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January 2007 - Edition 3
New Years Resolutions - Achieve Health, Happiness
and Fulfilment!
Written and published by Gina Gardiner
Please visit our website www.recoveringworkaholics.com
Welcome to this our third newsletter for
Recovering Workaholics.
Firstly I would like to thank you for signing
up for this newsletter which is published
on a monthly basis.
Create A Life You Love - Change Your
Life
Achieve Health, Happiness and Fulfilment!
Make it your New Year's resolution to create
a life you truly love.
The first of our London based courses is
due to begin in January 2007. It will take
place at Finwell House, 26 Finsbury Square,
London EC2A 1SH
Are you concerned about a family member or
friend who is stressed and overtaken by their
work? Helping them to realize that there is
an alternative to the hamster wheel approach
to life is the greatest gift you could offer
them.
Create A Life You Love begins at 6.30 for
a 6.45 start every Tuesday evening for 12
weeks beginning on January 30th. Please contact
Gina Gardiner at info@recoveringworkaholics.com
or phone 01708 703959 for details.
Media Interest
Look out for the Health Section in Bella
early in the New Year, Recovering Workaholics
is due to be featured and we also have a mention
in the Readers Digest February edition. A
press release about the "Create A Life
You Love" course is due to be released
soon. Please check www.recoveringworkaholics.com/pressreleases.php
for details.
Article – New Years Resolutions
–
Wouldn’t Life Be Different If All Of
Them Were Kept?
Most of us use the New Year as a time to
take stock of our lives. The break over Christmas
gives us a bit of a breathing space between
the turkey, mince pies and the round of jollity.
Many of us make promises that we convince
ourselves we’ll try to keep this time.
Those more cynical simply recognize that we
will fail, so make the resolution not to make
a resolution. Even so, if you question further,
they too have aspects of their life that they
would love to change, but they are honest
enough to know that they are more likely to
fail so they don’t even make the attempt.
It is midnight on New Year’s Eve –
of the huge numbers of us who promise to give
up smoking, eat more healthily, take action
to create a more fulfilling social life, or
do more exercise over ninety percent of us
will have given up by the end of January.
Ask any gym and they will report that more
subscriptions are in name only. Within four
weeks the first flush of exercise in the early
days of the year has become a forgotten dream
or yet another thing for that voice in your
head to torment you with.
Why is that?
Well we have the mistaken belief that will
power by itself is enough.
Let’s take the example of losing weight.
Well over half of all women in the Western
world have been on a series of diets. Indeed
many of them report that they have lived most
of their lives on one diet or another. Whilst
on the diet they lose weight. In fact, they
are past masters at losing weight. If you
ask them to calculate just how much weight
they have lost over their life time the total
is a very significant number.
Loosing weight is not actually the problem.
It is sustaining a weight level which is healthy
and where they feel good. They fail because
they are trying to tackle the wrong problem.
They are asking the wrong questions of themselves.
The same is true of any other aspect of your
life. Simply promising to do something to
improve is likely to end in failure unless
you get to the “why” which underpins
the behaviour. “Why do we do ----, what
does it do for us?” Food may comfort
us or give us a sense of being cared for;
smoking may give us permission to have five
minutes of "me" time, or give us
a feeling of being calm and in control. Once
we understand what that behaviour actually
gives us we can then find an alternative which
is far less destructive.
The second aspect which governs our behaviours
is our beliefs. These are often installed
at an early age, and even when they have outlived
their usefulness they can still pack a real
punch and drive us to behave in ways which
are potentially destructive.
I was working with a client last week who
is driven to succeed, despite the fact that
he has surpassed any need to prove anything
to himself or others. His parents had very
high expectation of him academically. They
praised him hugely when he did well at school.
He made the connection that academic success
earned him love and appreciation. Forty years
on he is still using the same rules to live
his life. Paradoxically concentrating on work
to the exclusion of his personal life has
actually cost him the love and appreciation
he so desperately wants.
Having challenged the relationship he has
with work it is now proving possible for him
to change the patterns of behaviour which
govern his life.
If you want a life that is truly fulfilling
in every aspect it is time to seek out the
right questions, and question your behaviours
and what underpins them. Make your New Years
Resolutions a success story in 2007 –
create a life you love!
