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How to Keep Your Balance in an Unbalanced World

April 3rd, 2012

By Motivational Keynote Speaker Jean Gatz

Remember learning to ride your bike without the training wheels? You were so proud of yourself and didn’t realize you were losing your balance… until it was too late. Hopefully, all you did was scrape a knee or an elbow. Not exactly how you planned it, right? Getting your life in balance is sort of like that. You first have to recognize and admit that things aren’t going exactly as you planned.

Life can get out of balance when you’re so busy concentrating your energy and attention in one area that you don’t see how unbalanced other areas have become. When you’re thrown into a tailspin because of an unexpected crisis, ask yourself what you can do to regain your balance in mind, body and spirit. Turn to someone you trust for help.

Even when we’re not in the middle of a crisis, our lives are in a constant state of imbalance. When small problems are ignored they can become big problems. So you must pay close attention to what’s happening in ALL areas of your life. Sounds like a big job… but just like learning to ride without your training wheels, you can do it. Start by looking at your job – and your life – and identify small problems that have gradually gotten worse. Sometimes it’s much easier to look the other way instead of being brave enough to honestly acknowledge the problem and then work on a solution. You can’t begin to address a problem you won’t admit exists.

If you’re known as everyone else’s caretaker, others may become overly dependent. So you try to do it all. You try to be it all. Taking care of everyone else leaves very little time to take care of YOU. If you’re at this point now, what conversations need to take place? Who needs to be involved in those conversations? Nobody is a mind reader, so you have to speak up and tell people what you need or want.

Your job is definitely important, but don’t ever make the mistake of letting your job define you. In today’s turbulent times you have to be MORE than your job to survive whatever happens – in the economy, in the world, or in your organization. Balance is more important than ever because you have to face your challenges with more creativity and energy than ever. Here are six steps you can take to help get your life back in balance.

Topics: Blog, Business as usual is over, communication, Leveraging Your Strengths, life balance, Making Right choices | No Comments »

Take Charge!

January 17th, 2012

What’s the “one thing” you’ve done since reading this blog last week to re-think your choices and make this a STAND OUT year? Have you looked at a major change in your job or your life and made the choice to feel powerful instead of powerless? Not as easy as it sounds, is it? Here’s another way to tell if your perspective is moving you forward or holding you back.

If you choose to negatively REACT to change, you’ve made the choice to resist, play it safe and close yourself off. You try to convince yourself that all this change is just a phase and that life as you know it will soon get back to the way it used to be. You spend your time blaming and complaining instead of finding solutions.

There’s no doubt about it…complaining once in a while feels good! The problem is that when you waste emotional energy blaming, complaining and hanging onto old beliefs and behaviors, there’s no energy left to tackle the challenges you’re facing. Your negative emotions lead to negative attitudes and behaviors that have a negative impact on your customers and co-workers. Being in “react mode” also impacts your decision making ability and your future success.

There’s a much better alternative. Instead of reacting, choose to ACT in positive ways to handle change. Decide that you are going to meet this challenge head-on. Stay open to new ideas. Learn from every person you meet and every experience you have. Use your time wisely to broaden your knowledge base, develop new competencies and sharpen your skills. Find new ways to service your customers. Instead of giving up, make the choice to take charge.

TAKING CHARGE means:

No more excuses
Being accountable for the consequences of your actions
Taking responsibility for your happiness and well-being
Letting go of what’s not working and choosing to move forward
Solving problems instead of worrying
Finding your power in the midst of chaos.

Wow! That’s a lot of responsibility! But what’s the alternative? Letting someone else or something else decide what your future should look like? Letting others make decisions that could impact your financial security and the security of your family? That doesn’t make sense, does it?

Remember, there is seldom a circumstance in which you are completely powerless … unless you choose not to take action. When you choose to ACT – to TAKE CHARGE – you are making the choice to control your own destiny. And that’s the smartest choice you will ever make.

Make it a STAND OUT week!

Jean

Learn more STANDOUT Strategies in 10 Ways to Stand Out From the Crowd!

