Almost everyone claims to be busy. Many will even describe their endless to-do list—what they’ve done, what they’re doing, and what’s next—justifying their busyness.
Lots of articles explore different types of busyness. One that stands out for me, Busyness 101: Why Are We SO BUSY in Modern Life?, lists the following types:
-Busyness as a badge of honor and trendy status symbol
-Busyness as job security
-Busyness as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
-Busyness as a byproduct of the digital age
-Busyness as a time filler
-Busyness as a necessity
-Busyness as escapism
The last one stands out to me: busyness as escapism.
When we’re constantly busy, we get to avoid the hard things in life. No time to reflect on priorities. No time to find smarter ways to work. No time to focus on meaningful goals…ours or our organization’s.
Busyness lets us sacrifice our other responsibilities. We convince ourselves that our sacrifices are necessary, without questioning what they truly cost us or those around us. And we tell ourselves that once we’re “less busy,” we’ll focus on the important things we’ve been neglecting. The problem? We rarely become “less busy” (at least, from our perspective).
But the busiest effective people operate differently. These individuals aren’t just busy for the sake of it. They work with intention, with purpose. They prioritize. They seek smarter ways to work. They focus on meaningful goals rather than just checking off task lists.
These are the people who not only get things done but get the right things done. And they do it faster than everyone else. Why? Because they’re too busy to be distracted by nonsense and trivialities. They tackle the big things first, and often, the smaller things take care of themselves.
When I managed large organizations, I valued these employees the most. They weren’t just productive, but they were leaders. They inspired everyone around them to be more effective. Whenever a new project or opportunity arose, I sought them out. I knew they’d prioritize the new project well and deliver great results.
The difference between being busy and being effectively busy comes down to mindset. The most productive people don’t just fill their days. They own them.
Next time you catch yourself saying, “I’m so busy,” pause and think. Are your tasks productive and effective, or just occupying your time?
You may find that you’re not as busy as you thought.
Photo by Anna Samoylova on Unsplash…my eye is on the girl in pink who’s walking away from the rope (I bet you didn’t notice her at first)
Each of us has a natural speed. A rhythm that feels comfortable. Some of us move fast, always pushing, never stopping. Others take a slow, methodical approach. And some avoid movement altogether.
Occasionally, we can shift gears and speed up for a short-term need. But the comfort of our standard speed usually draws us back.
Dialing up is hard. It’s difficult to imagine doing more than we’re doing now. It’s harder still to visualize the better outcomes that could come from pushing ourselves and our organizations beyond the status quo.
Even worse is when we deliberately slow our pace to fit in. To blindly match our rhythm to those around us, in our workplace, our social circles, our environment. The groups we allow to shape us.
The slow, almost imperceptible tick-tock of our internal metronome feels safe, especially if it’s set to someone else’s rhythm. It’s predictable. It gives us a (false) sense of control when we have no control at all.
We tell ourselves that changing our settings would bring chaos. Better to stay safe and avoid the challenge.
If we’re willing to turn our settings down to accommodate others, why not turn them up to pursue our own goals?
Why not push beyond our comfort zone to improve, to evolve? Why not try to inspire those around us to ramp up?
The things we don’t change are the things we’re actively choosing. Doing nothing is a choice.
Life moves at a relentless pace, largely outside our control. What we can control is our response. We can set our internal rhythm to match what’s happening or set it to create what we want to happen.
Here’s a brutal truth: The outside world doesn’t grant or deny us anything. It keeps moving, with or without us.
It’s up to us to set our own tempo—not for the group, not for the organization, but for ourselves and the people who matter most.
If you were to visit me on my mountainside, next to a huge pile of bucked-up logs that I’ve cut and collected over the past year, using my fancy new log splitter, what would you see?
A grandpa dressed in a snow suit and beanie, warding off the low-teens temperature and wind chill, wearing eye and ear protection, splitting one log after another.
I’m stacking the split firewood into an “outdoor fire” bin (the crummy stuff that’s showing some signs of water damage that may or may not burn so great), and an “indoor fire bin” for the good stuff. We have so much that I use IBC totes that I can forklift and move around with my tractor.
What you’d miss is what this guy’s thinking. Of all the campfires these logs will deliver. The warmth, the beauty, and the cheery faces reflected in the golden firelight. The togetherness, the raucous fun, and always the smoke that’ll chase each of us in time.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about words that rhyme with stories, memories, starlight, marshmallows, love, and family. Of a way to express my “why” behind all this work.
