Jane K. Cleland - Putting First What Matters Most: Proven Strategies for Success in Work and Life

PUTTING FIRST WHAT MATTERS MOST

PUTTING FIRST WHAT MATTERS MOST

P ROVEN S TRATEGIES FOR
S UCCESS IN W ORK AND IN L IFE

Jane K. Cleland

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Cover design by Barbara Aronica Buck.

CONTENTS

Wouldnt it be great if you could move confidently through each day, in control of your time and energy? Picture yourself walking with a bounce in your step and a smile on your face. Imagine what it would be like to know youre accomplishing all that you want to do.

Does it ever seem as if your every move is dictated by other people? Do you sometimes feel as if each waking moment is consumed by the minutia of day-to-day life, that your actions are prescribed by events beyond your control? It doesnt have to be that way. Long ago Henry David Thoreau wrote, The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. If those words ring true for you, this book can help.

Using the techniques described here, which have been tested and proven to work by thousands of people just like you, you can achieve success in all aspects of your life. This book wont help you become the fastest rat in the rat race. It will help you to accomplish what really matters to you, to live a life thats full and satisfying. No longer will you feel as if youre floating rudderless down the stream of life. Instead, youll be in control, making decisions with confidence, secure in the knowledge that your actions are moving you ever closer to realizing your dreams.

Its hard to find the time and energy to pursue our dreams. Many people report that they face tougher workplace expectations than ever before, and family obligations that seem unending. But by using the step-by-step approach in this book you can join the men and women who enjoy their jobs and have satisfying relationships. Its true! You can be among the people who wake up eager to begin each day.

Most people report that theyre working longer and harder than ever before. You know who you are. Havent some of you been downsized, reengineered, reorganized, or right-sized to within an inch of your lives? Arent some of you doing jobs that used to be done by two or even three people? Given the reality of American business and culture in the twenty-first century, the pressures are going to get even worse.

Consolidation within many industries means that employees can no longer expect cradle-to-grave job security. Paternalism has given way to impersonal profit-driven decision-making.

Organizations value productivity, efficiency, and systemization over individual needs or desires. Its hard to feel part of a team when success is defined by the bottom line.

Technological advances contribute to the problem. Sometimes it seems impossible to keep current. Its as if new products and software are obsolete as soon as you learn to use them. And with every reorganization come new systems and procedures. The pressure to keep up is constant.

Expectations are higher than ever. With streamlined processes and cutting-edge technology, corporate standards have risen. Youre expected to produce more output of higher quality while using fewer resources.

More and more information is more and more readily available. Maybe you feel you ought to take advantage of the abundance, and feel guilty when you dont. And its all happening faster than ever.

Flexible schedules, telecommuting, and job-sharing arrangements require employees to change long-familiar habits.

Longer hours are the norm. According to the United States Department of Labor, were working eleven percent longer than we were ten years ago.

In addition to business issues, complex family relationships force people to make choices in no-win situations.

Blended families often require logistical juggling acts. Coordinating parent-to-parent visits is tricky enough. The fact that kids are participating in more and more activities can create scheduling nightmares.

Frequent relocations require that we travel farther and more often to visit relatives and friends. Even suburban sprawl becomes an issue as longer commutes become the norm.

More frequent relocations translate into less support. Long-term friends are the exception, not the rule. Trusted family members may be far away. More and more people report feeling on their own.

Volunteerism is up. You want to participate in community activities, and many of you are doing soanother demand on your time and energy.

Opportunities for leisure activities seem boundless, especially in an age of prosperity. Youre expected to take advantage of the options, and you may feel deprived if you dont. Leisure time has not been cut. Sleep has.

Sleep deprivation makes concentration harder. People are more vulnerable to stress and accidents.

As you scan the points above, do you recognize yourself or your situation? Between social pressures and professional and personal responsibilities, you may be convinced that theres no escape. None of us wants to become a better robot, working ever more efficiently on tasks that have no meaning for us. But if youre like most people you would like to:

take your dreams and turn them into reality

figure out your big-picture goals and learn how to achieve them

juggle priorities, especially when yours seem to conflict with other peoples

manage your time and energy effectively so that you can pursue several priorities simultaneously

This book provides the answers you seek. Youll learn how to regain control of your life and refocus your efforts so that everything you do contributes to outcomes that you desire.

Chances are that you have a good work ethic. People with a good work ethic tend to be competent and uncomplaining. They work hard. They work efficiently. They get a lot done. Is this you?

Have you ever noticed what happens to people with a good work ethic? They get more work! Some of you are reading this book hoping to pick up some ideas on how to become more productive, organized, or efficient. The truth is that you may not need help doing your job more productivelyyou just need help! For you, this book offers a tried-and-true method for acquiring the resources you need, whether its approval for a larger staff at the office or a car pool arrangement that works better with your schedule.