Monthly Archives: January 2011

Discover Joy in Your Daily Habits

Posted on January 2011 | Leave a comment

This is the last post in a series based on Living the 80/20 Way by Richard Koch.

In his book, Koch says that we’ll get more reward for less effort if we select a few excellent habits that keep us at our best. He suggests that practicing seven “super-rewarding” habits daily will offer extraordinary benefits, short-term and long-term.

The habits you choose are dependent on what’s important to you and the benefits you want to experience. They can range from generosity and gratitude to exercise and saving money. They’re based on what you value in your life.

I had to give my list a lot of thought. I have a tendency to take on too much, become scattered and feel overwhelmed. I somehow think I can do everything. At once. Then I wonder why I don’t accomplish anything.

To stop this tendency (or habit, if you will), I took my time evaluating my List of Seven. I wrote and re-wrote my list. I even tried out and replaced a couple of habits that weren’t effective.

The Benefits of a List that Works

Now, I’m comfortable with my List of Seven. They work for me. Every day. I’ve been practicing them for a couple of months and, even in the midst of a nasty allergy season, I still felt good. (In the past, I’ve been bedridden when the cedar descends on San Antonio!)

I’m also more focused, whether I’m having a conversation or performing a task. And it’s nice to feel energized again.

Because these are priorities, there’s always time for them. I used to complain about not having enough time to get everything done. Then I realized that I had plenty of time…for the things I valued.

applying the 80/20 rule

Below are my seven super-rewarding habits that keep me at my best physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.  Am I perfect every day? Nope, but that’s okay. We’re talking about the 80/20 rule, remember? As long as I practice them 80 percent of the time, I feel fantastic!

  • Sleep Well.
  • Meet God.
  • Be Mindful.
  • Move for 20+ minutes.
  • Connect with others for 20+ minutes.
  • Create for 20+ minutes.
  • Read for 1 hour.

What about you? Can you pick seven habits to help you enhance your life on a daily basis? Give it a try, and let me know what your List of Seven looks like!

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Posted in 80-20 rule, habits, personal development, personal growth

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Think More. Act Less. Be Lazy. Savor Life.

Posted on January 2011 | 1 Comment

This is the second in a series about focusing on your best 20%. Today’s post offers concepts on thinking more and acting less.

One of my favorite books is Living the 80-20 Way by Richard Koch. He observes that the ancient Greeks were the greatest civilization for a key reason:  They had slaves to work for them. All they did was sit around thinking, pondering, evaluating and assessing.  (Yeah, I’d be brilliant too if that’s what my day consisted of!)

But there’s merit to thinking before acting. Koch encourages a certain level of laziness (“lazy intelligence”) in order to focus and to be creative.

“A lazy person wants to do as little as possible and so concentrates only on the essentials….For most of us, the only way to create something new and valuable is to slow down, do fewer things, chill out.”

It gets down to doing what really matters. Getting rid of activities you don’t value. Focusing on embracing each moment rather than rushing through it. Because only then can we truly savor life. Or, as Thoreau states in Walden, “I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”

Natural Productivity and Life Management

Dragos Roua agrees with Koch’s idea of thinking things through. In November, I read his eBook Assess – Decide – Do:  Natural Productivity. In it, Roua presents a life management system. His premise is that we spend too much time “doing” so we can check things off our lists. But the real question is:  Are they the right things?

I’ve been using this system for a couple of months now and am experiencing more peace during my day. I was surprised at how easily I cleared activities off my schedule. Now, I’m only doing those things that truly matter to me, and it feels good. Very good.

Rather than just doing, why don’t we spend more quality time assessing whether or not these things are important to us? Then we can decide whether or not to do them. If we focus on doing the things we value, we increase our ability to live in our best 20%. That results in giving ourselves the gift of richer, more satisfying lives.

Your best 20% refreshes and energizes you – Why not spend as much time there as you can? Good luck in your efforts to think more and act less!

