REFLECTION: 10 MINUTES TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND LEADERSHIP
REFLECTION: 10 MINUTES TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND LEADERSHIP
Go ahead! I know you are skeptical, so just say it: “It’s impossible for 10 minutes in one day to change your life and your leadership. Impossible!” Just keep reading….
Go ahead! I know you are skeptical, so just say it: “It’s impossible for 10 minutes in one day to change your life and your leadership. Impossible!” Just keep reading….
We are all busy.
We all want things to get better.
Where we differ, however, is that some people create the time in their day for improvement.
The old adage says that “experience is the best teacher,” but life does not provide evidence of that fact. Do you know older people that have more experience but lack wisdom? What about younger and inexperienced people that have tremendous maturity about them? Of course, we can think of examples that fit in both categories. John C. Maxwell has taken that adage and modified it slightly to make it more accurate — “evaluated experience is the best teacher.” You see, this is where we now turn to the 10 minutes that can change your life and leadership.
At the end of each day, you MUST pause and reflect upon what God happened, how you can grow to improve, and what that means for the future. Can 10 minutes really do that? Yes! Yes, it can! If you spend 10 minutes a day, every day, for a full year, then you have accumulated 3650 minutes of reflection. Do you think that 60 hours of intentional thought would make a difference in your life and your leadership?
The critical element is to be reflecting on the right things. David, known for his writings of praise, tells us in Psalm 119:59: "When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies." When we pause to think, it changes our beliefs and, together, they change what we do. Remember this progress, head --> heart --> hands. What we think in our heads changes what we believe in our hearts and they generate the actions of our hands.
Okay, so maybe you are starting to get it but wonder how to make all this happen. Here’s a possibility: go buy a journal (can be inexpensive). Set a time at the end of the day. Start writing by responding to these four prompts: (1) One thing I LOVED today; (2) One thing I LEARNED today; (3) One way I LEAD today; and (4) One way I LIVED today.
Below is an actual entry from my journal on August 30, 2019:
LOVED: time spent with my 3rd child working on my truck — replacing oil, oil filter, air filter, and washing/waxing. Made a complete mess all over the garage floor as my catch-can did not function properly. He just giggles with glee.
LEARN: while cleaning up the mess under the truck, he dropped some wisdom and truth when he said, “Daddy if you smile, it makes the mess feel better.”
LEAD: shared his quote and picture on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Got several direct messages from people that needed to read what my son said.
LIVED: offered free coaching to a person that needs direction. It’s a start with my new certification and will help me invest in others.
The process mentioned above does not have to be THE way that you do this but it is A way. If you find another way that works better for you, then do it. The critical aspects are pausing for intentional reflection, writing down your thoughts, and changing based on what you learned.
10 minutes is all you need. Will you take the time to change your life and leadership?