Scores and meanings:

10-24 You are on track! Keep it up. Notice which questions you scored higher on and think about applying yourself more to balance. You are aware of your needs. You are making yourself strong and able to continue and give your best.

25-40 You are moving in the right direction. Examine your priorities a little more closely and notice where you are getting results and what needs attention. Maybe give yourself a little break or time and space to rejuvenate and get perspective. Review your answers with higher scores and consider what you might do to move your scores down.

41-50 Congratulations! You have taken a big step. You have become aware that you have an opportunity to gain the skills to work smart. Imbalances are not irreversible. Review your goals to keep them BRIEF, applying the five factors of working smart, and use the SMART techniques to help you plan. Give yourself some rest and relaxation, and re-approach with a new, refreshed point of view, and keep abreast of your activity to build new hands to work smart.

Have you ever known someone who just seemed to “have it all together?” Maybe that someone is you, but maybe you could do even better. “Having it all together,” is what many perceive as “working smart.” But what does it really mean to “work smart?”

Is it a mysterious quality that some of us are born with, and the rest without? Or is it a skill set that can be learned and mastered? Most business and relationship experts support that “working smart” is a skill set that enables one to achieve balance in life and be fruitful.

Many women have intuitively been using these skills to successfully juggle their many responsibilities. When done effectively, the result is a general contentment and satisfaction both personally and professionally. When reflected on and analyzed, five key traits of “working smart” emerge. They may be remembered best using the acronym BRIEF for: Balanced, Results achieving, Independent minded, Energized and Fit in.

5 Traits of Women Who Work Smarter

1. Balanced: Balancing one’s personal and professional life.
2. Results achieving: Reaching a satisfactory level of results.
3. Independent minded: Considers information and opinions of others as appropriate, and ultimately makes her own mind up on her position.
4. Energized: Achieving and maintaining an effective distribution of one’s energy including reasonable breaks and vacations.
5. Fit In: Being accepted in the culture of one’s chosen environment.

Balanced: Personal and professional life balance is a key part of working smart. Whole life aspects such as exercise, proper nutrition, and constructive support from family, friends, community and more provide a strong basis from which to draw strength. Feeling capable in one’s work approach is built from many sources, not only success at work.

Results achieving: Reaching a satisfactory level of results is a subjective call, and is important because it is a reality check. If the results do not show and goals are not met, it is hard to say one is working smart. A widely used technique to help achieve results is the SMART approach to goal setting. Ask yourself, “Are my goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Timely?”

Independent minded: Although she considers the information and opinions of others as appropriate, she makes up her own mind. She chooses with her own free will to associate with people, places and things or not. She takes responsibility for her decisions.

Energized: Achieving an effective energy distribution depends on one’s ability to monitor their body and their feelings and have the self-discipline to get enough sleep, and take enough breaks and vacations to allow themselves to restore and replenish. The kinds of activities that refresh a person are as individual as their finger prints. Do you work smart, or do you need to improve?

Fit In: Fitting into one’s chosen environment is a sign of working smart. Drawing healthy limits that others respect and appreciate so that there is a harmony is important. It helps one to perform better and it indicates effectiveness.

As you prepare for the day ahead, consider are you working smarter?

We awaken to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and our senses begin to come alive.  We walk outside in the cold winter morning and smell the soothing scent of a fire in a fireplace. We walk in to the bakery and smell the fresh cinnamon rolls just as they come out of the oven.

When we become more aware of all our senses, we begin to realize how wonderful our life truly is. We touch the soft skin of a baby and our heart is warmed. We hear soft mellow voice of a stranger say ‘good morning’. We taste the creamy chocolate morsel and a sense of pleasure washes over us. We see a stranger hold the door open as we walk out, our hands filled with packages and we feel gratitude.

Awaken our senses and life takes on a new meaning. We can stop the hustle and bustle of life and simply enjoy the moment when we become aware of our senses. For this moment will not come again as it is right now and if we don’t stop and ‘smell the roses’ they will be withered and gone.

Enjoy life today and allow your senses to bring new joy.

Things go wrong in our lives and we are quick to look how we can shift the blame to someone or something else. It’s their fault the project wasn’t completed on time. It’s their fault that we’re late for the party.  It’s the other driver’s fault that we had a fender bender. It’s their fault for whatever goes wrong today… it just is.

