The Daily Saint

How Green is Your Workplace?

Photo by Steve Roe

Let's face it- it's in to be green and there are so many ways to participate.  Walking, public transportation, recycling, cleaning products, organic food, recycled products, sustainable goods...the list goes on and on.  I recently found these stylish outdoor pots, made from corn husks. 

The Vatican has even weighed in on greening the planet.

A green home is one thing but a green workplace may be more difficult to find.  Or create.  You see, at home, I only have five people to motivate towards recycling.  At work, forty-five.  More difficult yes, but the impact of forty-five could be tremendous.  Plus, that's nine times the amount of paper that could be reused as something else.  Nine times the amount of electricity...nine times the impact.

What's holding you back from a greener workplace?

Green Workplace Resources

How to Green Your Work (Treehugger)

10 Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Workplace (Suite 101)

Green Up Your Workplace (Big Green Switch)

Firms Taking Green Path in Workplace (Boston Globe)

Going Green in the Workplace (Entrepeneur Magazine)

What if Your Best Still Isn't Enough?

You have the education.  Your resume is impressive as the day is long.  The passion is still there.  You still arrive early and stay late.  Your planner is rough around the edges due to its use.  You've still got your edge and you could work in any number of competing organizations.

But what if it's still not good enough?

What if the community that you're currently in doesn't get it and thinks that you're kind of ordinary?  Worse yet, what if they are taking you for granted, thinking that you're a lifer?

Your 'best', while still impressive to some, has lost its luster.  The honeymoon is over and you see the warts around every corner.  You have three choices:

• Stay and be miserable.
• Stay, dig in and look beyond the 'now'.
• Leave.

The choice you make is of course a reflection of yourself.  Better do some power reflecting and get away in solitude.  It's the best that you can do.

Productivity and Good Friday

Christians around the world today celebrate Jesus' death.  Oddly enough, it's been called Good Friday for centuries.  Click here for an audio of today's readings.

As I attended service today at 3pm, it was a solemn event, marked with silence and more prayers than usual.  All senses engaged.  Some folks wished us a 'Happy Easter' and somehow it felt awkward, as if we weren't totally ok with waiting for Sunday.  Unfortunately, you can't fast forward through Good Friday and then suddenly arrive at Easter. 

When it comes to productivity, there is this same tension- between living fully in the present (no matter how mundane or difficult it may be) and yet leaning towards what we hope will develop in the future.  This might be a raise, a new position or a new challenge at work.  Let's face it, it's easy to fall into the "greener grass" temptation where the other side is somehow more desirable than what is currently on your plate.

The key of course is accepting now in order to get to then. 

Are You a Spectator or a Participant?

Photo by HometownInvasion

If there is one thing that GTD teaches us it's to close the open loops in our life.  These often revolve around our project list.  It's often the  seemingly small projects ('buy gift for Claire') that we leave open until the very last minute, when we are forced to do something ('only one day until Claire's birthday').  The lesson?  Act on your thoughts and keep your projects moving...somewhere and somehow.

My students and I have been studying a critical event from the 1960's which I believe encourage the closing of some open loops and the opening of others.  Vietnam War?  Nope.  Labor movement?  Not even close.  We've been studying what is known as the Second Vatican Council.

Vatican II was a meeting (actually a series of them) which lasted from 1962-1965 and involved nearly 2500 Catholic bishops.  Some key decisions were made at Vatican II, including the groundbreaking idea of holding worship services (Mass) in the language of the people.  But that's not even remotely close to being the most important aspect of the council. 

What Vatican II did for Roman Catholics and for the world was to encourage people to go from being spectators to participants.   When we become participants, we take responsibility and that of course involves risk and vulnerability.

Some areas in life in which we can move from spectatorship to being players might include:

• Leadership at work: rather than being a complainer, a participant takes action where he can and does his job to a high level.
• Leadership at home: rather than putting himself first in the family, a participant seeks to lift up those around him.  What can I do to make my home happier for those around me?
• Leadership in your community:  close an open loop (i.e. the school board is spending money irresponsibly) by running for office, volunteering on a committee or hosting a party.

You can see the interchange between leadership/participation and the closing of loops.  The best online resource for a Vatican II overview can be found here. I believe that we are all capable of leadership which is a fancy word for being a participant ... in life.

Public Workshop This Week: Meet The Daily Saint in Person!

I'll be speaking this week at a public workshop and would love to meet as many TDS readers as possible.  St. Vincent de Paul church in Stirling, NJ is hosting the event, called "Bible 101" on Sunday, March 2 at 7pm in the church meeting room. 

