What Matters Now, and the Decisiveness to Decide What Matters to You
In December, 2009 Seth Godin published a digital compilation of mini-essays titled "What Matters Now.
" Over 70 contributors provided their personal perspective on one thing they believe matters right now.
These thought leaders are as varied and unique as the insights they provide on everything from education to the long tail to slowing down to fear.
Each topic has been elegantly boiled down to its essence.
It's a delightfully thought-provoking yet easy read.
Which gets me to thinking about my own "what matters now" perspectives.
With so much happening all of the time all around us via more-accessible-than-ever multi-media, what matters now is: Decisiveness.
Social media is forcing us to re-intimate with our fellow human.
That's a good thing.
Yet as we navigate uncountable relationships and pseudo-relationships with uncountable numbers of people online (no one has 5 or 10 thousand close, dear "friends" regardless of what their fan page says, okay?), we're not feeling very connected at all.
We're disconnecting from ourselves and our ability to discern what matters most.
We're so plugged in to the Borg, so bombarded by multimedia, we've grown afraid to turn any one frequency off.
To say "no" to what does not or should not or indeed cannot matter too much to us.
Case in point: Are each one of the fifty or sixty newsletters crowding your inbox helping you get there faster? Do you need to buy another business book that you won't finish? Must you "download" every guru who strikes your fancy? Instead, what if you decided to pay attention to a mere hamlet of thought leaders that resonate with you most? Would you un-smart yourself? Or might your knowledge-and ability to apply it rapidly and confidently-deepen? The road to hell is paved with good intentions for a reason.
Intention on its own is powerful, and too often, wields a deadly blow.
But placed lovingly in the context of a willingness to decide-moment to moment-what matters and what absolutely doesn't, intention can flow freely and rapidly into purposeful action.
As someone who has chased a lot of shiny things over the years, the shiningest thing of all has always been my decisiveness.
So I say get out from under the overwhelm by endeavoring to be decisive.
Nothing will change your current experience faster.
" Over 70 contributors provided their personal perspective on one thing they believe matters right now.
These thought leaders are as varied and unique as the insights they provide on everything from education to the long tail to slowing down to fear.
Each topic has been elegantly boiled down to its essence.
It's a delightfully thought-provoking yet easy read.
Which gets me to thinking about my own "what matters now" perspectives.
With so much happening all of the time all around us via more-accessible-than-ever multi-media, what matters now is: Decisiveness.
Social media is forcing us to re-intimate with our fellow human.
That's a good thing.
Yet as we navigate uncountable relationships and pseudo-relationships with uncountable numbers of people online (no one has 5 or 10 thousand close, dear "friends" regardless of what their fan page says, okay?), we're not feeling very connected at all.
We're disconnecting from ourselves and our ability to discern what matters most.
We're so plugged in to the Borg, so bombarded by multimedia, we've grown afraid to turn any one frequency off.
To say "no" to what does not or should not or indeed cannot matter too much to us.
Case in point: Are each one of the fifty or sixty newsletters crowding your inbox helping you get there faster? Do you need to buy another business book that you won't finish? Must you "download" every guru who strikes your fancy? Instead, what if you decided to pay attention to a mere hamlet of thought leaders that resonate with you most? Would you un-smart yourself? Or might your knowledge-and ability to apply it rapidly and confidently-deepen? The road to hell is paved with good intentions for a reason.
Intention on its own is powerful, and too often, wields a deadly blow.
But placed lovingly in the context of a willingness to decide-moment to moment-what matters and what absolutely doesn't, intention can flow freely and rapidly into purposeful action.
As someone who has chased a lot of shiny things over the years, the shiningest thing of all has always been my decisiveness.
So I say get out from under the overwhelm by endeavoring to be decisive.
Nothing will change your current experience faster.