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, encouragement, leadership, life balance, Making Right choices | No Comments »

Where Is Your Focus?

July 20th, 2011

Standing on my hotel balcony I watched as early morning beachcombers searched for seashells. Suddenly I noticed several dolphins about 100 feet from shore, putting on quite a show! Surely one of the shell gatherers would notice them and alert everyone else to this spectacular sight! But no one ever looked up. They plodded along, heads bent in concentration, eyes focused only on the task at hand. Even though no one could hear me above the sound of the waves I started shouting, “Hey! You’re missing the dolphins!”
Today’s organizations are focused on finding every competitive advantage – including streamlining the ways work gets done. While this approach can have a positive impact on the bottom line, it can have quite a negative impact on the people doing the work. Profits are not achieved through streamlining alone, but also through the impact of the attitudes and behaviors of the people who get the job done. How are the attitudes and behaviors of the people on your team?

If you want your organization to STAND OUT from the competition, take a look around. Observe how management and staff interact with customers and with each other. How are they handling change and dealing with increased pressure to produce? How are their attitudes and behaviors impacting morale and productivity? What choices are they consciously making to contribute to team success?

Remember, we all get to choose how to respond to our daily challenges. While you may not be in charge of everything that happens in your workplace (including the decisions others make without your input) you are in charge of the attitudes and behaviors you bring to your job every day. You can choose to gossip, whine and complain. Or you can choose to come to work with a positive attitude, support each other, work together, stick together and take pride in a job well done.

The ability to STAND OUT from the competition depends both on what you do and how you do it. To improve leadership performance, increase personal accountability and encourage your people to accept and embrace change, you must be aware of negative attitudes and behaviors – whether they’re coming from one department or one person. You must focus on long term goals while you focus on short term projects.

It’s so easy to get caught up in daily workplace ritual and routine that you fail to see problems or make time to celebrate progress. How are your leaders, colleagues and co-workers doing? Where are you concentrating your attention, time and effort? Are you so focused on gathering seashells that you’re missing the dolphins?

Micardis

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, encouragement, Focus, leadership, life balance | 1 Comment »

Making the Right Call

May 26th, 2011

I snapped this photo the night before officials closed the levee to pedestrians in Baton Rouge as the Mississippi River continued to rise. I heard the story of a ship captain who was trying to reach the docks to unload his cargo before the river was closed to traffic. According to his calculations he could pass safely under the bridge with 12 inches of clearance to spare.

But instead of proceeding, he turned around. He realized that after the cargo was unloaded, his ship would sit much higher in the water and he wouldn’t have the clearance he needed to pass back under the bridge to get home. With no easy choices and a tough decision staring him in the face, he made the right call.

While we all have to make tough decisions to get through life, it’s not always easy to make the right choice. Finding excuses to procrastinate is a lot easier! “This isn’t fair! Why do I have to decide now? If I wait long enough someone else might make the decision for me, or the problem may resolve itself.” Sound familiar?

Depending on the situation, any or all of these could be valid. Some problems do have a way of resolving themselves if we’re patient enough to wait and see how things turn out. When my sister Patty needed one of my kidneys 34 years ago, we didn’t have the luxury of waiting. This problem was not going to resolve itself! So we did the best we could with the choices we had, and moved forward. The transplant was a success, even though we didn’t have any guarantees.

Over your lifetime you’ll make countless important decisions – and most of them won’t come with any guarantees. Maybe you’re facing some tough choices – dealing with a difficult employee, starting or ending a relationship, making that long overdue doctor’s appointment, starting a business, moving to a new town, going back to school, writing that best seller, contemplating a career change or retiring from the job you have.

While it’s easier to procrastinate, it’s usually better to do something to move forward instead of remaining stuck in the same place. We all have to make many important decisions alone, but we can also ask for help. While no one can make every decision for you, there are people you respect who can lend an ear, act as a sounding board and offer their wise counsel to help you focus in the right direction.