My new splitter hums, its rhythm is true, Each log cracks clean, split in two. And with each piece, I see what’s ahead— Fires that warm, where stories are said.
Golden flames dance in their eyes, Joyful voices filling the skies. Kids with marshmallows on sticks they will hold, Turning white fluff to crispy gold.
The stars above will steal their gaze, A quiet pause from the firelight’s haze. But soon enough, they’ll leap to their feet, Cousins chasing cousins, the night complete.
This work is heavy, my labor long, But in each log, I hear a song. A promise of warmth, connection, and love, Of smoke below and stars above.
Each crack of the wood a memory in waiting, Moments of joy we’ll spend creating. I keep splitting, I’ll keep the pace, Knowing the fire will hold its place.
One split, one stack, one stick at a time, Building a future that’s warm and divine. A pile of firewood, yes—but so much more, It’s family, it’s laughter, it’s life to the core.
“…climbing 10% of the mountain ten times is not as useful as climbing to the top once.” – Adam Mastroianni
This quote reminds me of the old adage about project resourcing: sometimes projects can’t be completed faster merely by adding more people to it. After all, the story goes, nine women can’t make a baby in a month.
Does this climbing quote ignore our preparation? Route scouting, equipment testing, and countless workouts that make the summit climb possible. Not to mention the like-minded team we built to support the climb.
Maybe it’s not about preparation. Maybe it’s about the false-starts, the simulated progress, the big talk and no action that we engage in to make it seem like we’re climbing when we’re not. We think we’re fooling everyone, but we’re only fooling ourselves as we take the comfortable way out and choose not to climb at all.
It’s easy to climb 10% of the mountain or achieve 10% of the goal. It’s easy to get 50%. 60%. Even 75%. But as the challenges compound near the top, we let doubts creep in. The grinding effort becomes exhausting. We lose sight of the summit or forget why we’re climbing in the first place.
We make excuses. We can come back another day and try again. The summit will always be there, and maybe next time…
That’s just it. We’re rarely “ready” for the climbs that matter, whether in business, fitness, or life’s hardships. Waiting for the perfect time often means waiting forever.
You have the power to choose the summit run every time. Committing 100% effort, even when you feel 60% ready. Trusting that you’ll figure out the rest along the way.
Life’s summits rarely wait for us to feel ready. The question is: will you take the first step…and then push beyond 10%, all the way to the top?
Maybe it’s all my time spent working in businesses over the past four decades. We often start each year with a set of specific strategic goals. Some are grounded and achievable; others are wish casting—a small dream of what we might accomplish if everything aligns perfectly (spoiler alert: it rarely does).
This year my goals are simple, but not easy:
Serve the quests of others over my own. True fulfillment comes from supporting others in their quest, even if that means setting aside my own ambitions.
Offer insights and advice, not direction. The path others take isn’t mine to choose. My role is to illuminate possibilities, not dictate outcomes.
Push beyond my comfort zone and (hopefully) inspire others to do the same. Growth begins at the edge of what’s familiar. By challenging my own boundaries, I hope to encourage others to stretch theirs as well.
Bring the loaves and fishes—and trust God with the rest. (h/t to Dallas Jenkins for this beautiful idea) It’s a reminder to offer what I can and trust in someone much greater to amplify my impact.
A professional manager understands that managing is an active role. It requires proactive effort, not just sitting back and overseeing tasks. A good manager knows how to delegate responsibility and authority. It’s a key skill that helps multiply their impact and develop the next generation of leaders.
There’s no shortage of books and articles that dive deeply into the art of delegation. Many are worth reading and putting into practice. But here’s the thing: no matter how much you delegate, you can’t delegate your influence. That personal touch—the way you listen, share your perspective, and guide the conversation—is something only you can bring to the table.
Managers have a unique viewpoint. They understand the critical questions facing the organization in a way others often don’t. Their value lies in their ability to communicate directly, to really hear what’s being said (and often what isn’t), and to guide the organization toward the right path. That’s what makes their influence so crucial.
Now, picture this: a manager sends one of their team members to a meeting with internal customers. The goal? For the subordinate to represent the manager’s ability to listen, understand, and guide the discussion. Sure, it can work if that person has full decision-making authority and can make agreements that hold the manager accountable. But that’s rarely the case.
