Don't Mistake Motion For Meaning

#26 of the 365 Things I Learned From 365 Days of Learning: Don’t mistake motion for meaning.

In these curious, sometimes overwhelming, times, if your life is anything like mine, there is an abundance of incoming information, emails, requests to connect, and more. And much of it, especially for someone who is committed to lifelong learning, is quite compelling! Attend a virtual this! Experience an online that! Add that to ever-changing responsibilities, realities, heart wrenching news, and uncertainties about the future, and its easy to get to a place where life becomes a blur.

As a leader of anything – self, family, community, or organization – it was always the case that there was more to-do list than time. In this current moment in human history through which we are collectively living, at least, in my experience, that has been amplified. And it inspired me to write about #26 of the 365 Things I Learned From 365 Days of Learning: Don’t mistake motion for meaning.

-       During my year of learning, one persistent theme in the learning materials I consumed and the courses I completed focused on the idea of “Deep Work” – committing to a practice of making time for meaningful strategic tasks, rather than the more seductive and plentiful tasks like answering (never ending) emails. I was introduced to that concept though a LinkedIn Learning course taught by Georgetown professor, Cal Newport.

-       An old college friend, who knew that one of my goals last year was to focus on more meaningful work sent me a link to a book by Nir Eyal: “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.” I dove in as soon as I could. It was thought provoking and actionable.

-       From one of Dr. Todd Dewett’s LinkedIn Learning courses on time management, I learned about and loved the concept of finding your Einstein Window – the time in your day that you are most effective – and protecting that time fiercely to focus on your most important work.

-       At a learning event at Kraft Heinz, I was blessed by a presentation by Tiffany Dufu, who encourages us to “Drop The Ball,” so we can achieve more by doing less.

Add to that, so many articles and courses about delegating effectively to my team, so everyone is focusing on the right tasks, or trying to make meetings more effective – all of it was in service of trying to create a day when I was less focused on motion, and more focused on meaning.

And no doubt, #26 of the 365 Things I Learned From 365 Days of Learning: Don’t mistake motion for meaning, was derived from all those learning experiences, which were and are so important as I focus on executing with excellence in my professional pursuits and my passion project, and trying to show up every day, learn, grow, and contribute.

But that lesson is also extremely relevant to all things personal. Especially now.

Do you feel like every morning you are being shot out of a cannon? That from the first moment you open your eyes to that sometimes-elusive-moment when you are able to convince yourself to sleep - that things are moving at a mile a minute? Are you doing things or considering doing things and you are not entirely clear why?

If the answer is yes, if you are able, it may be useful to take a moment. Seriously, just a moment. I know that even a moment is luxury sometimes, and the idea that there may be more than a moment to spare – well, that can be a bit of magical thinking.

That said - to know what matters, it helps to take the time to stop, breathe, think, and reflect. To look at our To Do Lists, and from that list, perhaps carve out a “Not To Do List.” To stop moving for just a moment, and determine what is important, and what is not. Because, this my friends, is a marathon, not a sprint. Even in the best of times, it is wisdom not to mistake motion for meaning. In times where we are called to be our best self (which takes enormous energy), eliminating unnecessary tasks can allow us to focus on our personal and professional concerns.

Making sure that I spend my time in a way that is completely aligned with my priorities and my purpose - in work and in life - is an ongoing practice for me. And it is one that inspired #26 of the 365 Things I Learned From 365 Days of Learning: Don’t mistake motion for meaning.

In a LinkedIn Live session that I had the pleasure of participating in with Marshall Goldsmith, Whitney Johnson, and Sanyin Siang, Marshall asked each of us what our advice was for a leader who is trying to lead through turbulent times. Part of the discussion centered around the directive: Decide who you want to be in the midst of the storm. Decide what story you want to be able to tell on the other side of the crisis.

And I am in no way suggesting that needs to be a lofty something – to be the author of the next best-selling novel or the superperson who is able to break the Guinness World Record for how long a human can hold a plank. It can be simply be a commitment to be a person who successfully puts one foot in front of the other, consistently breathes in then out, and courageously takes things one day at a time as you make sure that the people and things you care most about are okay. It can be the list of adjectives you want to describe yourself once the storm has passed. In the story you want to tell after this storm has passed, do you appear as someone who was exhausted, erratic or unable to function in the midst of ambiguity? Or as someone who was empathetic, pragmatically optimistic, and effective?

Once you determine who you want to be, you can figure out who you don’t want or need to be. And you can stop doing the things that don’t get you to that place where – more often than not - you look in the mirror and see the person you want to be.

So, a question for you: what are you doing that you can stop doing – so you can make the best use of your time to do what really matters to you, your loved ones, your community, your team, and your organization? How can you stop mistaking motion for meaning?

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My name is Pamay. I am a lifelong learner. I love laughter, words, big ideas, and serving my community. I am the Chief Learning Officer at the Kraft Heinz Company and the Chief Experience Officer of The My 52 Weeks of Worship Project.

On February 1, 2019, I made a professional commitment to learn something new every day and share it out to my Kraft Heinz Family. On January 31, 2020, I completed 365 Days of Learning, part of an effort to model what it looks like to #LearnLikeAnOwner and #MakeTimeForLearning in an organization undergoing a learning transformation.

As a result of that year of learning, I created a list – the 365 Things I Learned From 365 Days of Learning. Enjoy reading about all the things!