#1184 Feast or Famine
I read a quote last week in one of the newsletters I subscribe to. It said,
“Don’t tell me your priorities; show me your calendar.”
Recently, two phrases have dominated my lexicon: Time Famished and Time Affluent.
I’m still working and plan to continue in some capacity for another few years. To be clear, I am blessed not to be tied to anyone’s clock—my schedule is my own - But my personal bogey is overscheduling. I’ll book a few morning meetings, see a gorgeous forecast, and then it’s “Oh crap! Today is a perfect beach day!”
I want to build my calendar each week as though I am rich in time, putting in big rock activities like hitting the beach with my wife, visiting mom and dad, and hanging out at the pool with my daughters and grandkids.
I want to look at the week and build it out with exercise, writing, and reading times prominently blocked out before any work stuff goes in.
I also want to read my notes before meetings with my coaching clients, train teams, book speaking gigs, make sales, record podcasts, and work a few hours each week with The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation.
I want to shoot my bow, tend my veggie garden, and do the few parts of home maintenance that I don’t hire out for. I also want to meet JC regularly for breakfast and try to get coffee with another friend once a month or so.
Fishing with the grandchildren is a big deal, as is a little surfcasting with my sons-in-law. I also need to spend time with my sister and brother, and visit my aunt in the nursing home.
“Don’t tell me your priorities; show me your calendar.”
I’ve failed at this and regretted the choices even before the calendar reminders pinged to rub salt in my wounds.
BUT
Each week is a new chance to get it right. It is an opportunity to think about all of the things I love and make them my priorities, despite the pull some “obligations” may have on me.
Depending on where you are in life, you may be obliged to work nine to five or put in seventy hours running your own business. You may be retired or, like me, in the middle. Your calendar reflects your priorities, and we often don’t understand that in the frontal cortex.
Instead, we book the meetings and travel as if they’re supposed to go in first. We do it in a daze, clicking “accept” to Teams and Zoom invites based on seeing white space in our calendars. Given a moment to think, I’d conclude that those Teams and Zooms are not my priorities. Still, some professional muscle memory has my index finger reflexively tapping the mouse for “yes.”
For as long as I can remember, I have spent Sunday mornings reviewing my goals, plans, priorities, and the week ahead. As I said before, I fail at this sometimes, but this Sunday morning ritual usually puts me in the driver’s seat. I block out time for the things that matter and do my best to hold those times as sacrosanct.
Ten years from now, I want to look back and say, “I’m glad I did, “not “I wish I had.”
Own Your Sales Gene…