Organizations
There is a myth in many organizations that
being busy is the same as being productive,
yet activity can actually be covering up the
lack of strategic direction.
When I work with teams I am often struck
by the levels of activity which have little
to do with the core purpose of the team. People
are attending endless meetings which have
little or no relevance to their targets, lack
of coherent communication means that work
is duplicated by many, the absence of centralized
information on something as simple as contacts
and up to date phone numbers wastes time and
causes high levels of frustration as people
try to find out who the relevant person might
be.
The solution is so simple. Successful teams,
departments or organizations all have the
same things in common.
- There is a clear, shared vision which
underpins all activity.
- People have a clear understanding of what
is expected of them and of the others within
the team.
- There are high expectations of all and
by all
- People are given the training, resources
and levels of delegated authority to do
the job effectively
- People feel they have a valid contribution
to make and enjoy a level of challenge
- All are held to account for their contribution
- Contributions are acknowledged and celebrated
- There is an underlying structure which
underpins the activity – communication,
process, policy etc
- There is an ongoing culture of development
where everyone strives to improve
- People learn to anticipate – better
to prevent than to solve
Those organizations who sustain organizational
and personal wellbeing and success also:
- Value their people and realize that a
well rounded person recharges their energy
with a personal life
- Understands that “good will”
is a precious commodity and doesn’t
take it for granted
- Employs creative, thinking people and
gives them space to develop those skills
- Celebrates success and each person’s
contribution
Many organizations need to wake up to the
financial, emotional and health cost of ignoring
these aspects. In the UK alone last year there
were over 500,000 days reported to be lost
to industry because of stress. It is thought
that the real figure is actually far higher.
Until there is a change of culture there will
continue to be a high level of absenteeism
because of stress and burn out and much potential
leadership will be wasted.
Think about your own organization –
- Are you busy being busy?
- How much time, energy and money is being
wasted?
- Do you value and support personal and
organizational wellbeing?
To discuss any of the issues included in
this Newsletter, your training or coaching
needs please contact Gina Gardiner at info@recoveringworkaholics.com
or phone 01708 703959
*******
Recommended Read
For a bit of light hearted reading I can
recommend “Cosmic Ordering” by
Jonathan Cainer.
He describes how you can tap into the power
of the Universe to achieve your dreams. He
is one of many authors to cover this theme.
Whether you choose to believe it is possible,
or remain skeptical in the extreme, the book
offers an alternative approach to getting
what you desire.
The book was my first exploration of the
cosmic ordering phenomena, I found it easy
to read. It offers a very positive way to
look at life and achieving what you want.
All I can say is I’ve tried the process
with parking spaces and traffic lights with
some success!
What I do believe is that you direct energy
at what you focus on. Being very clear about
what you want to achieve out of life makes
it all the more likely that you will achieve
it. Take action on those thoughts and you
are even more likely to make progress towards
your targets.
********
In the meanwhile plans are going ahead to
run the 12 week course – “Create
A Life You Love” in 2 locations in the
New Year, one in central London will take
place at Finwell House, 26 Finsbury Square,
London EC2A 1SH and the other in Essex. I
hope these will be the first of many World
wide. Details of the venue and prices are
currently being finalised. If you are interested
in knowing more or wish to secure a place
please visit the website on www.recoveringworkaholics.com/courses.php
to review the courses.
Each month the news letter will contain an
article and some recommended reading or listening.
The theme is very much about supporting you
to create a life with a great work life balance.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated. If
there are any topics you would like covered
in future issues please let me know on info@recoveringworkaholics.com
Warmest wishes,
Gina Gardiner
********
Creating a good work life balance is vital
for long term health, wellbeing and happiness.
If you would like support to achieve this,
visit
www.recoveringworkaholics.com
For any further information or to discuss
your coaching needs contact info@recoveringworkaholics.com
or phone 01708 703959
Gina Gardiner, recognized by "Investors
In People" as creating an "innovative
and exemplary training programme for emerging
and middle managers" and by Ofsted as
an “inspirational leader”. Her
experience includes that of “Change
Management” and in supporting organizational
leaders in developing strategic vision and
creating a “can do” culture.
If you aren't a subscriber already, please
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Author : Gina Gardiner
For any further information or advice about
Recovering Workaholics contact info@recoveringworkaholics.com
or phone 01708 703959
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