Pat commits from good to great!
Pat is a business coach and professional speaker. She shared that after years of buying books and products to help her market her business better and realizing that she’s now amassed so much information that she could probably write her own book, she will start implementing the tactics and strategies she’s learned about. That’s how Pat is going from good to great…how about you?
Janet goes from good to great!
Janet wrote to me requesting to add her friend to my free e-newsletter subscription list. She decided to share tips with her friends to help herself and them go from good to great.
What have you done today??
From Good to Great in 2008
Wow, I can’t believe my last BLOG was posted back in July! I have been super busy myself and focused on other parts of my business and personal life. But now, it’s a new year. I’ve challenged the readers of my e-newsletter to join me in my journey to go from good to great in 2008. I’m raising the bar. I’ve asked readers and clients to share their stories on how they’ve raised the bar in their super busy lives. So, check back here often to read what others are doing and use it to inspire yourself to go from good to great in 2008!
(I like catchey rhymes because it helps me remember things better)
Drop me an email at natalie@nrgcoaching.com with your commitment and actions you’ve taken. Just let me know how you’d like it posted on this BLOG to share with others.
Work? Life? Must we Choose?
Business Week ran an article on June 28, 2007 titled, “WORK? LIFE? MUST WE CHOOSE?”
In essence, this article was about a speech Mike Bloomberg made as he spoke to graduates of City University of the NY College of Staten Island. Mike told these graduates and their familes that…”If you’re the first one in in the morning and the last one to leave at night and you take fewer vacation days and never take a sick day, you will do better than the people who don’t do that. It is very simple.” And he joshingly admitted that the parenting thing wasn’t his bag. He said “I’ve managed to raise two daughters who have turned out very well, thanks to their mother, no thanks to me. …”
In my opinion, this success is geared toward financial gain and more about workaholism than work-life balance. Of course, I’m not earning anywhere near Bloomberg’s earnings, yet I can proudly say that both my husband and I are actively involved in raising our children and doing meaningful work that we mostly enjoy. We live a comfortable life and have a pretty solid marriage.
So, for people like Michael Bloomberg, their strong work ethics combined with innate abilities and passion, are really their idea of success. Even when many of them don’t have to work that hard anymore because they have more money than they and their great- great-grandchildren can spend, they continue working long hours because work gives them an incredible sense of balance and joy.
Bottom line, it’s all about using what you’ve got to leverage the success you define you want. Make choices based on what’s most important to you both today and in your future! Realize that many of the financially successful pay a big price of divorce and lonliness because they lack true meaningful relationships.
That’s my 2 cents worth….do I get change?
Sincerely yours,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
natalie@nrgcoaching.com
The New Etiquette Tips at Work
I read Penelope Trunk, the Brazen Careerist’s, Ten New Etiquette Tips for the Workplace and found them rather interesting. What was even more forthcoming was the comments reacting to her story. Many felt she thoroughly missed the mark!
I, for one, liked a couple of her tips and felt they could work in some work environments. You really need to know the culture and norms before incorporating all of these tips into your workplace, especially, if you want to keep your job!
You can read all ten of her tips at http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/careerist/40342 and even purchase her book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success. This book acknowledges how the rules for success have changed in today’s work environment. Trunk encourages readers to think bigger, act more boldly, and blaze new trails in order to succeed on your own terms.
My favorite tip as a work/life expert who has supported thousands of people to help them better integrate work and life, is her tip #9, Call people on the weekend for work. Not that I don’t value personal time, but I realize that in order to have the flexibilty you need and want during the week, it may be important to let go of the belief that it’s bad to call work colleagues on the weekend because it’s an intrusion of their time. Those who have clear boundaries will let you know that they don’t welcome your call either by telling you or by ignoring your call. If you’re working on an important project or client account and might need their input, let them know that you may be contacting them over the weekend and get their permission ahead of time (you can even find out the best times to reach them!).
The younger people in the workforce grew up being super-connected with their Blackberries, cell phones, instant messaging, and 24/7 access. They often prefer the flexibility of leaving work a little earlier or arrive a little later during the week so that they can focus on other priorities but then catch up for a few hours on the weekend. Note that a work schedule that cordons off five days a week for work and two days a week for a personal life means that the personal life takes a backseat every week of the year.
Trunk’s advice: “The best way to get a life is to stop being so rigid about the distinction between time for work and time for life.”
This is truly something to think about!!
Let me know what you think!
Sincerely yours,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
natalie@nrgcoaching.com
Dream Jobs for Working Moms
A new survey just realeased from Pew Research Center finds that only about 21 percent of working mothers with children under 18 view fulltime work as the best arrangement, down from 32 percent just 10 years ago. Of the working mothers surveyed, a whopping sixty percent, prefer part-time work, up from 48 percent in 1997. And, about the same amount of women, about 19 percent, say they’d prefer to not work at all.
