You...Only better. On call!

How many times have you heard that alarm clock ring/start/go off, and you thought, “Oh goody, another start to the day?"

Ok, ok, stop laughing. What follows is a really, REALLY important question:

What are your morning rituals? I believe that how we begin the day is a pretty good indicator of the kind of day we’re going to experience. Wake up tired, cranky and short-tempered, you might want to warn people. Wake up ready to move on the “mission,” and make big things happen? Connect with someone in your physical and/or virtual network and ask them to hold you accountable!

Here’s another question that “may” be worth asking:

“When I start the day thinking about potential, possibility and abundance, how does what happens that day change?"

Look, when you start the day behind, looking forward to the end of the day, feeling lonely/frustrated/upset (or all three!), what you do and who you are and how you show up is negatively affected. You don’t want to be “that guy” do you?

What you do early in the morning…That’s your time to “choose your life.” Choose to live. To bring life to the next thing. To “be” all you can be, while you’re doing all you’re doing.

So, here’s the scenario:

The alarm rings, and it's time to start another day. Will it be a productive one? Will clients return the calls you make? Will you be able to provide the best service you can throughout the day? These are questions people have on their minds, whether they're the CEO of Fortune 100 company, an individual contributor within that organization, or a community member with a vision of how things could be better!

Each new morning, we're given the opportunity to engage in habits we’ve put in to place to get us to where we are. What are some of yours? And, are they going to be enough to take you to the next level of who you want to be?

I recently spent 6 months coaching a client with a very focused goal: She wanted to get her most important work done before 11am every day. After spending more than 10 years  building her business, she found that what she does in that early part of the day always produces positive results.

Instead of beginning with a new set of routines, we started a basic tracking system. For the first 2 weeks, we talked regularly (sometimes daily) as she created an honest inventory of her morning routine. Once we knew that there were more than 30 things she was doing between the time she woke up and about 11am, then we began to monitor that routine.

Where did we start? She drafted a list of what I call, “I am at my best when...” statements. These are the things that if she does during the day, there is a higher likelihood of things going her way. For example, here are some of mine:

I am at my best when:

• I eat a complete and balanced breakfast.
• I ask for help on a project.
• I spend a little time outside.
• I say thank you to someone who may not expect it.

After you watch the video here, create your inventory and have a day better than most!

Can you really balance it all?

Now that the summer months are upon you, it could be time to click the “pause button” on work, and on life. Just this morning, I had a great call with the head of a division at a children’s hospital here in the United States. After attending a program I presented a while back, this organization has implemented an alternating “off the grid day.” Certain employees are able to schedule and plan for a day (about every 4-6 weeks) where they are not to attend any meetings, and not to respond to any digital communication. It’s as if they are on vacation, but they are in the office.

There are big reasons to consider doing this, least of which is the focus it would bring to the 19 or 29 days “IN BETWEEN” those days to catch up. Also, imagine the ability to get things done in an 8 or 10 hour day, if you knew you were not going to be interrupted.

Summer time is always a good time to click pause, look around, and ask the big questions. I’ve got a few of them for you to consider at the bottom of this post. For now, however, take a moment and reflect on what the word BALANCE even means to you in the first place. There are a few ways to do this.

1. Look the word up in the dictionary. I did, so here you are: an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady; a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.
2. You could also interview (informally, of course) 3-5 people you look up to and ask them what balance means to THEM. Their answers may give you some “food for thought."
3. Or, you could think this through in your own journal. Draft a mind map, or even go through the process of writing down a word that begins with each of the 7 letters of the word balance. 

• B: 
• A: 
• L: 
• A: 
• N: 
• C: 
• E:

There are a things I’d have you think about this month, as you’re working to enhance your skills as a leader, manager, community activist. You’re too important, and what you’re working on means too much for you NOT to be working at your best, and getting the most important things done.

You can read about them right here. In the meantime, here’s some advice on how you can think about achieving more balance in life and at work. As you consider this, remember to do the math. Numbers are magical; they help us quantify what we have and what we need, and they give us a very clear and present sense of reality. Some of the “math” I ask clients to do includes:

• How many meetings are you invited to each week?
• How many meetings do you schedule each week?
• How many inbound phone calls do you receive?
• How many outbound phone calls do you make?
• How much money is in your checking/savings account?
• How much money is in your wallet RIGHT NOW?

Now, will THESE be the exact questions that will get you moving? Are they the questions that you need to ask? Maybe…Maybe not. The important thing is to pause and do this kind of thinking.

How can I help?