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Or you can slow down to be ahead of the pack Dare To Slow Down And You Create More You slow down - you create more. In this world slowness and patience have negative associations. If you take your time you should be ashamed of it and speed up. If you are forced to slowness by external circumstances, you feel cheated of your time. You perceive time as wasted and not used efficiently. But there are more and more people, companies, and researchers who recognize that "slowing down" is a promising strategy, especially in times of acceleration. Dare to go against the stream In times of permanent acceleration and the demand that everything should go faster, further and higher, we are constantly in a hurry and under pressure. This leads to mistakes and short-term thinking. And then we waste time again cleaning up the mistakes. In the rush it is easy to lose sight of the essentials and the ability to focus. Guess what? Whoever dares to go against the stream and has the guts to slow down ends up being a better listener, observer and thinker. "Slowing down can spark richer thinking, creating, collaborating, innovating and problem solving," according to Carl Honoré, author and voice of the Slow Movement. Multitasking is for slackers When multitasking, nothing goes faster, in fact, it goes slower. The brain processes multiple tasks serially, jumping back and forth between tasks - and that reduces the speed of thinking and solving or finishing tasks. Conscious control of a situation requires full attention. When we start moving too fast, we often don't see what we need to see. When we slow down, we notice details and potential consequences. We are then better equipped to ask more thoughtful questions and follow up, leading to better solutions. We learn to drop less important things and put more focus and attention on the things that move us forward. Digging deeper while walking In many areas of life pacing yourself will reward you with positive effects. Even in the business world and the health sector the message has arrived that stress resistance, creativity, health, and empathy are the benefits of a slower pace. "In times of information overload and accelerated development of new technologies, four skills in particular become critical to success: keeping calm, setting focus, cultivating creativity, fostering emotional intelligence." - writes the Future Institute in Frankfurt, Germany (www.zukunftsinstitut.de ). Barack Obama, Richard Branson or Steve Jobs are not the only ones known for having important and productive meetings while walking outside in nature. Taking the time to walk and dive deeper into conversations can lead to new ideas and satisfying results. According to research conducted by Stanford University, a person's creative output increases by 60 percent when the person walks. When you dare to slow down… “Some start fast, fade, and cannot handle the volume; others start slow and build, embracing the amount of work.” – Coach George Raveling Slow down and you create more. Your creations won’t be any better just because you got it done quicker. We need to live a more contemplative life. A contemplative life is not a life of inaction though. It’s a life of being mindful of the right actions to take. “In an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious as paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as being still.” - Pico Iyer If you like to get weekly inspiration and Input into your inbox so you don't have to check back here on the blog - Sign Up for my free Newsletter Un-Rush

Instead of underestimating the introverts, learn from them Claudia | Photo © John McDermott "Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a center. So we lost our center and have to find it again." -Anais Nin. Mental strength and inner calm are no longer just beneficial qualities for success and performance. They are actively and consciously pursued and seen as a powerful skill to be developed and nurtured. How can we go about this? Are there resources within us that we can draw upon? In a world that seems to be spinning faster and faster, the desire to take things down a notch, to take time and return to a more conscious approach to ourselves is becoming very strong. Our constant interaction with fragmented and confusing information is not only a loss of our focus, creativity, productivity, and personal safety, but it is also damaging to our intelligence and well-being. Constant distractions have a negative impact on the way our brains function. Full stop. "In times of information overload and the accelerated development of new technologies, four skills, in particular, are becoming crucial to success: keeping calm, setting focus, cultivating creativity, fostering emotional intelligence," writes Lilian N. Güntsche for the Zukunftsinstitut (Future Institute) in Frankfurt. Let’s filter these out again: - keeping calm - setting focus - cultivating creativity - fostering emotional intelligence Can you correctly describe the characteristics of extroverts and introverts? Depending on their personality structure, people deal with "too much noise and input" differently. In research on personality psychology, one of the most thoroughly researched topics today is the consideration of introverts and extroverts (introversion and extraversion). Who would have thought? The terms go back to Carl G. Jung and his typology on personality models published in the 1920s. Being aware of these two personality types helps us to better assess both our own reactions and those of our counterparts in stressful situations. This knowledge helps us to deal with mental strength, attention, and inner calm. Can you correctly describe the characteristics of extroverts and introverts? Try it. Make a quick mental list. As usual, people are rarely the one or the other extreme. What often happens is that certain behaviors and characteristics are too hastily assigned to one type or the other. So, check out this brief description to get it straight next time. The loud ones Extroverts are entertaining, decisive, dominant, and have an urgent need to be in company. They think loudly, talk a lot and listen less. (Great for meetings, isn’t it?) They have fewer problems with arguments, like to party, and have an issue with being by themselves. (That is worrisome, don’t you think?) They draw their energy from group dynamics and sensory overload. The quiet ones Introverts, on the other hand, have strong social skills, like parties as well, and have no issue with talking in front of 500 people. (I bet you didn’t think that.) But the difference to extroverts is that they want to withdraw afterwards to recharge their batteries instead of throwing themselves into the crowd for a dozen more conversations. They prefer the company of close friends instead of anonymous networking or group conversations. Introverts talk less, listen more, and think before they speak. (Imagine how efficient meetings could be with introverts outnumbering the extroverts around the table). They often express themselves better in writing than in conversation. Introverts prefer an environment that is not buzzing with sensory overload and draw their energy from alone time. "Introverts prefer to work independently, and solitude can be a catalyst to innovation." -Susan Cain in Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Stealing more time for yourself So, what does the introvert-extrovert thing mean for your well-being and future life? We can probably all agree on the fact that the world is getting crazier and wilder. This means you want a strong anchor, a calm place to turn back to. Introverts, therefore, have an advantage when it comes to "stealing" more time for themselves to process conversations, influences, and what they have seen before moving on to the next steps like planning, deciding, or delegating. We can pretend that our brains are bottomless suckers for networking, info consumption, and social scrolling. But then we’d be lying to ourselves. As much as all the digital progress is helping us in many ways it also has become a curse. People are getting annoyed having to be “switched on” and be non-stop bombarded with information or requests. For introverts, environments with an excess of stimuli are energy thieves that distract from thinking, working, and focusing. "Are introverts arrogant? Hardly. I suppose this common misconception has to do with our being more intelligent, more