Dear Friends of Balancing Act,
Thanks to Forrest Gump, we're all aware that "life is like a box of chocolates. - you never know what you're going to get." What Forrest didn't say is that some of us are so bent on making the best possible choice that we make ourselves crazy deciding between life's caramels and creams. Like one of my long-ago neighbors, we sneak under each piece, stick in our thumbs, examine and agonize. Read on for some help from a Swarthmore College professor on how to be a happier "satisficer" instead of restless "maximizer." That's not to say that we shouldn't aim for improvement. Who, for example, wouldn't want to transform a boring job into one that maximizes (in a good way) their motives, strengths and passions? The University of Michigan has put together a workbook that's as fun as a board game for doing just that. If you can't change your actual duties, at work, I've thrown in some powerful questions to help you look at your job differently. Changes in perspective can be powerful. Or, as master coach Rick Tamlyn likes to say, "It's all made up anyway." As my latest column points out, a perspective change can even help with the weather. Hope yours stays sunny and mild. Pat
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