MAKE EVERY DAY EXTRAORDINARY

 I ran across an excellent article by Robin Sharma in Experience Life magazine (the magazine put out by Lifetime Fitness Clubs) and wanted to share it with you.  To see the article in its entirety, click here.  But I’ll summarize for you some powerful ways on how you can live an extraordinary life.

1. Read books by people you respect and admire.  Some of their brilliance just might rub off on you.
2. Put some skin in the game.  The more you fail, the more quickly you will succeed, so don’t be afraid of taking chances.
3. Be happy.  Do what makes you happy.  (Sounds obvious, right?  But how many of us really do it?) Robin’s suggestion is to make a list of your top 10 passions, then schedule one per week over the next 10 weeks.  If you don’t schedule it, you’ll never do it.
4. Listen twice as much as you speak.  You send a message to a person when you listen to them that you value what they have to say, yet so many of us either don’t listen, or don’t actively listen.  We’re usually already thinking about our replies before they are done talking.
5. Make sure your schedule reflects your values.  You may say you value your family more than anything else, but what does your schedule say?  Robin writes, “Your schedule is the best barometer for what you truly value and believe to be important.”  So if that means you have to write in family time, then make sure you do it.
6. Be enthusiastic.  Think of the people you enjoy being around.  Do they love life?  Are they curious?  Do they love to learn?  Strive to be like that, and you’ll find that you’ll handle whatever the day brings to you with a smile.
7. Relax, and you’ll be more productive.  Working harder is not always the way to better ideas.  Sometimes when you chill out and have fun, you can find more creative solutions.  So be sure to take those vacations and get out of the office without your Blackberry sometimes!
8. Take care of yourself.  You need to feel good yourself to be a good leader and be good at work, no matter what that work may be.  Take care of your body and your mind, enjoy your life, and you’ll be more enjoyable to others.

Robin Sharma is the CEO of Sharma Leadership International, a global training and coaching services firm. This article is excerpted from The Greatness Guide: Powerful Secrets for Getting to World Class. Copyright 2006 by Robin Sharma. Reprinted by arrangement with HarperBusiness, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

IT'S COMING... SUMMER, THAT IS!

After today, only 6 more school days. My kids are doing happy dances, and I’m just trying to figure out how to fit everything in that I’ve been putting off all school year.

So this week alone, I have scheduled a massage (hey, the last one I had was in December, so I’m due), a dentist appointment (okay, so it’s been a year since my last appointment, probably last year at this time when I was scheduling stuff before school let out) and a hair appointment (can’t go into summer without the appropriate highlights).

Next week, a couple of doctor appointments. Plus I have to somehow squeeze in some lunches since I won’t be “lunching” for 3 months with my girlfriends. Instead, if it’s lunch out, it will be a picnic at a park or McDonalds with the boys!

My point is this: DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO DO ALL THIS CRAP! I mean, really! I got my dentist appointment reminder 6 months ago. I’ve been due for a color and cut at the hair salon for weeks now. Why, every year, do I scramble the last weeks of the school year to get all of MY stuff done?

Oh, I remember. Because I’m a MOM!

So my lesson of the day is this (and of course I say it to all of you, but find it difficult to take my own advice): Take care of yourself, and you’re better able to take care of your kids. Or if you are your parent’s caretaker, or your spouse’s, the same rule applies. Take care of your own doctor appointments, or hair or massages or whatever it is that you need to do.

Okay, that’s my preaching for the day. Hmmm, how many lunches can I have in the next 6 days?

Karen