Maintaining a Life While Having a Career

Every day we wake up and perform our routine. For those of us with careers, we have a set routine that we do on work days and a set routine for the weekend.

If our work day routine is broken, we immediately try to decipher where we went wrong. We try to see what we could have done to not be running late. We try to see what we could have done to have eaten a better breakfast or packed a better lunch. We try to see what we could have done to have gotten in a better morning exercise workout or time of deeper religious devotion.

We are very concerned with having a great work day and we know that the way our work day goes depends on our preparation. This is why we are strict about sticking to our routine. This is why we have a pattern of doing things in order to make sure that we are consistent when getting ready for work.

The question to be asked is how many of us involve something fun in our daily routine? How many of us do something relaxing to prepare ourselves for work? How many of us participate in an activity of fun that reminds us of our personality composed of hobbies and taste? How many of us start our day, rather than let our day start us?

I can remember back when I was in a bowling league in 2010. My team was one of the best teams in the league. This was due to our constant preparation and previous bowling experience.

I would go bowling at least three times a week on my own before work. This enabled me to better my techniques as I could privately focus on what I was doing. This also enabled me to enjoy some leisure time before heading to the warehouse to do my job.

Those days of bowling before work, and bowling in the league on the weekends were some of the happiest times in my life. My days at work were less stressful and I received multiple special assignments. My relationship with my girlfriend (now wife) thrived tremendously, and my body's physical condition was great.

Looking back, I see how I had maintained a good balance between work and my personal life. I did not let my job define me. I did not base my life around my career. Instead, I enjoyed my job as I enjoyed myself. I maintained my personal life while maintaining my career.

If you happen to be a working individual who looks to the weekend to get away from work, it is time for a change. If your week days are spent, working, sleeping, and then preparing to go back to work, it is time for a change. If you work to live rather than live to work, it is time for a change. It is time for you to get your life back.

If you are one of the people I explained in the previous paragraph, your job is your life. This is why I said you need to get your life back. You need to get back to living the way you want to live. You need to get back to doing the things you want to do.

If you have never lived a life where you can do the things you want to do, then you need a new lifestyle. Rather than getting your life back, you need to rediscover life altogether. The life you have been living is not the best one for you.

Whether you are getting your life back or rediscovering life, the way to do so is to do the things you enjoy. Start adding a fun activity into your work day preparation routine. Find something enjoyable to do before you go to your place of employment.

People who do something fun before going to work are strong in their personal identity. They understand that there is more to their existence than just working to make money. They realize that they were created to be somebody outside of their position at work. They understand that it is just as important to have a life while having a career.

Choosing Consciously What You Want Is Where Change Begins

When on this journey, it's vital to acknowledge where we're at, even acknowledging that we have negative thoughts and feelings at times. The key is to stay with those negative thoughts and consciously choose a different thought and paradigm in the midst of it. Allow yourself to feel without fear or judgment. It's easy to say, "Oh, geez! Here I am on my back. How am I going to handle this?" But try seeing it as an observation rather than a judgment, looking at things from a more rational perspective. That vantage point will permit you to say, "It is what it is. This is what I'm feeling so what do I want to create?" and get out of that place of blame, shame, and guilt. Try to determine what the gift is in that feeling and what you want to create from it. Choosing consciously what you want is where change begins.

With all the planetary support that we receive, one of the most practical ways of stepping in to making this change clear is to step back and be honest with yourself about what your heart is longing for. Look at all the triggers that are showing up in your life, all the buttons that are being pushed, to determine exactly what that is. Imagine a spider web where your heart's desire is sitting at the middle of the web with all the strands radiating outward. At times, something comes along and tweaks that strand, serving as a trigger because there's a piece in that strand that's going directly into your heart. Somewhere on the strand there's a wound that you haven't nurtured fully, gained its wisdom, and incorporated it into the fullness of who you are. As you look at each strand, you get closer and closer to truly knowing what it is that your hearts long for. As you get the courage to step onto each of those strands, you can look directly at the wound that's been triggered and fully own every aspect of your reaction. You can ask yourself, "Why am I reacting here?" The clarity and the power of cosmic alignment is if we have the courage to ask this very question. The universe, in turn, will reply "Oh! You've finally asked that question?" and if we do that, we're going to get the answers placed right in front of us: the acceptance piece (where you get the clarity of what that wound is and don't run away from it).