reflective, more independent, more level-headed, more refined, and more sensitive than extroverts." -Jonathan Rauch in Caring for Your Introvert. Introverts are very good at and used to withdrawing themselves from an overstimulated, noisy environment because they don’t care about being part of the hustle and bustle. So, the much-needed skill to block noise and hectic comes much more naturally to introverts than to extroverts. If we want to look at our ability to concentrate and attention span as an advantage to working more efficiently, communicating more effectively, or being creative, introverts have an advantage. They can tap into their natural tendency to take time to recharge, sort out thoughts, analyze and develop ideas. This downtime feels productive for introverts and boring for extroverts. But don’t forget: Taking time to reflect clarifies your thoughts and prepares you to understand your environment more accurately and act accordingly. "Nothing has so much power to expand your mind as the ability to systematically and truly examine everything you observe in life." - Marcus Aurelius Introverts see the Big picture and details Introverts tend to think in terms of ideas and the "big picture" rather than facts and details. Research has shown that introverts, unlike extroverts, demonstrate increased brain activity when it comes to processing visual information. When faced with stimulus overload, they often have a keen eye for detail. They notice things, little things, and connections that others miss. If we perceive these details in the behavior of other people, or in the description of situations, then we can consciously lead a conversation to a better outcome or we can judge a situation with more insight and understanding. The better a crime scene investigator notices details and connections between seemingly unrelated things, the more precise and objective he can judge the situation. "While others chat, introverts listen, observe, analyze, and collect impressions." - Laurie Helgoe In Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength. Not an introvert – but you would like to take advantage of their powerful skills? Our personality and character are either more on the introvert spectrum or the extrovert side of the spectrum or people can have a balanced mix (they are called ambiverts). The point is to be aware of the characteristics to better understand yourself and the people you work with or live with. This awareness opens you the possibilities to act, interact and manage situations accordingly. Consider personality types to be an important factor in the workplace and even find out with new hires what their tendency is. The management-consulting firm Bain&Company for example takes personality tests to find out. Teams with a mix of extroverts and introverts tend to be more productive than groups made up mostly of one of those types. They have a better ability to focus on tasks and display better social cohesion. A healthy mix between both introverts and extroverts brings two important characteristics for success to the table: Introverts incorporate more information into problem-solving, and extroverts think and react faster. Consciously seek introverts as leaders, they are good at leading proactive teams. Their preference for listening means you hear more ideas and leave colleagues feeling more valued. TAKEAWAY In an overcrowded, overstimulated, overcomplex world, we must learn to reflect on ourselves in a new way, to develop and draw on our mental strength and inner calm. If we manage to distance ourselves from serenity and master our thoughts, we can take control of our lives. This applies to both introverts and extroverts, although introverts already tend to avoid the crazy chaos and enjoy being alone and reflecting. "I need space from a world that is filled with millions of mouths that talk too much but never have anything to say." – Kaitlin Foster.

You are living in a different world than the one I grew up in. I feel like living in a transitional world. Being part of generation X, I know a world without the internet, smartphones, or social media platforms and a world where we played with friends outside, rain or shine, returning home at dawn, hungry and dirty from playing. Then I find myself writing my thesis on a thing called a computer. Meanwhile, your generation and the previous generations are holding a tiny hyper-fast computer in our hands with a high-end camera and calling via facetime friends in Australia at no cost. For you this is normality. What a transition. And you wonder, what will stay the same and what will be different? I suspect, eventually, the issues you come up against will not be that dissimilar. What are the questions you are facing in the future, starting with 2022 right in front of you? How will you cope with change in a world where uncertainty is the norm and information overflow is twisting our brains? What goals should you set yourself and how can you find purpose and fulfillment in your life? I believe that there are some fundamental concepts and values that are as important and helpful in the future as they were in the past when it comes to navigating your daily life. See the bigger picture In our fast-rolling, constant on-demand, and the overwhelmingly stuffed world we get lost in detail and lose sight of the big picture. We can look into every corner of the world, can get information about everything, are constantly tinkering with our networks, and yet we seem to lose sight of the big picture, that everything is somehow connected. Despite the intensity of your daily lives and surroundings, the world is not all about you, me, or us. There is a bigger picture out there which we are able to grasp if we are just curious and open enough and consciously turn our attention outward. As Marcus Aurelius describes: "Everything is intertwined as if by a sacred bond. Almost nothing is foreign to itself. All that is created is ordered to one another and aims at the harmony of the same world." It is about the ability to be aware of the world around us in order to better perceive and understand the overall contexts, to see, analyze and assess situations with an alert mind. Gratitude is power You fight. You get annoyed with yourself, with others, and the world around you. Do you think about the good stuff that you have, that you experience, that you see? What are you grateful for? Do you sometimes take time to reflect on that? Being grateful has so much power. As research has meanwhile shown, gratitude can be a very effective booster of mood, mindset, and health. Being grateful takes conscious time. Take the time. Because: A little bit of gratitude goes a very long way. Kindness is the biggest strength Kindness is the currency that connects us all. Kindness can boost happiness. It can improve mental health and kindness has a physical impact on the brain. Kindness creates opposite internal effects from stress. This is not just empty talk, it is scientifically proven. The Norwegian business philosopher, author, and public speaker Anders Indset wrote: I don’t want to live in a world where kindness is mistaken for weakness. Kindness applies to every part of your life and every person. Prioritizing kindness at work leads to happier, healthier working environments and thriving employees. Gary Vaynerchuk emphasizes over and over again: “To me, there’s no debate that kindness is a strength. And it breaks my heart to know that so many people believe it’s a weakness.” Choose kindness more often, and more effectively. Give kindness to yourself. This will make you much better at bringing more kindness to others, your life, and your community. Curiosity is the key to growth Curiosity is key to our growth and self-exploration. Curiosity makes you move forward and to keep going. If you are curious about yourself and the world around you, you are aware and alert, and you want to understand. A naturally curious mind is interested in a wide range of topics and likes to find connections to help solve problems. Curiosity is something that prepares the brain for learning, for finding ideas and solutions, for being creative. With an open mind and curiosity, you open yourself to a world of knowledge, people, cultures, skills, and experiences. A sense of wonder Where did our sense of wonder go? Have we lost it? In a world that bombards and distracts us daily with way too much everything, we often miss the magical opportunities, a sense of wonder in