Monday, January 29, 2007
Magnificent Monday Motivators
Magnificent Monday Motivatorssm ~
A System that Workssm for…Work/Life Balance
Part 3
A System that Workssm for…Work/Life Balance
Part 3
Today we continue with Part 3 of 3 in our discussion and exploration for creating A System that Workssm for…Work/Life Balance.
Following is a recap of eight key tips discussed in Parts 1 & 2.
Welcome it. Give yourself permission to live a balanced life.
Open to elegant ideas then watch the magic happen.
Relax your mind and body everyday to keep you fresh and alert.
Keep it simple at home, work and with all of your endeavors.
Light touches and laughter connect you with the joy of life.
Inquiry leads to a greater depth of insight. Use the gift and power of effective questions for yourself and with others.
Flexibility serves you well in your personal and professional life.
Exercise your body, mind and spirit on a regular basis.
And now here are seven more points to help you find the work/life balance you desire and are so deserving of having .
Boundaries are important. Remember you are responsible for yourself; you are responsible to others. Setting clear boundaries is often one of the biggest challenges people have. This is especially true for parents and certain behavioral styles. Yet having clear boundaries at home, work and in all areas of your life is a gift you give to yourself. It is a gift you also give to others. Here are questions you can ask yourself to help clarify boundaries.
Does “this” need to/have to be done now? Yes or No.
If yes, does this have to be done by me? Now? (Note: you may want to ask this question two or three times to get to the actual/true answer, especially if setting boundaries is hard for you to do, or if you have an underlying need to feel wanted/needed.)
Also, be aware that being able to establish clear, firm boundaries may take time if this has been a particular challenge for you.
AWE is the key. Be with Awareness, Willingness, Enthusiasm! Yes, I’ve written about this before. And it bears repeating. Work/life balance becomes easier when you are aware of what causes you to be out of balance along with what it feels/looks like when your work/life is in balance. Willingness to break the out-of-balance habit and live a balanced life paves the way to making it reality. Enthusiasm and its causes for you also serve to live a balanced life and develop resiliency especially when the tough stuff of life shows up.
Listen. Listen. Listen.
…to what is said and what is not. This is important when in communication with others. Also pay attention to mixed messages.
…to your intuition. In addition to listening to your intuition, honor it and take appropriate action in alignment with how you are so guided.
Attention, related to your focus, can lead to greater clarity. Are you focusing on what is? Or are you focusing on what is not? Your focus of attention plays a big part in creating and maintaining work/life balance. Glean the wisdom from the past. Trust yourself; trust what you know. Accept what is in your life now (remember acceptance does not mean agreement or that you like “it”). Then choose how you intend on being with what is showing up in your life. Ask yourself what you can do to have work/life balance with what is showing up in your life now. Then listen for insights and take appropriate action.
No is a complete sentence. “No.” does not need to be justified. People that have difficulties with setting boundaries often have difficulty saying ‘no’ as well. Practice saying ‘no’ objectively and firmly, without justifying or sounding wimpy or uncertain. Do give a concise reason when asked, only if appropriate.
Communicate clearly, concisely, honestly. Remember that we are always communicating, us to others and others to us. Effective communication is the hallmark of consistent work/life balance. This too is a gift you give yourself and others. A big part of effective communication includes the messages we give ourselves along with how well we listen to ourselves regarding our needs, preferences, desires and wants. Communication is so important, you may want to create an affirmation, such as: I communicate clearly, concisely, honestly in all areas of my life.
Eliminate unnecessary tasks and distractions at home and work, for yourself and others. Many times people do and allow things out of habit. Use the above tips to help you to be clear and focused when it comes to eliminating unnecessary tasks and distractions. Stake a firm claim on your time, energy, resources, relationships, environment, goals and intentions.
These 15 tips serve as a map or blueprint of sorts for you to begin creating work/life balance for yourself and co-creating it with others. Many thoughts are coming to mind as I think about those of you who read this. I am aware of the various stages and events of life. Some are planned some are not. Some of us grew up in chaotic or dysfunctional environments so that is our frame of reference, which means we may not have a clue as to what a balanced life means. One thing I do know is that living out of balance for extended periods leads to health concerns or disease, stress, relationship problems, unfulfilled dreams, decreased productivity and so much more personally, for our families and in the workplace. In the workplace the impact of an out-of-balance workforce can cost in the millions of dollars. Now don’t be alarmed. I haven’t said this to depress you or cause you to be overwhelmed. Remember the power of awareness.
