Personal Manager or Leader - Which do you do?

Yesterday I gave an overview of what I think organizationally about managers and leaders, but today I would like to move that to personal.

Are you managing your life or leading your life? Do you manage tasks and events or lead with vision and purpose?

These are hard questions to ask, but harder to answer for many of us as we want to be the leading actor in our own play. Even if we want to be the leading actor we let others steal our personal show and end up managing the day to day and hoping someone will or may not notice.

The challenge is to lead your own ship and all the crew that makes up you. Your parents, siblings, friends, partner/spouse, neighbors, and animals all are on the ship. Unless you are a hermit you have a personal ship.

Do you allow your mother to tell you what is best and follow those instructions just to not make waves or do you take the advise and apply your own rules that steer your ship in YOUR direction!

Do you allow your partner/spouse to decide when and where things will happen - vacations, yard work, finances--whatever those things are. If so you are not your own leader and your ship is not following your command.

Do you allow your friends to influence your personal decisions on who you should be? Why? Do they know you better? Do they have a better idea of the vision of you? Why do we let them chart our course?

We all love to give advise, but rarely do we like to get it. We want to feel in control and command our own ship, but many times we let others determine the course because it helps us blame others for where we land. Well today is the "enough is enough" day!

Make a statement that no longer will you allow others to steer your ship. They can help out, make fancy pies in the kitchen, grease the motor, and provide a safe harbor, but they cannot steer your ship!

It is about taking control of the one thing you can control and that is you! It is about leading your ship rather than managing the man.

Set your course, give the command and follow your vision! You can do it and it will amaze you at how quickly you can gain confidence and strength in yourself.

Not ready for the ship vision--try at least the little dinghy. No need to go full speed ahead, but start small and lead yourself to the next level. Sail folks sail, but on your chart not someone elses.