Well, time for my own challenge. This one crossed my mind some time back, but in a very un-thriving way, I find myself caught doing what “needs” to be done, versus what I “want” to do.
On a slight detour, let me unpack that. We are often caught spending our days doing those things that seem to need to be done. I say “seem” because there is an endless list of those items. As Richard Carlson said, “the inbox is never going to be empty.” So at some point, we have to make the distinction that Stephen Covey makes between urgent and important.
Now the next part of my sentence. It is not that I think we ought to be doing whatever we want to do. Instead, I am thinking about that inner yearning, that urging to do something that pulls us toward purpose and meaning.
To put a little flesh on that, I would love to be laying on a beach in the Caribbean about now. That is a plain want, but I feel a sense of urgency, even calling, to look at thriving.
So, onto this project: My goal is to post what I consider 99 rules of thriving. They are not the only rules, and some may be more important to you than others. But as I have been thinking and working on this topic, these are what strike me as important rules.
Understand, I do not see myself as the most thriving of people. In fact, as I write this, I am writing more for myself than anyone else. I do hope you enjoy reading over my shoulder, and find it useful. That would be an honor.
My business card gives my title as “Full Time Thriveologist, Part Time Thrivealist.” I am always studying the subject, and I am doing my best to become a thriver, but that is always a learning task.
Finally, I don’t expect or intend on writing a rule-a-day, or really any other time. I would love to promise that, but my goal is only to, on a consistent basis, share the rules as I see them.
Enjoy!