Becoming a Level 5 Leader: Authenticity, Integrity, and Substance Over Style

"Authenticity is doing what you promise, not 'being who you are'." SETH GODIN

If authenticity is as Seth defines, then we have a dearth of authenticity in our world today. We routinely make promises every day that we either have no intention of following through or do not consider to be promises. We don't have an attention deficit disorder pandemic but rather an authenticity deficit disorder one. If we don't recognize this and take action to consider our commitments more carefully and follow through on those commitments, younger generations that follow and look up to us will reject and distrust our leadership. Rarely do we keep our word if it will cost us, but we should always keep our word... especially when it costs us. We are so concerned about our short-term interest (time, money, reputation, etc.) that we lose sight of the long-term trust that will be gained by sticking to our promises. What if your promise will cost you your job or will cause your house to go into foreclosure? Or what if it will cause you to lose your professional license or something else of great value? We all have a price above which we will sacrifice our integrity; my challenge to you is to break that barrier, choosing to never sacrifice your integrity no matter the consequences. Your word, and by extension your name and reputation, is worth far more than money or time.

Show Us, Don't Tell Us

"No plan is worth the paper it is printed on unless it starts doing. There is too much telling in this life and not enough doing." WILLIAM H. DANFORTH

We desperately need leaders who will guide us with less talk and more action. Please show us; don't tell us. God knows we have enough of the opposite. Put another way, "Ignore what people say, watch what they do." This applies in relationships as well as in companies. How often do dating couples tell each other they love each other, yet their selfish actions prove otherwise. Have you ever had someone apologize for an action, and then turn right around and behave the same way? It is no longer enough to say something if we won't follow through on our word. When my children approach dating age, I will endeavor to instill this in them, so they can avoid the kind of flaky people who don't honor their word. Mean what you say, and say what you mean. It is rather simple to explain yet so hard to practice consistently. Another application of this principle is to take time now and then to get your hands dirty at work. Lend help in some area of your organization that involves manual labor or other low-status work. You will prove to others that you are committed to the vision when you roll up your sleeves and get dirty. When people see that you are not above doing any job, they rally behind you. If you get this right, it will breed a fierce loyalty in people that cannot be coerced, controlled, or managed any other way.

Substance Over Style

"When I see an unresolved issue, I jump in. When I'm walking around campus, if there's trash, I pick it up." JACK DANGERMOND

We need more substance over style, since we have a plethora of the opposite in our culture. Flashy looks good on the surface, but a flashy mask is probably covering up a lot of warts. Without deep and substantive leadership, the best-case scenario is that nothing gets done. At worst, lies are told as to what is being done and/or what the real problems are. The world needs more outwardly boring, mundane leaders that get things accomplished and speak with integrity about the problems facing the organizations they are leading. The time has come for transparent leaders who choose substance over style; forget the upcoming election or whatever other threat looms. Let's choose to do the right thing for the organization and put ourselves in harm's way if necessary.

Build Icebergs, Not Skyscrapers

The foolish are continually busy building an edifice above the surface, while the wise are building below the surface where no one can see. You may have seen the artist's image of an iceberg with 90% of it below the water's surface. You can't see it normally, but what lies below has an enormous impact. Just ask the captain of the RMS Titanic. We would often rather build something much more noticeable (a skyscraper) because we want to wow others with our outward accomplishments. But what we build for others to notice is usually a façade covering a shaky foundation. With the passage of time, others will be able to see past the façade to the reality of both strategies. Eventually, many will marvel at the wise person's accomplishments as if they just happened overnight. They will see the creaking, crumbling construction of the foolish for what it is-but only after much time has passed. The wise instinctively know that it is better to build things out of view and then execute their plans with surprising accuracy. The foolish want to be noticed the instant they accomplish anything.

The Bottom Line

Others are watching us leaders to see if we will do what we say we are going to do and whether we will act in our own or the best interest of others. If they find us to be authentic on both counts, then they will trust and follow our leadership.

