Achieving Great Things Without Paying a Great Personal Cost

This post is for those who want to achieve great things. We may define greatness differently. It might be a tangible goal, such as writing a book, or to be well-known in our chosen field. Or, it might be more abstract, like being a positive force in our community. There often is a desire to create a legacy -- something that lives on after we are gone.

Many of the people I meet and talk with want to accomplish great things, but they are often afraid that they will lose control of their life. This feeling is very real for some, as they have personal experience with becoming out of balance when pursuing a goal.

For them, they are not willing to pay the price of losing their physical, emotional, and spiritual health for the sake of a personal goal. It becomes an either/or proposition.

Believe it or not, you can achieve great things without paying that heavy price. There are three phases of accomplishing great things without a great personal cost:

1. Balance the Scales

Be very clear about both the goal. You may have the acronym "SMART" for setting goals: specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable and time-based.

Make a list of what you want to hang on to. Where are your boundaries? What are you not willing to give up?

2. Watch for the Tip

What are the warning signs? When your personal health, emotions, or other priorities start to slip, there may be warning signs, such as insomnia, headaches, or canceling on your favorite activities, family, or friends.

3. Hold Tight

This is the tricky part. There will always be others who need and want things from us -- it is your decision which of these demands and requests you will give your precious time to. When someone makes a request of you, go back to your "hang on to" list -- is the person who is making the request on the list? If not, it is likely best to say no. If so, perhaps an open conversation about what is requested and what you have to give would be helpful.

Just remember that you hold the scales.

The Angela Lansbury Paradigm

Since I was a child, I can remember learning about what a "normal" work life was. You went to the same job in the same building for 35 years. You worked until your late 50s or early 60s, and then you retired to golf or fish. As if flipping a switch, one day you went from "working" to "retired." Generally, work was drudgery, something that greyed your hair and caused your back to sag. Conversely, retirement was carefree, a time to play and to walk with a spring in your step.

Recently, I was struck by a different model for a lifetime of work -- Angela Lansbury. Funny, but she's always been there -- for all of us. She's acted in movies since 1944, and played Elizabeth Taylor older sister in National Velvet. A recent article in The New York Times told of her recent triumph, at age 83, in Blithe Spirit on Broadway. For a moment, a thought flashed through my mind "Wow, still working at 83!" and then I realized that she was working because she loved what she was doing. Her life and her work are intertwined, a double helix of physical and emotional growth.

We often hear of the need to save for retirement -- the grasshopper and the ant fable of toiling away to save bread crumbs for a lengthy retirement of doing little. What if, like Angela Lansbury, we never retired? Not because we can't afford to, but because we can't afford not to?

What activity doesn't feel like work, even when you are laboring physically or mentally? For me, gardening involves a lot of physical exertion and mundane tasks, but it fills me with such a sense of satisfaction. It is work that I can't afford not to do.

So, what if we shifted the way we think about work and retirement? What if working becomes about controlling the what, when, how, and with whom? And maybe as we age, we work fewer hours, but we pursue a variety of interests we've cultivated over a lifetime.

What if we, like Angela Lansbury, we are always looking for that next opportunity to whirl on stage in a turban?

Time Is On Your Side

In business and in life, we show up late, cancel at the last minute, or don't show up at all for appointments and meetings.

Sometimes, an urgent or important activity crops up at the eleventh hour, but more often it is simply someone's lack of planning that leads to the "miss."

We often actually start to blame time itself. "I don't have enough time!" we lament. "I lost track of time!" we cry; or my favorite "My time is not my own!"

When we take this passive approach to time we often end up off course -- in the wrong career, network, or relationship. When we simply see ourselves as a leaf adrift on the raging river of life, we cede our power to the current, not realizing that all we need to do is to grab a paddle and start paddling.

Are you ready to pick up a paddle and take back control of your time?

Tips for Making Your Time Your Own:

• Find A Paddle: Start by realizing where you need help. Select the physical tools you'll need, like a planner, an electronic calendar, or a PDA.



• Navigate: Figure out where you're headed. What will taking control of your time give you? Perhaps you will have more time to work out, to spend time with family, or to pursue a personal passion. I have one friend who won't compromise on her weekly volleyball game -- which activity is sacred to you?



• Hire A Sacagawea: Maybe you need help navigating. Hiring an assistant or using a virtual assistant can help you to protect your time and prioritize those things that are most important.



• Watch Out For the Reeds: Some meetings or appointments may be regularly unproductive for you, or may emotionally exhaust you. Get out your calendar and identify at least one commitment that is unnecessary or unproductive. Notify the meeting scheduler that you will not longer be attending.



• Focus On The Destination: What do you hope to accomplish by navigating the river? Perhaps you will improve your health, accomplish personal goals, or deepen important relationships.
  

When we regain control over our time, we often feel both relief and a sense of possibility -- we can get out of the panic of the moment and gain a new, long-term perspective.

Are You in the "Gig" Economy?

A few weeks ago, I heard a compelling story on NPR about the emerging "Gig Economy." The guest was Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast blog, and she was speaking about her January 12 blog post, The Gig Economy, and the related buzz it had created.

Are you in the "Gig Economy?" In a nutshell, it means engaging in multiple services or products as a means of earning money, usually for yourself or with a few partners. Personally, I am a life coach, career transition coach, branding/marketing consultant, writer, and a fledgling jewelry designer. And you know what, I love it!

Gone for many are the days of working for "the man" in a big company. We may come to the gig life from many paths: layoff, the desire to work part-time while raising a family, or the burning, deeply personal desire to create value in the world on our own terms. I will be blogging in the coming weeks about thriving in the Gig Economy. What's your gig?