Live by Priority

Notes from the book – “The ONE Thing”

When you have a goal, you live by priority.

The word priority is not priorities.

Prior is Latin meaning “first”.

We have goals and plans for one reason – to be appropriate in the moments of our lives that matter.

What is your ONE goal?  Is it a priority?

Goals tell you what to do now

“What shall I do?”  People who have no goals ask this question.

People with goals ask “What should I do?”

That question will get you somewhere.

What should you do today?

Purpose provides the path

Notes from the book – “The ONE Thing”

Purpose is the straightest path to power; the ultimate source of personal strength – the strength of conviction and to persevere.

The prescription for extraordinary results is knowing what matters to you and taking daily doses of action in alignment with it.

If you have a purpose, clarity comes faster, which leads to faster decisions.

Knowing where you are going leads to the best possible outcomes and experiences life has to offer.

Purpose also helps you when things don’t go your way.

Purpose provides the path.

Happiness happens on the way.

Notes from the book – “The ONE Thing”

To be wealthy, you must have a purpose. Otherwise, you’ll never know how much money you need or be able to deploy your wealth in service of the purpose.

For more money to motivate you, it depends on why you want the money.

When it comes to happiness, any end you seek will only create happiness for you through the means it takes to achieve it.

Wanting more money just for the sake of getting it won’t bring you the happiness you seek from it.

Purpose – happiness happens on the way to fulfillment.

What do people want in life?

What do people want in life?  Happiness.

But it doesn’t happen the way we think.

Happiness happens ON THE WAY to fulfillment.

Here are 5 things we need for happiness, according to Dr. Martin Seligman –

1) Positive emotion and pleasure

2) Achievement

3) Relationships

4) Engagement

5) Meaning

The last two are most important.

When our daily actions fulfill a bigger purpose – a deep happiness can happen.

Do your daily actions have engagement and meaning?

How can you make it better?

A compass gives you direction but not directions

Your goals are your direction.  But you need to get directions.  You need to learn how to do it.  You need to learn from others who have done it, and apply your own ideas through experimentation. 

If your company has goals, that gives employees a direction.  But you have to tell them HOW to do their part.  You have to give them directions.  

Lots of people have goals.  Fewer take the time necessary to learn how, and fewer still execute on the right plans.

Are you clear on what your goals are? 

Are you clear on HOW?  

Are your people clear on HOW?

Take ownership of your problems

“When a TEAM takes ownership of it’s problems, the problems get solved.” – Jocko Willink

Talk to your team about your problems and challenges.  Ask for their help.  Get their ideas.  Move their efforts in the direction of a solution.

Reward and celebrate the answer.

Many brains working on a problem are always better than one.

 

Good counsel leads to good decisions.

There are lots of people giving advice.   Many do it for a living, and many contradict each other.

Some give good advice on one subject, but not so good on another.

You will never live long enough to learn it all yourself.  You must learn from others.

Many people listen to others with the same problems and they are in an echo chamber and never get out.

You have to determine who you will listen to in the world.

Choose carefully.

 

Strong character is a wealth accelerant

When you put ambition together with strong positive character traits like trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, and more, your chances of being successful are much better.

Those with poor character who come to success against the odds, will have troubles and often lose their wealth.

Character counts. 

 

Time Management – “yes” is expensive

Every time you say, “Yes, I’ll do that,” “Yes, I’ll own that,” “Yes, I’ll get another pet,” or “Yes, I’ll be on that committee,” you are crowding your time.  Then you feel like you are running fast but can’t keep up your commitments or enjoy your days.

Stop saying yes to everything. 

Say no thank you.

Better a moment’s awkwardness than months or years of regret.