As 2009 unfolds we are seeing lots of things about how to make it a better year. While traveling, one member of the A.R.E. team saw the US News & World Report cover story – “Fifty Ways to Improve Your Life in 2009.” Look it up and you’ll find a list of fifty things that you can do to make life better in the next year. It isn’t a bad list - there are some great ideas there. But we think that with a few key practices, you can make your own list tailored just for you. So, using what we’ve been learning about effective people and organizations we want suggest our own.
To “Improve Your Life in 2009” consider these 6 ideas:
1. Ask Purposeful Questions: Being clear about your purpose and being willing to ask focused questions about it keeps you grounded. If you focus on trivial matters your life will most likely produce trivial results. Focus on important things and you will often find important things are the fruit of your labor. Before getting too caught up with a lot of busy work, take a little time to think about and sort out, “what really matters?”
2. Use Participative Processes: As we watch people try to muscle their way through life we see burnout, cynicism, and frustration. But when we see people form teams and real communities they are suddenly more alive, more energized, and more capable of making a difference. Yes, we live in a world of rugged individualism (but it doesn’t always work!). So spend more time in 2009 connecting with others and you’ll see life change.
3. Work Playfully: Somewhere we got stuck believing that work was supposed to not be fun. In fact, if we like it too much, maybe it isn’t real work. We say things like, “I work hard. And I play hard.” What if play and work got back together this year? Have a sense of humor. Find out what you and other co-workers enjoy and fit it in to how you approach a project. If you have things to do at work, think not only about how to get it done but also how everyone can have fun and enjoy the ride doing it!
4. Take Place Seriously: So often we are impacted by the images we see that we somehow miss the details of our own reality. How often have you talked to people who take vacations to see the world but haven’t gone across town to see amazing things right under their noses? Check out the life that is in your own back yard in 2009 and you might like where you live better and also save a few tons of carbon dioxide in the process.
5. Be (re)Productive: Set a few goals for 2009. Make them big enough to get your attention and then get focused and get the help you need to make them happen. Don’t set too many – you’ll just get overwhelmed. But don’t set too few – it is important for all of us to decide what we want to get done and then do it. And when possible, find and equip a few allies to help make the work easier, less lonely and more fun.
6. See Possibilities: Spend some time sorting out the places where you feel stuck. Are there choices and options that you haven’t noticed? It may be worth taking a retreat to go off and dream a bit. Consider making a “bucket list” of the things you want to do in life before you kick the bucket. You can start to make a few of them happen in 2009 and it will give you some things to point to in 2010, 2011, 2012 …
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