Tag Archives: focus

Apr 26 2012
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Books, Business, Discipline, Focus

A.E.P.

Gandhi once said…”Action expresses priorities.”

I’m going to start referring to this as A.E.P. And today A.E.P. becomes tattooed all over my office, car, and even my hand (with marker).

In other words…

  • My laziness reveals something about my priorities.
  • My focus shows what is important to me.
  • My complaining casts a shadow on what I value.
  • Alas, my instrument practice shows how much I care about my music.

The only thing I can find that precedes an action is a decision. So the question for the day is, how are you going to decide to act?

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Apr 02 2012
3 Comments
Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership

THE Green Jacket

A tradition unlike any other begins this week. The Masters. Golf’s quest for THE green jacket.
A few thoughts on THE green jackets we all should be in pursuit of and that some of us have won/earned.
  • Even though you’ve won the green jacket before it doesn’t guarantee another win in today’s competition.
  • Rarely does hole 72 determine who gets the green jacket. How was your sand play, iron play, and chipping holes 1-71?
  • This year’s competition field will be better, sharper, more focused, and younger than last years. Not to mention they probably want the green jacket more than they did last year too. This is no time for “been there done that.”
  • Every past green jacket winner, typically, has one bite of wisdom. “Putt well.” Romance in the small leads to success in the big picture.
  • If you don’t have a green jacket you’re in pursuit of – find one or dream one. Then master the route to it. Hint: The Muse already knows your seam measurements before your mastering quest begins.
When it comes to your trophies, you can show them off and you can dust them off, but their history and their shine doesn’t have much say when you tee off today.
Every year during this week I’m reminded of how the silent game of golf screams this is how life/business/etc. really is.
Godspeed in your green jacket voyage.
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Mar 30 2012
3 Comments
Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership

Behind The Scenes

We can see and hear who has bloodied their fingers for years in the guitar solo scene.

We can see who practiced free throws in the 4th quarter scene.

We can see who connected, who prospected, and who studied the market in the closing the sale scene.

The solo perfected scene, the free throw made scene, and the closing the sale scene only can happen because of what has happened behind them.

The same goes for the missed solo, missed free throw, and the sale fail. These guys have predecessors too.

We all want to star the scene, but the limelight tends to find those who have courted their art for years in the dim light.

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Dec 15 2011
1 Comment
Business, Creativity, Leadership

The 5 Senses, Pay, and Attention

This doesn’t look right. Our eyes have paid attention.

This sounds a little out of tune. Our ears have paid attention.

This tastes funny. Our tongue has paid attention.

This smells fishy. Our nose has paid attention.

This feels too hot. Our fingers have paid attention.

In a world that is moving 1,000,000 m.p.h. it is easy to overlook, hit the mute button, eat too fast, ignore smoke alarms, and forget to use a hot pad.

Paying with your attention will compensate your focus.

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Dec 14 2011
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Business, Leadership

Inattentive and Overactive Population Up 21% in Roughly 1,000 Days

The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported that some 49.1 million prescriptions for ADHD drugs were written last year in the U.S., up 21% from 2008. Some 46% of the prescriptions in 2010 were for people aged 20 and above.

This should not surprise us.

Since 2008 the world has  added numerous to-do’s to our daily routine that were not previously there:

-Facebook status updates. The world has to know what I’m up to, right?

-Twitter beckons us to tweet. If Gaga has something to say, I should too.

-Foursquare check in. I’m at Taco Bell and you should care. After all, they have a diet menu now.

-Polish my LinkedIn profile. E-Resume’s are cool.

-DVR . Now we can watch every show on television. We used to have to pick just one.

-Starbucks occupies near every corner with a stoplight. I need a soy latte` now! And again in an hour.

See how it has taken only 3 years, about 1,000 days, for the population that doctors classify inattentive and overactive to grow 21%?

Now, none of these things are bad. I’m just asking you to be aware to what’s unfolding around us and what can steal us from daily accomplishment if we’re not careful.

I’m haunted right now about the essence of today. Today matters. Today counts. Today things have to move and art has to be made.

I fear the iphone display that’s burning permanently in our retinas. I fear being more caught up in the man on Twitter than the man in the mirror.

There’s work to be done. Let’s do it.

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