Confessions of A Work & Life Balance Coach

Okay, I have a confession to make...


... this Work and Life Balance Coach (ME!) is currently a lousy example of work and life balance, living terribly out of kilter and running around in a terrible scurry these last months. I inadvertantly allowed life's craziness to take ahold of me, life's doled out a few hard knocks and I'm still not back in equilibrium yet. THIS is the reason you have not heard from me in a long stretch now.


How can I POSSIBLY write about balance and stillness and applying good practices if I am not congruent to my own message?!?! So, I've simply chosen to not write for this period of time.


I've been asking myself, "How did I let myself get so over-committed in work, work and even more work?"


How did I fall completely off of my fitness over these last eight weeks since our local Curves fitness center closed? (Gee I miss that great little program!)


How did I think it okay to begin eating anything and everything in sight without bathroom scale repercussions these last weeks?!? Eating chocolate every day tastes great but begins to show in the love handles fairly quickly! (How ironic that my last blog writing was about me doing a raw food cleanse for a seriously committed month! Did I EVER spin out from that!)


The loss of my fitness routine combined with the Christmas holidays and all the rich food temptations, my hips have widened by TEN pounds since the summer! I am definitely in a "tight pants" place in my self image again... moan... after I was feeling at my VERY best late July.


SO...


There's my confession! I feel better for it, too. It's just true, I'm no Work and Life Balance saint these days.


Thankfully, a New Year is almost upon us... a time to refocus, set some goals and get myself aligned as we move into spring again. My best "flourishing" happens between spring and late fall each year and I desire to move south for winter from now on. Winter, I recognize is consistently the hardest time of the year for me.

With my 5oth birthday looming next June, it inspires me to get back on the Work and Life Balance bandwagon!

You'll hear from me more frequently now that I've "fessed up!"


Warmly, Carolyn

Summertime Balance

Summertime hellos!

How wonderful it would be to play complete hookie from all obligations and commitments (both work and personal) and simply play for the summer months! Those of you that can afford work time off and afford a vacation are fortunate. Those of us that have to continue working (me included), really need to make the time to have bite-size opportunities to break away and rejuvenate. Keeping up with all the peripheral "need-to-be-done jobs" has to be put into perspective (and occasionally put on the back burner) in support of healthy living!

Wouldn't you say...

The yardwork can wait one more day.
The filing of papers and answering correspondance can wait one more day.
Certainly, the vaccuuming and dusting can wait.
The mess in the carport will still be there tomorrow.

I admit, my life is hectic busy and not in very good balance right now and I know that working non-stop is simply not healthy. Thankfully, my involvements are ones I enjoy at least.

This is the time of year to be outdoors, walking in the woods, having a picnic or canoeing the inlet! Friends are calling to meet for barbeques, beer and laughing together. Nurturing our souls, our bodies and our friendships are key ingredients to life balance. Thankfully, our westcoast Canada summer season is fairly long compared to many other world regions... but still, time moves on quickly if we're not aware and setting priorities. Taking leisure time, balanced with other responsibilities is important for life.

So I ask, how are you doing in this regard? If you're like me, working like a dog and just managing to stay on top of necessary tasks it's time to step back and evaluate! Believe me, I am asking myself the following questions... you might ask them of yourself, too...

What are the aspects of life and work that could be slowed down for now?
What activities or commitments could be graciously declined?
Who could be called in to get help from?
How could responsibilities be delegated?

We've already had our longest day of the year, from here they begin shortening gradually. Now is the time to catch the spirit of summer and do some things to recharge our batteries, even if they're close to home and in the evenings after your work!

It's summer! There are festivals to enjoy, there are parks, there are picnics, there are bike rides, there are musical celebrations, etc. happening in your community. Get out and seek balance... instead of wishing you could have it. I'm committed to changing things for myself.

Here's a photo taken during our recent Canada Day parade...

Warmly, Carolyn

How to Put a Little Play Back in Your Day

Ask yourself the following questions...

"Do I make any time in my average day for play?"

Am I trying to juggle too much in life and work?

Chances are you are like most others... you're moving through each day in a "responsible" way , taking care of those "shoulds" of life before allowing yourself ease and fun. It seems this is the typical North American way of life today.

Thanks to ARAcontent of Life Informed for the good little article posted, entitled "How to Put Play Back in Your Day"... it speaks to an important life focus these days.

Here's a paragraph taken from the article... have a read...

