Robbie MacKay

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

- Mahatma Gandhi

De-cluttering things is great

It creates space for new things

De-cluttering a house, creates a nicer space to live in.. and gives space for things you actually want

Clear out old documents, photos, projects, etc… create space for new ones that you actually want now

De-clutter your head…

This is part of why I blog.

It gets the ideas out of my head,
gets them into the world,
where they can contribute to others…

But it also de-clutters my head

Creating space for new ideas, new thoughts

(See also: Seth Godin talking about why he blogs)

I’m going to run with some thoughts from reading this post by Danielle LaPorte about being busy.

Danielle mentions telling people the truth, when your late or can’t do something, not just telling them you’re busy.

You can also use this as a reminder or an alarm, for when you’re not doing things you’re proud of and excited about.

If you have to tell someone what you’re up to and you find yourself resisting – just saying “I’ve been busy”, then maybe you should re evaluate what you’re doing. Why don’t you want to share it with people? Are you just bored of it? Are you embarrassed about it? Something else?

When I say resisting here – that’s different from just being a bit too lazy, or having got into the habit of being vague. Those are well covered by the original post. I mean that when you do think to tell someone what you’ve been up to, some part of you pulls back and doesn’t want to.

You may not always find something profoud

But its worth taking a look

Do less, Impact more

That’s what I came up with when trying to squeeze my current ideas into 4 words for a recent Intersect meetup.

It is in part I was inspired by this recent post by Seth Godin.

I keep saying I’m busy and don’t have time to do things, but yet I’m spending a lot of my ‘non work’ time either doing things I feel a duty to do, instead of the things I really want to do.

So over the next few months, I’m going to endeavour to start doing less of the things I just do automatically or out of duty.

This doesn’t mean I’m just going to abandon things I’m expected to do (like fixes for old clients).
- That wouldn’t serve me or anyone else very well
But I’m going to start tieing up the loose ends: fixing problems properly, so I only do it once.

If I still have to do something I’m not excited about, I want to do it consciously not just as an automatic reaction.

Basically I’m aiming to discover how much free time I really have and then be able to dedicate that to things I’m really passionate about.

I had an insight about choices recently. I was talking with a friend about going travelling overseas and he asked – “Why travel? What’s wrong with New Zealand?” . I didn’t have an answer, I just thought “There’s nothing wrong with New Zealand – I just want to travel”, but still he’d got the impression I was trying to get out of New Zealand.

Wanting to go somewhere else really doesn’t have much to do with New Zealand and what’s wrong/right here. The question was appropriate to where I was at when it was asked but as I moved past it I discovered gift.

When faced with several alternatives, choosing one of them doesn’t mean anything about the others.

This applies to other situations too:

• Ending a relationship doesn’t mean anything was wrong, it was just no longer what you wanted.
• Moving to another country/city/house doesn’t mean anything was wrong with the current one. You are just choosing to move to something else.

This is particularly relevant for me as I’ve recently accepted a job offer. This is a change from working as a freelance web developer, and happens when I’m really beginning to enjoy my work. There are even some things I’m not too sure about with the new job, like working more normal hours again!

But it’s a new challenge I’ve chosen. Hopefully I will enjoy it, I won’t know till I’m there. But I do know that if I compare it to freelancing then I’ll always find something to dislike.

Often when we make a change in life, we are asked to justify that choice. In an effort to justify ourselves to other, we sometimes make the way things were into  ‘the wrong way’, when in fact we  just chose a new way.

I originally wrote this post on Anzac day. At the dawn service that morning I was struck by a comment about along the lines of “We do not seek to glorify war, but to honor those who fought for our freedom”. It is worth remembering this – in choosing to not go to war does not in itself dishonor those who have fought for us in the past, it simply says that we have now choosen something different.

Again, this applys to many things in life: We do not have to dishonor our parents and/or ancestors when we choose a different path from them. I think we would be wise to understand their choices and the consequences, whether we disagree or not. Then choose our futures freely.

Choose the future while honouring the present & the past.

Yesterdays post didn’t really sit right with me. I posted it anyway but now I’m calling bullshit.

Life doesn’t really have a purpose other than experience and what ever you say matters to you… This may be many things… and this may be similar to what I said yesterday – but one this it certainly isn’t is a job.

If you have the pleasure of turning your chosen passion or purpose into your day job – then I hope you’ll agree with me. Because now even your day job isn’t really a job at all!

A Zen Poet said, “A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace, whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both.”

So go, live life and love life… but don’t treat whatever purpose you’ve chosen like a bad day job. It may not be easy but it doesnt have to be hard work…

Enjoy!

Update: Just found this post over at Mind the Beginner which seems relevant.

To see the good in everyone.
That is my job in life…

Why? Because I say so.. Because its what I’m drawn to do.

No matter the person there is something good there, something beautiful…
In their darkest moment when they do their worst to me… I will remember who they are.
I may get angry or upset.. but in the end I will try to see it from their side..
A friend used to refer to this as ‘Leadership creating leadership’ – seeking to inspire everyone and see everyone as a leader.

If some part of my life isn’t working its often because I’m failing to see the good in something or someone..

This isn’t to say you have to pick just one thing…I have a few of these. Many of the important things in my life fit into this framework. They’re not something someone told me to do, or something I have to do… they are just what I say my life is for. I’ve posted this quote before but I think it fits this post so here it is again:

This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

George Bernard Shaw

What’s your job in life? What are you passionate about? What do you say you life is for?

Don’t think about what you can do or what you think is possible…
What do you want to do? What do you want your life to be about?

Now go!

Update: Be sure to check out the next post

I’ve just moved all my old posts over to this new blog under my own domain. I’m already enjoying having the freedom to install whatever plugins I like so I think it was a good move.

This blog is still a work in progress as always, including the title at the moment. I’m now working under Leadership creating leadership.. I’m not sure if that quite fits yet but my current aim is to offer inspiration to wake you up (or keep you awake) and have you start being more responsible for your world!

If you keep reading then let me know how I go… Any feedback, good or bad, is greatly appreciated!

I’ve got a few draft posts in the works so come back soon or subscribe to the RSS feed.

Worn out? tired? frustrated?…

For me this is common.
Its happens when I find all my energy and drive going nowhere.

Turn that energy into something worthwhile…

What can you do right now?

What can you do today?

What have you been waiting for time to do?

What have you been putting off?

Don’t sit round being unproductive or trying to finish the task that’s frustrating you…

Take 5 mins, 15 mins, an hour… Take as long as you need or can…
Do something else…

Turn your energy into something great…

Maybe you have a project you’ve been waiting to start?

You’ve been meaning to make a loan on Kiva?

You want to volunteer your time? (donatenz.co.nz)

Go for it!

Do it now!

You might find completing that frustrating task much easier afterwards…

I’m watching this late on thursday night and I thought I’d pass it on.. its a beautiful idea combining social and environmental justice.. In Van Jones’ words: “The powerpoint that Al Gore would do if he was Black”

A few other links for you to read:

• The Earth Charter
• Climate Change and Peak Oil for New Zealanders
• Awakening the Dreamer
• For any young professionals – check out Intersect (the link goes to my profile )

I spent all day Tuesday at a sustainability so I’ll have post either on that or inspired by it following soonish