Archive for 'Your Own Boss'

Work-Life Balance or Blur?

Many of us are so busy processing such a myriad of thoughts, that we operate on automatic pilot and forget how to pay attention to anything. Have you ever been to the refrigerator and forgotten what you were looking for? Scientists believe that as little as 1% of our brain is actively engaged in the activity we are presently “focused” on! I use the word lightly! The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of our activities yield 20% of the results in our lives. So there are strong indications that even when we are not especially stressed, we are not 100% present in our own lives and don’t pay attention, even to ourselves. What happens do you think when we are under any sort of pressure or stress, when problems become our central focus? You can see, with the complexity of modern living, how easy it is for “life” to take on a momentum all of its own, and how effortless it is, to drift. We are all so busy multi-tasking, that the incidence of error is on the increase.

Multi-tasking

Constant contact is often not only expected, but demanded by bosses, peers and our families. For the few remaining hours before we finally sleep, we field never ending demands generated by our partners, kids, parents, hobbies, friends, homes and any other relationships in our “free” time. David E. Meyer, Professor of Psychology, in the Cognition and Perception Program, at University of Michigan, writes extensively on multi-tasking. He believes that excessive multi-tasking “can lead to chronic stress, with potential damage to the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems.” He maintains that flitting from task to task interferes with demanding and complex mental activities such as reading, having conversations and planning. This all contributes to an increase in the incidence of error. Tasks then take as much as 100% longer than they should to complete. When we under perform and expectations (perceived and actual) are not met, stress levels increase yet again.

This is difficult to quantify, but there is no doubt that we are all impacted  psychologically, emotionally, and physically.

Work- Life Balance or blur

Advances in technology and mobile devices are also blurring the line between work and leisure, reducing the amount of down time we allocate ourselves for refreshing and re-charging our physical and mental batteries.  Physically we might be away from work,  but mentally we are still there. Re-packaged as work/life integration, rather than work/life balance, the outcome is still the same. We are now frequently reminded to switch off our mobile phones, some reacting to the request as if an inalienable right has been denied.

I recently went to Paris for 36 hours. Normally I would have worked in each direction on the train and checked emails late at night and early in the morning. This time I left my laptop at home. The result was a period of disconnect which was relaxing and productive. I had time to think about something other than my “to do” list. And I am my bown boss!  It is a personal choice to work in this way.  Imagine if I didn’t have the flexibility to  “disconnect” and was always on call!

When was the last time YOU disconnected and re-charged? How is you work-life balance?

Lunching on courage and connection

3Plus Women Worth Knowing Lunch London July 2nd 2011

Standing up for yourself, stepping out as who you truly are and doing what you love. These are traits that “new conscious entrepreneurs” share – those individuals who are consciously choosing to let life lead them in all that they do and certainly, in business.

It’s not always easy. At times, it takes a tremendous amount of courage.

The courage to say “no” when your energy says, “uh-uh”, and your mind says, “But this is such a good idea!” Then the courage to say, “yes” when your energy is pulling you in that direction and your mind is saying, “What, are you crazy?”

The real key is to know how to make the decision that is correct for you.

That’s where connection comes in.

We can’t do things (read, “everything”, especially where women are concerned) all by ourselves.Being with others, thinking out loud, hearing their responses, can help us gain clarity.

Sometimes you get an invitation to something and both your energy and mind are in total alignment. Together they say “Yes.” So it was when I received the invitation to attend a  3PLus Women Worth Knowing lunch. The email said, “Come. This one is different.”

As I lay out the little gift boxes on the lunch table under the watchful yet playful eye of the Honkey Tonk Woman on the wall, I wondered what would be in store.

At 4 p.m. the last of us walked out again, into the beautiful sunshine, buzzing, beaming…. filled with encouragement, brimming with a sense of connection.

You see it takes courage for someone to be able to say to another person they’ve only just met, “I have an idea but…,” or “I want things to change and I haven’t a clue.” That authenticity and openness arrives when there is a sense of connection. Then intertwined in that connection, en-courage-ment comes back.

The power of networking, mentoring and sponsoring all came to the forefront in informal ways over that lunch, through conversation and laughter, shared experiences and discussions. Unconditionally; that was the gift that kept on giving, long after the lunch itself ended, through tweets and emails.

It takes courage to pave a new way of being and doing in the business world, particularly in this time of great change… to move from the old way of squeezing life into the bits left over after you’d finished the day at work to living a life so full and filled with energy that you can’t help but radiate.

A phrase from the lunch keeps coming back. “There are no words.” We were talking about the oft challenge of describing the real essence of what we do when we live and do business in this new way.

That was the lunch. There are no words to describe the real essence of that lunch.

I suppose it was the camera that captured it best. The open hearts, handshakes and hugs around the table, coupled with honest listening and opinion, as well as fun and some serious moments.

If you haven’t yet found the courage to say “no” to those people who drain your energy and to say “yes” to finding those with whom you effortlessly connect, please do. The impact it can have on your business and your life is untold.

Veronica Lim is a Cake Designer, “For When You Want Them To Know They’re Special.” She creates beautiful and delicious bespoke cakes for your branded events and gifts, and treats for the office. No Factories, No Preservatives, No Pre-made Stocks. Just Luxury Handmade Deliciousness, Designed, Baked And Packaged To Order – For You.