Tag: life values

Be True To Your Life Values

Be True To Your Life Values

Posted on by kbodtmann

A person of integrity stands true to their moral and ethical values at all times, no matter the circumstance or who is watching them. They stand strong to their personal principles and always act ethically and morally. To me, this is one of the most important attributes of a good person and is a paramount quality for a good leader. In fact, the best leaders are those who do not simply have the title but naturally influence others by living from a strong set of personal principles and step up to help and encourage even in the most difficult of times.

There are people in this world that seem to change their colors like a chameleon, altering themselves constantly for some personal gain or interest. There are others that seem to easily shed their skin like a snake. They lie to themselves that the rest of the world can not see who they really are but with each shed, the snakeskin is always left behind as a remnant of their past indiscretion. These remnants can be easily found by others. The snake may shed its skin thinking itself fresh and renewed but people can still see that at its core, a snake is a snake. Don’t be a chameleon and don’t be a snake. Be a person who knows themselves and lives each day at home, at work, with friends, with partners as their true self. Commit to life values that we all know to be paramount – honesty, kindness, respect, and consistency of character. If you make an honest mistake, own up to it. Take agency and accountability for all of your life decisions and don’t blame other people or outer circumstances for your poor decisions or unethical behavior.

When you stray from your life values this can have a ripple effect on everyone around you and damaging consequences. If you think people can not feel disingenuous behavior or see the inconsistencies of your character, you are wrong. People have a deeper sense and intuition about others and an ingrained talent to spot those who have a self-serving or deceitful nature. There is just so long you can fool those around you when you act in an incongruent manner. We have all been around someone who makes us feel uncomfortable and a sense that this person is not who they say they are – and trust me if you have felt that, you were right. If you are reading this blog, you are undoubtedly a person who is interested in growing, evolving, and striving to be a better version of yourself. My advice to you is to cultivate an unshakeable set of life values that can guide you in all your decision making from narrowing down your list of life priorities to having a deep sense of self that guides you in your most difficult times. If you live out these values day to day and vow to always be a person of high integrity, then you are already winning. The world has a way of rewarding those who are true to their highest self and virtues and unfortunately, the adverse is true as well.

This post is dedicated to my Father who is a constant inspiration and embodies what it is like to live a life of high integrity with love for his family and a deep sense of moral value and my soul sister Kristin who is walking beside me on the same path and has taught me to love and always be true to myself. Happy Birthday to two of my favorite people.

You Are Not Your To-Do List – Break Free Baby!

Posted on by kbodtmann

Are you drowning in a never ending to-do list of tasks and responsibilities? If you are, I am about to say something very controversial. You are causing your own misery. You are stuck in first generation productivity thinking. You are reducing relationships and strategic thinking to tasks you can tick off for your own personal gratification. WAKE UP – you are not your to-do list and if you find yourself being a slave to tasks on paper, you are playing small.

There is no way to complete all of the tasks life will throw at you. There will never be an end to your list. Adopt these following strategies to realize your value lies outside of lists and there is a better way to accomplish your goals. One that requires less hurry and more heart

  • When you say YES to your list, what are you saying NO to?
  • Game Changers
  • Time Multipliers

I don’t believe in working hard and then playing hard. I believe in trying to find joy and fulfillment in everything we CHOOSE to do. Some tasks are necessary — but are they? How much time do you waste adding trivial things to a list? Have you ever asked yourself if this absolutely needs to be done? If it does need to be done then does it need to be done by YOU and RIGHT NOW? There are 100’s of tasks we can clutter a list with. In the end we never finish, get overwhelmed and feel defeated. People with lists tend to choose the easiest task with the least amount of energy expenditure to complete first. Is that really moving you forward? Checking off tasks may give you a fleeting moment of satisfaction but leaves you with a lifetime of missing what is important. Are you prioritizing making your lists and completing those tasks over a moment with your child, a walk in the sun, a blanket and a book on the couch, or a phone call with your Mom? In the end, no one is going to care about a check mark on a dry erase board. What matters are the memories we hold close to our hearts and the love we have given to others. When you say YES to your list, what exactly are you saying NO to?

Does every task have equal importance in your life? OF COURSE NOT! Making to-do lists is easy and anyone can do it. It is the rare individual who makes the difficult choice to sit with all of life’s demands and CHOOSE those tasks that are the real needle movers. No one has the time to accomplish everything – this is just a fact that everyone needs to sit with. Sit down and ask yourself – What tasks are adding value to my life, to my family, to my work and craft, to my profession? Is it more important for your patients to write charts on your day off or hone your rare and valuable skills as a doctor? To dust the bookshelf or read a book to your child? To write protocols for employees or use that time to sit with them and learn their goals and dreams? You get the point. Invest your time in YOURSELF and OTHERS. Sit down and find out what you want your life to be all about. We can’t do EVERYTHING but we can make the choice to do the RIGHT THINGS. Throw your task lists out and start your day by doing the things that will make a real difference.

Time, time, time. No one has enough time. We are all so BUSY. Busy doing what? Busy figuring out how to get through your to do list faster? Can you sense the irony in my voice. Have you stopped to think about what things you can do today that will make your life easier in the future? Sometimes, we need to take that initial time investment to organize our desk to make back hours every week in increased efficiency. How about investing time today to make that work template that automates some rote task that you keep having to do over and over? Really, be creative. Can you organize a drawer in your home in the ORDER in which you use the utensils to make the same breakfast you eat every day? How about putting your vitamins/supplements in the time order in which you take them inside your cabinet? Set up a pet food station right next to where you feed them. Work on your typing speed, meditate to fall asleep faster, go for that run to increase your energy and function for the day. Is it faster to take a deep breath or spend the next 10 minutes in an argument? So many possibilities. Thinking about the things you can do today that will buy you time in the long run. This is definitely third generation productivity thinking and this is where truly great people spend their time.

Ditch your to-do list. Value presence and relationships over tasks. Determine what is important, not urgent and do that FIRST. Invest your time in productivity multipliers. YOU are not your to-do list, you are so much more than that.