Improving Personal Discipline

There has been some recent research that indicates the development of discipline in general has a "spill-over" effect in other areas of our life. The analogy is that a runner who develops his or her ability to run further and faster can use that developed skill in various applications. Whether running from danger or climbing a ladder, the level of fitness developed will improve one's ability to perform various tasks. Discipline works in much the same way.

As we develop the discipline of keeping our work space organized, we become more apt to apply the same skill to keeping our car and closet organized as well. The fitness of discipline goes beyond like tasks though. Having discipline in general allows us to be more disciplined in all aspects of our life. Being diligent about showing up on time, will make us more apt to stick with healthy eating habits. Discipline, as it turns out, is a muscle that moves in all directions.

If you are struggling with the lack of discipline in any area, begin to build discipline in the things that you find to be enjoyable or easy. The building of this discipline will eventually be applicable to all aspects of your life. Simply be disciplined.

Power of Weekly Review

We all need a moment in time where we are certain about where we are so we can clearly see where we need to go. A time of weekly review provides that point in time.

Several practical descriptions exist regarding the format of the weekly review -- Google "weekly review" for a list. Personalizing your review is very important. By creating a set time each week with a structured format that you will review your status, you will decrease the time spent on execution, re-work and inefficient processing.

The weekly review is intended to give you a perspective on where you are in your march toward your goals. It is a time to re-align the pieces of your work with the overall master plan. Details are properly stored in accessible forms and places so that actions in the coming weeks are thoughtfully executed in alignment with your goals. Reviews of this nature give you the confidence of knowing you are progressing in the desire direction.

Use these guiding questions to create an effective review in your weekly routine:

1. What action items did I commit to this week that are not yet in an actionable format?
2. What elements of my work did not go as planned this week and what adjustments do I need to make to bring them in line with my goals for next week?
3. What resources do I need to get in place for next week's work to be more efficient and on time?
4. What action items am I carrying that I can delete from my list?
5. Which of my assumptions changed during the past week and what is the impact on my goals?
6. Is my calendar complete for next week with enough detail to get me to the right place, at the right time with the right materials?
7. Did I pick up additional information this week that needs to be added to or updated in my "Contacts" list?
8. What materials did I collect that I don't need to keep?
9. What is one thing I can change about my work pattern to increase my efficiency next week?
10. Which of my goals require greater focus this week to stay on schedule?

Incorporate a weekly review in your routine to gain a sense of calm and accomplishment.

The Secret of a Thousand Leadership Books

Some perceptive reader condensed several top selling business books down to three or so points printed on an index card and posted them on his blog. As I skimmed over the 3 major points of Good to Great by Jim Collins, a book I was very familiar with, I was fascinated by how accurately the mini outline caught the essence of the book. As I read a couple of leadership books after my index card outline discovery, I noticed that most of these books follow an easy to condense format: A couple or three main points then lots of examples of those points. When read, the points capture an "aha" moment that fades fast once the last page is turned.

Soon after my three point index card discovery, I came across an article by Daniel Goleman of Emotional Intelligence fame in which he made the case for will power as a muscle of sorts that can be developed with practice. He concluded that many people simply don't have the will power to pass on dessert or get work done on time without distractions, because they have never experienced overcoming a previous barrier multiple times. According to Goleman, by overcoming an obstacle once, we begin to build the muscle of discipline to overcome it again in the future.

The index card experience of discovering three simple points in leadership books, yet not giving them much thought after finishing the book and the idea of building a discipline muscle to overcome barriers seemed to want to be married to each other. Maybe the reason we dive so heartily into leadership books but don't execute on what seemed to make a lot of sense when we read it, is that we haven't built up the discipline muscle that gives us the strength to make something new happen. We are lazy, disassociated readers. We read, we yawn, we sigh that's nice and forget what we read in less than 36-hours.