So, we come back to the reality: a manager has to prioritize where they spend their time and energy, making sure they’re showing up where their influence is most needed. It’s not just about sitting in meetings or making decisions on the fly—it’s about really understanding the dynamics in play, both spoken and unspoken.
A manager’s influence over the direction of projects, processes, and people can’t be handed off. At best, subordinates can carry a “shadow” of that influence. It might get the job done, but it’s not likely to push the organization in the bold direction it needs to go.
In the end, while delegation is a powerful tool, influence is personal. And if you’re serious about leading, you need to make sure you’re showing up where it counts.
In the early 2000s, I attended one of our company’s national meetings. Our new CEO opened the meeting with a keynote address.
After thanking everyone for attending, he discussed the company’s three key strategic initiatives. He tied each of them back to the overall goals and mission of the company, underscoring how critical each manager attending the meeting (and our teams) would be to making these initiatives come to fruition.
His address lasted about fifteen minutes. He had a few slides to accompany his talk, but nothing flashy. In those fifteen minutes, we understood his vision, what we were supposed to do, and how we were empowered to make it happen. We were unified and energized.
Later that day, I thanked him for his talk. I mentioned how concise it was and appreciated that he didn’t spend an hour on CEO-speak and rah-rah platitudes. He smiled and explained that he was concise because he articulates versions of that talk multiple times each day.
He shared that wherever he traveled, whenever he visited one of our company’s offices or met with employees or customers, he made sure they understood what we were doing and how important each of them was to the company’s success. He knew that in a company with over 15,000 employees, it was impossible to speak to or know every one of them. But, whenever he encountered employees, he knew they’d remember what he said and appreciate knowing how they are connected to the company’s success.
He was so concise and effective because he lived and breathed the vision and its importance every day and shared it freely with everyone.
Applying This in Your Leadership
You don’t have to be a Fortune 100 CEO to communicate like this. As a servant leader, commit to using your finite time and energy to communicate openly and freely with your team members. Make sure they understand the plan and their part in it. Take time to understand the challenges they face, listen to their ideas, ask probing questions, and let them know how important they are to the success of the department, division, or company.
Your team can’t wait to accompany you on a vision quest. They just need to know what they’re doing, where they’re going, and that you value their contribution to the quest.
Effective communication from leadership is not about the quantity of words but the quality of the message. By being concise, clear, and consistent, you can inspire and motivate your team to achieve great things.
Start today by articulating your vision and showing your team how much you value their contributions.
Management is an active responsibility. It requires timely decisions and actions.
When managers delay addressing issues, providing support, or offering guidance, it has detrimental effects on both employees and their organization. This form of extreme procrastination, delayed management, erodes trust, hinders efficiency, and can cause long-term damage.
Delayed management occurs when managers, consciously or subconsciously, avoid performing their duties. They may fear confrontation, they may be overwhelmed, or they might just be lazy. Unlike regular procrastination, delayed management specifically involves neglecting critical managerial responsibilities.
When managers delay, employees feel neglected and undervalued. This can lead to decreased motivation and trust. Employees might interpret the manager’s inaction as a lack of belief in their abilities or interest in their well-being. Delayed management stalls projects and misses opportunities.
Picture a small water leak in your walls that goes unnoticed for weeks. The water continues to seep, causing mold to spread and wood to rot. By the time you notice the damage, extensive repairs are necessary. Delayed management causes similar deterioration within an organization, where small issues fester and become major problems.
Managers may fear making the wrong decisions or confronting difficult situations, leading to a cycle of inaction. High workloads and stress can cause managers to feel overwhelmed, making it easier to delay tasks. Some managers assume that someone else will handle the problem, leading to inaction.
Each of these are reasons, not excuses, for delaying management. For employees, none of these reasons matter. The employees’ success relies on their managers doing their job…providing direction, feedback, and expending management energy on behalf of their employees. There is no excuse for delaying management.
Managers should adopt proactive techniques such as regular check-ins with team members and timely feedback. Setting aside dedicated time each day for management tasks can help prevent delays. Effective delegation can distribute workload and empower team members, reducing the burden on managers. Implementing systems to hold managers accountable for their actions ensures they remain committed to their responsibilities. Regular performance reviews and feedback loops can help identify and address delayed management behavior early on.