the moment of now. A sense of wonder, or fascination, gives us a sense of vastness that makes us feel small. But this tends to decrease our mental chatter, clutter, and worries and helps us think about ideas, issues, and people outside of ourselves. It improves creativity and collaboration as well as energy. Like gratitude and curiosity, fascination, or a sense of wonder, can leave us feeling inspired and energized. Optimism I admit it, I am an undeniable optimist. Some people react to situations with an optimistic posture or others with a pessimistic mood. You see how things unfold and make a decision, optimistic or pessimistic, about what to expect. From my reactions to things and situations I notice I am predisposed to being optimistic. I appreciate that. But look around and it becomes obvious, we humans can be anywhere on the scale between optimism and pessimism. And we can change our outlook. Our outlook and mood are a choice. And that choice of an attitude towards a situation determines how we behave and what impact we not only have on the situation but also on the people involved. Optimism helps to feel energized, to be motivated, and to spread some encouragement. That doesn’t mean being unrealistic. Is being realistic the golden mean on the spectrum between optimism and pessimism? The Dalai Lama is producing a vividly contagious optimism. Author and travel writer Pico Iyer who is talking for 35 years to the Dalai Lama, and “covering him everywhere from Zurich to Hiroshima, as a non-Buddhist, skeptical journalist” writes: “The Dalai Lama I’ve seen is a realist (which is what makes his optimism the more impressive and persuasive).” “An optimist understands that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading somewhere. They learn from mistakes and failures and are not afraid to fail again.” - Harvey Mackay, American businessman, author, and columnist Appreciation Do you realize how good it feels to be appreciated? How come that being appreciated makes your day? Because it gives you the feeling of being valued. If someone takes the time to pay attention to you, to listen, and put himself into your shoes, he shows you how much he values you. Because it makes you feel being liked. There is something about being liked and liking people which warms our hearts and gives us a sense of comfort and happiness. Why? Because it connects us. Feeling appreciated strengthens the bond between people because as human beings we long for connection. Embrace uncertainty and make “starting” a daily habit Do you think you have to feel more confident and prepared before taking the next step? You will never be “ready” and keep procrastinating with the excuse “oh, I am not smart enough, not educated or trained enough, or not experienced enough…” Enough of that! You don’t need to have it all mapped out. You just need to take the first step and get started. And you can practice getting started by just “starting” every day. Every day there is something, even tiny little things, that challenges you to get out of your comfort zone, that gives you the opportunity to start with one first step before you feel ready. And this will make you ready and experienced with each step forward. You are in control In this world today we are more in control than we think of designing a life filled with intent, kindness, and purpose. And we don’t have to make it so difficult. When we stay motivated, optimistic, and focused on things that actually matter, we can live every day to get one percent better. Keep the bigger picture, gratitude, kindness, curiosity, a sense of wonder, optimism, and appreciation as anchors and guidance always with you on your path forward. And don’t forget that it’s never too late to let go and step forward in the right direction. Here’s to 2022. Now it’s your turn. With love. Photo Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash

Claudia | Photo © John Mcdermott Our world is moving fast, and we often get pushed through it with little time for reflecting, pausing or breathing. Do you enjoy that? Or do you just go with the flow of these hectic times? We act, we decide, we move to satisfy our current needs without much thinking about it. And while deciding and reacting we forget what is important to us, we don’t realize what we feel or lose sight of our visions and ideals. How come? Too many distractions, stimulations, and noise around us. Can you still hear your own thoughts or inner voice? What is your voice, your instinct, your gut feeling, your insights perhaps telling you – and you are not listening to it. Too many choices, endless possibilities. What cereal to buy? What field of study to pick? Where to travel to? Which social channel to promote the business on? How do you decide? Based on what? If we have too many choices to make we experience decision fatigue. We get lazy and just stay in our comfort zone instead of expanding our horizons. Too many short-term gratifications. We are drowning in Likes-fishing, quick-buys, instant-photo views, and you can have it all and right now attitude. Does this satisfy you in the long run? Are you aware of the long-term impact of your choices, clicks, and chases? We often don’t want to take the time to reflect on that. And then it just happens. You forget about the inner compass you would want to refer to when making decisions and selections. But you neglect it. Because everything and everyone around you is constantly pushing and shouting, demanding, and pressuring. Self-awareness is key Here is how we can help ourselves: Become aware of your values. Do you have a direction and inner compass to live and work by? If so, always keep it with you. Let not the noise guide you but your compass. Most of us go through life with a general sense of who we are. For many people and in a lot of circumstances, that can be enough. What is YOUR enough? Understanding your purpose, principles and values are the first steps that serve to guide you when deciding on what you want to do, say or react to, and who you want to give your time and energy. What are your values and visions? What values do you appreciate and are important to you? Keep an eye on yourself, perceive what is going on inside you, don't be indifferent to yourself. Start being interested in yourself, take care of the "self" inside of you, nourish it. Living ten thousand kilometers away in San Francisco didn't keep me from going back home to Germany regularly to see my family and friends, with who I always stay in close touch no matter where I live. Because nurturing friendships and caring for relationships has a high value in my life. This requires a work-life that allows me to travel whenever I want or need to and to be able to continue working while traveling. Are you aware of your values and principles? You can also start by developing for example a personal philosophy. This can be a word or phrase that expresses your basic beliefs and values. This can be your compass, guiding your decisions, actions, and thoughts. Focus on your values and what matters most to you when you move through your day and working hours. Your core values are your anchor and you want to build your business, work, and life around your values. …….. P.S. If you are interested in how 16 entrepreneurs, coaches, solopreneurs have found or re-defined their values in their lives and careers check out their new book “Enough. Unlock a life of abundance starting right where you are.” I am proud to be part of this group of 16 wonderful people who crafted this book together. www.enoughthebook.co

