Be an editor

Chip Conley, in his focus upon Modern Elder, talks about how in the first half of our lives we focus on accumulating, but in the second half, we can turn our focus to editing.

From a place of awareness, we can choose to “edit” our lives. Stop trying to acquire more “stuff”, more assets, more wealth, more, more, more.

Instead, we can look to edit. Give stuff away, use only what we need.

Less is More

Let’s use an example. Do you need more than one car? Do you need a car at all? If you do, how bit and polluting a car do you need? I used to have multiple cars, now I don’t own one at all.

For years I have been an editor.

I got to the point where I didn’t feel I owned stuff, I felt my stuff owned me.

Now, I’m at the stage where no longer owning a car feels liberating.

Editing creates space for what matters.

(This is a personal analogy but I also find it is vital to leaders. Stop doing so much, focus on what really matters, that is what you are there for!)

For me, I am editing my life down also to focus on the relationships that matter, the people that matter. Stuff doesn’t matter, people do to me.

“Missing Out” on an Architectural marvel

This past weekend, I went north to Dundee to attend a big birthday party “bash” for a dear friend from that city. That in itself was part of my focus that has come from editing. This friend means a lot to me, so I prioritised travelling to be there to honour their birthday.

Anyway, the morning after, as a huge architecture fan, I had planned to make the first visit to the amazing V&A Museum in Dundee with a cousin who lives in the area and was going to come into Dundee and meet up with me.

That photo at the top of the article is the amazing V&A Dundee. Exquisite and I really was so looking forward to a first visit!

The thing is, that cousin messaged to say they weren’t feeling well.

What did I do instead? Well, for a moment I just thought I’d go to the museum myself, but then I checked myself and thought about what matters.

I then checked with my cousin that they were feeling well enough to have a visitor for an hour or two, then I went to visit them instead.

The museum can wait, people matter to me. I don’t need more stuff or even experiences, my editing means I focus on the people that matter, so I went to see my cousin.

Be an editor.

PS when you read this, if you are work, if you ever feel you take on more projects, tasks, “to do” items than you need to, what about editing them down. Do what really matters, for yourself, your business, those you lead.