Delayed management is a silent threat that undermines employee trust, hinders organizational efficiency, and causes long-term damage. Managers can foster a positive work environment and drive organizational success…but only if they do their job without delay.
p/c – I saw this sign recently and loved its simple and direct message
Emotional energy is the most important personal resource for a leader. Leadership is demanding. Leading is a verb and that action requires a tremendous amount of energy, emotional energy.
If your emotional energy reserves are low, your leadership will suffer.
What is Emotional Energy?
Emotional energy is your internal fuel tank. It’s what keeps you motivated, resilient, and mentally strong. For leaders, high emotional energy is essential. It fuels your ability to inspire and guide your team. When you’re full of energy, you’re more positive, proactive, and effective.
Emotional Energy Drains
Several things can sap your emotional energy:
Troubles at Home: Personal issues and family conflicts can weigh heavily on your mind, leaving you drained.
Doing Too Much at Once: Multitasking and overcommitting can lead to burnout.
Feeling Like a Failure: Constant self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy can deplete your energy.
Worrying About Small Stuff: Focusing too much on minor details that don’t matter will waste your energy.
Emotional Energy Boosters
To keep your emotional energy high, think and act strategically:
Prioritize energizing activities: Engage in things that make you happy and relaxed, like hobbies, exercise, and spending time with loved ones.
Eliminate Energy Drains: Identify tasks and responsibilities that drain you and find ways to reduce or eliminate them. Delegate when possible and don’t be afraid to say no.
Practice self-care in your daily habits: Make time to get enough sleep, eat well, and have quiet time for your brain to relax. Purposely practice gratitude, take breaks, and prioritize good boundaries around your work-life schedule (this last one will take some effort, but the payback is huge).
Create a supportive environment: Surround yourself with positive people both at work and home. Foster open communication and a culture of mutual respect and understanding. Recognize and celebrate achievements…when was the last time you wrote a personal email or sent a handwritten card to someone congratulating them on an achievement or milestone?
Emotional Energy and Leadership
When your emotional energy is high, you’ll handle challenges better, inspire your team more, and maintain a positive outlook. Your positive energy will ripple across your team and multiply the potential for the entire organization.
What will you do today to protect and recharge your emotional energy?
More importantly, how will you use it to transform your leadership approach tomorrow?
p/c – yours truly at a small lake in Hillsdale, Michigan. An energizing place for some quiet time.
A little over a decade ago (time flies!), I wrote a post that introduced the concept of Goalprints. That post described a series of steps and questions that we should use to understand our unique Goalprint and determine if our lives are supporting (or not supporting) our goals.
I recently heard about the concept of an Ambition Audit… taking a step back to assess whether your ambitions are still relevant, achievable, and fulfilling. I realized that this concept complements the Goalprint exercise extremely well.
Here’s an updated post that integrates the Ambition Audit concept…plus I’ve added a handy cheat sheet that you can use for this exercise.
There’s a classic quote in business: “People who buy shovels don’t want shovels. They want to make holes or fill in holes as quickly and easily as possible.”
Chances are pretty good that you’re selling shovels to someone. Or maybe you dig the holes?
Either way, the planning, the shovel, the digging, and the hole itself are all merely steps along the way to achieving someone’s goals.
Are they achieving your goals? Maybe.
That all depends on whether you know what your goals are.
The funny thing about goals is that no one has the same goals. They may share some or agree on goals to pursue together. But no two people have the exact same goals.
Each of us has a Goalprint as unique as our fingerprint. It captures our passions, our dreams, and the specific goals we’ve laid out for our lives. Partially developed Goalprints live in our subconscious mind until we take the time to bring them into our conscious mind and fully define them.
Consciously defining our unique Goalprint isn’t easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. But once defined, how do we ensure our goals remain relevant and truly reflective of who we are?
That’s where the Ambition Audit comes in—a powerful tool to regularly reassess and realign our goals with our evolving values and life circumstances. Combining the process of creating your Goalprint with an ambition audit ensures that your aspirations remain meaningful and motivating.
Here are the seven steps for creating and living your personal Goalprint, enhanced with the principles of an ambition audit:
Step 1: Define Your Passions
List the five things you are most passionate about and describe how you plan to center your life around these passions over the next five years. Are you willing to focus your life on this list? If not, maybe these aren’t really your passions.