When faced with your next difficult decision, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Who is stopping me?
What is stopping me?
Who needs to act?
Who needs to get out of the way?
How much longer can I afford to wait until the easy choices come along?

Once you answer these questions honestly the issues – and choices – will become clear. Then you’ll know what choice you need to make. As we all know, sometimes there are NO easy choices. But like that riverboat captain, we must do our best to make the right call.

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, career advancement, change, leadership, life balance, stand out from the crowd, stress | 1 Comment »

Ziplining through Challenging Times, Part 2

March 25th, 2011

Last week I compared surviving change in today’s workplace to my first ziplining experience. If you missed Part 1, you can find it on my blog at www.jeangatz.com. So… picking up where we left off, here are more strategies you can use to survive change.

Watch your attitude. Flying high above the treetops, suspended by only a thin wire, I felt like I was literally “hanging on by a thread.” Maybe you can relate. When we’re under stress we often revert to the behavior that’s most comfortable for us to get the job done. Without realizing it, we may create stress for coworkers and customers. If you complain because you work with a lot of difficult people, remember that some of them don’t always start out being difficult. They may become difficult after interacting with you when you’re having a bad day.

Today’s economic times have created lots of “bad days” for many companies, their leaders and support staff. To handle stress it helps to maintain a positive attitude, make sure you’re in healthy relationships at work and at home, and keep your life in balance.

Be a strong team player. There were six of us on our ziplining team that day. We all had to watch out for each other and depend on each other to stay safe and get the most from our experience. At the end of the morning we celebrated together as a team because we had learned new skills while supporting each other through a very new and different process. What new and different processes are YOU experiencing these days? Are you a team player others can count on for encouragement and support? Or are you isolating yourself so change won’t find you?

Take time to enjoy the good stuff. As I gained more confidence and took time to look around, I was astounded at the breathtaking views below. Green valleys, rushing rivers and snow-capped hills would have passed me by if I hadn’t taken a moment to look for and appreciate the positive aspects – the good stuff – of this experience. What’s the good stuff happening in your department, your company, and your personal life right now? Take time to appreciate it – wherever and whenever you can find it.

Take pride in a job well done. Once we were safely on the ground (Oh, happy day!) our leader praised us and reminded us that we should be proud of what we had accomplished. Most of us want to be involved in work that is meaningful and worthwhile. It makes the challenges a bit easier to bear. Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished? Do you believe that your attitudes and behaviors, along with your skills and abilities, are making a positive contribution to your team? Are they proud of you?

Without a doubt, there is value in any job done with pride, commitment to quality service, honesty, dependability, integrity and the ability to treat customers and coworkers with dignity and respect. Our economy will improve. Things will turn around. Until then, how are you delivering value? What can you do to STAND OUT from the crowd in a positive way?

Exciting news! My new book, 10 Ways to STAND OUT from the Crowd, has been named a finalist for ForeWord magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year! To celebrate, I’m offering my loyal followers a GIFT! Use this coupon code, STANDOUT20, to order your autographed copy on my website, www.jeangatz.com and save 20%!

Accupril

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, change, job security, leadership, life balance, stand out from the crowd, stress, teamwork | No Comments »

How’s Your Balancing Act?

March 3rd, 2011

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Sound familiar? Several years ago, in a hurry to get in shape quickly, I began a weight-training program that was too advanced for me. Within six weeks I was definitely “in shape”…. very bad shape!

My frozen shoulder was the least of my worries. I was “off balance” and stumbling around. As a keynote speaker I spend a lot of time in airports, hotels, corporate workplaces and convention centers. I take the challenges of travel in stride. Now afraid of falling, my stride – and my attitude – had changed from determined and confident to anxious and insecure.

A neurologist diagnosed the problem and proclaimed it “fixable” with physical therapy. (We would deal with the frozen shoulder later.) After three months of intensive PT my balance greatly improved. And so did my outlook on life. I was feeling balanced once again in body, mind and spirit. What about you? Are you feeling in – or out – of balance?