Let’s take a step back and give an honest look at what happened. Did we have any part in the event? Could we have changed the outcome if we took some action? Don’t blame others without honestly looking at our role and in many cases, we will see that we are just as much to blame. Our hand should never point fingers at others and blame them, without pointing the same fingers back at ourselves first. We should look to see how we could have changed the outcome and learn from the lesson.

It’s too easy to blame someone else for what has gone wrong today. It’s time we step up and take some of the responsibility. Remember, we are quick to take the credit when things go well, it’s time we take the same approach when they don’t.

It’s the time of year when gifts are exchanged and many times in the back of our mind we have set an expectation of gift giving. At times it is just the mere fact that a gift will be given to us, or it may be that we’re expecting a certain gift from a person. When we set these expectations there are several possible outcomes. The first is that we get the gift we expected… and now we’re only mildly happy because we expected it. Next might be that we don’t get what we expected but still got a gift and we feel it is less than what our expectation was… and now we have to put on a smiley face and pretend to be grateful. The last is that we don’t get a gift at all… and now we feel hurt and resentful.

How ugly the scenario can be when we set expectations to feed our ego. Setting greedy expectations can only be the first step toward disappointments, leading to full blown resentment and beyond. Is that what we really want? It is when we give and truly expect nothing in return do we get to feel that joy in our heart. It’s that joy and love in our heart that we look for, yet we set ourselves up for just the opposite when we set expectations.

When we give, and truly expect nothing in return is when we truly discover that we were given a gift… and that gift is the joy and love in our heart; that we have touched another person’s heart. There is no better gift than that.

We walk along a path that meanders through the woods. The autumn colored leaves gently float to the ground as the branches of the tree gently sway in the cool wind. The sun’s rays are clearly visible as they stream through the woods and reflect the wonderful colors of each leaf as it gently falls to the ground. Silence fills the cool brisk air as we continue to slowly walk along the path.

Our path brings us to a slow moving stream. The water is crystal clear as it flows over and around the rocks that fill the stream bed. We pause for a moment to watch the water, mesmerizing and soothing this form of beautiful nature. We become relaxed as we just lean against a tree and watch the water follow to its appointed path. Just as the stream has its path, we have ours and it has brought us here, to this place, in this time.

The water flows over the rocks in the stream and one catches our eye, a special rock that stands out from the others. We slowly kneel, reach into the cold water and take the rock from the bed of the stream. The rock is beautiful. The patterns of various colors that nature has woven appear to be a word. As we look closer we see a word and that word is ‘Believe’.

We are that stone, unique from all the others in the stream. We are the stone that has ‘Believe’ woven into ourselves through all the beautiful patterns and colors that makes us who we are. It’s time we look at our stone and put it in our pocket to carry from now on, as we travel on our journey. Believe, you are who you are meant to be and you are capable of achieving your dreams.

“Quit complaining!” Wow… how many times have we heard that? And yet, we still do it and it’s usually about things or situations that we have no control. We complain about the weather, of which we have zero influence over. We complain about the traffic because of highway construction, and of course we have zero control of highway development. The list will go on about things we complain about and we will voice our complaints to anyone that will listen. We rant and rave and rant some more, filling our mind and the minds of other people around us with negativity.

So here’s an idea… if we find ourselves getting ready to complain about something, let’s ask ourselves, can I do anything about it? If the answer is no, then quit complaining.  If the answer is yes, then take the action necessary and quit complaining. Complaining is spreading negativity and is certainly not very appealing to anyone on the receiving end, because they can’t do anything about it either. So why vent on them and add negativity to their day.

Instead of complaining, spreading negativity, wouldn’t it be awesome if we spread positivity? Let’s share the blessings in our lives and how grateful we are for what we have and make a positive difference instead of a negative one. People want to feel good and spreading positive thoughts and words will make a difference in their lives. So quit complaining and rejoice in the season. Give thanks for the little things in life such as: health, family, friends, home, the opportunity to work but most of all give thanks you are here today.

Let’s pretend we can be someone else, past or present. Who would we want to be? Perhaps we would want to be a great leader in the past. Perhaps we would want to be a spiritual leader like Gandhi, the Dalai Lama or Mother Teresa. Maybe we would want to be a famous scientist that discovered something that changed the world as we know it.  Still perhaps we would want to be a notable philosopher like Ralph Waldo Emerson or an author like Stephen King. Who do we want to be?

