Perfect Life Project

Starting all over again

What do they say about even the best laid plans coming unstuck?

I haven't posted in the last 6 weeks and there is a very good reason. I would have been unable to maintain the theme of this site due to the fact that my "perfect lifestyle" has hit a few hurdles of late. I have been buried in work, chasing my tale and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sound familiar?

Obviously its something most of us experience and try to cope with every day, but for me it has been a shock to the system after a year or so of idyllic existence.

So what happened?

Firstly the economy has slowed, in case you didn't know, and my business was affected slightly. Nothing terrible but a downturn all the same.

Secondly, my most productive employee left. She was the one I counted on most to get things done and remove stress from my life. She was reliable and hardworking. She also caused friction amongst my other staff (which became more apparent after she left) and may have held the business back a little creatively.

Thirdly, I was in the process of re-organising the business, positioning ourselves in a niche area of the advertising industry for a greater strategic goal when this happened. So I already had a bit of work on my plate.

Fourth, I took a week holiday (planned well in advance with family) when I cold least afford the time.....and got sick.

Are You Perpetually Exhausted?

Source: Donna Karlin, Fast Company

Are you ignoring that exhaustion, telling yourself you’ll take some time off in a month or so?  In the meantime how are you able to effectively lead if you’re too tired to process everything that’s going on around you?

If you don’t manage your energy, it doesn’t matter how you might manage your time as you are not processing what you need to nor are you mentally retaining what’s happening.  Leadership is more than an organizational position; it’s leading your people in a way that they and the organization can move forward.  If you’re exhausted, your mental capacity is diminished and you are not leading, you’re hanging on to the status quo hard enough so you don’t fall.

Meeting Tim Ferriss

I have been a little slow with the posts this month due to a lot of changes I am currently implementing to my business. Some short term time investment for long term financial and freedom gains. More on this soon.

In the meantime I am excited to say that i am meeting Tim Ferriss, author of the amazing 4 Hour Work Week, tonight. Tim is holding an Australian launch party in Sydney and I am on the door list.

Tim has been an inspiration to me and his book has been a great help in designing a better life.

I will let you know how the party was in the next few days.

Doing business in Borneo

Greetings from Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. My wife and I are currently staying in beautiful Kota Kinabalu, just above the equator in a gorgeous and lush tropical paradise. The hotel is 5-star luxury and no expense has been spared in entertaining us and the other guests on this trip. The meals are magnificent, the cocktail parties plentiful and the activities highly enjoyable. Best of all, its all basically free.

Hit the refresh button on your life

I am constantly amazed at the amount of information, technology and general "noise" we allow into our modern lives. Mobile phones, PDA's, internet, email, Twitter, SMS, IMS, general media and more. All this is competing for our attention with work collegues, clients, meetings and everything else we try to accomplish during the day.

How do we ever get anything actually done?

My response is to log off and tune out. My best work and best thinking is one far from the daily noise of working life. Fewer interruptions = more clarity in my thinking. And for most entrepreneurs, thinking is where it is at.  

Australians working harder, sleeping, relaxing less

A new study of Australian lifestyle habits has revealed that we are working longer, sleeping less and getting less exercise. This is something I have been aware of for some time and used to be guilty of. In the last few years I have made a determined effort to combat this trend with a more balanced and rewarding approach that I have termed my Perfect Life Project. Below is a report from the Sydney Morning Herald detailing the latest lifestyle figures. In italics I have included my PLP figures to demonstrate how life can be successfully lived by the average person without following this alarming trend.

Going Low-Carb

I have decided to pursue a low-carb diet for the next month. There are a few reasons for this and in this post I will outline the reasons, approach and benefits.

I have always been an very active person, competing in several sports and lots of outdoor activities. A year ago I returned to the gym for the first time in almost 20 years. As I am approaching 40 I felt it was important to begin building or preserving the muscle mass that begins to deteriorate as we age. More muscle actually increases your metabolism and can result in burning fat. But mainly I wanted to get stronger and combat the aging process as much as possible. Combining resistance work in the gym with my aerobic cycling pursuits should do the trick.

The Perfect Plan for 2008

I recently discussed my ambitions for the coming year in "Making the most of your freedom". Now that I have returned home and back to work I have set about implementing my plans for 2008.

My greatest challenge appears to be juggling a business and some lofty ambitions for the year with my lifestyle goals of working less, travelling and pursuing my sporting interests. Here is what I wish to do in 2008.....

Learning from holidays 2

Six weeks of travel is coming to an end. As I sit here at San Francisco International I can reflect upon a long and enjoyable break. My family and I have managed to see and do a remarkable amount on this trip, from San Francisco, northern California, Colorado, copious amounts of snow skiing, snow shoeing, back to California and Santa Cruz and the mid-Cali coast.....it has been quite the trip, especially with two young children in tow.

Making the most of your freedom

Most of us go through life feeling imprisoned by our jobs, businesses or personal circumstances. I have been fortunate enough to learn that life doesn't need to be that way. I started 2007 with a desire to reduce my workload, increase my income and gain more personal freedom to pursue the areas of my life which interest me the most.