I wrote the post below as much to remind myself as to share, so the focus may vary from "I" to "you". DP

As I was making a cup to tea this morning the thought occurred to me that I have a reason why I feel that I don't make progress on things that matter the most to me.

Why do I feel that way?

Because I have too many jobs! Here are just a few:

• Engineer
• Mechanic
• Continuous Improvement Specialist
• Musician
• Welder
• Wanna be Pilot
• ... the list goes on and on.

My life is so full of things that I could or should do, that I am continually distracted from what I Want to do.

Why?

I do it to myself. And, I think you probably do that to.

I also know the answer, but haven't yet embedded it into daily life. The answer is to Subtract. Only by subracting do I have room for more growth and creativity.

I am constantly bombarded with messages from ads like "Try this, you'll like it!", "Do this!", and "Buy this to be fulfilled!". There are causes that I am attracted to that demand "Send Money!" and "Give of your time!" and I feel quilty if I don't. Finally, there are all the things I am already doing and a message from somewhere tempts me to "grow" by moving in a different direction instead of the one that I have chosen.

It is not the external messages that are the problem; it is what we do with them. I think that as humans, we are presented with more possiblities of things we can do than we can ever finish, and we aren't prepared for that. We do violence to ourselves when we try!

So, what can I do? And what can you do also? For new ideas (messages) that I receive I am doing this:

1. Be aware of the messages. Observe each one the same way that "I" can observe "me". Seek to understand the message; when meaning is clear, then decide about what do do with it, if anything. Many of these will simply vanish when I do.

2. If a message has made it this far, ask yourself "Is this truly urgent? Is it important? Why?".

3. Ask "What would I subtract from what I am doing right now to do this new thing? Do I really think it is worth it? Is this something to put on the shelf and perhaps examine again later?"

For the overload that I have already, I can think of only one cure: subtract a lot of the "nice to have" and "nice to do" items and focus on the ones that I truly enjoy doing and being. Only by doing so can I open the door to new ideas and also dedicate the time to do the ones I like to do.

In closing, I'd like to suggest a couple of things:

• Get a copy of Derek Sivers book Hell Yeah or No, study, and ponder on it.
• Ponder this quote from Thomas Merton. I've carried it around with me for years, but keep finding guidance from it. It is from his book, "Conjectures of a Quilty Bystander".

Till next time,

Duane