Tag Archive for balanced life

Energy Management vs. Time Management

January 24, 2023 John Uncategorized No comments

Busy days can send your energy gauge to near zero. You concentrate on how you spend your time, and the push and pull your create is exhausting.

You can “balance the books” with this GenuLines look at both sides of the equation. 

Energy Management vs. Time Management

You’ve likely heard the old adage, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” You manage your time without paying attention to your energy management.
 
child with energy
 
 
And now you’re running a sprint rather than pacing like a marathoner.
 
Research tells us that productivity and success have more to do with how you manage your energy. And they have less to do with time management.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At Work
In your work life you often try to do the things that give you more time.
Eating healthy, staying fit, spending time with your children and connecting with others all can suffer..
 
These take time and you do have to schedule some of your pursuits.
 
Have you considered whether you have the energy for those pursuits?
Trying to adhere to certain times to manage everything can leave you exhausted.
 
You’re not able to relax and enjoy yourself when you’ve “scheduled the time” for it.

Be The “Boss”

The alternative to managing your time is good energy management. This works when you take time to recover from those lengthy sprints.
 
You’re able to finish the marathon with ease rather than anguish.
Here are some tips for effective energy management.

Write It Down 

Make a list of what makes you feel refreshed, more creative and lifts your mood. It’ll help remind you about the benefits of these uplifting activities.
 
For example, watching a great series or show you’re following on television. Or sipping a cup of tea and listening to music.
 
These can ramp up your energy levels.
 
Do your best to take longer breaks. Don’t stick to a time table when it comes to stepping up your energy level.
 
Have fun with whatever you’re doing. And reward yourself for every goal reached.
 
Pressed For Time
Do you have lots of projects and it seems you’ll never finish them to be able to relax and enjoy yourself? Break those projects down into parts.
 
Reward yourself after you complete each one. This beats waiting until you finish the entire project.

Recovery Stops 

While you’re on a long sprint, you may feel the need to stop and renew your spirits and your energy. Do it!
 
You’ll feel so much more like completing the marathon and you’ll be happier at the finish. Managing your energy is a much more effective way to move through life.
 
Your inner energy thermostat doesn’t pay any attention to the time table you’ve created. Know this and, make it the most important factor in the marathon called life.
 
JohnK 1-16-2023
 
stick figure hears about energyOverheard: “Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal”
                              ~ Albert Camus
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for enrgy
 
 

Be Excellent by Taking Ownership

June 20, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

Your most excellent life begins with your taking agency for it. Simply stated, it’s all up to you. 

Start with these GenuLines tips to head you in the right direction. 

Be Excellent by Taking Ownershipman displays excellent

Are you trying to lead a life of commitment to displaying excellence in everything that you do? One way to do this is by taking ownership and responsibility for all your actions. 
 
Once you ‘own’ your choices and accept the consequences you’ll gain others’ respect. They’ll see you as someone they can count on. 

 

 

 

Take It Easy

The easiest way to display ownership is by not making excuses. If you were late for an appointment don’t come up with a ridiculous excuse.
 
Tell the other person why you were late, then apologize for not calling to let them know. 

Stay Inside

It’s easy to blame outside influences for your mistakes or oversights. No-one can control one hundred percent of what happens.
 
But you can control how you respond to certain situations. This reaction can change your life. 
 
Take ownership for your relationships, your education, your fitness and your social life. As you start this process you’ll find that you feel more confident and have a purpose in life.

Flexibility

Along with ownership you need to learn how to be flexible. Are you willing to do things in a different way?
 
This means not being stubborn when something isn’t working.
 
Take advice and attempt to change what you’re doing. If you do you will begin to excel at more tasks and this helps increase your confidence and self-esteem. 
 
Becoming a flexible person means that you’re happy to respond to a situation in a different way. When you’re flexible you’re not rigid and set in your ways.

Balancing Act

There’s another important factor in your move toward excellence in everything you do. This is the step of adding balance to your life. 
 
When you live a balanced life you’re focusing on those things that hold meaning for you. At the same time, though, you’re still mindful of those around you.
 
You make choices related to the way you feel and what you’re thinking.

Add It All Up

Balancing your life includes knowing not go out with friends when you need to finish up an important project. You recognize the importance of staying healthy and fit and you follow through.
 
Combine taking ownership, being flexible, and balance, into your life. You’ll be well on your way to leading a life that’s committed to excellence.
 
JohnK 6-20-2022
 
stick figure hears about excellentOverheard: Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
                                  ~ Vince Lombardi
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for excellent

Relaxation Is An Important Part Of Mental Focus

June 13, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

Tough times make tough conditions for relaxation. A calm mind helps you stay focused.

So GenuLines offers some ideas to keep you in the calm zone.   

Relaxation Is An Important Part Of Mental Focus

It sounds counterintuitive. But if you want to improve you mental focus, you need plenty of rest and relaxation.
 