Maybe your workplace is very stressful right now. Customers are more demanding and you are working harder than ever. Or there’s an issue in your personal life. Sometimes a situation is temporary but serious. When a sudden crisis throws your life into a tailspin, reclaiming your balance may feel impossible. When you find yourself in such a situation, you must be willing and determined to ask for the help and support you need.

If you’re known as everyone else’s caretaker, people at work and at home can become overly dependent on you. So it will take concentrated effort to reclaim your balance. Taking care of everyone else leaves very little time to take care of YOU. If you’re at this point now, what conversations need to take place? Who needs to be involved in those conversations? Nobody is a mind reader, so you have to speak up and tell people what you need or want.

We can get so busy concentrating our attention in one area that we fail to see the problems right in front of us. Focused on getting in shape in a hurry, I wasn’t paying attention. By the time it was serious, the damage had already been done. What’s happening in your workplace or your relationships? Are some small problems becoming big problems? Sometimes it’s much easier to look the other way. But you can’t begin to address a problem you won’t admit exists.

And guess what! When I reset my priorities and concentrated my energy on the people and projects that really mattered, my world did not fall apart. Neither will yours. So stop trying to DO it all and BE it all. Put yourself “FIRST on the list” for a change. No matter what’s going on outside of you, creating balance comes from the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors inside of you.

What throws you OFF balance? What helps keep you ON track? I’d love to hear from you, so share with me here on the blog or visit my new Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/JeanGatzSpeaks!

Topics: Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, change, encouragement, leadership, life balance, stress | No Comments »

Have Yourself a Stress-Free Little Christmas!

December 17th, 2010

Good news! There’s still time to reduce your holiday stress! Here are a few “gifts” you can give yourself – gifts that are totally unrelated to spending money or adding to your “to-do list.”

Gift 1: Don’t get caught in “the holiday family time warp.” No matter how old you are and how much progress you’ve made, family dynamics often try to pull you back into a previous role. Set boundaries, don’t get drawn into sibling rivalry, and remember that in a few hours it will all be over!

Gift 2: Know your strengths and limitations, which may change from year to year depending on what else is going on in your life. Put yourself first and take care of yourself in mind, body and spirit.

Gift 3: Think before you commit. A dear friend once invited me to a “holiday cookie exchange.” Sounded like fun! In theory I would come home with 12 dozen delicious homemade cookies to serve over the holidays, thus greatly simplifying my life. The reality, which I didn’t realize until I accepted the invitation, was that in order to bring home 12 dozen cookies, I had to BAKE 12 dozen cookies. I don’t enjoy baking… and I don’t like cookies. I kept my commitment, my family enjoyed the cookies, and I graciously declined all future “cookie exchange” invitations. What commitments – during the holidays and throughout the year – can you re-think to reduce your stress?

Gift 4: Remember that the true spirit of giving has nothing to do with your credit card limit. If you can’t afford to buy gifts this year, let people know. Then get creative. Give the gift of your time to run an errand, baby-sit, or visit an elderly or homebound friend, relative or neighbor. The possibilities are endless and affordable. Bringing homemade cookies along is your call!

Gift 5: Re-evaluate long-standing customs and traditions that have become obsolete, burdensome, or just plain boring. Start some new traditions – and don’t be surprised when others thank you for taking the lead!

Gift 6: If you’re feeling sad or angry, figure out why – and what you can do about it. Remember that the people in your life are not mind readers. It’s your responsibility to let them know, in an appropriate way, how you feel and what you need from them.

Gift 7: Make time for JOY. Whatever you call your holiday, and however and wherever you celebrate, take time to focus on the reason for the season: peace, good will, caring, sharing and appreciating our many blessings, the people we love and the people who love us back. These are truly the greatest gifts of all. Happy Holidays!

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, change, communication, encouragement, life balance, stress | No Comments »

Six Steps to Re-Balance Your Life

October 8th, 2010

No matter where I’m delivering a keynote across this country I hear the same comments: “I want more time with family and friends… I’m way too busy and way too stressed… I can’t seem to get organized…There aren’t enough hours in the day… My life is out of balance and I don’t know what else to do.”

