Moving Forward Requires Falling

This weekend I was given an interesting quote by a very wise man. He said, Walking is a series of interrupted falls. While the words did not resonate with me at that moment, I have come to appreciate them as I deal with several people in my work and life right now.

To walk we must pick up our feet and shift our weight forward. Doing either one by itself could lead to falling, but the combination of the two actions (interrupting each other) makes it work.

We work with so many people who just won't "walk" toward improving their situation. They might have the vision (leaning forward) but not have the willingness to take the risk of action (lifting their foot). Others are taking lots of risks, but don't really have a clear vision of where they want to go-or too many directions in mind. Either scenario can lead to lots of falling-or failing.

Today, reflect on how well you put the two together. Are you looking ahead with purpose as your guide and then taking the appropriate actions, or are you at risk of "falling" because you are simply moving too quickly without really letting the weight of your purpose move you in the RIGHT direction.

Formula For Creating The Juggling Elephants Routine

While reading the Game On! sports column in the USA Today last week, I found an interesting formula. Reid Cherner, one of the columnists, made the following statement: I don't know how many more boats the golf gods can send before [Tiger] Woods realizes he needs to climb in before he drowns. This is simple math. Family concerns + health concerns + poor play - Haney [swing coach] = time off. He needs to unplug, go acoustic and then reboot.

His comments got me to thinking... what is my formula that creates a juggling elephants scenario? What are the "perfect storm" of interruptions, life situations or poor choices that render me ineffective or unproductive? And how could I work to prevent them from adding up and "crushing" me. Tiger failed to take action on improving any of his situations and the results are obvious. While our challenges may not be as large or dire or even immoral, they still represent a dangerous mix when they start adding up-and we take no action. Especially if we take no intermission, to, as Cherner states, reboot.

Noblesse Oblige

OK, I have heard the term "noblesse oblige" in the movie Mary Poppins but am embarrassed to admit that until recently I have not known what it meant. Noblesse Oblige means "noble obligation." In discovering the definition of nobles oblige, I was surprised at the thoughts that those two words together stirred in my mind and heart.

What is my noble obligation? If you just think about an obligation, your mind goes to simple things like appointments, paying taxes, stopping at stop signs and so forth. But you add the word "noble" and your thoughts are raised higher. What is my noble obligation to leave a legacy in life? What is my noble obligation as a husband and father? What is my noble obligation in my work? In relationships, to friends, to God, in doing right? These are deep questions that require deep thought. Have you defined your noble obligation? In Juggling Elephants, we call it your purpose. Others call it your mission statement, values, roles, goals, etc.

Commit to yourself to block out the "thick of thin things" and do some deep thinking about what your noblesse oblige is. Write it down. Make it a living document that you edit, adjust, add to and refine. Now if I could just figure out what "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" means, I will be good.

Send in the Clowns

I just spoke at a HR conference and took the opportunity to sit in on a session conducted by Scott Christopher, the co-author of "The Levity Effect." He presented a very humorous and entertaining workshop on the importance of fun and a sense of humor in the workplace. In Juggling Elephants terms, "People sometimes need to laugh, relax and not take themselves so seriously."

What have you done recently to lighten up the atmosphere that you work in? Fun and entertainment doesn't have to come at the expense of productivity and profitability. In fact, it can drive productivity that then results in profitability. Scott gave the example of Southwest Airlines, where having a fun atmosphere for employees was a key element that Herb Keller identified for his company. Thirty years of profit and a "through the roof" job satisfaction rate in an industry that has been struggling is proof that fun and productivity can work hand in hand. If we are going to work hard and be successful, we might as well have fun too. Life is too short!

You Can Not Escape This Fact!

Recently a young man in suburban Chicago tried to escape during his trial, as he had seen done many times on television. While being led out of the courtroom, he burst free, ran across a walkway, and tried to leap through a window. But the bulletproof glass didn't break, and the man bounced off, landing on the floor where he was promptly rearrested, this time in worse trouble than ever.

In the same way you can not get away from the fact that time is limited. Failure to acknowledge that simple truth has been the result of more job frustration, strained relationships and failure to reach personal goals. And each day you try to "run away" from this reality you are placing all those things that are important to you in the prison of "I'll get to it tomorrow" or "someday."

For today, why not acknowledge that your time is limited and prioritize your day. Go so far as to do something that you have been putting off for a long time because you have kept saying, "I'll get to it." You might be surprised just how much "freedom" you experience.