"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary"- Steve Jobs
"Friendship requires more time than poor busy men can usually command"- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy Monday. I hope you had an opportunity to spend some time outside enjoying this weekend's great weather. It is nice to have it staying light out later since the switch to daylight savings time. I was surprised last week to find many of my clocks had technology in them that automatically set them ahead. I was again reminded of the importance of time and how we often take time and technology for granted. It also made me think how technology can trap us into thinking we are using our time productively, when it may actually be hurting us.
Of all the things I learned in graduate school, a graph in an entrepreneurship class showing how your energy level drops as you get older, really stuck with me. I remember thinking life isn't a dress rehearsal, it is the real deal, and I have about 15 short years to do what I need to do before I lose my drive and energy. I think it is this concern that makes me task oriented and makes it extremely difficult for me to relax. I constantly think about the most productive use of time. However, this week's events made me think about this in a little more detail.
I was out with my wife and two daughters for my wife's birthday last week. It was a weeknight and my phone was going crazy with texts, emails, and calls. I found myself fighting a huge urge to respond during dinner. However, I knew even a single text would not be appreciated by my family on my wife's special day. At some point, my wife got up to take my daughters to the bathroom, leaving me at the table alone. I saw the opportunity and like a mad man flailed away at emails and texts on my droid under the table. I looked up often watching for my returning family like a kid with his hand in the candy jar hoping not to get caught. However, suddenly I was struck with a moment of clarity that made me realize the absurdity of what I was doing. I was more engaged with my business then I was with my family on my wife's birthday. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how precious our time together was and how lucky I was to have such a great wife and kids. Birthday dinners, with all of us together are likely a fleeting moment in time. As my kids get older and head to college, getting together is likely going to occur less often and be more difficult. The thought made me put my phone away and become engaged with my family again. I had never realized it but I never take calls or check emails when I am with a client, so why would I do it with my family?
There were a couple other events last week that made me realize how short and precious our time is. I found out an acquaintance that was diagnosed with cancer just 30 days ago passed away. The next day I had a client call and tell me her mom had passed away. As I searched for something to say to ease her pain, I thought about when my own dad passed away several years ago. Everyone deals with death differently and the initial grief certainly stings, but at some point the grief generally starts to get replaced with fond memories. As I thought about it, I thought about how glad I was that I didn't have a cell phone or mobile email for most of my dad's life. If I had, I likely would have squandered some of the best memories by spending time on my phone and not in the moment with my dad.
So here are my take aways for this week. Whether you realize it or not, time is likely one of your most valuable assets. Technology makes it easy to "multi- task" and think we are using our time effectively. It is easy to let the technology control us rather than the other way around. A few minutes of focused conversation or thinking are probably better than an hour of multi tasking. Task and goals are important to maximize your time. However, how would your tasks, goals, and time management change if you found you only had 30 days to live?
Have an awesome week and rock on my friend!
Kevin Clancy
518-861-7016 ext 104
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