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I have the good fortune to spend meaningful time with a lot of smart women who keep me on track about what’s going on in women’s lives. One topic that resonates with many of these women (and with me) is the idea of busyness. This issue is of great interest in my Women’s Learning Circles. Not being busy, for many of us, seems elusive – almost selfish. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a career woman, or – like most women I know – wearing both hats, you’ve probably been well indoctrinated with the idea that you must stay busy – all day, every day, no matter what. Why?
In The Power of Purpose, author Richard Leider says “since busyness is a status symbol in our society, even our leisure time is heavily scheduled. It keeps our mind very busy with no time for listening to the inner voice.” Sometimes that inner voice we’re not hearing wants to give us advice. Sometimes it wants to ask us questions.
If we stay busy all the time, we can’t hear this inner voice and can’t find time to ponder some of the “big” questions: What brings me passion? What increases my energy? The first two answers that come to my mind are sex and more sleep! Other important questions might include: What do I value most? What are my gifts and how can I use them? What are my priorities? What am I doing to take care of myself, be of service, be fully alive? If I were living 100% authentically, what would that look like? What gives me a creative spark?
There was a time in my life when I could not answer these questions, and that terrified me. I was not fulfilled professionally. I was tired and bored and felt out of sync with the rest of the world. Looking back, I realize that I stayed in this mode for too long because I did not have solutions to create changes and I didn’t give myself the time and space to listen to my inner voice.
Did I have ideas percolating during this time? Yes! I thought about how I enjoyed working with women, watching them process their lives and come up with great ideas and solutions with the help of other bright, supportive women. There was a lot of energy around this for me. The thoughts fueled me. Years ago, I was a member of a Women’s Circle and I enjoyed it tremendously. But, again, I was too busy being busy to take action on this idea that intrigued me so.
I had my first child at the age of forty. When my son Jack and daughter Jenna were born (now five and three, respectively) I left my career to be a stay-at-home mom. Having children has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. In being a mother, I am the student and my children teach me about life every day.
As much as I loved being a stay-at-home mom, I knew that in order to be fulfilled I’d ultimately need to integrate that role with having a career. For me, the way to do that was having my own business – like I had before – but this time around it’s a business that I am passionate about. I’m doing work I love with people I care about and I feel fully engaged with this process. Am I busy? You bet! But what I’ve learned is that it’s not about being busy – it’s about being busy doing work that is meaningful.
For you, finding the “right kind of busy” may mean having a demanding career, staying home with your children, doing valuable volunteer work, or embarking on something wildly creative. It may mean balancing and integrating several things. Is your work at home, in your career, or in your community adding significance, purpose, and meaning to your life?
My work is about helping women successfully integrate all that they want to do in their lives. One of my goals with this newsletter is for it to be a space for women to share what they know about how to be busy in a meaningful way, about how not to be busy, and about how they successfully balance all the important roles in their lives.
In this issue of the newsletter you’ll learn about taking time for yourself by creating a meditation practice. You will read an interview with Pam Yelsky who is an amazing woman doing important work. Guest columnist Lynn Schoener writes about how to create a personal advisory board. You’ll also find information on our upcoming Women’s Learning Circles — the place to find the support you need to create, maintain, and thrive by having an integrated and balanced life that works for you. We’re also excited to announce a new teleclass series for entrepreneurial women which will launch in September.
It is vital that we as women take the time to explore what provides us with meaning, energy, and passion. Whether we are married or unmarried, with children or without, we all have the same number of hours in the day. We can spend those hours doing things that energize us. My hope is that this first issue of Reflections will give you some solutions to help you find, reflect upon, and respect your own thoughts and ideas about where your journey is leading you.
Staying connected to those people in our lives is essential---both personally and professionally. Ask yourself this question: Are you truly connected to these people? Do you feel securely linked to those people i...
I have the good fortune to spend meaningful time with a lot of smart women who keep me on track about what’s going on in women’s lives. One topic that resonates with many of these women (and with me) is the idea of ...
Today one of the top opportunities for a home based business on the web is MLM, and there are a variety of great MLM companies out there that are offering some great opportunities. However, you may be wondering who ...
“I had a real problem with people overworking actually,” says Orfalea. “They’d work sixty to seventy hours a week in the stores, and they were busy, busy, busy, but the store was dirty and they didn’t see it. I’d sa...
George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance.
Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson.
His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more.
George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website
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Joy Chudacoff
(Visit Joy's Website)
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart
Women Smart Solutions, a Certified
Professional Coach and Motivational
Speaker. A highly skilled group leader and
business consultant, Joy has helped scores
of women design the lives they choose to
live. Helping women realize and achieve
better ways of living is her passion, her
purpose, and her business.
As a wife and mother of two, Joy
understands there is more to life than
one's career. Like many women who are
drawn to entrepreneurship, she inhabits a
world that requires the integration of
business with home life - and making time
to nurture and care for herself. Joy works
with women one-to-one, in groups and
through speaking engagements, to help them
define success on their own terms,
identify outlets for their creativity,
create businesses, and manage careers
anchored in their most important values.
Visit Joy's website, www.smartwomensolutions.com where
you'll find more articles by Joy, upcoming
workshops, Success Circles and her keynote
speaking topics for women who are ready to
begin the next phase of their life or
career. You can contact Joy at (310)
454-2005 or by email, J
oy@smartwomenslutions.com
Smart Women Solutions Blog - Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions and a Certified Professional Coach. A highly skilled group leader and business consultant, Joy has helped scores of women design the lives they choose to live.
Joy Chudacoff Video - Joy Chudacoff discusses Creating the Spark: Igniting Passion and Energy for the Work and Life You Will Love.
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Are men smarter than women? A huge new report says they’re not, but they certainly think they are. 
“I had a real problem with people overworking actually,” says Orfalea. “They’d work sixty to seventy hours a week in the stores, and they were busy, busy, busy, but the store was dirty and they didn’t see it. I’d sa...