If you live in the area (or feel like driving!), stop by and bring a friend. 

My talk will be entertaining, funny and very practical.  I'll be focusing on the basic structure of the Bible, key points from Mark's Gospel and detailing a simple "how to" for daily Scripture reading.  Even if you're not a big Bible reader, it should be a good time and I'd love to meet as many folks as possible. 

A Minimalist Guide to Weekend Renewal: 6 Easy Ways to Recharge the Batteries

Photo by RickyDavid

My friend Gene lives like a rock star.  He travels the globe, working and playing and then blogging about it for all to enjoy.  There are others who test drive expensive cars or even jump out of airplanes. 

I'd like to suggest something a bit simpler this weekend. 

Weekend time can easily get swallowed up in errands, birthday parties for kids and house work.  Even for church-goers, weekend time can get absorbed in a myriad of programs and events.  The key, as usual, is to simplify. Here are some minimalist ideas for your Saturday and Sunday:

• Reintroduce yourself to a book.  Hard as it may seem, few of us actually sit down and read.  Why not look at your options and enjoy one chapter from a book?  It really is possible and with a cup of java on hand, the words will fly by your eyes with little to no effort. 
• Reclaim one space that was previously cluttered. As this is a minimalist guide to weekend renewal, I'm not talking about a whole-scale cleaning here, just a place that you can reclaim for another purpose.  If a guest bedroom is a dumping bin for junk, commit to repurposing it as your art studio or home office.  Maybe there is a corner of a room that isn't being used well- why not create a meditation corner?
• Capture a moment with nature. Don't just go for a walk but get in the car and find some inspiring piece of nature that you can enjoy.  Choose a park, a scenic overlook or even a courtyard within a museum.  Just sit and enjoy. 
• Start a new journal.  I like the .99 cent tablet journals and the simplicity of them works for me.  Choose something that fits your style and commit to writing in it each morning. 
• Reintroduce yourself to God.  Have a talk, share your feelings and spend some time with God this weekend.  Many people find that silence is difficult when they pray but if you see it as God's instrument, silence becomes a friend that you regularly spend time with.
• Create a simple night for your family.  Rent a movie, crank up the popcorn and get comfortable!  There are many simple and affordable things that you can do with your family that are just plain fun.

Sometimes I envy guys with a rock-star lifestyle, wondering why my Toyota Camry doesn't have racing stripes or a sub-woofer in place of a back seat.  Then, I shake myself out of it and appreciate all that I have.

How to Bring Self Confidence to a Higher Level

Photo by Feuillu

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self- confidence is preparation."  Arthur Ashe

When I came across this quote, I had a bit of an "aha" moment as I remembered what a mentor had told me years ago about time management.  He explained that he was not the smartest, nor funniest, nor best looking.  His gift, he discovered years earlier, was his ability to prioritize commitments and prepare for each week.  Not exactly what everyone strives for but he practiced and practiced until he got it down.

Then he became a true master of time management.

When you can see your weekly review as a skill, you're getting deeper into the game.  The preparation-follow up-preparation cycle becomes the backbone of your ability to prioritize commitments.  Thankfully, it gets easier with time.

What Arthur Ashe is also reminding us is that confident people are prepared people. The two go hand in hand.  What can we prepare for this week?

1. Calendar
2. Meetings
3. Diet & fitness
4. Relationships
5. Fun
6. Spiritual growth

And we could go on and on.  A truly prepared person sees the "edgeless" activities (spiritual growth, fun, relationships, etc.) as projects with action steps.  Not that a Valentine's dinner with your better half is merely another project, but it has multiple steps which need be carried out in sequence.  Translation: project management. 

Looking at the Valentine's dinner as an example- if you are prepared for Feb. 14th, chances are it will go better and you'll feel great about it.  Makes sense.

What can you do, besides being a prepared person, to boost your self confidence?  Here are some tips:

