Many of us get caught up in the business of living.  We spend the majority of our time working.  The sad reality is that this leaves us very little time for the other areas of our lives.  People are desperately seeking a balanced life.  Reports of the good old days just seem impossible for our modern worker to achieve.

A short history of work

To understand how our lives have become so hectic let’s look at the history of work. Before the Information Age work was hard, degrading and back breaking.  In antiquity hard work was regarded as slave work.  The thinkers of the times, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates taught that a man’s purpose was to be enlightened.  They believed that work was for the less fortunate not them. The prevailing thoughts of that period was that if you owed someone you were their slave.  As a slave you would have performed the work and you would not be capable of thinking or being enlightened.

Fast forwarding into the 19th century work moved from the agricultural and home crafts into the factories.  Machines were replacing home craft makers and the promise of abundance enticed the farmers to populate the cities where they found steady factory work.  The Industrial Age was born and the immigration into cities changed our definition of the good life.

During the 20th to 21st centuries work has drastically changed.  We are experiencing another drastic shift in our definition of work as we strive to have a strong work-life balance.  In 1937 the all time classic book by Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich” was published.  In this book Mr. Hill explains, “If you are one of those who believe that hard work and honesty, alone, will bring riches, perish the thought!  It is not true!  Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the results of hard work! Riches come, if they come at all, in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”

This book was written during the Great Depression being published as the country sprung out of this devastating time.  Note that the mongers of the time knew of the great principles Mr. Hill describes.  The mass population did not.

The Information Age brought along the innovation of today and the stresses from being available instantly.  We no longer have privacy as our personal and work time have blended into a blur.

The 5 steps for creating a balanced life

With the appreciation that the good old days were really not so good here are five steps to design and balance your work life for today.

1. Make a list of all the things you want.  Many people will talk about things they want or would like to be or do and they rarely put these on paper.  Putting them on paper gives you a 99% better chance of achievement.
2. Review this list and sort them based on these three areas, relationships, self, and work.  Life fulfillment occurs when this three legged stool is in balance.
3. Note why you want these things.  The why is the motivation for all accomplishments.
4. Recognize that you must spend quality time in each of the important areas of your life.  These areas include career or business, finances, accomplishments, recreation, family, friends, health, personal and spiritual development.
5. Decide how you will or can divide your time among all of the important areas of your life.  Work life balance does not mean you are spending equal time in each of these areas.

Back in the “good old days” things were easier!

Cave Men didn’t have to worry about a job - being eaten alive yes, job no!

My parents also traveled barefoot up hill both ways to school in 50 feet of snow!!

yeah - right

Seriously, it is tough.  Finding a job has actually always been tough.

Today with our fast paced well connected world - we just hear about it more.

What is the number one way to find a job?

The same way it was during caveman days, in the good old days and even in

the 80’s.  Want to know the secret?

Come closer to your screen - I don’t want everybody to hear this…….come closer

closer

The secret to finding a job today is simply — NETWORKING, putting yourself out there.

And, today we have the absolute best tool on the planet to Network!  Using

Social Media.

I volunteer with a group of professionals who are looking for work, we discuss every

aspect of the job search.

I am so surprised that so many of them are not willing to try Social Media marketing

to find a job.  A percentage will use LinkedIn; most do not want a Facebook account

and never mind Twitter.

Today, right now there are thousands of connections being made on Social Media

helping those looking for jobs connect.

In fact, my Social Media teacher; Kate Buck, started her business of social media

training - while unemployed!  She just started out helping others and before she

knew it people were asking her to help them….word spread and now she has a team

who work for her!!  Imagine that.

If you are out of a job or underemployed now is the time to be innovative and show how

unique you are by using Social Media.  This is why I am adding this service to my clients.  I will help you create the best social media marketing plan for your job search, just give me a call at 352.474.6297.

If you could do anything in the world what would that be?

Are you doing it now?

Why not? What is holding you back.

Make your comments below and come back often to see what others are saying.

Looking forward to your comments,

Robin Harpe

http://www.examiner.com/x-36886-Gainesville-WorkLife-Balance-Examiner

I am actually quite fascinated by people and how they say one thing but do another.

That is my driving force to figure out the keys to behavior.

Right now, more than any other time, it seems the human race is waking up from a very long sleep.  We are now realizing that chaos producing activities are not productive and are rather counter-productive in building relationships.

It has long been taught that leading others is a people business.  If you watch how some are treating their lives you would wonder what kind of people are they trying to lead!

Right now, people are operating from fear.  Fear of the loss of a job, loved one, freedom, health - you name it everybody is afraid of something.

Right now, more than ever we need everyone pulling together - respecting each other - thinking through the consequences and being responsible for their actions.

