What I've Learned

A few of the things I’ve learned (or been reminded of) in the last couple of months

Welcome to the LifeExcellence Newsletter!
July 26, 2002
Written & Published by Brian E. Bartes
http://www.lifeexcellence.com

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LifeExcellence: Empowering People to Pursue the Best
In Themselves - In Business, At Home and in LIFE!

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Table of Contents:

1. Baby Steps
2. Feature Article: What I’ve Learned
3. Quotes
4. Recommended Resources
5. Self-Care: Fitting Fitness In
6. Final Thoughts: The Master in the Art of Living

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1. Baby Steps

To paraphrase Mark Twain, “the reports of my death are greatly
exaggerated.” Yes, I am still here, and LifeExcellence is alive and
well. After a vacation-turned-two-month-sabbatical, I am “back in
the saddle.”

I’ve missed publishing the newsletter, and I am thankful for the
many emails that I have received from subscribers during this time.
I appreciate your patience, and I appreciate that you take time out
of your day to read The LifeExcellence Newsletter. Please know
that I am committed to supporting you as to take your life to the
next level!

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2. Feature Article: WHAT I’VE LEARNED

The past two months have absolutely flown by, and yet so much has
been packed into this period. Although I haven’t published a
newsletter in a while, I have been quite busy in life, both personally
and professionally. A good busy, and a busyness that, for the most
part, I have chosen. I’ve learned a lot, and grown tremendously. In
this newsletter, I want to share with you a few of the things I’ve
learned (or been reminded of) in the last couple months:

The most important thing is to keep the most important thing the
most important thing. There are many important things in our lives.
Health, for example, is incredibly important. All we have to do is
look around us to see those who are in poor health, and the effect
this has on people’s lives. Health tends to be something that we take
for granted, until our good health is compromised. It is also
something that we can control, to a large extent, through our lifestyle.

People are also important. Both personally and professionally, people
have a huge impact on our lives. I am thankful for the people in my
life---my family, to my friends, my coaching clients, and our
newsletter subscribers…like you!

I realized recently that what is most important today may not be as
important tomorrow. Our lives are changing, and evolving. Today,
some business issue might be “the most important thing”, requiring
our focus for a time. Next week, it might be a project at home that
demands attention. Or, it could be a family situation. Whatever it is,
the most important thing is to focus on whatever is most important.

The next thing I learned, and had to come to terms with, is that you
can’t always do everything at once. For goal-oriented super achievers,
this is a tough lesson. The supplemental lesson here is that, even if
you are able to do lots of things simultaneously, sometimes it’s better
to focus on the one or two most important things. The quality of the
experience is richer. That doesn’t mean you can’t have many projects
in various stages of development. But it means that, to the extent that
you choose to focus your time and attention, it behooves you to do so.

I learned that life doesn’t always go the way you plan it but,
regardless of what happens, I am and will be okay. The world is
rapidly changing, in so many ways. As one person stated, the only
constant is change. Some of these changes are desirable, and we
would prefer that others not happen. We can’t control a lot of the
changes taking place. But we can control our response to those
changes.

I learned that balance is relative, and changes. I don’t believe in a
perfectly balanced life. Rather, I believe that we juggle the important
areas of our lives, in an attempt to be as “balanced” as we can. At
times, our careers demand our focus and resources, to the detriment
of exercise, for example. Later, we are given opportunities to focus
exclusively on our family, and don’t even think about calling the office.
If, as we take a step back to evaluate the important areas of our life,
we conclude that things are “pretty much in balance”, then they
probably are.

I was reminded that personal development is a lot easier to write
about than it is to do. It’s a little easier to not do the things I know I
need to do than to do them. Most of the time I’m pretty disciplined,
and occasionally I struggle. Part of the value for me in publishing the
newsletter is that I get to remind myself of the things I want to be
doing---the things that are good for me, and the things that bring
tremendous value to my life, my family and my business.

Finally, I learned that having a book published is cooler than I
thought it was going to be! I’ll share more about this next time…

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3. Quotes

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we
must do.
Johann von Goethe

You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can
only decide how you’re going to live. Now.
Joan Baez

If you don’t make a total commitment to whatever you’re doing,
then you start to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking.
Lou Holz

How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply
important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage
ourselves each day to be and do what really matters most.
Stephen R. Covey

You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must
make it.
Charles Buxton

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4. Recommended Resources

Awaken the Giant Within
by Anthony Robbins

The creator of acclaimed personal achievement programs and
the author of the best-selling Unlimited Power reveals the
proven steps to self-mastery. Robbins shares the secrets of his
exclusive "Date with Destiny" seminars, describing how
unconscious beliefs control our behavior and how we can make
immediate changes to accomplish our goals.
To order book, click here

The Power of Focus
by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt

This book provides a practical guide for achieving desired results
in the key areas of your life. The action steps at the end of each
chapter make it easy to formulate your plan and then implement
it immediately in your life.
To order book, click here

Think and Grow Rich
by Napolean Hill

This is one of the classics of personal development literature,
and is a "must read" if you are serious about achieving your
goals.
To order tape set, click here
To order book, click here

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5. Self-Care: Fitting Fitness In

Despite good intentions, you may find some days you don't have
the time or desire to do a full routine exercise. Does that mean that,
if you can't do a full routine, you shouldn't exercise? Not at all!
While nothing takes the place of a regular exercise routine, here are
a few tips for fitting fitness in even when you are short on time:

1. Instead of spending your time searching for the closest parking
space, park your car further away. It will take less time to find a
spot, and the walk will be beneficial.
2. Use stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
3. Stretch while standing in line.
4. Walk your pets (or your neighbor's pets).
5. Create activities to do together as a family. Go for a walk, or a
bike ride. Play basketball, soccer or other sport.

Although it's not always easy, even the busiest person can fit
in some extra activity by following these suggestions and tips for
fitting fitness in even when you are short on time.

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6. Final Thoughts: The Master in the Art of Living

The master in the art of living
makes little distinction between
his work and his play,
his labor and his leisure,
his mind and his body,
his education and his recreation,
his love and his religion.
He hardly knows which is which.
He simply pursues his vision of excellence
in whatever he does,
leaving others to decide
where he is working or playing.
To him, he is always doing both.

From a Zen Buddhist quoted in
"Head to Head" by Lester Thurow,
Dean of M.I.T.'s Sloan School of
Management.

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Thank you for reading the LifeExcellence Newsletter.
Be MASTERFUL this week!
- Brian Bartes

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Are you ready to take action toward the achievement of your
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For more information on coaching, please visit our website at
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