Claudia | Margreid South Tyrol | Photo © John Mcdermott Can we make life less about work and rather make work part of our lifestyle? Why do we tend to pay a lot of attention to work as opposed to our private life and needs? At the same time, we complain about not having enough time for the life we want to live. How much attention do you pay to your work and career and how much to the other aspects of life? Work seems very often to overshadow everything else but not only because our work life occupies a third of our day. I believe work should be a joyful part of our life, giving us a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day. What if we start looking at the lifestyle we want and then create our work-life accordingly instead of the other way around? The interconnectedness of different life areas Several major areas of life need our attention when it comes to living in a fulfilling and satisfying way. Health and Body, Work and Career, Family and Social Life, Personal Development, Life Vision, and Quality of Life. Life is about evaluating and balancing each part of your life and becoming aware of the fact that all areas are interconnected and contribute to your overall well-being, personally and professionally. If I get enough sleep, exercise, and time in nature, I am energized, motivated and productive at work. If I am fulfilled at work, I carry my good mood and satisfaction into my private life and am a better spouse, friend, and citizen. How about you? What are your values and visions? Your values should determine your daily life and how you look at and execute your work. Are you changing your authentic self between working and living? I am happily the same person in private as I am in the working world. Self-awareness is key. Understanding your purpose, principles and values are the first steps that serve to guide you when deciding who or what you want to spend your time on amid the overwhelming demands and distractions of daily life. Can you tell if you are your authentic self in your daily life and work? The working world is changing The world of work, business, and lifestyle is changing. As part of an online global community of professionals and entrepreneurs, we were discussing if there is a different and better way of doing things in the working-and-living world. And, above all, we were asking about what is enough in terms of time, money, happiness, success, friendships, etc. As a result, we put together our collective answers, wisdom, and ideas and CREATED A BOOK. We wanted to collect thought-provoking advice, guidance, and inspiration derived from the diverse experiences and lessons of our global members. And here it is. Our book: Enough. Unlock a life of abundance starting right where you are The book is a collection of stories, lessons, and achievements to inspire, encourage and open up your mind to the abundance of possibilities how you can transform your work and life. The eBook (kindle) version will be available in a few days and the printed version in a few weeks. Give your Work and Life the Attention they Deserve My chapter is about how the quality of your attention determines the quality of your work and life. How we experience the world depends crucially on how we deal with our attention. Today's scarcest resource and the secret to high performance and fulfillment is attention. It is an important asset that we too easily waste instead of treasuring. Enough - Is there a limit to how much attention we can give? Your potential to give attention is limited. We can only pay so much attention to several things or tasks or voices or stimulations in a certain time frame. But it is up to us to decide what we pay attention to or if we let our boss, our work demands, or media and marketing platforms take over and steal your attention from us. What is your vision of combining your personal life and work life, so you are happy at the end of the day? You can find out more in our book “Enough. Unlock a life of abundance starting right where you are” available in a few days. Have a peek view here on the book website we created: https://enoughthebook.co

I feel privileged to be part of an online global community of professionals and entrepreneurs, that provides support, shares achievements, and exchanges ideas around our businesses. From one of our many discussions emerged our biggest collaboration so far: Our book Enough. Unlock a life of abundance starting right where you are The amazing and wonderful part is how we all collaborated so well. If it was supporting and helping each other with each of our chapters or the developments around how to best create the front or write the back cover of the book. Every improvement, suggestion, and correction was built on the previous improvements. We created teamwork between sixteen contributors around the globe, being in constant exchange to put all the pieces together. We all loved, felt, and enjoyed the collective effort, appreciating everyone’s experience, knowledge, and input. We all could feel the energy within the team. Yes, we are in 2021, and people and companies work in teams across the world. Using the latest technology, schedules, tasks, structures, and processes to hit the target. Nothing unusual. Unusual for us was that we come together voluntarily for a common idea. From idea to the finished product, to write and publish a book, it took us five months and we expected only the best of us. There are more elements than technology and company targets that made our collaborative project go fast, fun, and fantastic: Respect and appreciation Respecting each member of the team, their individual contributions, insights, on and feedback as well as appreciating the knowledge and perspectives everyone provided. Commitment All the contributors committed to the one idea: to create a book with which we like to inspire the reader to pursue a purposeful life doing work that matters to him and her and makes a difference to others. Spirit of true collaboration Mark, one of the founders of the global business platform (the Right Company) from which this book adventure group emerged said: “What gave me goosebumps, was the joy and energy of the authors, talking about the writing process, their hopes for the book and their launch and promotion strategy. There was so much power in their voices. Positive power. We-did-this-together power. Together-we-know-a-lot power.” Honesty and Humility If things don’t fit, take a wrong turn, might not make sense, we say it with honesty and respect. That helped to move our book project forward, efficiently and smoothly. We didn’t know everything about what we are doing. But instead of procrastinating our idea in the name of perfectionism and we-know-it-all, we dived in with humility and passion. Passion Do you feel the joy and energy within your task force? Our book is a collection of stories, lessons, and achievements to inspire, encourage and open up your mind to the abundance of possibilities how you can transform your work and life. That’s what collaboration on this work and our shared stories did for us – it inspired and opened up our minds to the abundance of possibilities and new insights how we can transform our work and life by being more connected. P.S. Our book Enough. Unlock a life of abundance starting right where you are is coming out in a few weeks. Stay tuned with me >>> or through the book website >>>

If you want to be successful professionally and make a lot of money, then first you have to work hard, secondly, be a badass, and thirdly put the fun in your life on the backburner. This may sound extreme and somewhat "old-fashioned" today, but these thoughts may not be completely far-fetched after all. The alarming idea that we have to sacrifice one part of our life in order to successfully maintain the other part is nonsense. The ideal state is to be successful in our professional activities, to enjoy pleasure and meaning in our lives, and to make the world a better place - all of the above, not just one of those. These are not mutually exclusive ideas! Quite the opposite. All areas are interrelated, interdependent, and complementary. Pay attention to all the important areas of your life - Love it all - that is where your success and satisfaction as a HUMAN being comes from. When all areas of your life are in balance, they influence each other positively and ultimately lead to a life that feels authentic to you. You feel at peace and are satisfied with yourself. Plus, you are successful. And even happy. What are life areas? Depending on the source describing the various aspects of life, there are usually between 6 to 12 areas listed. From this I have compiled the following sections for myself, which I like to recommend to you: 1. Quality of life/life vision 2. Health/fitness 3. Family / partnership / friends / relationships 4. Creativity / inspiration / spirituality 5. Thoughts / emotions / character 6. Profession/career / further education 7. Financial/material We should pay equal attention to all of these areas, because they balance, nurture, and support each other. Health / Fitness Your physical health influences your heart and mind and vice versa. What do you do for your health? How often do you exercise? Getting some fresh air and going for a walk is as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth. Not only does it feel good physically, but it clears my head and