In the 1930s, many major record companies were exploring ways to create longer-playing records that could fit more music onto them. Company after company failed attempts to jam more music onto their records and sound quality plummeted.
Finally, one studio, Columbia, figured out how to create a new LP that had a stronger foundation, purposeful design—and actually increased the sound quality. The LP was born and revolutionized the music industry!
Many years later, entrepreneurs and time management teachers Matt and Maria Granados thought that the LP metaphor was one that needed to be applied to people’s personal and career lives.
They started the new LP and the Life Planner was born—a focused planning tool to help individuals establish their macro goals and boil them down into micro plans to achieve success.
Matt and I met following a speech I gave at a leadership conference in Asia and my description of the “Busy vs. Effective” leader in today’s world was a beautiful connection to their work. Their Life Planner provides a disciplined tool to help people cut through the distractions and noise of everyday living and bring their focus to their daily and weekly goals to develop themselves personally/spiritually, in their careers, socially/emotionally and physically. The workbook guides your highest priorities and helps you set mindful actions to your daily and weekly plan.
The brilliance of the simple tool is in the actual time that the user makes to step back and write down their priorities and necessary actions. As they’ll remind you, people who write things down are forty-two percent more likely to remember and achieve their goals. It is not scattered; it’s mindful. It is not reactive; it is proactive. Those who use the tool experience their daily, weekly and monthly goals come to life through intentionality. The tool helps them anchor their actions into habits.
So the question is, what is on the LP of your life? What music do you want to play? It isn’t about creating a “to do” list to heighten your scattered or busy feeling, but is about discovering the mindfulness necessary to live the life you want.
It’s about anchoring intentional actions that strengthen your habits and the work you do in your life and with those around you. It’s about proactively setting an authentic and consistent temperature.
Jason V. Barger is a globally celebrated keynote speaker, leadership coach and author of Thermostat Cultures, Step Back from the Baggage Claim and ReMember. He is founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, a Columbus-based company that works with businesses and organizations worldwide. Connect via email at jason@JasonVBarger.com or on social media at @JasonVBarger.
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