“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart

Amelia’s Rule

It was a crowded space with people milling around and eating the Hors D'oeuvres being offered by sleek servers threading their way between small groups of conversing guests.  One of those guests reached for a delightful morsel and with fumbling fingers she dropped it.  At that moment there was an audible gasp from those nearby.

Then, without missing a beat, and before the gasping sound ended the finger fumbler bent down, successfully scooped up the errant food and as quick and lightening she delivered it successfully into her mouth.

“That was way faster than ten seconds!” Another guest exclaimed with glee. 

Millions of people abide by the so-called 'ten-second rule,' judging food as OK to eat if it only touches the floor momentarily.  But researchers have branded the age-old convention a myth.  But, fret not, I’ve discovered another, personally tested and proven to be true time-based rule, the ‘Amelia’s Rule.’

This rule was discovered after dropping many things over my life-time.  Those of you who know me are aware that dogs seem to flock to me any time I’m seated to eat, or holding food in my hand.  They instinctively know that sitting near my chair, or feet in such instances, will most certainly yield a tasty reward if they have even an insignificant amount of patience.  An additional record of my dropping abilities can be found by going to my closet to take a look at the fronts of my shirts and ties!  In short, I am an expert regarding the ten-second rule followed by dogs.  This version of the ten-second rule is definitely not a myth!

It’s also not a myth that I seem to put off large projects that need to be done.  It isn’t that I can’t do the work or that I don’t know how to do the work.  I just can seem to get started!   I’ve struggled with this for as long as I can remember.  I’ve even purchased and read books such as ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity’ By David Allen, the international bestselling author and business consultant. But, as it turns out after all that reading, learning a simple way to fly forward successfully came after discovering a one sentence quote by Amelia Earhart.

Amelia Earhart once said, “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

Amelia’s Rule is a slight modification of this sage advice.  The most effective way to do it, is to do it, by giving it just two minutes.

When you promise yourself to give a larger, or dreaded, task just two minutes of time it becomes easier.  You know you don’t have to spend more time than that because you’ve given yourself that permission.  That’s step one.

Step two is giving yourself permission to spend more time doing the task, only if you want to.  You aren’t committing to doing so, but you can if you want.

I’ve found that getting started is the largest huddle I face when I’m dealing with a dropped, large or dreaded task.  Spending that initial two minutes gets me over that hump.  It allows me to fly forward to complete the once dropped task after only one-hundred-twenty-seconds of effort.

I like to say I have Amelia Earhart to thank for teaching me how to fly. After all, she’s the pilot who taught me to fly over my self-created hurdles!

So, next time you’re struggling to complete a large or dreaded task, take Amelia’s advice.  The most effective way to do it, is to do it, by giving it just two minutes.

“That’s an aggressive question!” – Daniel Crania

Threads

“I spent this morning touring the offices of the business currently recruiting me.”  Daniel Crania’s voice sounded in my ear early Saturday morning.

He’s being recruited for a position with a company located in the same city he is currently working and living in.  He wasn’t looking for a new position, they called him.  What initially caught his interest was the opportunity to make more money.  A lot more money.  It’s a big decision for him so, we’ve been conversing about the pros and cons of potentially accepting an offer for a couple of weeks now.  It’s been a process of puzzling many of his life pieces together.

“I mean, the additional money is great!”  He continued.  “But, I asked the recruiter about work-life-balance today.  His response was that the CEO was really working to shift the culture to institutionalize this.  He said, she is a real believer in getting the company culture corrected in that way, as part of her turnaround plan.  I meet with their human resources group on Tuesday as my next step in the process.”

In truth, has became clear that Daniel’s desires for working and living are lying just below the surface of his awareness.  So, I made a simple suggestion to help him move his deepest desires to the forefront of his heart and mind.

“You know, when I’m working with a buyer of real estate and am getting ready to write an offer on a property for my client, I always make a phone call to the Seller’s Agent.  When doing so, I ask the other Agent, ‘Is there something other than price important to the Seller?’”  I said by way of introduction.

I went on to suggest that he consider additional factors, other than money, which are important for him in work and life. After all, he had already been sporadically pointing them out during our conversations.  He just hadn’t woven each strand into place yet.  

So, I suggested, “Send the recruiter a message today asking, ‘Other than the money being offered, why would I want to work for this company?’”

“That’s an aggressive question!” – Daniel said as if the wind had been knocked out of his lungs.  “I don’t even know how they would react to that!”  

But, I could tell the suggestion had made an impact because at the end of our conversation Daniel said, “This has been helpful.”

I hope it was helpful for him beyond the process of being recruited at the moment. Such a question, “Other than money, what do I want in my life?” is important to each person to ask.  And, it is a question that one must be asked over and over again, because life is a never-ending puzzle; a puzzle of tapestry. 

Life is a form of art, woven by each individual, in which their total of threads is hidden in the completed work.  It is unlikely that each thread is immediately visible.  Because each thread is typically discontinuous; requiring an interlace of each phase, each experience, back and forth in their own unique, small pattern.  One’s whole life is ultimately a combination of threads worked thoroughly together to form the final design.

