todd nelson

Happy Friday! Before you head off into your weekend, here are three things that I have been thinking about this week. Hope they are as helpful to you as they have been for me.

Heads-up…this week’s is especially auto-biographical. You may want to delete and move on now. If not, consider yourself warned.

Have a great weekend!

#1

“Something is askew when our passion for the truth blinds us to other perspectives and to the grace to be able to differ graciously from others and learn from others who may see things very differently than we do.

Courage and Calling by Gordon T. Smith

Disagreeing without being disagreeable is a much needed trait for navigating life. Hearing someone disagree with you without being defensive is another. Both of these postures shine a bright light and witness to humility and the underlying confidence required to be humble. I am drawn to people who don’t ever seem to be caught off guard by criticism nor are they diminished by it.

My natural instinct is to apologize. Even when I don’t know why or what for. That has become my learned mechanism to diffuse a situation. 

But, I am trying to become the person who rather say “Tell me more” than the one who says “I am sorry” without knowing why. One who isn’t looking to diffuse a situation because I lack confidence but one who seeks clarity because of confidence. Clarity is kindness. Kindness is patience. Patience leads to deeper relationships. 

Win. Win. Win.

PS. Please don’t hear me saying that I never think it is a good idea to apologize. It is. But only after knowing what you are apologizing for and it being the right thing to do.

#2

You can’t manage without knowledge. You can’t lead without imagination.

Tribes by Seth Godin

I am more of a leader than a manager. Looking around and seeing what needs to be done and how best to go about it comes more naturally. Keeping up with to-do lists and spreadsheets is like walking through a muddy field for me. I like to hover around 20,000 feet. The weeds can be a struggle. I know that is shocking to those who know me well! 

So, to be successful you need both managers and leaders. And if you don’t have both then you better quickly figure out which side of the equation needs to be bolstered and how best to do it. Fortunately, for me, I am surrounded by a group of people gifted and passionate about getting stuff done. I am forever thankful that they put up with me.

#3

“The person who carefully designs their daily routine goes further than the person who negotiates with themselves every day.”

Farnham Blog

Another quote for the deficient manager in me… It is my top3! 

Fear of missing out often dominates my day. My mind mulls over great philosophical issues such as “should I workout before lunch or after?” If I have meetings in the morning, “should I even try to write in the afternoon or do visits?” And don’t get me started on which of my to-do list tasks I need to do first. My mind is a place that the organized and efficient person would find frightening while I just call it Tuesday.

As a result, I regularly fail to commit to a plan of work and go with what hits me next. And as the Farnham Blog says, I end up negotiating with myself instead of doing the work.

But hope springs eternal and quotes like this remind me that it can’t be that difficult. Plan the work. Work the plan. Sermon for Todd is over.