Do You Have Enough Time for Everything in Your Life?

Can you believe 2006 is nearly half over? Perhaps you're on a success track to accomplish everything you set out to in 2006, and I congratulate you. Perhaps you transitioned into a new neighborhood, a new job, a new career, a new passion. Good for you!

I recently had two clients back to back tell me that they are feeling stressed because they "don't have time" to fit everything in. Each conversation started with, "I'm really stressed and need to eliminate something from my life because I don't have the time for everything." My process is to listen for about 5 minutes as my client speaks. I'm a good listener and I listen very carefully. I started thinking about their situations. First, I thought about Time Management.

There are literally thousands of Time Management tools available and I can't tell you how much I DON'T want to talk about time management. I'll just say this - get some system that works for you and be done with it. Keep it simple.

The clients with whom I had these conversations are MASTERS at time management. That is not the issue for either of them. They are multi-tasking wizards! They're on time, on point, on budget.

No, something else is at work here. Priority setting? Maybe. Let me offer this:

It comes back to Point #1 of the Dynamic Transitioning program - Know Thyself. Part of knowing yourself is knowing what your values and principles are and how to be true to them in your daily life.

Your values and principles is an inner system for how you organize, rank, prioritize and make decisions. Do you know what your values are? Have you ever written them down? I suggest you do so.

The total of your values and your value system provides the foundation from which you make your personal and professional judgments about where and how to spend your time. They are your beliefs about what is important in life. Some values refer to how one should act (for example, to be honest, self-disciplined, kind).

Other values refer to what one wants to accomplish or obtain in life (for example, to want a lot of money, security, fame, health, salvation, wisdom).

Your values exist as a complex set of interweaving personal policies or priorities that serve as a guide for decision-making. Values may be based on knowledge, aesthetic considerations, practicality, moral grounds, or on a combination of these.

Much of what we value is not concerned with our sense of morality or ethics, so not all values can be called moral ones. Some of us value money, status, personal fulfillment, and freedom, and while these are not immoral values, they are not necessarily moral values.

My clients needed to go back to the beginning and determine what they could "eliminate" based on the priorities their values and principles dictate. We worked on this together. Each client ended up with the ability to rearrange priorities and "gain" time. The end result is knowing what is important to you based on work you've done on yourself. The time to do what's important naturally flows as a result.

Sample Core Values and Principles

Honesty
To consistently seek and speak the truth. Having a lifestyle without lying, cheating, stealing or other forms of deception.

Respect
To value self, others, property and diversity. Showing appreciation for sacrifices that have been made for your benefit. The ability to understand where your rights end and someone else’s begin.

Responsibility

To be accountable for your actions towards yourself, others and the community.

Individual Responsibility

Using good judgment and being accountable for your actions.

Civic Responsibility

Having the motivation, knowledge and ability to actively participate in a common society.

Compassion

To show care and kindness for others. Helping others who are in need.

Courage

To face difficult situations with confidence and determination. Standing up for one’s convictions when conscience demands.

Justice

To consider the perspective of others and to demonstrate the courage to be consistently fair.

Fairness

Treating people equally and making decisions without favoritism or prejudice.

Citizenship

Becoming a productive and contributing member of society. Understanding the importance of being a law-abiding citizen.

Facing Adversity

We can joke about the "boss from hell" but the fact is that if you're suffering under truly unbearable conditions, there's nothing to joke about.

Sometimes adversity brings changes that turn out for the better. You may be so miserable that it drives you back to finish those final credits for a degree or certificate program that helps get you a better job. Or maybe you'll learn new techniques to deal with difficult people that help you later on, or in another area of your life.

Facing adversity requires a deep reliance on your inner resource. Whether that is a religious faith, a spiritual practice, tried and true management techniques, or personal development training, you must have that connection with your inner resource.

