Breakthrough
Newsletter
VOLUME XIII ISSUE NO. 10 | OCTOBER 2021
Breakthrough
"Productive insight; clear (often sudden) understanding of a complex situation." Free Dictionary

Pop the bubble of conditioned thinking and emerge into the creative realm of "no absolutes," continuous change, uncertainty and unlimited possibilities.

Then, there can be innovation, adaptation and optimal performance.
Performance and Open-minded Mindfulness
Open-minded: questioning everything, accepting diversity and uncertainty.  

Mindful:  consciously aware; concentrated. 

Foundation for blending process, project, engagement and knowledge management into a cohesive approach to optimize performance.
Mindfully Balance Work and the Rest of Your Life
By George Pitagorsky
Maintaining a healthy dynamic balance between work and the rest of life is wise. The quest for a healthy balance between time spent working and time spent playing ball, doing chores, or just hanging out is an integral part of living optimally – mindfully, healthfully, effectively, and happily. 
 
You are in a better position to get what you want, to achieve your goals, when you recognize that work is part of life. We use the term balance but avoid getting caught up in thinking that work and life are on the opposite sides of a balance scale.
 
Why balance? 
Why want a healthy work-life balance? Is it for its own sake – the pleasure of being in dynamic balance and the sense of Flow it brings? Or is it to achieve something else?
 
Healthy balance is a means to an end. The end might be pleasure, more peaceful home life, stress relief, better performance, better mental and physical health, career advancement, or all the above.
 
What is a Healthy Work-life Balance? 
A healthy work-life balance is one that helps you to be happy, healthy, and effective. Craft a balance that works for you and those around you, and make sure it is realistic in the context of your job, family status, sensibilities, and more.
 
There are many choices. A 5:2 work to life ratio is a cultural norm, five weekdays and two weekend days. Why not a 3:4 ratio? If your job dictates the ratio, there may or may not be room for negotiation.
 
"A weekend? What is a weekend?"
spoken by the Downton Abbey’s dowager countess
 
Why not look at the balance across a month or year rather than a week. Then, your situation permitting, you can work seven consecutive days and take off the next four followed by another eight days of work, etc. Or work intensively for a month or two and then take a few weeks off. Consider vacation/holidays and long weekends. 

Scroll down to continue article

Coaching for Happy, Resilient Effectiveness

George Pitagorsky offers individual and team coaching with a foundation in mindful awareness, systems and process thinking, and wisdom teachings. The goal is sustained optimal performance - effectiveness, happiness, resilience, and adaptability.

Read more
self-awareliving.com
Everyday Balance
What is your intraday work-life balance? During workdays how much time do you devote to work, is it four, seven, fourteen hours? Can you do personal chores and take time for relaxation, meditation, socializing, childcare, volunteer work, and physical exercise?
 
How much time do you allocate for work on weekend days? Will you check your business email? Will you think about work issues and make a note when the solution to your most challenging problem pops up while showering or playing ping-pong?
 
Finding the Right Balance
The right balance depends on a complex mix of factors - your capacity, values, goals, and intentions, the work you do, the needs and expectations of those you work and/or live with, and on organization culture and its policies and models. Work-life balance is as much about your relationships as it is about you and your values.
 
Healthy balance is dynamic. It adapts to the situation and its needs. It is the balance of a tight rope walker, skier, or surfer as opposed to the static balance of a balance scale. Strict adherence to a chosen work-life ratio is fine if it works for you and those around you. If it becomes too rigid and is getting in the way of health, happiness, and effectiveness, change it up. Seek the kind of ease that comes with dynamic balance.
 
Is It Working? Are You Happy?
Is your current ratio working? Do you feel in or out of balance?
 
You know you are in balance when you feel energized, calm, and comfortable, and you can accomplish what you need to accomplish to feel successful. You know it when you sense that you are happy, in-synch with your environment, and your relationships are healthy.
 
Out of balance feels unhappy, tired, stressed, or driven, with relationships filled with conflict and unmet expectations, like not being there for trick or treating or the kids’ or partner’s performance.
 
Knowing you are out of balance puts you on the road to balance. Then you can bring mindful self-awareness into play to explore why you feel that way.
 
Explore on your own, with coworkers, family, friends, or with a coach or peer group. Is it workaholism, fear of losing your job or not getting a promotion? Is it a conflict between happy relationships at home and your passion for work or advancement?
 
Knowing the cause and considering the reality of your situation you can craft a balance that works for you. You can change the situation or accept it with all its flaws. Perfect balance is dynamic and within reach, if you are willing to accept imperfection, let go of unnecessary attachment and aversion, and change the things you can. 
How to be Happy Even When You Are Sad, Mad or Scared:

How to be happy...How to be Happy Even When You Are Sad, Mad or Scared is available on Amazon.com. It is a book for children of all ages (including those in adult bodies). Buy it for the children in your life so they can be better able to “feel and deal” - feel and accept their emotions and deal with them in a way that avoids being driven by them. You can order the book at https://www.amazon.com/How-Happy-Even-When-Scared/dp/1072233363
Performance and Open-minded Mindfulness
Open-minded: questioning everything, accepting diversity and uncertainty. 
 
Mindful: consciously aware; concentrated. 

Foundation for blending process, project, engagement and knowledge management into a cohesive approach to optimize performance.
By George Pitagorsky

Success is measured in how well and how regularly you meet expectations. But what exactly are expectations, and how do you effectively manage them when multiple priorities and personalities are involved?
Using the case study of a Project Manager coordinating an organizational transition, this Managing Expectations book explores how to apply a mindful, compassionate, and practical approach to satisfying expectations in any situation. George Pitagorsky describes how to make sure expectations are rational, mutually understood, and accepted by all those with a stake in the project. This process relies on blending a crisp analytical approach with the interpersonal skills needed to negotiate win-win understandings of what is supposed to be delivered, by when, for how much, by who, and under what conditions.
Managing Conflict in Projects
By George Pitagorsky

Managing Conflict in Projects: Applying Mindfulness and Analysis for Optimal Results by George Pitagorsky charts a course for identifying and dealing with conflict in a project context.

Pitagorsky states up front that conflict management is not a cookbook solution to disagreement-a set of prescribed actions to be applied in all situations. His overall approach seeks to balance two aspects of conflict management: analysis based on a codified process and people-centered behavioral skills.

The book differentiates conflict resolution and conflict management. Management goes beyond resolution to include relationship building that may serve to avoid conflict or facilitate resolution if it occurs.
 
The Zen Approach to Project Management 
By George Pitagorsky

Projects are often more complex and stressful than they need to be. Far too many of them fail to meet expectations. There are far too many conflicts. There are too few moments of joy and too much anxiety. But there is hope. It is possible to remove the unnecessary stress and complexity. This book is about how to do just that. It links the essential principles and techniques of managing projects to a "wisdom" approach for working with complex, people-based activities.