If these sound familiar, you’re not alone! As I share in my new book and keynote, “10 Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd: How to Out-Think and Out-Perform the Competition,” balanced days rarely happen for any of us. Think about that day at work when everything went wrong, but when you got home things got better. Now think about that day at work that was awesome. And then you got home and things fell apart. Balanced days? No. Normal days? YES! All days have their ups and downs. That’s life.

When it comes to life balance, you really don’t have a personal life AND a professional life. You have a LIFE. Achieving balance is not about making all things equal. It’s about having a sense of well-being in your life at ALL levels. Here are six steps you can take to make that happen.

1. Decide what’s really important in your life. What do you need to do to keep your job, your family, your financial security and your health intact? What less important things can wait until later?

2. Once you’ve gotten your priorities in order, start taking action in the important areas and stop reacting to every unimportant little thing. As we all know, reacting to life can be exhausting.

3. Slow down. People who complain about being tired and stressed have often over-committed and over-extended themselves. It’s great to be involved in extra enrichment experiences, but everyone needs some down time now and then.

4. Spend within your means. You’ll never feel balanced if you spend more than you have, carry serious credit card debt and buy things you don’t need. Wealth is not about what you have, especially if what you have was bought on credit! Wealth is about what you will have for the future, for emergencies, for retirement and to live a life that’s safe, healthy and free from financial worry.

5. Make your health a priority. When you’re caught up in everyday routines it’s easy to forget that in order to do your job, be a good leader, handle change, maintain healthy and loving relationships and live long enough to reap the rewards of your hard work, you have to take care of yourself.

6. Make time for yourself and stop trying to fill every minute with something to do, if that’s your tendency. Don’t confuse boredom with simple contentment.

Remember, the key to creating a balanced life is intention. Life balance isn’t really about what goes on outside you, but what goes on inside you. For more strategies from my keynote on how to STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD in a positive way, check out my 10 new video clips on Youtube.

Topics: 10 ways to stand out from the crowd, Blog, Business as usual is over, career advancement, change, life balance, stand out from the crowd, stress | 2 Comments »

Won Any Arguments with a Three-Year-Old Lately?

April 23rd, 2010

With stress levels of customers, coworkers and colleagues constantly on the rise during these challenging times audience members often ask me, “How do I handle the angry people in my life?” As grown-ups we know how to use calm words and controlled behavior to express anger, seek satisfaction and get results in a professional, assertive and adult manner. But angry people don’t always act exactly like grown-ups, do they?

Think back to the last time you had an argument with an angry three-year-old … and won. It probably wasn’t easy, even though you’re older, wiser, and certainly bigger than your young opponent. When angry people behave like little kids, it’s impossible to communicate as adults because of their childish – and often irrational – behavior. These strategies can help bring “the little kid” up to your adult level so you can talk calmly and resolve the issue at hand.

Assess. Allow time for the person to “have her say” or “get it off his chest.” After a few moments of listening, you may be ready to jump in with a logical solution and solve the problem. But “the little kid” doesn’t want to hear from you yet. Don’t interrupt. Let him or her talk – within reason. Sometimes, as we all know, people just want to be heard.

Acknowledge the problem. Listen actively and give them your undivided attention. Even if you think they’re exaggerating or over-reacting, it’s important to validate their perception of the situation at that moment.

Agree to the extent you can. You don’t have to agree on who’s right and who’s wrong, but you can agree that there’s a problem or that the person is upset. Use appropriate phrases that demonstrate your empathy and concern.

Apologize to the extent you can. Sometimes it’s appropriate to apologize, even if you’re not at fault because it’s the professional thing to do. Any time you ARE at fault, you should apologize because it’s the right thing to do. Know the difference between accepting personal responsibility and offering a sincere but blameless apology if that’s part of your job.

Act within your authority. If you can’t solve the problem or offer some help, find someone who can. In certain situations no one – including you – can fix what’s wrong. But you can choose to offer your understanding, empathy and support as needed and appropriate.

