PAUSE – 10.11 – Acceleration Trap
March 31, 2010
REFLECTION:
Researchers in Switzerland and the UK have confirmed what I have long observed – that overload has just as serious an impact on organizations as it does on individuals. Bruch and Menges studied 600 companies over the last decade and identified what they refer to as the Acceleration Trap.
The trap is the result of corporations taking on more than they can handle, increasing the number and speed of activities, spiking performance goals, slashing innovation cycles and continuously introducing new technologies and systems. In short, taking a fast and furious approach to multiple issues on multiple fronts.
What’s the impact on individuals? Employees don’t have enough resources to meet expectations. They work under endlessly elevated time pressures, in situations where priorities are constantly changing. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel and little or no investment in rejuvenation.
Organizationally, relentless acceleration breeds a lack of focus, misalignment of activities, conflicting messaging, confused customers, and exhausted employees.
B&M have identified three core destructive patterns of behavior. Overloading the organization with too many projects and activities. Multi-loading employees by asking them to do too many different kinds of activities. Perpetual loading in which there is no opportunity to regroup or catch your breath before the next burst of frenzy.
ACTION:
So, how might companies sustain high performance over time without overtaxing their employees, confusing their customers, and losing their edge?
B&M offer several suggestions.
1. Halt less important work. Solicit ideas for what could be terminated.
2. Get clear about strategy. It’s tougher to prioritize or jettison projects, if you don’t know what matters most and how activities connect to those end goals.
3. Adopt a systematic approach to sifting and sorting projects. Place a cap on the number of annual goals. Filter ideas for new projects through a reality check.
4. Build corporate time-outs into the cycle of performance. Declare an endpoint to focused initiatives – rather than having them drag on forever. Mandate periods of regrouping after major projects.
What do all these suggestions have in common? A degree of thoughtfulness that somehow seems absent in a climate of fast furious infinite frenzy.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“If the leader gets greedy, demanding the same level of urgency every day, the energy will fizzle and performance will sink, despite employees’ heroics.” – Bruch & Menges
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Read the complete article, The Acceleration Trap, by Bruch & Menges, in the April, 2010 edition of Harvard Business Review. You will find the opening paragraphs of the article on-line at: http://hbr.org/2010/04/the-acceleration-trap/ar/1 Full article can be purchased on-line from HBR or check for a copy of HBR in the business section of your library.
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‘TAKE A BREAK REPRINT’ OPPORTUNITY:
In case you missed last week’s notice, I’ll repeat it one more time. I’m reprinting the booklet, ‘Take A Break – 67 Ways To Pause When You Absolutely Positively Do Not Have The Time’. These booklets are great for conference and event give-aways, corporate wellness initiatives, orientation packages for new employees, EFAP libraries, coffee room reading, and as gifts for clients, staff and volunteers.
At this time of reprinting, you can take advantage of specially reduced pricing for quantity orders with your corporate message imprinted on the front cover. See this two page pdf ( http://www.pauseworks.com/take_a_break.pdf ) for a look at the cover with sample imprint, and for custom pricing info on orders. Call me (877-728-5289) or email (info@patkatz.com) if you are interested in putting these great ideas in the hands of people who matter most in your world.
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s message, Calm & Curious, Pause reader CD writes: Loved this message! I find that writing is a great way to make myself slow down as it automatically makes me do steps #1, 4 and 5 (pause and shift gears before reacting). Going back and editing my words results in a much more measured, and usually appropriate, response. Thanks for this!
REFLECTION: Researchers in Switzerland and the UK have confirmed what I have long observed – that overload has as serious an impact on organizations as it does on individuals. Bruch and Menges studied 600 companies over the last decade and identified what they refer to as the Acceleration Trap.
The trap is the result of corporations taking on more than they can handle, increasing the number and speed of activities, spiking performance goals, slashing innovation cycles and continuously introducing new technologies and systems. In short, taking a fast and furious approach to multiple issues on multiple fronts.
What’s the impact on individuals? Employees don’t have enough resources to meet expectations. They work under endlessly elevated time pressures, in situations where priorities are constantly changing. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel and little or no investment in rejuvenation.
