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Hello to Everyone,
Most of us have more that we would like to do, than
we have the energy to do. One of the exciting challenges
is to have an effective system of establishing priorities
and focusing energy on the “right” stuff. Take a few
minutes this month and review the system that you are
using. If it is working for you, keep on doing what
you are doing. If it is not working for you, evaluate
the system and make the necessary adjustments.
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Ready
to Snap: Crazy, Busy and the Lure of Modern Life
Are you too busy? Are you always in
a hurry, juggling work and family tasks like balls in the
air? Are you ready to snap?
You're not alone. Millions of successful adults are being
swept up by today's frenetic, globalize, technology-driven
lifestyle. We have plunged into a mad rush of activity, aided
by high-speed Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, BlackBerries
and email 24/7. We work longer hours, with escalating demands
at work and home.
We expect our brains to keep track of more than they can handle
and then find ourselves losing and forgetting things — impatient,
anxious, worried and plagued by short attention spans. Modern
life, for all of its timesaving conveniences, is sapping our
creativity, humanity, joy and, occasionally, our sense of
humor.
The speed of our lives threatens to destroy our most important
connections. Unless you deliberately set aside time for what
matters most to you, your connection to it will erode. When
it does, you'll find yourself less energetic, less optimistic,
less hopeful, less confident and less enthusiastic than before
— and you won't even know why.
ADD Nation?
Since the mid-1990s, people have increasingly complained of
being chronically inattentive, disorganized and overbooked.
Most complaints originate from individuals who do not have
clinically diagnosable attention deficit disorder. Instead,
they suffer from what Dr. Edward M. Hallowell, author of CrazyBusy
(Ballantine Books, 2006), calls "severe cases of modern life."
People have developed environmentally induced attention deficits,
he asserts — a phenomenon he describes as the "F-state": frantic,
frenzied, forgetful, flummoxed, frustrated and fragmented.
For many people, the F-state is fun. They use email, BlackBerries
and other devices to remain stimulated at all times. Doing
everything faster feels exciting. But living life faster,
always coveting more data, won't increase your sense of fulfillment
or deepen your connections to what really matters. Instead,
you create the overload you complain about and wind up craving
it when faced with moments of stillness.
Human Deficit Disorder
Too much electronic time, coupled with a dearth of human
moments, will lead to an as-yet-unnamed medical condition.
Symptoms include loss of personal vitality, an inability to
converse, a craving for a screen when separated from one and
low-grade depression.
Email communication is a poor substitute for authentic
human interaction. Electronic messages lack what makes communication
interesting and emotional. We send an email because a phone
conversation requires too much time, energy and complexity.
At the end of the day, the amount of time spent interacting
with others is greatly reduced. While you may, indeed, produce
more in less time, you'll be faced with a gnawing feeling
of emptiness and lack of fulfillment.
Solutions
No one would suggest giving up laborsaving devices and
the conveniences of email and the Internet. You do, however,
need a system to stay on top of what matters most to you.
Here are 10 principles to help you stay on track, adapted
from CrazyBusy:
1. Do what matters most to you.
2. Create a positive emotional environment — wherever you
are — by developing meaningful connections with people and
eliminating negativity.
3. Find your rhythm through astute time management and careful
planning of your day.
4. Invest your time wisely by paying attention to how you
use it.
5. Don't get caught up in screen-sucking.
6. Identify and control sources of distraction.
7. Delegate what you don't like or aren't good at, and become
interdependent with others.
8. Slow down. Stop and think.
9. Don't multitask ineffectively.
10. Play.
Final Thoughts:
We all have 168 hours each week.
How we spend those hours determines what we accomplish.
My recommendation is to spend 84 of those hours taking care
of yourself (sleeping, exercise, eating right, meditating,
planning, reading, etc.), so you can be very effective taking
care of others during the remaining 84 hours. Your coach
can help you with this process.
In July 2011, we will experience 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays,
and 5 Sundays, an unusual advantage, use the time wisely.
Thanks for all the recent referrals. I appreciate your support
and confidence.
The highest compliment you can give us is to refer your
family and friends.
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Jerry Pinney
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For the last twenty
years Jerry has been president of his own firm. He has spent his
career helping small business organizations grow and succeed. He
has a passion for success that he shares with his clients. His current
focus is providing executive and personal coaching to persons who
are interested in improving their effectiveness and their ability
to be successful. He is a facilitator for peer advisory groups with
The Alternative Board and is a Certified One Page Plan Consultant.
Jerry has facilitated planning retreats and planning sessions for
many organizations.
Jerry’s experience includes serving as Vice-president of Marketing
for IGA staff office, Vice-president of membership for the National
Grocers Association, Sr. Vice-president of procurement for Shurfine
International and the Managing Director of The Zenon Hansen Foundation.
Jerry is an Eagle Scout. He lives in Chicago with his wife Terri.
Jerry spends his volunteer time as a coach and consultant for The
Executive Service Corps of Chicago, an organization committed to
help the non-profits in the community improve.
Jerry
Pinney & Associates
102 East 32nd Street
Chicago, IL,
phone: 312-842-4577,
fax: 312-842-4705
e-mail me by clicking here
coachpinney.com
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