LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Wherever you are - be all there." Jim Elliot

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Pretty profound thoughts from Jim Elliot, but this past week when I saw this quote, I just stopped to think about it. It's pretty simple to me, he's telling me: Don't Live Distracted!

Yet, we ALL live distracted.

Have you noticed people sitting in a restaurant? Most of them are on their phones, completely oblivious to what's going on around them.

Have you been annoyed by someone at the movie theater that keeps turning their phone off and on to check messages?

In church recently I noticed how many people are using their phones Bible app instead of carrying a Bible.

We are tethered to distraction most of the day, and if you're like me, it's hard to manage the temptation to stay "present" all the time.

Jim Elliots reminder comes to me at a time that I'm busy and at a time that I'm trying to multitask to get the most out of my time.

Most of us don't multitask well. What ends up happening is we don't do our best, people feel used and we hurt the relationships around us that mean the most to us. What does "BE ALL THERE" look like to you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today." Will Rogers

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Those powerful lyrics by the Beatles...

"Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh I believe in yesterday..."

Dr. Patrick Wanis makes the connection between this song from the Beatles and the Will Rogers quote above. He states that many of us would rather go back to yesterday because in our minds it was so much better than today.

Do you spend "too much" time living in the past? Are you missing out on today because you're eyes are focused back instead of forward?

Our story is important. When we look back there is so much we can learn, so much to be reminded of and so much to celebrate, however we can't live there. Our past is a reference point, not a destination. Sometimes we spend all of our energy trying to get back to where we were before.

Identify some key moments in your story. I call them "turning points", moments in your life where you were moving one direction, then something happened and you changed direction. Write these down and identify the things you learned from them... both good and bad. This is a great exercise in remembering.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey Him." Samuel, 1 Samuel 15:22 (CEV)

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I had a couple of things over the past few days speak to me, and it culminated when I read this verse this morning in a study I'm doing through the book of 1 Samuel.

Last week, a friend of mine, Dr. Wes Beavis, did a talk at The Barnabas Group and he talked about how our bodies have been created to not only withstand stress, but to continue to develop as we manage the things around us.

In church Sunday our Pastor reminded us that God uses everything for His purpose, even disobedience can draw people to God, however there might be some huge consequences in that disobedience.

This morning, while reading this chapter, I was reminded that God wants us to listen to Him and to obey. It's pretty simple.

If you're like me, I create many hoops and hurdles to get through, but today I was reminded that God does has a plan for me, I only need to trust Him and do what He says. King Saul took things into his own hands. I wish I could say that I've never done that, but it happens all the time.

God wired us and created us for purpose, but He also put some things in place to protect us: Things like REST, things like ACCOUNTABILITY, things like BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION. He tells us what to do. Are you hearing Him?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Once you've committed yourself to something, pace yourself to the finish line." Meb Keflezighi

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

These words are powerful from the perspective of Keflezighi, a long-distance olympic runner.

But in life, they are just as powerful.

Pace can be defined as the "rate of movement" and/or the "rate of progress".

I've found that many times in my life, I commit to do something without anticipating or calculating the pace that will be required to actually accomplish it.

I find myself surprised and sometimes even dumbfounded that I miscalculated or didn't think it through.

Pace is critical because sometimes I push myself to a pace that is unsustainable, and it's at that time that things begin to fall apart and then I spend my time and energy managing disaster and trying to pick up the pieces.

I'm not a long-distance runner... just ask my High School Basketball Coach. I like to run in short spurts of energy, get some rest and then move again. This is kind of how I live my life.

Pace is important. Finishing well is important.

Are you moving at a pace that is sustainable or are you getting to a point of decision where something will have to change? Evaluate your pace today.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity" Albert Einstein

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This final thought on SIMPLICITY from Einstein. This guy spent his life taking the complex and making it simple!

How are you doing with the clutter in your life?

There's an INC. article that speaks to Einsteins quote and they talk about 2 kinds of clutter: Physical clutter, which is easy to see because it's right in front of our eyes and Emotional clutter, which can be a pattern of "coulda, shoulda, woulda." Read the full article HERE.

Have you been able to identify the clutter in your life and take some steps to eliminate it?

Physical Clutter: That pile in the garage, the mystery mound of paper on the side of my desk, the drawer where everything goes that doesn't have it's own place... clutter. Clean it out & there's freedom!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains." Steve Jobs

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Continuing the conversation around simplicity, Steve Jobs makes the above statement and it's so true.

Simplifying things is difficult!

Example: Prepare for a 20 minute presentation and a 5 minute presentation. Which one is more difficult? When you have to limit your words, you are forced to choose the RIGHT words.

I think this is why we make things so complicated... it's easier!

Jobs proved that simplicity around technology created not only a great product, but a brand that would last. He was so focused on being simple that he drove people crazy with his demands and his pursuit of the right

features on his products that would keep it simple, but make it highly functional.

We can learn a lot from that pursuit, and when I say "WE", I mean ME.

I don't pursue simplicity because I don't have the margin in my life to focus on it and keep it simple and effective. I tend to just throw myself into everything, keeping things moving, which often is much more complex. What keeps you from the pursuit of simplicity?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential, eliminate the rest." Leo Babauta

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I want to spend the next 2 weeks looking at quotes about SIMPLICITY. The reason? I tend to make things way to complicated.

This quote from Leo Babauta is the simplest way to define what simplicity is all about? How's that for a sentence....

Step One: Identify the Essential: What is critical to my purpose, my plan, my passion, my pursuit? What HAS to get done, and there's no way around it?

Step Two: Obviously, there are a bunch of things that aren't essential, but for some reason, I keep doing them.

I think the problem is that we have a hard time defining what is essential and core to our purpose.

Here's an easy way to determine what you should and shouldn't do: Make a long-list (a list of everything you think you need to do). Write it on a white board or on a piece of paper. Now, start crossing out things that you don't think are critical to your plan. Sometimes, just seeing it written down helps put it in perspective and helps you determine if it's essential or not. Try it, it actually works!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you can't fly, then run.

If you can't run, then walk.

If you can't walk, then crawl,

but by all means, keep moving."

Martin Luther King Jr.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I shared with you my desire to dive into these 3 words more intentionally this year:

PURPOSE - PACE - PRODUCTIVITY

The quote from Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to this directly with the challenge and the motivation to keep moving.

I've found that FEAR PARALYZES ME.

When I'm uncertain, when I'm concerned, when I don't know instinctively what to do, I freeze. Usually I don't freeze for long, but sometimes it's takes a little while for the plan, the clarity and the WIN (What's Important Now) to kick in.

I know people who freeze for long periods of time because they're afraid to make the wrong move.

The quote is a reminder to simply keep moving. Sometimes it means you have to slow down to a crawl, but don't stop, don't freeze, don't become paralyzed.

What causes you to STOP? What gets you STUCK? What do you do when you're not sure what direction to move in?