WHAT IS “REALLY” YOUR PASSION?Written by Bob Garner
William Batten, a former executive at J.C. Penny once said, “There is nothing wrong with wanting to make money – except that it should not become sole objective. The end should be to provide a service or product that people need.” No matter what your passion is in life, should you decide to follow it and turn that passion into reality that passion must provide a service or product that people need. It’s not as hard as you might imagine. For example, say that your passion is painting art. The product that you will create will satisfy need of those who enjoy beauty of art. You will touch their emotions, you will awaken senses and feelings that have been dormant and bring to your customer – as anyone who appreciates art knows - hours, if not days and years of peace and enjoyment. You may ask, “Can my artwork do that?” The answer is yes and maybe even more. However, say that your passion is making money. I would ask you, “Is it really? Or is your passion really art of making deals?” For example, do you watch Donald Trump on television or read his books? Are you fascinated when you read in newspaper of how some people at a company put together a merger or acquired another company? Perhaps in your spare time you enjoy reading spy novels or books about lawyers or police putting together a plan of action to get “bad guy” (or girl, let’s be fair!) If so, then you are into details behind how certain ideas and deals are brought together and therefore your passion is making deals. The money is by-product or as many others have said, “Just a way of keeping score.”
| | Why To-Do Lists Don't WorkWritten by Steve Gillman
Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying to check off items on that list? Too satisfying perhaps? More than once I've found myself adding something I've already done to my daily list. I get to check it off then, you see. I get "credit" for all things I've done. Whatever satisfaction this may give, it's also an indication I'm confusing effectiveness with just being busy. Do To-Do Lists Help? Of course it helps to write down meetings and events and necessary tasks. The problem is we sometimes start to work for list, and then list may not work well for us. It's easy to feel like you're getting a lot done when you have a list to "prove" it. The question is whether you are getting important things done. It seems so reasonable to sort my files again right now. I would feel good to cross that off list. I have many such things that show up on my to-do lists, giving me plenty of opportunities to avoid more dificult things, like writing this article. This is what I need to be doing, however.
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