Organizationally, relentless acceleration breeds a lack of focus, misalignment of activities, conflicting messaging, confused customers, and exhausted employees.
B&M have identified three core destructive patterns of behavior. (more…)
PAUSE -10.10- Calm & Curious
March 24, 2010
REFLECTION: Skip the details. Jump to conclusions. Fly off the handle. Shoot from the hip.
Our language frames our lives. Fiery, fast paced phrases and mindsets drive hurried, harried responses. I often wonder – in the midst of the snapping, jumping, and flying – whether we abandon wisdom in the breach.
What might life be like if we substituted calm and curious for fast and furious? A touch wiser, perhaps? (more…)
PAUSE – 10.09 – Invisible? Unreachable?
March 17, 2010
REFLECTION:
When we visited Paris in 2004, we tried to see the exhibit featuring Monet’s waterlily paintings. When I inquired about their location and visiting hours at a Paris Museums Info Center, I was told most apologetically, “Ah, Madame, je suis desole que Nympheas de Monet sont invisibles.”
The translation was a bit skewed; but through subsequent exchanges we learned that the paintings themselves were not really invisible (at least in the English sense of the word). They’d not evaporated into thin air, but they had, in a manner of speaking, gone into hiding. L’Orangerie, the building that houses the Monet paintings was under renovation, and the paintings indeed could not be seen.
For some reason – who knows how the mind works – I was reminded of this exchange and the idea of being invisible or unreachable as I listened this morning to a radio report of a new techno gadget set to go to market. For an investment of a mere $150, the InPulse wristwatch grabs information arriving on your smart phone – caller ID, text messages, email titles, calendar alerts – and displays it on your wrist, while vibrating to catch your attention.
You can’t access the messages, but you can decide on the basis of the message, whether you will jump to your phone to respond. Apparently, a casual glance at your wristwatch is considered to be more discrete and polite – less distracting and dangerous – than a check of other ancillary devices. Forgive me for being naive (sarcasm alert), but if you are glancing at your watch every 15 or 20 seconds, it will soon become apparent that you are not simply checking the time.
For the life of me, I can’t see how this new gadget improves our world. It’s just one more tiny text device battling for our eyes and minds in an already overloaded environment.
ACTION:
So, back to Paris. In the case of the Monet waterlilies, their invisibility – time out of circulation invested in renewal and upgrade – resulted in a fresh presentation that will continue to bring pleasure year after year. It certainly brought us delight when we were able to see them on a subsequent visit in 2008.
I wonder how much delight, creativity and refreshment strapping on yet one more ‘mother of all input gadgets’ will bring to our world. Who will we really be fooling when we sneak surreptitious glances in the direction of our wrists, while pretending to be attending to the world in front of us? Will being constantly connected to another electronic tether cause us to become more focused, or ever more frayed and fractured?
Suddenly, the prospect of a few minutes or hours of being invisible, unreachable, or out of the loop starts to look very attractive indeed.
Be careful. Be VERY careful about the tools you choose, lest they lead you somewhere you don’t really want to go!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“The amount of genuine leisure available in a society is generally in inverse proportion to the amount of labor-saving machinery it employs.” – E.F. Schumacher
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Speaking of items strapped to the wrist, two California based entrepreneurs have created a Pause bracelet, designed to help individuals be more present and less caught up in the crazy, busy, frenzy of life.
The capsule on the bracelet vibrates every 90 minutes as a reminder to step back from the busyness and take a second to be more present to life’s moments. You can check out their bracelet at: http://www.meaningtopause.com
I purchased one a few months ago and tried it myself. It certainly does a good job of getting your attention. Although I found the vibration just a shade more alarming than alerting, and the design not quite to my own taste aesthetically, I am a sample of one. They’re getting a positive response from many; and it might be just the thing for you.
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READERS WRITE:
Last week’s Pause e-zine with a Pick/n/Go theme prompted a lot of reader comments. I’ve pulled them together and posted them to my blog at: http://www.pauseworks.com/wp/?p=889
Enjoy, and feel free to talk back, yourself. Just toss in your two cents worth in the Comments box at the end of the blog posting.
