Why?

Have you ever had a conversation with a young child and have them curiously ask you several times in a row the question, "Why?" If you can be patient with the exercise, you find that repeatedly asking, "Why?" results in getting to the root of the initial question.

Do you ever ask, "Why?" Have a conversation with yourself and ask the question, "Why?"

• Why don't I write down my dreams and do something about them?


• Why am I busy? Am I accomplishing what is important or am I just doing stuff?


• Why do I plan my schedule at work but don't plan my life?


• Why can't I get anything done?


• Why do I focus so much time on my work and relationships and not on taking care of myself?


• Why do I spend so much time dealing with email? Is it productive?


• Why are we having this meeting?


• Why don't I read more?

It is important to regularly stop, reflect and as yourself some questions that could change the course of your life. What distractions do you need to remove? Why?

"Me Time"

After a program last week we had a participant write on their feedback form: "Today I learned that it's okay to take "me time." We so often neglect ourselves and wonder why we feel less than engaged at work or not as connected in our relationships.

To help you more often take some time for yourself, why not make a "Me Time List" that you keep on a note card on your desk, in a location that you see often or even on an electronic note on your smart phone. We so often neglect our "self ring" because it doesn't command our attention (until something goes wrong) like the other areas of our lives.

Make sure the list includes things that can be done in as little as 5 minutes and also ones that take a day or two.

As we say in Juggling Elephants, A successful circus has quality acts in all 3 rings.

Measuring The "Well Being" Of Your Circus

We often ask "how's your circus?" when helping people get a picture of their current situation. While doing some research, we found one another way to evaluate your circus. It's called the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. It's a daily assessment of American's health and well-being. They poll 1000 people every day on 55 indicators of happiness or well-being from work to eating habits to social life. The site can be a bit overwhelming, but the data is interesting to review. If you want a quick synopsis of the results, a good blog to read is in the Economix section of the NY Times from a few weeks ago.

If you review the indicators, the big question you will be left with is, "What are the indicators for me that things are going well?" If you find that the indicators are constantly changing for you, it might be a sign that you have become a little fuzzy about your purpose. If the indicators tend to be the same, you most likely have a better idea of what you are striving for on a daily basis. The level of satisfaction with the various indicators will change, but not the indicators.

The next time you're trying to get a better idea of how things are going in your circus, it might be of benefit to first stop and ask what you are basing your answers on.

What Drives Your Performers To Fully Engage?

Do you know... or do you just think you know? Some interesting research compiled by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Their results found 4 key things that caused individuals to give their best effort at work. They were:

• Reviewing and guiding
• Feedback, praise and recognition
• Autonomy and empowerment
• Level of interest the manager shows in the employees as individuals

Now you know. How are you doing?

Enjoy the Journey

It is easy to focus on the destination and not pay attention to the journey. In fact, the journey can be perceived as a drudgery. Have you ever thought something like, "I can't wait until the kids get older." or "When I get promoted to management, things will be easier." When I get a new car, when I get a bigger house, when I have more money, when I finish school, when I accomplish this goal...pretty soon, we have wished our life away. Why not be satisfied with the here and now and enjoy the ride?

"Are we there yet?", "Are we there yet?", "Are we there yet?"... the four words that every adult is very familiar with if they have ever taken children on a long drive. As a kid, my family would take vacations that usually required a fair amount of time packed into our Buick. My Father did a lot of driving for his work and as a result he was aware of some of the best places to eat, visit, take a rest, etc. He seemed to know just the right time to make a stop, get a snack or engage us in an activity. He would even pack us individualized "treasure sacks" that had things to entertain us on the trip. He made the journey, not just the destination, fun and enjoyable.

What can you do to enjoy the journey? Maybe it is not all about the dinner but enjoying the time with others as you prepare the meal together. If you are working on a big project at work, take time to celebrate the milestones throughout the process. If you have a small child, enjoy the time rocking them to sleep or telling them stories because before you know it, they won't want you to read them a story and/or they will be off to college. Every day, multiple times each day, say to yourself, "Enjoy the journey.", "Enjoy the journey.", "Enjoy the journey."