Why do we wait for a tragedy to happen in our lives before making changes to work smarter and be happier? We often don't realize how important life is until a personal calamity forces us to stop and take stock. Then we say, 'Why am I working this hard? Work is third or fourth down on my priority list. Family and health come first!'
PERSONAL TRAGEDY
It took a personal tragedy for my husband to change his life. Mark didn't enjoy his job. When he was hired, things were wonderful. But as time went by, he became more and more unhappy. Our family kept telling him to look for something else, to try a new adventure. But he just stuck with it, year after year.
When the day came that Mark was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma, the world stopped. That was it! Within a month he gave his notice and quit his job. Our lives changed dramatically. Our five-year plan became a one-year plan. We sold everything, bought a motor home, and began to travel with the good weather.
Don't wait until it's too late. Make positive changes in your life now.
AGENCY TRAGEDIES
'My wife just had a stroke. She's only 47.'
'My daughter was in a serious car accident. We're so happy she's alive.'
'The agency principal's wife was just diagnosed with breast cancer.'
'Our CSR's husband had a heart attack this weekend.'
'My husband's in the hospital with liver and kidney problems.'
'My two-year-old son had to undergo a serious eye operation, and now he's been diagnosed with a hernia.'
And the list goes on! How many more tragedies do we have to hear about before we realize that working too hard just isn't worth the price? We're consumed by the stress of long hours, personnel problems, and insufficient time to get everything done.
Make some changes. Put your priorities first.
WORKING SMARTER
Work smarter by delegating responsibility. There are employees in your agency who are perfectly capable of doing parts of your job. And believe it or not, they'll be happy to do it! They'll feel important knowing they're helping the agency principal. Think about it! You can delegate some of your work, and the agency will still run smoothly.
Work smarter by training your staff to be independent. 'Questions, questions, questions! When will all these interruptions stop?' When an employee has a question, ask them what they'd do in the situation. More often than not, they'll come up with the same answer you would. If they don't, offer them your advice. Before you know it, your employees will be handling their own problems.
Work smarter by developing daily checklists. Write down the most important tasks that absolutely must be accomplished. Schedule times within the day when these tasks will be completed, and stick to the plan. That's it!
Work smarter by taking personal time off. We realize this may be difficult to arrange if you're not the agency owner; however, just half a day per week can do wonders. You'll work more efficiently and get more done just knowing you're taking that precious time off!
Don't wait for tragedy to strike before you improve your life. Talk to people in other agencies. You'll soon find out that many are going through personal hardships. Are they working smarter? Are they realizing how important life is? Make positive changes in your life today, and notice how much more effectively your agency runs!