Ambition Audit Tip: Regularly reassess these passions. Life changes, and so can the things that drive you. Ensure your passions remain true to your current self.
Step 2: Plan Your Experiences
Define at least seven things you plan to experience over the next ten years. This isn’t just a wish list—commit to these experiences. How many involve your top passions?
Ambition Audit Tip: Review this list annually. Are these experiences still aligned with your passions and values? Adjust as needed to keep your goals relevant.
Step 3: Financial Goals
Money isn’t everything, but it does make the world go around. Write down how much money or assets you plan to set aside for major expenditures in one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years. What income do you need to hit these targets? Start saving now.
Ambition Audit Tip: Revisit your financial goals periodically. Ensure they support your passions and experiences. Adjust savings and investments to stay on track.
Step 4: Define Your Future Self
Describe what you plan to be in one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years. This can be personal, professional, or anything else. Remember, being something is different than just where you choose to work. Make sure your future self supports what you’ve listed in the first three steps.
Ambition Audit Tip: Reflect on your future self regularly. Is this vision still inspiring? Does it align with your evolving values and circumstances?
Step 5: Align with Your Spouse
If you have a spouse or partner, compare, and discuss your Goalprints. What do you have in common? How will you accommodate and support each other’s Goalprints?
Ambition Audit Tip: Periodically revisit this conversation. Life changes, and so do relationships. Ensure your Goalprints remain compatible and mutually supportive.
Step 6: Hold Yourself Accountable
Commit to fulfilling what you’ve laid out in your Goalprint as you make decisions in your life. Define success on your own terms and stay true to your goals.
Ambition Audit Tip: Set regular check-ins to review your progress. Adjust your goals and actions to stay aligned with your ambitions.
Step 7: Annual Reassessment
Repeat this exercise once a year. Your Goalprint will change and grow over time—if you have the courage to let it.
Ambition Audit Tip: This annual review is your built-in ambition audit. Reflect on the past year, reassess your goals, and realign them with your current values and circumstances.
Your unique Goalprint, coupled with regular ambition audits, will guide you toward a life of purpose and fulfillment.
How about that cheat sheet? This is something I didn’t include in my original post, but I’ve had a few people ask me if a template or form exists. So, here’s an initial template that you can use. Just copy and paste this form into your favorite word processor and use it to capture your answers. Remember, there are no wrong answers in this exercise.
Step 1: Define Your Passions List the five things you are most passionate about and how you plan to center your life around these passions over the next five years.
Passion: _______________________________ • Plan: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Are these passions still true to your current self? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 2: Plan Your Experiences Define at least seven things you plan to experience over the next ten years. Remember, these aren’t visionary fantasy goals. These are things you actually plan to do in the relative near term of the next decade (remember, decades go by quicker than we realize).
Experience: _______________________________ • Plan: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Are these experiences still aligned with your passions and values? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 3: Financial Goals Write down your financial goals for major expenditures at different stages. One Year • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Five Years • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Ten Years • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Twenty Years • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Do these financial goals support your passions and experiences? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 4: Define Your Future Self Describe what you plan to be in one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years. One Year • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Five Years • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Ten Years • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Twenty Years • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Is this vision still inspiring and aligned with your values? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 5: Align with Your Spouse If applicable, compare and discuss your Goalprints with your spouse or partner. Common Goals: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Supporting Each Other’s Goalprints: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Are your Goalprints still compatible and mutually supportive? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 6: Hold Yourself Accountable Commit to your Goalprint by reflecting on the following: Decisions Made in Alignment: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Challenges Faced: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Successes Achieved: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Set regular check-ins to review progress. Adjust goals and actions to stay aligned. • Date of Next Review: _________________________ • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 7: Annual Reassessment Repeat the entire exercise once a year. Reflect on the past year and realign your goals with your current values and circumstances. Reflection: • What has changed over the past year?_______________________________ • How have your goals evolved? ____________________________________ • What new passions or experiences have emerged?_____________________ Ambition Audit Check: Ensure your Goalprint is dynamic and reflective of your true self. • Date of Review: _______________________ • Adjustments: _______________________________
By using this template, you can create, evaluate, and adjust your personal Goalprint, ensuring that your ambitions stay relevant, achievable, and fulfilling. Embrace your journey of introspection and realignment to lead a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 
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