Intentional Letter: I'm Bad at This
An idea (the essential few)
Last yearI want to believe that I can do it all.
But life has slowly reminded me of my limits. It turns out I can only work on one task at a time (if I want to be effective). I can only talk to one person at a time.
Despite my best efforts, I can only read one book at a time. And, notwithstanding moments of my life where I have survived on little sleep, my body does actually need 7 hours of sleep to function well.
But isn't this a tough realization for leaders?
We love to think about our potential, but it almost feels wrong to acknowledge our limitations.
Limited time. Limited energy. Limited attention. Limited capacity.
But don't the best leaders push themselves beyond their limitations?
At times, yes, but the leaders that last and finish well eventually choose a more sustainable, focused path.
Often what allows us to experience early success is an unrelenting spirit to persevere, to juggle, to get it done, and to not take "no" for an answer.
But there comes a point in every leader's life where that approach brings diminishing returns.
There is a point where our success is more a product of what we say "no" to than how well we can manage 100 priorities.
Hyper focus becomes a super power. Clarity becomes a competitive advantage. Less -- with excellence and energy -- becomes more.
This approach acknowledges trade offs and opportunity costs. When we say "no" to one thing, we can say "yes" to something more important. A higher leverage point.
Warren Buffet famously said that his "investment philosophy borders on lethargy."
In The Tao of Warren Buffet, Mary Buffett and David Clark explain: "Warren decided early in his career it would be impossible for him to make hundreds of right investment decisions, so he decided that he would invest only in the businesses that he was absolutely sure of, and then bet heavily on them. He owes 90% of his wealth to just ten investments. Sometimes what you don't do is just as important as what you do."
As we wrap up 2024 and prepare for 2025, you may be thinking about what you want to accomplish.
What if you intentionally limited your focus? Would that give you more space for life? Could that potentially bring greater satisfaction (doing less, but doing it well)? A greater return on your investment?
In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins explores what went wrong in companies that were once Wall Street wonders but later collapsed. He found that "the undisciplined pursuit of more" was often the reason they failed.
Perhaps it's time to embrace what Greg McKeown calls the "disciplined pursuit of less."
The essential few.
Less but better.
For me, this is hard. It's not how I'm wired. But I'm learning it not only allows me to make progress on the few things that truly matter. It also creates more room for life. To be present in the moment.
What will you choose in this next season?
One practical way to implement this is to focus on "the one thing" in key areas of your life.
In your health/fitness, what is one thing you hope to accomplish in 2025?
In your marriage, what is one, small area you want to improve?
In your organization, if someone forced you to articulate just one priority, what would it be for 2025?
(Note: this doesn't mean you can't have other areas of focus, but forcing ourselves to pick a #1 helps us focus and have clarity)
You can do this in any key area. Finances. Parenting. Reading. Choose the one thing.
Maybe this season is a season of intentionally choosing less but better.
A question
If we were to meet up three years from now (for example, we bump into each other at a coffee shop, on an airplane, or at a conference) and I asked you how you've been and you told me, "Cal, this has been the best three years of my life!" What would you be telling me about?
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(This is Rich Litvin's "Best Three Years Exercise" -- an exercise I discovered from Graham Cochrane's book Rebel)
A quote and resource
"How we get to the end of our lives with minimal regrets: We choose well. We set aside lesser pursuits to seek meaning in our lives. And we do it every single day."
—Joshua Becker in Things That Matter
The Mission
I am on a mission to help thousands of leaders gain clarity, courage, community, and consistency in their lives. Thank you for joining me on this journey!
I'm rooting for you,
Cal
➡️ When you're ready, I can help you gain more joy and deep clarity with my Core Values Mini Course. It has helped over 150 leaders live a truly intentional life. Join here 🎯
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