Getting the Best Out of Life - Tips from Jan Wencel of Life Contained
You’ve been driving 65 mph on a highway. You exit onto a narrow country road. A mile after you exit, you notice police lights behind you. Ha… someone has broken the law and is about to get caught! They couldn’t be after you…you haven’t done anything wrong. Just to make sure, you glance at your speedometer. Uh oh… although it feels like you are driving at a snail’s pace, you are stunned to discover you are going 45 miles per hour…in a 25 mile per hour zone. Unbelievable! You’re driving at almost twice the speed limit. The officer is stopping you. How could this be true? The answer: you are velocitized.
Velocitization occurs when you become acclimated to a certain rate of speed. When you’re velocitized, you somehow experience
the sensation of moving much slower than your actual speed. If you’re like most Americans, you approach your work and much of
your leisure time in a velocitized state. You grow accustomed to the fast pace and never slow down to a more reasonable,
enjoyable and productive stride.
When we learn to slow down and insert thoughtful energy-replenishing leisure time in our lives, speed and quantity are replaced by inspiration and quality. Here are a few ways to achieve more of those harmonious and joyful moments:
• Do not allow work to interrupt your time off. Ignore business calls and e-mails as much as possible on your days off. Free yourself from the habit of checking work e-mail from home every night, and avoid business calls at family functions. Leave your handheld device at home on your bike ride.
• Find out what gives you energy and repeat it as often as necessary. If you don’t already know what gives your life energy, spend some time finding out. Is it biking, entertaining friends, golfing, yoga or discussing politics? The choices are limitless, but you need to identify what works best for you in order to consistently renew your energy. Next, schedule these activities on your calendar with regularity.
• Develop a reputation for being deliberate, but not fast. If you fire back e-mail responses within nanoseconds of their arrival, you are setting the expectation that you constantly monitor your e-mail. Try turning off your e-mail notifications. Read and answer e-mail two or three times a day, and stay focused on your priorities and the tasks at hand. This allows you to deliver quality responses on your own time, and allows you to operate at an even pace throughout the day. It also teaches your colleagues to expect deliberate, but not instantaneous, responses.
Although we have no road signs to tell us how fast to work or how slow to play, we must occasionally employ techniques to de-velocitize our lives and work toward operating at a productive, fulfilling and life-nurturing pace. Our goal shouldn’t just be getting the most out of life…our true goal should be to get the best out of life
This month's Pearl was generously supplied by Life Contained founder, Jan Wencel, is a workplace productivity trainer. Companies hire her to teach their employees healthy
habits to get work contained and on track so life can happen.
Reach Jan at 630-803-6650, jan@lifecontained.com or www.lifecontained.com.
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