ROL: In A Moment.

ROL(Return on Life) is the "help improve your life" counterpart of ROI (Return on Investment). Simply stated, ROL suggests incremental changes or activities that can produce major returns toward a better quality of life (QOL). This week's ROL is about what could happen in a moment.

About a week before Passover, I saw something different as a Facebook Post from my friend, Marjorie. The post began "Hi, Dan here and it's going to be me for a while. Marjorie fell down a flight of stairs, fractured her skull and sustained a traumatic brain injury." Dan has been updating Marjorie's stream regularly and results have been mixed. Marjorie is apparently getting better but progress is slow and inconsistent. It's going to be a long road for the family.

Until the fall, it had been a pretty good year for Dan, Marjorie and their daughter Emmy. They moved back to their beloved, adopted hometown in the Midwest after a brief stay on the West Coast. Marjorie had landed a job and was looking forward to gainful employment. Luckily(?) Dan and Marjorie had friends that could take charge of Emmy until grandparents could get into town. I can chart out in my mind what I would do if my wife was severely injured, but I really have no idea how I would move forward if this happened in my family.

Next time you're spitting mad because you didn't get your first choice when the family orders take out, think about my friend Marjorie and her family. I'll bet the dim sum will taste just as good as the egg roll.

Please keep Marjorie, Dan, Emmy and their extended family in your thoughts and prayers.

What about you? Any stories about perspective or reality checks you would care to share?

ROL: Remember Tomorrow.

ROL (Return On Life) is about engaging in small incremental changes that can have a large positive impact on living life. It is a non-quantitative adaptation of the financial measure ROI (return on investment). This week's ROL is about patience and perspective.

I had two posts that I've written this week that I really like and Friday's topic is chosen. Thursday is "Return On Life", my longest standing feature topic and as of bedtime Wednesday I was void of topic. Which brings me to today's topic, Tomorrow.

There are tasks that need to get done, tasks that should get done and tasks that would be nice to get done. It's important to classify daily tasks in the right category. The efficiency experts can opine about prioritizing tasks, that's not my strength. I don't like to see energy burnt on personal agenda items that shouldn't burn energy.

Need To Get Done.

Today, the kids need to be sent off to school with breakfast and I need to make dinner. The consequences for failing these tasks are obvious.

Should Get Done.

Today, I should obtain information about my wife's high school transcript, talk to the devil my bank about my mortgage modification, donate plasma and post the weekly ROL. The consequences of not completing one of these tasks wouldn't be wonderful but also not drastic. Not completing any of these tasks wouldn't make for a nice dinner.

Nice To Get Done.

Today, it would be nice to knock out a couple of loads of laundry, fix my iTunes, menu plan next week and get a head start on Friday's post. But if I fail to make headway with any of these tasks, the tasks wind up on tomorrow's should or need to get done list.

Perspective And Patience.

My blog has been one of the few things I have regularly delivered at a high level the last couple of months. So after the kids were fed and ready for school, I'm putting the post together. I still have plenty of time before dinner. This post isn't the great American Blog Post, but it's on topic and pertinent about patience and perspective (as well as alliterative). I will have plenty time to call my wife's high school for the transcript and Lucifer the loan officer about the modification before I donate plasma.

Instead of beating myself up and staring at a blank screen I knew that not being able to write wouldn't be the end of the world or even the end of my blogging. I took a breath, gave myself a break an here's a post. No angst and everything else on the list will be accomplished. Some days it really is that simple.

Is it that simple for you?  Do you prioritize and achieve or do you find your wheels spinning and nothing getting done? Do you have a plan for forging ahead?

ROL: Context Matters.

ROL (Return on Life) is a self designated qualitative measure based on the quantitative metric, ROI (Return on Investment). ROI is maximized when small investments provide whopping returns. ROL is maximized when small incremental lifestyle changes provide exceptional enhancement in one's QOL (Quality of Life). This week's ROL is about delaying final evaluation until actions are reviewed in context.

Source: morgueFile.com

Are You Ready?

Tonight starts the NFL 2011 Championship Season. Despite the fact that pro football adds no value to society I am a huge fan. I love the game.  Not so much the talking heads. Even less the useless statistics the talking heads spew whenever there is 2 seconds of stillness. For example:

• The (beloved) Bears are 46-3 the last decade when they have 40 or more rushing (running) attempts per game. The inference is when the Bears run, they win. In context please understand that in the 2010 season the most yards gained per pass attempt average (San Diego) was 8.7. The most yards gained per run attempt (Philadelphia) was 5.4. Additionally running plays take longer than passing plays. In short, teams pass when they are behind and run to protect a lead. You don't win because you run, you run more when you are winning.
• Time of possession early in games. This Sunday the (beloved) Bears are playing Atlanta. Atlanta starts with 12 plays and kicks a field goal to end their1st drive. The Bears run 3 plays and punt back to Atlanta. Atlanta has 14 plays, misses a field goal and the 1st quarter ends Atlanta up 3-0. Immediately a statistic pops up showing Atlanta has a 12:00 minute advantage in time of possession. All true, but Atlanta leads by a mere 3 and the Bears have only had the ball once. Given context the stat is meaningless.

I Will Never Be Ready For This.
I will follow up the above constructed, albeit true to NFL examples with a real life example. If you don't notice the thick line in the middle of my progressive bifocals you wouldn't know I have poor depth perception and poor peripheral vision. Unless I told you, you wouldn't know I am under treatment for anxiety. These two facts converge when I have to back my car 100 feet in an alley with two feet of clearance on each side. I sweat profusely. I will do anything to avoid backing my car more than 5 feet. As a casual observer you might think I'm chicken or maybe even chickens*#t. In context, my reticence to put the car in reverse make sense.

Hold Your Horses, Bucko!

Next time you see something that doesn't compute hold on a second before uttering the last word of "What the ?" See if you are able to see the situation in context. Maybe even consider exchanging "What the ?" for "Can I Help?"

Do you have other examples of context lending perspective? Or do you see things in a more "black and white" manner?