Tag: total life management

The 30 Day Breakthrough Experience and Me

Runner

Last week I had the honor and privilege to take a group of people through the Take Time for Your Life 30 Day Breakthrough Plan.  We held the workshop part of the experience at a place called Sparkspace, which I highly recommend in a multitude of ways.  The second part of the experience for each person who attended is happening now and onto the achieving of a small goal in the next 30 days.

Without a doubt, I was inspired by the attendees last week.  But I've embarked on a 30 day breakthrough plan myself.  Somehow this makes the process much richer for me.  It moves me as a learner and as a facilitator.

I understand you might not be able to fully grasp what our 30 Day experience looks like if you haven't gone through the program, so see our page on Total Life Management to gain more understanding and learn what others experienced as well.

Now for the vulnerability part:

I have set a 30 day goal is to improve my approach and presentation with prospective clients of Epic Living.  I will do this by engaging them with my heart first and my head second.  I will measure this by having a trusted advisor/coach attend 2 business engagements with me to observe my presentations.  I will also provide examples of heart approaches versus head approaches for that advisor/coach.  Doing this will help me achieve my big goal of improving Epic Living's (Me) mission performance in the next 90-180 days.

The importance of me sharing this subject with you is to help me (hopefully you too) find a breakthrough.  If you're a subscriber reading this, a person who has attended an event where I was the speaker, a participant in a workshop I facilitated or some other connection, you know my sincerity and heart delivery.  My block has been with those who are not currently engaged with me.  In those settings I have, mistakenly, led with my head.  Translated, I've used old approaches designed to induce credibility and a corporatey persona.  In the spirit of giving me a greater chance to speak from the heart.  As you can imagine, that way of doing things feels awkward, canned and like I'm wearing another man's coat. 

So why did I choose this approach?  Fear.  Fear of not making the connection, mostly.  I won't drone on here because I now proceed to courage and doing someithing about the block.  In many ways this is a breakthrough unto itself.

You

Mirror image 

We're seeing much upheaval in many spots right now.  Besides the business disruptions, we see a world that seems to have lost its mind.  In America we wonder if our elected leaders realize the impact of their influence.  There is also a big portion of folks who just want to live their lives and take care of what's been given to them.  All of these are legitimate concerns and situations.

As I write here, I wonder if way too many have ceded the management of their lives to governments, corporations, etc.

Here's the thing, we often talk about wanting balance, wanting meaning, wanting a great career, wanting the best for our family.  But those outcomes don't arrive without you actively managing their process.  The rub is firmly affixed to the reality that management is hard work.  And when the corporation (or any other formal institution) comes calling offering to take over management, trouble is set in motion.  The kind of trouble that gets  more difficult to change the longer you're involved.

I've written and worked with people on the art and science of total life management.  The idea of it can be daunting at first thought, but total life management is the single best approach to keeping life healthy in a holistic way.  For additional perspective, consider this piece from Thomas Friedman of the NY Times.  His thoughts are timely and almost prophetic.

The Pain of Total Life Management

Pain

In our work with individuals and businesses in the realm of total life management, we sometimes encounter the roadblock of pain.  I’m referring to the type of pain associated with issue avoidance.  This post from Runner’s World is very compelling illustrating what I mean.  You can apply it to running, a fractured relationship or a workplace experience it doesn’t matter.

The gift of life does not reward us when we avoid issues in our 8 spheres of living.  They only stand to either be a slow decay or an Achilles Heel in our time allotted here.  Interestingly enough, my daughter asked me this morning whether I was sad about my older brother.  My brother is a heroin addict and has been a substance abuser for the majority of his adult life.  I explained to her that on a basic human condition level, I am sad for him.  But I made a decision some years ago to not allow the crippling sadness (the type where my life was being sucked away and damage was being done to others I care about) be a part of my life.  I did the crippling sadness routine for many years and it didn’t work.

We often look for things to cover up what we would like to avoid.  Before my eyes were opened, I used my career and the success that came with it.  By no stretch of the imagination do I have a problem or stress-free life, The breakthrough is found in that I don’t avoid the issues that come, or the pain associated with them.

So are you willing to join me in facing the pain?

 

 

The Work of Well-Being

The work of well-being is all about taking control.

We here so much about balancing life and work in our world today.  It’s really more about taking control of what we’ve been given-life.  You can’t take control of your life, and your well-being, until you see your life as the center. The center is the place where everything begins.

Most people want a sense that they are doing the right things. They aspire to have a good life, but unfortunately some areas of life live to corrupt our best intentions. Whether it’s work, relationships or some other area, we sometimes feel one step away from being undone.  How about you? With all the advances in technology and education many felt it would improve our state, beyond a tablet computer.  The puzzling question is; where’s the advancement for managing our lives? Where’s the cure for feeling overwhelmed?

The answer has been with us all along.

Life is a gift. I certainly believe life is a precious gift given from above.  I also believe that gift implies a sense of responsibility and management.  I don’t know anyone who would verbally endorse an approach where life just unfolds on its own.  Deep down we know that life is tough and it requires work.  Unfortunately, we have a modern world that has sold us a bill of goods.  The one that says we can ignore well-being or mask our issues with money and/or medication.  How powerful would it be if we changed the paradigm?

Seeing value in the small. There’s no better a mindset than embracing small steps, small goals and the results that follow. If you start small with changing a certain area of life, you will start to see your paradigm shift.  Think of it as racking up small and quantifiable victories. Happiness and contentment follow the person who is willing to do this kind of work.  As you slowly embrace with commitment and urgency, the outlook changes.

Ignore all the haters. I read once where the original CEO of Cadillac believed insults and criticisms were a signs that the organization was onto something great. The fair warning is found in you not listening to the naysayers and the persuasive lips of chatter.  Specifically, those that try to convince you that ignorance is bliss or that someone else is responsible for your well-being.  Be careful here.  Many a man and woman have started off well only to be derailed by their own temptations and deceptions.

If you truly want a great life, then take your well-being and own it. It will require hard work, but you won’t regret it.

Eric Pennington is the founder of Epic Living, LLC. He is the author of Waking Up in Corporate America and the newly released book The Well-Being Guide: Making the Most of Life and Work. The book is available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and select book sellers.