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Many people assume that personal or professional freedom is achieved when they don’t have to do anything specific all day. They feel that having no constraints or schedule creates freedom in their lives. In actuality, freedom comes when we control our own lives or choose to submit our immediate freedom and autonomy to another individual or organization. People who serve in the military take an oath of their own free will, choosing to submit to authority.
Long-time readers of Winners’ Wisdom know that in addition to these weekly columns, I’ve written 50 books, eight of which have already been made into movies, with the ninth in the works. I make a number of arena and corporate speeches, teach at the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship at a local university, and have two weekly radio shows, all in addition to running my core company, the Narrative Television Network.
Many people have asked how I can possibly get everything done. It’s actually quite simple. I keep an extensive calendar that clearly defines my daily to-do list. I have a Pending List of things I want to accomplish in the future but don’t have on a specific schedule yet, and I have a Project List with over a hundred book and movie ideas I want to pursue in the future.
The Pending and Project lists are reviewed on the 15th of each month, and I begin each day working through my calendar and to-do list. My time, effort, and energy are totally driven by and controlled through these lists. Those who think I am confined by countless boundaries would be mistaken. These lists represent the steps I am determined to take to reach the goals and objectives I have set for myself. I can decide at any moment to change course or even alter my goals. My lists and calendar don’t control me. I control them.
I grew up in a neighborhood where, initially, very few people put up fences in their backyards. Various homeowners put in gardens or set up play areas for their kids. But there was an unspoken rule everyone seemed to observe: to stay away from the boundaries. Once people started installing fences, the barriers didn’t restrict them. Instead, it allowed them to use every inch of their property for their gardens, play areas, or any other utilization they might choose for their backyards.
Freedom is not a lack of control. It is simply the choice to control our time, effort, energy, and life goals.
As you go through your day today, establish your own boundaries and enjoy your freedom.
Today’s the day!
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Jim Stovall is the president of the Emmy-award winning Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of more than 50 books—eight of which have been turned into movies. He is also a highly sought-after platform speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082; by email at Jim@JimStovall.com; or by phone at 918-627-1000.