Wrap Up Your Day

How do you finish your day at work? If you are like most, you realize that it is time to leave, so you clear off your desk, log off your computer and head out the door. When it is time to go to bed, how do you wrap things up at the end of the day? Maybe something similar to leaving work? Clear off the bed, read a little and then off to sleep?

Consider taking the last 15 minutes of your workday andbefore you go to bed to take inventory of what you accomplished and plan forthose things that you need to do tomorrow. Even go so far as blocking out the time on your calendar and setting a "reminder" to stop, review and plan.

The benefits of taking the time will surprise you. You will find that you are able to more readily "leave things at work" because you have a plan for how youwill tackle your tasks tomorrow. You may also find that you will sleep better because you have "dotted the 'I’s' and crossed the 'T's'" of what needs to get done tomorrow in your relationship and personal "rings." Closing out the day atwork and home allows you to clear your head and get the much needed "intermission" that we all need.

First vs. Important

While perusing the news a few days ago, I saw an article about Iowa's place in the political landscape. The author of the article (not me) made the comment that Iowa was important because it was first not first because it was important. Again, I am not about to wade into a conversation about the validity or lack of basis for his comment, but it did cause me to think about how many people approach the acts in their circus.

What if, before you took on your first task, you thought to yourself, "Am I tackling this because it is important or because it is first? Too often we take on something because it is first in our mind, first in our lineup or first in someone else's priorities. It may be the first thing that seems easy on our list or the first item that won't cause us to have to do something outside our comfort zone. Sometimes "first" and "important" may be synomous, but many times they are miles apart.

My hunch is that if we all spent more of our time on the important, we'd get more of the things done that would make our circus more successful.

Getting More Standing Ovations in 2012

Before you simply start tackling the bazillion emails in your inbox or trying to get your thoughts around 2012, why not take a short intermission and begin developing a plan to get more standing ovations in 2012? To get started, download our 3 Ring Worksheet and do two things:

• In the rings at the top, write your purpose statement or desired outcomes for each ring in 2012. Don't list specific tasks or acts, think more about outcomes or your overarching purpose.


• List the key projects (acts) under each ring that need to be completed this year for you to best accomplish your purpose or achieve your desired outcomes.

Having done these two things, you can start 2012 as a better Ringmaster of your circus!

Things To Do During Your Holiday Work Schedule

Regardless of whether you take one day or a week for the holidays, there is definitely a different attitude in the workplace during this time of year. Until January 2nd most people are still in "holiday mode." If you are at work between now and the end of the year, here are a few suggestions on how to make the best use of your time:

• Clean up. A clean and orderly work area is always a motivator to get to work on the right task and not be so distracted. Use the old TRAF acronym as you clean up: Trash, Refer, Act and File to get things in order.


• Reflect. Take a moment to think about the activities of the year. What have you learned? What wisdom gained do you need to "carry over" to this year's projects and plans?


• Create your lineup for 2012. Get a head start on planning projects and tasks for the new year. Not just the task, but how to best accomplish it. When you are juggling elephants the tendency is simply to do it the quickest way you can. There may be a way that takes a little longer, but could yield better results.


• Connect. This may be the time to build a better relationship with one or more of the "performers" in your work area. Whose support do you need as you look to your goals for 2012?


• Set some goals. Yes, it's cliche, but it is the time to more fully plan what you want to accomplish in 2012. In just a few days the elephants will once again come running through the door and you're going to need to have your "acts" together if you don't want them to crush the outcomes that are most important to you.

An Important Word For Successful Ringmasters

After a recent Juggling Elephants training program, a participant said, “Your focus on being a good ringmaster is like the difference between ‘have and make.’” With my curiosity aroused, I said, “How so?” She continued. “Think about the phrase ‘Have a great day’ versus ‘Make it a great day.’ One implies taking things as they come to you while the other suggests a need to take more responsibility in lining up your acts to accomplish your purpose.” What a superb insight!

When I pondered her perspective, I had to laugh at how often I hear the word “have” versus “make.” While I am sure people aren’t encouraging us to be passive when they say things like, “Have a great trip” or “I hope you have a great weekend,” those comments should be a quick reminder to all of us that we are the ringmasters of our circus and we have to line up the right acts to get the standing ovations we want from our performance.

So the next time you catch yourself saying or thinking, “I hope I have…” change “have” to “make”… it could just MAKE all the difference in your circus today!