Your best just got better

What are you ready to commit to?

In reading a blog entry from Black Belt Productivity, I found myself reflecting on the commitments I've made to balance my work with my life (and, my life with my work).

For many years, I've known there is a very fine line between the two. In looking over the space I call "desk," I'm reminded of just how many things I could start. (There was one line in the blog post that really caught my attention: "The tendency is to just be helpful and say yes to everything.")

I'm still willing to experiment to find the best (easiest with the lowest amount of effort for the highest maximum return) ways of being productive. With goals around personal productivity, I realize that managing my time, my energy, and my focus are absolutely critical.

Take a look around, where could you experience progress? When you find it...go do it!

When is it time to re-set a goal?

When the burden of too much to do becomes habitual, it may be difficult to notice the physical and emotional impact on our systems. Simply "knowing" that there is always more work to be done can significantly (negatively?) impact our energy and outlook toward a balanced and relaxed life.

After a seminar in Houston, TX recently, someone shared: "[Jason] offered our team many tools to reduce our stress levels at work and home..."

I am continually inspired by people who are interesting in finding - and willing to experiment with - ways to continue moving from where they are toward where they want to be.

Looking for ways to make it from here to there? Simply change the way you're focusing and follow a thought toward completion.

Learning Styles

What timing...I received this from a mentor of mine...

Winner's Circle Network with Lou Tice - 5/25/06 - "Learning Styles"

When you are learning something new, what helps you learn more easily and
what interferes with the process? Today, let's talk about learning styles.

There are different styles of almost everything you can do or buy, from
playing a guitar to picking out a new car.  But, did you know that there are
also different styles of learning? Some folks are visual learners; they
literally need to see relationships with their eyes before they can
understand. Other people learn best when they can hear new ideas.

Some people like to think a problem through before they try to solve it,
while others feel more comfortable with a trial and error approach. Some
people, like me, like to see an overview of how what they're doing fits into
the big picture before it makes sense. Others feel just fine working on one
isolated area of a larger project, as long as they understand how their
particular part works.

You see, there is no one best way to learn or to teach. The best teachers
adjust their styles to suit individual learners, and the best learners learn
to make their needs known, or they set up circumstances that facilitate
their own unique style. Remember, your child may not have the same learning
style that you do, and two kids in the same family may learn equally well
but by very different methods.

For best results, honor these differences. Find out all you can about your
children's learning styles, and refrain from trying to force
square-peg-learners into round-hole-experiences. You'll both be happier.

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

Affiliate with other high achievers

Who's around?

Quick, get out a piece of paper, and a pen. Write down the people you have spent time with recently - past 2-4 days - (either on the phone, or in person):

Here is mine:

Jodi
Quanah
Dan
Kathleen
Doug
Guy
Nathan
Barbara
Craig
Julie
Gail
Nancy
Kevin

Now, look for the themes, the topics, the energy you get looking over that list. Starting at the top, did speaking or spending time with them uplift you? Did you smile while you were together? Did they ask you hard questions? Did they encourage you?

I've made a point, over the past few years, to specify the types of relationships in which I am willing to participate. I love it when, at the end of spending time with someone, I can walk away and say to myself:

I am glad they are in my life.

Close? How close...

How close do you have to be before you give your all?

I "became" an athlete in 2000. Before then, exercise and fitness were at about the same level of importance as weeding every square foot of my backyard - a good idea, but rarely maintained.

Then, changes started happening. Eventually, the workouts became more consistent, and I even signed up for races (running, swimming and triathlon events). Over time, I even started training for those races. (What a concept!)

Last weekend, I raced in the Ojai Heart and Sole 10K run. (Placed 1st in my age group with a 39:14 - a new PR!) I experienced a new peak during that run. I "decided" to give more, earlier in the race. Make sense?

Current Reality: The Discovery Process

Do you do what you say you’re going to do?

This is a great step in recognizing where you are. In fact, much of the stress we face is due to the outstanding number of broken agreements that exist within our control. A precious and fantastic discovery process, often just realizing what is true has healing power and hidden potential. Over time, the way we have done things becomes the way we always do things. In fact, some of the habits we use in the present have no other basis in fact, or work-ability, other than that is what we have always done.

Bring it up

Is there something you are thinking of doing, but have not started? Have you ever noticed that some outstanding goals, intentions or missions come to your mind at inappropriate times?

That is, you might think about buying a card for someone when you're on a plane, or calling someone important in the middle of a meeting.

Livestrong Day

I received an e-mail from the Livestrong Foundation this week letting me know that today (05/17/2006) is "Livestrong Day." People across the nation are encouraged to set aside some time (or some blog space) to consider how cancer affects our lives, and what's happening about it.

Another one of my family members was diagnosed with cancer this year. He is fighting, to his own level of success, surrounded by friends and family who support him. I now have 4 people in my family who have directly (and many more indirectly) been affected by cancer.

I acknowledge the team behind the Livestrong Foundation for coordinating these efforts today. Thank you everyone!

(Read on for the press release on LIVESTRONG Day.)

Ask

Are you interested in an anonymous view/review of where you are, where you were, and where you could be headed?

What if you could ask 10-15 people in your network (your "mastermind" group) for their honest - and anonymous - opinions and ideas for your growth and development. Would you ask?

I did. And, it was amazing! I used a free (well, the first one was free anyway) 360 feedback tool and I got some very useful, and powerful, feedback.

If you're interested to see what the feedback could look like, read on...

Align your team

In relation to the Tele-Seminar, I wanted to share a sample of one of my teams.

This happens to be my "health, fitness and wellness" team. I include anyone who may help me (or already has!) along the way. Even if each person does not yet know everyone else, you can still create, maintain, and build your team.

A couple reasons I do this:

• My team encourages me to maintain accountability to reach my goals
• My team offers objective perspectives about the way I'm being and the things I'm doing
• My team shows me - through expertise and example - ways of growing I may have missed up until now

Consider taking a single topic, or area of your life, and beginning to brainstorm your "team."