Ought to Do Versus Want to Do

I just turned 50. The big 5-0! Or, as my dad likes to remind me, the half-century mark. (Thanks, Dad.🤨) Why is it that every birthday that ends with an ‘Oh’ prompts deep reflection? I’m not sure, but I’ve noticed one thing. Over the years, I’ve compiled a bucket list that stretches to the moon and back. There are more things on that list than I can do, so it’s time to declutter—here’s where the fun begins.

I recently noticed something about my list. I can place every item into one of two groups. There’s the ‘want to’ group, comprised of things I want to do because they seem genuinely fun, joyful, or fascinating. And then there’s the ‘ought to’ group. The ought to-do list includes things I feel I ought to do because they will somehow make me a better person. On my ought-to list are items like learning a foreign language, hiking the entire Appalachian Mountain Trail end to end (at roughly 2,190 miles, my feet are starting to hurt just thinking about it), and mastering moguls. These are all fantastic goals, but I have a feeling they are someone else’s goals because if I had all the time in the world, yes, I’d want to do them, but with limited time, my favorite goals rise above.

Chances are you have a looooooong list of to-dos. You might have a list of member engagement ideas you want to try, items from the last strategic planning meeting, or new thoughts from a recent conference. You might find that some of those items feel exciting while others elicit a “meh.”

Here’s the thing, there are hundreds of ways to engage members. Of the hundreds, there’s no one right way. There’s no tried-and-true sure-fire method. What works for ABC Association isn’t guaranteed to work for you. So, you might as well, do you!

Find the items in your list that excite you. Are they new? Perhaps they are a fascinating growth opportunity? Do they feel interesting to you personally? Or are these ideas your team feels excited about? If the answer is yes, get started right away.

So my uncommon business strategy tip for you this week is:

You have more things you want to do than you can do, so don’t be afraid to let your personal preferences guide some of your decisions because being excited and energized is engaging too!