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Posted in 80-20 rule, personal development, personal growth, simplicity, Uncategorized

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De-stress at Work by Focusing on Your Best 20%

Posted on January 2011 | 1 Comment

In my last post, I offered a few questions to help you think differently about 2010 and 2011. One of the things I like best about these questions is seeing what’s working, what’s not and what needs to change.

One humongous, much-needed change glaring me in the face centered on my business and the way I work. The last couple of years have been anything but normal.

After a painfully slow (and I mean slooooow!) 2009, I was crazy busy in 2010. Last year gave credibility to the proverb “all work and no play makes (Jill) a dull (girl).”

Moving from a complete halt to breakneck speed is challenging, to say the least. Sometimes I think I want to pursue balance in my work. But when I evaluate further, is balance really the goal…for any of us? Or do we simply want to work within our strengths for as long as possible?

Your Best 20%

If that’s the case maybe we should be focusing on working in our best 20% for 80% of the time, rather than pursuing “balance.”

You know what I mean. Your best 20% is your “sweet spot.” And when you hit it, time stands still. You’re working away, happily engrossed in the task-at-hand, and then you look up. It’s 5:00. Where did the day go?

Focusing on your best 20% means playing to your strengths  so you’re less stressed and more excited about your work. The results can be anything from a smoother work day to feeling refreshed at quitting time to being incredibly productive.

According to Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Workweek:  “The opposite of happiness is…boredom. Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It is the cure-all.”

rekindle your excitement

What gets you excited about your work? Is it your best 20%? (More than likely, it is!) Can you streamline your activities so you’re working in your best 20% most of the time? And don’t immediately respond with “No way! I can’t do that!”

Have you tried?

I’m adjusting my office hours so, when I write (my best 20%), I’m more focused. I’m also challenging myself to get my first thoughts down faster in order to let creativity (more of my best 20%) flourish. And both my clients and I benefit!

Even though none of us can work in our best 20% all the time, we can find small ways to tweak our activities and create a more pleasant way to work. Have fun discovering your best 20%, and let me know how it goes!

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Posted in 80-20 rule, personal development, personal growth

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Communicating a Need

Posted on January 2011 | 2 Comments

Communicating authentically is refreshing. It makes life richer and much more fulfilling. I love that I have friends and family I can communicate with freely.

But even then, one of the most difficult things to communicate is when you have a need. Whether you need love or money or just a few minutes of being heard, communicating a need is hard even for the best communicators.

Why? It puts you in a place of vulnerability, and that’s uncomfortable. And no one wants to be uncomfortable, right?

Last year, car trouble forced me into that uncomfortable spot. Since I’m a one-car family, being car-less is pretty painful. I couldn’t get anywhere except the library and WalMart, which are both within walking distance. I couldn’t even make it to church for rehearsals.

An Important Life Lesson

In Colorado, I had a friend who was barely making it financially. When someone offered something,  whether it was freshly baked bread, shoveling her sidewalk or a little cash, she always said yes.

I commented, “I wish I could accept help that easily.” She calmly looked at me and said, “But why not accept? I really appreciate the help, and they know that. If they want to bless me, why would I take that away from them?”

I’d never thought of it that way. My self-involved thinking was more concerned with the way things “looked,” rather than seeing that the blessing goes both ways.

I started being more receptive to this and, eventually, changed my mindset. Now when people offer help,  I don’t stutter or fumble around. I don’t immediately say, “Oh, you don’t have to do that.” I just take a moment to think, then I answer. And many times, the answer is yes, thank you.

Back to my Car Story…

When I expressed my car-less state to one friend, she lent me her car for a couple of days. Another friend gave me a ride home from the auto shop. A third friend drove across town to pick me up for weekend church activities. And referrals for honest mechanics came quickly. It was one of the most refreshing weeks of my life.

What about you? Can you change your mindset? I discovered that it’s not that hard, once I checked my ego at the door.

Next time someone offers help, say yes. Or when you need help, ask. You may be surprised by the number of blessings that come your way.

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