Chuck

This morning as I turned off the alarm I noticed the date – 6/26. My brain is funny when it comes to numbers. The first thought was “That reminds me of the old Mazda car.” The second thought was “It’s only nine months to my next birthday.”

Yes, like a child, I keep track of the months until my next birthday. I know, strange for someone my age.

It was also then that I realized that nine months is also the human gestation period. That means I was conceived on (or around) this date 45 years ago. A wave of awe came over me as I shaved the stubble from my face. “A miracle happened today.”

Believe what you may, my heart tells me that life is a miracle. Having experienced the birth and growth of my two daughters has given me a great appreciation for it. Yes, there are some who will debate on when life actually starts or is considered “life”. For me, it’s the moment of conception. It’s a special time and I think it’s worth remembering. Happy C-Day – Celebrate the miracle and the One who made it possible.

Every week I put together a to-do list for the weekend and every week I struggle to get it all done. Something always comes up that makes it a challenge to get the list checked off. Sound familiar?

I am a long practicing student of David Allen’s Getting Things Done system of personal productivity. It’s seemingly simple times like this when I need it most. During the week I collect, on Friday I process, and on Saturday and Sunday I execute (as best I can.)

This weekend I started out with the standard items: Karate, laundry, a couple podcasts, and then added on the odd bits from work that get done after hours like a quick software upgrade. (Even the task to write this posting was on the list.) By Friday, my list is pretty full. It’s enough to make one’s head spin. Yet without that list each week, my weekend might be squandered away.

Life always seems to throw a curve ball at you. My wife will come up with an idea to watch the Flag Day parade with the kids. I look outside and see 72 degrees and sunny, how can I refuse? But the list is calling to me to get things checked off! That’s when I know it’s time to take a step back and look at priorities. Time with the wife and kids always wins over power washing the house. Sure, it sounds simple in that case. In others, there are things I really WANT to do, usually gadget based, that make the decision all that more difficult. Last weekend the weather wasn’t as nice and I told myself “forget the list for a while and go watch a movie.” The list gives you a sense of accomplishment, but getting away from the list for a while gives renewed energy to come back and attack it.

My recommendation to you, keep your list. Use it as a guide, not as a rule. When something unexpected comes up, emergency, family time, or whatever, step back and use your priorities to make the “macro judgement” as best as possible. Know that you still have the list when the new item is passed to keep getting things done.

Years ago when I was in my late teens and early 20s, a man, actually his whole family, had a very positive impact on my life professionally, personally, and spiritually. My teen years were rough and although hard to believe now, left me with little self-confidence. The man, we’ll call him Bill, gave me a job (two actually), gave me respect and guided me. Bill is about 8 years older than I am. Age didn’t seem to matter. He had wisdom beyond his years yet the ability to communicate as if we were peers. I am grateful for all he has done. I owe him, and his family, a lot.

Now that I am older I look to the teens that I interact with and think “It’s my turn to have a positive impact.” In some cases, it’s just listening.  Others, it might be talking about tech gadgets. In other cases it’s taking a few hits in Karate.

One in particular (we’ll call him Mike) wasn’t all that popular. For some reason he gravitated to me. Others spoke openly about how annoying he could be, but I persivered at spending time with him. Now as Mike graduates High School, he showed his appreciation more openly. He thanked me in public for just being there. That meant a lot to me. Things became a little clearer this past weekend when I found out that he had interpersonal issues at school and his home life is a bit of a mess. Even though I didn’t know this before, it wouldn’t have changed my “mission” to return the favor and be there for him – even in a limited way.

If you are 25 or older, look for teens or early 20s people you interact with (Church, the gym, school functions) and talk to them. Treat them with respect. Treat them like adults because they will be soon and they will remember what you did for them and want to do the same.