fills me up with new energy for work. It's all too easy for us to over-exploit our own bodies and endanger our immune systems and long-term health because we always put work first and don't notice the negative effects until later. Often when it is too late. Helloooo?! Ever experienced this? Family / Partnership / Friends / Relationships Which people in your life are important to you? Do you spend enough time with them? Which relationships contribute positively to your life and which are rather stressful and should be let go of? Are you nurturing your friendships or are you putting this off until later in life because of your career? And when later comes around you wake up to no more friends as they got tired of waiting for some attention within your busy calendar. Creativity / Inspiration / Spirituality Who or what inspires you and who or what would you like to be more inspired by? Do you give yourself space to be inspired? What do you believe in life, what is your north star, your orientation? Do you think about your meaning in life and your visions for your working world/business? Thoughts / Emotions / Character How do you feel emotionally and mentally? How much attention do you pay to yourself, how much time do you spend with yourself? What thoughts and feelings come up frequently? What do you do good for yourself? Your character is your foundation and influences how you approach all the other life areas. Who do you want to be? What are your values? What kind of world do you want to live in? Profession / Career / Education Are you satisfied with your job and does it fulfill you? What drives you in your work? Helping others and making a difference in the world is something that drives and motivates many in their work. How do you see this for yourself? What are you currently learning new? Are you living up to your potential? Can you envision your ideal job and work environment? Does it reflect your character, values, and principles? Financial / Material How good are you with your finances? What is actually the true nature of money and how does it flow, where does it come from and how is wealth created? What beliefs about money and wealth do you have that may be blocking you from being financially successful or fulfilled? Are you investing in yourself through education, coaching, time to reflect, inspirations/hobbies? It's all a cycle. The best investment you can make is to invest in yourself - that's how financial guru Warren Buffet describes it. Quality of life / Life vision You have thought about all life areas. Now look into the future and visualize for yourself what kind of life you would ultimately like to live. As an exercise, it also helps to put yourself at the end of your life and look back and ask what kind of life would fill you with satisfaction? This should give you clarity on what is important and valuable to you and will serve you as a guidance or north star for how to shape your days, months, and years. What makes up your quality of life? Are you paying attention to these qualities that you define for yourself and building them into your daily (monthly/yearly) life? Important aspects for my life quality are exercise/sports, exchanging life and ideas with friends, spending time with my husband, having time for myself. What makes up your quality of life? If you are aware of this and cultivate it, you will discover the positive influence on all of your other areas of life. All areas of life, including work, make up your lifestyle. And it is in your hands to style your life. If you are happy with yourself, if you know your values and principles, and pay attention to both your physical and mental health and people you care about in your life, you will not only be more fulfilled, but you are more inclined to treat people with respect, understanding, and kindness. Your lifestyle and work style will more likely be authentic and reliable, contributing to your personal growth, and encouraging others to grow as well. And this affects the efficiency and prosperity of your business and work environment. All areas of life are interrelated, interdependent, and complementary. In the long run, you're not doing yourself any favors by neglecting some areas. And in the short term - every day should be successful, appreciated, and lived. photo © John McDermott

Recently I spoke to an owner of a medium-sized company about working when getting in "retirement"-age and quitting ... or not. He has an employee who started working in his profession at the age of 15 and should officially retire in his late 50s, after working for more than 40 years. That was 15 years ago and the employee is still with the company today. Because he feels like doing it because he is good and reliable because he has accumulated an enormous knowledge over decades in the company. And the owner is happy to keep him busy, take advantage of his wisdom, and continues to pay him the same salary. Why not? Do we stop working at a certain age because the rules, the laws (which have not yet been adapted to the 21st century) dictate that you "retire" and "have to quit" when you are in your early or mid-60s? Today we are all getting older, we have a better health system and through university years and spending a year abroad, which used to be less common in the past, we also start our professional and working life a little later. Can the laws and mindsets keep up with that progress? Why not pay more attention to the knowledge, experience, willingness, and commitment of the "mature generation" and integrate them into our organizational structures? And then combine this with the younger generation's pioneer spirit, their desire to try things out and learning from mistakes. Combining experience and curiosity – to create something new The ideal recipe would be that we learn to combine wisdom and experience with curiosity for new things, a beginner attitude, and a willingness to develop and grow. "Experience is making a comeback again. Because at a time when corporate management is in the hands of younger generations, organizations are finally becoming aware of values such as humility, emotional intelligence, and wisdom that go hand in hand with age. And when digital skills may only have an expiration date from the latest fads or gadgets, human skills that employees have mid-career - such as good judgment, expertise, or the ability to collaborate and coach - never expire." That's how Chip Conley describes it, author of the book "Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder". "Best-before-date" has expired In another conversation a few days ago, a friend mentioned how his father was retired at the age of 60 from his work at a public office where he successfully built up and managed a department over decades. Since he still enjoys his work a lot, he still feels young and is very popular with his colleagues, he offered to work even longer, even for less or fewer days. No. The sell-by date has passed, the law says he can no longer work, so he had to pack up and leave. Seriously?! Being narrow-minded, not realizing and being aware of how the working and corporate world is changing, and looking to the future, demonstrates a lack of attention. Un-retired When is the ideal age to retire? NEVER. Harvard University economists coined the term "un-retirement" to describe the number of people who retire, find they don't like it, and go back to work. Between 25 and 40 percent of retirees re-enter the labor market. The reason given by the unretired people is that they have a purpose, continue to use the brain, and enjoy social exchange and commitment. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin interviewed people between the ages of 70 and 100 and asked them what contributes to life satisfaction for them. Every single one of them was still working. Some have changed their work pace due to age-related slowdowns, but in the partial days they work, they achieve more than most of their younger colleagues. Multi-generation teams It has been discovered that teams with multiple generations and long-standing team members tend to be more productive. Older team members increase the productivity of their colleagues and such teams usually outperform those of the same generation. Ultimately, the goal should be that everyone in an organization or group feels included, welcomed, valued, and respected. Which means nothing else than paying attention and thereby promoting fruitful cooperation. The American filmmaker and theater director Frederick Wiseman is 91, finished another film just before the lockdown last year, and can't wait to go back to work when the Corona restrictions are lifted. A few years ago he described: "As for my age, I am completely ignorant and do not pay attention to what I find extremely useful. Of course, from time to time I allow myself to become aware of my age, but it's not something I think about. I like to work. I work very hard." Un-Retiredness and not tiredness. Re-tire. Put the tires back on. Why not? photo © Rüdiger Schrader

