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Living the Creative Life: Issue 91: Having a Bad "Tortoise" Day
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Sharon Good
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Feb 06, 2007 11:56 PST
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LIVING THE CREATIVE LIFE
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For Creative People
and Those Who Want To
Live Their Lives Creatively
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February 2007 ~ ~ ~ Issue 91
In this issue ~~
* Opening Notes
* Feature Article: HAVING A BAD "TORTOISE" DAY
* Action Challenge
* Wise Words
* Bookshelf
* Upcoming Classes with Sharon
- In NYC: Coaching Classes at NYU
- In NYC: What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do
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OPENING NOTES
Greetings, everyone!
As the new year moves along, I'm finding myself operating at an easier
pace. The last 2 years offered me many opportunities -- especially with
teaching at the Life Purpose Institute and in NYU's coaching program –
but it was an exhausting time. Now that both programs are operating
smoothly, I can kick back a little.
But that doesn't mean I don't have my bad days. Old habits of pushing
myself relentlessly die hard. If you're a "Tortoise" like me, I hope
you'll find some inspiration and good strategies in this article.
Creatively yours,
Sharon
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HAVING A BAD "TORTOISE" DAY
Those of you who know me know that I'm a self-proclaimed "Tortoise." I'm
ambitious, and even a little driven, but . . . I'm not a high-energy
person, and that's often frustrating when I have a lot of things I want
to accomplish.
I've written books and done classes on "Being a Tortoise in a World of
Hares." I have lots of strategies for dealing with "Tortoise-ness." It
all sounds cute on paper, but when I'm having a Bad Tortoise Day, it's
still tough. Here's how I handle it:
1) I beat myself up. I *know* I shouldn't have stayed up that extra half
hour reading "The Devil Wears Prada," but I did, and now I'm exhausted
and facing a packed day of work to do.
2) I try and push myself to work through it, thinking I'll waste time if
I stop for a nap or take the day off, and it'll all come crashing down
on me.
As you may have guessed, this is *not* how I'm advising you to handle it!
We tend to think that the person who wrote the self-help book has it all
together. The truth is, the challenge continues. I've gotten better at
prevention, but I still have my Bad Tortoise Days. The difference is
that I get over beating myself up a lot more quickly (I've got it down
to a few seconds!), and I have a lot of strategies to handle it. Here
are a few:
* Prevention is the best "medicine": Don't take on more than you can
handle. There are so many fun and exciting experiences out there, along
with all the obligatory ones, that it's hard to say "no." Say it anyway.
Make some good choices about what you're capable of taking on.
* Know your priorities. When you know what's important to you, you can
make better choices. It's especially important, with all the information
overload coming our way, to be able to hit the Delete button on things
that don't really matter to us, however interesting they might be.
* Keep a schedule. When you see things on paper, you get a clearer
picture. I use a digital calendar, where I can "colorize" different
types of appointments. My own coach had me put in "Down Time" in bright
green, to make sure to take it.
* Take that nap. Or use that meditation tape. While it may feel like a
waste of time, you'll actually feel more refreshed and be more productive.
* Build in periods of rest. If you know you've got a busy time coming
up, pencil in a few vacation days, so you can recuperate. If you've got
a busy evening, sleep in an extra hour in the morning.
If you're a Tortoise like me, it's something you need to learn to live
with. Sure, it's frustrating not having the energy to do all the things
you'd love to do. But by making good choices, and being gentle with
yourself, you can actually accomplish a lot more than you thought you
could. And you'll come out of it feeling revitalized, rather than exhausted.
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ACTION CHALLENGE
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Where in your life do you need to slow down? Once you've identified the
area, take it a step at a time. If you're working too hard, for example,
cut back just half an hour a day to start, or choose just one day to
leave work at 5. The fear is that things will fall apart if you don't
work so hard, but I bet you they don't!
WISE WORDS
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"Lasting accomplishment . . . is still achieved through a long, slow
climb and self-discipline."
~ Helen Hayes
"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going
too fast -- you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."
~ Eddie Cantor
"The much-maligned midday nap can be profoundly rejuvenating. Some
corporations have even found that the productivity of their employees
goes up when they are allowed to nap."
~ Christiane Northrup, MD
"Slow and steady wins the race."
~ Aesop
BOOKSHELF
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"The Tortoise Workbook: Strategies for Getting Ahead at Your Own Pace" .
. . Sharon Good
http://www.goodlifecoaching.com/Products.html#TortoiseWorkbook
"The Type-Z Guide to Success: A Lazy Person's Manifesto to Wealth and
Fulfillment" . . . Marc Allen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1577315405/sharongoodlifeco
"The Importance of Being Lazy" . . . Al Gini
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0415978696/sharongoodlifeco
"How to Be Idle" . . . Tom Hodgkinson
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0141015063/sharongoodlifeco
"In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed" . . . Carl Honore
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0060750510/sharongoodlifeco
"Take Back Your Time: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty in America" . .
. John De Graaf
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1576752453/sharongoodlifeco
"The Lazy Way to Success: How to Do Nothing and Accomplish Everything" .
. . Fred Gratzon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0972046402/sharongoodlifeco
"Sloth: The Seven Deadly Sins" . . . Wendy Wasserstein
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0195312090/sharongoodlifeco
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UPCOMING CLASSES WITH SHARON
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL CLASSES, please visit
www.goodlifecoaching.com/Classes.html.
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FOR THOSE IN NEW YORK CITY . . .
COACHING CLASSES AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Sharon will be teaching 2 classes:
* * * NOTE NEW DATES AND TIMES * * *
* Creative Marketing Tools for Coaches:
Spring 2007 semester: 6 Tuesdays, March 6 to April 24, 5 – 7 pm
* Career Coaching:
Spring 2007 semester: 2 Saturdays, April 21 and May 5, 9 am – 5 pm
For information and registration links, go to
www.goodlifecoaching.com/Classes.html.
~ ~ ~
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
So many people are dissatisfied with their jobs or careers. They'd love
to get out but they don't know where to go or how to get there. Learn
how to uncover new career possibilities and take the first steps in
finding a career that will make you happy.
Investment: $30
Location: 92nd Street Y / Makor - Steinhardt Center, 35 West 67th
Street, NYC
Date and time: Monday, April 23, 7 - 9 PM
To register or get further information, please contact the 92nd Street Y
at 212-415-5500. Register online at www.92y.org (course # T-MM5LP42-01).
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Sharon Good is a Life/Career/Creativity Coach, Workshop Leader and
Author. Her books include "Managing With A Heart: 222 Ways To Make Your
Employees Feel Appreciated," "The Tortoise Workbook: Strategies for
Getting Ahead at Your Own Pace," and "Self-Publishing Basics."
Sharon is available for one-on-one coaching for:
* whole life balance using the Whole Life model
* successful career and life transitions with the Life Purpose Process©
* support in achieving your goals and dreams
* guidance in writing or publishing your book
* developing your creativity
* enhancing and integrating spirituality in your daily life
For a **FREE INTRODUCTORY COACHING SESSION**, contact Sharon at
212-564-2073 or sha-@goodlifecoaching.com.
For further information, see her website at http://www.goodlifecoaching.com.
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Sharon Good / Good Life Coaching Inc.
Life, Career and Creativity Coach
Certified Life Purpose Process© Consultant
"Being a Tortoise in a World of Hares"
400 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
sha-@goodlifecoaching.com
www.goodlifecoaching.com
www.beingatortoise.com
"Making your dreams a reality through partnership"
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(c) 2007 Sharon Good. All rights in all media reserved.
For reprint rights, contact sha-@goodlifecoaching.co
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