The Change Workshop

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Back to work

Went back to work this week after being off for a month due to the surgery. People remarked how great I looked and that I looked rested and happy. I do feel happy and am grateful for this newfound way to live my life. Surprisingly, things had not changed much at the place. Will I be able to do a better job of dealing with stress? While I was home recuperating I did a lot of reading. I came across a new book by Richard Koch called "Living the 80/20 Way." Remember the Pareto Principle? This takes that idea and suggests that we can incorporate it into our daily lives. Koch says we only spend 20% of our time on the stuff we truly care about. The other 80% of our attention is on things that may be prompted by obligation or routine. Ever ask yourself why you aren't reaching a goal/goals? Maybe you're spending too much time on those things that don't inspire, motivate or excite you? I haven't finished the book but want to know how to get rid of the useless 80%! I've begun to look at things I do at work in a more discerning way - do I really need to go to this meeting? Do I really need to answer this email now, etc.? Can you see how this could change your approach to your day? Koch offers ways to successfully make the change so I will keep reading, then provide more about that in the next post. I will, of course, continue to meditate (breathe).