Attention as a success factor - Why organizations should keep an eye on their employees "I was so angry that the CEO was far away, in a tower or somewhere looking at spreadsheets, and decided to close this 85-year-old yogurt factory. Spreadsheets are lazy. They tell you nothing about people, they tell you nothing about communities. Unfortunately, too many business decisions today are made based on numbers and Excel sheets." Hamdi Ulukaya in his TED Talk (2005) talks about how he came to buy an old yogurt factory in Upstate New York that a large food company (Kraft Food) was selling off. Even though he had no money. He looked at the sad factory and what he perceived were the 55 people whose working lives were about to be closed forever. Attention means caring for others To be given attention makes one happy, elated, feeling good. Not receiving attention, being disregarded, hurts. This is true in all areas of life, including the work environment. To pay attention means to care about others. To care means, according to the dictionary, to take care of a person or thing and to make an effort to help or care for someone or something. Furthermore, it means to give someone or something one's ATTENTION and to interact with someone. When you pay attention to someone, you observe him, listen to the person, and take note of him or her. When you do not pay attention to someone, you act as if you are unaware of the person, if she is invisible or not important Do you want to be treated in a rude, meaningless, unnoticed way? Good leadership is service How do we deal with employees and customers? Do we give them sufficient attention? This includes treating one's counterpart with respect and appreciation. An organization is not a machine, but a living, breathing organism. With people who are not "human capital" but "human beings". Research has found that many employees do not feel connected to their work, the body shows up for work, but the heart does not come along. The motivation, the sense of purpose, and being a part of the whole idea, a vision of why you are with the organization, is lost on many. Hamdi Ulukaya scraped together loans, hired 4 of the 55 laid off yogurt factory people, and hired overtime every other member of the old staff. They started working together to paint the factory and somehow got it up to speed. The same people who were laid off rebuilt the factory, better than before, and today all have a financial stake in the company. "During the initial reconstruction, we got to know each other. We believed in each other. And we figured out the way together." Taking care of people means paying attention to them It's people who keep an organization running, whether employees, customers, or suppliers. Wouldn't it make sense then to take care of these people accordingly? Raj Sisodia of Conscious Capitalism explains that good leadership is a service, a service to employees to take care of them, inspire them and celebrate them. Or as Gary Vaynerchuk says: "Employees don't work for the leader, it's the other way around." Too often we look at a person for who they are at that moment instead of recognizing what they can be. Instead of giving up or firing an employee, a little patience, encouragement, and training could help that person grow and become more satisfied on the job and a valuable part of the organization. This requires attention. Attention means: - taking time - listening - observing. This is how you recognize a person's strengths and can help to develop them further and integrate them into the company respectively. Earl Nightingale https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=earl+nightingale, the well-known radio speaker and expert on success, personal development, and motivation, said: "In each of us there are deep reservoirs of skills, or even a genius, that we often do not use. It sometimes takes knowledge, patience, and time to bring those skills to the surface." "The first thing a company should do is take care of its people." - Hamdi Ulukaya Hierarchical power structures no longer work How can conditions be created to feel a sense of belonging as a human being and to develop in a community? Hierarchical power structures no longer work. Organizations recognize that people only become creative and take on responsibility if they feel comfortable and when they can contribute ideas that are meaningful to them. Recognition and appreciation play an important role in this. If recognition is lacking, loyalty, motivation, and participation in constructive and creative processes suffer. After all, an organization depends on its people. Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry Wehmiller, explains, "When 88% of people who have a job feel they are working for an organization that doesn't care about them, they don't feel valued. They feel used for someone else's gain. In business, politics, and communities, people are often not treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. In turn, it's then difficult for those who don't feel cared for to care for others." In other words, why should an employee care about customers if they feel neglected by the company? If we treat employees right, treat customers right, treat the community right, treat our product right, we'll be more profitable, more innovative, have passionate employees who care about the organization and a supportive community. That's how Hamdi Ulukayas sees the new role of CEOs and companies. His factory, Chobani, is now the best-selling Greek yogurt brand in America and the largest yogurt factory in the world. Showing respect and understanding through listening How can we get there? Listening would be the first, important step. Listening properly. And that requires attention. Not listening to tell one's opinion and position, but to understand the other person's words and feelings and ideas. To get to know another perspective and thus build empathy. This is a foundation for any kind of relationship because it shows that you respect, pay attention and care about the other person. Otherwise, how can we build trust and show respect and understand each other if we don't know what the other person is thinking and feeling? Imagine how every conversation could be improved if we approached it this way, whether in the organization, in everyday life, at home, in a foreign country. "Attention leads to deepening of interpersonal processes, intensification of our feelings, clarity in judgment, and ultimately to finding meaning." Prof. Reinhard Haller, MD. New rules of the game Hamdi Ulukaya's vision is to establish an "anti-CEO playbook" that puts people above profit. The template that has guided companies and CEOs for the last 40 years is broken. It tells CEOs everything about business except how to be noble leaders. We need a new playbook that puts people first, Ulukaya believes. "The treasure I found in this factory - dignity of work, the strength of character, human spirit – that is what we need to bring back to life throughout the world. Journalist and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman once wrote, "It's amazing what we can get back from people or ask of them when we show them respect and value their dignity." An organization is not a machine, but a living, breathing organism. With people who are not "human capital" but "human beings." If you like to get regularly inspired sign up for the newsletter here >>> photo © Karin Pizzinini