REFLECTION: When we visited Paris in 2004, we tried to see the exhibit featuring Monet’s waterlily paintings. When I inquired about their location and visiting hours at a Paris Museums Info Center, I was told most apologetically, “Ah, Madame, je suis desole que Nympheas de Monet sont invisibles.”
The translation was a bit skewed; but through subsequent exchanges we learned that the paintings themselves were not really invisible (at least in the English sense of the word). They’d not evaporated into thin air, but they had, in a manner of speaking, gone into hiding. L’Orangerie, the building that houses the Monet paintings was under renovation, and the paintings indeed could not be seen.
For some reason – who knows how the mind works – I was reminded of this exchange and the idea of being invisible or unreachable as I listened this morning to a radio report of a new techno gadget set to go to market. For an investment of a mere $150, the InPulse wristwatch grabs information arriving on your smart phone – caller ID, text messages, email titles, calendar alerts – and displays it on your wrist, while vibrating to catch your attention. (more…)
Pick ‘n’ Go Talk Back
March 15, 2010
Last week’s Pause e-zine with a Pick ‘n’ Go theme prompted a lot of reader comments. I’ve pulled them together and pasted them here. Enjoy, and feel free to talk back, yourself. Just toss in your two cents worth in the Comments box at the end of the posting.
YD writes: About “pick and go”… Another option could be to simply say “today is such a day”: accept / live / “experience” (as in “feel” / meditate on…) that today is not a day to cross items off the proverbial to do list but rather water the plants, drink coffees and read e-mails. Maybe tomorrow will be the day to cross off twice as many items…
CD writes: “Reminds me of going to the lake last weekend. I was out for a walk and was passed by a woman who was out jogging. We said hello in passing. How I wished she simply slowed down for five minutes and walked with me as I really enjoy her company and miss her.”
SM writes: “Often I find when I get into the puttering mode, feeling reluctant to get started on “the list”, I find it renewing … that indeed I do need a bit of a break from diligence, and the dreaminess of watering plants and browsing on email can be quite rejuvenating … then when I feel I really have given myself a break from the pressure of the ‘must get to’ on the ‘lists’, I feel renewed — I’ve larked about, and then I’m ready to attack #1 … and it usually feels easier than if I pushed myself to do it from some sense of ‘should’.” (more…)
PAUSE – 10.08 – Pick & Go
March 10, 2010
REFLECTION:
I’m just coming in for a landing after several lively weeks that have included a demanding level of program delivery, significant travel, and more than a few family events and commitments.
During busy times, I find it relatively easy to focus. The priority tasks are clear – from preparing for the next day’s seminar, to packing for following day’s business trip, to finding a gift in time for a birthday party.
However, when pressing urgencies recede, the tenor of the day shifts. On one hand, I’m thankful for the pause and sense of freedom that comes with a more open schedule. There’s a greater ease when I’m working with instead of against the clock.
Still, in that expanded sense of time, I find my intentions lean to the ambitious. Ah, I promise myself, now I’ll have time for this and that and this and that – items that have been lingering on the back burner, hoping for some attention.
At the same time, distractions abound. Because there isn’t a pressing urgency demanding my attention, I am more easily lured by life’s flotsam and jetsam. And that, in itself, can be overwhelming.
Case in point. This morning my To Do list notes that these items await my attention: write a Pause e-zine, invoice and clean up from the last couple of weeks of programs, follow up with clients on pending holds.
And yet, so far, I’ve watered the plants, refilled my coffee three times, checked email about as often, dropped in to Facebook and cleared the spam comments from my Blog. None of these activities are part of my plan. They don’t even offer much by way of renewal or significance.
ACTION:
So how to sidestep the distractions and get on track? My most consistently successful strategy is simply to choose one thing and start.
In today’s instance, it has been crafting this week’s Pause e-zine. Once started on the task, the focus seems to follow.
