Category: Meaningful Management

Prioritization matters more than organization

If you’re always doing high value things, the order doesn’t matter. Nor does getting everything done matter.  If you really think you can get all of the high value things done in your life, well then if that’s really the case you can move on to trivial things. But chances are you just don’t know what matters if you find…

Do things the way you want to 

If you’re stuck on something, it’s using up much of your time… Sometimes you’re just not allowing yourself to do it another way because you feel like you’re not permitted. If that’s the case, why not try breaking the rules?  For example, I can take the subway to get to the airport, or an Uber. I might not let myself…

Right and wrong detract from productivity 

The only thing that’s absolute is that discussions of right and wrong often lead people to act counterproductivly.  Anyone can safely drop the words from their vernacular and still be as productive if not more so. Take for example, you should stop and look both ways before crossing any road. What if it’s 2 AM in rural America and a…

Fairness requires myopia

The broader your perspective, the harder it is to find fairness. Only in looking at a small subset of reality can you balance factors to achieve fairness. Though in the process you trounce upon a multitude of additional factors.  So, to be fair requires being unfair!

You should assume that best practices get you carried away 

When someone steps on your foot, you’re not going to be happy about it. Likewise,  when somebody bumps into you or you bump into somebody else. The person that’s bumped into isn’t going to be happy about it.  Knowing this means we can be prepared for the worst and avoid getting into a fist fight over something so trivial and…

Avoid communicating on paper

It’s tempting to think if we write something down that nobody will be confused. That assumes  People read it What you write is complete (contains what matters) What other people know is enough to understand what you mean   Nothing will change  Or, if things change you’ll update things 100% to account for what changed (and that you have the…

Unneeded thoughts happen

Tonight I was at an event that had multiple sessions in multiple rooms. When I picked up my belongings and walked to another room for the next session, I slipped my coat on. But, I wasn’t headed outside, I was headed merely to another room.  Just like the coat, our mind constantly slips into thoughts that aren’t needed. That’s not…

Forgetting is not failing 

If you’re building a new habit and you forget to do something, that’s ok. Why? Because to forget you have to remember what you forgot which is not forgetting but instead remembering just a bit too late. Which is remembering nonetheless. And takes you one step closer to a new habit. Try taking the judgement out of forgetting, and remembering,…