Eye opener

I had my retinas photographed today. During a routine eye exam the optometrist decided to take a closer look at my optic nerve. My pupils needed the assistance of a few eye drops to open them up so a decent photo could be taken. As a result, I've been walking around most of the day with my glasses off. The world is a much scarier place when you can't see clearly. A neighbor saw me at the mall and she said I looked oblivious to everything around me. I was probably trying not to walk into anything. The good news is that my eyesight has actually improved. The optometrist asked me if I had change work in the last two years. I told him I went from a desk job to a teaching job. He was convinced that this would be enough of a change for my eyes to adjust. He reckons that the migraines I get are as a result of my eyes overcompensating for my prescription, which is now too strong. 

This got me thinking. What are some of things in my life that are hurting my ability to see? Who am I missing? What am I not doing? What have I been oblivious to as a result of my intense focus on a few things that I'm interested in? 

Finding a work life balance has always been difficult for me. My mind is constantly spinning and so I’m often collecting information, processing it, and assimilating it into what I do even when I’m supposed to be switched off from work. But my focus on collecting information and making connections has left me blind to actually delivering on the insights that I’ve captured. I have a lot of valuable information stored in my head and much of it is stuck there because I’m always focused on gathering more information. I need a better balance between collection and distribution. Seth Godin suggests that the ability to ‘ship’ is a skill that’s in demand (Godin, Brainwashed, 2010).  I think this is why I love to teach. I’ve been able to ‘ship’ the information I collect. I’m on the hunt for more distribution points. My eyes are open and I’m off to improve my sight. What areas of your life might need refocusing? What important people, tasks, or issues might you be blind to at the moment? 

A message to Garcia

I was reminded of this short story recently when I saw a few folks on Twitter and the Web highlight the birthday of Elbert Hubbard.  I first read this story when I read through Stephen R. Covey's The 8th Habit.  That was several years ago so I decided to have another read through the short story yesterday.  I was amazed that despite the advancement in technology and society, so much has stayed the same since Hubbard wrote this short story in 1899.  We're still looking for people who will take the initiative.  Who will do the right things without being told.  They're out there, but you have to look hard for them.  

I shared this short story with my Leadership class today, and encouraged them to become people who were known for taking iniative.  Hubbard identifies four key things that we should do:

1. Be loyal to a trust
2. Act promptly
3. Concentrate energies
4. Do the thing

The May 2011 Harvard Business Review focused on getting more things done.  Many of the articles say the same thing: Do something!  Don't just talk about the problem, fix it.  Don't blame someone else for things when they go wrong - figure out how to correct them yourself.  But in a world where we change our mind in the blink of an eye and where procrastination is fostered through technological distractions, we've lost the ability to concentrate on tasks for any length of time which keeps us from doing the thing that we're paid to do.   

In the end, more than a 112 years later, the person who does the right thing without being told is still a rare thing, and probably worth their weight in gold.