So, if and when you find yourself floundering and frittering, check your list, then pick and go. It’s as if the simple act of beginning sends a message to the distractions saying, “Get out of here, or talk amongst yourselves!”
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” – Robert Brault
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Revving up or calming down? From Zen Habits, one article for each state. Read according to your need.
http://zenhabits.net/2008/01/30-things-to-do-to-keep-from-getting-bored-out-of-your-skull-at-work/
http://zenhabits.net/2008/02/17-unbeatable-ways-to-create-a-peaceful-relaxed-workday/
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READERS WRITE:
Re last week’s Pause message on Goofs & Guffaws, reader KE writes: “I completely agree. Demonstrating an ability to laugh at themselves – on a world stage no less – was a powerful message from the Olympic organizers. There were so many great stories and lessons from these Olympics – lots of reasons to be inspired and examples to help the rest of us mortals put things into perspective. May our glowing hearts remain so for a long time to come.”
REFLECTION: I’m just coming in for a landing after several lively weeks that have included a demanding level of program delivery, significant travel, and more than a few family events and commitments.
During busy times, I find it relatively easy to focus. The priority tasks are clear – from preparing for the next day’s seminar, to packing for following day’s business trip, to finding a gift in time for a birthday party.
However, when pressing urgencies recede, the tenor of the day shifts. On one hand, I’m thankful for the pause and sense of freedom that comes with a more open schedule. There’s a greater ease when I’m working with instead of against the clock.
Still, in that expanded sense of time, I find my intentions lean to the ambitious. Ah, I promise myself, now I’ll have time for this and that and this and that – items that have been lingering on the back burner, hoping for some attention.
At the same time, distractions abound. (more…)
PAUSE – 10.07 – From Goofs To Guffaws
March 4, 2010
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PAUSE – The Voice of Sanity In A Speed Crazed World
Volume 10, Number 7 – March 3, 2010
© Patricia Katz, Optimus Consulting
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Make someone’s day … send this their way 🙂
REFLECTION:
Unless you’ve been locked in a coma or a media free retreat, you’ll know that over the last two weeks, Canada played host to the 21 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. If you tuned in at all, you may have caught the broadcast of the Opening Ceremonies. And, if you stuck with the program until the end you will also know that the Opening Ceremony ended with more of a grand fizzle than a grand finale.
Because of an equipment goof up, only 3 of the 4 supports for the cauldron lifted into position. As a result, only 3 of the 4 high-level athletes who were to torch the cauldron to life, got to do their thing. It was embarrassing for the organizing committee and all just a bit awkward for Canada. People looked at each other, eyebrows raised, and wondered whether ‘almost but not quite’ was destined to become the tenor of the Games.
Fast forward two weeks to the opening moments of the Closing Ceremony. The 3 armed cauldron sits in the middle of the stadium. The 4th arm is coaxed to life through the actions of a Mime who jumpstarts the lifting of the arm by apologetically plugging it into a giant extension cord. Catriona LeMay Doan, the 4th athlete appears on the scene to – finally – take her turn at lighting the flame.
The spoof is hilarious. In one fell swoop, the organizers sweep away any residues of embarrassment about the opening night malfunction. They shine a spotlight on the failure, make fun of themselves in the process, and create the opportunity to set things right.
ACTION:
What a lesson they gave the world in how to use a sense of humor to deal with situations that go sideways.
Their formula for moving from goof to guffaw looked like this:
1. Own the error.
2. Put it in perspective. (Laugh don’t cry)
3. Make amends.
4. Carry on.
I don’t know about you. But the next time I fall flat in one effort or another (and I’m sure I will), I’m going to keep this approach in mind.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“That’s not serious; it’s just human.” – Jerry Kopke.
“One cannot too soon forget his errors and misdemeanors; for to dwell upon them is to add to the offense.” – Henry David Thoreau
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
If you are in the mood for a few more chuckles, drop in to the Questionable Translations and Church Bulletin Goofs sections on this site: http://www.jmhare.com/funny_stuff/goodies.htm
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READERS WRITE:
In response to the earlier Pause message, Meltdowns Optional, reader MD writes: “Just dealt with a seven year old’s meltdown before school this morning. Your notes continue to remind me to relax and respond appropriately (something I didn’t do today). Thanks for my reminder…AGAIN.”
