Pursuing Excellence: An Exercise*

Start with about 50 blank index cards. Carry a few index cards and a pen or pencil at all times. Responses to the following will appear at any time, consistent with what Albert Einstein called the three Bs: His ideas often came when he was in the bathroom, bedroom, or bus.

Constantly have in mind the following four questions:

(1) What can I hardly wait to do?

(2) What has brought me great joy in the past?

(3) What have I done in the past that brought joy to others?

(4) What do I think is the meaning or purpose of my life?

When inspiration strikes, place one answer on a blank index card. When you have written on at least 50 cards, in a day or several months, spread them out on a tabletop, create clusters of similar answers, and find patterns among the clusters.

The idea is to use as many such cards as possible to create the most accurately meaningful clusters and patterns. As a result, you are encouraged to continue the process and repeat the exercise every time you accumulate at least 50 completed cards (days, weeks, or months).

*This exercise is modified from one provided by my friend Bill Lott. Thank you, Bill!