I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed lately.  I  haven’t been any busier than usual but I was spending too much time on minutiae and not enough time on important goals.  Once I recognized I was out of balance, I eliminated and/or readjusted my time commitments.  Though I’m still busy, I’m a lot more enthusiastic now and have more energy to commit to the goals most important to me.

Thinking about the last few days reminded me of the following quote from the great John Wooden.  Hope it helps as you start your week.

“We should not confuse activity with achievement.”

John Wooden (1910-2010), winner of ten national championships while coach of the UCLA men’s basketball team, widely considered to be the greatest coach in American sports history.

Things are plodding (read below quote) along here at PUTM.  Have interviews lined up with two interesting people that are working on some fantastic projects in their respective post-corporate lives.  I look forward to sharing their stories.  Given school application season is in full-swing, I am also working on an article about a few things to keep in mind during the application process.  Until those are posted, hopefully the below gives you a little encouragement to keep pursuing your meaningful goals, even if progress seems slow.

“In truth, I am nothing but a plodding mediocrity-please observe, a plodding mediocrity-for a mere mediocrity does not go very far, but a plodding one gets quite a distance. There is joy in that success, and a distinction can come from courage, fidelity and industry.”

Benjamin Cardozo (1870-1938),  Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

“How is a man to find where he belongs in life?  The more original he is, the less likely is he to find his place prepared for him.  He must not expect to see from the beginning what mould his life will take… The power to work on faith is what distinguishes great men.”

Charles Cooley (1864-1929), Professor of Sociology, University of Michigan