Finding Balance

Being in school right now, I'm finding it hard to do this. I have a feeling it's going to be worse when I start TWZ because I'm just going to want to focus on it ALL the time. But I can't let it consume me because even though I don't have kids, I have a husband. And he'll need attention, too. I love to read and I want to find time for that. I love to write, but my muse has left me since I've been in school. I can't let that die. One of my favorite people, Tom Suddes, had something to say about that....


SEEK BALANCE. The idea that you can’t have reasonable ‘BALANCE’ seems absurd to me.

It’s your life. If given the choice of balancing your work, business, career with your LIFE, why wouldn’t we always choose LIFE?

When somebody says, “Get a life“, that’s what they mean. Make a life… not a living.
We’re all terminally ill. I’ve been around a lot of workaholics and ‘busy’, ‘busy’ people. They’re all going to die. When you talk to old people like me, they will remind you that your children will never be this age again. Your parents will eventually be gone. Your brothers and sisters will be spread around the country. (And, if they’re really honest, they”ll tell you that the whole ‘quality time’ vs. ‘actual time’ is just a cop out.)


Master motivator Zig Ziglar says,

“TRUE SUCCESS REQUIRES BALANCE.”

He goes on to say that

“SUCCESS is only real if it encompasses

physical, mental, spirit,

relationships, career and finances.”

Don’t listen to all the people who tell you that BALANCE is impossible. If something has to give… then CHOOSE LIFE.

LinkedIn Today: 3-26-12

8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees

1. They ignore job descriptions.
2. They’re eccentric...
3. But they know when to dial it back. 
4. They publicly praise...
5. And they privately complain.
6. They speak when others won’t. 
7. They like to prove others wrong.
8. They’re always fiddling.

 View the whole article here.

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The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time

For managers:

1. Maintain meeting discipline.
2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day.
3. Encourage renewal.

For individuals:

1. Do the most important thing first in the morning,
2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically. I
3. Take real and regular vacations.

 View the whole article here.

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6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers

Adaptive strategic leaders — the kind who thrive in today’s uncertain environment – do six things well:

Anticipate  

Think Critically

Interpret 

Decide

Align

Learn

View the whole article here.

 

Easing nonprofit burdens

Read this in the National Council of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Advocacy Matters e-newsletter:

Arizona Easing Nonprofit Regulatory Burdens

The advocacy efforts of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits paid off last week when Governor Jan Brewer signed legislation to raise the threshold from $25,000 to $50,000 for filing annual financial reporting requirements by nonprofit organizations. The change puts Arizona filing levels in line with new federal requirements and prevents overburdening smaller nonprofits with a more cumbersome filing process than required by the IRS. The legislative victory is a key component of the Alliance’s 2012 Policy Agenda.

Needless to say, this is very good news for someone like me.

The Power of Self-Authority

How The Goddess Collective chooses to define self authority in their 14 Principles of Feminine leadership

Self Authority

~ Power~ Compassion ~ Knowing when to say YES! ~ how to give a good No ~ creating YOUR gold standard ~knowing that you are POWERFUL ~ creating the world around you according to YOUR desires and needs ~

You are empowered to hold a centered and balanced position of authority within the self - knowing you define you and no one else gets to. You have the right and authority to take action based on your needs, ideas, desires, dreams, and more.

What this means
Standing in self authority is about standing in our Power.  About understanding our boundaries, how to say no, what to say yes to.  Saying a good no is just as important as saying good yes.  And so many people don’t ask the questions that can really be the roadmap for us standing in our power.  

Questions for self-inquiry:

What is it in your life that you will be saying YES to this year?  What are you going to say NO to so that you can make this a possibility?

What is YOUR gold standard?  How is it that you want to be treated? How is it that you can do things differently to ensure that you get this gold standard more in your life? 

How can you hold compassion and still say no? 

You create the world around you.  You are truly that POWERFUL.  You get a say in what happens in your life.  You get to set the gold standard for how people treat you, for how you set your boundaries, and what the world looks like around you.  You don’t have control over how life treats you.  But you do have control over how you respond.  And understanding what is important to you and why, are important questions in stepping into the realm of self- authority.  

How many times have you given away your power because you were unclear of what your boundaries are, or what you wanted? As women, we are the great givers, its easy to go along with something because we want to please others.  And its easy to want to fall into the people pleasing mode to distract us from really standing in understanding what holds true for ourselves in our world.  Yet, when we stand strong, others respect us, value us more.  Others want to make us happy just as badly as we want to make other happy - so when we’re clear about what makes us happy, we make it easier on others to understand how to serve us as well.  Funny thing isn’t it? 

All I have to say to that is....AMEN!