The Virtuous Life - Industry

Dear Friend,

An industrious sinner I much prefer to a lazy saint.-Sophie Kerr

In our society filled with short-cuts and easy answers often we expect quick solutions to all of our business and personal issues. We have become so accustomed to sound-bite answers that are delivered to us daily by the media, that we have lost the ability to work diligently. We neglect hard work in favor of quick fixes. Benjamin Franklin suggests that we should strive to cut off the unnecessary and be productive at all times. Do you find yourself wondering - why don't I ever have enough time? Or where does all of my time go? Or why can't I do what I need to do in the time that I have? I've found that: when I am in a hurry, when I try to do too much - rather than focusing on one project at a time, and when I waste time on the unnecessary - I am not very productive. I am neither efficient, nor effective, at what I am trying to accomplish. Modern science has given us many ways to spend a lot of time doing unnecessary things. A recent survey published in Business Week's August 25, 2008 issue revealed that we have few boundaries in our life - this may begin to explain why are all so busy.

• "45% of those with a Blackberry or similar devices check their email before they get dressed"
• "55% of white collar workers take calls or emails after office hours all or some of the time"

I believe that the author of the 4 Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss, provides some applicable strategies for each of us to be more efficient and more effective in our personal and professional lives. The bottom line is that we are to consciously examine our lives - see where we need to add boundaries - prioritize, and take action. Three strategies that he suggests include: Batch Activities that you must perform - in other words create a routine to make the activity more efficient so that it consumes less of your time:

• Check emails twice each day
• Check voice messages at specific intervals
• Set up automatic payments
• Have one laundry day each week
• Run sales reports at the same time
• Cook several family meals at once and freeze
• Shop for clothes twice each year

Outsource the necessary tasks, but those that that are unnecessary for you to do: House cleaning Cooking Grocery shopping Opening mail Answering phone Errands Bill pay Pet care Checking voice messages Online shopping Hire a personal shopper or a helpful sales clerk to shop sales and select clothes for you

Eliminate the unnecessary from your "to do" list:

• Go on a low information diet - reduce newspaper news, television news, and news via the Internet
• Eliminate or reduce drastically the amount of television that you watch - less than one hour per day
• Spend less time idly web-surfing
• Don't finish what isn't necessary to finish - and don't feel bad about it!

Take Action Challenge This week I am asking all ye sinners and saints to take a clear assessment of your life and see where you might be busy, but not productive. Consider if you are doing work or making progress? What can you "batch" - What activities can you do once each day, week, or month - that will save time? What activities can be removed from your to-do list and outsourced? What are you doing that someone else could do? What don't you really want to do? What activities can be removed all together? How has your life changed such that you might remove unnecessary work? What activities when truly examined aren't really necessary?

Take time for an honest inventory of where your time goes. Be deliberate and intentional in your activities - love yourself enough to take the time to discover how you can be powerfully productive.

Blessings to you - either sinner or saint, Margaret.

P.S. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing this newsletter with them and invite them to subscribe! Direct them to www.MargaretPundmann.com where they can sign up. Margaret Pundmann is a life and business coach, speaker, and author of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks.

The Virtuous Life - Frugality

Dear Friend,

Industry, perseverance, and frugality make fortune yield.

-Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin identifies frugality as one of his thirteen virtues. He glorifies saving money and wasting nothing!When you think of modern day examples of frugality who comes to mind? For me it's, Warren Buffett, Sam Walton, and Mother Teresa. They each, in their own way, illustrated to the world their need for less. Warren Buffett - lives in a modest house in Omaha and has vowed not to ruin his children's lives by giving them too much money upon his death. Sam Walton - although extremely wealthy and successful drove an old pick-up truck. Mother Teresa made her life's work about service to others. Rather than celebrate her awards with fancy and expensive dinners she insisted the money go to people in need. In essence each of these people could have used their vast wealth and resources to amass possessions. Yet they didn't - they gave lots away and spent far less on themselves than they could have. I believe there are three simple ways we can bring frugality into our lives today.

