Planning for a long/big vacation

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Obviously, I have a theme this week! My family and I have left for 3 weeks in Park City, UT.  Some have wondered, how can you possibly do that?  Well, it isn’t always easy, and the key is planning.  Planning at the business and planning at home.  I start lists weeks in advance on the home-front (stopping the paper, holding the mail, setting up automatic transfers to cover the already automatically paid bills, and training the neighbors’ children to take care of the fish and water the plants).  On the office side of things, it’s talking about it at staff meetings, spending time preparing my team for all possibilities that could happen while I am out, and alerting my clients.  Then, you have to relax.  Ok, maybe you forgot something…you can buy it there or live without it.  An important bill is going to come while you are gone (call the company to take care of it remotely).  And the last step is to practice leaving for significant periods of time…regularly!  We have been doing this for a number of years and each year it gets easier.  We know the routine, we start the list in advance, everyone knows their duties both on the home-front and at the business, and then we just go with the flow once we’re gone.  You can do…start small if you have not taken many vacations.  Go for 4-5 days, then 7-10 (get 2 weekends in!), then work your way to 2 weeks and more!

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Getting ready for “camp”

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Later this next week, I will be heading to Colorado for a silent meditation retreat.  Yes, I know that seems daunting but it’s not all completely silent, AND I am leaving a household of three boys who make a lot of noise ;)   All that said, I have felt anxious, not unlike my oldest son who headed off to music and space camp this year.  There’s the packing list…what AM I supposed to bring.  I need a flashlight???  I’ll be doing work while I am there.  “Bathhouses” …do I need a robe (oops, forgot that one.  There is excitement and anxious anticipation.  I’m sure I’ll have much to share with you on the other side of this.  I also know that I’m serving as a role model for others.  I have had a number of people tell me that they would like to do something like this but just didn’t have the courage to take the plunge.  As much as that can feel overwhelming, it helps me step forward, take the risk and enjoy the ride knowing that others are living vicarious through my experiment.

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Can work/business and life be combined?

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Recently, I have been thinking about this a lot.  I see lots on business owners who feel it’s either or…”I’m on vacation, and I shouldn’t do ANY work.”  OR “I can’t leave the office because I have to be HERE.”  What I have learned over a period of years is that you can find middle ground.  Yes, I think that sometimes (like we recommend for our Tuscany retreats) is that you totally unplug from the office.  But the reality is, that when you join us in Tuscany we WILL be talking about your business but in a fantastic setting, with lots of downtime to contemplate your discoveries, and to rejuvenate.  As an example, I am heading to Park City, UT for our annual summer vacation.  This year, we will be out there for over 3 weeks.  We go skiing in January in Utah as well, and that generally is more of an unplugging.  I have been taking this time in the summer (2 years ago we drove and I was gone 5 weeks!) for a number of years.  Having extended time with my children and living in the mountains has been a dream that has become a reality. I actually enjoy the mix of business and pleasure.  I take a little time to check in most days, but some days I completely unplug.  Most years (although not this year), I schedule client conference calls and rent some executive office space from which I can see the mountains while I work!  Why not combine the two?  I love my work, and I love being away from Washington, DC in the beautiful mountains having a more flexible & healthy schedule.  So, take a moment to think about the place that you most enjoy being…the beach, a cottage by a lake in Maine, the mountains, maybe even overseas.  Why not combine the two to create a rich work and personal life.  Sure, it takes some planning and good technology but it’s doable! And it doesn’t have to be the summer.  It could be living part time in a warmer climate during the winter, or spending the Spring somewhere beautiful.  Good luck planning a beautiful “fusion” of life and work!

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Creating “two-fers” in your life

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

When I coach and train financial planners to become financial life planners, we often talk about finding “two-fers”.  Two-fers are when you can pull together 2 things that someone wants in their life into a single solution or action.  I personally love creating business/life two-fers.  As an example, I was able to go do a corporate Kolbe consultation with another wealth management firm in Chicago AND see my mother over the weekend (I live in the DC area and she lives outside Chicago.)  Or maybe you like cooking and your significant other enjoys travel so you decide to take a trip to Tuscany to learn to cook wonderful Italian meals.  The key is understanding what is most important to you and then looking for ways to bring those themes, ideas or actions together in a single effort.  It’s can be especially important for couples to creatively look for “two-fers” that will allow them both to live their lives fully, and together, where possible.  The most fun is when you can bring to seemingly disparate ideas together…perhaps a physical pursuit and a creative pursuit, say bike riding and painting.  How about a bike riding trip in France where you have time to stop and paint the countryside?  You get the idea.  Give it a try.  Think about what you would most like to be doing in your life and see how you can bring these passions together.

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Do you have total well-being?

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Another book I have finished is “Well-Being” The Five Essential Elements.” By Tom Rath and Dr. James Harter.  Tom Rath brought us the Strengthsfinder assessment.  And just “Strengthsfinder 2.0” there is a secret code in the book that allows you see where you stand on the five elements: career, financial, social, physical and community.  They argue that career is the most essential but the definition is wider than just paying work.  It is meaningful work.  That’s what we are all about at Total Business Transformation…rediscovering or creating the business that supports your ideal life. I am looking forward to taking the assessment that comes with “Well-Being” to see where I stand.  I have my suspicions but it will be fun to both see where I stand and then develop some action steps to help me get there.  As  I mentioned in a previous bog, interestingly enough…financial well-being is about financial security more than having a lot of money (as much as people think lots of money makes all the difference.)  So, what does financial security look like to you?  Is there a certain amount of money that you want at the bank or in your retirement account?  Watch out for the target to keep moving.  Have you tested that “number” out to see if it is based in reality?  The definition of financial security can also be impacted by your experience growing up.  Maybe your family was always short money and paid bills late so for you, security is about paying bills on time, and having the funds to pay them.  So, think about it and if you have a financial advisor, talk with him or her about how you might develop a plan for that financial security.  In the meantime, take a look at “Well-Being” (and ”Strengthsfinder 2.0”) to get to know yourself and where you stand in creating the complete well-being we all strive for.

