Tag: time

There’s a fascinating concept in economics called "Pareto’s Law," or the "80/20 Rule." In a nutshell, a 19th century economist, Vilfredo Pareto, noticed that 20% of the people owned 80% of the land, and similarly that 20% of his peapods produced 80% of his peas. Much later, Joe Juran, looking to improve factory production during WWII, realized that 20% of the factories were responsible for 80% of all defective parts, and vice-versa: thus the beginning of the quality movement in U.S. business.

What could the "80/20 Rule" possibly have to do with you? Simply put, most of us spend 80% of our time on things that really don’t matter all that much to us, and only 20% of our time on the things that really matter. Huh...

As we move into longer darker days we are headed into the full blown holiday season. This time of year brings people into my office tired, sad, stressed, and excited. They are running a gamut of emotions with weeks to go.

If you want to feel grounded this holiday season, get proactive about creating your plan to stick with the healthy habits that keep you feeling strong and balanced.

There have been a few times in my life that I have had what I refer to as a "light bulb" moment. It happens when something becomes so crystal clear and illuminated in my mind, almost like a light bulb has been turned on in a dark room.

I had a light bulb moment when thinking about my self-care routines, and ultimately it helped to transform me and change extended to my entire family.

As a young mom I had an idea in my head that being a martyr meant I was "doing it right." I thought that putting everyone else’s needs before my own meant that I was proving my love to my family. The only problem was that when I did they got the exhausted, depleted, and overwhelmed version of Mommy.

When a couple has been married for a long time, romance somehow takes a back seat to the many tasks and responsibilities each one has to take care of every day. Before you were married, your sweet date nights that used to be candle lit romantic dinners become sleepless nights caring for the baby. Your fun movie dates turn into watching TV at home and then falling fast asleep because you are both too tired to watch. Even sex, if you still do it,  becomes rote and obligatory. Does this all sound familiar to you?

We may not be out of the pandemic quite yet, but many of us are carving out a "new normal" for ourselves. Because let’s face it, life is not going back to what it was a mere two years ago. This actually is a good thing, because we have the opportunity to make new decisions, new choices for how we want to live going forward.

There was an adage my mother repeated endlessly: "Waste not, want not." Her objective was to get her children to eat everything on their plate, including the brussel sprouts. Yuck. At the time, I thought, well the dog will always eat the brussel sprouts slipped under the table so nothing wasted.

Do you remember bike rides on Saturdays and lazy Sunday mornings with the paper? A typical weekend might have included grabbing a bite to eat with friends at a local bistro, taking in a movie or going out for brunch. Or perhaps you would have simply slept. Ah, glorious uninterrupted sleep. Where did those days go?

All of a sudden, your weekends are dictated by ballet, soccer and birthday parties. And your old system for managing life doesn’t work either. There is now a crushing need for that huge calendar hung on your kitchen wall boasting entries organized by color so that your partner can easily see what is happening without having to ask you.

You care deeply about your clients, employees and co-workers. Of course you do. But if you’re like most people in the workplace (be they leaders, front line workers, or someone in the vast middle ground), you may occasionally do (or not do) things that send the wrong signal. And that signal is, "I don’t care."

This accidental carelessness is not surprising.

We’re all so busy these days. In fact, we’re overwhelmed—and when we’re trying to survive, sometimes even the most well-meaning among us don’t realize how we’re coming across.