Save - Spend less money than you have Tip 1: Take an inventory of your money in and money out. Review your credit card statement and see where you can cut back.Tip 2: If you have debt, come up with a plan to pay it off.Tip 3: Put into place some fool proof systems to save your money. For example direct deposit of a certain percentage of your pay check into a savings account.Tip 4: Seek professional help to create a process. Search the FPA database for a financial planner in your area. Exercise Restraint - Spend money on what you need, not what you want Tip 1: If you see something you want to buy, put it on hold and then if you really want, need, and can afford it - go back and buy it!Tip 2: See if something that you already have will make do - rather than purchasing a new item.Tip 3: Don't put yourself in situations where you want to spend money - spend time walking with friends, hiking in nature, tutoring, reading a book, and enjoying the simpler things in life. Share - Generosity is a cycle that must begin with us Tip 1: There are many things that we throw away that could easily be shared with others. Some items include: books, furniture, clothes, purses, and sporting equipment.Tip 2: Each month make a conscious decision on how you will share what you have with the world. This can be done through money, time, or even sharing your services. Take stock of what you can give and as Oprah says, "Give Big or Go Home!" Take Action Challenge: My request is that you review the three steps above and evaluate what you need right now. For example, if you need to save a little more money begin putting together your plan. If you need to show some restraint, perhaps you can ban all unnecessary mall visits or curtail e-buying for a month. If you need to be more generous decide how will you bless the world with your time, talents, and possessions. Take two minutes right now to search your life to see what action you need to take to be more frugal in some area of your life . Once you've decided upon your action, tell a friend and give yourself a deadline so that you have some accountability. May you be successful in this journey. Blessings to you, Margaret. P.S. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing this newsletter with them and invite them to subscribe! Direct them to www.MargaretPundmann.com where they can sign up. Margaret Pundmann is a life and business coach, speaker, and author of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, this October Margaret's first book on powerful living will be available for pre-order.

The Virtuous Life - Resolution

I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday. ~Author Unknown

Dear Friend, This week we will discuss the topic of resolution. Resolution, according to Ben Franklin is an unwavering performance of that which we resolve to do. I think this topic is particularly appropriate with the beginning of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Anyone who saw the opening ceremony will be able to respect the resolution of the Chinese. The opening ceremony was a tremendous display of creativity, innovation, and vision. The resolve of many was required in order to create such a spectacular event.

If we look deeper into the Olympics we find evidence of resolve on both the team level and the individual level. This is reflected in the attitude of the participants. After setting a world record, swimmer Michael Phelps said that he was putting his first '08 gold medal behind him so that he could focus on the contests ahead. His comments illustrate to us resolve in the purest form. It is the unwavering determination and focus on that which we have set out to do.

Think back to a time in your life when you accomplished something that was a stretch, a goal that you were extremely proud of having accomplished. I suggest it took planning, determination, hard work, and consistent effort. Each of these over time builds excellence at a particular task.

It is significant to examine what steps we need to take to meet these goals. Each goal requires resolve and determination, but without a strategy to execute, how can we possibly meet a particular destination?

Consider the following four steps to reaching a goal:

Discover - Where are you really going? What is your ultimate destination?

When you clearly articulate the ultimate destination you create a vision of where you are going. This vision is your dream. For many of the Olympic athletes it was making the cut to participate in the Beijing Olympics. For some athletes, the award is a gold medal and for others the prize is multiple gold medals. Defining the goal is the first step in realizing the goal.

Plan - What and who do you need to reach your destination? Who do you need on your "team" to get where you are going? For the athletes, the range can be: God, coaches, teammates, equipment, fans, family, friends, food, sleep, hydration, and on and on. Defining who and what we need in order to reach our destination, and getting them on our "team" helps us prepare the pathway for success. Depending upon our destination, the resources are different. Part of realizing our goal is getting exactly what we need so that with resolve, we can reach our final destination.

Execute - How do you put your plan into action? Once you have your plan and you have built your "team" - take small steps forward to realize your goal. Break each step down into smaller steps as necessary. There will be obstacles to face, but push forward and persevere. Enlist your cheerleaders regularly and often. Count each little blessing along your path. As the Japanese Proverb goes, "Fall seven times, stand up eight."

