Limiting Fun Limits Your Success

In a recent study by the Trident Fun Index, Americans were found to be lacking in their moments of fun. Nineteen (19%) even said they couldn't remember the last time they had fun. The reasons given included lack of money and time.

While the word "fun" needs to be defined better to further understand the findings, it does highlight the need for change in our thinking. These moments of fun are crucial to reviving our motivation and even recharging our physical bodies (think about how you feel after a good laugh). Leaving them out of our day decreases the resources we have to deal with the challenges in our life that are not considered fun.

Eighteen percent (18%) of the respondents even said they didn't do anything fun on a daily basis. What about you? What are you planning on doing today that you would consider fun? Leaving it out of your day is just setting you up for less than blue ribbon results.

You can read more about the survey here.

When It's Not Growing Season

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to drive through some of the most fertile agriculture land in the United States. As I marveled at the rich, dark soil I also thought about the amazing farmers who make this land so productive. During the coming Winter they will work on equipment, plan planting schedules, research best growing practices and maybe even take some much needed time for themselves.

In the next couple of weeks you will have the chance to take a break from your own busy "growing season" at work. How will you spend it? Hopefully you will take the time to celebrate many harvest moments from this past year and prepare your own "planting schedule" for 2012.

Just realize that growing season will be here again before you know it.

Two Lists For the Holidays

All week I have kept trying to tell myself that it is still October. Saying it is November rushes me to Thanksgiving and then it's a free fall to Christmas. "There's so much more I want to get accomplished this year!" I tell myself. And I feel the tension rising as I fight to stay motivated to tackle the ever increasing list of things undone.

Too often in the past I have literally wrecked my holiday season trying to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of each day. While it may have helped get one or two more items marked off my task list, I found that I was not enjoying time with family, friends or even myself because I was tormented by things not yet accomplished.

This year I offer all of us "Type A" personalities a different approach. I have identified 4-5 projects that are a priority for me for the remainder of the year that can be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time before mid December. After I get those done, anything else will be "icing on the cake." I am pledging to myself not to miss the joy offered by time with family and friends during the holiday season. As I say in my new book, Some things happen only once.

If you have not already done so, get started on this list of 4-5 priorities. That exercise might also help reduce your stress with that OTHER list-the gifts for those special people in your life.

"Honoring Commitments"

On Sunday night I made a conscious decision that I would do my best to honor any commitment I made to myself or others on Monday. Okay, it's not that I don't always work hard to "keep my word" but I sometimes find myself overcommitting, especially in attempts to be "all things to all people." I also find myself expecting to accomplish way more in a day than is humanly possible. The result is that I don't achieve the level of excellence in most things I attempt to do.

As I reflected on my short experiment I found that when I consciously evaluated every commitment before I made it I was able to scale it to a size that was more "doable." I wasn't running behind as much all day, and the pressure on my time and energy were reduced. What I also found was that I was more available for life's unexpected moments-like a  lengthy phone call from a client or the chance to take a walk with my wife.

What are some techniques you use to prevent yourself from being overcommitted?

"3 Types Of People"

As a follow up to my previous blog, I thought some additional tips on building positive work relationships with others might be a good idea. One of the best I found came from a book entitled, Margin, by Dr. Richard Swenson. In the book he talked about increasing your emotional "margin" by spending time with the right kind of people. He suggests all of us have 3 types of people in our lives:

• Fillers: People who encourage and motivate us. They add to our emotional and mental energy by their words and behaviors toward us.
• Drainers: People who take away our mental and emotional energy by their negative attitudes, conversations and actions.
• People who just sit there. These people neither add nor take away our mental or emotional energy.

Now reflect on your typical work day. Who do you spend more time with? Drainers? Fillers? Dr. Swenson would suggest that if your day is spent with drainers, find opportunities to connect with some fillers-or at least those people who just sit there. If you are about to engage in some difficult conversations with some drainers-seek out some fillers prior to that conversation to give you the needed energy to deal with them more effectively. And certainly find some fillers once you tackle a difficult task with some drainers.

On a side note, don't always expect people to be the "fillers" for you. We're all busy and sometimes get too wrapped up in ourselves. A couple of my most consistent fillers are our two Labrador retrievers. They are ALWAYS ready to offer a little encouragement-even if it is sometimes served with a little too much enthusiasm.