Work Life Balance | Warwick Merry CSP CVP

Archive For: Work Life Balance

Come and Hear Me Speak!

I RARELY post commercial information but there are two events I am involved with that I really wanted to tell you about.
I won’t waffle on about each even, just keep it short and sweet.

The first one is a book launch. A good friend of mine Ian Berry has just launched his new book “Changing What’s Normal”. To celebrate he has asked me to join him and Geoff McDonald to speak at a 90 minute seminar on Thursday 28th July. Your registration includes a copy of the book and you get to hear three speakers to inspire you to live a beyond normal life. Find out more detail and book your place here.

The second thing is late last week I was asked to share the stage with Dr John Tickell, Tracy Bartram and Dr Rosemary McCallum for a three day seminar on Serious Abundance. I am so excited about this! We will be sharing with you ways you can cut through the nonsense, get rid of the rubbish and live the life you want.
You will learn:

Ways to have more fun in your life
Financial Skills and methods to improve your relationship with wealth
Work Life balance techniques to allow yourself time to connect with those who count
Wellness – eat without being on a diet and have a healthy relationship with food
Ideas to live with more passion and conviction.

Find out more about this event, including the Early Bird Special that ends Friday 15th July, by clicking here.
As I said I am thrilled about both of these events. If you need a quick burst, come along to the book launch. If you are serious about giving your life a shake up and building something you truly desire, come to the three day seminar.

I look forward to seeing you at either event.

Warm regards

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy

What Inspires You?

They say life is short. Billy Connolly pointed out it is the longest thing you ever do!

For many people, one week is the same as the next…is the same as the next…is the same as the next.
What inspires you to get up each day and get on with your life? Is it your pay cheque? The idea of living a better life? Is it contribution to others? Is it providing for your loved ones?

If you don’t have an inspiration, how can you expect to face the day energised and ready to rock?

So what inspires you?

Is It Fun?

One of the most energy draining aspects of work is seriousness. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place to be serious, but it seems that it is becoming ALL the time and EVERY place!
How many times have you been in:

Meetings have you had that have just dragged on while someone was waffling about the importance of so and so and you could tell that NO ONE was listening?
Sales presentations where the sales person was so serious, it turned you off their product?
Conversations with colleagues who sounded like they were running down a checklist of things to say?

The Minister of Fun at a conference I was at had one simple rule. It is a rule I am liking more and more each day.

“If it’s not fun, don’t do it. If you have to do it, make it fun”

That doesn’t mean that you make everything an opportunity for stand up comedy. You don’t want to be disruptive, you simply want to make it fun.
So are you having fun yet?

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If Nuns can do it, why not you? If you want to buy the Calendar go here

When Was Your Last Holiday?

This blog comes to you while I am gallivanting around the Sri Lankan countryside. I have left the computer at home and will be having three weeks to just relax. But that is not the Australian way. We call ourselves the “Lucky Country” and the image of going surfing, playing footy or just having a BBQ comes to mind when you think of Australian Lifestyle.

But research by the Australia Institute shows that Australia has that longest hours of work in the developed world.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that:

Very long hours of work (50 hours or more per week) have become more common for full-time workers in the 20 years since 1985, particularly for men. In 2005, 30% of men working full-time worked 50 hours or more per week, up from 22% in 1985. Fewer women working full-time worked very long hours, with 16% working 50 hours or more per week in 2005, up from 9% in 1985.

Personally, I have met people

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that wear their annual leave entitlement like a badge of honour!! “I’ve got 200 days of annual leave owing! I haven’t had a proper holiday for 15 years!!!”
That is INSANE!!! You need rest and recreation because it is Re Creation. It rebuilds yourself and restores your energy. In Australia, we typically get four weeks of annual leave a year. I believe you should have all four weeks in that year. No matter how important you think you are, the place will not fall down without you!

So what about you? How much leave do you have owing and when will you take your next holiday?

Enjoy!

Last week wifey and I had 18 trees cut down out of our front and back yard. It was not something we did lightly and it does prompt the question, “Why would you tear them down?

The majority of them were pine trees planted as a hedge over 20 years ago. It was a great idea. It gave extra privacy from the neighbours and passers by as well as some wind protection. For the first couple of years they did their job well but over time, things changed. The owners of the house got new tenants in who didn’t prune the trees as they needed. The larger trees dropped more needles. The ground beneath the trees stopped growing lawn as it was starved for nutrients and sun light. The path under the trees was not maintained and over grew with weeds and the trees grew so tall that they blocked nearly all the light from the northern sun. With minimal light, moss started growing on the roof and on the path up to the front door making it slippery and unsafe in the wet.

What started as a great idea grew way out of control.

Have you ever seen this happen in the work place? A system, process, work idea, project, guiding principle or cultural element of an organisation starts off well, has great intent and then becomes the nightmare of the business. I have seen in many times.

Sometimes a “mild trim” is not enough, you have to rip it out at the roots and start again!

So wifey and I are now planning the redesign of the gardens including replant more suitable and more productive trees.

