by Tangela M. Davis
B-Alert System by "The Power of Focus", Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen, Les Hewitt
“When you work, work, and when you play, play. Don’t get the two mixed up!”
You are going to walk away from this article a little more enriched in how to manage a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.” I, like some of you, may sometimes feel that you are Superman or Superwoman. “You rise early in the morning and work long hours, say you are going home to be with family and end up taking your work home with you and work even longer hours."
My topic for our April Newsletter is “Creating A Blueprint for Optimum Work-life Balance.” Do you relate to the following scenario... You rise early in the morning, no later than 6:00 am, drink 2-3 cups of coffee before you start your day, work hard all day including skipping lunch, maybe tell yourself you are going to spend time with family and will arrive home at a reasonable hour; however, you end up working later or taking work home with you and sometimes working into the wee hours.” This is becoming more and more common as people struggle to find a healthy balance in their lives. Often times greater pressures are on women, who work full time building a career or business, still expected to cook, clean and somehow cater to her family’s needs. In the mix, you lose site of taking care of yourself. Let me assure you, there is a better way and there are people who have achieved optimum balance in their daily lives. Let me share a story with you. Let’s take John and Jennifer who have been married for 15 years with two kids. Jennifer started her own business six years ago (a health spa center). This family takes annual vacations. At least six weeks off for fun every year. John and Jennifer had parents with strong values that influenced their habits growing up. An important value they learned was “If you are going to do a job, do it to the best of your ability.” Another strong value learned was saving and investing. By the time they were married, they both had a savings plan in place and they were able to maximize hetheir joint savings plan. At work, Jennifer has a first-class personal assistant who allows her to focus on what she does best. She does not get caught up in unnecessary paperwork and rises early to kick-off her day. She rarely arrives home later than 6pm. At the beginning of the year Jennifer and John sit down and plan their personal and family goals. This includes scheduling time for vacation and mini-breaks. Twice a year Jennifer enjoys a long weekend away with her Mastermind Group to enjoy skiing.
Everyone, here is the million dollar question, “Do you enjoy a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle, doing work that you love, and that gives you an excellent financial return and allows you to have significant time off to pursue your other interest?” The answer is either “Yes” or “No.”
If your answer is “No”, let me introduce you to the B-ALERT System. If you check the dictionary for the word alert it reads “At the ready, mindful, using intelligence, on guard, conscious, and prepared.” Being at the ready every day and using intelligence will keep you mindful of your priorities and your state of balance. When you are truly alert you are more conscious of what is going on. Now what is the opposite of alert? Mindless, unprepared, unconscious, off-guard and stupid! If you had choice which side of the scale would you like to sit on?
“Every well-built house started with a definite plan in the form of blueprints.” – Napoleon Hill
B is for Blueprint– This is how you prepare for your day. You do prepare don’t you? A blueprint is simply a map for the day. There are two options for preparing your blueprint for the day. Either do it the night before or early the next morning before your day has started. You only need an extra ten to fifteen minutes to do this. Set specific time limits for your appointments. Also give over what projects must be worked on, and determine if you have reserved enough time to deal with them. It’s important to have your own blueprint recording system. Create one that works for you. For best results, keep it simple.
“The one thing that separates winners from losers is, winners take action!” – Anthony Robbins
A is for Action– When it comes to reviewing your results, the amount of action you put into your day will directly determine your score. You probably have already noticed, there is a major difference between being busy and taking specific, well-planned action. You can have a busy day with nothing to show for it. You didn’t move closer to accomplishing you goals. The day passed you by. You allowed little emergencies or yourself to be interrupted to many times during the day. Concentrate on the activities that produce the greatest results for you. Set limits on what you will and will not do. Delegate effectively, and be alert to stepping outside your boundaries. When you are on vacation or having a day off for fun, your action is to simply enjoy yourself.
