The Deliberate Life

The Art of Virtue

In 1726, at the age of 20, while on an 80-day ocean voyage from London back to Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin developed a "Plan" for regulating his future conduct.   He was partially motivated by Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

He followed the plan he created "pretty faithfully" even to the age of 79 (when he wrote about it), and he was even more determined to stick with it for his remaining days because of the happiness he had enjoyed so far by following it.

His plan was made up of thirteen "virtues":

Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

He committed to giving strict attention to one virtue each week so after 13 weeks he moved through all 13. After 13 weeks he would start the process over again so in one year he would complete the course a total of 4 times.

He tracked his progress  by using a little book of 13 charts. At the top of each chart was one of the virtues. The charts had a column for each day of the week and thirteen rows marked with the first letter of each of the 13 virtues. Every evening he would review the day and put a mark (dot) next to each virtue for each fault committed with respect to that virtue for that day.

Naturally, his goal was to live his days and weeks without having to put any marks on his chart. Initially he found himself putting more marks on these pages than he ever imagined, but in time he enjoyed seeing them diminish. After awhile he went through the series only once per year and then only once in several years until finally omitting them entirely. But he always carried the little book with him as a reminder.

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The Work/Life Balance Insanity

In one of my early posts I recommended another leadership blog to my readers, Slow Leadership, authored by Carmine Coyote.  In a recent article, Carmine takes a humorous look at the "work/life balance phenomenon".  With, Lifestyle Managers?, Carmine responds to a real-world press announcement released by an unnamed Canadian firm who says they can help all us "regain valuable time."  Their gimmick?  We're all VICTIMS in an insane world!!  And, of course, they can help us.

For many people the desire to achieve better balance in and over their lives is a real and serious challenge.  For some it would be an easy and convenient excuse to don the cloak of victimization -- accept someone else's assessment that nothing can be done to change our current circumstances.  Most however recognize that victimization serves no one -- except maybe the company using it as a marketing ploy.  We can change.  It may not be easy sometimes and we may need some assistance, but it can be done.

Read Lifestyle Managers -- and remember . . . we're all only victims in an insane world!!

The Art of the Post

Today I was searching for a couple of books in the local bookstore.  As is typical for me, I'm always finding myself in the business, leadership and management aisles looking for new material.  For some reason I became aware of the numerous books -- some new, some old -- whose title began with, "The Art of . . .".  Just on a whim I conducted a search on Amazon to see how many titles I could find that begin with those three little words.  Here's a short list of my results - "The Art of. . .

Possibility, Public Speaking, War, Seduction, The Start, Happiness, Raising a Puppy, The Deal, Innovation, Pricing, Civilized Conversation, Talk, Looking Sideways, Star Wars, Strategy, Teaching Art to Children, Watching Film, The Handwritten Note, and, of course Leadership.

I wonder -- has everything become an "art".  Don't we just do things anymore without having to raise it to an art form?  Of course this is a dangerous thing for an executive coach or life coach to say.  Then again, maybe it isn't.  We all need a reminder every once in while that life just isn't that difficult.  While those three little words help sell a lot books (and many of them really good books), I truly believe they also induce a lot of stress in our lives.

Later, in doing some writing for my new book, The Art of Common Sense, I ran across the following quote. . .

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
                                                               Confucius

It's time to go play with my dog, George.  He understands Confucius much better than I do and has much to teach me.

A New Day

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In Pursuit of Work/Life Balance

In a previous post I recommended readers to sign-up for free newsletters from the American Management Association.  If you haven't done so, I encourage you to do it now.  Here is an article from one newsletter -- Moving Ahead -- entitled In Pursuit of Work/Life Balance:

Many people devote all of their energies to career advancement and wealth accumulation, then wake up one day to find that their lives are out of balance. I recently read about a former executive who admitted that he had been miserable throughout the last decade of his job. Then, in his mid-50’s, he took early retirement and his life changed dramatically for the better.  Read the rest of the article. . .