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Living the Creative Life: Issue 94: WORKING SMARTER
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Sharon Good
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Aug 06, 2007 08:57 PDT
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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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August 2007 ~ ~ ~ Issue 94
In this issue ~~
* Opening Notes
* Feature Article: WORKING SMARTER
* Action Challenge
* Wise Words
* Bookshelf
* NEW BOOK: "A Journal for Tortoises"
* Upcoming Classes with Sharon
- In NYC: What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do
- In NYC: Coaching Classes at NYU
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OPENING NOTES
When the weather gets warmer and the sun is shining through my window, I
find myself wanting to go out and play more. Staying at my desk and
working takes monumental effort.
Recently, the concept of being successful without being a workaholic has
crossed my path several times. It's an intriguing idea that certainly
challenges my deeply imbedded work ethic.
This issue's feature article is part of my exploration of this issue. I
hope it gives you food for thought in being successful yourself, while
thoroughly enjoying your work and your life!
Creatively yours,
Sharon
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WORKING SMARTER
When I was a kid, we heard about how emerging technology was going to
bring us the 4-day work week. As we now know, just the opposite
happened. With most people being "wired" to the office with cell phones
and Blackberries, it seems like you're *never* away from work.
Most of us grew up with a belief system that if you work longer and
harder, you'll be more successful. Many companies are more concerned
with how many hours you're putting in than how productive you actually
are. But when you're working 60 hours a week, how much longer and
harder can you work?? And what if you're trying to develop your creative
work on the side? Where do you find the time and energy to do that?
It seems we've hit a wall with how hard and how much we can work. We're
exhausted and depleted. Fortunately, there's a new paradigm that's
coming forth to turn this around: Work smarter, not harder. By being
strategic and focused, and by having clear goals that you're passionate
about, you can be successful and still have a balanced lifestyle, with
time for yourself and the things that are meaningful to you.
Marc Allen (www.marcallen.com) is proof that you don't have to be a
workaholic to succeed. At the age of 30, Marc decided to try an
experiment: he would create a successful publishing business working no
more than 30 hours a week. He only worked when he felt like it and kept
affirming that he was creating a successful company in an easy and
relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way. Within a year, Marc
began to see that his experiment was working.
Marc went on to co-found the New World Library with Shakti Gawain
(remember - she's the author of the best-selling book, "Creative
Visualization"). With no background in publishing, they built the
company from a small start-up with no capital to one of the best known
independent publishers. Marc, who began composing at the age of 16, has
also written and published several albums of music.
So, how can we follow in Marc's footsteps? I know it's possible,
because I was able to create a 3-day-a-week desktop publishing job that
gave me a good income while I spent time building my publishing
company. And when I got laid off from that job, I found another that
held me over until I was ready to move into coaching full-time.
It's about following your passion and changing your beliefs. As a
career coach, I see a lot of people who come in saying they're
passionate about something, but they read statistics about how hard it
is and everyone tells them they shouldn't give up their secure job
(which they hate). There's a lot of negative feedback around us. To
move past that, we need to be strong and believe in ourselves.
I know your next question: If I *don't* believe I can do this, how can
I turn that around? It's not about taking a blind leap. You experiment
and test it out, step by step. As you begin to experience some success,
you formulate new beliefs, and it gives you the courage to take the next
step.
Here's a strategy you can work with:
* Dream
You need to have a picture of where you want to be. Give yourself time
to dream and imagine that vision. In order to do that, you need to know
what's important to you. How do you define success for yourself? Sure,
you want to pay your bills, but there are other things that may be more
important to you than making tons of money, such as: time to do your
creative work, time to start a business doing something you love to do,
time with your family, time to play or time to stay in great shape.
When you know your priorities, you can make more effective and
satisfying choices. Many people have chosen to simplify their lives -
and reduce their expenses - to have more freedom and not be a slave to
their jobs.
* Believe
Look at the beliefs that are holding you back, such as: "I need to work
60 hours a week to put my kids through college," or "I have to please my
employer to keep my job, so I have to fit in my painting or writing when
(if) I can find the time."
Now, turn those around to create affirmations for yourself. A couple of
my favorites are: "The less I work, the more money I make," "The more
fun I have, the more money I make," and "When I do what I love, money
comes to me easily and abundantly." And a couple from Marc Allen:
"Everything I need gets done easily and effortlessly," and "Opportunity
is everywhere."
* Intend
Turn your desires and visions into an intention. The difference between
a wish and an intention is focused desire and action. Have a game
plan. The more concrete you can make it, the more easily you'll believe
you can do it. If you don't know all the steps, start with what you do
know.
* Prepare
What do you need to do to minimize the risk? For most people, having
enough money in the bank to support themselves for 6 to 12 months gives
them tremendous freedom and security. If you know your expenses are
covered, you can feel more comfortable taking a risk. Sacrifice some of
your indulgences, and sock the money away into a high-interest account.
Also, prepare your loved ones. Get them on your team. They don't have
to love what you're doing - in fact, it may scare them - but it's harder
to be successful at this if you're fighting them. Create your strategy
together. Once you have a plan and it feels less frightening, your
partner may even want to do this too!
Think about anything else you need to do to move forward with confidence
- any loose ends you need to tie up or anything you want to have in
place to make you feel safer taking the risk.
