Say Yes

Friday is my day for proaction: Proaction is taking initiative to anticipate and shape future events rather than simply reacting to circumstances as they happen. Some people think Covey should've just used the word ACT, but proaction requires a thought: "I could do this or I could do that; I choose to do this."

On Fridays I take steps to maintain clarity of purpose, keep the end in mind, monitor my progress, and recommit. I often journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Agenda:

1. Read "The Achievement Habit"

2. Clarity for Service

3. The end plan

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

1. Read "The Achievement Habit":

I'm reading from this book by Bernard Roth (2015), subtitled "Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life". This is a book about "design thinking", applied to achieving goals in your life.

Chapter 1 is Nothing is what you think it is. The point is to stop holding on to feelings of betrayal, or anguish, or abandonment, or indignation - because the event has no real meaning except what I assign it. I am the master of my life, not a victim. I can, if I choose, turn personal adversity into a positive experience for myself and for others.

This takes creativity! We can transform the world, our behaviors, our relationships, our job -  into a new thing by having a new perspective.

If you take time to become aware of your current mental sate, and then deliberately alter it, you can shift into a different state. You can use something like my Zen Pause, in the moment, or if you are working on shifting a pattern of thinking or over-thinking, you can practice self-awareness. Asking yourself the questions, "Who am I?", "What do I want?", and "What is my purpose?", is one way to become more self aware. It's similar to meditation.

The best section here talks about the Game of Right and Wrong. "It does not matter how right you are or how wrong they are; you lose just by playing." Next time I find myself in this game, I can choose to end the game.

One amazing suggestion is to embrace my own patterns of boredom or impatience to allow myself to "become amused by the terribleness of the situation". Just admit that this is a terribly annoying situation and admire how wonderfully impatient and annoyed I am right now. Turn it into a county song or a stand up act. This is the creative approach to rose glasses that I can accept! 

2. Clarity for Service:

Yesterday I go a tiny glimmer of clarity on an action I could take this summer in the realm of earthcare: I thought I might focus my attention on fighting neonicotinoids.

When I have some kind of answer, any kind of clarity at all, I write it down, then I can start to take action on it. Taking action helps me to get greater clarity. No need to wait until I'm sure; when I have the slightest bit of direction, I can take the first steps, and see what it’s like. In some cases, I’ll learn more from doing than thinking. When I've take some steps, I can reflect and get clearer. What have I learned? What’s getting in the way? Use what I’ve learned to get even more clarity. Write it down simply. Take action again.

3. The end plan: 

I'm just thinking about the summer right now. My end plan is to 

1. Maintain my connections with my two or three Earthcare groups, and encourage them to the best of my ability without committing too much time or energy; in other words, I need to preserve my energy and my connections this summer.
2. Invest more energy into writing and sharing my Nature-Culture information in general, and neonicotinoids in particular.
3. If possible, use my art skills to illustrate my passions.

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans:

Once I have clarity and a framework, then I try to define achievable, meaningful goals and prioritize the goals and tasks with the greatest long-term impact.

My plan for Earthcare Service in the next couple weeks:

• Write the next 3 posts for my Nature-Culture blog: "How it All Fits Together"; "The bonus is Hope"; and "Prepare for Summer".
• Make an agenda and check in with each committee member before our June 7th Meeting.
• Write another Earthcare News, and especially look in to the organizations that IFEK supports so I can update that calendar too.
• Research neonicotinoids, and make a plan of attack.
• Prepare for the Peace and Justice Meeting by reading everything we are working on and writing an agenda.
• Print more QR code cards to share my N-C blog.