How Comfortable is Your Comfort Zone?

Do you have a nice life?  Do you have an exciting life?  Do you have a wonderful life?  Do you have a boring life?  What is your life like?  Are you happy?  Really happy?  Is it so wonderful and comfortable that you don’t want anything to change?  Or is it that you are fearful of moving outside your comfort zone?

What is a comfort zone?

I looked up the definition and found the following in Wikipedia:  Comfort zone is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.

What do you think of that?  It’s a behavioural state – in an anxiety-neutral condition, steady performance, without risk.

That means we keep things going as they have always gone, nothing much changes and when it does, we may struggle to cope.  We lose our sense of security, that all is right with the world.

Do you know that they believe a person’s success can be described by how they handle being in their comfort zone?  Highly successful people routinely step outside their comfort zones to accomplish things. 

So when was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?  When was the last time you did something that made you feel uncomfortable?

An example of being in a comfort zone is when you are working at a job, and no longer enjoying it but have the feeling of “Where else could I work?  My skills suit here.  I have lots of annual leave and if anything goes wrong, I have lots of sick leave.  I should just stay.  It’s okay really.”

Take a look at your life and think about where you could make a change - just a small change. Nobody said when you step outside your comfort zone it has to be dramatic and life changing.  For some of us it could be as small as a different haircut.  Just poke a toe out or a very small step.  Just a little change in your environment and surroundings can make a big difference.

It can mean that you realise change is okay.  Small changes make things happen.  A Chinese Proverb that I love is:

"Be not afraid of growing slowly,

be afraid only of standing still."

So step outside, experience a new behaviour and you will find you will get different responses.  They could be from you or from others around you.  If you have something you would love to do then think how you can make this happen one small step at a time.

Get to your goal if not by big steps,

then by little steps.

It doesn't matter how long it takes you.

What matters is if you get there or not.

L.R. Haake

It is never about how long it takes, being comfortable, being uncomfortable and just taking action to live the life you want, a life that makes you happy, excited, motivated and feeling fantastic.

It is important to realise that making changes to make the life you desire can be hard work with lots of changes but at the end of the day it will be worth all the effort.  Do what you can to live the life of your dreams.

“Be an inspiration to yourself and

you will be an inspiration to others.”

Goal Setting

It is time to think about setting goals for the year both in a personal sense and a business sense. However before we even set a goal some things to consider include:

What is your sense of purpose?

What is your purpose in life, what do you love, what do you value, and what do you really want to do? Answer these questions without too much thought it is known as ‘a rapid fire exercise’ rather than ponder for a long time. In a rapid fire exercise you answer the question with 5 answers in 30 seconds. Most of the time you get the same answers even if you pondered for 2 hours. So take 30 seconds and write down five things that are your purpose in life, what you love, value and really want to do.

What is the direction you now have to take?


We now know our purpose so what direction and changes do we have to implement to allow us to achieve our purpose. Make a step by step plan so we know our long term purpose and our short term direction to reach our purpose.


This develops our goals both short and long term. It is important to have a balance of both. By achieving the short term goals we know we are moving forward to our longer term outcome.


Are these plans in line with your values?


It is really important to complete a self-assessment of your purpose, direction and goals to know if they are in line with your personal values. Does it feel right? Does it feel good? Are there any elements you are not comfortable with? Ultimately if your purpose, direction and goals do not match your values even if you get there the feeling will not be as wonderful and you may ultimately be disappointed in yourself or what you have achieved.


Be flexible

Whilst we have our direction and goals it is important to always be flexible along the way. Opportunities that were not available when you made your plan or you did not see may come along. They may just be the right tool or way to propel you forward to achieving your goal so always be open and flexible to amend and change your plans as new opportunities present themselves.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based professional organiser and lifestyle management consultancy. We are all about saving you TIME. We conduct workshops on ‘Managing your Time’, ‘Systemise Yourself to have a Productive Day,’ ‘DeClutter and Take Back Control’ and Mind Clutter.’ We work with individuals and businesses to help them create a better life.

For more information go to http://www.lifestylerefocus.com.au/ or contact Michele on 0437 311 802.

My favourite quotes about Goal Setting.

If you do nothing to achieve your goals, your destiny is coming,

if you take action, your destiny is coming.

There is no escaping the future so make it remarkable

Author unknown

The purpose of goals is to focus our attention.

The mind will not reach towards achievement until it has clear objectives.

The magic begins when we set goals.

It is then that the switch is turned on and the power to accomplish becomes a reality.

Author unknown

About Us
LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. We are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. We conduct workshops on ‘Managing your Time’, ‘How to have a Productive Day’ and ‘DeClutter and Take Back Control.’


For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Michele on 0437 311 802.

The Power to Choose

All you need is within you now.



You have the resourcefulness you need for whatever you decide to choose. You REALLY do have the:
> Courage
> Passion
> Determination
> Fire


We can do anything if we have a compelling reason and the focus. We will conquer all fears; if we have a big enough reason we would get it.


Some of my favourite action quotes

“An ounce of action is worth a tonne of theory.”

Friedrich Engels

“Action will remove the doubts that theory can not solve.”

Tehyi Hsieh

“It’s not what you know, its what you do with what you know.”