This survey was conducted by telephone this past February and March to a national sample of 2,020 adults with a margin of error of about 3 percentage points for the full sample.
Based on the latest federal figures in the US, 70.5 percent of American women with children under 18 work outside the home–including 60 percent of mothers with children under 3. Three quarters of the working mothers are currently working full-time jobs, although this survey reflects a preference for part-time work.
What’s your schedule look like in your dream job?
Email Coach Natalie at natalie@nrgcoaching.com to share your views.
Sincerely yours,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
End Sleep Deprivation in your Super Busy Life
Super Busy Parents too often sacrifice sleep due to their busy lifestyle. Over time, this can result in sleep disorders. According to the Institute of Medicine, up to 75% of people with certain sleep disorders go undiagnosed. Many more are misdiagnosed. Fact is, seven out of every ten American women say they frequently experience a sleep problem.
I’ve read that women are more likely than men to experience sleep problems. Why??
Women tend to be the nurturers of their family and have more family responsibilities. Plus biological factors like menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause contribute to the gap between men and women who experience sleep disorders.
Many symptoms may be signs of more serious sleep disorders. If you suspect you may be suffering from a sleep disorder, it is important to seek help from your doctor or a trained specialist. Watch for dizziness, headaches, lethargy, forgetfulness, and other key symptoms.
Dr. Carol Ash, DO, Medical Director of the Sleep for Life center in Hillsborough, NJ is frequently a guest expert on local and national media speaking about good sleep habits. Her sleep tips for someone with a behavioral type of disorder include:
- Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time, even on the weekends.
- Establish a restful bedtime routine, like soaking in a hot tub, listening to soothing music or reading a book.
- If you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t watch the clock or toss and turn–try sitting and reading in another room. When you begin to feel sleepy, go back to bed.
- If you have racing thoughts at night, write them down and reflect on them in the morning.
- Avoid eating and exercising up to three hours before bedtime. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bedtime.
These tips may not be easy to implement in your super busy life. But, if you are committed to making changes and getting more restful sleep, you need to take action and start making changes now!
Pleasant dreams!!
Yours truly,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
Annual Employee Satisfaction Results Released
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) released it’s annual survey listing the Top 5 “Very Important” Aspects of Job Satisfaction.
The results….
The Top Five aspects of Job Satisfaction according to the SHRM annual survey were:
-compensation/pay
-benefits
-job security
-flexibility to balance work/life issues
-communication between employees and senior management
How closely do these results mirror your concerns and your place of business??
Best regards,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
natalie@nrgcoaching.com
Meal Planning for Super Busy Parents
Improving your eating habits needn’t take more time from your super busy schedule. Fact is, most of you are eating anyway (I hope!). So, why not make healthier choices about what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat.
In a follow-up article I found related to the exclusive interview President Bush had with Hannah Storm on CBS last week, our President commented about how young he feels because he commits to rigorous exercise. Bush says that people who claim they’re too busy to exercise regularly really just haven’t chosen exercise as one of their priorities. He said, “I don’t buy that. I think you set priorities in life, and if exercise is one of your priorities, then you do it.”
Bush points out that a fitness culture “starts with families” and said “I exercise a lot because it’s good for my mind and it’s good for my soul.”
Plan your meals in advance so that you make smart choices for yourself and your family. Prepare fresh fruits and vegetables, when possible, but when a quick trip to the produce aisle is just too much in your already too busy schedule, have frozen varieties on hand for a quick delicious and nutritious meal. Avoid the trap of fast food for convenience and save it for just the special treats. But, when it’s the last remaining option (which sometimes happens in super busy lives!!), choose the healthiest options on the menu and avoid extra sauces and condiments that tend to add hollow calories.
Here’s to healthy eating!
Best regards,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
Priorities even a President makes time for!!
I caught the tail-end of an interview on CBS Early Morning show the other day with Hannah Storm interviewing President Bush. Bush, being a super busy person as the President of the United States, had emphatically managed to incorporate fitness and nutrition into his life. So, I wonder what will it take for everyone else to stop making excuses?
President Bush said, “I think that you set priorities in life. And if exercise is one of your priorities, you’ll figure out time to do it.” We all have different priorities…our family, our work, our education, our spiritual growth, etc. Knowing your priorities will help you fully commit to living them.
I wonder why self-care wouldn’t be a priority to everyone. Without this, we really can’t be our best in any role in our life. We compromise our health and our well-being when we don’t make it a top priority.
Read the full story about President Bush’s interview and his commitment to fitness here.
Be the example for your family that exercise is not only good for them, but essential to their overall performance and well-being. Stop making excuses but make priorities instead!
Sincerely,
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
