Resolved: I'm Going to Do More by Doing Less
Instead of those typical New Year's stretch goals, for me the plan is to be more strategic with my time, attention and commitments.
BY HOWARD TULLMAN, GENERAL MANAGING PARTNER, G2T3V AND CHICAGO HIGH TECH INVESTORS@TULLMAN
I wanted to get an early start on the utterly futile attempt I
make annually to memorialize a few of my efforts to make my life a little
better, so that I can eventually check back to see how I did. Hope that doesn't
sound too selfish, self-centered, or, heaven forbid, "privileged"
but, as Michael Jackson once said (when it was still in fashion to listen to
him), it all starts with the Man in the Mirror. For me, it's much more about the
man sitting in front of the screens, slammed daily by spam, hype and hatred of
all sizes and shapes, who's hoping to learn something, do something, and share
the lessons as well.
Millions of words of wishful thinking will be spewed by
blowhard, do-nothing politicians as we roll into the holiday season, so instead
of piously pontificating I thought I'd just focus on sharing some narrow
objectives and a few of my goals for the coming year. Talk is cheap, and you
can't talk yourself out of problems that you behave yourself into, but
identifying and acknowledging the issues is the first step in trying to improve
upon them. And then, it's on each of us. As Walt Disney once said: The way to
get started is to quit talking and start doing.
My personal resolutions are far more specific and pedestrian
than Michael's great and timeless lyrics, but I imagine - especially if you're
as surrounded and swamped by the "fruits" of technology as so many of
us are - that you'll recognize and appreciate how some of my concerns and
intentions may relate to your own lives as well. These are challenging times
for all of us - young and old - who are starting a new business or running one
that's been around for ages. Now is the best possible time to try to take a
beat, catch your breath, and figure out how to move forward in a smart,
effective fashion while avoiding the unbelievably powerful gravitational pull
and the seductive power of the "always connected, always on" mobile
devices that now dominate our waking hours.
There are plenty of more qualified and capable people who are
actually working on making the world a better place and I've previously written
about a bunch of them. Flowers for Dreams, Packed with Purpose, and Sweet Beginnings are a few relatively
recent examples to recognize and reward this month. Others, like ReThink,
are helping to save our kids from their worst selves, and the scourge of social media, in important ways.
Getting helpful tools for our kids is critical, but - by and large - if you want
out of the maelstrom, you're going to have to help yourself.
Here are five areas of action and improvement that I'm planning
to address over the next year. Wish me luck.
1. I'm not going to try to fill up my day.
Being the busiest body on the block no longer makes sense to me.
Maybe that's a younger person's game or maybe being a non-stop, workaholic was
never a smart bet. I've learned that it's not a race or a contest. It's about
making time and space to reasonably address and deal with the matters that are
important, valuable, and which are likely to make a difference in my life and
the lives of those that I care for and care about. I'm over the idea that
"too much is not enough." Enough of the right stuff is more than
enough.
2. I'm going to look for opportunities to contribute, but
only in certain cases.
There's so much to do and to get done out there that the
opportunities for involvement and participation are unlimited. Getting sucked
into doing useful and feel-good work (door knocking, food distribution, condo
and school boards, envelope stuffing, fundraising) is valuable, but maybe
not the highest and best use of your particular talents. Volunteering is a
salve, but not necessarily an intelligent or ultimately satisfying solution.
You won't end up doing it for long because, from a personal perspective, it's a
waste of your time and energies. Find something that's challenging and
important and that lets you demonstrate your abilities and make real
contributions.
3. I'm going to filter my media inbox and follow a few
regular writers.
This is advice that I covered in detail a few months ago. The
flood of information is overwhelming and largely unstoppable, but, with some
effort, the bulk of the worst junk (and even some of the material worth reading
if only you had the time) is avoidable. The trick is three little words.
First, focus. Figure out what information is important for you
to stay on top of on a regular basis. Then, filter. Determine
a few key sources of accurate, objective, and current data on your topics of
interest. Finally, flow. Set aside an uninterrupted, quiet period
of time each day or week to carefully read or listen to the material. Slowly
but consistently wean yourself from all other garbage. It won't be easy;
these platforms and channels are masters at mayhem, manipulation, and
making money from selling your attention and messing with your head.
4. I'm never going to accept or normalize the craziness
surrounding us.
Throwing out the trash and shutting the spigot of spam, slime,
and sleaze that the social media platforms have become isn't the same as
turning a blind eye and trying to simply ignore the crimes and lies of Trump
and his cronies. Nor is it an attempt to dismiss or excuse the hypocritical
MAGAs in Congress and the constantly hysterical press that will spend the next
two years wasting our time and patience on stupid spectacles, fake
investigations, and other showboating BS. These MAGA people are intent on
destroying our democracy and the fact that they have been led largely by an
incompetent clown is no excuse to permit them to continue to dictate the
country's critical conversations and direction. Whatever your business may be,
it's everyone's job to stand up and speak out about what's right for our own
sake and especially for the future we have promised our children.
5. I'm going to
reconnect with old friends whose views I trust and value.
Finally, in a post-Trump world where trust is as scarce and
precious a commodity as time, I'm going to invest some of mine in renewed connection with old friends, partners,
and mentors both (a) before it's too late and (b) because I hope that it's a
realistic source of reassurance that some people can always be relied upon and
that the most important things like care, concern, and connection are still
valued by some in our crazed and chaotic world. Social media is toxic and
painful in many ways, but the most perilous may be that it deludes us into
believing that there is substance and real attachment in the plastic
conversations and trivial back-and-forth that make up the bulk of what passes
for communication on these sterile digital deserts.
Social media is as much about serious and sustained connection
as the Olive Garden is about Italian cuisine.