Consider this a heartfelt thank you to all who responded to the 2014 Pause Ezine Readership Survey.

I so appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts.

It helps a great deal for me to know what Pause means to you, and how you think it could be improved.

For those who appreciate it when feedback loops circle back around, I’m happy to share this brief overview of the survey results.

First, the facts:

• Most Pause subscribers are Canadians in the mid life range – 40-50-60 – and predominantly female.
• Over 80% of readers are employed or self-employed.
• Although other industries and professions are represented, the bulk of subscribers work in one of these areas: education, healthcare, public service, agriculture or human resources.
• While fully a third of the respondents subscribed as a result of hearing me speak at a conference or receiving a direct invitation, another third become subscribers because a friend or colleague forwarded the Pause ezine their way. A hearty thanks to all of you who have shared and who continue to share these messages and encourage others to subscribe.

Now the opinions:

The most highly valued sections of the ezine are the Reflection, Action, Quotes and Resources.

There were mixed reactions to the Readers Write section and Art Gallery. Most wanted more and some wanted less of each – not a strong enough trend in opinion to prompt a major change.

Here’s what readers appreciate most about the weekly messages:

• They make me think and teach me things relevant to my everyday life
• They make me pause to consider another perspective on issues
• The messages inspire, energize and nourish me
• Ideas are practical and actionable
• The writing is warm, humorous, honest, clear, concise

As for what would make the ezine more helpful, 74% were happy with the present style and content. Specific suggestions for improvement included: catchier titles, tangible action steps, more links to helpful resources such as Ted talks, links to archives, more research based and business focused messages.

As for suggestions for additional topics, many great ideas were offered. The most common suggestions included: time management, pausing without guilt, self care, supporting self care in others, dealing with negative people, bullying, staying positive and good humored, staying focused, transitioning out of the workplace or moving to a different way of working, life balance, personal relationships, dealing with life crises, self acceptance, and keeping life in perspective. There were also many great ‘one-of’ topic suggestions. I will be drawing on all of these in the months ahead.

As for how you describe the purpose of my work, you have as many different angles on this as I do. No wonder I have trouble pinpointing the perfect tag line! That said, there are a few themes that surfaced. You find my work delivers:

• A reminder to be more thoughtful despite life’s busyness
• Insights and inspiration for a better life
• Encouragement for positive change
• Coping strategies to enhance well-being and engagement

On that note, I promise to keep bringing more calm, camaraderie and consciousness in the face of life’s chaos, calamity, and craziness.

I‘m grateful for all your comments and suggestions. I so appreciate our Pause community. Thanks for continuing to be part of it!