REST: The New Strategy for Business and Life Success
No matter how many times you have vowed to change your harried ways, you still find yourself running behind, running out of time, running out of patience and running on EMPTY. Your biggest problem--exhaustion. You are just plain old tired. But you keep going, because there seems to be no way out. Guess what? There is a way out if you decided to take it! Not only a way out but a way that will help you get more done while keeping your sanity. Simply put, your life is screaming at you to get some REST! You're probably screaming back HOW DO I DO THAT? THERE'S ONLY ONE ME! There's only one me to make sure that the kids get to school, the shopping is done, the business is profitable, the romance is steady. Everyday women are juggling multiple to do list, trying hard not to let any of them drop. The problem is, they have not included time out to rest on any of the list. Exhaustion, fatigue, unpleasant interactions, illness and more can be the results of not listening to a life that is screaming for rest. As a producer of retreats for busy women, I have found that many of our guests are frustrated by the fast pace of day-to-day-life, and at the same time they feel helpless to change it. I offer a few suggestions to help them transition to a more restful lifestyle, not only while they are on retreat, but more importantly, when they return home. Here's a quick list that you can cut out and put on your bulletin board at work or on the refrigerator door at home: ? Schedule time off. When you have a business or family appointment, you put it on the calendar. This insures that you will follow through in keeping that appointment. Each week schedule a little time off. It may be to take a twenty minute walk at lunch, or to get an afternoon facial. Whatever your choice is, write it down, and then block out the time. Treat this just as you would any appointment, and be sure to show up. ? Pay attention to your energy level. When you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, over-extended or over worked. Be proactive. If it's possible to change a meeting, do so. If there's something you can accomplish at home instead of going into to the office, give yourself permission to stay home. If it's a job that someone else can do, delegate. Do this with the understanding that when you get a little rest you will have increased clarity, and become more productive. ? Ask for help. Don't let your pride get in the way here. Ask for help with the kids, with the projects, with the tasks. One woman told me that the only way this works for her, is that she promises to return the favor when her co-worker or friend is in need. This puts her mind at ease and allows her to feel respectful and responsible to those in her life. We all need help from time to time, asking is allowing someone else to share their resources which most are happy to do. ? Practice. Don't seek perfection when it comes to creating a life that includes work and rest. It takes practice to make any type of lifestyle change. If you schedule time off, but can't pull yourself away. Write it down again for the next day or the next week. The important thing is to stay clear of guilt and shame. Those feelings will only get you frozen in place and push you over the edge of exhaustion even faster. Taking time out to rest can be a secret weapon, leading to more success in business and in life. Just by increasing the amount of rest that you get, you can become more creative and able to bring fresh ideas to the table at work. When you feel rested, you will show more patience to your customers, co-workers and family. In addition to this, you replenish the inner "well" building a reserve for when you have to make the push to meet a deadline or complete a project. When you are exhausted, there is no inner well to draw from. Your secret weapon to a more successful life. . . take time out to rest. ©The Art of Rest 2004 --Jordan Mercedes is the Founder of The Art of Rest?-retreats for busy women. This is a company dedicated to providing relaxing weekend retreats for the over-extended, over-worked and overwhelmed professional. For more tips on creating a restful lifestyle or to find out about an upcoming retreat please visit www.theartofrest.com or call (562) 920-0017.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Use the Power of Words to Your Benefit
Someone I know maintains that "motivational words are great coming from philosophers, but that's because they're not in the real world." The power of words can be an incredible aid to helping us remain motivated and focused.
Journaling - A Tool for Healing and Growth
The word "journal" comes from the French. It dates back to the 14th century and means daily. As recently as April 26, 1999, "Newsweek" magazine ran an article entitled "Pen, Paper, & Power. Confessional Writing can be Good for You."
How Self-Made Millionaires Overcome Procrastination
Do you want to know how the super successful overcome procrastination?
Turn your Dreaming into Doing
The first of January and September, as well as our birthdays seem to be the times in a year when we focus on the gulf between where we are and where we would like to be. By now, many of you have already given up your New Years Resolutions and settled back into the comfortable routine of last year. Before you get too snug, dust off your dreams and look at them again. Let's make this year a year to be proud of. Let's make this the year of personal reinvention, to do the things that we have always wanted to do, and to become the women we have always wanted to be; doers, not just dreamers.
2 Simple Ways To Cure Procrastination
Curing procrastination is not necessarily about will power
or forcefully advancing in your goals but rather it is
about learning why we procrastinate, what we are afraid of
and finding ways to face those fears in order to move
forward in our lives.
Everything Going Against You
"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."
Henry Ford
Persistence
Persistence will carve you as a leader in your industry. Persistence is where you get mental strength. It seperates you from ordinary people. You must learn to cultivate a habit of persisting, since all things are possible if you persist.
Life Is About Taking
"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." Brian Tracy
7 Reasons To Stop Procrastinating Today
Procrastination is a delay tactic that has the ability to choke your dreams and abort the plans and purposes you have for your life.
Taking Action NOW: 9 Key Strategies...Part I
Awareness, understanding what impacts you!
Why Do We Need Our Addictions?
If money is considered to be the root of all evil, then what
would we classify as our addictions?
Stick With the Winners
Here is an interesting quotation from Stephen Walsh.
If You Are Rejected!
This article exemplifies the inner working of emotional intelligence. Effectively working through one tough situation at a time can build our emotional competence... dealing with rejection is one such tough situation. This article fits under Goleman's second level EQ: Self-management (as I manage my own emotions inside of rejection) AND under Goleman's third level EQ: Social Competence (as I use empathy to understand the rejecter.
About Creating a New Life
1. Where do I start to create a new life?
Cure Your Burnout!
Do you ever get those Sunday night blues? Dreading the week ahead, feeling the daily grind just draining away all of your energy before the week even starts? Or what about those days where you just feel like you are going through the motions and not really being present in your own life?
Mindfulness and Birthdays: Surprising Moments
The first week of May is a big birthday time for my family. My husband's birthday is May 3rd, and my oldest daughter's is May 6th.
Motivation: 3 Powerful Quotes from Golfer Tiger Woods
I am not a golfer, unless you count an occasional game of putt-putt. I'm not even a fan of the game. But I am a fan of excellence, and so the following quotes by golfing great Tiger Woods recently caught my attention:
Be Action-Oriented
Are you a melancholic online business owner by nature? I have something to tell you.
A Reality Practice
Suggested practice to gain freedom from self-limitation.
Mortgage Marketing - How to Maximize Your Motivation
Do you have the motivation to succeed
in the mortgage industry? Without the drive
to succeed you will surely fail.
|