What about you? What behemoths need to be torn down so fresh new ideas and practices can flourish?

Image: Warwick Merry

What a Disaster!

I couldn’t believe it! I was just giving myself a “tidy up trim” an hour before I flew out to work for three days on an Expo with a major client and a DISASTER happened!

Being male and with a simple hair style means that I cut my own hair. Simple “Number 2” attachment on the clippers and just move it all over my head. I also have a technique to tidy the base of the hair cut at the back. Just take off the attachment and trim a little with my guide.

Naturally, as a well trained husband I then show my “new do” to wifey for the final approval. In business you always ask for a second opinion, this is just the same. She spotted a few “tufty bits” at the back so I returned to the bathroom to trim them. A quick trim and then…… hang on….. that is way more hair falling off than a “tuft”.

Nooooooooo!!!!!

I had neglected to put the Number 2 attachment back on so now I had a Number 0 on the crown of my head!! I couldn’t cover it up, I couldn’t “blend” it in. There was no alternative, it all had to come off. What a disaster!!! Here is the result.

The surprising thing is that several of the exhibitors mentioned how much they liked my hair cut when I was coaching them. They didn’t even realise I wear my hair longer. But most people didn’t even notice. Have you noticed that happening in your business and in your life? Something happens that you swear is a major catastrophe, the worst thing that could possibly happen, we will never get over it, how can we cope……. but most people don’t notice or just don’t care.

My hair will grow back (well… most of it), your situation will resolve one way or the other. Life and business continues. Don’t get distracted by your own perspective. Keep your focus on what counts for your customers.

Enjoy!!

I was suffering from Man Flu last week. Men are always the last to know that they have it. Luckily wifey was able to point it out to me. It is when a man has a slight cold but they think it is the end of the world!!

Now I am not a believer in “Soldiering On”. I believe that when my body is ill I need to rest and let it get better. Consequently I cancelled several business and social appointments. Now I could have gone along but was just not worth it. There was a slight chance I could have infected the person I was meeting (and depending on their air conditioning system, half of the people on their floor too!), I would have been foggy headed and not had my wits about me for the meeting and most importantly, my body would be straining to “Soldier On” and not simply recover.

So I stayed home, taking my hippy pills (horseradish, garlic and vitamin C) and let my body rest. Three days later and I was feeling fabulous. Compare that to many who Soldier On and “just can’t seem to shake it”.

When you get ill, do you look after yourself? Not just when you have a cold (or Man Flu) but also when you are grieving, distressed, or just need a doona day. I am not saying we should all have a sick day. What I am saying is you HAVE to look after yourself and do what it takes to maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.

How well do you look after yourself?

Image: www.justonemore.info

I Love You and Hate You!

Technology! How it makes life so much better and brings additional pain we

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have never even thought of.

This Get More Goer is coming to you later than planned as my email system decided to be weird and not allow any password anymore. Arrgh!! So I have had my IT guy, Kaalgat (in South Africa) fixing it. I really HATE it when technology lets me down.

Having said that, I got a new HTC Desire mobile device which is fabulous! I feel more in control than the iPhone but

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I have churned through a big chunk of my download allocation!! I am probably not ready to say I LOVE it, but there is a solid admiration!!

It reminds me of the adage, “It is not what happens to you, but how you deal with it that counts.”

Whether you Love or Hate the technology, colleague, family member, partner, friend, stranger, company, government or institution, it is how you deal with the situation that counts.

How well do you deal with it?

He Touched Me!

As some of your know I sing with Mood Swing – you can check out what we sound like on our facebook page (maybe become a fan?) We were delighted to be part of the Get Vocal festival over the weekend. As well as concerts, there were workshops for artists during the day. A highlight for me was attending the workshop run by Tripod. If you are not familiar with them check out one of my favourites of theirs on YouTube or their home page www.3pod.com.au

I had heard so many stories about meeting your hero’s and being disappointed. While I may not rank them as “Hero’s” they are definitely people I admire and look up to. As a speaker, trainer, coach, tradeshow guru, I am constantly trying to balance the entertainment, education, laughs and valuable resources mix. I had a one on one chat with Scott (the one with glasses) who was very humble and gave me some great pointers. He even touched me!! Well…we shook hands.

It got me thinking, how do we really know how we positively affect people? When we give to them, inspire them, lead them, love them, parent them, coach them, advise them, befriend them or even just talk with them? You never know what impact you will have on those around you simply by sharing what you know and what you have. There are people out there who are better off having been in contact with you. They may even be thinking “(s)he touched me!”

Thanks for being such a cool you. Keep it up.

Lovin’ your work.

Image from http://www.facebook.com/3pod.com.au

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday. Yay!

I have long been a believer in not working on my birthday so I spent the day having brunch with some work friends, lunch with an old singing friend and then dinner with Wifey. It was a hard day, but someone had to do it and I was up to the challenge!!

I would encourage you to also plan to have your birthday off and do something fun. Even if your birthday is months away, put your leave form in now!

But what is a birthday without presents!! So here they are.