Being Motivated Everyday

Regardless of what you do for a living staying motivated will always make the journey toward success more fun. It is almost impossible to achieve any worthwhile goal without staying motivated. Although, you may have precisely written goals and your plan of action is perfectly etched in stone, motivation will give you the energy to keep moving toward the finish line when you hit the rough spots on your success journey. In addition to staying energized, motivation increases your ability to stay focus and creative. Staying motivated is an essential element in goal achievement, but it is not always easy to keep the fires of excitement ignited, especially when things do not go as planned. The tips listed below will help you stay the course:

1. Always Use Positive Language - When a problem arises and you feel motivation dwindling, swearing, calling yourself or others negative names, or downing your project will only lessen the motivation you were feeling and attack your confidence. Recognize all problems as an opportunity to learn a better or different way of handling things. If you do slip up and blurt out something negative, immediately replace any negative phrases you used with positive ones.

2. Read Positive Phrases - Start and end each day by reading something positive. You might try reading a favorite verse from the Bible or go to the bookstore in your area and find a book of "positive quotes". Another great place to look is the internet. Simply Google "positive quotes" and you will find lots of options. Selfgrowth.com is a website that has self-help articles, positive and inspirational quotes, and inspiring video clips. There is no shortage of positive information, so keep it light and keep it positive, you will be glad you did.

3. Visualize Positive Results - No matter what your reality looks like, imagine that you have already achieved your goals and are enjoying the fruits of your labor. See yourself living a life that is perfect for you. Also, see yourself as a person of power and imagine that you have solved every challenge you encounter in any project. When you imagine a victory in every challenge, you will always have something to look forward to and to remind you why it is worth it to continue until you achieve your dream. When visualizing, be sure to think big.

4. Do Something to help someone else - Nothing can motivate you better than the joy you feel after you have done something to help someone who really needs you. A part of our reason for being is so we can help each other or give of ourselves when it is most needed. If helping someone else involves taking a brief break from your goals, do it. You may need that time to gain a different and refreshing perspective. Constantly taking, pulling or expecting others to give to you, can be a real downer when things do not go the way you expected and that kind of one track energy will not empower you to reach for your best. Take the time out to give of yourself and much more than you expected will find its way to you, automatically. You may find that burst of energy that you need to complete your project.

5. Dress Up - Sounds strange? Think back to when you were a kid. Remember, how good you felt when you wore a new pair of shoes, a new dress, or new slacks to school? Well, nothing has changed. No matter how old you are putting on your favorite outfit or purchasing something new (Don't go overboard,) will make you feel better about yourself. When you feel good about you, no matter how many challenges you are facing, you feel motivated to handle whatever life is bringing your way. Of course, simply putting on a new outfit may not erase the feeling that you have challenges to handle, but when you put on a new outfit somehow, it makes you feel more progressive. Creating a feeling that you are making progress is one of the keys to nurturing the desire to move forward and successfully finish whatever you have started.

6. Spend Time Around Positive People - When your motivation feels like it is dying down, one of the best ways to re-energize is to call your mentor. If you do not have one, take the time to find one. If you are open to receiving wisdom from others, finding a mentor will be easy. There is a saying, "When the student is ready the teacher will appear". If you truly need the kind of wisdom that can jumpstart you and put you back on track, then a mentor is available to you. However, until you find the right mentor, seek out other people who have a positive attitude. It is okay to borrow a little positive energy from others. This is one of those times when 'strength in numbers' could work for you. We all need a little re-charging every now and then.

7. Go Out and Have Fun - We spend so much time being grown-up and serious, until we forget to release the child within. We forget to have fun. Focusing on challenges can be a de-motivator and it can actually stifle your problem solving and creative abilities. When that happens it can be difficult to find the answers needed to get back on track. Taking a day to do nothing, but have fun will make you feel better and you will be surprised at how many solutions and new ideas come to mind. It is so important to lighten up and laugh as much as you can, because when all else fails, nothing charges your motivation battery like laughing and having fun!

Keep these ideas in mind as you work to achieve your goals and they will certainly make success come easier.

5 Ways to Get Smarter

The brain is an amazing organ; the coordination centre of sensation and intellect. There used to be a misconception about our brains, our intelligence, and our IQ. We used to think that we were bound to live with the intelligence level we had at any given time. New research has shown that we can become more intelligent, smarter, and increase our IQ levels by taking some specific yet simple actions. These are the actions to take to become smarter and more intelligent:

Action #1: Reshaping The Brain

Lets start with our brains. Our brains have elasticity and plasticity. Over the course of your life, your brain has the ability to reshape connections when faced with new experiences. At any age, the brain can grow new neurons and the more mental stimulation you get, the more brain function is improved. By brain training exercises and games you can improve your attention, problem solving skills, memory, and processing speed.

