The Price

“Anything can be accomplished if we are willing to pay the price.”

I happen to believe this.

However, part of this statement causes lots of thought, confusion, angst, and down right anxiety for me. What is the price?

The easy answer, I guess, is that the price depends on what we want to accomplish. The greater the accomplishment, the greater the price. Right?

Maybe?

It seems to me that the greater the clarity of focus, the greater the likelihood of accomplishment. There is an old Chinese proverb that says “If we chase 2 rabbits, we catch neither.” On second thought, maybe, giving up on the second rabbit is the price we pay to catch the first. Maybe giving up on some of our dreams, allows us to achieve others. This would argue for prioritizing what we really want. We must also assure that our priorities are not in conflict. We cannot both spend more time with our families AND spend more time gaining expertise in a time consuming hobby. The fewer the priorities, the greater the likelihood of accomplishment. The more congruent the dreams, the greater the likelihood of accomplishment.

The price may simply mean realizing that we cannot accomplish everything. Sacrificing something, a dream or dreams, money, time, fame, relationships….may make way for the accomplishment(s) we truly desire.

I guess we need to be careful about what we really want. Maybe I need to change the tense here…maybe I need to be really careful about what I really want!

Since I started writing this I think I understand “the price” a little better. Hope you do too.

Next Play

Today is April 16, 2010. For the past 27 years or so this day has meant a day to do nothing but chill. As a CPA with a tax practice the filing deadline of April 15 has traditionally caused an approximate 2 month concentration of work and stress. But today, this April 16, I am not chilling…I’m planning.

I have long advised my athletic daughters that the most important play or point is always the next one. I’ve decided to take my own advice. Either after a good point or a bad point in tennis or volleyball the point is over. It is time to move on. Next play…where do we go from here? How can we put ourselves in the place of most potential to succeed now?

Today I am looking at the next play. There are lots of details to follow up on, lots of action items to implement, lots of decisions to be made, and lots of opportunity to seize.

April 15 is over and tomorrow April 16 will be behind me. I’m excited. I can’t wait until Monday!

Next play please!