Saving Seats

An auditorium only has so much space, so many seats.  So a venue sells tickets to ensure that everyone who pays for the show has a seat.  Many sites go further, reserving the first few rows for specific groups of people

Likewise, your mind only has so much space.  There's a limit to how much you can keep "top-of-mind".  And if you're not paying attention, it's easy to fill all the space with urgent tasks:

• meeting deadlines
• responding to urgent requests
• mitigating conflict

In the process, you may lose sight of the activities that are essential for growth and long-term success:

• building better relationships
• becoming an industry expert
• planning for the future

You have a choice: react to what shows up on your to-do list, or... be like an auditorium manager: acknowledge your limitations, and take steps to reserve mind-share for the activities that easily get crowded out.  

Who or what are you saving space for?  How many seats are you saving?