Bolder!

Perspectives

Our back deck faces west, out over Lake Scugog. We enjoy some incredible sunsets where the sky and water are drenched in vivid pinks, reds, purples and golds. The picture to the left captures one of those moments. (Yes, that's the view from our back deck and I'm constantly grateful for it.)

This past week, I felt the urge to sit in the middle of all that glorious saturation so I paddled out in my kayak and turned to face the far shore as the sun went down. An osprey glided overhead looking for his last catch of the day while behind me, the quiet murmur of a neighbour's conversation  carried to where I drifted. To them I'm sure I was simply a silhouette against the fiery horizon. All in all, a peaceful end to a busy day.

When the light show finally faded, I turned my kayak around to paddle back to the dock and stopped mid-stroke. Dusk lifted from the eastern horizon, darkening the sky as it grew. At the leading edge of the deepening shadow glowed a full moon, seemingly caught high in the branches of a birch tree. The subtle beauty of nightrise caught me by surprise.

I've been so dazzled by sunsets that I missed something lovely taking place right behind me my whole life. I had just never turned around before. 

I had to ask myself, what else have I missed? Where else could I turn around and surprise myself? How about you?

What new ways could you look at life and all it offers?

One truth I've learned as a life coach is that there are always other options. Life is rarely just about either/or choices. If we're patient and wait for it, we'll be offered alternatives and different perspectives.

The beauty of the nightrise didn't reveal itself until the sun slipped below the horizon. That was the element of waiting. The surprise was...well... a surprise. But there were also choices made and action taken.

Nightrise happens whether we're there for it or not. You have to choose to turn around and look in a new direction to discover all that life offers.

The Price of MultiTasking

Seems a Stanford University psychology professor noticed a lot of people multi-tasking, something that he understood to be impossible because of how our brains function. And yet, here were people all around him, talking on cell-phones while surfing the web and carrying on a conversation across the table and....

You get the picture. You've probably done it yourself. More than once.

So the professor and his pals got curious. How could this be happening? Were our brains being re-wired by technology? Was this another step in our development as human beings?

To find some answers, he and his students created a series of simple tests. What they discovered was fascinating and went completely opposite to what you may have expected.

It seems that people who are HMM (heavy media multitasker in research jargon do not pay attention, cannot control their memory and cannot switch easily from one job to another as adeptly as people who concentrate on one job at a time.

Basically we're assaulting our brain with so much information that it becomes overloaded and can't cope. We lose the ability to filter out the unimportant and irrelevant.

Can you spell s-t-r-e-s-s?

"High multitaskers can't keep things separate in their minds."

Is it any wonder we feel  'information overload'? The remedy?

"Try to do less," Professor Ophir said, which is something that he does in his own life. "You can check your e-mail, but make sure you have periods of focus. Cut to your calendar later."

We think we're being more productive when in reality, we're not.

As my own little experiment, I tried single tasking this week. It's a skill I have to re-learn so there were a lot of false starts and stops. First, I made a list of things I needed to accomplish and then went through the list ONE THING AT A TIME. What I found was this - I got more accomplished and I FELT that accomplishment. I lost the uneasy feeling that I was dropping the ball somewhere.

I challenge you to give it a try this week.

If you want to read more about the study click here. It's fascinating! (You might want to send the link to your boss, too. )

Einstein's Success Formula

Did you know Einstein loved sailing? It was his passion. I've heard that he spent most afternoons on his boat. In other words, he took time off. What a concept!

Now most of us would agree that Einstein was a pretty smart guy as well as successful in his chosen field.  When asked about the formula for success he said,  "Success equals X times Y times Z, where X is work, Y is play and Z is keeping your mouth shut."

I suspect Einstein came up with that formula on his boat because he obviously understood the balance between work and play. He knew when to listen to the wind, watch clouds and allow room for creative thought. It's said he took a notebook out with him and when the wind died down he jotted down notes and ideas.

If we don't take the time to relax, how will our children ever learn that it's okay to have down time? That the days when we drift and daydream are vital to us as human beings. New ideas and innovations get lost if we 're too distracted to listen for them.

Just ask Einstein.

Give Yourself Permission

Let me introduce guest blogger Jennifer Hazlett. Her newsletter recently featured this great article and I wanted to share it with you.
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Ever find yourself saying something like, "When this is done, then I'll [fill in leisure activity here]". But you repeat this until you're too exhausted to do that leisure activity? Does being organized really give you the freedom you're looking for? When your list of to-do's is unending and you feel you have to do them all, then the answer is 'no'.

Now, I'm all for being highly organized. It makes up a good portion of who I am and what I do. It's an asset that helps me keep things straight in my own business and life and allows me, as a VA, to keep track of my clients and keep all their activities in their respective businesses flowing smoothly.

But are you like me? Do you sometimes feel you're caught up in all the details of the never-ending to-do list?

Give Yourself PermissionI think this is why my mom, the wise woman that she is, gave me this plaque that reads "Give Yourself Permission to Leave Some Things Undone". It was so timely, around the birth of my first child, when I felt I had to still do everything I'd always done and look after a new baby. I keep it as a reminder & look at it every day.

Our lives and our businesses are a work in progress. Know that there will always be something else on your list and to enjoy the process! It's not just about life balance it's also about life acceptance.

Here are some tips that will allow you to enjoy being the organized person that you are by nature without the guilt and nagging persistence of the yet undone:

1. Do less.

You can work all day rushing from one task to the next, but little quality work will get completed. Instead, focus on a couple of important tasks and invest the time to do them right from start to finish. For example, got an idea for an article? Write down your outline, let the ideas flow then put the pieces together. Voila! Now you have a properly completed article for your ezine, blog or an article submission piece that will all have a positive effect on your business. Rushing through several bits & pieces of various tasks in a frenzy throughout your day, will get you nowhere but frustrated.

2. Take a break.

Get up from your desk and away from your office. If there are issues you are struggling with, clearing your head with a 15 minute walk or a step outside for a breath of fresh air, will provide some clarity on these issues. Studies have shown that frequent short breaks or less frequent longer breaks will refresh your mind and body, reduce discomfort and fatigue and increase accuracy and productivity!

3. Give yourself permission to leave some things undone.

It is important to recognize and accept that you will never clear your list; there will always be undone items. Pick the top 2 to 3 items each day that absolutely must get done. Do these first and if you get to something else on your list, consider it a bonus. When you allow yourself to focus your time on fewer tasks you enjoy the process more and avoid mistakes.

4. Celebrate the victories.

You set yourself up for success with the above approach, accomplishing great things while spending your time joyfully. Take a few moments to reflect on your accomplishment when you finish an assignment before you tackle the next item.
Remember, the goal here is to be more effective. Focus your time on fewer tasks and do them well. Avoid the overwhelm of having to 'get it all done'. Doing less but doing it better allows you to enjoy the lasting results of real achievement.

Meet Jennifer Hazlett, Virtual Assistant

Since opening her business in 2006, Jennifer has provided her clients with the expertise they need to grow their business and generate more revenue.  Utilizing her skills, knowledge and the latest technologies, she promotes and enhances the success of the small business owners that call her their “right hand”.

Jennifer understands the needs and challenges of a diverse mix of clientele, particularly Coaches and Consultants along with other creative and talented entrepreneurs.

You can visit her website at www.AltAdmin.ca and subscribe to her newsletter which recently featured this article.