Recently, during a conversation with a local leader, he dropped one of those classic sage phrases: “Keep the main thing the main thing.”
I first heard this gem back in a Homiletics course, and it’s proven surprisingly helpful in just about every area of life and leadership.
But the conversation stirred up something else, memories of all the times I’ve spectacularly failed to do just that. So, in the spirit of reflection (and maybe a little self-deprecating sarcasm), I’ve compiled a short list of tried-and-true ways to avoid this wise advice. Fair warning: if your actual goal is clarity, focus, or meaningful progress, you’ll need to do the opposite of what follows. But if you, like me, sometimes need to learn the value of clarity by embracing the chaos, read on.
- Be as vague as possible about what you’re trying to accomplish.
Why bother defining success when you can keep everyone guessing? Leave your goals loose, your outcomes foggy, and your direction optional. If you don’t know what it means to succeed, you don’t know what it means to fail either! Bonus points if you use lots of buzzwords while saying absolutely nothing.
- Ignore your values or, better yet, keep them a secret.
If you don’t know what you stand for, decisions become a delightful game of roulette. And if you do know your values, whatever you do, don’t share them with your team. Let them interpret your actions like ancient hieroglyphics. It’s way more fun that way.
- Steer clear of people who ask uncomfortable questions.
You know the type: they ask open-ended, clarifying questions that make you stop and think. Yikes. Best to avoid those conversations altogether. You don’t need that kind of clarity messing up your beautiful chaos.
- Say “yes” to every good opportunity, even if it’s not necessary.
Who needs focus when you can be everywhere doing everything? If something sounds exciting, helpful, or even just mildly interesting, jump on it! Don’t pause to ask if it aligns with your actual purpose. After all, every good thing is worth doing… right?
- Never pause to reflect, just keep moving.
Momentum is king. So skip the inconvenient work of evaluating what’s working, what’s not, and whether your actions align with your actual priorities. Introspection just slows you down. Keep sprinting and hope you’re headed in the right direction. After all, burnout is just a badge of honor.
So there you have it, five proven steps to drift, distraction, and a dizzying cycle of doing-all-the-things while accomplishing very little.
Of course, you could choose a different path.
You could clarify what you’re aiming for, live from your values, welcome honest feedback, say no to the good so you can say yes to the necessary, and create space to reflect before charging forward. You could choose to keep the main thing the main thing.
Your future self (and your team, your family, your faith, and your community) would thank you.
But who wants that?
On a serious note, if you’re interested in homing in on what’s really important to you, and developing the skills necessary to achieve it, send me an email at [email protected]. I’d be happy to help. No joke!
Comments (1)
Thanks for this, it hit just at the right moment. My role is and has changed to something even more challenging and new, lets catch up!