• Where’s Ann Michael? – Working with a group of extraordinary women on a 5-part teleseries entitled, "5 Winning Strategies for Winning at Work" . Stay tuned for details.
• Feature Article – Is Change Hard?
  
• Ann Michael Recommends –The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World by Vince Poscente. Vince reached the gold medal round of Olympic speed skiing only four years after deciding to compete - with no prior racing experience! An easy read on how reducing drag (clutter) increases speed and flexibility. A strategy that works on the slope and in the office!
  

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the International Visitors Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. A group of Indonesian dignitaries were touring the U.S. to learn about the challenges facing women when they transition from homemaker to careers outside the home. Several transition issues were addressed including balancing careers and home/life, resources available for professional development of women, and networking resources.

This was an amazing meeting! We were told by one of the interpreters that a future president of Indonesia was in all probability sitting in the room with us! The spectrum of issues that they addressed ranged from domestic violence to the balance between religion and politics, from tribal traditions to job demands of it's booming capital Jakarta. Their desire to lift up their country was apparent with each comment and question.

These wonderful women and men see the need to make so many changes. On one hand, they are frustrated with their inability to dramatically and quickly improve their world for women. On the other hand, they celebrate when they support one woman's efforts to escape domestic violence. I feel honored to have participated.

Is Change Hard?

Change is hard, or so we have been told. But is it really? Is it our perception that change should be instantaneous misguided? For example, you would like to loose 20 pounds, and you would like it gone by next Friday. How about, the family room needs to be painted, can we get it done by Julie's birthday next Wednesday? Or better yet, I'm going to straighten up my office and keep it that way.

All three desires can be accomplished. The weight loss may take 4 or 5 months instead of 4 or 5 days. The family room will get painted once the furniture is moved, the carpet is replaced, and the dent in the wall from where the kids were playing soccer is fixed. Our office will stay clean and organized once we find the tools and strategy that work for us.

Change requires us to shift our habits. Albert Einstein said it best, "Problems can't be solved at the same level of consciousness that created them". We like being in our state of homeostasis - our comfort zone. Any time we decide to move out of our comfort zone all of our physiological and psychological chatter kicks in and challenges us. Shifting our perception and recognizing that often times, change takes time is a great place to start. Here are some other tips to help you successfully change a habit, your family room, your office, or your community:

• Gradual: You are less resistant to change when it is gradual and in small steady steps. When trying to loose weight, replace 1 or 2 sodas a day with water then gradually replace all soda with water.
• Repetition: Prioritize your workload first thing every morning, so that you have a clear picture of what you need to accomplish each day.
  Celebrate: Riding the world of domestic violence starts by rescuing one woman at a time.
• Forgive: Indulging in dessert doesn't mean that you have failed at your plan to loose 20 pounds. Acknowledge that you strayed and get back on track.
• Patience: Not all change happens in a day or two. It's OK if it takes weeks or even months, or in some cases years. Commit to your objective, believe in it, focus and work hard on it, and it will happen.

In reality we change all of the time. If you live in a four season climate, you change your clothes from summer to winter - it happens ever year and although you may fuss, you survive. We change our drive to work because of construction. Our favorite TV show has ended and our Thursday evenings have a void. We successfully manage change all of the time, so know that you can change.

Formatting Shortcuts

We all like to save time in creating documents. Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to format in a snap. When you have a word or phrase highlighted, use these quick formatting favorites:

• Ctrl + B: Bold
• Ctrl + I: Italicize
• Ctrl + U: Underline

Or to copy, cut, paste, and undo text:

• Ctrl + C: Copy text
• Ctrl + X: Cut text
• Ctrl + V: Paste text
• Ctrl + Z: Undo what you last did
  

Ann Michael Henry is the Founder and The Productivity Chef for Mise En Place -- an organization and productivity consulting firm devoted to working with clients to discover the right ingredients for managing e-mail, digital data, paper, and workload so that they can "get cooking" at work and still have time to satisfy their appetite for life.

Her personal philosophy...let's get the work done so that we can go out and play is what motivates Ann Michael. If you liked today's issue, you'll love Ann Michael’s productivity tools, products, and training designed to help you improve your focus, organization, and productivity at work so that you have time to experience all that life has to offer.

Having the right ingredients – tips, tools, and proven techniques – to accommodate an individual's work style is what makes the difference. This is where Ann Michael thrives! Her ultimate goal is to find the recipe that works for you!