Yesterday, today, tomorrow....

....excerpt from the daily message sent to the company

"It is not enough to be busy...The question is: what are we busy about?" - Henry David Thoreau

This morning I woke thinking about time and its relation to us, (seriously). I think this thought was firmly in my head because we are charging to the finish of the quarter and every minute matters.  Here is the thought that I woke up to this morning. The position of where we are in time, today versus the past and versus the future. Here's my take and something to think about this morning as you gear up for an incredible day....

Past: Woulda, shoulda, coulda...avoid these thoughts. It is over, and each and every experience good and bad was designed to help you. See each experience as a gift not a burden, even the bad memories or experiences, they make you who you are today. In business and your career, if you are like me, you have made mistakes. Don't dwell on them, embrace them, see them as moments in time that have prepared you for a future experience - for today even. Everything happens for a reason, there are no coincidences.

Today: Don't take today for granted and float through the day. Embrace the day, breathe in the air deeply and reflect on how you can make the day special even for a minute and be present with the people around you. In relation to work, take time to charge and take time to rest and take time to think. Most importantly be present and focused. Be your best self, not easy for any of us, but something we should strive for....

Future: Don't forget that tomorrow is never guaranteed. The future always looks further away than the past, and the further the deadline the less we are concerned. When your expectations are to over-perform in the present with planning and execution, and you are indeed present in the present, the future and universe bends to your will tomorrow. With relation to the future, visualize in the present at the end of your day, try to see where you will be and feel the emotion when you achieve that goal.

Usually people are optimists when it comes to time. Think about this for a minute: 2006 seems not too distant in the past, but 2036 seems way in the future, same distance, you are standing in the middle today looking back and forward, but I bet 2036 seems way off in the future. For me at least, it is easy to look back to 2006, hard to look forward to 2036 and see it's just around the corner. Here's why that is cool. Look at all of the incredible experiences you have had to get you to this place today at Potrero. All of the challenges, hardships, the wins and losses, the struggles that you overcame, the moments of elation and the times of exhaustion have all incrementally stacked up to this moment today. You are literally at your very best - today. You have never been more experienced than you are today!! Think about that. You are at your best today!

OK, so now for today, be present, work to be your best self and drive hard to close the goals you have for the quarter. If you have already achieved your goals, build your plan, prepare, rest, and recharge. Let's close this quarter strong, charge into Q2 with the wind at our backs.....

ALWAYS FORWARD!!!!

Joe

This is a series of articles based on the daily letters that I write to my company (slightly modified - company specifics removed). My hope is to share some positive thoughts that gently push the world toward positive thinking and encourage many to achieve their fullest God-given potential