What is this thing about listening? Why do I really need to pay attention to what the other person is saying and trying to convey to me? What’s in it for me? “As leaders and positive difference-makers, one of our biggest challenges, we must turn into an opportunity is to get individuals to listen and pay attention”, says Coach George Raveling. Do you know those conversations that just suck? The conversation partner is only interested in unloading his garbage on you, sucking up your time, and wasting your energy. A one-way street in which your role is to replace the wall at the end of the street, so it doesn’t look so stupid for the other party to talk to a wall. These are the situations where you want to remove yourself from the conversation, with kindness and determination, just as you would remove a tick from your skin, carefully twisting it and slowly pulling out, without offending anybody. Perhaps you are a person who thinks that you get more out of your attention span and save time by dividing your attention? Giving half of your attention to the conversation partner and the other half you throw at the to-do list for today or the arguments for the next conversation partner in your busy schedule? Or, you already prepare your reply. “Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply”, says Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Listening with attention “We all listen to some degree, but we need to listen with attention.” Wise words. That requires time and the willingness to step into an uncomfortable zone. Leaving your own thoughts, think about what the other one says, trying to remember. We try to avoid that because it is so much easier and faster to just quickly dance on the surface of the conversation. We listen to about 60 percent of our communication time and retain only 25 percent of what we hear. So, we are not very good at listening. We are lacking attention. Pay something, get something in return If you want to learn something, you better cultivate a mindset of listening. Listening means PAYING attention. You pay something, you get something in return. You pay with your time, curiosity, interest, and empathy, no matter if your conversation partner is your child, spouse, colleague, client, or business contact. In return, you get new insights, information, inspiring thoughts, love, appreciation, solutions. It is not easy to pay attention it is exhausting and requires effort. But the good news is, if you do, you feel engaged and inspired. Real conversations involve both parties and are about sending and receiving thoughts and information. Real conversations require both parties to evaluate the ratio of talking and listening. Paying Attention while listening — it pays off “I believe that every human being needs to listen consciously in order to live fully — connected in space and in time to the physical world around us, connected in understanding to each other, not to mention spiritually connected, because every spiritual path I know of has listening and contemplation at its heart”, says Julian Treasure in his TED Talk on How to listen better. Approach every conversation with the assumption that you have something to learn. In every conversation try to find a new point of view you haven’t considered before. Really listening and “paying attention” pay off. And who doesn’t want to get paid well? Your reward is enjoyment, helpful information, or possible solutions. You might walk away amazed and inspired. And you leave a conversation partner that is happy and thankful to have received a great gift from you: Your attention. You truly listened to him/her. Do get regular impulses and insights on how to create a life and work lifestyle that makes you happy - sign up here >>>> Photo © John McDermott | www.mcdfoto.com

How does the young generation want to create their work and lifestyle? How can they know what kind of lifestyle they want? How can they know what kind of work they want, if they will like it in the long run and if it does go together with a lifestyle they imagine? A recent conversation with an eighteen-year-old laid out an interesting picture. The young woman grew up between two cultures and appreciates the opportunity to study at a good university in the US but also loves the more down-to-earth perspective on life in Italy. She was lucky to be exposed to different experiences, the fun teenage years in America and the forming roots in Italy. It taught and still teaches her what she likes or dislikes, what she is attracted to or what makes her feel uneasy, what sparks, and what demotivates her. This formed an interesting perspective on what she wants to do: She doesn't like the competitive atmosphere of many American universities and prefers to study at a smaller school (in the US) where there is more of a sense of community, caring, supporting and knowing each other She wants to experiment with different options and get the guidance of professors and seniors who work with her and get to know her to find her passion and unique skills For her future work, she likes to earn an income that allows an enjoyable lifestyle but not to work insane hours with no time left to live Her work should be flexible so that she can also spend time in her "other home country" Italy If things don't work out with a professional career in medicine / professional medical career, she can easily imagine herself building a bed and breakfast business in her dream location in Italy (yet to be found) and welcoming people from all over the world and enjoy their company while taking care of them She likes to stand up for a better world and engage in respective activities To me, this sounds like a desirable, healthy, refreshing way of looking at work-life style. It does not sound unrealistic, quite the opposite. This looks like a reasonable and conscious way of combining work and life in the future. As opposed to typical thinking in America where adult life is often divided up into the sections work life and retirement. The productive period and then suddenly stop and play golf. Is that how you want to design your lifestyle? What guidance can we give young people to reflect and decide on their individual combination of work and lifestyle? We can expose them to different cultures through travel, friends, and books Reading books seems old fashion to many. But reading books opens the mind, generates ideas, and widens the horizon We can expose them to conversations, discussions with creative people, people with different interests, world views, and experiences We can inspire them with the following questions: What is something that you know well? What is one of the strangest things you believed as a child? What is something that you recently discovered that really excites you? What is something that amazes you? What was the last thing you fell in love with? What is a simple idea you take very seriously? What do you lose track of time doing? What does it mean to be human? What does the world need right now? “To live consciously means to be open to perceive the world around us, to understand our circumstances and to decide how to respond to them by honoring our needs, values and goals.” - Fred Kofman

photo © John McDermott | mcdfoto.com "A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - L.P. Jacks (English philosopher and educator) What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up in the morning? Are you honoring your needs, values, and goals? Are you grateful or worried? Are you realizing if you combine, merge or separate your work and life? "When I wake up in the morning, I am looking forward to what I will learn today. If it's from my work tasks today, or from the people around me or the people I meet or the happenings that shape the day", told me a friend the other day on the phone. I like this answer much better than the often-heard answer: "What pops up first are the problems I have to face at work and the issues that are awaiting me." I realized how much it puts me on a positive track for the day if I first think about what I appreciate and am grateful for. And that I am curious about what insights and learnings I might end up with at the end of the day. How much attention do you pay to your work and career and how much to the other aspects of your life? I believe our work life, occupying a third of our day, should be a joyful part of our life, giving us a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day while not neglecting ourselves and our loved ones. In this article, I will show you some examples of how people around me changed or adapted their work according to their desired lifestyle and give you a list of questions that help you become aware of your circumstances and mindset. These are the sections we are going to explore: - Setting your priorities - Hello big picture - The Beauty of interconnectedness - Be inspired: keep your boss, change the country - Be inspired: leave your boss, start your gig - Connecting work and life