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Issue 15             Linda K. Liebold          www.CoachToSuccess.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stop! Take a Deep Breath... Not too long ago, I was waking up in the middle of the night with To-Do Lists in my head.  Without realizing it, my life had become extremely busy, complicated and out of balance.  I was feeling a bit out of control.  I was in “overwhelm.”  It was time for me to stop, take a deep breath, and focus on what really matters. And I did.  And it helped!  If you ever feel anxious, out of balance and in “overwhelm,” consider the following:  Cut back on the amount of time you work.  Cut back to forty hours a week or thirty hours or less.  (Whatever suits you best.)   We often waste time in the office and do not need to put in the hours that we do.  Try keeping track of your time at work – in increments of 15 minutes.  Notice the interruptions that rob you of productive time. For example, are you answering the phone every time it rings?  Are you responding to email as it comes in?  Try scheduling a time (or a couple of times) each day to check and respond to voice mail messages and email.  You will be amazed how much time you save and how productive you will be without these kinds of interruptions during your day.    Leave your work at the office.  Stop working nights and weekends.  Don’t bring your work home with you. Leave the work at work.  Or, if you have a home office, close the door!    Take your vacation. When I was in my twenties, I was actually proud of the fact that my vacation time had accrued and that I could cash it in at the end of the year. I have gotten wiser with age.  Getting away from the office – and your home – allows you to retreat (as long as you don’t bring work or your laptop with you!). It gives you time for yourself – perhaps time with your family and your friends.  It allows you to just “be.”  It allows you to be “you.”      Take time for lunch. Definitely eat!  But don’t do it at your desk.  Get up and get out of your office.  Find a pleasant place to eat lunch.  If you feel like it, invite someone to join you.  You can go to the company cafeteria, a restaurant, or even eat outside on a park bench.  Most importantly, get away from your office!  You will be refreshed and more productive upon your return.    Get rid of the clutter in your office.  Files, papers, stuff on our desk – and on the floor-- get in the way of our work. They cause anxiety each time we walk into our office.  They drain our energy.  They distract us and take our focus away from the job we need to do.  Clean up your office!      Get organized.  If you are unorganized, you spend an inordinate amount of time looking for things and being frustrated.  Take time to get organized.   Find a system that works for you.  There are all kinds of books about getting organized – there are even organization consultants you can hire to help you.      Minimize the paper flow.  Become aware of all of the paper that crosses your desk each day.  We spend far too much time handling it – and trying to decide what to do with it.  Cancel subscriptions to newsletters and magazines you don’t read.  Stop printing emails – file them on your computer if they need to be saved.  (Did you know that 90% of the paper we file is never looked at again?)    Be realistic about time.  Before taking on a project, estimate the amount of time it will take you to do it.  We often think we can accomplish something in less time than it actually takes.  Years ago when I first started my business, a colleague said, “Estimate the amount of time you think a project will take and double it.  Then, the next morning, double it again.”  Believe it or not, she was right.  Before committing to a project, give yourself 24 hours to think about it.  Determine the amount of time it will realistically take and then decide if you want to accept the project.    Schedule carefully. When you have an appointment, calculate the amount of time it will take to get there, be there and get back to your office.  Schedule the entire amount of time on your calendar (not just the meeting time).  If you are in charge of a meeting, make sure you have an agenda and follow the agenda.  Consider the amount of time you need to spend on each item and stick to the amount of time you set for that item.    When you are in “overwhelm,” stop.  Leave your office.  Walk around the block. Take some deep breaths.  Take in the sites, the sounds, use your senses.  Ideally, get into nature.  Listen to the birds, the squirrels, even the cicadas!  Smell the air, the flowers.  If you’re in the city, look at the people around you, listen to the their voices and the sounds of cars and buses; notice the buildings – their uniqueness, their architecture.  Take in the wonder of your surroundings.    The first step to getting out of “overwhelm” is to recognize that you are in it.  The second is to stop and take a deep breath.  The third is to try techniques like these to help you gain more control of your life and achieve more balance. Announcing a Brand New Outdoor Group Coaching Program for people who live in the Annapolis, Baltimore, DC, Northern Virginia areas… Does Your Life Need Some Important Change?  More Fulfilling Work?    Deeper Relationships?   Improved Health?       More Fun & Adventure?     Time and Energy for the Things that Really Matter? Move Your Life in 90 Days is a powerful 3-month group coaching experience devoted to helping you find, sustain and share happiness.  Using universal physical and spiritual principles and Move Your Life Team support, the program will move your whole life -- body, mind and spirit.  Move Your Life Teams bring together people who are dedicated to positive change personally and professionally.  The process will move you physically with gentle, mindful exercise, such as walking, hiking, and Yoga in an inspiring, peaceful surrounding. It will also move you to take meaningful actions using the power and support of your Move Your Life Team.  To learn more about how Move Your Life in 90 Days can transform your life, join Life Coaches Karin Sokel and Linda Liebold Schaible for a free “taste” of the Move Your Life program. Wednesday, June 16, 9-10 am or Tuesday, June 22, 6-7 pm 49 West Coffeehouse Wine Bar Gallery, Annapolis or contact  linda@coachtosuccess.com  For more information visit:  http://www.coachtosuccess.com/whatsnew.html or contact Linda@CoachToSuccess.com. Free Coaching Session If you would like a complimentary, 20-minute, no obligation coaching telephone session, send an email to Linda@CoachToSuccess.com. Share Your Tips If you would like to share your own tips and recommended resources, please send them to: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and they will be included in an upcoming issue of Leadership & Life Tips. Recommended Resources   Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, PH.D., Hyperion, NY Simplify Your Work Life by Elaine St. James, Hyperion, NY The Artist’s Way at Work by Mark Bryan with Juila Cameron and Catherine Allen, Quill, William Morrow, NY     About the Author Linda Liebold, M.A., is the founder of Coach To Success, an executive, career and life coaching company.  She is celebrating her twentieth year in business, providing coaching, consulting and training services to hundreds of individuals and over 60 organizations nationwide. Linda’s mission is to motivate, challenge and support her clients as they envision what it is they want and design the goals and strategies to achieve it. Linda received her coach training from Coach U and is affiliated with Coachville and the International Coach Federation.  She is certified in administering management, team and personality assessments including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory, MAPP, and Spectrum CPI 260.  ------------------------------------------------------------- © 2008 Linda Liebold All rights reserved. Please forward this e-zine to others. Reproduction for publication is approved, provided the copyright information is included along with the following attribution: From CoachToSuccess.com, an e-zine by Linda K. Liebold, M.A., 410-544-3655 , Email: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and website: www.CoachToSuccess.com   ------------------------------------------------------------- Leadership & Life Tips is a monthly e-zine featuring professional and personal strategies for success.  Each issue offers thought-provoking and practical tips, tactics, and resources to motivate and empower you to be the best that you can be in your career and in your life. If you wish to subscribe please send an email to subscribe@CoachToSuccess.com, or to unsubscribe please send an email to unsubscribe@CoachToSuccess.com. Privacy Policy: We take your privacy seriously. We will never sell or share your personal information with any third party. Periodically, we may send you customer service questionnaires or information about special events such as tele-forums. 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