Two quotes, from the wise philosopher Anonymous, come to mind that seem fitting.
“The only way to begin is to begin.”
“That which you are seeking is seeking you.”
May you find that which you are seeking. And may you honor what works for you as you take one step, then another, then another…
In the Flow of Work/Life Balance,
Antoinette
© 2007 Antoinette S. Webster. All rights reserved. www.ASystemthatWorks.com
To find out more about how to create a system that works for
work/life balance in your personal and professional life,
contact Antoinette today to at Info@ASystemthatWorks.com.
To find out more about how to create a system that works for
work/life balance in your personal and professional life,
contact Antoinette today to at Info@ASystemthatWorks.com.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Magnificent Monday Motivators
Magnificent Monday MotivatorsSM ~
A System that WorksSM for…Work/Life Balance
Part 2
A System that WorksSM for…Work/Life Balance
Part 2
In Part 1 of this series we began exploring A System that WorksSM for…Work/Life Balance
by:
Welcoming it and giving yourself permission to live a balanced life.
Opening to elegant ideas then watching the magic happen.
Relaxing your mind and body every day to keep you fresh and alert.
Keeping it simple at home, work and with all of your endeavors.
In Part 2 we’re going to go a little deeper in our exploration.
First let’s consider how light touches and laughter connect you with the joy of life. Things tend to become easier when we learn to apply a light touch to our everyday livingness. We are able to see and handle things with a more clear perspective that naturally results from light touches. Remember life is serious, yet doesn’t have to be taken seriously. You’ll also find that objectivity and discernment come more easily as well.
Laughter also gives us a boost physically, mentally and emotionally. Humor is its own source of medicine and has been well documented. There is also an area of psychology that has emerged, which focuses on happiness. I am not making this up. There are many now involved in the field of happiness psychology, each one making great inroads in the overall health and well being of others.
In addition to light touches and laughter, inquiry leads to a greater depth of insight. Use the gift and power of effective questions for yourself and with others. Now it is one thing to ask effective questions and another to listen for the answer. Listening effectively goes hand in hand with asking effective questions. Two great resources that can assist you with this are: Enlightened Leadership: Getting to the Heart of Change by Ed Oakley and Doug Krug and the Personal Listening Profile®**.
Flexibility serves you well in your personal and professional life. Flexibility allows you to flow with the shifts and shift with the flow. Opening fully to the gift of flexibility can help you with how you handle situations, whether planned or not. It also helps you with relationships, productivity, communication, creativity, stress reduction, critical thinking and so much more. Some behavioral styles vary with their level of flexibility. Do keep in mind that this is a trait and skill that can be developed and honed. I do know that playing soccer and racquetball helped me with flexibility in the respective sports and well as in my personal and professional life. Puzzles, walking labyrinths and dance/movement are other ways you can work with and on flexibility.
Exercise your body, mind and spirit on a regular basis. Physical exercise is great, yet it is not the only type of exercise that supports work/life balance. Exercising the mind through reading, puzzles, solving problems and singing are just some of the things you can do. Spiritual exercise can vary from prayer, meditation and contemplation to spending time in nature, reading inspirational works, listening to music, focusing on gratitude and appreciation or simply connecting with the gentle quiet. Exercising you body, mind and spirit supports you on all levels. Exercising in each of these areas supports balance in that respective area. Together they support balance in all areas of your life.
Initially you may think and feel that this is a lot of work. And it just may be depending on how balanced or out of balance your work/life may be. A great quote comes to mind: The only way to begin is to begin. For this next week, I invite you to explore work/life balance with just one, two or all of the above suggestions. Consider that your life did not get out of balance over night. With that in mind give yourself a break as you start new, start fresh. Remember the light touch and the gift of keeping things simple. This opens the door for the elegant system that works for your work/life balance to present itself.
In the Flow of Balance,
Antoinette
** Personal Listening Profile® is a self-assessment that allows you to discover your preferred listening style and how to adapt to the appropriate listening style as needed for various situations. Contact Antoinette for more information at Info@ASystemthatWorks.com **.