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Your relationship with money

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

I just finished reading Geneen Roth’s new book called “Lost & Found”.  She has written a number of books, mostly on eating issues, including the NY Times Bestseller “Women, Food & God”.  I read that one too.  In short, Geneen was a Bernie Madoff victim.  She lost her life’s savings, more than $1million.  Although she has focused on people (especially women’s) challenges/relationship with food,  this book tackles how we all relate (or don’t) to money. Many of us have incomplete or flawed beliefs about money that dictate the action that we take and the financial realty that we create for ourselves.  I have to say that there were parts of the book that even for me, a financial life planner who has done a lot of work around my relationship with money, felt a bit uncomfortable with, but what a growth opportunity!  She especially goes after the concept of “enough”.  I have found that often someone who has a “number”- the amount of money they think they need to have to be financially (and inherently, emotionally) comfortable keeps growing as they reach each milestone.  The reality is that “enough” is illusive.  Being comfortable with what you have now is the real key to happiness. This appears to be proved out in a book I just completed…”Well-Being: The Five Essential Elements” by Tom Rath & Dr. James Harter.  In the studies that they have done on financial well-being, the key was financial security, not lots of money.  You could feel secure with little money or insecure with lots. So, determining what “security” entails and feels like for you is key.  Bottom line…there is more to money than many people realize.  Understanding your relationship and the relationship that you want to have with your money is key.

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Understanding Your Work Rhythms

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Recently, I have been thinking about how I like to work.  Some people prefer to have an even rhythm or energy level to their work life.  I am starting to think that I prefer a high-intensity schedule balanced with periodic breaks.  For some people, working very hard for a period of time and then checking out for days or weeks is best.  For others, it’s a steady 9-5.  I know a very successful entrepreneur, Dan Sullivan, who works 2-3 weeks on, and then COMPLETELY checks out for  a week.  Imagine that?  What would it take to do that?  How would that feel to you? The key is to determine what the best work rhythm is for You and then build a schedule and team to support that.  It doesn’t have to fit with what is traditional or standard.  It’s what works for you and your energy level.  If need be, craft your client schedule to support that.  The rejuvenation that we each get from having a work schedule that synches with our body/mental energy is tremendous.  You’ll find that when you are on, you are more productive and creative.  When you’re off, the time will be fulfilling and rejuvenating.  Think about, and give it a try!

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The importance of success habits

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

“Success habits” are not routines.  Many of us have routines that actually don’t support the success that we want to achieve.  They are comfortable, we know them, but they don’t really do anything for us.  Maybe it’s when you get up, or how your week is structured, or what you eat.  So, imagine if you had a blank page.  You envisioned your ideal life and ideal business and THEN, thought about what was REALLY going to support that life & business.  Or you can think back to a time when your life was hitting on all cylinders.  What were you doing to support that?  Sometimes there are some holdovers from the old life, but often there are just a few key “success habits” that can help you achieve the success that you desire.  Keep in mind, that “success habits” take 21 days to hardwire.  There may even be a “relapse” along the way, and that’s ok.  So, hang in there and build the habit.

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Making lemonade

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Ok, so I’m writing this from the Washington Dulles airport. My plane is “broken”, and we’re going to leave at least 2 ½ hours late. So, what to do? Take a deep breath, charge up the laptop and head over to Vin Volo for dinner since I’m clearly not getting into California earlier enough to eat dinner! Patience, flexibility and creativity are the key. Oh and some empathy helps. You can get upset, take it out on the gate agents, or be nice, and ask for guidance and get them to actually be of assistance. I voted for Plan B today…much less stressful all around. Think back…have you been in a situation recently where lemons showed up and you had a chance to create “lemonade” OR you blew the lemons up? Maybe you’re on the road, maybe you’re travelling, maybe your day has just fallen apart. I actually see client cancellations as a gift. Often they show up when I am swamped and perhaps a bit overcommitted…then POOF! A client cancels and I have space, breathing room to gather my thoughts and make some lemonade. So, next time you’re hit with lemons, try lemonade! P.S. Well, it got worse…missed my flight, got another one (thanks to being nice, patient and empathetic, and ended up in a different city…but I AM going to make lemonade!

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Why I love my Kindle

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Lisa Kirchenbauer

Ok, I admit it…I still have a Kindle.  Maybe I’ll get an iPad this year.  In the meantime, I feel freed and inspired to have my Kindle.  I’m one of those readers who has multiple books going at the same time.  Maybe it’s a business book I heard about or a fiction novel that caught my eye. Sometimes I’m in the mood for inspiration and other times I am trying to learn more about my business.  In the past, if we went on a multi-week vacation, I would be hauling 3-4 books because I couldn’t decide what to read.  Or I would buy a book and realize a chapter into that I didn’t really like it.  Now, I can buy a sample of a book and try it out.  I can “carry” 10 books that interest me without breaking my back.  I love it!  I think it has allowed me to do more reading because it’s so easy to bring along.  Yes, I miss the colors of the book cover, but I love being able to make the type bigger than the author intended it. If there’s a part of the book I want to share with others, it’s at my fingertips.  I’m grateful for the freedom, the variety and opportunity that having a Kindle brings me.  Oh, and then the financial planner in me says:  “and you save money buying books this way!”

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