We can wish were someone else and if we could make that come true, then the world would be without one special person, you. You are you and not someone else. We can strive to be like someone else, but only in the fact of how they made a difference in the world and how they made a difference in our life and in the lives of others. We can do this by being ourselves and finding ways to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

You are special and never let anyone ever tell you otherwise. You make a difference and will continue to make a difference in everyone you touch today and tomorrow. Be yourself and the world is better as a result.

Settling and Accepting — these two words are important because they describe a perspective which can be altered. Whether conscious or unconscious, this perspective can interfere with your self-worth, satisfaction, and enjoyment of life. When people feel like they’re settling, they should consider the situation they’re in and the actions that may follow.

How is accepting different from settling? Acceptance means acknowledging reality and seeing the beauty in the imperfections of your own life and the lives of others. As a result, you’ll make a transition into a more graceful lifestyle. Accepting things and others as they are is not settling. On the contrary, settling creates a less enjoyable life experience and conjures up unhealthy feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction. Read Table 1 to learn how settling differs from accepting.

Table 1

Settling Accepting Judgmental Assessing interests, openness and curiosity Resists reality Embracing what is present Resigned Hopeful and optimistic Feeling stuck Aware of possibilities Lowered self-esteem Greater confidence and self-esteem Decrease in respect of self and others Increase in respect of self and others Blame Ownership and accountability Thinking you deserve more Appreciating the goodness that is available Focusing on scarcity A focus on abundance Resentful Gratitude Being self-absorbed Understanding what others accept about me Have you ever been in a relationship or a job where you felt as though you were “settling”?

Did you feel like you deserved more? Were your expectations not being met? This can be a very painful and disappointing experience which can conjure up feelings of worthlessness and eat at one’s self-esteem. As a result, you may develop feelings of resentment against people and situations, which in turn will create a deeper dissatisfaction in your life. Resenting people because of these feelings can blind you to the good qualities in yourself and others. However, a shift in perspective will often bring the realization that the person we resented has also endured many of our own quirks and imperfections as well.

Choosing to accept means you are authentically present and true to yourself, empowered and fully engaged in all relationships. The most important part of communication becomes WHO you are in all your conversations. It requires practice, practice, practice in being REAL, being PRESENT, being 100% ACCOUNTABLE for our experience and showing up with positive energy. It means consciously staying aware of WHO we desire to BE in each conversation. Imagine the emotional charge that gets diffused when someone engaged in a conversation with an attitude of acceptance. How would BEING calm, peaceful, and fully composed change the conversation and the relationship over time? What a simple and exciting breakthrough!

Now, before you say to yourself, “Well, that is a pretty “Pollyanna,” rose-colored and delusional view of life,” think a bit deeper. Which perspective serves you better? Which perspective leaves you feeling stuck and miserable? Which perspective creates more space and possibility? From which perspective are you more likely to take bold positive action?

Face it. It’s pretty hard to be at your best when you feel resentful, unworthy, resigned, and unvalued. Thoughts create emotions and actions soon follow. That said, choosing acceptance over settling seems more appealing as it empowers you to improve relationships and situations. By changing our mindset, we can create a different experience–a more fulfilling life. When we respect ourselves and others, the relationships we have shift and begin generating more positive attention and actions in our lives.

How can you develop a more discerning perspective? How can accepting change the way you connect and communicate with others? How does your demeanor change when you accept rather than settle? Now is a good time to begin talking to yourself differently. Whenever you have the opportunity today, choose to accept rather than settle.

To dive deeper and discover more about whether you have been settling or accepting the people in your life ask yourself the Great 8 Questions:

1. What do I think about settling and accepting in my life and my current relationships?
2. How do I feel about settling and accepting in my current life and relationships?
3. What impact does settling and accepting have on my life, my partner, my family and/or my career?
4. What am I learning about settling and accepting?
5. Ideally what do I want from the relationship or situation where I have been settling?
6. What is the first most important step I can take in that direction?
7. How can I better discern my perspective and actions?
8. How can I support myself or ask for the support I need?

“I also remember the moment my life changed, the moment I finally said, ”I’ve had it! I know I’m much more than I’m demonstrating mentally, emotionally, and physically in my life’.’ I made a decision in that moment which was to alter my life forever. I decided to change virtually every aspect of my life. I decided I would never again settle for less than I can be.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Jessica Miller-Merrill has the answer! Read about it here.