Author Unknown

There is always a way
Even if it is not true, act like it is and usually you can find a way to achieve what you want to achieve.
> You can push through the tough times
> Persist a little longer
> Search a little harder
> Keep going
> Failure is giving up
> Everything else is progress

By believing there is always a way you give yourself every opportunity to experience success!

About Us
LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. We are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you.

For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Michele on 0437 311 802.

Creating Goals and Focus for the Year Ahead

We have all read the books, which say no goal is ever achieved unless it is visualised. Part of the visualization process can often be writing down the goals – being accountable.

Following is a chart of the categories that can be considered in your goals for the New Year.

These are in no specific order and you do not have to have goals in all areas if they are not relevant to you.

Categories to consider

• Spiritual


• Family


• Work / Career


• Physical / Health


• Social


• Personal


• Rest and relaxation [Wellbeing]

Business Plan / Life Guide

Now we have a business plan – or a life guide. That is one step in the process to accomplishing our goals. But just as in business it is a great idea to break these goals down. Let’s break them down into monthly achievements as you would a sales, marketing or business plan.

Monthly priority list:

Spiritual

2. 
   

Family

Work / Career

2. 
   

Physical / Health

Social

Personal

Rest and relaxation [Wellbeing]

Tick off each category as you accomplish it and gradually you will achieve your yearly goals by chipping away. Congratulations it is a sensational feeling.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Give Yourself TIME to work!

To be productive at work sometimes we actually need time to work! What I mean is interruption FREE TIME. Time at our desk without the phone ringing; responding to emails or speaking to drop in’s. If you build this into your weekly or daily routine colleagues will begin to respect your work TIME.

Interruptions can be costly to both your personally and the business in general. You lose your focus and thoughts with each interruption and have to begin again. Reports have said that “unnecessary interruptions consume about 28 percent of the office based worker’s day” which does make a significant impact on our productivity.

Solutions

Simple solutions such as closing the door and allowing the phone to go to voicemail can be effective. If your office design means it is difficult to stop interruptions when you need a quiet space for your concentration timeslots, try to find other places to work. Perhaps negotiating to have some time working from home or in the general office meeting / board room may be the solution.

It is important for you and the organization you work for to have uninterrupted work time when you need to. Block a time in your diary or electronic calendar and advise everyone relevant that this is your productive / thinking time. If possible close the door, take the phone off the hook, turn off your mobile, and remove email alerts. Maintain this practice and you will benefit by being more productive than ever before, people will begin to acknowledge this is your TIME and work around you so that you achieve what you need to.

Benefits
This is not just relevant to senior management but to all levels of staff to focus and concentrate and in turn increase their productivity. Increased productivity leads to better work / life balance for you and increased profits for the organization. It is a win / win for both the individual and the organisation.

Perhaps with the more focused work time you will end up with more FREE TIME to live the life you enjoy.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Practical Staff Retention Ideas

Following from last weeks blog regarding focusing on staff retention rather than recruitment I felt it was appropriate to provide some positive solutions or ideas. The objective is to create happy and loyal employees. Elements are taken from an article written by Nukte Ogun in May 2008.

1. Salary
One of the biggest employee motivators, pay is what attracts us to most new positions and encourages us to stay.

2. Remuneration package
Think about other perks, besides pay, which you could use to lure and keep staff, including salary sacrifice, bonus super and novated leases.

3. Respect
Your grandmother had it right: treat others as you would like to be treated.

4. Resources
Staff tire pretty quickly of faulty and out-of-date equipment. It doesn’t have to be the newest or the best (it’ll help if it is though!), but it all needs to work.

5. Green factor
Green is in, and we’re now looking at a company’s vision before signing on the dotted line.

6. Location, location, location.
News flash: we don’t want to work hard to get to work. Consider parking and public transport availability when setting up shop or making a move.

7. Leadership
Make yourself approachable and available and give updates about changes in the business.

8. Recognise and compensate
It might seem obvious, but we hate not getting paid for work. Whether cash compensation or time in lieu, reimburse us if you want to keep us!

9. Take responsibility
Own your mistakes; don’t just dump them on us. We all make mistakes, so we’ll appreciate your maturity and show understanding when you make them too.

10. Listen
How often do you listen to your staff?

11. Follow-through from management
When issues are raised, do something about it.

12. Dress code
Adopt a relaxed dress code, or at least casual Fridays—it’s still a winner for many of us.

13. Goal-setting
Believe it or not, we actually like working towards something.

14. Fostering skills and ability
Training is a great way to ensure we don’t becoming stagnant and can move into new positions. Would you like being glued to your chair?

15. Incentives and bonuses
The best gifts are thought out and meaningful, so consider spa sessions and massages if your employees need to relax, or give out simple hampers at Christmas; a time when we’ll really appreciate them.

16. Adequate and stocked facilities
We don’t like nagging for supplies—so don’t make us.

17. Personal days
Even for those who love their job, work gets a little blahblah at times. Who wouldn’t want the occasional breather?

18. Coaching and mentoring
We actually like to learn in our jobs, and when managers take the time to coach or mentor, their charges tend to ‘blossom’ under their tutelage.

19. Reverse mentorship
Don’t be afraid to learn from us. You might be surprised by what we have to offer.

20. Job sharing
We like having time. And you might find that two part-timers suit your needs better than one full-timer.