"Finding ways to put a little play in your day can increase the levels of satisfaction experienced at work. Yet despite these benefits, the Nestle survey found that at 42 percent, almost half of Americans think their workday contains no play whatsoever, and only 39 percent felt their's was a fun or playful workplace."

Click on the link below for the complete story... then do something to infuse your world with a new way of being.

http://www.liveinformed.com/Story_5738_How_to_Put_a_Little_Play_Back_in_Your_Day.aspx

Turning seriousness into a happy blend of responsibility AND playtime!

Warmly, Carolyn

Get your BEST YOU Possible eBook... all about Work and Life Balance! It contains many suggestions for infusing your life (and work) with new ways of being. $27

http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Exercise... and Rest

Warm hellos!

I hope your world is unfolding positively... as is mine.

At the beginning of January, as a means to inspire and map my exercise progress, I put a calendar up on my office wall where I now mark in all my physical activities. So far this month, I have seriously exercised 19 times... by attending the Curves Club for circuit training, strenuous yoga and dance classes, and gone for long power walks.

Sure, I probably could have increased my frequency, but I feel pleased with my exercise commitment.

I am reminded again about how good yoga is for me! After suffering a torn rotator cuff for over a year, I'd discontinued all formal yoga classes until I healed. Now two weeks into a new yoga season, I'm being selective about the poses and being careful with others, so as not to re-injure myself.

Already an "elastic band," I can feel my body getting stronger and even more flexible, too. By summer, I expect I'll have sculpted muscles again and be stronger in the core of my body... ready to wear my summer clothing confidently.

How are you doing with your New Year fitness commitment?

Remember, bodies are meant to move... otherwise, they atrophy... along with our sense of self image and confidence, too!

AND, just as important as fitness is to our health, so is REST! Julia Cameron (author of the wonderful book entitled, "The Artist's Way") offers the following quotation...

"So often we try to gird ourselves to face a harsh and difficult world when we might instead gentle both ourselves and our world just by slowing down. We could take a cue from music here: 'Rest' is musical term for a pause between flurries of notes. Without that tiny pause, the torrent of notes can be overwhelming. Without a rest in our lives, the torrent of our lives can be the same."

So my friend (interested in Work and Life Balance), move and rest! Move and rest! Move and rest!

You might consider putting a calendar up on your wall as your fitness map, too... and become inspired by your progress.

Warmly, Carolyn

http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Carolyn's Christmas News!

Richard and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Please click on the PLAY button of our special card below, clicking each of the three pages to read our Christmas News.

Thank you for your interest in our Work and Life Balance Blog... and especially for your friendship!

Warmly, Carolyn and Richard Clarke

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Share Your Goodness

I have always felt that it is an easy and rewarding experience to help make other people's lives better by sharing some of my positivity, care and attention. I get to feel uplifted by sharing my greatness, AND get to watch how my attention literally transforms another person's day. And, you know what...

... WE ALL have that ability!

I love the following quotation, for it really expresses what I personally aspire to in my own life.

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."

Quote by Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Missionary and Nobel Peace Prize winner

(What a great photo of her, hey!)

Those in business ought to really understand this principle, for it can be the difference between their business succeeding or failing. Good customer care professionals are like diamonds... they make everything around them glitter and uplift feelings.

It's as simple as aligning in attitude and extending a little kindness to others... a gesture of help, a non-intrusive conversation, a helping hand, a compliment, whatever! Offered with sincerity, it certainly will be noticed!

In this season of giving, offer your authentic Self, for it is the kindest gift. Go on... make a difference!

Warmly, Carolyn

P.S. If you are hunting for a perfect gift for a friend, co-worker or relative needing increased Work and Life Balance, the "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook and companion bonuses and Relaxation meditation MP3 is it!

$27... go to www.life-balance-success.com

Money Management for A Healthy Life

Welcome.

If Richard and I ever decide to publish a revised edition to our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook, we will definitely include another chapter. Along with these important topic chapters already covered...

• PHYSICAL WELLBEING
• EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
• MENTAL / ATTITUDINAL WELLBEING
• SOCIAL / RELATIONSHIP WELLBEING
• AND SPIRITUAL WELLBEING

... we realize that MONEY MANAGEMENT best also be included in the Work and Life Balance equation!!! If our money condition is a mess, it overflows into the rest of our lives, no matter HOW balanced we might be in all other aspects!

We have just spent a week with one of the planet's smartest money management teachers, Mr. Rick Ruby!

