__________________________________________________________________ Making Lives Simpler Practical News and Tips for Living the Life You Truly Desire __________________________________________________________________ November 2001 Volume 5 Issue 6 __________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE: I. How Your Work Life Can Serve You Better II. Five Quick Tips III. A Testimonial IV. Five of their Tips V. References _____________________________________ I. HOW YOUR WORK LIFE CAN SERVE YOU BETTER I've found that the affection my clients hold for their jobs seems to run the full range from "I don't like it but it pays the bills" to "I love it; it's my passion." However, many of them also tell me their work life is stressful. It crowds their time, it's too fast- paced or choppy and has frequent interruptions. Some say it's downright boring, while others dread interactions with their boss or a colleague. If we remember that we do have the power to make adjustments in our work life, we can make it suit us better, tailor it more closely to what we want and create a working experience that is a little happier and healthier. The challenge is to understand our own preferences and pacing, and find ways to honor and implement them in the workplace. In any working environment, we tend to align ourselves with the culture that lives there. All companies have certain specific policies whether written or "understood." Some companies may foster the belief that we need to arrive before the boss gets there and leave after he or she leaves at night. Other companies trust employees to get the job done in a self-designed time frame. One of my clients is a vice president of a bank that prides itself on its "open door policy" for its offices. Her day was so full of interruptions that she felt she wasn't accomplishing what she wanted or needed to. One day, she decided it was okay to close her door for one hour every morning. With that her productivity increased and she was more able to give more meaningful and valuable attention to her co-workers during the remaining "open door" hours of her day. Another client worked at a fast-paced ad agency. It seemed that too many times she found herself scrambling to complete projects yet still missing deadlines. Two things finally occurred to her. The first was that in her desire to please her internal and external clients, she wasn't being completely realistic about how much time a project would take. The second was that she was making assumptions about the client's real needs. So the next time someone said, "I need this tomorrow," she experimented by saying, "This project will take a little more time. Would Thursday be OK?" To her pleasant surprise, it was just fine. There are many ways to create a more satisfying, comfortable and nourishing work life. It could be a change in your routine such as dedicating time to get certain things done at a certain time or letting others know the true time needed to accomplish something. It could be a change in your physical surroundings such as rearranging your furniture or adding pictures, flowers or music. Just scheduling a daily break into your day as a time to refresh and regroup can provide many stress-relieving benefits. Try making some adjustments in your work life and its environment and see how they can serve your overall happiness better. If one doesn't work, try another. I think you'll be amazed what a difference a few small changes can make. Linda __________________________________ II. FIVE QUICK TIPS 1. Maintain a "single point of focus." Consciously bring all your attention to doing one project at a time. For example, if that entails talking with someone on the phone or in person, be with that person 100%. 2. Arrange for one or two days off from work, and then spend that time doing only those things you want or love to do. Avoid work- related tasks, personal errands, house cleaning or repairs and "catch ups." 3. Take some private, undisturbed moments and close your eyes, relax, and see yourself being as comfortable and productive as you'd like to be in your present job. Notice what's different between this vision and your current reality. Make note of anything that you could change to bring your vision to life. 4. Write a list of the top 5 or 6 circumstances, people or issues that are bothering you in your current job, and brainstorm possible new approaches to each of them. A friend or your coach can help. 5. Based on your answers to numbers 3 and 4, draw up a brief action plan. Focus on a few key ideas to implement now, and get started. Then continue with the others. ________________________________ III. A TESTIMONIAL Recently I received the following letter from a client who works as a supervisor on a production line. She's experimenting with some small changes in her current situation and gave me permission to share her story with you. Linda, Hi! I just wanted to send you a note to tell you that this is kinda fun! I stopped after our conversation and picked up some fresh flowers for my desk. I stayed after work a bit that day and took down all my knick-knacks and cleaned up my work area. I had to chuckle the next day because it really made an impact I didn't foresee. My co-workers were all stirred up...they thought I had either quit or gotten moved elsewhere in the company (or worse...according to some). When I explained that I was just trying to "simplify my life" I got some blank stares. Another Supervisor from my area who knows my husband even mentioned to him that he thought something was up or had happened. My manager is secretly casting wary glances at me.... Is it normal for the people around you to act like something extreme seems to be up? I don't think the changes are really all that big so I haven't really been prepared for anyone to notice and/or react. I just feel calmer, that is really the only change I see so far. I am not listening to CNN in the morning....on my way to work. I dug out my Enya and Bach CDs and have been having a very serene morning and drive...though I'm still eating my hard boiled egg in my car. :-( ...Well, I'll send this and get back to work...am looking forward to a great evening and weekend. Really I do expect I'll have one...it's weird. Slightly surprised, yet pleased, Becky ________________________________ IV. FIVE OF THEIR TPS "It's not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours." - Sam Ewing "It is helpful to know the proper way to behave, so one can decide whether or not to be proper." - Gail Carson Levine "If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all." - Anna Quindlen "The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions." -Mike Krzyzewski "Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." - H.L. Hunt _____________________________________ V. REFERENCES To find more resources or to order these, go to http://www.simplifylife.com/reference.html Simplify Your Work Life by Elaine St. James (Room 8 - Additional References of Interest - http://www.simplifylife.com/readmore.html) St. James is the author of five best-selling books, including Simplify Your Life (1994) and Inner Simplicity (1995). She divides her latest book into seven sections: cutting back on the amount of time you work, learning to seize time, being more productive, being more effective with people, being more efficient with your money, changing the way you work, and changing the way you think about work. (From Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as quoted on Amazon.com.) Happiness is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman (Room 8 - Additional References of Interest - http://www.simplifylife.com/readmore.html) Barry Neil Kaufman, therapist, author, motivational speaker and founder of the Option Institute, has observed that despite disappointments, illnesses and physical and emotional problems, people who are most successful in finding happiness share certain traits. His shortcuts to happiness include: Make happiness the priority; accept your personal authenticity, the freedom to be yourself; let go of judgments and embrace people and situations; be present by learning to discard regrets about the past and worries about the future; be grateful by appreciating specific people and events, even during hard times; and decide to be happy by recognizing your capacity to choose your beliefs and feelings and taking responsibility for your responses to people and situations. (From the book jacket.) _____________________________________ MORE ABOUT "MAKING LIVES SIMPLER" Linda Manassee Buell is a full-time Personal and Business Coach, and author of the audiotape, "Simplify Your Life, 7 Simple Strategies for Doing What You Love to Do." Her latest-revised edition of her well-received workbook, "Simplify Your Life: A Journey of Personal Discovery" is also available. Her newest book has just been released: "Panic and Anxiety Disorder, 121 Tips, Real-life Advice, Resources & More." To order your personal copy of any of the above by check or credit card, just go to http://simplifylife.com and click on "Shop the Store." Anyone is welcome to subscribe to this free newsletter, "Making Lives Simpler." There is no subscription fee, and the mailing list remains confidential and will not be sold, traded, or bartered to any other parties. To subscribe or un-subscribe, send an e-mail to requests@lists.webvalence.com with "subscribe MakingLivesSimpler" or "unsubscribe MakingLivesSimpler" as the subject. (Be sure there aren't any spaces between the words MakingLivesSimpler.) Linda's Website can be found at: http://www.simplifylife.com The contents herein are solely the opinions of Simplify Life and Linda Manassee Buell. "Making Lives Simpler" (c) 2001 Simplify Life All Rights Reserved