REFLECTION: Unless you’ve been locked in a coma or a media free retreat, you’ll know that over the last two weeks, Canada played host to the 21 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. If you tuned in at all, you may have caught the broadcast of the Opening Ceremonies. And, if you stuck with the program until the end you will also know that the Opening Ceremony ended with more of a grand fizzle than a grand finale.
Because of an equipment goof up, only 3 of the 4 supports for the cauldron lifted into position. As a result, only 3 of the 4 high-level athletes who were to torch the cauldron to life, got to do their thing. It was embarrassing for the organizing committee and all just a bit awkward for Canada. People looked at each other, eyebrows raised, and wondered whether ‘almost but not quite’ was destined to become the tenor of the Games.
Fast forward two weeks to the opening moments of the Closing Ceremony. (more…)
PAUSE – 10.06 – Separation Or Integration?
February 24, 2010
REFLECTION:
There was a time when creating life balance meant setting better boundaries and shoring up the divide between the workplace and a personal life. Although there are still times where boundary setting is essential, the divide is fuzzy. And, sometimes a sharp divide is not even that desirable.
In the interests of building employee engagement and supporting employees’ lives outside of work, some organizations work very hard to make work as meaningful and as integrated a part of life as possible. They are creating workplace cultures where supportive relationships are nourished, where families are included, where individuals can be themselves (quirks welcome), and where employees are supported in tending to their needs at work and at home.
Here is a sampling of one organization’s strategies for building engagement and supporting balance:
– publishing a company newsletter delivered to homes of employees featuring people news, event updates, and profiling contributions of employees and family members
– hosting work-sponsored events that involve employees’ families (T-shirt design contest, special Family Day BBQ)
– maintaining a Wellness area in the workplace with fitness equipment (for use in exercise room or at desks), BP monitors, and healthy snack options
– recognizing personal milestones and anniversaries (including employee’s start date with the organization)
– encouraging individual decor in workspaces and dress up theme days based on employee interests
– coordinating an emergency fund to help employee families through rough times
ACTION:
If you don’t work with an organization that has made this area a priority, there are still things you can do as an individual to bridge the great divide:
– Share news of your work with those at home. Not just the whines and complaints, but the interesting people news, positive challenges and successes.
– Same thing goes the other way. Share news of family and community activities with those in your workplace. It will help them see you in a more complete light.
– Take advantage of wellness services and programming that are offered in your workplace, and encourage others to do the same.
– Bring other bits of yourself to work. See if there are ways to apply your hobbies and interests to the work at hand.
– Pay attention to your colleagues. Listen and watch for needs you might address and ways you might express support.
These investments will go a long ways in helping you and others more fully integrate and balance lives at work and at home.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Fulfilling the four needs [spiritual, mental, physical, social] in an integrated way is like combining elements in chemistry. When we reach a “critical mass” of integration, we experience spontaneous combustion–an explosion of inner synergy that ignites the fire within and gives vision, passion, and a spirit of adventure to life.” – Stephen Covey
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Read in more detail about Beryl Institute’s approach to balancing and enriching the lives of their employees and their families at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/columnistpaulspiegelman/article205146.html
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s Pause message on ‘Life’s Pinball Challenge’, reader GJ writes: I use the visual of the pinball game in explaining how I felt growing up. I was the ultimate people pleaser and felt like the steel ball being shot out into the pinball game, zinging all over the place, totally out of control, but racking up the points. I answered to almost every person who needed or wanted a piece of me. Hearing the bells ring here, there and everywhere as they called me to help them was the ultimate stressor for me. Eventually, I would disappear into this hole waiting for the next call to help. I’m glad that, through workshops such as yours and the wonderful books out there to read, I’m learning to not tilt into that hole as often!
REFLECTION: There was a time when creating life balance meant setting better boundaries and shoring up the divide between the workplace and a personal life. Although there are still times where boundary setting is essential, the divide is fuzzy. And, sometimes a sharp divide is not even that desirable.
