QuietSpacing

Several years ago, I was having lunch with a new client – the managing partner of a law firm – and we were talking about the struggle to just stay caught up with all the stuff coming at us each day.  As the conversation continued, he mentioned to me that one of the little tips he’d developed was something called the One More Thing Rule.

Specifically, at the end of each day, right before shutting everything down and walking out of the office, he’d do one more little thing – return a quick call, send one last e-mail, etc.  These little things literally took a minute or two, but in doing this one little thing, he was able get over 200 more things done each year.  Yes, 200!

The Upside

I’ve incorporated this rule into my own workday and regularly recommend it to others.  There are several direct benefits to this rule:

• You get the aforementioned 200 extra things done.
• You appear, and are, more responsive and effective.
• You have a definitive way to determine when the end of the day has arrived.
• You have one less niggly thing on your plate the next day.

The Downside

There are two risks inherent in adopting this rule:

• You pick something that takes more than a minute or two and end up at the office much longer than expected.
• You like the rule so much you fail to stop at just one.

The true purposes of the One More Thing Rule are to get you just a little more productive and to give you an identifiable point at which to end your day.  If you start diving into larger efforts or do numerous things, you’re defeating both the spirit and benefit of the rule. So, take care when applying this principle and you will reap the benefit of increased productivity and the reward of getting home to your family earlier accompanied by a sense of greater accomplishment.

Time for me to go home!

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I attended a memorial service today for a friend who succumbed to the effects of mental illness. It was a staggering loss for his family and friends, me among them. Few knew of Jeff’s struggles, which made the loss even harder to bear.

Throughout the service, many people reflected on how Jeff impacted the world around him. Two themes emerged from this recounting and I believe we can learn from them.

Orient Your Life Around Needs Versus Desires

In all the years I knew Jeff, he lived a relatively simple life. He maintained a meaningful but not overly demanding career that revolved around both the outdoor recreation and retail worlds. His work served his needs, but did not overwhelm the things most important to him: his friends and family.

Jeff was married to a lovely and kind woman. After they got married, twins came along, with one suffering from a rare developmental disorder that required extraordinary attention. Jeff and his wife made sure those needs were met and that their daughter suffered as little as possible from the exclusionary effects of disability.

With friends Jeff was equally giving. Always ready to help others, he routinely volunteered time and assistance to those who needed help with whatever project was top on the list. In his broader community, Jeff committed time and energy to troubled youth. He met the needs of others, always with a warm smile and an outstretched hand.

In the last several years, I only saw Jeff once or twice a year. Our visits were often short, most lasting less than an hour during the rush of the busy day. Yet, whenever I walked into his shop, I was always greeted with that warm smile and a, “What’s up, Pablo?” Always. And then he’d make time to have coffee or talk for a few minutes – meeting my needs to hang with him for a minute or two.

Reflecting on those times with Jeff and hearing the stories others told, it occurred to me that if we focus on our needs – our true needs – then aren’t our desires met? I’m sure Jeff struggled mightily with his illness, but I believe that when he was meeting his own needs – being with and helping others – his desires were being met.

I’m going to think really hard about what my true needs are and see if meeting them does, in fact, result in my desires also being met.

Consider The Breadth Of Success, Not Just Its Height

Success is generally viewed as a height, often referred to in that form of measure – being “on top,” reaching “the pinnacle,” having “mountains of cash,” etc. As I experienced Jeff’s service today, I began asking myself whether success might have another dimension – one of breadth. Can success be wide in addition to or instead of tall? Can someone’s success be measured in terms of affect?

The answer, of course, is yes. There are many famous people who have postively affected the lives of thousands, even millions, and they have been recognized for their efforts. Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela are two that come to mind. But why not us mere mortals? In other words, should we measure and remain cognizant of how much positive affect is occuring when considering our own success or that of others?

The answer, again, is yes. But if it’s that obvious, why don’t we? And, more imporantly, how can we?

I don’t have the answers, but I know that when we lost Jeff we lost the personification of the breadth of success.

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Like most, I’m staring down the long corridor of the new year.  Numerous hopes and aspirations fill my mind as I consider what 2010 may hold. 

Currently, I’m in the throws of two huge development projects.  The first is the implementation of an SaaS ERP platform for our online kayaking gear business – www.outdoorplay.com.  The other is the finalization of the QuietSpacing(tm) On-Demand streaming video series.  Once the dust settles from those efforts, I’m sure there will be other matters needing my immediate attention.

In spite of the stress and frantic pace, I often remind myself that

Memories are the currency of life

Simply stated:  We have now and we had before.  (We hope to have later.)  Some of what we do now is what we’ll remember later.  Consequently, when viewed as a continuum, the things we do that create memories are how we will gauge the success and quality of our lives.  The more good memories we create, the more successful and happier we’ll feel.

So, when you’re racing headlong into the day, the week or the month, take a moment once in a while to ask yourself what you’re doing to create the kind of memories you’ll look back at and smile.

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I’m not that old.  I grew up with microwaves and color television.  When I started working full time, we had fax machines, overnight mail services and voicemail was gaining acceptance.  However, as the world began to move faster and faster via technological advances like e-mail, the Internet and smartphones, our workflow processing behaviors took a turn for the worse.

The Way it Was and What’s Gone Wrong

You see, “back in the day” we started our days by looking at what had to get done … first. Then we started doing.  Today, it’s the opposite.  We jump to the doing – replying to e-mail and driving ahead - before considering what’s already on our plates. 

The purpose of these old-school review periods was to organize and prioritize our tasks, folding into the mix our appointments and other things that needed our attention.  Then we would move forward into the day and deal with what came our way.  This surveying behavior was usually repeated around the lunch hour and just before going home.  Functionally, we were keeping an eye on the big picture while dealing with the day-to-day details of our work.

This surveying process has largely been lost in today’s frenetic working world.  We’ve become addicted to “right now” – checking our e-mail on our smartphone and constantly seeking updates on various things via the Internet.  Most people have reviewed the latest e-mails that arrived overnight, often making commitments in response to them, before even reviewing what’s already on today’s to-do list!  This mindset – needing to stay Über-connected and ultra-”responsive” – is dramatically affecting our productivity, as well as our piece of mind.

Retake Command of Your World

This is a subject deserving of much more than a mere missive on corrective action.  Alas, I fear no one would read it due to the lack of perceived available time!  Consequently, I’ll keep my directive short:

Review What’s On Your Plate Three Times Each Day – Morning, Noon and Night

This is just common sense, but it’s not generally followed very much anymore.  All I’m suggesting is that people review the commitments they’ve already made before jumping in to the next batch of requests (e-mail, voice mails, meetings, etc.).  The more you know about your existing level of commitment, the better-able you’ll be to accurately judge and manage new commitments.  Moreover, when you start with “What’s on my plate?” you are taking command of your world.  When you’re waiting with baited breath of the next e-mail to land in your Inbox, you’re at the mercy of others.  It’s neither productive, nor enjoyable.

Just take a few minutes first thing in the morning, at mid-day, and just before going home to conduct a complete survey of everything on your desk or in your Inbox.  Consider what, if anything, needs to be re-prioritized and feel good about the things you’ve checked off the list.  In the end, you’ll see that this old-school behavior still drives terrific results in this modern-day world.

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