Warm thanks to Rick and Britt Ruby and his company Core Training for including Richard and me in their bi-annual Summit Convention, where we taught an "Eliminating Fear Through Stress Management" seminar for their real estate agents and mortgage brokers coaching members. (Fear is pretty rampant in the USA real estate business these days with the collapse of the morgage industry.)

Core Training is a coaching company that helps accomplished, high earning realtors and mortgage brokers reduce their expenses while boosting their savings, in order to create healthier businesses and healthier lives! Rick and his team of coaches do an awesome job of helping the members and we're honoured to be included in their program. Our involvement with Core is to help the members address the more personal aspect of their lives, in order to create balance in their homes, health and relationships.

This Summit was held in the beautiful Huntington Beach area of California, an hour south of Los Angeles, literally across the street from the sprawling Pacific Ocean beaches. We thoroughly enjoyed our involvement with all of the Core staff and members, plus our additional two days to enjoy the area afterwards.

Here are a few photos to enjoy of the lovely Hilton Huntington Beach Resort where the event was held at, and including a few images of Richard and me having fun during the Hawaiian Luau theme dinner...

Richard and I are definitely skilled to help you get your personal lives and relationships in a healthy condition. To get your copy of the Inner Fitness(R) "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible eBook" and companion bonuses (including a blissful Relaxation guided meditation), click here...

www.life-balance-success.com

Warmly, Carolyn Clarke

I'm Going Back to The Haven

Hi!

Well, unless there's a computer at The Haven, this will be my last post for 12 days. Yes, I am returning to the wonderful Haven Institute on Gabriola Island, B.C. www.haven.ca to attend another (my second) seminar...

... my time for an extensive personal retreat!

I'll begin my retreat program with an hour-long Lomi Lomi massage, which (if you've never experienced) is WONDERFUL! From there, I have a need to step back from my day-to-day world and do some important reflection on my next life-stage direction.

You see, there are natural cycles in everyone's lives where it becomes valuable to "take stock" of our accomplishments, evaluate those passions that remain unfulfilled and to figure ways of becoming even more expressed as a living being. This is where I am at... hence the desire to retreat!

So, if I find a computer, I will talk to you again in a day or two... otherwise, I'll talk to you on November 1st. Live well until then.

Warmly, Carolyn

The WAY You Work vs. WHERE You Work!

"Your happiness ultimately comes from the WAY you work, not WHERE you work."

Quotation by Russell Simmons (1957 - ) American entrepreneur

Many letters come to me from my Work & Life Balance subscribers who express their dissatisfaction with their place of employment.

(P.S. If you're not receiving my great and free balance tips yet, sign up at http://www.life-balance-success.com/freebalancetips.html )

Intending no disrespect, I suspect that for some workers, much of their dissatisfaction is self-inflicted.

• Some do not have their work space set up to work as effectively in as possible.


• Some have distracting co-workers who impose into their time and space, without adequate boundaries set up to enforce new ways of working.


• Many feel under-utilized or appreciated.


• And of course, even more are simply overworked, trying to do the job really meant for more workers.

Certainly not to trivialize the dissatisfied employee's experiences, the above quotation does have some merit.

There is a direct relationship between those workers that ritually attend to their personal self-care practices each day (exercise, proper nutition, quiet time, meditation, reading or a form of creative expression) having a MUCH higher threshold of ability (and quality of experience) in their work.

Those workers that align with a positive "glass is half full" attitude have a much higher patience and persistence ability, plus a greater sense of reward in their endeavors.

So, I challenge you to consider the WAYS you align in attitude and the WAYS you approach your work! Here are 4 places to start...

1. Maybe you best set new spacial boundaries in your workspace.
   


2. Maybe you best reorganize your workspace to optimize more effective work.
   


3. Maybe you could afford to clean up your attitude.
   


4. And, maybe you best implement self-care practices each day, so that you can feel good about your work life and your personal life.

These are, at least, good places to start if you are feeling unhappy at work.

But, if these issues do not apply to you and you're doing everything right in these regards... then, maybe you DO need to consider a new work space, one that would allow you to be happier!

If you want some great ideas on how to improve your workspace and use your office devices more efficiently, the BEST YOU eBook has a 27-page "While At Work" bonus chapter that will REALLY help you!
www.life-balance-success.com

Wishing you the very best... at home and work,

Carolyn Clarke

Are You Blobbing Yet?

I'd like to pay tribute to all of my Australian readers and subscribers today!!

