Deficit Spending

Though we've got still three more months to enjoy 2011, my personal theme and takeaway from this year has already become clear to me. Namely, that deficit spending doesn't work for me. I am not speaking of financial mismanagement, debt ceilings or monetary policy of any kind. I am speaking of my attempts over the last 9 months to activate and extend my creative self at times when I did not possess the resources to do so.

What I have learned this year is that there is a line dividing my higher, creative self and my lower, surviving self. When I am operating below the line, it because I am I am in need of renewal, refreshment, restoration. When I am operating above the line I am capable of creativity, energy, extension. 

The awareness I have gained is that I am not very gracious to myself when I am below the line and expect that I should be above it. Put another way, when I need to focus on renewal I need to focus on renewal; to focus on getting back to the line before I can again cross over it and above it.

David Berry's Daily Questions

I have decided to conduct an experiment in personal accountability. In his book Mojo, Marshall Goldsmith outlines an incredibly simple exercise in which he creates a list of questions representative of the things he wants to be accountable for and then he enlisted a friend to ask him those questions every single day. It both sounds and feels draconian to me which is why it must be effective! I have created the following list and I have invited a friend to be my "questioner." (Here's hoping she says "yes"!)

1. How meaningful was your day? (1-10)

2. How well did you plan and execute your day? (1-10)

3. How much did you impact others by walking around today? (1-10)

4. Did you exercise?

5. Did you check your blood pressure?

6. How many drinks did you have?

7. How many minutes did you spend reading?

8. How many minutes did you spend writing?

9. Did you write and send a card to someone?

10. How many times did you feel or act angry/destructive/defensive?

11. Did you sit quietly to pray, meditate or breathe?

12. Did you say or do something nice for Theresa?

13. For Duncan, Avery and Davis?

I'm going to track my daily responses and find out how much these things really matter to me and how willing I am to actually do (or not do) them. I'll let you know how it goes...