Is your tapestry displaying, the whole picture of what you want in life?

“Always listen to everyone.” – Patti Cazzato

Open Gates

The concrete access driveway was installed on the hill first.  It was clear that this new drive was designed to add new, exceptional access, and would be useful for many years to come.  I remember walking up that drive with relish as soon as the concrete was finished and cured.  

Once at the top of the hill, I was able to survey the road above and could immediately see why the property owners were working together.  That ribbon of passageway promised so much opportunity that I looked forward to tracking the ongoing construction.

Over the next few weeks, new grass, ground cover and bark mulch were installed to enhance the new concrete path.  The combined multipiece installation seemed to be suggesting, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”  Yet, there was additional contrast soon to be framed into place.

Over the course of a couple of days, a wrought-iron-like gate was delivered and subsequently cemented in place.  It had two ten feet, or so, wide pieces that were clamped together, meeting in the middle, to allow their just poured concrete footings to cure in place without movement.  They remained like that for a couple of weeks before what appeared to be the final phase of construction began.

That final phase was the installation and connection of a perimeter fence to the now standing open gates. It was a boundary fence that matched the gates perfectly; same materials, same color and enduring, long-lasting nature. Fence construction inched along over a few weeks toward an anticipated, final, conclusive connection to those massive gates of opportunity. But, fence construction suddenly stopped and the gates remained in stagnant, unattached solitude.

The gates hung there alone without touching the almost connected perimeter fence.  It was an inexplicable vacancy of progress remaining for most of summer, until just before the beginning of fall.  Until, there was a most unexpected statement pronounced in just one day.  The day, a finished perimeter fence seemingly appeared, out of place and complete, with one notable exception.  It did not connect to the gate!

That finished, unconnected to the gate, fence ran straight along the bottom of the hill, across the installed concrete path.  New anchor laden holes had been drilled, into the concrete, and the now permanent fence completely bypassed a now solitary gate that remained hanging and open. All promised opportunity to pass through the gate was forestalled.  

There was a back story hidden from display here.  I just didn’t know what that story was.

“Now, that’s a clearly stated message!”  I said while standing there in the spot of wonder.  Then, months later I was in a conversation with my daughter Annie about potential opportunity.

“One of my mentors, Patti Cazzato, says ‘Always listen to everyone.’”  Annie said, as we strategized together.  It was she who brought that statement fence immediately back into my mind.

“I wonder how many statement fences have been individually constructed, blocking access to both expected and unexpected gates of opportunity; hanging in view, just on the other side of unwilling to listen?”  I thought, as Annie talked about the value of opening gates of opportunity, one step at a time, through the simple act of listening.

“A compassionate flight crew.”

Compassion Above All

The night had been rainy and cold.  When morning arrived, it was still much of the same.  Some would say New York City is always a cold place.  At least in its demeanor.  But, this day, while starting out cold, was about to turn unexpectedly warm and compassionate.

In fact, one seasoned traveler, someone sitting next to me commented, “This is the most compassionate flight crew I’ve ever seen!”

The American Airlines flight had departed from New York LaGuardia Airport and had just reached its cruising altitude when one passenger gingerly rose to his feet and stood in place.  At first, the surrounding passengers eyed him with cautious, questioning eyes.  Then a flight attendant walked up the aisle, pushing a refreshment cart.

“You’re just fine,” she said to the man, as soon as she saw him begin to struggle in an effort to wedge himself back into his seat area while still standing, as she eased her way past.

“I hope not to be in your way.”  The man explained.  “I have a bad back and its very painful for me to sit.  I’ll try not to be a bother.”

“You’re not a bother at all.”  She responded.  “Is there something I can do to help you?  Three and a half hours will surely be difficult for you!”

“No.  But, thank you.  I just need to stand as much as possible.”  He replied.

A few minutes later that same flight attendant whispered to another passenger, just up four or five rows forward, “That poor man! I wish there was something I could do to help him!”

Then a second flight attendant approached the man.  She quietly asked, “May I bring you a hot water bottle to put on your back?”

Again, the pained man thanked her and declined, just before a “rough air” announcement obligated all passengers and crew to sit with their seat belts fastened snugly.  For this grimacing man it was more than a little rough air. It was pure torture for the next two hours before landing.

But, they did land.  And, the passengers began to deplane.

“Please extend my thanks to the entire crew for their kindness to me!”  The man said sincerely, as he spoke to a flight attendant at the open door.

“Oh!  You’re going to make me cry!”  She responded.  “May I get a wheelchair up here for you?”

“No.  But, thank you.”  He said.  “Walking will help me the most.”  Then he walked out of the plane, into the jet bridge and breathed a sigh of relief as the bright, warm sunshine of daylight embraced him.

The night had been rainy and cold in New York.  When morning arrived, it was still much of the same.  Some would say New York City is always a cold place.  At least in its demeanor.  But, this day, while starting out cold, turned unexpectedly warm and compassionate.

In fact, one seasoned traveler, someone sitting next to me commented, “This is the most compassionate flight crew I’ve ever seen!”

It was compassion, above all.