We would be better off to simply execute on something, anything, and then repeat the process again to build the stamina and mental perseverance to apply that execution ability to other things in life. We can forget the higher forms of leadership for a minute and practice execution whether it is brushing our teeth after every meal or keeping our desk clean for a week. Consistently doing something is the goal.

We are a nation of attention deficit readers who hope by assimilation to become great leaders without the messy prospect of doing something. Change your pattern of read and forget to read and do something. Just do something. It's where all great leaders start.

Get a Box

As I continue my quest to be "paper free" I am incorporating more online resources into my workflow getting away from computer based applications.

Two of my favorites (presently) are Google documents and Box.net

Google documents allows you to upload, revise, create, send, post documents with an online application tool that looks very familiar. You can save your creations as a Word file or with a new addition, you can quickly convert to a PDF file for easy transport. Like all Google applications, it's free and size is not an issue.

As an online file cabinet to hold files that I might need while away from the office or to work on from home without using a work computer, I have a Box account. You can get an account with very adequate storage space for free and the ability to upgrade as your storage need increases.

Box and Google docs both allow a document to be emailed directly to your online account as well as various sharing arrangements for collaboration with others. Google docs also has a push/pull function that allows you to access your files on your computer and when back online it will sync the online version with any revisions.

By depending more on the anywhere availability of online applications and file storage I have greater flexibility in organizing a paper-less workflow.

Have a paper-less tip to share with other pastors and lay leaders? Post a comment and share it with others!

They Will Manage Your Time

I've found over the years that others will manage your time if you let them. It is rarely a positive experience when our much cherished passing minutes are put in uncaring hands.

Observe the flow of your work place to spot the culprits. Notice that the same guy who stands in your door frame yapping on about his new lawn chair/cooler is the same guy that walks out the door proclaiming "it's quitin' time" leaving you in catch up mode. He is managing your time.

There's also the pseudo-interested office mate that wants to get into long, seemingly deep, discussions about yesterday's meeting or the big project that everybody is working on. They keep the conversation between the lines in terms of relevant topics, but they go way too deep and long. You get the feeling that they would rather talk than do. You're feeling them right.

They are the type that will manage your time to their entertainment. They like talking. They figure talking about work is work in itself, so they pass time with you strapped to their victim seat jawing about nothing. The only sporting thing to do with them is drop phrases like: "I thought I heard you weren't working on that project anymore." Drives them nuts. The only thing worse than having to actually do the work, is thinking that someone doesn't think they can. Play with them a bit. You've earned the right.

The final type is the "can we talk" victim. Never fails, you are in the middle of a chaotic crunch so you can get home in time to watch old Burt Reynolds movies with your mother-in-law who is in town for a yet to be determined period of bliss, and the victim enters. They are typically on the verge of tears and the exchange goes something like:

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can see you are in the middle of something. Never mind. It's not that important, it's just, well I don't know who else to turn to, you've always been so good at helping me see what to do, and now that I'm pretty sure I overhead someone say my name in the same conversation when they were talking about not needing as many people around here and it's my birthday, almost, it's actually next week, but I know, I'm pretty sure, they said my birth date too, so I know they mean me, and I just bought a new car and can't afford it even with a job and without a job well I'm in deep, whatever you do don't say anything, but if you were to say something it would be great if you'd let them know I have asthma and it would be a shame for an asthmatic to be living on the street, and aren't people with asthma protected by that ADA thing, I have rights and all, but I can't afford an attorney if I don't have a job, and I just knew you'd know what to do, and I'm sorry, listen to me, I've been rambling and probably for no good reason, right? Tell me it's for no good reason.

To which you reply: "I'm sorry, have we met?"

They all manage your time. Close the door, say no and make them live by your clock. They'll get the idea and start living according to your rules. Stand up when they darken your door so they won't sit down. Gradually start moving toward the door as you chat upon announcing that you have a call to catch or you should continue the conversation later but right now you're suffering from too much Dr. Pepper intake. If you need to talk with them, go to their office, don't sit down and quickly state your business. Don't wait on them to start a meeting. Don't continue the conversation past 5 p.m. Ask them hard questions when you see them so that they know it's not fun and games when they are in your presence. Ask them how in the world do they manage to have so much free time and they really should let someone know if they need more to do and you'll be happy to put in a good word for them so they don't get bored.

