself.

It might seem like a daily battle, but the fight will be worth it. In the end, you will be a better you!