Hat's off to all of you Aussies seeking Work and Life Balance. Having vacationed in Australia many years ago, I admit I saw no signs of anyone living in stress and needing balance tips and tools. Perhaps it was because I was in sight-seeing mode, my eyes seeing merely the beauty of the city and countryside... I simply had no inside peek into "real life" Australia.

I can hardly wait to visit Australia again in the future. It is a VAST country with such diverse cultures, landscapes, climates, vegetations and peoples. We, as Canadians were made to feel very welcome throughout our travels. Sydney is an awesome city... Melbourne another beautiful and interesting city... the Gold Coast hot and gorgeously filled with bronze beauties everywhere. Holding a koala bear melted my heart. My photographer self was very busy there, capturing the great sights... here's one of my moment caught on film. (This sunset moment sent me into immediate inner balance!)

Thanks to my Australian friend, Martin for sharing an Aussie expression with me in an email recently. He was telling me about how busy he'd been with a project over the last eight weeks and then said, "I treated myself to two blob days where I recharged my batteries."

When I inquired what a "blob" day is, he emailed me again, saying, "In Australia we say a slow day where you relax and take a load off is a day where you blob! Hence a blob day!"

Thanks so much, Martin... this is worth sharing around!

So, my Work and Life Balance reader friends, I hope you'll catch the Australian spirit and treat yourself to frequent all-important "Blob Days" too! Blobbing is really vital to our entire wellbeing. Smile... if you find that expression as contagious as I do, spread it around!

Blobbing (relaxation) is a really good thing for life balance.

Warmly, Carolyn

BEST YOU eBook is available at http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Why Love Heals: How Friendships Keep You Healthy

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you wearing any green today? (Were Richard's Mom Amy still with us, she'd be celebrating her 107th birthday today... she was such a sweet lady, a real "Scottie"!)

A quick little update first and then I have an interesting article for you to read about the healing value of friendships.

Our newly completed eBook, "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" and two bonuses have now been turned into PDF files, a necessary step for us to be able to deliver them through email... so this step is now ready for operation.

We're now working to make it possible to deliver our Relaxation guided meditation in the same way, for it to come into your computer as a sound file. We're also working to make our website able to facilitate the whole sale transaction for a seamless, easy purchase. Soon, soon, soon!

As you recall, I have emphasized the real importance of including friendships in our work and life balance equation. Thanks to MSN Lifestyle: Boomers for a good article posted today, entitled;

Why Love Heals: How Friendships Keep You Healthy
Written (well) By Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, MD

Here are a few of the opening paragraphs...

"There is an actual, physical chunk of brain that runs your emotions called the limbic brain. You can trace its development back a hundred million years. You can see it on an MRI. Every second you spend with other people, your limbic brain is tuning in to them, being changed by their moods, and changing theirs in turn. It's a constant, life-affirming limbic dance.

Experimental psychologists have known for decades that we share moods. If you don't believe me, just think of the people who make you feel better simply by walking into a room. These sorts of interactions feel so good (directly and unconsciously) that we would wither away without them. This is why you should never underrate the emotional side of your life.

Women are better than men at keeping the limbic dance going by working to ensure that families stay connected as the years go by and by building lasting friendships and deep connections from the many different aspects of their lives. High school and college friends, friends from work, friends from raising children together, from neighborhood committees, from shared vacations -- sure, some of these bonds and friendships fall away as part of the natural cycle of growing and changing, but most women find new friendships to replace them. Women who don't find close friendships, who have trouble keeping up connections, need to make an effort to change those patterns.

Hundreds of research studies confirm that isolation hurts us and connection heals us through the same physical mechanisms as exercise and healthy diet. Blood vessels are measurably more elastic, the heart's ability to respond to extraordinary demands is higher, cardiac inflammatory protein levels are lower, and blood pressure response to exercise is better in more connected people. Their stress-hormone blood profiles are also measurably healthier than those of isolated people."

For the remainder of the article, click here...

http://boomers.msn.com/articleLHJ.aspx?cp-documentid=376471&GT1=9206

Enjoy! So, stay tuned for my next update.

Here's to getting together with your (green) friends today, afterall, it is Saturday and St. Patrick's Day, too.

Warmly, Carolyn

Inner Fitness(R) Programs

www.innerfitness.ca

www.a-balanced-life.com

Our eBook Is Complete!

Hi and welcome.

I'm excited to say, "Ta Da!" (with a musical tone to it) today!

After much anticipation, Richard and I are pleased to announce that our "Becoming the BEST YOU... Tools for Work and Life Balance" eBook is finally complete. A labour of love, this has been an eight month journey of working diligently at the computer each day.

