Since New Years I have been implementing a new life/task/action organizational system recommended to me by my dear friend and colleague Chris Lewicki. It is based on the book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. So far things have gone swimmingly. I have started to take out of my brain every last don’t-forget-this, you-promised-this, and this-still-needs-to-happen and put in into a system for organizing them and tracking them. I feel a new future of being organized awaits me and there is still another 150 pages of the book to read and implement.

Lewicki in his infinite wisdom though, also recently sent me this quote— just to keep my new found gains in perspective:

Productivity

Getting things done is not the same as making things happen.

You can…
…reply to email.
…pay the bills.
…cross off to-do’s.
…fulfill your obligation.
…repeat what you heard.
…go with the flow.
…anticipate roadblocks.
…aim for “good enough.”

Or you can…
…organize a community.
…take a risk.
…set ambitious goals.
…give more than you take.
…change perceptions.
…forge a new path.
…create possibility.
…demand excellence.

Don’t worry too much about getting things done. Make things happen.

by Gina Trapani

It reminded me of who I am. What I am here for. What really motivates me, that I am not just an email processing machine. All of these tools are only as useful as what they enable me to Make Happen.

So I am back. Ready to swing for the fences for Yuri’s Night again, ready to demand of myself, ready to take on a more demanding schedule, ready to create the possibility of being someone who touches the lives of others and moves mountains. Because we have a big future in space to enable and it’s going to take that.

What risks have you been avoiding? How could you make the biggest difference where you are? What is just a little beyond your comfort zone? If you need help, just ask. That is what I am here for. My job is to enable all of you to Make Things Happen.

Email loretta.whitesides@gmail.com and start forging a new trajectory today…