Work-Life Balance Tip #11: Set Boundaries

Work Life Balance Tip #11 -- Set Boundaries
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved.

Today's tip on balance is about setting boundaries. What is the connection between boundaries and balance? Sit back and think about all the things you have to do today. Looking at this list, are there certain tasks you could have said "no" to? What would it be like to delegate or postphone some of these tasks? What are you aware of now?

Setting boundaries is not just about saying no to things. It is about getting clear on your values and what is important to you (in both the short and long-term) and making consicious decisions from this place of values. What do you want to say yes to? What are your priorities? What will not serve you in the short or long term? How could clearer boundaries support you? What would clearer boundaries change?

In a couple of weeks I will be holding the Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat (Sat. Feb 17: 10 - 4 pm EST). We will be spending some time during the retreat reflecting on our values, our current boundaries and we will consciously looking at what new boundaries would serve us and those people and things that are important in our lives. If this is an interest area for you I hope that you will consider joining me for the day in February.

Here's a short exercise to try today...take a piece of paper and draw a large circle in the middle. Inside the circle write or draw the things that are important in your life - the things you want to say yes to and the things you want more of. Outside of the circle, write or draw the things you want to leave out - the things you want to say no. Once you have finished your circle and it's environment, ask yourself, "What practical steps can I take today to have more of the yeses, and less of the nos?". Pick one or two to focus on every day this week.

I'd be interested in hearing about your experience with this exercise - please feel free to comment below.

Have a balanced start to the week!

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
90 Day Your Balanced Life Program: Next program starts March 20th. Reserve your space today!
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com

Balanced Living for Moms

Being a mom and living a balanced life can be challenging. I say this myself as a mother of a wonderful 20 month old who has boundless energy! My schedule and work definitely needs to be modified by his needs and energy flow, and what balance looks like for me today, looks very different than a few years ago. Nonetheless, being a mom is a labour of love and a real gift.

I've come across a great site for moms who are looking for educational activities for their little ones, ages 0-5, called Little Fun; Little Learning. It's got a wealth of activities and ideas for all age groups. Check it out at http://littlefunlittlelearning.blogspot.com. I'm sure that you will find some fun activities to undertake with your little ones!

As a mom, what is your greatest challenge with balance? Please feel free to comment using the link below.

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Potentials Realized

Looking to Declutter?

I attended at fantastic call yesterday with Professional Organizer, Hellen Buttigieg , a professional organizer, life coach and also host of the HGTV show, neat. Hellen is the President of Weorganizeu. She is a phenomenal resource and hosts a fantastic show -- my mother absolutely adores Hellen and couldn't believe that I had spoken to her yesterday.

What's the state of your home and office after the holiday season? Are all those gifts put away? What about your desk?

I know that decluttering is a theme for myself this year (particularly as it relates to office clutter), and a number of my clients are looking to simplify and declutter there own surroundings.

Helen put out a challenge to all of us on the call yesterday to get rid of five things a day for the next month. Imagine what space would be created in all that clearing. I've decided to tackle my office area first, and then we will get to our home here in Toronto...will you join me on this month of decluttering?

Hellen also recommended a couple of good books on the topic of organizing:

Organization from the Inside Out - Julie Morgenstein
Organization for the Creative Person - Dorothy Lehmkuhl

These books are listed at the online bookstore I have set up for Your Balanced Life!, which is in conjunction with Amazon. To visit the online bookstore (AStore) visit: http://astore.amazon.com/yourbalancedlife-20 . I hope that you will find some books of interest. If you can recommend other books that you like, related to work-life balance, planning or organizing, and would like to share these titles with others, please feel free to commment below.

Have a balanced weekend!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com and http://www.groupcoachingessentials.com
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960

Your Balanced Life Virtual Retreat - Saturday Feb 17/06

Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved

Back by popular demand, I will be running the next Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat (TM) on Saturday February 17th from 10 am - 4 pm (EST). Intially launched in July of 2006, this program is offered every season. Will you join me for this Winter's Your Balanced Life Virtual Retreat?

This six-hour Virtual Retreat is designed for busy professionals and individuals who are committed to creating a more balanced life. No travel needed, you can retreat from the comfort of your own home, cottage or office.

