Refocus for 2015

I am a strong believer in the value of periodic evaluation accompanied by redirection of time and attention into new areas of interest. For me, the beginning of a new year is an ideal time for reflection and planning.

In my January 2012 post, Do Your Own Annual Review, I posed eight questions which I still believe are extremely useful.  However, they could be simplified into these three:

• What has changed in the past 12 months?
• What do I hope to change in the upcoming months?
• What do I want or need to learn to make these changes happen?

 Personally, the topics where I intend to focus most of my research and reading in 2015 are:

• Design trends in the stationery and wall decor markets.
• Applications for additive manufacturing in industry and medicine.
• The impact of printed electronics on the internet of everything.
• Implications of artificial intelligence on industry and transportation
• Lessons to be learned from late 19th century and early 20th century industrial history.

The tricky part about identifying new areas of focus is finding the time to make it happen. Since the amount of time per day in 2015 is the same as in 2014, any new to-do list needs to be accompanied by a not-to-do list.  What are you planning to give up to make room for the new areas of focus?

The year ahead will be full of exciting developments.  Some are expected and some will be delightful surprises. The Consumer Electronics Show next week should be filled with both.

What is your focus for 2015?

You might also like:

Do Your Own Annual Review
Make a Not-to-do List
Top Tech Stories of 2015

Make a Not-to-do List

Most of the posts on this site encourage you to add something to your to-do list.  That’s a problem.  Your to-do list is already full.  There isn’t time to add one more thing.

You need to make a not-to-do list. Identify the ways you spend time that don’t move you closer to your goals for happiness and success. Write down the things that you don’t want to do anymore on a list and post it where you can see it every day.  Then stop doing those things!

Making a not-to-do list is more difficult than it sounds. Some things that drain your time might be comfortable routines developed over years.  Others may be moving you toward goals that are no longer important to you. Others might be enjoyable, but not as enjoyable as other activities you could be doing.  

In the Art of Non-Conformity, Chris Guillebeau coined the term “Radical Exclusion” to describe the mindset of “shutting out absolutely anything that serves as a distraction from your key priorities.”  Guillebeau proposes that you stop doing things that don’t produce a deliverable, say no to busywork and say no to things that you would only do out of a sense of obligation.

You have time to do anything you choose to do.  But not enough time to do everything.  Choose wisely!