In the rush to get to an outcome with a group of people, it can be difficult to keep everyone’s focus on the critical path. Distractions in the form of competing priorities, emergency tasks, and meetings driven by good intentions are just the beginning!
In an observation as old as time itself, the primary reason that goals are not achieved starts with where one spends one time. It can be difficult see there is a problem. It may take time and reflection to see things accurately in the mirror. The question I find myself asking more and more frequently is one of priority and usefulness. Is what I am doing the thing I should be doing if I want to get to the destination of my dreams?
A self-critical evaluation suggests that I am far more traditional than I want to believe. With a smile and a commitment to learn, my notes includes the following.
Being busy, even when it is with things others think are important or that I enjoy, is not an indicator of progress. If the question of priority and purpose does not dominate every moment, I am likely to find that I have drifted away from both.
Each activity I take on has a lifecycle of its own. I feel like a child when I realize the way certain work, at pointless as it is to the primary goal, feels satisfying. The feeling is addictive. It is as if I am in an old story with others, watching in the third person when “they worshiped their idols, were caught in the trap of idols.” (Psalm 106.36) We can see our error but are unable to stop ourselves in the moment.
When I involve others in my detours, it is even harder to get back on the critical path. It is as if we self-justify what we are doing. One person’s blindness becomes infectious and pretty soon we revel in our darkness.
The motorcycle truth dominates. If you want to know where someone is going, you need to follow the eyes.