Action #2: Learn a Foreign Language or Two

New research suggests that learning a foreign language gives you a mental boost. It also protects you from age related mental decline and lowers the risk of developing problems of memory loss or mental decline. Those who speak several languages have a reduced risk of developing cognitive problems. Learning a foreign language provides the brain with a mental workout that fine tunes the brain and makes your brain more powerful.

Nowadays you can learn a foreign language in the comfort of your own surroundings and just by devoting about 20 minutes a day over a period, you can learn to speak a foreign language. Learning new languages contribute to make you "smarter". Let's face it, it makes you appear to be more sophisticated as well.

Action #3: Do Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual thinking tool that helps you get information out, generate ideas, and analyze information. Mind mapping jogs your creativity and helps you think in a more lateral way. It helps with cognition and maximises the power of the brain. When you need to think and generate information which is something that we do very often, mind maps help you to make the most of it and really use the power of your brain. At work and at home, you can use mind mapping for your thinking and analysis of information.

Action #4: Diet and Exercise

There are certain types of foods that help to boost your brain power like blueberries, oily fish, whole grain foods, tomatoes, leafy green vegetables, brown rice, and broccoli. Talk to your doctor about your diet and about exercise so that you can get a diet and exercise plan that is scientific and really works for you.

Action #5: Increase Knowledge

Your brain has the ability to do more and you can stimulate the brain through brain training, brain games, and learning foreign languages. In addition to improving cognitive ability, you should also increase your knowledge while stimulating the brain. Read books and explore new areas of study. It helps to keep your brain sharp and makes you more knowledgeable while doing so.

Share Your Enthusiasm! 3 Keys to Add More Joy in Your Life

Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto. ~ Dale Carnegie

Where's your enthusiasm? Are you excited about life? Or have you fallen into the rut of complacency, going day by day with no real dream and nothing to be enthusiastic about? If so, it's time to re-examine your life and your lifestyle.

Have you ever been to a professional baseball game? It's exciting to see thousands of people cheering, enjoying the mouthwatering smell of popcorn and hot dogs, and hoping for a chance to catch a foul ball. Game fans are enthusiastic! They've got painted faces and team jerseys. They live, eat and breathe the sport.

So, what excites you?

• A new car
• A vacation
• Dinner out
• A visit from a relative or friend

Those are all wonderful, but you should be just as excited about your mission, your future and your success. You need to find something that 'lights your fire', something that excites your emotions and pulls you toward a dream or goal. Enthusiasm is the fuel that keeps your creative abilities flowing. It is the difference between a good life and a great one.

The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek; it means God (Ethos) inside (en, iasm). In other words, it is God's gift to you. He expects you to use it for your benefit and His glory. Enthusiasm for God's Word and His ways provides strength and motivation to walk in love and live according to His precepts. Enthusiasm toward God is joy - a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is always enthusiastic. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10). Joy and rejoicing are Divine exercise, like a work-out in your spiritual gym. Rejoice often for maximum results.

Enthusiasm is a key character trait of successful people. Doers are excited about their vision - and transmit that excitement to others. Enthusiastic people enjoy the moment, live life to the fullest, and look forward with anticipation.

Can you imagine a marathon runner who constantly complains, "I hate running." Do you think she would win a race or even improve her personal best? I don't think so. Enthusiasm partners with determination to accomplish the result you desire. It doesn't count the difficulties. Instead, it causes you to grin and persevere! It gives you the supreme satisfaction of accomplishment.

Excitement and enthusiasm are contagious. They draw people to you and increase your influence. Enthusiasm increases belief and support from others. There is no better prescription for success than enthusiastic optimism.

As you get excited about your vision - your dream - enthusiasm eliminates procrastination. It improves your focus and keeps you on course. It helps you overcome difficulties. Enthusiasm, in a very real sense, is faith. It taps into God's power within you to help you realize your dreams.