Celebrate - How will you rejoice once you've reached your destination? It's critical to celebrate the path that you've traveled. This celebration nourishes your spirit and helps you to find the strength to face your next destination. Show gratitude for your cheerleaders and your entire team! This four step plan will help you put your vision into reality.

Take Action Challenge: Below are some common goals, see if one resonates with you. If not, identify your own specific goal.

• Sales goal
• Professional goal
• Education goal
• New client goal
• Relationship goal
• Health goal
• Fitness goal
• Financial goal
• New career goal
• Self care goal
• Organization goal
• Relocation goal

How might resolve show up in our daily lives? Where might we need to illustrate our resolve to reach a particular goal? Each goal we undertake requires resolve and determination, but without a strategy to execute, how can we possibly meet a specific destination? Use the four questions above to develop a strategy to make your vision a reality. I believe, it is in our quite moments of reflection that we gain the resolve to deliver the results we desire. Be powerful, embrace your resolution, and go for the the gold!

Blessings to you, Margaret.

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The Virtuous Life - Order

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU

The Virtuous Life - Order

Subscriptions If the newsletter is inspiring to you, pass it along to friends, family, and colleagues who could use some inspiration and invite them to subscribe!

Dear Friend,

"Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance"-Epicurus

We meet again this week to understand and apply Benjamin Franklin's virtue of order. Franklin states to us that there should be a place and time for everything. To better understand where we can improve we must examine our lives clearly.

Areas to examine might include:

• Personal (Spiritual life, Significant other, Children, Parents, Siblings, Friends)
• Professional (Boss, Employees, Colleagues, Clients)
• Leisure (Vacation, Volunteer, Exercise, Hobbies)
• Physical Space (Home, Office, Car)

Lack of order leads to a lack of connectedness to who we are, who we want to be, what we are doing, and what we want to be doing. Order increases our effectiveness and our productivity. Order also enhances the meaning of the experiences in our lives. Having boundaries enables us to prioritize, plan, and fulfill our obligations as well as our dreams. Can you imagine what Franklin would do if he saw us (technology constraints aside):

• Eating while driving
• E-mailing from a cocktail party
• Dining with friends while talking on the cell phone
• Having quality family time in front of the TV
• Passing up our vacation time
• Renting a storage unit to store things that don't fit into our home

Might we be able to regain order in our lives by doing any of the following?

• Eating dinner at the table with no TV, and perhaps even some music or candles
• Organizing our "junk" drawer, closet, or room
• Answering the telephone when it is convenient, not simply because it rings - this is why we have answering machines, isn't it?
• Sitting, having meaningful conversation without distractions
• Scheduling quiet time into our day
• Prioritizing our "to-do's" in such a way that we can accomplish them
• Driving with our full attention on the road

How might you translate order into your life? Do any of the suggestions above resonate for you? If so, which ones? How and when might you apply them to your life? Let's challenge ourselves to add boundaries to our lives and to take these modern conveniences and use them - not abuse them.

Take Action Challenge: The challenge this week is to add order to your life. Be creative find some ways to embrace order of both your time and your space. Look at the suggestions above and see which resonate. My request is that you will add some order to one area of your life - this may be a closet, it may be eating meals with attention, or it may even be scheduling an afternoon for yourself having your only goal be relaxation. Think about what order you need in your life right now and take the steps to add it, so that you may enjoy that which you already have more fully. All the best to you,

Margaret.

P.S. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing this newsletter with them and invite them to subscribe! Direct them to www.MargaretPundmann.com where they can sign up. Margaret Pundmann is a life and business coach, speaker, and author of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, this fall Margaret's first book on powerful living will be available for pre-order. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved.

St. Louis Business Journal Award Ceremony

July 17th, 2008 St. Louis Business Journal Award Ceremony at Lumen. Photo with Tom Ackerman - KMOX Radio - Emcee of the event Dr. Michael Christy - Director of Crosby MBA Program at University of Missouri See the full St. Louis Business Article.