In other words, it’s easy to overdo it, and work too hard, which can then lead to lapses in concentration and focus.
 
dog during relaxation
 
 
 

For Starters

Start out by doing what you can to get a good night sleep. Poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate.
 
And a couple of hours of sleep isn’t going to cut it.
 
Your brain needs long periods of rest to process information. This “makes room” for you to focus on something new the next day.

Late Nights

While burning the midnight oil may seem like a great way to get more done and stay productive, the opposite is true. Yes, you can power through a long night to finish a project every once in a while, but it isn’t sustainable for the long run.
 
Do it when you must, but get in the habit of getting good sleep the rest of the time. Your brain and your body will thank you.
 
Taking breaks throughout your work day is another good way to stay focused and get more done. Work hard in short bursts of time and then take little breaks.

Break Time

Go get a cup of coffee. Move around your work space for a few minutes.
 
Or enjoy a day dream and give your brain a short rest before diving back in.
 
This doesn’t have to be long. You can get big benefits from breaks shorter than five minutes.
 
Go chat to a coworker, or do something like filing or straightening up a few things on your desk.
 
Then get back to your most important task at hand.

Time Out

A few longer breaks throughout the day can be as important as short breaks. Every couple of hours, take a 30 minute or longer break and walk away from your desk.
 
Go to lunch, have coffee with a friend, or go for a walk outside.
 
This gives your brain time to process what you’ve done so far and gets you ready for the next couple of hours of work

Balance

Now, don’t forget to do something fun and completely work unrelated at the end of the day and on the weekends. We all need balance in our lives.
 
If you enjoy your work and you’re invested in it, it can be hard to unplug and not think about it for a while. Make a conscious effort to take time for rest and relaxation.
 
You’ll find you actually get more done in the end since you’re able to focus when it’s time to get back to work.
 
JohnK 6-13-2022
 
stick man hears about relaxationOverheard: “Every now and then, go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work, your judgment will be surer”
                                  ~Leonardo da Vinci
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for relaxation

4 Ways To Get Out Of Your Introvert Rut

May 3, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

You’re okay with being an introvert, until you’re not. It can put into a rut that leaves you feeling sort of stale. 

This list of suggestions from GenuLines is designed to ease you out of that rut.

4 Ways To Get Out Of Your Introvert Rut
Have you been feeling like you’re stuck in an introvert rut lately? Do you find yourself spending too much time on your own?
 
Could it be you do the same things over and over, or feel like you’re holding yourself back? There are a few things you can do if you’re stuck in an introvert rut.
 
Let’s get busy and figure them out!
 
introvert boy1) Step out but within your comfort zone
One of the best ways to get out of a rut is by pushing yourself to try new things. Now this can be a bit much for the VERY introverted.
 
 
 
 
 
Branch out and try new things in new places. You could hang out with a larger group of people, but do so within the confines of your comfort zone.
 
Go to your favorite coffee shop and order your favorite drink at their busiest time of day. Go to a party you wouldn’t normally attend, but hang in the corner with a close friend.
 
The key to this exercise is finding a balance; you want to push yourself, but not too far.
 
introvert girl2) Meet new people on your terms
Along the same lines, you want to meet new people within your comfort zone too. Spark up a conversation with a friendly person at your favorite store, restaurant, or bar.
 
 
 
 
This will help you meet someone that’s most likely like-minded. And you’ll do it without pushing yourself to the point of discomfort.
 
Push yourself to go somewhere where you might meet a new friend with whom you have common interests. This could make it easier for you to mix things up.
 
And you can get out of your rut without pushing yourself to the point of discomfort.
 
introvert boy3) Push yourself to take part in something new
Doing something entirely new to you can be a good way to break yourself out of your rut. But for a lot of introverts, this is highly uncomfortable.
 
 
 
 
It could even be anxiety-inducing. You have to push yourself to do something new that you’re comfortable with.
 
Are you more comfortable going out to a game night at a brewery or a book club that let you be in a smaller group? Then push yourself to do that.
 
If you’re more comfortable going to a larger party where you can hide in the crowd if you need to. then that needs to be the something new you try.
 
introvert girl4) Drive yourself to bust out of your shell
A great way to break out of an introverted rut is by pushing yourself to get out of your shell. This is another exercise that might prove to be very uncomfortable for introverts.
 
 
 
So it may not be for everyone.
 
Try branching out to new small groups where the attention has to be on you at some point. It could be a book club, creative writing group, local bridge game, or a small jam session among other things.
 
This will help you break out of your shell and push past this introversion and the rut you’re in.
 
Final thoughts
Getting out of an introvert rut can be tough. And the more introverted you are, the harder it becomes.
 
If you find the process too difficult, talk it over with a professional. You’ll get steered to more specific and custom exercises.
 
These will better help you get out of this rut without hurting yourself in any way.
 
JohnK 5-3-2021
 
stick figure man hears about introveertOverheard: “I was never less alone than when by myself”
                          ~Edward Gibbon
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for introverts