Make Life Count!

Chapter 1: Focus

"Who begins too much accomplishes little." – German proverb

"At the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too." – Goethe

When Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States, he was the youngest President to date. In addition to the challenges of being the Chief Executive, Roosevelt was the father of six children. The most demanding was his eldest daughter, Alice, who was seventeen at the time that he took office. Alice was a handful. A rebellious, out-spoken, difficult young woman, she required a great deal of attention. Her behavior caused her father to comment, only partially in jest, "I can be President of the United States, or I can deal with Alice. I can't do both." Roosevelt was smart enough to realize that he couldn't do everything that was being required of him. And neither can you or I.

One of the biggest mistakes we make, one that causes us tremendous stress and frustration, is our lack of focus. We are pulled in dozens of directions all at the same time. We go here and there, and wind up nowhere, because we fail to focus our attention on our priorities. Like butterflies, we flit from one project to another, doing this and that, and at the end of the day, we feel as if we haven't accomplished anything significant. And sure enough, we haven't. We've wasted our time on small, often trivial things and never gotten around to doing the big things that could really make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.

A business coach taught me a process that has helped me to stay focused, and maybe it can help you, too. Every day list three things that you want to accomplish. Of course, most of us do a lot more than three, but the discipline of writing down three high-priority items and then doing them is powerful. It's an exercise in focusing and becoming aware of how you're using your time and energy. It forces you to concentrate and to make a commitment to a limited number of tasks. And if you follow through, the sense of accomplishment is extremely satisfying. At the end of the day, you can say, "This is what I focused on today. This is what I did that made a difference in my life, my career, my family."

What are you focusing on today? Is it valuable? Is it positive? Is it a productive, worthwhile use of your time and energy? At the end of the day, will you feel good about what you've accomplished? Will you have a sense of satisfaction? Or will you feel frustrated, disappointed, maybe a little angry with yourself for frittering away the precious, irreplaceable minutes of your day? Focusing on the significant and learning to do the important things first will go a long way in helping you make life count.

Excerpt from Make Life Count! 50 Ways to Great Days Copyright, 2000.

Other Sample Chapter

Chapter 2: Be A Positive Presence

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