Don't let them manage your time though. After all, it is YOUR time.

Commit to Capture

Observation: (1) Pastor and lay leader team work depends on strong relationships and (2) strong relationships depend on doing what you say you’ll do and (3) keeping your commitments requires remembering them and (4) keeping track of your “to do” items requires an “air tight” capture system. All successful efforts begin with an effective capture system.

I’ve noticed, and I’m guilty as a lay leader, of catching one of our pastors on a Sunday with a request or finding myself unprepared to capture a “to do“ from them. In the fast pace of Sunday activities, that’s probably not the best time for us to discuss a next action, but that is the day that the most interaction occurs. A capture system solves that problem.

While there are many capture mechanisms, and I have tried most of them, my present system is based on the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach. Before I describe my system, let me mention some “runner up” systems that I’ve used that almost fit the bill for me and might fit your routine.

Some prefer to be totally digital incorporating laptop, desktop or handheld solutions. If that is your preference I recommend the applications from 37 Solutions. Entry level use is free and more expanded access is cheap. I use one of the solutions (BackPack) in my current approach, but more about that in a minute. For a straight forward “to do” list design, I recommend the Ta Da product that replicates a simple “to do” list design.

I also spent several years using the Task list along with OneNote on Microsoft Outlook. It is very effective for those who have continual access to their computer. You can of course capture on a slip of paper and enter as a Task on the computer later.

For many “GTDers” the paper approach called Hipster PDA is an effective solution which at its core design is simply a stack of index cards clipped together. My current system uses a variation this approach to capture not only my next action items but notes.

I use a modified Hipster approach with a Levenger Circa 3x5 index card punch. I print the cards on my Canon iP1800 printer which accepts a stack of blank index cards. I print templates, which are abundant if you Google Hipster PDA template, on the blank cards, punch them and insert in my Levenger 3x5 Circa notebook. I carry extra cards in my pocket in case I encounter a hallway conversation without my notebook. I use a fine lead mechanical pencil instead of pen since the writing space is small and I can change entries if the item changes.

The cards follow the GTD philosophy, arranged around the context or place I will do the action item. I have an @office, @home, @errands and someday maybe card to record actions. I use the previously mentioned BackPack from 37 Solutions to keep more extended notes on a project or other long document needs. Each BackPack page has a distinct email address so you can forward an email to a specific page to process later. On the Circa card I’ll remind myself there is more backup by recording (BP) by the action item to prompt me to look in BackPack for more details. On the BackPack site I put a key word from the card in the BackPack internal search engine which pulls up that tagged page.

For email threads that drive an action item on my Circa card I record (OF) to indicate more detail in an Outlook Folder where I have saved the email. I prefer to use Google Desktop to search my Outlook files (I use only a few folders and let Google find the documents) instead of using the Outlook search function.

The journey to an effective capture system that is designed for your personal needs begins with a strong desire to capture and execute on your commitments followed by some experimentation. Grab a stack of index cards and see how the flow feels. Take a peek at the 37 Solutions applications and play around with the free versions. Learn a little more about the capabilities of your laptop, handheld or desktop. Keep revising it until it feels right. Capture the commitment!

Non-negotiable Statements

We all have those momentary regrets when we wish we hadn’t committed to something. You know the feeling, as your energy sinks sitting there over dinner with a new grad from the selling you anything program. You knew it was coming when the invitation came your way and you were a little surprised that your brain agreed to the proposal without question even though it was the same night as your child’s soccer game.

The trick to staying out of these situations is being very disciplined about your list of non-negotiables. Having a list, which is the first step, allows you to depend on predetermined life rules that you follow without having to think or even feel bad about evoking the rule. In this example your list would include: (1) I will attend all of my child’s soccer games and (2) I believe that pyramid sales arrangements are detrimental to relationships so I won’t participate in them or purchase from them. (Don’t mean to offend anyone, this is just one of mine.)

