Your Plan For Your Intermission

You've finally heeded our frequent directives about the need to step back from your lineup and take a more objective look at your circus. You're enjoying the moment of solitude and chance to reflect on what you ARE getting done. Before you jump back in to tackle those elephants, do these 3 things:

• Schedule your next intermission. If it's of value, plan for it. Give yourself something to look forward to.
• Acknowledge your limits and the need to perpetually prioritize. Any moment spent engaging in just a good task is pushing aside the opportunity to engage in the best task for the moment.
• Resolve to do one thing different in your "next half." Don't leave this time without the chance to initiate a new routine, attitude or behavior that can help you better handle those elephants.

Now get back to work-the elephants are already headed your way!

When Will The Intensity Change?

If you're currently juggling elephants and say that your circus is out of control, draw the 3 rings, label them "work," "self," and "relationships" and reflect on the level of intensity in each ring. Then ask yourself this question: When will the level of intensity in this ring (or these rings) change? If you don't have a clear answer, then some major work or life adjustments are probably needed.

If you are like most people, however, you may just be overwhelmed in the moment and need to take a more objective view of your circus. Once you see where things will be less intense in one ring, start brainstorming ways you can use those available resources to increase the quality of your performance in another ring. Remember, the circus, at any given moment, looks unbalanced. Over a period of time, however, balance across all 3 rings does happen. And you can make it happen too-you're the ringmaster of your circus!

The Value of Uninterrupted Time

How often are you interrupted? Whether you work in an office, in the home or in a factory; try a little experiment and see just how many minutes it takes before you hear a bell, beep, buzz or "Do you have just a minute?" For the average person, that time is about 5-15 minutes. That is a lot of interruptions in a day's time. How are you expected to focus and stay on task? How are you expected to have deep thoughts and meditate on the important? The fact is if you are so use to being interrupted, you may have a hard time focusing on a given task for very long because you mind becomes "wired" towards jumping from thing to thing.

Find some time where you can just think. Shut off the interruptions. Get away from the noise and concentrate. You might ask, "What do I need to think about?" Consider the following ideas:

• What are the most important things that I need to accomplish today that would have the greatest impact in my work, relationships and self rings? When am I going to get them done? How will I get them done?


• Brainstorm a specific project and break it down into it's individual parts


• What one key thing did I learn about today? Write it down in a journal or blog about it


• What are my goals? What one or two things would I like to accomplish today, this week, this month, this year, in my lifetime? Write them down and then determine how and by when you will accomplish them


• Ponder spiritual matters


• Consider a relationship that is important to you. What does that relationship mean to you? What are the one or two things that you could do to build that relationship?

There are many more things that you could think about. This list is just intended to get your mind going. And that is exactly the point – Get your mind going. Get out of the shallow, reactive, "how am I going to quickly reply" mode and into the mode of focused, intentional, deep thinking – at least occasionally. The quality of your work and life will increase as a result.

Being in the Now

Do you ever find yourself thinking too much about the past? Do you think of a better time when you were happier, skinnier, got more sleep or when gas was just 99 cents?

Do you find yourself thinking too much about the future? Some day when you will have more money, when you will have a new job, when the kids are older or you have that new car?

There is nothing wrong about doing a little reminiscing. It is a good thing to learn from the past. And it is also a good thing to have positive dreams and set goals for the future. But be sure that you spend plenty of time, being in the now. The now is when you will get the work done that will pay off for a brighter future. The now is when you can make up for the past or improve on what you have already accomplished. It is important to focus and be in the now, especially in your relationships, your day-to-day work and personal conversations (not to mention when you are driving a car). Otherwise, you will be distracted, the quality of what you do will be poor and you will have more and more occasion to say, "should of, would of, could of."

Stop, Look and Listen

"Stop, look and listen."  This is great advice when you are crossing a street or a railroad crossing.  It also makes sense when you feel like you are in the "Juggling Elephants" routine or need a fresh prospective.

Stop!  The day to day can sometimes can be so crazy that you don't take the time to reflect on all that you are doing and determine if you are doing the right things.  This is why individuals in organizations take "retreats" or attend conferences.  Stepping back for a moment can give you fresh eyes and allow you to gain a new perspective on where you are.  You might just need 15 minutes or you might be due for an longer "intermission" to get your "act together".

Look!  Dive into the data.  Run reports and better yet, read them.  What is working?  What isn't working?  Why is it working or not working?  Ask the hard questions and look for the answers. 

Listen!  If you are in business, talk to your customers.  Ask them why they buy.  Ask people that are not your customers why the don't buy.  Talk with your co-workers. Talk to family and friends.  Get their advice.  The important point here is to listen!  Don't do all the talking.  Get their perspective, look for patterns in their comments and then create a plan to implement what you learn.

Stop, look and listen is easy to remember and can be a valuable tool to determine if you pointed in the right direction and how you can take your performance to the next level.  Try it in your next family or staff meeting.