Posted by Johnny Schrunk on Mon, Sep 07, 2009 @ 10:28 PM
In
this blog I promised to “jam some gears” a bit and unveil a strategy for
"How to Please Your Drivers and Spouse at The Same Time". My ultimate goal with this blog is to make
you happier this week than you were last week by giving you something to think
about while you’re indulging yourself (or painfully beating yourself up) over
“Labor Day”.
As
you’re spending time with family and friends during this “laboriously free day”,
reflecting on the last tumultuous 8 months, wondering what’s to come in the
next 4, consider this: we have 2 choices
to make each morning as we awake which, for the most part, dictate how we act
(or react) to those around us. For most,
that’s family first, then office staff, drivers, customers, and the lucky little
devils we just happen to “run into” throughout the day.
Whether
you put a smile on your mug and decide to kick some serious tail is up to you and
no one else. We’ve heard it all,
from being “proactive” vs. “reactive”, etc.
But I would urge some discretion as we move into the tail end of 2009.
Leave
work AT work. Work SMARTER not
harder. Putting in more hours will not
only run YOU down, but it will run everyone down. If you have to, schedule family time without
them feeling it was “scheduled”. If
you’re truly spending your time working ON your business, what I’m about to
tell you won’t come as a shock. Take out
a pencil and write this down: WORK
BACKWARDS
Instead
of thinking and working painstakingly on time-management, as cliché as that
sounds, focus on outsourcing and personal
time - time you invest in yourself, your family, and your people. Do not let
them persuade you in any way when it comes to your focus ON the business. This will be extremely hard for many folks to
step back from the business and actually spend MORE time on themselves, enjoying
life, considering the economy and possibly their businesses vitals. Trust me, it works. And here’s why…
Leaving
fear at the door, and the idea that “only you” are capable of handling certain
responsibilities, will teach you very quickly that these are huge barriers to
you unleashing your true potential. By
working backwards, you are truly liberated.
You’ve given yourself permission to start living and enjoying the life
you thought you had a year or two ago; or better yet, the life you envisioned
for yourself. The reality is most people
will never get there. What a cruel thing
it is to dream about it – but never achieve it.
Start living life now. Once you
quit talking about that vacation and just book it, you begin moving in the
direction of taking massive action.
Delegate your responsibilities, outsource what’s feasible, focus on
personal time and you’ll soon find yourself working ON your business from 30,000
feet instead of at ground level.
Oh,
and one more thing. You’re going to see
a different look on your spouse’s AND drivers’ faces when you put that
Blackberry down and have a good old fashioned chat.
Two
quick suggestions before I leave you to indulge. The first, grab a copy of “The Four Hour Work
Week” by Tim Ferris (you’ll need this on vacation), and two, book the vacation.