A Zen poet said, “A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace, whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both.”

I posted a three minute video on my blog on how this quote has impacted my life by deciding to change my attitude about my work. To read the entire article and view the video, please Click Here.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Lou Serrano

I too have been doing a lot of thinking and work on "lifestyle design". From taking the summers off to making the decision to cut my office hours in half, I'm working to fill my life with joy and passions of all types. This includes working out for a couple of hours each day (two marathons in the schedule this year). This also means spending more time with family and traveling more (including staying with my in-laws in Phoenix to escape the winter). It also helps that I LOVE my work too!

As I learn and grow, I realize more and more that being effective in building a profitable business does not have to mean working hard and long (just doing the most effective things in the least time).

I always enjoy your posts, Lou. This one was no exception.

I wrestle with the same thing myself: there are SO many more entertaining things to do with my time than work in sales and marketing, which is something I consider HARD WORK...not unlike performing -- which is a different kind of hard work.

After considerable time, I have come up with two things that really help -- one is a direct result if another of your blogs:

1) Marketing and sales have to be done, since I cannot make a living on passive sales. So I try very hard to make the sales more like a game, with dollars representing "points" -- and my goal for monthly and yearly sales as the target. Sounds strange, I know -- but the fun factor is very important to me.

2) I limit my marketing time to between 9 and 11 each day. This entire two hour period, I am on the phone with contacts and clients, agents and booking people. I work very hard during this period and am very focused. I don't get up for anything, don't allow myself to be diverted from the job. It's been this way for three years -- and has been tremendously productive in terms of sales and marketing. I field calls the rest of the day -- I just don't make them. Since I am very easily distracted -- particularly when I am doing something I don't enjoy, the structure of that two hour period really helps.

Love your work...and the way you think.

David

I've started doing something along those lines, and making myself accountable to other people as well.

I'm currently writing a master's dissertation and I've started to set goals for myself each day. For instance, today's list included making the suggested revisions on my first chapter, writing 1000 words on my methodology chapter, and running through a card routine I've been working on 30 times.
As for the accountability factor, I then email these goals to my best friend in Los Angeles when I wake up. Then it's down to work - and thus far it's been successful. It's made me FEEL more productive, I'm accomplishing more, and every day I put some magic rehearsal in there to help me to continue to grow in that area. I also put in one personal goal for the day...maybe it's calling home, or emailing a friend I haven't talked to in awhile, or something as simple as telling my best friend WHY she's my best friend.

Doing that has made me feel more well-rounded, more productive, and I can see the progress, both in my magic and in my work. I'm not the stern task master I wish I was, so by sharing my goals with someone else, I know I'm not the only person depending on me to get things done. It's not always easy, but when I look back at the end of the day and see what I accomplished, it feels like success.

Good post Lou.

-Mary Mowder

Thanks for sharing your thoughts everyone. It's good to hear what others are doing to keep on track, stay motivated, and live a life of passion.

Respectfully,

Lou Serrano

Lou,

Thank you! This one meant A LOT!

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......start=44

Beano

Lou really provides value with his blog posts! I will defintiely be investing in his course at some stage this year!