“The essential question is not ‘How busy are you?’ But, ‘What are you busy at?”
-Oprah Winfrey-
Do you find yourself so busy racing around trying to get one hundred and one things done…to conquer the next mountain…chase after the next deal…add more errands to your “to-do-list”…and find that you are stressed to the “max”?
When you feel stressed it is very difficult to focus and to know what is a priority. This is the time when that productive time, you so value and desperately need…is often wasted because you are spinning in circles just trying to do what is next.
What is needed most at these times is to stop…to take time to rejuvenate so that you have perspective…but who on earth has time?
When you drive life constantly in the fast lane, perspective, vision and purpose is lost no matter what you try to tell yourself.
Just like a car can’t run without fuel, you can’t be at your best when you run out of gas! This is often when you compromise yourself or make unnecessary mistakes because you’ve lost focus.
When you loose sight of who you are…your values, your strengths and your greatness, you are unable to live to your fullest potential.
I have the honor to be surrounded by many successful people in my life that I deeply admire. They are mentors, teachers and instructors that inspire me to passionately go after life and not hold back.
I consider these individuals to be extremely successful not just because they have attained financial wealth, but because they are wise, have integrity, are well respected and influential, and they are making an impact in their world.
Peter Thomas is one of these individuals who is 73 years young, best known for being the founder of Century 21, one of the largest Real Estate Companies in North America.
Peter is one of the most inspiring people I know.
Why? Because he lives by his values, he is a man of integrity, he is a man of action, and he is absolutely delightful! Nothing ever stops Peter from achieving his heart’s desires.
In a conversation with Peter one day on priorities, he reminded me that successful people aren’t the ones that walk into their office and make it their goal to start at the top of the “to-do pile” and work to the bottom. This is not what he would call “a successful day”.
Successful people are the people who are able sift through the “to-dos” and prioritize what is most important, take action and commit to getting it done.
Peter attributes his success to practicing the discipline of knowing what is most important and doing it!
Peter calls this his “MIT List”…The M-ost I-mportant T-hings List.
Peter is a very busy man even in his senior days. He has absolutely no interest in slowing down. He is someone who is always on the go…if it is not a book tour, he is starting a new business and nothing Peter does is small. Peter puts a quote in bold red letters on the bottom of his emails that always makes me smile because it reminds me of who Peter is.
“Make no small plans for they have no magic to stir men’s souls.”
-James J Hill, President of the Great Northern Railway-
These words accurately describe Peter.
Peter is extremely active in his professional and personal life…doing the things that he loves and that have meaning and purpose for him. Peter’s inspiration of loving life is what is so inspiring!
This is why he stresses the importance of identifying and prioritizing what the six most important things that are.
When you have an involved life that is very busy personally and professionally, you must put your focus and energy on your “MIT’s”. This is what creates balance and a “laser focus” on what really matters…which always achieves results.
Zeroing on what really matters separates what IS crucial and MUST get done, from the demands of the urgent. Think about it…doesn’t everything seem urgent…especially when you face a lot of demands?
Filtering through “the stuff” and identifying what is priority is an incredible skill that must be learned to bring amazing results.
When you are able to focus on getting the most important things done each day, every day feels like a major accomplishment!
About the author
margie is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC, ACC) who loves to "To inspire and empower people to live their lives with authenticity, vision and purpose.”