1. Customize your routine.  This is an essential component to an organized (and prepared) life.  Nail your wake up times and going to bed times.  Streamline how you get ready for the day.  Simplify your steps in the morning.  Then, do it all again.
2. Understand your personality type. Use the Myers Briggs personality type indicator as a tool to better understand yourself.  Once you accept your level of extrovert-introversion, you'll be much cooler with how you treat your own personality.  (oh, and how you treat others)
3. Hang with the best and brightest.  Network online, via phone or snail mail with those who are confident.  Meet them at conferences and find out where they hang.  You don't want to be a stalker, just someone who learns how to meet those who are successful.   My students get a kick out of who I've met and interviewed over the years.
4. Dress for success. What you wear does make a difference.  This is not just interview advice.  The next time you don't feel well, dress better.  The next time the weather is crummy, dress better.  The next time you are about to meet someone important, dress better. 
5. Go where you want to be.  If you want to be the boss, check out his/her office the next time you have a meeting.  Imagine yourself hosting visitors and facilitating meetings.  If your neighborhood isn't what you want it to be, go for a drive and observe how other streets are organized and what types of houses are there.  Get the flavor of the dream and then stoke your fire by visiting its origin again and again.
6. Find a mentor. A mentoring agency can be a huge help with improving self confidence.  A good mentor is like gold and can become a secret weapon in the road to success.  My mentor, Gerry, is a trusted advisor, a genuine friend and a sounding board for my ambitions and failures. 

Why it Might be Time for an Executive Retreat

Photo by Ratterrell

Today our staff will be on retreat.  Nothing fancy, just an opportunity to step back from the daily grind and think about our mission and objectives.  We do this 2-3 times per year and while some members of the staff get nervous about the idea of prayer, dialogue and reflection, it's always worth it.

Aficionados of Patrick Lencioni know that an executive retreat can benefit a team in several ways.  Retreats can:

• Create bonding. 
• Reveal personality.
• Promote reflection.
• Allow disagreement.
• Invite fun.
• Generate emotion.

While I don't believe that lives will be changed today as a result of our 3 hours on retreat, I do believe that our corporate culture is gradually shifting towards our overall mission.  Over time, our process of retreating allows staff members to be themselves, try new things and see issues from angles of coworkers whom they might not ordinarily interact with.   Maybe it's time your team got away for a day of retreat?

Resources for the Road
7 Deadly Sins of Executive Retreats
Executive Retreats Online
Seton Hall University: Executive Retreat Program

10 Productivity Phrases To Repeat Daily

(photo by imagemkr1)

What do Keith Ferrazzi, Brian Buffini and the late Mother Theresa have in common?  All three spent long periods of time in meditation and mental focusing before starting the day.  Whether you are a best-selling author like Ferrazzi, a real estate consultant like Buffini, or a humble woman from Calcutta, each person can start the day with a time of preparation and mental training.

What goes into this period of training? Depends on whom you ask, of course.  The ancient practice of Lectio Divina takes a short passage and breaks it into four stages:

• Read a passage: choose something short and read it two times.  Many Lectio practitioners choose something from a sacred text.
• Think about it: ask questions like who? what? where? when? what's being said here?
• Let it lift your heart: let the passage marinate and move inside of you.  What is it telling your heart?  How does it motivate your attitude, emotion or perspective?  If you are a prayerful person, let the passage work its way into your words of prayer.
• Just sit and "be": don't do anything- just relax and listen to the passage.  Silent contemplation.  In a world of hustle-bustle, a few moments of silence go a long way.

Lectio Divina, like many meditative practices, leaves an impression on your mind.  It gives you something to revisit during the day.  A word, a phrase or a mental picture will return to you later in the day, giving a brief moment of grounding or even inspiration.  It's a powerful process that etches a concept on your mind.  Here are some great productivity phrases worth repeating at the start of the day.   

• I am a fast worker.
• Speed matters.
• One thing at a time.
• Focus, focus, focus.
• Stay on task.
• I produce results.
• Be a part of the solution.
• Work matters.
• What I do, when I do it, makes a difference.
• Others benefit from what I am doing right now.

Write one phrase down at the start of the day, then read it again at lunch and once more before bed.  The end result will be a greater level of productivity-awareness- always a good thing. After about four to five days of this, you'll only need to write it down once, leaving the rest of your day to benefit from your morning moments of mindfulness.

Resources for the Road

UrbanMonk

What is Lectio Divina?

Productivity Quotes

Signs of a Spiritual Leader

Some leaders have the flash but not the substance and there are others who climb the ladder in order to satisfy some personal need to be "in power".  What about the spiritual leader?  By this I mean the man or woman who can lead but is also deeply motivated by forces other than greed, power and accolade?

Margaret Benefiel and Rebecca Darden Phipps had this to say in 1999, "The nurture of spirituality within organizations begins with spiritually grounded and spiritually liberated leadership.  Leaders whose vision arises from their discernment of God's will, and who are motivated by their commitment to be faithful to that understanding, are focused on something beyond themselves."

If you know someone like the person described above, lend them your support.  These leaders are few and far between- this rare kind of leadership has few peers and rarely gets the encouragement that is needed.  Send them a note, drop them a line or just say "thanks" for all that they do.