Let’s quickly review how each personality type handles adversity and what they are typically afraid of the most:

The Dominate personality type — These are the bottom-line people and they fear a loss of control and being taken advantage of. Sometimes others think they are control freaks; for them they just have a hard time delegating.  These folks say things like, “no one else can do it but me”.  In a conflict situation they become aggressive and autocratic; create win/lose outcomes, refuse to bend and overpower others with force.

The influential personality type - These are the party planners, they are very social, talkative and outgoing.  They fear social rejection, disapproval and loss of influence.  They love the lime light and to be near the action.  They may not necessarily need to control the situation they just want to be a part of the action.  During a conflict they just want to be heard, may gloss over tension initially, verbalize feelings impulsively and will personally attack, even if only through words.

The Steadiness personality type - These individuals are calm, patient, loyal and good listeners.  They tend to be the referee in a conflict.  They fear loss of stability, the unknown, change and unpredictability.  During a conflict they avoid aggression, try to save relationships, accommodates or gives in and simmers beneath the surface.  They hold their true thoughts very close to the chest.

The Conscientiousness personality type - These individuals give attention to standards and details and are very analytical.  They fear criticism of their work and slipshod methods.  They want to be correct and produce high-quality work  They do not want to make mistakes.  During a conflict they become defensive, will strategize in a controlled fashion, resists passive - aggressively and overpowers others with logic and facts.

Which one of these types are you primarily?  Why is this important?

Learning about yourself can help you make better decisions.  Better decisions will lead to a more satisfied life style.  Think about a time when you had a major decision to make and how that turned out.  If you would have known how your core personality was driving your decision, or not driving your decision would that have made a difference?  How?

To accomplish a true work-life balance we must first seek to understand who we are, our values, our gifts then we can find work that is stimulating while building strong supportive relationships.  It is why we are here, in the end, it is all about relationships.

Let’s see if I can recap the main points she touched on.

1. Getting started is the one thing that helped her reach where she is today. Using your intelligence and having a tough I Can Do It attitude are the most important lessons she has learned.

2. Entrepreneurs are curious by nature and want to know how things can be completed, produced or served better.

3. Entrepreneurs by nature do not plan; they do that after they run into walls…….her advice jump in and grow wings by asking for help as you go along. Great time to get a coach!!

4. Entrepreneurs are born not bred. You cannot learn how to be an Ent. through class; you’ll learn how to create a great business plan you cannot learn how to be curious!!

5. Learning how to use your failures and mistakes to propel you forward is a key skill.

Simply click here to listen to the entire interview Barbara Corcoran

Talk with you soon, Your Coach, Robin Harpe

P.S..  Make sure you post your comments below

Answers ranged from 5 to 8, or even stating it depends on your definition of work!

We’ll get to the last part in just a sec, first let’s look at the actual hours part.

Let’s break this down, everybody gets the same number of hours

for the day - 24!  That means you have fourteen hundred and forty minutes

every single day.

How are you spending your time?

Do you often say, “I don’t have enough time for that”…..missing out on

fabulous opportunities, family time, free time for yourself!

You can change all that with some key awareness.  Here are some of the

highlights of last night’s class.

1. Everybody has the same amount of time, every day.

1. Create your own workforce.
   1. Websites
   2. Posting articles and videos
   3. Ebay auctions
   4. Your resume posted on popular employment sites
   5. auto-responders for your contact management system
   6. PPC, strategic social media postings and other advertising

1. Placing on your calendar those things which are priority to your goal achievement.

1. Acting on what you placed on your calendar!

1. Managing interruptions, your perceptions, your attitude = staying focused.

1. Giving yourself a reward for staying focused on your goals by accomplishing everything on your calendar - daily!

Change actually occurs in small increments.  Habits are born from these small increments; remember when you learned how to drive.  You didn’t jump in the car feeling totally comfortable and know exactly what to do.  Especially if it was a straight shift!!

Everything that is holding you back right now is in your power to change.  Success demands change, change takes courage, courage requires persistence and persistence brings results.

Now get out there and get going, you can do this I know you can.

Talk with you soon,

Robin Harpe

P.S.  At the end of the day today, reflect on what you actually accomplished.  Did you finish everything that was a priority today, how well did you manage interruptions, have you planned tomorrow already today?

P.P.S.  If you would like the recording of last night’s class I’ll be happy to send the link to you - just send me an email.

What is funny about the beginning of this post is I just kept doing the same thing over and over; obviously I had to change something or this post would have never occurred!

That makes you think about the old saying, if you continue doing what you are doing expecting different results is the definition of insanity!  You can replace doing with thinking just as easily.

