Can your clients see your passion? Or can they see your pain?

With the economy and market the way it is, it’s no wonder many of us have forgotten about the JOY and PASSION in what we do. Change is always a difficult process, especially when we are forced to. Change requires us to challenge our thought process, alter our habits and embrace that which may be uncomfortable and unpleasant.

Life is short and time is fleeing. Can you really afford to jeopardize your health AND the success of your business by refusing, denying or avoiding the personal and professional changes needed to move forward? Are you on life’s treadmill or are you riding the waves from shore to shore?

Try focusing on how you are going to improve today. Just today. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Business is business; but your business is not the whole of you. It does not define you. You define your business. You have the power to cultivate a business environment that is conducive to how you want to live your life. You have the power to instruct clients and colleagues how you wish to be reached. If you respond to messages at all hours of the day and night, you will continue to receive calls at all hours of the day and night. They expect you to be available because you “told” them you would be; not so much with your words, but with your actions. You have the power to change that. Use your voicemail, use your auto-responder, post your work hours; it is your right to do so.

Sometimes technology is NOT our friend. We rely on it for just about everything. It is okay to use technology, but you have to know when to TURN IT OFF. You control technology; don’t let technology control you. The world won’t end if you miss a non-emergency phone call. And you have to admit most calls are of the “non-emergent” nature. That is why they invented voicemail. Remember what it is for and why it was invented: to leave a message when you are unavailable. Life goes on with you AND without you. Do you want to get run over or do you want go along for the ride?

Learn how to recognize what is important and what is urgent. Everything may be important; but everything is not URGENT. Yes, there are things that must get done, but how much work do you think you would get done if a doctor restricted you to only working 2 hours per day for health reasons? You would immediately shift and only work on that which was URGENT. You would also quickly find out that a lot of things just aren’t that URGENT; important yes, but urgent… not so much. Even the important things need to be put into perspective.

Sure, there is a million and one things that you need to get done; but you are an army of ONE and the reality is that you can only get done what gets done. Learn how to download and ease your own burdens. Before you go to bed at night, write down all the things still fluttering around in your head, things you forgot, things you need to do, things that just “popped up.” Do your body, mind and soul a favor and sleep well.

One more thing, “take time to smell the roses.” Some of us need to take time and simply “breathe.” Take an hour, take half a day, take a whole day (oooh, you’re living dangerously now) to re-evaluate your goals, priorities and where your passion lies. Make sure they are still aligned with your business values and how you have been conducting your business. Can your clients see your passion or can your clients see your pain?