By far, the hardest part of writing this eBook has been how to condense down 26 and 30 years of counselling and teaching experience into a publication without it becoming 500 pages long! We initially aimed to produce a 75 - 100 page book, but it quickly expanded to a now 111-pages. This is largely the reason the completion has taken MUCH longer than originally intended (and promised). We're sure that you'll agree, it will have been worth the wait.

So, what do we hope our readers (hopefully including you) will get out of this BEST YOU eBook?

The goal of this eBook is to help you remember how possible and powerful it is to choose to live in natural expression of your true potential, to embrace your personal abilities and find greater balance by embracing the flow of life. Aspiring to be and do your best to balance the urgent need for material success and security opens the freedom to explore the richness in love, play, creative expression and new depths of intimacy in your relationships. Improve your personal life first and the quality of your work life will improve, too!

Working with this eBook will lead you on an adventure to remember your true nature, helping you to remember the important difference between balancing the many extremes of DOINGS needed in your daily life with the essence and inspiration of your BEING… in order to experience the BEST YOU in a healthy, balanced way of living and working.

Over the years, we’ve seen how the application of specific self-care practices can make a difference to the quality of life that individuals live… simple tools, with transformational results.

What is Work Life Balance?

We teach that balance is a dynamic process… not a destination. Balance is a verb, rather than a noun… active and ever-changing. Much like a tight-rope walker naturally wavers to keep his balance; life is naturally like this, too… dealing with life’s challenges in the best way possible.

The task of the average working person is to maximize every opportunity in their home and work environments to optimize being as “balanced on the wire” as possible. How? By implementing simple practices that address every aspect of the human experience… which means looking after oneself well physically, emotionally, mentally, in relationships, in their work space and in spirit, too. We have much to offer here!

We know that when individuals take exceptional care of balancing their personal lives, they then bring a much better balance into their work experience. Their outlook is brighter and more optimistic. They tend to have better concentration and focus, they don’t have as many things pulling them in a million directions… overall, they have less stress and overwhelm. Yes, balance ends up expressed a little different for every person depending on what challenges and opportunities are going on in their lives, but the road to balance consists of pretty much the same ingredients… exceptional self-care in every aspect of life.

I'm not kidding when I say that this eBook is busting at the seams with information! Every page is absolutely full. Tastefully infused with graphics and even a few of my favourite photographs, too, it is visually appealing... or at least, that's the feedback so far.

The next phase of this eBook introduction is to now prepare our website to be able to deliver this downloadable file (along with it's companion two bonus chapters AND Relaxation Guided Meditation MP3!) in a seamless way.

Assuming this next step proceeds as smoothly as I hope it will, our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook will be available very shortly! Thankfully, I'll have the valuable help of my friend, Sheila Martin to make this so. I may even have an exact launch date for you within the next few days... I'll certainly keep you alerted.

Warmly, Carolyn

Inner Fitness(R) Programs

www.innerfitness.ca

www.a-balanced-life.com

7 Work Life Balance Tips

Hi and welcome!
My thanks to Jeff Wuorio for writing a good little article for the Microsoft Small Business Center, entitled, “Need Work – Life Balance? 7 Tips.”

One of the 7 points that Jeff makes is a good one that I frequently make… I overbook my time. Not because I think I’m Wonder Woman and believe I can achieve it all, but rather that I incorrectly estimate how much time each task will take. I optimistically estimate that a task will take two hours, when in fact, it takes the better part of a day then wonder why I end up frustrated. It seems I’ve accomplished far less than intended, when in fact, I’d set the bar too high in the first place.

Here’s what Jeff says about this one point;

“Don't overbook.
This may seem unusual to people who try to crowbar as much as possible into every workday. The problem is: Things rarely go according to a prearranged agenda. That means a lot of time falling through the cracks chasing down appointments, unreturned phone calls and other items that simply aren't going to happen. "Don't try to plan on doing too many things," says McGonagle. "Assume that only 50% of the things you plan on doing today will actually get done. If you don't, you'll just waste valuable time trying to find out why things didn't happen."

To read the rest of the article, click on this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/management/leadership_training/need_work_life_balance_7_tips.mspx

It’s a quick little article with several good points to help you with your work life balance. I'm sure there’ll be a few ideas for you to use.

Stay well until I talk to you again really soon.

Warmly, Carolyn
Inner Fitness® Programs
http://www.innerfitness.ca/