Most of us carry around a keychain with a bunch of keys on it. The other day, as I have done a thousand times before, I pulled out my keychain to open a door. This time though, I stopped for some reason and actually looked at the keys in my hand.
And I could only figure out what four of my eight keys would unlock. I couldn’t remember the purpose for half of the keys I carried around every single day! Three of the four mystery keys are small—like they might fit a filing cabinet, a padlock or a suitcase.
The next day, I went to our fishing camp with a friend and identified one of the unknown keys; it unlocks the boats. But the last three remain a mystery and therefore useless.
I took these unidentified keys off my keychain, put them in a small, clear plastic bag and placed them in my glove compartment—just in case.
Reducing the number of keys I carry around all the time has made my pocket feel so much lighter! I am surprised at how removing a few small keys could make such a big difference.
As we approach midyear and take a serious look at where we stand regarding the goals we set for our lives in and out of the office, I find myself wondering: Where else in my life am I carrying around extra (and perhaps useless) “keys”?
Think back to January of this year. It was a month filled with promise and promises when we pushed our “do over” buttons to start fresh with new goals. Right now we’re covered up with those goals. And right now is the time to ask ourselves: Do I need to do something differently? Better? More? Less often? Also consider this: What did you plan to stop doing altogether, and have you stuck to that goal?
This year’s halftime could be a defining moment for you. Is today the continuation of a successful, healthy, joyful and rich year? Or do you need to make some changes for the better? It’s not too late.
As you finish reading this blog and go back to your life and your work, I challenge you — as I always do — to do what you do better. That might mean getting rid of the things and actions that are not serving you … like those keys I put aside.
I’ll leave you with two thoughts. First, Goliath was a 40-point favorite at halftime. And second, novelist George Eliot said, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”