A Letter to Myself

[bjarvis]

I like long plane trips: it gives me time to think and re-evaluate. On the Seattle-to-Midway leg of our trip home from the Vancouver IAGSDC convention, I wrote the following list as a letter to myself. I only now need to invent some sort of time machine for sending email back to myself in, say, 1980 or so...

1. Never speak when angry or upset.
   
2. It's OK to ask for an outside opinion, especially when you're in unfamiliar territory.
   
3. It's OK to say no.
   
4. Listen to your body. It may not comply to your scheduled day but will always win in the end, one way or another.
   
5. Before unleashing your inner perfectionist control queen, ask yourself: is the payoff worth it?
   
6. Procrastination frequently comes from over-committing, a lack of clarity, laziness or fear. Get moving again by identifying the cause and addressing it directly.
   
7. Details matter.
   
8. Being brief & concise is an art. A really valuable one.
   
9. Delegation is good management.
   
10. Self-discipline, preparation and time/resource management are the paving stones of the path to success, whatever your goal may be.
    
11. Truly worthwhile things are rarely easy. Practice matters.
    
12. Be generous with advice but only when asked. And accept that your advice may be ignored anyway.
    
13. Making a mistake is OK. Not fixing it promptly when discovered is not.
    
14. Learn both to give and accept a compliment sincerely and gracefully.
    
15. Surprise a friend by taking him/her out to dinner.
    
16. Forgive enemies and let go of grudges.
    
17. Forgive yourself. In fact, schedule some personal inventory, congrats & forgiveness once per month.
    
18. If you can't remember why you're angry at someone, it's probably time to let go of the emotion.
    
19. An annual emotional housekeeping exercise is a good idea.
    
20. Take a vacation from the Internet periodically.
    
21. Practise saying:
    • I was mistaken
      
    • You're welcome
      
    • I'm glad you're my friend
      
    • I love you
      
    • Thank you
      
    • I'm sorry
    
    
22. Spend time with pets. You are their universe, and they can teach you more about life than any book.
    
23. Time is your most precious commodity. Avoid those who fritter away theirs and yours.
    
24. You are measured by your contributions & company, not your car or possessions.
    
25. Get away from the TV as much as possible.
    
26. Audio books are awesome!
    
27. Have you volunteerred or given to charity this week?
    
28. Every morning, list & prioritize six goals for the day. Be flexible but don't be distracted.
    
29. Nearly everything in life is a choice --including not to choose. Own your decision.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Practise saying:

I was mistaken
You're welcome
I'm glad you're my friend
I love you
Thank you
I'm sorry

I need to do this item more. A lot more. Thanks for the reminder.

[vasilatos]

My Uncle George Mitchell who negotiated the Irish accord, taught me that It's OK to GET COMPLICATED. :-)