Table of Contents
When a book arrives at just the right time it demands attention. Kate Burton cares about people and her observation and sensitive record of the hectic lifestyle so many of us lead means this outstanding book will resonate. With practical ideas and new thinking, you are inspired to take action to change your relationship with work and create a sustainable mix with the life you must own. This presents us the opportunity to glow with energy at work, at home and at play. Wed be mad not to take it!
Farren Drury MBE, Director LIW
Live Life, Love Work really resonated with me. Its precisely the type of themes explored in this book that have made a difference in my career as an Olympic rower.
Steve Williams OBE, British Olympic Gold Medallist and
Leadership Team Developer
Kate Burton, author of the acclaimed NLP for Dummies, focuses this time on the importance of talent and values when building careers so much more critical than just the right CV.
Anne Watson, International Headhunter and
Business Book Author
If you need the inspiration to change your life for the better this is the book for you. Kate Burton invites us to take real steps towards our dreams and lights the path with excellent exercises and realistic advice from people who have made it happen for them, Now its your turn!
Rosie Miller, International Executive Coach
To Bob for providing the rock solid foundation of love
Kate Burton is a well-respected, fully qualified international coach who challenges her clients to transform their personal effectiveness, leadership style and performance.
Her clients number many senior executives with a hearty appetite for development; people who value success, expect a high quality of life and measure the impact of coaching on their bottom line performance. Kate is a master practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and a full member of the International Coach Federation with PCC accreditation.
Also by Kate Burton:
with Brinley Platts
Building Self Confidence for Dummies
with Romilla Ready
Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Dummies
Neuro-Linguistic Programming Workbook for Dummies
Personal Development All in One
Job Hunting And Career Change All in One
AUTHORS NOTE
The stories featured in Live Life Love Work are based on real people. In some cases, actual names are used, with permission. In others, names are changed and composite characters have been created. Its my hope that, through others stories, you will gain insights into creating the most healthy and productive life that you wish for.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank everyone who has seen this project safely on its journey, including those who freely shared their stories and experiences, and clients who allowed me to experiment with the ideas, as well as friends who provided quiet writing time, space and wonderful perspectives. My special appreciation goes to my commissioning editor, Emma Swaisland, at Capstone for her commitment to this work as well as Grace OByrne, Jenny Ng and Sarah Sutton for their professional expertise.
INTRODUCTION
This is a book for real people with real lives: people like you and me who need to earn a living and also want a great life. It came about because I dreamt of escaping to a beach house where life would be idyllic, and then woke up to see that wouldnt be so much fun. The escape plan missed the point.
What became more attractive was to live a rich and full life that included the mental challenge of interesting work, the friendship of colleagues, the satisfaction of making a contribution to others lives. At the same time, to live this life and love work in a calm, healthy and sustainable way, having fun and spending time with those who matter.
Other people I meet want a similarly rich life and work that brings a sense of fun, adventure and being alive. They want to use their special talents and make a difference through what they do. Work gives us a huge sense of our identity, and quitting early often proves to be a disappointment. As David, a colleague, said: I came to a point where I realised that I needed work more than work needed me. Good work, when we find it, yields wealth beyond financial rewards.
The heart of this book explores the question: How do we stay sane, healthy and optimistic without chucking in our jobs, selling up our businesses, leaving friends and family to head to the beach, the mountains or the other side of the world? The answers are not always simple, nor do they lie in a one-off choice. Instead, getting to a place of satisfaction with life is a continual process of gathering information, making decisions, choosing a direction to follow and taking action as the world around us changes. As we sift through opportunities and blend the special elements of the mix that are best for us, then we own our lives.
My intent, as you travel through these pages with me, is that you gain fresh insights that create the difference for you between making a living and having a life; between simply existing or living life to the full. You will find these insights in various ways:
By hearing others stories
Exploring practical exercises for yourself
Giving yourself space to ponder the ideas
ultimately, to shift from places where you feel stuck to opening up choices and new possibilities involves taking action. The insights remain in your head as pure ideas until you make the first step.
THE NATURE OF ENERGY
The journey well be taking together focuses on harnessing your personal energy as a guide to getting the best experience and in Chapter 1, I invite you to check in with an Energy Audit to identify areas where your energy is blocked. This notion of energy is not something tangible that you can see or touch like oil, coal or an electric wire. Yet when you pay attention, you know when you have energy and when its missing; you feel the effect.
Energy is most likely to be experienced as a feeling. The positive stands out in contrast to the negative: excited rather than disillusioned; cheerful and happy-go-lucky rather than put upon and stressed. Its the difference between feeling light and optimistic compared to weary and downhearted; between feeling valued or worthless; between feeling needed and involved or an outsider. Good energy that flows is about that sense of wellbeing and contentment that makes activity almost effortless and free-flowing.
Specifically, youll begin to notice your sense of wellbeing at the physical, mental, emotional, and purposeful or spiritual levels.
Physical energy is about nurturing a healthy body, which we explore in Chapter Two.
Mental energy is about following your intellectual powers and talents, which we explore in Chapter Three.
Emotional energy is about tuning into feelings and taking control of them, which we explore in Chapter Four.
Purposeful energy is about developing a clear sense of direction according to your passion and values, which we explore in Chapter Five.
TIME AND PRIORITIES
One life is not long enough for all the things we want to do. Energy is inextricably linked with time and setting priorities about how we spend it. Who ever has enough time? Getting more time is impossible - there are only ever 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. Our thinking about time shifts when we allow ourselves the space to listen to our energy and then allocate time on the truly important things, saying no to what no longer works, and a resounding yes to what we really want.
