Margins are the space needed to stay sane.

Margins are the space needed to stay sane.
-        Someone

The unbridled-driven person keeps adding things to their plate. Yet, rarely does he leave room for problems and confusion sets in. Confusion can lead to frustration, and frustration to a sincere desire to quit.


Does this describe or you? Or are you the recipient of a driven’s drive?

A good leader will leave margins in his schedule to handle the problems. Then, when problems come up, and they will, when confusion sets in, and it will, it isn’t compounded by not having enough time. 



For instance, when time is on your side, confusion can be an incredibly power and helpful emotion when it’s turned into creativity. Without margins of time though, confusion turns to frustration.

I was asked recently, what law of leadership is most important to me financially, and how? Instantly I thought of my The Law of the Lid. I went on to explain how much a "lid" it was to now have the time to deal with the problems when they come up. 

At one time I thought I'd lost my edge because I wasn't running as hard as I once did. I thought I was being way way too cautious. But over time I've realized it wasn't all a new found passiveness. I'd learned to pay a bit more attention, I was testing my thoughts and actions against prior results, I didn't want to make some of the previous mistakes.....and the margins helped that process.

Margins. A purposeful leader builds margins into his day for unexpected problems that must be dealt with, giving himself time to pause, reflect, evaluate and correct.


Margins give me time to move from problem/confusion to creativity, time to discern and separate when I was being passive from being sane.




To that end..........


2 comments:

Hurdie Burk said...

Raising your Lid. I ask this everyday. Am I raising my Lid and for what purpose?

DannyLSmith said...

You are a GREAT lid lifter Hurdie. Thanks.