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.

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.

Simplified Success in Your Relationship

People do not “Fall” in love.
We can fall into holes and we can fall into a pile of dog poop, but we cannot fall in love. Love is something that we give and receive; it is not just laying in the middle of the sidewalk waiting for its next victim and despite popular opinion; there is no angel waiting to shoot you in the butt with some love coated arrow.

People do not “Fall” out of love.
Because you cannot fall in love, you also cannot fall out of love. It is not like a window that you can lose your balance and fall from. Love is something you do with an emphasis on do.

When I hear people say that they don’t love someone anymore I ask them; “Why not?” They usually answer by telling me all the things their partner doesn’t do for them. I hear things like; “They don’t pay attention to me anymore, they don’t talk to me, they never come home” or they tell me all the wrong or bad things they do; “They yell, they smell, they are lazy, they cheat, they never….”
I let them go on for a few seconds, raise my hand and say; “No no no, I didn’t ask you to tell me about them not loving you, I want you to tell me why you are not loving them? At this point they usually get that “Deer in the Headlight” look and say, “I was telling you why I don’t love them.”

Love Life, Not Stuff!

People are in love with stuff. They love shopping, buying things and collecting things; whether they need them or not. Far too many people have become obsessed with having more, bigger and better things and this obsession with stuff has become unhealthy.

When we have a void in our lives, we buy things. When we are depressed, we buy things. When we have problems, we buy things. When we want to show someone we love them, we buy things. When we want to impress someone, we buy things. And these things are becoming more and more expensive, bigger, shinier and in many cases more wasteful.

Effective Communication Tips

1. It’s not about you! Whenever you communicate, the one on the receiving end is always more important that the one on the sending. Think of your audience first; I mean before you speak, hit that send button, post that blog or mail that letter. Ask yourself: What do I want them to do after they receive this? How do I want them to feel when they read or hear what I have to say? What kind of an impact will this have on our relationships after they receive it? By putting your mind on the receivers end and thinking about your desired outcome, you will be more apt to work your content toward that outcome.