The Your Balanced Life Virtual Retrat enables participants to:
* Explore your current state of balance
* Discover your core values - your internal compass
* Develop your personal vision of a more balanced life
* Clarify your priorities
* Create an action plan to put your new commitments into action

Each participant receives:
* The Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat Manual
* 6 hour s of structured activities, undertaken as a group and individually
* One half hour individual coaching session after the retreat
* A group follow up call one month after the retreat

The cost for the Virtual Retreat is $97 US or $75 if you register prior to February 10/07. The retreat is limited to 12 participants. Reserve your spot today by calling toll free 1-866-217-1960 or by emailing info@potentialsrealized.com

For more information, please visit the Your Balanced Life! Virtual Retreat page, clicking here. To reserve your spot and pay by PayPal, click here.

I look forward to having you join me!

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized

Work Life Balance Tip #10 - Reward yourself for small Successes

Work-Life Balance Tip #10
Reward Yourself for Small Successes
Jennifer Britton, Copyright 2007

It is usually around this time of year that the allure of our New Years Resolutions starts to wear off. Perhaps you threw yourself whole heartedly during the first week of the month into all of your resolutions, and yet you are still not seeing any major changes.

WLB Tip #10 is about rewarding ourself for our small successes. Prehaps you did get to the gym twice this week, even though you'd said you would go 4 times. Is that twice a week activity more than you have undertaken before?

This tip is all about being Gentle with yourself. Ask yourself:

What small successes or accomplishments to you need to acknowledge or celebrate?
What can you today reward yourself for your small successes?
What do you need to be gentle with yourself about? What does that look like?

Take the pressure off of yourself and have fun along the way. Be Gentle.

An exciting opportunity for 50 relationships (business/personal)

As we head into a new year, many individuals give thought as to what their most important relationships are in their lives. As humans, we are social creatures, and relationships provide so much for our well-being.

Increasingly, my own coaching work is expanding from individual client work and working with groups and teams, to incorporate relationship coaching for business and personal partners. One of the reasons I am moving into the domain of relationships coaching is that our lives are impacted by our relationships and our partnerships. For example, sometimes a challenge related to life-work balance may be due to our relationship with our spouse, a child, our boss, money or a value we hold. We can make change, but unless the system within which we operate changes, the impact will be minimal or short-lived.

As I continue to deepen my work in the area of relationship coaching, my goal is to work with 50 partners (business partners, spouses, siblings, team members) over the next six weeks. I will be offering a Design Your Partnership Alliance session by phone to interested partners. There is no charge for this session and the process will take approximately 45 minutes. All members of the system need to be able to participate on this call (both parties or all team members).

What you will take away from Designing Your Partnership Alliance is a clearer picture of your relationship (your expectations and agreements), what you want it to feel like and what you want more of. In addition, you will set some concrete action steps for yourself.

Are you ready to invest in your most important relationships this year? I hope so. If you are interested in being one of the 50 relationships I work with in the coming weeks, please email me at jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com or call me toll free at 1-866-217-1960. Suggest two or three times when you are available to hold the session, as well as what time zone you are located in. Please feel free to pass this on to others who you know might be interested. All sessions are confidential.

I look forward to hearing from you!

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized

Jennifer Britton is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and Certified Human Resource Professional. As the founder of Potentials Realized, she has been working with individual and organizational clients from across North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Australasia since 2004 to realize their potentials. Jennifer is a former global manager and has led team and group programs since 1988 in 14 countries around the world. She is known for her trail-blazing, inspiring approach when working with teams, partnerships and individuals. Jennifer is in the process of completing advanced coach training through The Coaches Training Institute in the area of Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching.

Work-Life Balance Tip #9 - Celebrate

Work Life Balance Tip #9 - Celebrate

Happy New Year! I hope that 2007 has started off magnificently for you and that you made time over the holidays to celebrate and appreciate all the great things in your life.

If you haven't done so, create some time this week to celebrate and honor the major milestones of 2006. What are you pleased with accomplishing? What do you need to celebrate? What are you bringing forward into the New Year?

Celebration looks different for all of us -- it may be creating time to do those things that you love, or treating yourself to a new purchase, or spending time with loved ones. What type of celebration means most to you.

The start of the new year is often a time of resolutions, some which fall by the wayside. If you have made a list of things you are changing in your life, how will you mark your milestones along the way? What will you do to keep the momentum up?

A wonderful practice is to ask yourself on a daily basis "Today I want to celebrate....". Get in the habit of practicing gratitude for the things in your life that are working well, the small successes and the steps forward you are making to achieving your goals.

Jennifer ~ Potentials Realized

Join me for a one day New Years Virtual Retreat on Sunday January 14th. This retreat is held by phone so you can retreat from your home or other creative space. We will be creating the space to celebrate our successes of 2006, while designing a powerful vision for 2007 and the action steps and structure needed to get there. Space is limited to 10 retreat participants. Contact me toll free at 1-866-217-1960 to register.