Sustainable Ambition Forum - 09.03.20

 
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Hello everyone,

I know it’s a crazy time right now. So, imagine... what if you could take back to work with you this month the relaxing feeling of summer?

To help do just that, we offer tips on how to achieve better work/life integration and take the crazy out of busy. Below is an article we wrote on 10 tips to use your time and energy wisely, so you can make the most of the precious time you have each day. And, we share a some other great references to read, watch, and listen.

We also suggest moving away from the idea of “balance,” because it sets the wrong expectation. And when our expectations aren’t met, that’s when we get frustrated and disappointed.

Why should we move away from balance? For one, balance isn’t static. You don’t achieve it and stop. You need to revisit and readjust over time as the context and situation change. Plus, there may be times when it’s not appropriate to have balance. You may be at a critical juncture in a personal or professional project where you want to put most of your attention and efforts there, taking yourself “out of balance.”

We hope you find the resources below useful. May you find more focus and ease this month and months to come!

Be well,
Kathy
Founder of Sustainable Ambition™


10 Productivity & Energy Management Tips to Make the Most of Your Time


It’s way too easy to get stretched given our work and societal cultures. In the professional world, busyness is synonymous with success. Yet, many proponents are starting to push back on this thinking. As Ariana Huffington said in a 2013 commencement speech at Smith College, “The way we’ve defined success is no longer sustainable.” Our societal definitions of success don’t fit anymore, nor does the dogged pursuit to achieve it.

It’s worth investing some of your precious hours to identify the practices that will work best for you to be most productive and manage your energy to have the most impact with your time. We offer 10 tips to help do just that.

Read more to learn 10 Productivity & Energy Management Tips to Make the Most of Your Time >


We’d love to hear what would be helpful to you on your Sustainable Ambition journey.


The Round-Up


This months round-up focuses on articles offering smart tips to wrestle the crazy out of busy.

Right Effort: 
Identify what really is driving your results so you can focus and do less.

Set your time and effort against what really matters.

Make progress on projects even when you have a lot of meetings.

Set A/B schedules to focus your thinking and reduce inefficiency.

Tips on setting boundaries.

How to keep work from invading your personal life.

Reading: “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown — A quick read that provides smart tips on doing “less but better.” By Exploring & Evaluating, Eliminating, and Executing with as little effort as possible, you can be in control and make choices about where you spend your time and effort.

Listening: Get tips from Daniel Pink on how to make the most of your time. Also consider picking up his book, “When,” which informs this discussion.

Watching: And in contrast to being too busy, a reminder from The School of Life of the benefits of remaining engaged enough and the dangers of becoming too idle.

Smiling: Find beautiful, stress reducing, mind-freeing, adult colouring books at Colourly, shipped right to your doorstep.

Featuring: Why using “I don't have time” as a reason to decline an invitation can hurt your friendships.


Try the Impact x Effort Matrix to help you focus your efforts.

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In this article, we walk you through evaluating your tasks to determine what should stay on your plate and what can go.


A Practice: What do I want to say Yes to? What do I want to say No to?

When analyzing your life and work priorities and choosing where you want to put your focus, proactively acknowledge what you are saying Yes to and No to, ensuring you are putting your energy against what’s most important in helping you reach your objectives and goals.



“It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?”

Henry David Thoreau

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SUSTAINABLE AMBITION™ IS ABOUT CRAFTING A FULFILLING CAREER TO SUPPORT YOUR LIFE FROM DECADE TO DECADE.

It is centered around articulating your personal definition of success and achieving that without burnout while honoring your personal aspirations and ambitions as they ebb and flow over time. The end game—more fulfillment and ease in your professional and personal life, while still being ambitious.

We offer 1:1 Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, or Career Strategy Coaching, as well as VIP Leadership Brand Sessions and Workshops on a range of Sustainable Ambition topics. We also provide tips and inspiration, advice on career management over the decades, guides on key Sustainable Ambition topics of interest, and coverage of tools and inspiration.

Kathy Oneto2020