I received an email from a former student a while back – such a treat to hear about her life adventures and reflections on her high-school years, 20 years ago! As part of her message, she reminded me about the time we ran The Terry Fox Run together and how I had suggested that instead of thinking about the entire 10K at once, we take it a ‘light-post at a time’. She expressed to me that she has since “relied on this light-post strategy in life as well as in sport”. A good reminder about how much young people are watching and listening… when we least expect it!
I have since been reflecting on “the light-post strategy” and how it truly is a good guideline for many situations – whether we’re dealing with the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, looking for a new job, strategizing about our organization’s future, dealing with a difficult decision or getting through your work-out.
Sometimes we think we have to figure out our whole life in one week! That’s unrealistic and actually, not desirable. Better to think about who you are and who you want to become, and then focus on the next step, one light post at a time…
Taking one day at a time, focusing on the process (and not all the solutions), staying in the moment, “breathing” and celebrating at every light post can help us achieve our goals and keep our emotions in check. And sometimes, stopping at a light post for a while is ok; that is, not working can be productive.
Some other practical resources that come to mind are:
- Stephen Covey’s First Things First, a values-based approach to time management
- The Pomodoro technique for effective and efficient task execution
- Breethe – a great meditation and mindfulness app
Interested in exploring more strategies? Or know someone who could benefit? Book a complimentary consultation to explore how we might work together!
