We Got Into Our Relationship Ring

Six years ago today was such a horrible moment in time. It was also a day that so clearly demonstrated a time most of us wanted to be in the "relationship ring" of our circus. As people learned of the tragedy, many just wanted to go home and be with their families. People stranded by grounded flights rented or bought cars, purchased RVs and did almost anything humanly possible to get home. Those people who could not get home were comforted by the amazing generosity of others who also knew which ring was most important in their life at that moment. I simply went home and spent the day with my daughter and wife.

Which ring(s) do you you need to be in today? The sense of urgency may not be as great as 9/11, but it probably is just as important.

Great Feedback From Training Program

Following a training program in San Antonio on Saturday, I had someone say, "In the past 4 months, we have a new 'Ringmaster' in our organization, we have lost several 'performers' due to various reasons and we have more 'acts' going on at work than ever before. After this session on Juggling Elephants, I can see that I need to take better care of things in my self ring if I am going to keep up my level of performance at work."

Yes! They got it.

Summer-The Intermission

In today's WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118912967608820227.html?mod=todays_us_nonsub_weekendjournal), there was a follow up article to one in June where they asked people how they planned to spend their Summer Vacation. The article chronicled how well they had done in meeting their goals.

The article mirrored the way many people look at taking a break or an "intermission." Some do things to plan for the "next half" of their performance, they mentally or physically rest or they reflect on how their circus is going. When the intermission is over, they are more focused and better prepared for what's in their lineup.

Others just keep the acts going, and often wonder why their performance rarely improves.

The Book Is Here!

Finally! Juggling Elephants is in the stores and available online. What a journey it has been.

Three and a half years ago we were discussing our frustration with having too many priorities, too much stress, and too little time. Little did we know that such a powerful yet simple solution to these challenges could be found when one of us said, "My life feels like a three-ring circus!"

The concepts have changed our lives and our hope is that the message of the book will be of benefit to all individuals and organizations that struggle with "getting it all done."

Great E mail!

Here's a great e mail we received from an early reader of Juggling Elephants:

Last week our boss visited our office. The day was spent talking about how to make sense out of the mounting workload and set priorities so we don't miss committments to our customers.

Before he left, I gave him my advance copy of Juggling Elephants and told him that the book was well worth the read on the flight home.

This week, he started a group conference call by referring to the book and followed up with a discussion about getting the project acts lined up correctly, every ring needing good acts and that the customer expects a great performance.

Juggling Elephants is amazingly accurate about the challenges we face everyday.

Let us know your thoughts!