Hello, and happy Monday.
First a quote: “You can do anything, but not everything.” — David Allen
This past week, I attended the Global Leadership Summit in South Barrington, IL — two full days of inspirational speakers, thought-provoking insights, challenging ideas, and leadership lessons. Always a reminder for me that “Leaders are Learners.”
(I highly recommend GLS which is scheduled again next year on August 6th & 7th, 2026. You can attend live, in one of many remote locations around the world, or virtually from the comfort of your home or office.)
Now, back to my message for today…
By the time I headed back to my hotel, my learning journal held many new pages of notes. My head was overflowing with old dreams resurfacing, new dreams, new possibilities, and exciting ideas to chase, kind of like rabbits.
This won’t be surprising to anyone who knows me well; I want to chase them all. I’m a dreamer and easily excited about chasing the next dream and the dream after that.
“The shorter way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.” — Mozart
However, I’m also familiar with the old proverb: “If you chase multiple rabbits, you will not likely catch a single one.” The truth is, I left that conference with many ideas I want to chase. I might have dozens hiding in my notes; and I know if I try to chase them all at once, I’ll end up overwhelmed and exhausted, while not completing anything meaningful at all.
The personal challenge for me, after inspiration, isn’t chasing more metaphorical rabbits — it’s choosing which one to pursue first .
I offer the following tips for your consideration:
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Choose your rabbit – Pick the one idea that will make the biggest impact, or move you closer to your goals, if you start now and persistently move forward with intentional actions.
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Write the rest down – Keep an “Idea Parking Lot” so you can return to other ideas later. I like to use a learning journal that I carry around with me. There are many electronic options including MS Notes that work well for this process, if you prefer a digital option.
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Check for alignment – Make sure your chosen focus supports your bigger goals, not just your current excitement. (This can be difficult for dreamers; we’re easily distracted by shiny objects and ideas.)
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Chase it to completion – Stay with your idea or goal until you*“catch the rabbit”* before turning to your next great idea or goal.
What advice and wisdom would you offer on this topic? Would you be willing to share your expertise and/or ideas with my readers and certainly my fellow dreamers.
We would welcome your ideas and help! If you’re on LinkedIn, please leave a helpful comment or two.
Great leadership isn’t about chasing every opportunity — it’s about focusing your energy on the right opportunity at the right time. You can still catch other rabbits as well… just not all at once.
PS – One of my dreams is to invite all of us to dream bigger than our current reality and our challenged world. We can dream bigger, and better. We can do better.
More on that topic in the near future.
How will you live, love, or lead, differently, or better, this week?
Bonus Quotes Below.
Related MMM Articles:
Sincerely,
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
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Bonus Quotes:
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“If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.” — Russian Proverb
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“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” — Alexander Graham Bell
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“Saying no to one thing is saying yes to something better.” — Unknown
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“The enemy of the best is not the bad, but the good.” – often attributed to Jim Collins in his book Good to Great
