A Life Edit

I spend many early mornings in front of the computer working on my book or on my blog posts. I love to write. It can be hard to get up with the alarm some mornings, but the thought of being able to share with people gets me going. And the coffee helps a little bit, too. When I write, I usually start by getting my thoughts on paper. They usually come out conversational, so I have to go back and edit my words to work for a reader. Then, on the day that I post, I always have the lowest-paid editor in the country review my post – my wife, Carey. She supports me in all that I do. She has a good eye for things that I don’t see when I edit. The best part is that she does it for free! It may cost me a foot massage every now and then, but I can handle that.

I will be releasing my first book in February called, “Child-Like Leadership”. It’s about the leadership lessons that we can learn from watching our kids. There is a chapter called “Mirror, Mirror On The Wall” where I discuss the role that reflection has on your growth. I not only ask Carey to do work on my posts, but also with my life. She is a big part of my reflection time because she helps me see myself in a way that I can’t; just like she does with my writing. Reflection is about editing your life in the same way that we edit our writing.

Margaret Wheatley said, “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” It is the fastest way to learn from your experiences. It is most effective when done daily, but it is important for you to start with at least once a week. There are some important areas to focus on that will accelerate your growth and help you edit areas that need a few tweaks.

• Interaction: In what situations did I interact with someone? Did it go well? What could I have done to make the experience better? With these questions, you can edit your relationships.
• Production: Did I accomplish what I needed to? What would have made me more productive? Was I effective with my time? With these questions, you can edit your work.

• Investment: What was done to invest in the future? This is all about your relationships, your personal growth, and your finances. With these questions, you can edit your future!

Take the results of these questions and use them to implement changes in your life. Find the areas that you need to do things differently and make some edits. No one gets it right on the first try. Each week brings you hundreds of experiences that you can learn from, if you take the time to. Edit your attitude and behavior along the way and you will see your results improve.