Enthusiasm & Self-Esteem

Enthusiasm adds emotion to knowledge and transforms interest into action. Positive action is important to feelings of self-worth. Enthusiastic people are optimistic, outgoing and excited. They smile more. A positive attitude is contagious. It attracts people. It widens your sphere of influence and blesses others with your positive energy. Enthusiasm says, "I feel good about myself".

Enthusiasm in Your Relationships

Listlessness and apathy are relationship killers. Instead, get excited about spending time with others. Find activities that you can share in enthusiastically. Be appreciative. Actively look for ways to bless those around you. Make it a game. "How many things can I do today to bless somebody?" Big, small; it doesn't matter. Look for them! Let your joy come out in service to others.

Enthusiasm for Your Future

Joy and enthusiasm anchor your future. You still have much to accomplish in this world, no matter what your age or ability. Get involved. As St. Paul said, forget what's behind, focus forward (Phil. 3:13). There's always a prize if you search for it!

3 Keys to Strengthen Your Enthusiasm

First, ignore the negatives. Yes, ignore. Push them right out of your mind. Tell yourself firmly, "I will not be defeated and I will not quit!" Someone will always try to tell you that you can't. (They don't want you to succeed and make them look bad.) Enthusiasm affirms that you CAN. It is a choice made by faith. Emotions follow the decision to be positive and enthusiastic. It is, first of all, an act of will. You will never succeed if you keep telling yourself how much you don't want to do something. Stay positive.

Second, live from your heart not your head. Your heart (spirit) is connected to Divine Spirit. God is the infinite Source and Wisdom for every dream and vision. Think: God inside. He placed those dreams and desires inside you. He wants you to have them. Keep your focus on His plan, and move forward, one step at a time. If you give in to your own mind-chatter (all those negative thoughts than run 'round in your head), enthusiasm becomes fear and doubt. Negative thoughts (followed by negative emotions) stop focused activity. Like the first step, you must DECIDE which side you're on - "Yes, I can!" or "No, I can't."

Third, don't be afraid to laugh - at yourself, at your setbacks, at the roadblocks that try to stop you. Laughter releases stress and gives you a fresh outlook on your situation. If you train yourself to laugh despite the circumstances, you can never be defeated. Laughter is an outward expression of inward joy and optimism. It is medicine for your soul and spirit (Prov.17:22).

Enthusiasm is your key to a wonderful life. Don't allow depression, apathy or complacency any space. Make the choice (and it is a choice) to be excited about life. You will soon find that... the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the works of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful (Deut. 16:15 AMP).

Integrity Is The Basis Of True Leadership

Certain traits needed for leadership are difficult to train someone to be. While a quality leadership training professional can identify, qualify, train, motivate and develop a leader, and can teach him many of the needed techniques, qualities, concepts, methods, and nuances, one cannot teach integrity. A trainer may emphasize its need, as well as what, it means to possess integrity, but in most cases, someone either has integrity or does not. I have never met, in more than three decades of working closely with well over a thousand individuals in leadership positions, anyone lacking integrity who actually became a great leader.

1. Great leaders must always place his constituent's interest ahead of his own. He acts not only at certain times, and under certain circumstances, with integrity, but possesses absolute integrity. One can not turn integrity on and off. If someone in leadership says different things to different people, in different settings, he is not a genuine leader. If someone in leadership takes more time and effort blaming others and covering his behind, in order to absolve himself of personal responsibility, he is not really a leader. If someone has to think about whether he should tell the truth or shade the truth, except under the most dire circumstances, he is not behaving like a real leader.

2. I offer hear people snicker at one of my seminars when I discuss being a leader and possessing absolute integrity. They often refer to political leaders who exhibit far less, and make the case that these individuals are in fact leaders. While these politicos are often elected to serve as leaders, they often merely hold positions of leadership. True leaders don't think about politics or popularity, but speak out for doing what is necessary and the right thing to do. If someone in leadership acts more like Pinocchio than like Solomon, acts more like a used car salesman than a man of morals and principles, he simply is not a true leader. Unfortunately, because organizations rarely have a process in place to locate and develop true leaders, they often get stacked merely with often very nice people who ascend to positions of leadership, but rarely lead.

Look at someone in leadership and observe his behavior. Does he say the same thing, even if he doesn't think you are listening? Does he combine the best of intentions with the most honorable of actions? Does he walk the walk, or is he simply all talk?