Your list should be no more than 10 or so really important pre-made decision points that you’ve given great thought to before you place them on the list making it far easier to make a quick decision when the occasion arises. It’s also instructive, when time permits, to tell someone who has asked you to violate your list, what a non-negotiable list is and how you use it to better define and manage your life.

Non-negotiable will vary wildly from person to person but they all follow certain parameters. Items on the list should be those circumstances that are more subtle than expected moral guides. For example a non-negotiable list would not include prohibition from dating others when you are married or destroying your neighbors garden. These are expected norms and you really shouldn’t have to think about whether they are right or wrong. Your non-negotiable list will include pre-made decisions that you have likely not followed in the past to your disappointment.

Non-negotiable statements should cover decisions that you have been called on in the past to quickly respond to -- such as “I won’t agree to a private lunch with someone of the opposite sex unless I inform my spouse of the “when and where” ahead of time. (One of my own.) Your list helps set parameters to situations that could be a problem, mis-interpreted or something that you just don‘t want to do.

Non-negotiable lists can also be developed for your office or family, creating a rule set that all will know the importance of and will use as a pre-made decision that develops a cultural norm for the environment.

Let your non-negotiable list serve as your protection system to maintain your integrity, productivity and energy.

Here are a few suggested non-negotiable statements to stimulate your thinking:

I won’t schedule any meetings before 8 a.m.
I will always be home for dinner with my family.
I won’t let my car gas tank get below a quarter tank.
I won’t be on the computer while in bed.
I will only use a debit card or cash for my purchases.
I will close my office door and I am not to be disturbed on Tuesdays.
I will not give my email address to people I do not know.
I will have breakfast with my best friend every third Saturday of the month.
I will have a time of meditation from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. daily.
I will clean my closet every second Saturday of the month.
I will leave work everyday with my inbox empty.
I will not text message while driving.
I will stand up when someone enters my office to shorten the conversation.
I will return voice messages at 3 p.m. daily.
I will not meet with Bill unless he makes an appointment.

How to Prioritize

Prioritization is a topic that is touted in thousands of books, websites and articles defining the 5 easy steps toward greater productivity; but we still fail to be a people of prioritization. The steps are “easy” but the discipline of doing it is tough to follow. We lack motivation to perform. If that’s you -- that’s the first indication that you are not focused on important work.

Rather than focus on the “how” to prioritize -- make a list, consider the time frame, secure the resources, blah, blah, blah -- it is more productive to focus on the particular “why” of the task ahead. The “why” we want to do something is far more motivational than ranking the various opportunities that face us.

Each project under consideration for the investment of our precious time should be vigorously interrogated as to its benefit to our overall productivity, well-being and purpose. It is very easy to not do something if it really isn’t important to us. Things of importance will naturally rank high on your to-do list.

We prioritize without purpose if we are not in constant view of our goals. By clearly defining in generalities what you want to accomplish at work, home or in life, you take a big step forward toward prioritizing your energy and time. If you don’t know where you are headed, prioritization efforts don’t have a standard to which to measure their importance.

Once you have a clear understanding of your purpose and desired impact, simply record the next step in getting there (GTD basics) in your capture system. If you don’t have a system to capture your next action items, start with index cards. Write a single opportunity for action on each card. Align them on the table in the order you feel best reflects your purpose. Study the order and adjust areas that don’t feel right. Once you have them in an order that makes sense for your goals, number them, pop them in your pocket -- you now have a prioritized list and a system that you can adjust to your own preference of doing work.

The bigger issue is not the order in which you do things -- it is having the discipline of not doing things that are not aligned with your purpose or mission. A mission should be motivating. Prioritization should be simple, focused on the next action item and allow intuition to evaluate your flexible steps. The discipline of following through on your list is the key to growing comfortable and dependent on your prioritization process.