* Act
Action is what will turn your vision into a reality. You only have to
know the first steps - subsequent steps will reveal themselves to you as
you move forward. Take actions consistently. If you need to, put them
in your calendar. For example, if you've been working long hours and
want to start cutting back, mark off in your calendar time for your
creative work, your family, leisure time, etc., and treat it as a
serious commitment.
* Follow Through
Once you've got your plan in the works, it's important to follow
through. It's easy to fall back into old habits. Be clear on what your
boundaries are. If you've determined that you'll leave work by 6 PM (or
quit working if you're self-employed), it's important to do that, except
in a dire emergency. That way, you're giving your employer - and more
importantly, yourself - the message that you mean business. Work to
your best ability during your work hours, but when it's time to leave,
leave. Tasks expand to fill the time allotted for them. Work
efficiently, get it done, and then go have fun.
It's also okay to make course corrections as you go. Once you begin
taking steps, new insights and opportunities will come to you. Stay
current, and reevaluate your direction from time to time.
For many of us, our work is an important part of our lives. But even if
you love your work, you need time away to rejuvenate and feed body and
soul. It's about balance. There's an old adage that nobody looks back
on their life and wishes they had worked more. Take the time to think
about what's important to you, and create a strategy to have a life that
includes all of that. And do it now, while you can, so you're not
regretting it later. Let Marc Allen be your model, and work smart, not
hard. Enjoy your work, but also give priority to the other things that
matter to you, and make time for them.
I want to emphasize that this process does take guts and persistence.
You're bucking a well-entrenched system, and you might get a lot of flak
from your family and friends. You may go through scary times when it
doesn't look like it's working. This is a bold path. Whether you feel
ready for it or not, start dreaming, planning and preparing. When the
time is right, start taking steps. Then, stick it out, however long it
takes. In time, you'll find yourself in a joy-filled place you could
have only imagined before!
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ACTION CHALLENGE
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What would you like your life to look like 5 years from now? What is
your ideal scenario? Write it out in the present tense. For example: "I
am writing my third best-selling book. I have a beautiful home by the
water. I spend time every day meditating. I take an exciting trip
somewhere in the world at least once each year. Everything I want comes
to me easily." And so on. Dream big. Allow yourself to imagine. Have fun!
WISE WORDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The trouble with so many of us is that we underestimate the power of
simplicity. We have a tendency, it seems, to overcomplicate our lives
and forget what's important and what's not. We tend to mistake movement
for achievement. We tend to focus on activities instead of results. And
as the pace of life continues to race along in the outside world, we
forget that we have the power to control our lives regardless of what's
going on outside."
~ Robert Stuberg
"You can be lazy and still be persistent -- and once you learn how to do
that, you can accomplish a great deal."
~ Marc Allen
"Many people in the United States and throughout the industrialized
nations misguidedly believe that the only way to have what we want is to
work hard and long. There is an alternative: *Be* who you are first.
When you focus on being first, this lets you *do* what you want to do,
which lets you *have* what you need. We need to allow ourselves to *be*
first; the rest will follow."
~ Patrick Williams, EdD, MCC
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
BOOKSHELF
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"The Type Z Guide to Success with Ease: A Lazy Person's Manifesto for
Wealth and Fulfillment" . . . Marc Allen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1577315405/sharongoodlifeco
"Visionary Business: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Success" . . . Marc Allen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1577310195/sharongoodlifeco
"The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich"
. . . Timothy Ferriss
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0307353133/sharongoodlifeco
"As You Think" . . . James Allen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1577310748/sharongoodlifeco
"Organization 2000: Achieving Success with Ease in the New World of
Work" . . . Leslie Bendaly
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0006384870/sharongoodlifeco
"Take Time for Your Life" . . . Cheryl Richardson
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0767902076/sharongoodlifeco
"How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life" . . . Alan Lakein
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0451167724/sharongoodlifeco
"Time Tactics of Very Successful People" . . . B. Eugene Griessman
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0070246440/sharongoodlifeco
"The Power of Intention" . . . Wayne W. Dyer
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1401902162/sharongoodlifeco
"Slowing Down to the Speed of Life: How To Create A More Peaceful,
Simpler Life From the Inside Out" . . . Richard Carlson & Josephy Bailey
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0062514547/sharongoodlifeco
"The Secret" . . . Rhonda Byrne
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1582701709/sharongoodlifeco
"The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham" . . .
Esther & Jerry Hicks
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1401912273/sharongoodlifeco
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NEW BOOK - "A JOURNAL FOR TORTOISES"
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For those of you who are familiar with my work on "Being a Tortoise in a
World of Hares," I've created a new product to add to the mix. "A
Journal for Tortoises," published through Café Press, provides pages to
write your innermost thoughts, while being uplifted by inspirational
quotes.
For more information and to view a sample page, go to:
http://www.goodlifepress.com/Tortoise.html
To go directly to my shop at Café Press, go to:
http://www.cafepress.com/beingatortoise
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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 . . .
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: $25
Location: 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, NYC
Date and time: Monday, September 24, 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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COACHING CLASSES AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
* Creative Marketing Tools for Coaches:
Fall 2007 Semester: 6 Mondays, November 5 to November 10, 6 - 8 pm
* Career Coaching:
Fall 2007 semester: 2 Saturdays, November 17 and December 8, 9 am - 5 pm
For information and registration links, go to
www.goodlifecoaching.com/Classes.html.
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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
www.goodlifepress.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.com.
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