(c) 2007 Antoinette S. Webster. All rights reserved. www.ASystemthatWorks.com
To find out more about how to create a system that works for
work/life balance in your personal and professional life,
contact Antoinette today to at Info@ASystemthatWorks.com.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Magnificent Monday Motivators
Magnificent Monday Motivators SM ~
A System that WorksSM for…Work/Life Balance
Part I
A System that WorksSM for…Work/Life Balance
Part I
January is a great time to begin starting new, starting fresh. One key area in which to do this is with your work/life balance. Yes, many of you already know what I am talking about.
Myriad reasons exist for creating work/life balance. To begin with the costs of being out of balance include: sickness and health challenges, poor concentration, decreased productivity, strained or lost relationships, irritability, lack of focus, increased stress, missed appointments, missed opportunities, ineffective communication and financial burdens.
In addition to the opposite of the above costs, benefits to having work/life balance include living an intentional, purposeful life. And of course you more easily tap into joy and enthusiasm.
So how do you begin?
Welcome it. Give yourself permission to live a balanced life. Often people whose lives are out of balance are more outward directed, especially if children are involved. By giving yourself permission, you begin to turn your attention within in a way that is loving and nurturing. This, in turn, will enable you to show up more fully, in all areas of your life and work, because your life and energy are in balance.
Myriad reasons exist for creating work/life balance. To begin with the costs of being out of balance include: sickness and health challenges, poor concentration, decreased productivity, strained or lost relationships, irritability, lack of focus, increased stress, missed appointments, missed opportunities, ineffective communication and financial burdens.
In addition to the opposite of the above costs, benefits to having work/life balance include living an intentional, purposeful life. And of course you more easily tap into joy and enthusiasm.
So how do you begin?
Welcome it. Give yourself permission to live a balanced life. Often people whose lives are out of balance are more outward directed, especially if children are involved. By giving yourself permission, you begin to turn your attention within in a way that is loving and nurturing. This, in turn, will enable you to show up more fully, in all areas of your life and work, because your life and energy are in balance.
Open to elegant ideas then watch the magic happen. Personally, there has been a greater ease and flow, along with more specific ways to do literally everything, ever since I began opening to elegant ideas. Eric Lofholm of Eric Lofholm International (http://tinyurl.com/a6qre), introduced me to the concept of being open to the elegant idea. This is one of the things that has led Eric to being a leading international sales trainer. It is one of the things that has had a powerful, transformational affect on me and my business. After all, part of living a balanced life includes greater clarity, ease, flow, focus and grace ~ all part of the “magic” of elegant ideas.
Relax your mind and body every day to keep you fresh and alert. Let me repeat this ~ relax your mind and body every day to keep you fresh and alert. You are in luck because there are many ways to do this, such as:
- tensing and releasing your body, all at once or one part at a time. This can be done at home, work, in your car or while standing in line.
- stretching while lying down (before you get out of bed) and again while standing up.
breathing in deeply, focusing on the inflow and outflow of your breath as you do so. - rolling your shoulders, forwards about 10 times and then backwards. Follow this by shaking out your hands and arms.
- having a picture or image of something beautiful and calming that you can focus on or think about. Sometimes a thought or a glance is enough. Or take a minute or two. Enhance your experience by engaging as many of your senses as possible.
- creating a personal mantra, statement or affirmation that you write out and repeat often. This could be like, “I am relaxing my mind and body now”. Or it could be something as simple as repeating the word relax. Combine this with breathing exercises for even greater benefit. An example of this combined process would be to slowly say/think relax as you inhale deeply; say/think relax again as you slowly exhale.
Keep it simple at home, work and with all of your endeavors. Our lives have become more complex over the years. This doesn’t mean we have to make complexity the rule. One of the definitions of simplicity, according to WordWeb, is “freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort”. Freedom is one of the things we realize as we begin to create work/life balance. Now is the time.
In the Flow of Elegant Ideas,
Antoinette
(c) 2007 Antoinette S. Webster. All rights reserved. www.ASystemthatWorks.com
To find out more about how to create a system that works for
work/life balance in your personal and professional life,
contact Antoinette today to at Info@ASystemthatWorks.com.