In the interests of building employee engagement and supporting employees’ lives outside of work, some organizations work very hard to make work as meaningful and as integrated a part of life as possible. They are creating workplace cultures where supportive relationships are nourished, where families are included, where individuals can be themselves (quirks welcome), and where employees are supported in tending to their needs at work and at home.
Here is a sampling of one organization’s strategies for building engagement and supporting balance: (more…)
PAUSE – 10.05 – Life’s Pinball Challenge
February 17, 2010
REFLECTION:
Some days it seems like life is one big pinball experience. You blast into action with a big rush of energy towards your main goal for the day. Within moments an unexpected problem forces you off course. While your attention shifts in the direction of the diversion, phone calls, email, and drop-ins further deflect your concentration from the task at hand. Just as you give your head a shake and circle back around to where you started, you find yourself drawn to a shiny distraction that you hadn’t noted before. And so it goes.
The game continues. You ping, pong, bounce, and rebound your way through the day, seemingly at the mercy of external impediments and obstacles that may or may not have anything to do with your initial intent.
Been there? Done that?
(BTW, if you are of a certain age where pinball is a foreign word, you’ll find it described on Wiki at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball).
What’s the difference between the game of pinball and life as a pinball experience? In the game you get points for crazed careening. Keep the play in motion without tilting, and you not only rack up high scores, but you also get to play keep on playing.
In pinball as life, crazed careening also keeps us ‘playing’ – sometimes late into the evening hours. However, as we tilt in multiple directions, our productivity sinks and satisfaction flounders – despite massive injections of energy along the way.
ACTION:
Here are a few strategies that can help you make more satisfying progress in a pinball world where obstructions continuously pop into play:
* Start with an intention to be more focused and composed. It will heighten the quality of attention you bring to tasks at hand and reduce your susceptibility to distraction.
* Build in ‘think time’ early in the day and make ‘get back on track’ investments of time as the day unfolds.
* Limit inflow distractions whenever possible. There isn’t a cell phone or computer ‘alive’ that can force you to look its way unless you give it that power over your attention. Check for new input and info when it suits you – not on the whim of the machine.
* Be thoughtful about the number of meetings and appointments you schedule in the course of a day. Nonstop back to back confabs will keep you bouncing between engagements with little time for thoughtful preparation or follow through.
* Develop one or two no-fail strategies to catch your breath and calm yourself down when the pace of play sends stress levels into the stratosphere. You’ll need them to stay in the game!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Whatever you want to accomplish, whatever is important to you, do it and do it now – with as much grace, intensity, and sense of ease as you can muster.” – Marc Lesser
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Check out Marc Lesser’s book: “LESS – Accomplishing More by Doing Less”. 2009. New World Library. You can get a sense of Marc’s voice from his blog at: http://doingless.net/blog
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s Pause message, Valentine Reflections, reader CD writes: “Thanks for the relationship reminders, Pat! The one that resonates most for me (married almost 20 years) is – tell your partner what you want/need. I think many of us, especially women, have hopes and dreams
for our relationships, but feel like if we have to tell our partners, it won’t be meaningful if they happen. I have told many of my younger friends “tell him what you want”! Would it be nice for him to divine
that information? Sure. But 9 times out of 10 it won’t happen, and this creates resentments that really aren’t fair.”
REFLECTION: Some days it seems like life is one big pinball experience. You blast into action with a big rush of energy towards your main goal for the day. Within moments an unexpected problem forces you off course. While your attention shifts in the direction of the diversion, phone calls, email, and drop-ins further deflect your concentration from the task at hand. Just as you give your head a shake and circle back around to where you started, you find yourself drawn to a shiny distraction that you hadn’t noted before. And so it goes.
The game continues. You ping, pong, bounce, and rebound your way through the day, seemingly at the mercy of external impediments and obstacles that may or may not have anything to do with your initial intent.
