Once Again, Back to Basics

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By:Philip Humbert.

As I get older, I'm struck by our fascination with the new,
the complex, the difficult and the unlikely. It seems the
more complicated we make our lives, the more excited we
become, as if keeping a complex life from flying apart is
proof of our ability to juggle.

I've been reading lots of history, and I'm struck by how
simple life was before we had so many labor-saving devices
to help us!

Now, to be clear, I'm not suggesting we go back to life
before cable news or microwaves! Heaven forbid! Would life
be worth living without an iPod, a cell phone or Facebook?!
Get real, people!

But somehow people did live well, find happiness, make love,
raise children, build successful enterprises and laugh, even
in "the old days." Even before computers, some people knew
things, did things, built things and lived long, happy
lives. Imagine!

Every time I mention these things before a live audience,
someone immediately objects that "they didn't have the level
of competition we face." And someone else chimes in that
"you have to keep up" and the resident humorist always has a
crack that, "if it wasn't for Facebook my kids wouldn't even
know me!"

The distinction I try to make is the key difference between
the tools we use because they serve us, and the things we
are persuaded we "must" do. We are blessed with access to a
great many wonderful tools, and when we use them well and
skillfully, they make our lives so much better! They make us
more productive. They open doors. They let us compete on a
global scale and achieve success unimagined in earlier
times.

But when these gadgets and services, these machines and
devices begin to take over our lives, they can crowd out joy
and make life a living hell.

I was once in a crucial meeting with a client. I flew across
country to meet with his team and considerable time, money
and effort was at stake. But during the meeting, his
"smartphone" rang and buzzed and chimed continuously. He
was distracted, and so was his staff. While he may have been
impressed with his own importance, a key reason for the
under-performance of his business was obvious! Nothing got
done! Everyone was constantly "multi-tasking" and everything
was half-done, incomplete and scattered. That's no way to
run a business!

I keep coming back to the basics.

We do our best, and achieve peak performance when things are
clear, simple, and straight-forward.

What are the basics in your life?

While everyone's life is different, in most cases there
really are a handful of "the usual suspects." Life is about
solid, loving relationships. It's about a job well-done.
It's about good food, a little exercise, good health, and
lots of fun. The basics usually include managing our
finances well. And having time to rest. The good life
includes time for spirituality and clarity about who we
are, where we're going and what we value in life.

The basics don't really change very much. Yes, the tools
change and the "means" of production and the skills we need
change over time and we need to keep up. But the purpose and
priorities of life don't change.

This week, take an hour to sit quietly and list your basics.

Get a pad of paper and list them. Who are the key people in
your life? Do they know you love them? Have you told them
and shown them recently? What are your two or three key
goals or priorities? Do these things get the bulk of your
time? What are the key results you absolutely must achieve
at work, at home, and in your personal life? Do these key
results get your time and attention, every single day?

I'm reminded of the old Bible story about Jesus' visit to
the home of Mary and Martha. One of them was busy and
scattered, hustling to get dinner and make the party a
success. The other sat quietly with her visitor, getting to
know him. And I note that Jesus observed that the quiet
conversation had more meaning and more significance than all
the clatter of pots and pans and fancy foods.

Being busy is not the same as being productive.