Hard And Soft Lines - Knowing Where Yours Are As A Leader

Hard And Soft Lines - Knowing Where Yours Are As A Leader

I'm on a trip right now, which always adds interesting layers to getting stuff done.

Sometimes, things go exactly as you hope they will on trips with no issues.

Other times, things go completely bonkers and the opposite of what you expect.

Really this isn't something that happens "just" on trips, it is something that happens every single day.

However, on trips, we often are in different situations with different Goals and Events from the "Norm" which makes these layers of Life more "Felt".

For instance, I Write and Post an Article every single day.

For me that's a Non-Negotiable.

But what happens when you're also adding a Plane Trip, Lots of Driving, Seeing Family, Picking Up Groceries (and not Finding what You're Looking For), the Anxiety of getting to Places on Time, trying to be Healthy, and More on "Top" of Normal Life?

Very quickly you begin to wonder where time is going and how you're going to get it all done!

It's a very tricky place to be in and one where we all find ourselves at one point or another.

So, how do you go about it?

Well, it really comes down to Hard and Soft Lines.

A Hard Line is having a stance toward something that is a Non-Negotiable, Period, End of Story.

No matter what you Do Not cross the Line.

For me, that is Writing Every Day.

There is Not a Single Day, Event, or Anything that happens where I do otherwise.

Literally, the only way I would "Not" Write is if I was in the Hospital in such a Delirious or Horrifying State that I "Physically" Couldn't.

I'll give myself a little bit of slack if I'm in a Coma.

If I broke a bone and had to stay in the Hospital Overnight, I'd Write and Publish an Article.

That is what a Hard Line is all about.

A Soft Line on the Other Hand is something that you want to Strive for, but which you also are not going to beat yourself up over if you are not "Perfect" at getting it done.

For Instance, when it comes to me Eating/Drinking Perfectly is a Soft Line, especially on a Trip.

I Do Understand the Importance of Healthy Nutrition, and I strive to do the best that I'm able.

I also have a Horrible Caffeine Addiction and if I start to get a Headache, I'm going to drink whatever I can to Function like a Half-Decent Human Being (Let it be Known, I am Human with Faults).

When I have Options, I try to Lean Toward whatever is Healthier.

But if I am out to Dinner with Family on a Trip, I'm also going to Enjoy my time with my Family, and if the options aren't "Great" then I'll be alright with a day of Sub-Optimal Nutrition.

This is a Soft Line.

Now, most people go Wrong in Life because they do not have their Lines Set in a Healthy Way.

Often they either have Too Many Hard Lines, or Not Enough.

When you have Too Many Hard Lines, you'll begin to experience Less Joy in Life.

(PS - Life SHOULD be Fun!)

The "Hard Lines" become Unbearable, not only to yourself but to everyone around you.

It also becomes Too Difficult to juggle all the Hard Lines Simultaneously.

You may be Amazing at Juggling, but if you keep adding more things, eventually you will drop something.

This is when people begin to Beat themselves Up for Each and Every Missed Ball.

1 Missed becomes 2.

2 becomes 5.

This is then followed with a lot of Frustration.

The Stress of "Being Perfect" at everything becomes too much and it ends up Breaking you Down.

On the other hand, Not Having "Enough" Hard Lines simply leads you to making all of your choices based on how you Feel in a given Moment.

However, if we only act on how we "Feel", the Truth is that there are Systems in our Lives that are Designed to Abuse that Feeling.

Our Phones and Apps.

Processed Food.

Advertisements.

All of these and more are Psychologically, and sometimes Physiologically, Designed to Hijack your "Feeling" System.

So if you Rely Solely on how you "Feel", you will Drift toward these things that Hijack your System, which none are Beneficial to us in the Long-Term.

At the end of the Day, when You do Not have enough Hard Lines, you will be Controlled by Outside Forces.

So, you've got to find the Lines that Work Best for You.

You "Must" Have Some Hard Lines to get to Any Goals you Seek.

However, you must "Also" have some Flexibility with Soft Lines so that you can Adapt to Situations in the Chaos of Life.

Understand that the Hard Lines you Decide On will likely Define the Direction of Your Success, so Choose Wisely.

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