Sleeping Your Way To Success

Hopefully none of you got the wrong idea about that title. Sleep is one of the daily requirements most all of us try to cheat. We use caffeine, exercise, cold showers, sugar, slaps to the face, or any number of things to avoid the real issue-we just aren't getting enough sleep or the right type of sleep.

As the ringmaster of a circus you would never want to get caught napping when you were supposed to be leading an act into a ring or making sure the line up was going well. Even a sluggish response would be frowned upon by the audience and your fellow performers.

Daily Infographic has a fantastic resource to better understand the value of sleep and what happens when we don't get enough of it. You can see it by clicking here.

In the meantime, maybe it is time to start thinking in terms of how you can sleep your way to the top!

Get Some Sleep

I am one who likes to pull "all nighters". There is something about being focused with the lack of distraction that allows me to resolve an issue or get a lot of stuff done - or so I think. On occassion, working late into the night can be productive but sleep deprivation can reduce your effectiveness short term and long term.

Your body and mind need rest. It is vital to get enough sleep. I find the quote by John Steinbeck to be true, "It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." Sometimes, it might just be better to go to bed, get some rest, let your mind reset and approach a problem in the morning with a fresh outlook.

Determining The Need For An Intermission

I came across this quote the other day:

When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.

-Benjamin Franklin

I thought about the need for an intermission. When I sense something is missing (or amiss), it reminds me of the need to step back, replenish and then move forward more effectively. I started playing with the quote and came up with:

When ____________________, I know the worth of an intermission.

I entered phrases like:

• When my eyes have trouble focusing on the words on a computer screen
• When I get a "short fuse" with people around me (work and/or personal)
• When I don't have a creative thought left within me
• When I start thinking that no one is giving me a standing ovation
• When my lineup keeps getting longer and longer-and I haven't even gotten the first task completed
• When I have given away so much of myself to others that I have nothing left for myself

What are some of the indicators in your work or life that tell you it's time for an intermission?

Realizations During A One Ring Intermission

I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old friend today. He was just beaming! He was always a positive guy, but today he seemed even more enthusiastic than ever. A few minutes into the conversation, one of the reasons for his new found zeal became clear-he had been on an intermission with one of his rings.

In July his position at a company had been cut. Out of work since that time, he had engaged in more quality time with his family and took more time for himself. He said that he had been spending so much time on work that he just didn't realize what he had been missing in the other areas of his life. He said, "After my time off from work, I look at people differently. I see what was lacking and have taken steps to find more fulfillment." Wow!!! All that, and he still doesn't have a job!

With his "work ring intermission" now almost over, he plans to keep many of these "new acts" in his lineup even after he returns to a regular work schedule.

What would an intermission reveal to you?