Reassess. Take time later to reflect on the outcome of your conversation. Was the person in a better frame of mind or more upset? What did you say or do that helped the situation? What did you say or do that made matters worse? Reflecting on your words, actions, and outcomes will help you be more effective next time.

Remember, your “three-year-old in adult disguise” may simply be annoyed, irritated, frustrated or scared. Most angry people are not dysfunctional beings out of touch with reality. But some are. It’s not your job to accept verbal abuse of any kind – at work or at home. If that’s your issue, talk with someone in HR at work, or with a trusted friend or family member in your personal life to help you decide how to handle the situation. And take heart! The more you practice these techniques, the easier it will be to deal with the angry people in your life – at work and at home.

Topics: Blog, change, communication, customer service, difficult people, leadership, life balance, stress, teamwork | No Comments »

More Tips for a Stress-Free Little Christmas

December 16th, 2009

Imagine having the ability to reduce needless stress during the holidays. Sound impossible? Not really! Last week I shared two strategies you can use to de-stress your hurried, harried and hectic life. Gift # 1: Tear up your holiday script. Gift # 2: Cut yourself some slack. Here are several more gifts you can give yourself this holiday. They can definitely reduce your stress, and they won’t cost a penny. What could be better than that?!

Gift # 3: Make a different Holiday Wish List this year. Envision how you would spend your free time if you weren’t so overwhelmed by your ” to-do list.” Next, divide your current list into three categories:

Important tasks and projects that must be completed by a certain deadline
Tasks that are not essential and probably won’t even be missed
Tasks that can be eliminated or delegated to someone else

Then do whatever you can to make your Wish List a reality!

Gift # 4: Know your limitations, which may change from year to year depending on what else is going on in your life. Do what you enjoy most and reduce the number of tasks that feel more like chores. Take care of yourself in mind, body and spirit. Put yourself first for a change!

Gift # 5: Remember that the true spirit of giving has nothing to do with how much money you spend. Like many, your financial situation may have changed and the extra money for gifts is simply not in the budget. It’s OK to let everyone know you won’t be giving gifts this year. If you still want to show your appreciation, consider giving the gift of your time instead. What could you do for others that they don’t have the time or the resources to do for themselves?

Your gift might be offering to baby-sit while frazzled parents have a night out, or running errands for an elderly person who no longer drives. The possibilities for sharing the gift of your time are endless – and affordable. And don’t forget that the gifts of listening, encouraging others, and showing appreciation are priceless to the recipients.

Gift # 6: Re-evaluate long-standing customs and traditions that may have become obsolete, burdensome, or just plain boring. Make some changes that are long overdue. And don’t be surprised when others thank you for taking the lead and having the courage to do something they have wanted to do for a long time!

Gift # 7: If you’re feeling lonely, depressed, sad or angry, ask yourself why – and then figure out what you can do about it. Remember that the most well-intentioned people in your life are not mind readers. It’s your responsibility to let them know, in an appropriate way, how you feel and what you need from them. Open and honest communication often suffers when we are feeling stressed. But that is exactly the time when we need to keep those lines of communication open.

Gift # 8: If you’re spending the holidays away from home and family, following “old” traditions may not be possible. Start some new traditions of your own. Friends, neighbors or coworkers who are also away from family could become your “extended family” for the day.

Gift # 9: Make time for joy. “Christmas is just for kids,” or so the saying goes. But I believe there’s “a little kid” in each of us. So indulge yourself! Drive around to look at lights and decorations, watch a favorite holiday movie, listen to music, connect with a friend to catch up, or send out holiday cards. Do whatever it takes to make you feel like a “little kid” inside. However and wherever you celebrate, take time to enjoy the beauty and the true spirit of the season.

More tips to follow next week. And it’s not too late to de-stress your own holidays with a copy of my book, “Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This.”

Topics: Blog, life balance, stress | No Comments »

Jean Gatz

Inspiring Organizations and Their People to STAND OUT from the Crowd.