This helps me determine if what I say I prioritize
is what I actually prioritize.

My digital calendar is colorful. Various shades to highlight the many categories of activities in which I participate. Like:

• Red for family
• Light blue for health
• Yellow for writing and creation
• Green for recording
• Purple for friends
• Orange for professional engagements and commitments
• Blue for community service.
• And so on…

The colors provide a quick check on my priorities for a particular day, week, month, or the entire year.  This helps me determine if what I say I prioritize is what I actually prioritize.

Photo by (c) Steve Piscitelli

When I reviewed my year the last week in December, the colors jumped out at me.  No lying. No sugar coating. This is what I did. These activities are what I prioritized.

For years, the Orange (professional engagements and commitments) took precedent. It guided (took control?) of my life. Not a bad thing. Not necessarily a good thing.  It simply showed how I chose to live my life.

When I left teaching on campus (Orange) I continued to focus on my speaking engagements around the nation (Orange).  I started, also, to focus more on what I could do to give back to my community (Blue). My calendar began to take on a different hue. I liked it.

At the end of 2018, I made the decision to back away from national speaking engagements (Orange) in order to devote more time to my community (Blue), creative endeavors (Yellow), and family (Red).

My 2019 year in review showed an Orange to Blue movement. This was what I said I wanted to do, what I planned to do, and , more importantly, what I did.

What colors dominate your calendar? Do these reflect your stated priorities?

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Video recommendation for the week

This quick video (62 seconds) demonstrates one feature of color usage on a Google calendar.

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Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My new book will be released on February 1, 2020.
You can place your pre-release order now for the eBook ($2.99). Click here.

Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit.

Well, actually, my dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story.
Click here for more information about the book.

In the meantime, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

• My book, Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019), (print and e-book) is available on More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at www.stevepiscitelli.com.
• Check out my book Stories about Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island (2017). It has been adopted for teaching, learning, and coaching purposes. I conducted (September 2019) a half-day workshop for a community college’s new faculty onboarding program using the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts can be found at The Growth and Resilience Network®.

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2020. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®