I’m watching my son mow the lawn methodically in straight lines. He does the same thing every week. He executes his work. He waits until the grass is dry enough, decides whether or not he is going to use the bagger, moves stuff out of the way, uses the push mower first then the rider, etc. Plan. Execute. Admire.

My lawn mowing technique is more crop circle-like. Innovative. Different every time. Messy. Soccer ball in my path? No problem. I’ll just go around it (otherwise I’d have to put down my beer). Sometimes, I won’t even mow the entire lawn on the same day. That way, it’s never done. I often work that way too. Spontaneous. Sporadic. Messy.

I rebooted my innovative self two weeks ago by going on vacation and seem to have started up in the “execute” mode. Which is good because too much time spent on innovation means nothing gets done. And nobody wants to pay the laborer who makes crop circles in the yard.

Of course too much time executing means lack of vision. No creating little walking paths off to the side of the main lawn. You’re too busy admiring the lawn.

How do you balance all the innovative discoveries that present themselves with the need to execute?

Photo: Matthew Rambo