There are essentially two things that will make you wiser – The books you read and the people you meet. – Charles “Tremendous” Jones
L is for Learning– Another well-balanced day includes taking time to expand your knowledge. Develop the habit of reading at least twenty to thirty minutes in the morning. It’s a great way to start your day. What should you read? Anything that is stimulating, challenging or that gives you an edge in your industry or profession. What ever you do, avoid digesting any negative portions of the newspaper or internet. Thousands of books reveal the lives of interesting and successful people, from sports, stars and celebrities to adventurers, entrepreneurs and great leaders. There is a wealth of ideas in these books waiting to be absorbed by anyone with a little curiosity and desire to do better. Turn your car into a learning center. AudioCDs are one the most productive ways to expand your awareness. Tuning in for twenty minutes a day will give you over 100 hours per year to learn more. Finally, you can learn a lot more by observing and studying other people. What do wealthy people do? How did they become rich? Another idea for learning is to invite a successful person out to lunch every month – someone you really respect and admire. Drag the lunch out, the more courses the better. Ask questions. You’ll uncover a wealth of information.
“Having all the money in the world isn’t much good if you can hardly get out of bed in the morning to enjoy it.” – Author Unknown
E is for Exercise– I hear the “Oh Nos”. Do you want to be rich in health? Creating an excellent balance in your life means you don’t treat your health lightly. A little daily exercise is part of the prescription. About twenty minutes is all you need. One of the easiest ways to exercise is to enjoy a brisk walk. If you take fifteen minutes and walk around the block a few times, your body will thank you. If you take a forty-five minute walk four days a week you can lose up to 18lbs over the course of a year, without dieting.
- Exercising improves your sleeping habits.
- Exercising increases your energy levels.
- Exercising relieves stress and anxiety.
- Exercising protects you against injury.
- Exercising promotes a health posture.
- Exercising relieves digestive disorders.
- Exercising enhances your self-image.
- Exercising expands your longevity.
A final thought on good health. Make it a study. Find out more about your metabolism and how to optimize the magnificent vehicle you have been given.
“Oh, to be free from the stifling pressures of life – to rest, a peaceful slumber that will rejuvenate my soul. – Les Hewitt
R is for Relaxing– This is the time to recharge your batteries during the day. Take a TPM. Twenty-five Peaceful Minutes. You may understand it as taking a nap. In warmer climates, a siesta is a normal part of the day. When you were a young child, your mother probably put you down for nap after lunch. As an adult, why not do the same. It’s good for you. You’re probably thinking, you are crazy, I don’t have enough time as it is without snoozing the afternoon away. Let me assure you that the most progressive and profitable organizations realize that a highly productive workforce is not achieved by pushing people until they drop from exhaustion. This doesn’t mean you need to lower your performance standards. Consider a TPM when you arrive home from the office. If you can plan a TPM for yourself before you switch roles, it will give you a chance to catch your breath, relax and mentally ready to focus on the family. If you plan to take one day off per week, make sure it’s a full 24 hours. Call it fun-time. This means the entire 24 hours you do nothing business related. If you have worked long, hard hours all week, you deserve a break to re-energize.
“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” – Peace Pilgrim
T is for Thinking– If you want to have unusual clarity about what is working and what is not working in your life, schedule time for reflective thinking. At the end of your workday, or just before you go to bed, take a few minutes to take a mental snapshot of the day. Regard each day as a mini-movie with you as the star. How did you do? Rerun the CD and take another look. What did you do well? Focus daily on the progress you made. Be alert to any shortcomings, but don’t beat yourself up. Learn from your mistakes. Make reflection a daily habit. It only takes a few minutes, and it will make you stronger and wiser in the weeks and months ahead.
In conclusion, would you enjoy a better balance in your life if you had a clear blueprint for the day, were able to stay focused on your most important activities, maximized your energy and clarity with a little exercise and reflective thinking, and had some time off for fun? The answer is obvious. Of course you would! Make the effort and leverage the B-Alert System. Remember excellent balance will greatly enrich your mind, body and spirit, not to mention your relationships and bank account!
