12 Steps for the Workaholic (part2)

If you haven’t read Steps 1-6 Read this first.

Step 7: Become an expert at managing your time. Always do the most important tasks first; these are the ones that would make you stay late if you didn’t get them done. Getting them out of the way first will improve your chances of being able to leave on time.
Step 8: Become a master at delegating your work and training others. You WANT to make sure you are not the only one with the skills and knowledge or you will be the only one that gets called upon to handle those things. Also, know when to keep your mouth shut. The more people know what you can do, the more they will call on you. A know-it-all can quickly become a do it all.
Step 9: Say NO more often. Remember you can’t be in 2 places at once so when you say yes to the boss or the client you may be saying No to your spouse, children or health. Learn a few tips how to say no here.
Step 10: Know when to say; “That’s good enough”. Stop being a perfectionist. Ask yourself, “What is the big deal?” and “So what” more often. Staying late might make something perfect and you look like a great employee, but it also might make you a lousy spouse or parent. Weigh the cost.
Step 11: Take care of your health. Eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest. You will be surprised at how much easier the day seems to go when your mind and body are operating peak efficiency.
Step 12: Intentionally plan and keep social commitments. Relationships are important to our health and well being. Make it a point to expand your social network by inviting guests over, going to dinner or getting involved in a local meetup group.

Bonus Step and one I shouldn’t have to mention: Use Your Vacation & Comp Time! I have spoke with a number of people that were facing death and not one of them ever said they wished they worked more.

If you have some other ideas how to prevent from becoming addicted to work please leave them in the comment section for others to read.

Work Hard this week but……… Play and love your family Harder!

Make it a great week!

Bob

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12 Steps for the Workaholic (part1)

Before I begin sharing steps to help workaholics let’s define what a workaholic is.

If you stay late finishing up a task because you want to, not because you have to and in doing so you miss your child’s birthday party; You might be a workaholic

If you go on vacation and can’t enjoy the sunset without checking your blackberry. You might be a workaholic.

If you check your email during your child’s ball game, in the middle of the night or during meals. You might be a workaholic.

If you take your cell phone, PDA and Laptop on vacation; You might be a workaholic.

If you call the office even though you left your number for emergencies just to see if everything is OK on your days off; You might be a workaholic.

Collect Friends and Memories, Not Stuff!

This is a repost from an earlier blog that I felt was worth sharing to all of my new subscribers. Enjoy.

I have moved quite a bit in my 51 years; at last count it was 16 times. The last few years have been getting a little easier because with each move comes another yard sale and a trip to Goodwill where we sell or give away all of the excess stuff we have accumulated. If we didn’t clear out the excess we would need a 4,000 square foot house with a three car garage by now. Lately though I have been trying to live a simpler life and recommend everyone try it. Not only does it leave you with a lot more money in your pocket at the end of the month, it is easier on your mind and it gives you the time to do what you really love. It is amazing how much better one feels when they get rid of the clutter in their life. Remember that feel you get right after cleaning up the yard, house, car or workbench? Imagine how it would feel if your entire life was clean and organized. Here are a few tips to get started.

My name is Bob and I’m a Workaholic

It didn’t happen overnight. As a matter of fact I didn’t even see it coming but in my quest to live a more fulfilling life I have come to find out that I am indeed an addict. Like most addicts, the drug of choice is usually not very harmful if consumed in moderation. However when the product takes control of your life and you begin to sacrifice other more important things to get another fix, then you have a problem.

My drug of choice was work.

The Power of Thank-You!

I know the power of a single Thank-You all to well. I write a lot and have been doing so for a number of years. I don’t do it for the money and I certainly don’t do it because I am good at it. I also don’t do it to boost my ego; only heaven knows how many of you hit the delete button without even reading my posts. Every once in a while I think about stopping. Am I wasting my time? Am I making a difference? Is anybody even out there? Do they even care? Because I value my time and only want to do things that contribute to life I ask myself these questions often; especially when I don’t hear from anyone. But God is faithful and it is usually just when I want to close my laptop and stop writing that one of you sends me an email like this one I received;

I felt led to drop you a line telling you that last year my husband and son were both killed by a drunk driver. I want you to know that some of what you wrote helped me get through the year. I for one want to say; Thank-you. You made a difference in my life!

WOW! Let me tell you, even though I never met that person, that one paragraph is one of the reasons I still write.

Things that make me say Duh!

I know this has nothing to do with Simplified Success but I wanted to get it off my chest.

The longer I live the more I learn and the more learn, the more I see things that make me say Duh! As a matter of fact, I have been gathering information to one day write a book called; What else? ; “Things that make me say Duh!” It will be filled with things like:

When people push an elevator button that is already lit. Wasn’t my push good enough for them?

Signs that say, “Bear or Deer Crossing”. Be honest, do you ever look at how fast you are going and suddenly say, Oh! I better slow down, or do you even look for bear or deer? I have been driving for over 32 years and have NEVER seen a deer come out near the signs, including the ones I hit! Why not make signs that say, Warning! There are pot holes ahead because we spent our money putting up ridiculous signs instead of fixing them.

I’m a Bad Husband? You have got to be kidding me!

That was the first thing that ran through my mind when I found the phone book open to divorce attorneys. I was home every night, my wife didn’t have to work, she drove a Lincoln Town Car, could shop whenever and wherever she wanted, I didn’t cheat on her, wasn’t a drunk and never abused her physically. Mentally? Well that was another lesson I had yet to learn. I didn’t understand what she wanted from a husband. I thought I was doing the right thing by being the provider I was supposed to be. It never dawned on me that without me by her side those things were just that; things. They were a lousy substitute for me.

2 Questions That Can Change Your Life

“Hey mom! Why do you cut the bone off the end of the ham?” the child asked. “You know? I am not sure; I guess it’s because my mother always did it. Why don’t you go into the living room and ask her why?“ Mom replied. “ Hey Grandma! Why did you cut the bone off the end of the ham?” Its simple grandma answered; “It wouldn’t fit in the oven!”

How many things do you partake in simply because that is what you have always done?

Two of the shortest but most powerful questions you can ask yourself are;