Archives for January 2014

I’m on Vacation or How to Reduce Stress

January 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I'm on Vacation or How to Reduce StressThere are days that are filled with challenges and you can’t wait to get home. We’ve all been there. But when those days turn into weeks, and even months, something’s got to give. A number of years ago, at one of my former jobs, I was going through some pretty stressful days at work. The stress took its toll on me; I was cranky, had a negative attitude, and it was messing with my health (physically, mentally, and spiritually). My wife could see the effect work was having on me, so she came up with a plan that completely changed everything.

Her idea was this; once I left work, I was on vacation. That’s what I had to tell myself. Each night and weekend was a chance to relax and not worry about work. After all, when you’re on vacation you don’t think about those things that bring you down; you only think about enjoying those precious few hours of vacation that you have. Because of that, we were able to really enjoy our time together.  
This way of thinking got me through many difficult days. No matter what, I was only a few hours away from being on vacation. The feeling when you walk out of the building knowing you’re on vacation can’t be beat. At the time, it also gave me the strength to hold on until I was able to transfer to a different division within the company; one with a lot less stress.
It’s so much easier to be yourself when you’re not stressed. We’re meant to live a life of passion and purpose. It doesn’t meant that we won’t have challenges or disappointments, but we need to be able to find a way to keep plugging away, even when it feels like we can’t. We can’t give up hope. For me, taking a vacation every night was the best medicine there was.
Have you ever tried this tactic? Is there anything else that’s worked for you? How do you find the strength to make it through your challenging days?
Filed Under: Inspiration, Life Lessons Tagged With:

Choose Your Own Adventure

January 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Choose Your Own AdventureRemember those Choose Your Own Adventure  books when we were kids? You would get to a crucial point in the story and you would be left with a decision to make because you couldn’t continue until you picked one of the two options presented (technically option three was you could stop reading). The options would be something like, “to open the door turn to page 39” or “to run up the stairs turn to page 51.” What to do? What to do? You thought about it, made your decision, and flipped the pages to see what would happen next.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about those books and saying to myself, “isn’t life just a constant choose your own adventure story?” Only now our decisions have more consequences than just reading a different part of a story. Yet, with these seemingly important decisions, we routinely do the same thing over and over without really thinking about it. Then when things don’t turn out how we want them to, we’re surprised. We end up in jobs and relationships that don’t satisfy us when we don’t think enough about what we want.

There have been plenty of times I’ve said to myself, “I should have known better.” If I had taken some time to think about what I was doing I might have chosen a better option. I’m not talking about “do you want soup or salad?” I’m talking about big life decisions. I think I’m going to try something new and have a monthly assessment of where I’m at with my life and where I want to go and see what decisions I need to make in order to get there. (Maybe I’ll discover it needs to be weekly, that’s part of the fun of trying this, who knows where this will take me).

What page do you want to turn to in your life story? What will you do to assess the decisions you need to make in order to get there?

Here’s to happy and fulfilling adventures!

Filed Under: Life Lessons Tagged With: ,

The Consequences of Taking Short Cuts

January 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Consequences of Taking Short CutsI’m sure we’ve all been assigned some tasks that end up being boring or seemingly unimportant. If you took a few shorts cuts no one would really know, would they? Why exert your full effort if you don’t need to, right? That’s the wrong attitude to have. There are always consequences. If you’re assigned to do something you should always do it with complete commitment.

Why is this so important? I’ll share two incidents; one from the pages of history and one recent story. 

On April 14, 1865, Police Officer John Parker was assigned to guard President Lincoln and the First Lady while they attended a play at Ford’s Theatre. As soon as the Lincolns got settled in their box, Parker left his post so he could watch the play and left the President unattended. Because of that decision, John Wilkes Booth had no problem walking into President Lincoln’s box and shooting him later that night.  
Recently, a friend of mine dropped me off at the airport for an early flight. Instead of going back home he decided to go into work. He’s the Building Security Manager for a large bank. When he arrived at the bank at 5:15 a.m., he discovered that one of the guards was missing. He found out that the guard had just left, although the guard was supposed to be on duty until 6:00 a.m. when the shift change occurs. It turned out that the guard did this often and was fired later that day.
Though both stories are security related, they apply to any circumstance. You never know when you’ll be needed or who will watch you when you least expect it. So, always give your full effort in all you do. Short cuts are only a short term benefit; your integrity is always on display.
This also shows how we’re all connected. What we do, or don’t do, affects other people’s lives. If Officer Parker had not abandoned his post history may have been different. If I hadn’t gone on an early flight my friend might not have offered to drive me to the airport and he would not have gone in to work early. The guard would still be employed and would still be leaving work early.
Today the Secret Service protects the President and there’s someone more responsible guarding the bank.
We never know what the consequences of our decisions will be, but one thing’s for sure; if you take short cuts your actions could have long lasting ramifications.
Filed Under: Life Lessons Tagged With:

The Power of Thank You

January 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Power of Thank YouI was recently talking with a friend and my memory drifted back to a night at work from 20 years ago. I happened to be in charge of the store for 2nd shift that night. 1st shift was busy that day and they weren’t able to get any of their end of shift responsibilities done. The store was a mess. We worked our butts off that night and left the store organized and tidy.

When I came into work the next day there was a note left for me from the store manager. It simply said, “Greg, Thank you! Crystal.” I knew exactly what that meant, and so did she. She could tell how hard we worked when she came in that morning. It wasn’t fancy, but her acknowledgment had an impact. 20 years later I still remember it. I still think it’s the most genuine “thank you” I’ve ever received.
Saying “thank you” is a valuable currency that many of us don’t use enough. A well-timed “thank you” has pushed me through feeling burnt out or under appreciated. We all want to feel like our efforts matter. I do, at least. Those two words can energize and inspire. Not using them can build resentment. How do you feel after giving all you’ve got and you don’t even get so much as a “thank you?” You feel taken for granted, don’t you?
Those of us with strong work ethics will work hard regardless of the work involved, the condition, or the environment. When you hear “thank you” it just makes you feel good about your contribution. If you appreciate what someone does for you, let them know. It’s something I say to everyone who helps me. It’s one reason why I think I get along with everyone so well. I even throw a little “thank you” out to the universe to start my day just so the universe knows I am grateful.
Do you have any other ways to acknowledge those who help you? What’s the best “thank you” you’ve received?
Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: