The WhIP Journal
November 2005 Power Your Practice – THE WhIP JOURNAL [What Helps In Practice]
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In This Issue:
- THE SEDUCTION OF BUSY – Are You Busy on GOOD work or GREAT work?
- THAT IS SUCH A GOOD THOUGHT…
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THE SEDUCTION OF BUSY – Are You Busy on GOOD work or GREAT work?
Being busy is so seductive! It’s a statement of success. We portray our importance, our place in this big, busy world with statements about our busy-ness. It’s a reassurance of our value, our power, and our abilities.
The problem with busy is that it eliminates our time to think and ponder.
When we’re ‘busy’ we don’t spend time worrying about other things, bigger things in life.
Who are we? Where are we going? What’s the plan? What should we be doing to go where we want to go? Are we going to the right place? Just because we’re speeding through this busy life doesn’t mean we’re on the right track.
Sometimes we anesthetize ourselves by being busy. It becomes an addictive habit. We don’t know how to sit quietly for much more than the few seconds it takes to travel in an elevator. Even the line up in the Tim Horton’s drive-thru is productive with a cell phone call or attentively listening to the radio. Understanding whether you are busy by choice or busy by habit means that you have the power to make decisions to follow the rhythm of your life. Maybe you are busy today, and you decide not to be busy tomorrow. You will be slower and take time to reflect and consider possibilities and opportunities.
To stop being busy is as simple and as difficult as deciding what will you say "no" to?
Michael Dell of Dell Computers says, "it's easy to decide what you're going to do. The hard thing is figuring out what you're not going to do."
Michael Bungay Stainer says the biggest difference is in being able to do more Great work and say ‘no’ to Good work. What is the difference between Great work and Good work? I think most of us know it in our soul.
Briefly, Great work is something that stretches us, calls upon our passion, and helps us grow. Good work is stuff that we do well, and are very comfortable with.
There’s no challenge or passion required.
There’s no shame in Good work, but there’s also no glory.
“There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”-Norman Vincent Peale
Let’s take a [slow] minute to consider this:
Is your busy-ness spent on any Great work?
How much time do you actually spend on Great work?
How many of us may realize that we’ve spent many years on Good work, while Great work seemed elusive?
How do we plan for the future with the existing busy-ness of our lives?
How do we plan for 2006, which is right ahead of us?
Are you interested in making 2006 a year of Great work instead of just Good work?
Start with ONE THING you can eliminate, delegate or reduce, that will enable you to slow down your busy-ness, to think, and re-energize. (Remember the seduction of busy. Seduction is something that attracts and charms you. You will have to see it with new eyes, to resist it)
Choose ONE THING that will increase your opportunity and ability for Great work.
Find a way to make yourself accountable. Pursuing the challenge of Great work, requires a renewed commitment on a daily basis. The seduction of busy and the lure of Good work will repeatedly call to us like a siren song.
If you’re interested in some time to withdraw and reflect, perhaps a retreat day spent on leadership issues will help provide some clarity on Great work and how to find it.
There is still space available, now being held in Oakville, ON:
Join me for an “EMERGING LEADERSHIP RETREAT”
[Retreat: to withdraw…a place of privacy….to study]
What we’ll study:
Leadership development involves:
-Confidence building on a personal and professional level
-Elegant strategies and simple plans for growth
-Clarifying and simplifying your work and your life
-Overcoming the sense you don’t want to grow because you can’t manage what you have now
-Marketing and knowing how to tell clients and prospective clients about your firm
-Time Management as the critical skill needed by everyone and few can do very well
-Analyzing your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats on an ongoing basis.
-Understanding how you sell your services reflects on how you do business.
-Communicating and listening to build trust and respect
-Attracting and retaining the best Team members whether you’re a duet or a full orchestra
-Assessing performance and inspiring greatness
When, where and how much will it cost to withdraw and focus on emerging leadership:
Thursday December 1st, 2005 from 9:30am-4:30pm, in OAKVILLE, ON.
Cost is $129.00/person, beverages and lunch included.
THAT IS SUCH A GOOD THOUGHT…
Thoughts worth reading, thinking, repeating and embracing.
“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.--Ralph Waldo Emerson
I hope you’ve found value in this month’s copy of THE WhIP JOURNAL.
My best regards to you,
Debra Dowdell
For more information, or to share your firm’s story please contact:
Bus: 905-951-9773 Toll-free: 888-272-2735 Fax: 905-951-9956
57 Goodfellow Crescent Bolton, ON L7E 5X6
This is an Opt-in No-Fee monthly ezine/newsletter from Debra Dowdell. You are receiving this because you have subscribed to it. You may unsubscribe or change your information at any time at Details@PowerYourPractice.com. Your information will never be given away, sold, or rented. Ever. Thank you.
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Power Your Practice does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any statement or other information and materials provided in this newsletter. All articles and other information and materials in this newsletter are provided for general information purposes only.