So, Midsummer’s Day has come and gone, we’re already at the end of June and if you’re anything like me, you can’t quite grasp the concept that half the year has disappeared already. Traditionally, this would be a time for a bit of internal agonising over where all the time has gone and why haven’t we achieved what we set out to do in our New Year plans, but let’s buck with tradition, shall we? Let’s have a delicious summer full of happy daydreams of what we’re really going to bring to fruition in the rest of the year.
As a big fan of the Native American proverbial wisdom that it’s best to ride the horse in the direction that it’s going, I’m the first one to realise we need to face facts. Even if you aren’t too impressed with what you’ve managed to get up to so far this year, you’re highly unlikely to do anything much about it in the summer months. If you live in England, take that as gospel, because you won’t have even seen daylight for half the year. Now is the time to have some fun, reap the benefits of what you’ve been up to in the winter and spring, and give yourself some well-needed downtime before another big push in the autumn.
We really need to respect the cycles in our lives if we want to be happy and productive. Just recently I heard about studies by social scientists on work and productivity cycles. It should come as no surprise to learn that our efficiency vs stress curve is an almost perfect arc, ie little stress – no motivator – and we have low efficiency; moderate stress and we have high efficiency; then with excessive stress we’re back down to low efficiency again – distracted, irritable and lacking in concentration.
Equally, other studies have shown that our natural and most efficient productivity cycles are not constant, so the plodding approach of trying to keep up a steady level of output are counter-productive. Natural cycles of productivity rise and fall in clear periods of inspiration – where little appears to be done in the outside, but where the creative/intuitive/strategic skills are at work – followed by highly-efficient periods of externally-focused activity, where the creative work now comes to fruition. When we follow these natural rhythms, we become significantly more productive overall. Food for thought for manic bosses everywhere …
So, writ on a larger scale, summer is that time of the year when we appear to rest, but what we are doing is refreshing ourselves for the next cycle of activity, so that we can come to it anew with more inspiration, strategy and enthusiasm. Armed with that knowledge, hopefully any card-carrying workaholics who may be reading can give up their guilt about taking a break and learn to value the power of down-time.
When you do get the chance to enjoy some lazy days in summer, use this technique from Sandra Anne Taylor, author of Secrets of Success, to turbo-charge your daydreams for the next cycle of activity. She suggests getting into a positive frame of mind by deeply appreciating what you have already achieved or simply what you love most in your life – visualising it very clearly along with the feeling of pleasure that brings – and then imagining whatever you desire or have planned becoming a great success and really feeling into what that would bring you, just as intensely has you have for the things you already have in your life. As you focus on how great that would feel, you’re intensifying your own beliefs about how successful you can be and improving your confidence at the same time.
This week, if you’re still in the office and stressed to the max, remember to give yourself a break – no matter how short – particularly when you think you’re too busy to do so. Even a five-minute walk around the block will change your frame of mind and help you to relax. If you can, put a troublesome project away until you’ve had a chance to sleep on it and return refreshed with new eyes.
If you’re in holiday mode already, use it wisely. Forget your troubles and focus on what you’re really grateful for in your life. Daydream big and really see those dreams becoming a possibility for you, helping you to set a solid foundation for success. Or have a cocktail - even daydreaming feels like work sometimes!
As a big fan of the Native American proverbial wisdom that it’s best to ride the horse in the direction that it’s going, I’m the first one to realise we need to face facts. Even if you aren’t too impressed with what you’ve managed to get up to so far this year, you’re highly unlikely to do anything much about it in the summer months. If you live in England, take that as gospel, because you won’t have even seen daylight for half the year. Now is the time to have some fun, reap the benefits of what you’ve been up to in the winter and spring, and give yourself some well-needed downtime before another big push in the autumn.
We really need to respect the cycles in our lives if we want to be happy and productive. Just recently I heard about studies by social scientists on work and productivity cycles. It should come as no surprise to learn that our efficiency vs stress curve is an almost perfect arc, ie little stress – no motivator – and we have low efficiency; moderate stress and we have high efficiency; then with excessive stress we’re back down to low efficiency again – distracted, irritable and lacking in concentration.
Equally, other studies have shown that our natural and most efficient productivity cycles are not constant, so the plodding approach of trying to keep up a steady level of output are counter-productive. Natural cycles of productivity rise and fall in clear periods of inspiration – where little appears to be done in the outside, but where the creative/intuitive/strategic skills are at work – followed by highly-efficient periods of externally-focused activity, where the creative work now comes to fruition. When we follow these natural rhythms, we become significantly more productive overall. Food for thought for manic bosses everywhere …
So, writ on a larger scale, summer is that time of the year when we appear to rest, but what we are doing is refreshing ourselves for the next cycle of activity, so that we can come to it anew with more inspiration, strategy and enthusiasm. Armed with that knowledge, hopefully any card-carrying workaholics who may be reading can give up their guilt about taking a break and learn to value the power of down-time.
When you do get the chance to enjoy some lazy days in summer, use this technique from Sandra Anne Taylor, author of Secrets of Success, to turbo-charge your daydreams for the next cycle of activity. She suggests getting into a positive frame of mind by deeply appreciating what you have already achieved or simply what you love most in your life – visualising it very clearly along with the feeling of pleasure that brings – and then imagining whatever you desire or have planned becoming a great success and really feeling into what that would bring you, just as intensely has you have for the things you already have in your life. As you focus on how great that would feel, you’re intensifying your own beliefs about how successful you can be and improving your confidence at the same time.
This week, if you’re still in the office and stressed to the max, remember to give yourself a break – no matter how short – particularly when you think you’re too busy to do so. Even a five-minute walk around the block will change your frame of mind and help you to relax. If you can, put a troublesome project away until you’ve had a chance to sleep on it and return refreshed with new eyes.
If you’re in holiday mode already, use it wisely. Forget your troubles and focus on what you’re really grateful for in your life. Daydream big and really see those dreams becoming a possibility for you, helping you to set a solid foundation for success. Or have a cocktail - even daydreaming feels like work sometimes!
For the Coach Fabulous archives, go to www.coachfabulous.blogspot.com and for the I Am Fabulous archives, go to www.fabcentral.blogspot.com. You can email me at coachfabulous@iamfabulous.co.uk. All material ©2008 Alison Porter. No article may be reproduced in full or in part without the express permission of the author. (Originally posted 23 Jun 08)
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