Been there? Done that? (more…)
Upcoming Seminar Program
February 16, 2010
Life Balance Leadership: Ease the Load & Lead the Way is the title of my upcoming public seminar offered through the U of S Business & Leadership Programs here in Saskatoon on March 11th. If you or your team are challenged by overload and overwhelm, you’ll find this program is chock full of insights and solutions to help you deal with it all in a more sane and successful way. Check details and register at: http://learntolead.usask.ca/easetheload.html Hope to see you there.
Life Balance Leadership: Ease the Load & Lead the Way is the title of my upcoming public seminar offered through the U of S Business & Leadership Programs here in Saskatoon on March 11th.
If you or your team are challenged by overload and overwhelm, you’ll find this program is chock full of insights and solutions to help you deal with it all in a more sane and successful way.
Click here to check details and register. Hope to see you there!
PAUSE -10.03- Meltdowns Optional
January 20, 2010
REFLECTION:
One of my end of year actions was the purchase of a new desktop computer. The actual transition of files and applications from old to new went relatively smoothly. I was delighted by the larger, brighter screen and the faster processing.
However, the delight soon faded when it turned out my new baby was a touch temperamental. She would shift from humming along happily to spiking a fever and spinning her wheels. Wheel spinning was punctuated by intermittent brain freezes, during which all the clicking and cajoling in the world could not raise a response.
It soon became evident a trip to the ER (Electronic Rehab) unit was in order. And, as I write this, my new baby languishes in the queue, waiting to be examined by the Doc on call.
Initially, I did not respond that well. Although the new baby is, of course, under warranty and the repairs will be made at no additional cost, we had invested a significant amount of time in the system transfer and set up. It appeared that investment would be time and energy down the drain.
When the breakdown occurred, I found myself flipping into R&R mode: Regret and Recriminations. Should have done X! Could have done Y! Why didn’t we try Z? Why did this happen to me? All pointless machinations, of course, and an even more colossal waste of energy.
ACTION:
The good news is that I didn’t stay stuck in letdown limbo for long. Somehow reason prevailed. I was able to remind myself that just because my computer had a meltdown, it didn’t mean that I had to follow suit.
When life’s experiences go sideways, here’s a formula for a healthy response with relative time frames:
Accept reality – 30 minutes
Rant, rave, wail & gnash teeth – 30 seconds
Review options – 30 minutes
Choose action – 30 seconds
Get on with it – Pronto!
* Actual time approximate – but proportions accurate. If you get my drift!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Just because your computer (microwave, car, firstborn, fill in your nemesis here: _____) has a meltdown, it didn’t mean that you have to follow suit.” – Yours Truly
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
I’ve long been a fan of Loretta LaRoche and her zany take on life’s stressors. I recently enjoyed dipping into her latest offering: “Juicy Living, Juicy Aging – Kick Up Your Heels … Before You’re Too Short To Wear Them”. Hay House, 2007.
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READERS WRITE:
In response to the recent e-zine on ‘Saying Yes’, Pause reader JO writes: I enjoyed the newsletter that commented on saying yes and saying no. Many of us who are customer centric often say yes first. It can be the automatic response that comes from a sincere desire to help. Always saying yes can however lead to too much on the plate!
A few years ago when I was recovering from some surgery and coming back to work full time, it was very important for me to set boundaries. The counsellor I was working with suggested that I give myself time to reflect on requests. It was important that I measure my energy at various parts of the day to see what my capabilities were.
This is the lesson I learned that I still use today. In response to a request, say maybe or I’ll consider this. That response gives me the pause time to reflect, and if I have to say no, or not at this time, it’s easier going.
REFLECTION: One of my end of year actions was the purchase of a new desktop computer. The actual transition of files and applications from old to new went relatively smoothly. I was delighted by the larger, brighter screen and the faster processing.
However, the delight soon faded when it turned out my new baby was a touch temperamental. She would shift from humming along happily to spiking a fever and spinning her wheels. Wheel spinning was punctuated by intermittent brain freezes, during which all the clicking and cajoling in the world could not raise a response.
It soon became evident a trip to the ER (Electronic Rehab) unit was in order. And, as I write this, my new baby languishes in the queue, waiting to be examined by the Doc on call. (more…)
