The last few weeks we have discussed the continual challenge we all face of balancing our relationships, work, and finding time to recharge the batteries and rest. We've been building up to this week. I want to look at our work and how we can become more effective in the time that we invest in our work.
Read More“I want to connect with people, but I’ve spent the last 40 years building walls. I don’t even know where to start.” Maybe you feel the same way as one of our leaders, who had just articulated his vision for what he wanted to be able to say about his relationships in the end. He wanted to still be married to his wife, have a close relationship with his kids, and have meaningful relationships with his parents, siblings, and friends. But then reality hit. Where he wanted to end up and where he was headed were completely in the opposite directions. His question was, “Where do I even start to turn this ship around?” I don’t think he’s the only one asking this question.
Read MoreI would say that we struck a chord with last week’s blog. It was by far one of the most read Notes this year, and I heard from many of you that this is an area that you are struggling with. Take heart that you are not alone. There are people in your facilities and offices that are facing similar challenges in balancing work, relationships and rest. There is also a hunger to live life differently - to be fully alive. One area that is going to take some work in order to get there is rest & learning how to recharge the batteries.
Read More“There’s not enough time.” That was the response from half of last week’s Leadership Development class when I asked them what one thought or excuse keeps them from doing what they want or should be doing. I look around our company and the world around us, and it's crazy busy. There’s never enough time it seems to get it all done. There’s too much to do. Balancing work, family and rest seems daunting - if not impossible. What if we stepped out of the crazy cycle for just a minute? Instead of continuing to repeat what isn’t working - what if there was another approach?
Read MoreDo you ever leap before you look? It is one of the many symptoms of Control Freak flu. And remember, Control Freak is not intended as a derogatory term, but a descriptive term. Control freaks can be in such a hurry to get and keep everything in our world under control that we make mistakes in the process. Why? Because we feel out of control. That’s the heart of the matter. Either we are trying to “feel not out of control,” or we are trying to avoid losing what little control we have left, that we run on a high-octane human fuel called anxiety. Anxiety is the germ that causes Control Freak flu. And once it spreads, anxiety manifests itself in innumerable ways.
Read MoreHow do you wrestle the reins out of the hands of the Control Freak in your life? That depends more on your relationship to the Control Freak than what they are doing to control your life. Dr. Parrott, in his book “The Control Freak,” lists six different varieties of Control Freaks and gives suggestions on how to cope with each.
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