for a happy ending of your workday - A question of lifestyle Setting priorities straight "My advice to the next generations is to try to help and be great people. Remember to be remembered for the kind of person we were ... not just for our titles or professional achievements." – Ivan Fernández Anaya "The past twenty years, where did they go?! I don't remember much of it. I went to work, back home, back to work. That's it!", says a close friend of mine. "Did you witness your kids growing up?", I ask. "Maybe not really. I realized that sometimes at the dinner table the kids share stories…' remember how we did this and that?' I can't recall those moments. This made me realize that I missed out on shared experiences with them while they grew up." Are you one of those busy, always rushing people with a sign attached to their chest "I have NO TIME!" regretting later in life that you didn't pay enough attention to the people that are close to you and to the things that are essential in your life? This is not about neglecting work goals, or not putting any effort and energy into your workday. This is about being aware of how work defines your life and your personality. Exposing yourself to different experiences teaches you what you like or dislike, what you are attracted to, or what makes you feel uneasy. You don't need work to define who you are. You need your goals and values to define your work. --- Are you aware of your goals and values? Leave that question at the back of your mind and notice during your daily activities what bugs you, what makes you feel yourself, what makes you tick, or what makes you uncomfortable and resist? Looking at the bigger picture "I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So, I do more reading and thinking and make fewer impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life." - Warren Buffett Several major areas of life need our attention to living in a fulfilling and satisfying way. - Health and Body - Work and Career (finances, education, achievements) - Family and Social Life (friends, maintain relationships, meet new people) - Personal Development (intellectual, spiritual, creative inspirations) - Life Vision and Quality of Life This is not about optimizing your work, relationships, health, leisure time, and every other aspect of your life. This is about paying attention to each part of your life and become aware of the fact that all areas of life are interconnected and contribute to your overall well-being, personally and professionally. You don't live longer, better, healthier by focusing on just health and body and neglect the other areas of life. In what has become the Blue Zones project initiated by Dan Buettner the researched cultural groups show us that it is about the combination of the different life-areas that open up the door to a healthy long life. - How do you feel about your current health, social life, and personal development situation? - What changes would you ideally like to make to feel better about these areas of life? - What's important to you right now? Are your family, friends, and social interaction part of the picture? - What sparks you and what motivates you? - Where do you not accept any compromises anymore? - What do you not want to miss anymore? Asking yourself these questions will guide you in making a decision you feel good about and are less likely to regret. --- Expose yourself to different experiences – it will teach you what you like or dislike, what you are attracted to, or what makes you feel uneasy. The interconnectedness of life areas "To live consciously means to be open to perceive the world around us, to understand our circumstances and to decide how to respond to them by honoring our needs, values, and goals." - Fred Kofman All the different areas of life are interconnected. It's all tied together and every area has a profound effect on the other areas. Do you consciously pay attention to the "other" areas of life besides work and business or not? If you keep your body and mind healthy through moving, nutrition, breaks, sleep, and walking in nature you have way more energy and a clear mind to deliver a great performance at work and in daily life. Do you pay attention to your spouse, kids, friends and nourish the relationship with them which in turn gives you support and the feeling of being loved? This brings you to a positive state of mind and gives you energy for your work life. "Your friends are long-term adventures, and therefore, perhaps the most significant thing you can do to add more years to your life, and life to your years." – Dan Buettner, The Blue Zone project. - What do you like to think about? - Where does your mind wander? - What do you care about? - How do you enjoy spending your time? --- Force yourself to think about your feelings, words, emotions, and behaviors, then you start to understand what's bothering you and what you want. Keep the boss - change location Not finding her job really satisfying and challenging anymore and getting tired of London my dear friend decided to move to Barcelona. She confronted her boss with her ideas, feelings, and plans and as he wanted her to keep working for him, they figured out a solution. In today's world of automation, digitization and interconnectedness it's easier than ever to connect your work with a place you like to live. As for my friend's dissatisfaction with the content of her work, they changed the tasks and projects she is working on. She can continue working for him remotely from Barcelona and once a month she flies to London for meetings and specific updates. The boss is happy he can keep her skills, contribution, and experience, and my friend is satisfied to have new work challenges with the same boss she appreciates in a location of her choice. "If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down." - Toni Morrison Leave the boss – start your gig A friend of mine decided to open a business for repairing and selling bicycles. After making his career for over a decade in the advertising and marketing industry he had enough. He is a passionate mountain bike rider and decided to change his work to business activity and product that is close to his heart. What he loves compared to the old marketing days is the immediate, happy feedback of his customers who express their gratitude about his efforts and service that makes them immediately mobile again. "Success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives." - Michelle Obama How can we combine life and work, so we are happy at the end of the day? "We need to all give ourselves the time to think about what we want from life for ourselves. I'm no advocate for long, arduous self-improvement forms. Keep it simple, stupid – but don't ignore or neglect your wellbeing. If you're honest with yourself, you can learn a lot." – Sir Richard Branson This is about experiencing oneself in the world to discover, develop and shape the essence of your personality. - What kind of life do you want to live? - What life do YOU actually dream of? - What do you stand for? - What does your typical day look like? - What are you focused on? - What values do you have and always want to be aware of as a guideline? --- Can you imagine combining the best of several life-areas to create a good balance between yourself, work, others, and your surroundings? CONCLUSION: It's a question of lifestyle "I believe the quality of your attention determines the quality of your life." – Claudia Brose Thinking about how you want to combine life and work is about defining what lifestyle you like to create. - What kind of a person do you want to become? - What kind of a life do you want to live? - And what kind of a person gets a life like that? You can choose to give attention to all parts of life that make for a well-balanced life-and-work-style. It is your attention to your different areas of life that provides you with a blueprint through which you can live and work with more fulfillment and success. 6 am. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up? "People [in Blue Zones] aren't waking up in the morning rudderless. They're driven by life meaning and purpose. They're investing in family, keeping their minds engaged and there's no existential stress of being worthless in life." – Dan Buettner, The Blues Zones project. They know how to set up their life in the right way, so they have the right outlook. What is your outlook on life and work and the combination of the two?