I want you to stop what you're doing right now and take out a piece of paper. At the top of the page write, "My inner resource is......". I want you to define this inner resource - what it is, what it means to you, how you've used it in the past. If you don't have a connection with your inner resource write "I don't have a connection with my inner resource because....." and see where your writing takes you. Either way, you'll gain new insights into this very important element of your ability to face adversity.
I can't tell you how important it is to define this FOR YOURSELF. Dynamic Transitioners know that defining what is meaningful to you will help you later in the face of adversity. You will strengthen that connection by defining how important it is to you.

Adversity can bring an inner fear. But Knowing your inner resource will help you do the fearless thing in any difficult situation. It's as if you can say silently to your adversity, "You do not scare me." This helps get you condtioned for the solution rather than focusing on the problem. Facing adversity (the boss from hell) is never easy. Your connection to that inner resource will give you new strength you can rely on.

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Positive Spin on Difficult Moments

"We've been through a lot so far. We're still keeping our head above water at this point. The second half of the year is going to be even more challenging, but we're looking forward to it. It's good for us to go through what we've been through. What doesn't break you makes you strong."

This is the kind of attitude you want to have in the face of any difficulty. This is a statement I made years ago to a sales team I was working with in business. I remember it because someone I admire, someone who mentored me made the quote first regarding something he was facing. I was so impressed at how he kept his composure in a difficult situation and was able to talk about becomming stronger through adversity that I wrote the quote down and have used it over the years.

Transitions can be brought about by adversity. It's so easy to sink in to the self-pity talk track...why does this happen to me? etc. Putting a positive spin on difficult moments is an art. Like me, it may not come naturally to you and you may need to find examples you can draw upon.

I want to you look and listen for the next 30 days for examples of people you admire putting a positive spin on a difficult moment. Share it with others. Adopt the attitude of CAN DO instead of CAN'T.

Activity Breeds Success

If you're in sales, you know the adage: Activity Breeds Success. You make more phone calls, you make more contacts, you go to more customer calls, you get more orders and that activity generates the order rate you need to hit that six figure salary.

If you're not in sales, activity still breeds success.

Let's talk about that Boss from Hell you're dealing with. Everyday you say to yourself, "This is it! Today I'm going to do something about it!" And you leave the office with you tail between your legs.

Blackbelt coaching steps in to get you out of this RUT. I will give you clear direction and words to say to 1) get the heat off; 2) get back on track achieving your goals.

eMail me today to get started! beverlymacy@gmail.com I'll give you a 1/2 hour FREE to get started. Take action and get success!

Perception is Reality

If you're in business, you've heard this before. Perception is reality. Make no mistake about it. Do you know how your customers are perceiving your brand? Your products?

AOL recently got a wake up call on perception is reality when their customer service gaffe was made globally public because the customer taped the whole thing. Listen here. No matter what they MEANT to convey, the new reality is that AOL is sneaky and lowdown with customers. So the perception is now the customer's reality.

Your boss and your co-workers have a perception about you. And that perception is their reality. Do you know how they see you? If you are currently dealing with a Boss From Hell, you'd better be in some deep soul searching right now about how you are viewed.

Because the good news is, you can change perception. You can change your own perception, you can change your customer's perceptions and you can change the perception others have of you.

Sound too good to be true? I didn't say it was EASY, but it can be done.
Blackbelt Coaching gets down to brass tacks on this issue. Whether my client is a product, a brand, or an individual, our first step is a Perception Awareness Evaluation. We'll take a hard and often brutal look at reality as others see it.

This is NOT for the weak at heart. My style is not coddle you and be your cheerleader. My job is to help you get results. email me at beverlymacy@gmail.com to get started.

I'll give you a 1/2 hour FREE session to get the ball rolling. I'll be honest with you..if I can't help you, I'll say so. I'll try to refer you to someone who can help you. If I CAN help you, we'll get started on a rigorous training session that is guaranteed to get results.

Some of you have a personal trainer at the gym. The trainers who get the most results with their clients drive them pretty hard. That's the way Blackbelt Coaching is. We get disciplined and put you on a program that will get you back on track or take you to the next level, whichever you're looking to do. I look forward to working with you!