Persistence is a headstrong endurance to complete something!  Why is this key to success.

You can have all the time, talent and treasure in the world but if you keep moving from one project to another without focus you are doomed to fail.

Why?

It has been proven that you can not multi task; it is not efficient.  Your mind can only hold focus on one thing at a time.  When you are constantly jumping from task to task you are loosing momentum reducing productivity.

Take this example; you are working in your office on a report which is due in 2 hours, you are hurrying because other things have gotten in your way and you procrastinated until the final hour to complete the project, someone runs into your office and yells FIRE!  Now what do you do?  If you don’t complete the project on time your job is in jeopardy (you have a habit of doing this); if you stay well that is an obvious threat to your life.  Hum.

Now, if you had been more persistent and deliberate in your work before the final hour the report is due; this situation would be no problem.  You would simply back up your report on a thumb drive and take it with you as you hurriedly exit the building.  You are in control.

Anything other than this has life controlling you!  Some people are so willing to just throw up their arms at the first sign of defeat.  They don’t hunker down and get to work.

Work has changed today!  You no longer can count on anything.  Performance is king.  You must perform quickly, accurately and consistently to survive.  Doing more than you are asked is paramount.  Workers are being asked to do more with less for less.

In order to have success in the future being persistent, working toward your goals consistently is the key. When you think you have gone as far as you can, take another step forward and you’ll find you can actually see a few steps more.  Keep doing this until you reach your destination.

Don’t forget to enjoy the trip — when it comes down to the end — it will be more about the experiences you had rather than what you accomplished.  The thrill of the case.

I look forward to your comments.

Your Coach, Robin Harpe

15.3Million laid off

2.7 Million will loose their unemployment benefits before the end of April

14% are women between the ages of 45 and 64

We are living in uncertain times.

I was speaking with a client yesterday, she is 67 years old.She has a mortgage, and needs to work. She has been laid off now for over 3 months. She has a degree! No body is responding to her resumes and applications.

She could be Your Grand Mother, Your Mother, Your Spouse! She could even be You.

It is just so sad the number of people who are finding they need to look for work; only to discover all the rules have changed. And, this has me totally pissed off!

Why? Work has changed.

And, many people never realized it changed almost overnight.

They were just going about their business of living.

Does all this talk of tweeting, facebooking, being linked in — is that confusing to you?

The old way to find that perfect job still exists, only we have different tools now to find it.

Are you laid off? Know somebody who is? Did you look through the paper today for job openings? Not many listed, were there? Did you look online? Are you becoming frustrated because your traditional methods are just not working?

Would you like to be involved with a Beta Group of clients using cutting edge technology to stand out among all those candidates? Then respond to robin@coachrobinharpe.com your interest. Just say you are interested.

With over 25 years as a Human Resources Manager and Director; coupled with my Entrepreneurial spirit and experience I’ll show you how to get your next job and while we are at it how to take the next step in your financial freedom.

This will happen again! Recessions are the product of our economy. Stop allowing others to control your destiny. Take steps now to ensure you never have to worry about layoffs or recessions.

Talk with you soon, Robin Harpe Your Work Life Strategist

P.S. Remember just respond to robin@coachrobinharpe.com your interest and we will get started on creating an outrageous marketing campaign for Your job search today.

P.P.S. If you would like to read more about this subject run over to here.

They try, and try, never achieving their ideal weight and health goals.

Does this sound like you? Have you tried all of those get “thin” fads?

Nothing seems to work?

Is one of your resolutions (goals) for 2010 to loose weight?

Join me tomorrow (2-11-2010) as I will be speaking with the fabulous Celeste Nichols, Natural Health Consultant. Celeste is going to explain why you haven’t been able to loose weight. She’ll introduce us to the possibility that some of the ailments you are experiencing is because of what you eat!

Obesity is epidemic in the US and is becoming a health concern in countries where the people have adopted a western diet. Shockingly, 75% of adults are overweight or obese. And, with all the talk of Healthcare, here is the US - obesity represents 25% of healthcare costs.

If you want to get healthier, lose the weight and lower your healthcare costs then this interview was made just for you.

Join me tomorrow at www.blogtalkradio.com/coachrobinharpe 7:00 pm ET (the show will be recorded so you can download later) Call in to the show at 646 929 2221 if you cannot get to your computer.

See you tomorrow for this exciting show.

Your Coach, Robin

P.S. Email me your questions in advance simple reply to this message.

P.P.S. The Coach Robin Harpe show brings you timely focused topics to help you succeed daily. Feel free to tell a friend, email this message to them today. Let them know they can sign up at www.CoachRobinHarpe.com so they do not miss any news!