First, it’s a freebie – the Birthday Bash checklist. Use this on your birthday to look back at the year gone and celebrate your achievements. Then look forward to the year ahead and build in some fabulosity! Click here to download the Birthday Bash Checklist.

The second birthday present is a discount off the Get More Energy CD. This CD has tips, tools and techniques on how you can have more sustainable energy in your life. Usually $35 plus postage and handling, simply use the discount code “bday42” and get a $20 discount. That makes it only $15 plus postage and handling. Click here to order the Get More Energy CD.

The third present is a discount off my speaking or MC services. If you book me to speak/MC at your conference or workshop before the end of May 2010, I will give you 33% off my standard speaking fee. Just email me to make the booking.

I wish you the best on my birthday and I trust the coming years brings great things!

Warwick

Take it ALL!

Are you one of these people who wear their annual leave entitlement like a badge of honour?

“I’ve got 23 weeks of annual leave owing – I haven’t had a real holiday in FIVE YEARS!!”

Surely you have met people like this in your work place or know someone like it?

In Australia we get four weeks of annual leave allocated every year – different countries get more than this and others get less. My challenge to you is to make sure you take all of your allocated leave in the year it is allocated. Our bodies and our minds need the time off to relax and renew. This also revives our spirit and sense of well being. So book your leave in now before your colleagues takes the good slots available!!

Are you up to the challenge?

Image: Oxfam.org.uk

It is February already – can you believe it?

One month down and 11 to go (that’s 8.3% of the year gone). So are you 8.3% along the path of your goals? Have you met 8.3% of your annual targets? For many of us, this month has flown by. I am sure that many people will say “I was on vacation”, “business is slow in Jan”, “the tennis was on” or some other observation about January and what they are doing. These are valid points, but they are not the point I want to make.

My point is to remind you that “How we live our days is how we live our life”.

If you are not 8.3% along the path of this year’s objectives, what can you do about it today?
If you are not showing the kind of attributes you want people to be saying about you on your 80th birthday, what can you do today?
If you are not being the person you want to be in the world, what can you do about it today?

Can you belive how easy it is to have a fantastic life? Simply start by having a fantastic day.

Enjoy!

Image: Vodaphone Zoo Zoo Calander

Don’t just DO something, Sit there!

It has been a scorcher of a day here in Melbourne. To escape the heat, I thought I would sit outside in my back yard and just enjoy the cool change.

I have been privileged to witness an amazing light and sound show. The sun is reflecting off the low cloud and changing colours from orange and amber through to pinks with cloud whisps being different gradients. Meanwhile, the breeze is rustling through the nectarine tree as the neighbours cat prowls through the yard giving me the “what the hell are you doing sitting on your back step” look.

I could have taken a photo but it changes so much, it’s not the same. But you may have seen something similar at some other time. It is not the vista that I wanted to share anyway, but the moment.

It’s been a hot day. I have been thinking about things I have on this week, thinking about a friend who has just ended a relationship, another recovering from surgery, family who have just moved house, how knackered I feel in the heat….. you know, a typical day. Taking the time to just step outside and sit here has been fabulous. I am taking the time to be a human being

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not a human doing.

Doing this has forced me into the moment where I can see that life is ok. Not life and everything will be ok but it already is ok. Things are great! I have some amazing things happen in my life, I have some amazing people around me (particularly wifey!) and some fabulous opportunities are happening. It is fantastically refreshing to be present and sit and appreciate my surroundings.

What about you?

Sometimes you need to remember the age old truth. Don’t just do something, sit there!

Mum on a Motorbike

I gave my mum a lift home from the city yesterday.

There is nothing unusual about that. People do it all the time. But my mum lives in a sleepy town with a population of about 2,000 and traffic is not usually that busy. She was visiting me in Melbourne, population about 4 million and peak hour is…. well…. messy at times!! Not only that, but I ride a motorbike. Granted, it is a big one, but it means you are much closer to the large semi-trailers than you are when in the car.

So there we were zooming home on the bike, me on the front hoping everyone would know I had my mum on the back so they should give way, and my 67 year old mum on the back grinning like a cheshire cat. She had a ball! In fact, she liked it so much that after we got home, we got back on the bike and went for another ride to the pub for dinner.

As much as I like bragging about my mum, the point of this is don’t let invisibile boundaries stop you from doing things. When I mentioned to people I was giving mum a lift home many people on my clients site said things like: “ooo… is that a good idea?”, “your mum? Really?” even other motorbike riders were saying “I am not sure I would do that.” At what age do you get “too old” to do things? Too mature, too tall, too many responsibilities, too serious, too risky, too (insert relevant word here)??

Life is to be lived. Don’t let what other think hold you back.

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy

Top 10 Tips for Life

This came across my desk today. It has a strong message that I think is important. It says it in a way that is funny but real. I can’t find picture credits, so if it is yours let me know and I am happy to acknowledge your mighty fine work.

So here are the Top Ten Tips for Life

1 Stay out of trouble that you can easily avoid

2 No matter how high you go, you can always aim for greater heights