Living a Balanced Life

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Living a Balanced Life - May 2002

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1. Welcome to Live Your Best!

2. Feature Article: Living a Balanced Life

3. Ask The Coach: Time Management With Less Stress

4. Invitation to Live Your Best!

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Dear Live Your Best Subscriber,

Hello, and welcome to May! I hope the April showers have given way to May flowers, and that you're looking forward to this next season as one of joy, relaxation, and reprioritization.

Reprioritization? Yes! When you read this month's article on living a balanced life, this will make more sense. I hope you enjoy it!

In this issue, we have our first column of "Ask the Coach"- thanks to all of you who submitted questions. I look forward to answering them in upcoming issues. This month's question deals with time management- how to get more done, with less stress.

I hope you enjoy this issue, and I'll see you again in June.

Warmly,

Rachna

*Please feel free to pass this issue along to people that you care about!*

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Living a Balanced Life

By Dr. Rachna D. Jain

Culturally speaking, "balance" is a huge buzzword for us! We want a "balanced" diet, a "balanced" checkbook, and a "balanced" life.

If all we seek is balance, why, then, do we never have enough time? Why are so many of us rushing from one "have to" or "should" to the next, and feeling stressed out in the process?

This may be because our actions are not in alignment with our priorities.

How do we know if this is true for us? Because the very presence of stress means that, in some way, we are not living in a manner that reflects our highest priorities.

Imagine this: You wake up every morning, feeling good, and spend the whole day in activities which are nourishing and enriching. You spend your time doing only the things you really love to do. All the rest is handled by your dynamic and capable assistant, or your fairy godmother- it doesn't matter which, because everything is running so well, you feel great, and each day is joyful and fulfilling.

Spend a minute in this feeling. Did you notice your stress level drop? Did you feel calmer and more relaxed? If so, this is a sign that some of the activities you currently spend your time in may not be completely aligned with your most cherished priorities.

So why is this a problem?

Well, for a few reasons- living "away from our priorities" takes a huge toll on our physical, mental, and emotional selves. How many times have you wanted to attend your child's baseball game or musical performance, but couldn't make it back from work in time? Did you feel stressed and upset? How many times have you come to the end of a day and wished you had some extra time and energy to pursue a cherished dream- maybe writing a book? Or painting a masterpiece?

One way to begin to get control of your time is to notice where you're

spending it. Keep track for a day, or a week, or a month and note how

much time you actually spend in activities that nourish and enrich you.

Notice, too, how good it feels when you do.

Get clear on how you want to live your life-in your ideal.

Close the gap between here and there. (Coaching can help you do this).

You'll automatically find YOUR balanced life.

Want to learn more about creating a balanced life? Take advantage of

upcoming opportunities to "Live Yourself Happy!"

See you next month!

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Ask The Coach:

Dear Coach Rachna,

I own a business, and spend most of my day running from one task to another. I never seem to get everything done, and I am tired and stressed at the end of the day. Any ideas on how I can do what needs to be done at work and still have the time and energy left over to spend with my family?-- M.T.

Dear M.T.,

Thanks for your question-it's a very good one, especially in the first years of a new business, when you, as the owner, may need to wear many different hats. You mentioned that you "never seem to get everything done" and you feel "tired and stressed". One technique that might work for you is to take a few minutes at the start of each work day and select your top 3 (no more than 5) priorities for the day. Keep your focus on those things, and as much as you can, "table" the other tasks for another day. This may help you stay focused and make strong progress.

Another technique you might consider is to figure out what tasks you dislike doing, and find another way to get them done. Much of the stress in an entrepreneur's work-day comes from doing activities s/he either doesn't like or isn't good at. If you can find another way to get this work done, you will definitely feel less stressed at the end of the day. Some possibilities are hiring a part-time assistant or temporary worker, automating the processes as much as possible, or trading services with another professional.

You can run your business in a way that utilizes your strengths and leaves you feeling happier at the end of the day. Thanks for writing, and I'd love to hear about your progress! -- Rachna

Have a question for this column? Please submit it via email to coach@maximalhappiness.com

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Invitation to Live Your Best!

This month, I invite you to do a "time study". For a few days, keep track of how you spend your time.

I've been doing this for almost a week, so far, and it's been a real eye-opener- keeping me on track and performing at a higher level. As well as a real-life "check-in" to make sure I'm putting my energy and time into those areas which are most important to me.

What would you do if you had more time?

"Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence -- neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish -- it is an imponderably valuable gift. Each of us has a few minutes a day or a few hours a week which we could donate to an old folks home or a children's hospital ward. The elderly whose pillows we plump or whose water pitchers we refill may or may not thank us for our gift, but the gift is upholding the foundation of the universe." ~Maya Angelou

If you'd like to learn more about coaching and how it can help you "find" more time, please contact me to arrange a complimentary consultation.

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http://www.MaximalHappiness.com

(410) 772-3758

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