John Ploetz Bloggin

Today there are so many things that keep our lives busy and stressful. Continually we are moving at a fast pace; technology forces us to move at an even faster one. We juggle appointments, work and family matters nonstop. Why not take some time to just grab some “me” time? Why not try to reach for some ultimate relaxation? It really isn’t that difficult and afterwards you’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on a new week. Give it a try, a weekend of stress free bliss awaits. These are the simple steps to take:

1. Before the weekend begins stock up your refrigerator. Mix up your food choices with a few decadent items, but also some healthy alternatives. Go for some items you normally don’t buy. Do your shopping after a meal so you don’t go too crazy.

2. Turn off you cell phone and put it in a drawer for the entire weekend. Don’t even give in to the temptation of checking it for messages.

3. Unplug the land line phone or turn the ringer off. Truthfully most calls you get anyway are from political candidates or companies looking for donations.

4. Turn off your computer or ipad and put it away. This might be difficult if you’re an internet junkie. But avoid the temptation to turn it on. Your goal should be to limit exposure to the outside world.

5. Turn off the TV. The goal is not to be distracted by advertising or the outside world. If you want to watch something, limit it to an old DVD movie you have around the house or keep it old school and rent one. They still have red boxes around town. The goal is to limit your ability to be negatively distracted by ads or current events.

6. Remove all clocks. Don’t let time dictate what you think you should be doing. Just do what comes to mind when it comes to mind.

7. Find a quiet place to sit in your house or apartment. There might be more than one place you can find that is comfortable. Just take in your surroundings and enjoy the simple sounds and view. As you get more relaxed with just being with yourself, you’ll find you can sit longer.

8. Now get to the important things to aid in relaxation:

a. Take a long walk.
b. Take a nap.
c. Cook something you normally don’t cook.
d. Sit down with a good book.
e. Write down your thoughts and ideas.
f. Watch that old movie you’ve wanted to see but haven’t found the time to watch.
g. Any other quiet “me” time that you find relaxing.

At the end of the weekend, write down your thoughts; jot down what you thought of the experience, positives and negatives. Was it an enjoyable experience? Make plans for your next weekend of relaxation.

John Ploetz

22 Jun, 2014

John Ploetz Bloggin

Many times we allow ourselves to settle into the simplicity of our day to day lives or we simply grow bored with the mundane existence we lead. Sometimes where we are in life is where we want to be. But wherever we are in our lives, we shouldn’t be simply going through the motions of living or working or whatever else it is we do on a day to day basis. If we don’t find our life challenging, then it’s time to challenge our life. We shouldn’t just sit back and accept our current situation. There are steps we can take to challenge our life.

1. Don’t be afraid to try something new. For example, if you have a desire to do ballroom dancing, start with some lessons. Never let the fact that you aren’t good at something or don’t know how to do something stop you from pursuing it.

2. Stop going through the motions. If you don’t like what you are doing figure out a timeframe to make a change. Doing something that you don’t like doing, even if you are good at it won’t make you happy. In fact if will keep you from what will make you happy.

3. Never say I’m too busy to make a change. If you’re busy and unhappy with your current situation you still need to find some time to make change in your life. You should change your priorities so you can start moving in a direction that puts you into a happier lifestyle.

4. You need to find a niche in your life that you are passionate about. Write down what it is that you most want to do. Then figure out how you can incorporate it into your day to day routine. If you like music, you may not become a full time musician over night but you can join a choir, join a band, or just make a point of going to a concert once a week or once a month.

5. Don’t just say “I’m unhappy where I am right now” without being willing to take steps to change. Only you control whether change in your life will occur. If you say you’re unhappy where you are right now, you’ve already taken the first step. Don’t stop there; take the next steps to actually change.

6. Add substance to your life. So many people fall for get rich quick schemes because those schemes offer us something that is missing in our own lives. The schemes give us something to dream about and something to feel passionate about, seemingly, without any effort on our part. Don’t let someone else profit at your expense, from your own need to dream and feel passionate about something. Invest some time in yourself, infuse your own passion and dreams in your life, and don’t let others try to do it for you.

We shouldn’t just go through the motions of life. We should strive to live our lives with substance. Find what motivates you. Many of us settle for something less because we are unwilling to rise up and challenge ourselves by taking on something new in our lives. Are you willing to challenge your life?

John Ploetz

14 Jun, 2014

John Ploetz Bloggin

It’s easy to get lost in the quagmire of day to day business dealings. We’re all struggling to get new business, make new sales, complete our daily job tasks, or work at maintaining our value to our boss and our company. We may begin to stop thinking about what we are doing or why we are doing it. That’s when we need to reassess our moral direction. At what cost can we afford to step outside the correct setting of our moral compass to complete our business goals. Think about steps you need to take to maintain your moral compass setting.

1. If someone asks you to do something that doesn’t seem right odds are it isn’t. Don’t do it. This may seem like simple advice, but most often your own instincts can keep you on the right track; you just need to listen to your instincts.

2. You’re not just as good as your last sale or last task completed; you’re only as good as the ethics you used to get your last sale or last task completed. Remember the relationship created by a sale or completed task is more important than the sale or task. The sale or task is a onetime event the relationship created through the sale or task process is a lifetime event.

3. You work for a lifetime don’t screw up a life time of work by one poor decision. We all make mistakes, but don’t go out of your way to do something you know isn’t right. Most people can forgive mistakes, but most people don’t forget being treated poorly on purpose.

4. Other people’s willingness to work with you hinges on their ability to trust you. Trust is hard to build. Once it is lost it is difficult if not impossible to rebuild. Building trust with others should always be one of your top priorities.

5. Don’t go blindly into things. Be willing to ask questions even from supervisors or managers to make sure you understand what is being asked of you and why.

6. Always take the high road. Don’t get caught in a battle of negative ethics. In the end you rarely win. There are certain people that aren’t worth doing business with. It may seem difficult to disengage from ethically challenged people early on, but it will save you from more problems in the future.

7. If a boss or manager asks you to handle something for them that is their duty to do, think twice about handling it without a full understanding of why they are unwilling to do it.

8. Find a good mentor. Have someone you trust who you can use as a sounding board. If you have concerns about something run it past this person. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

Keeping your moral compass directed in the right direction will serve you well in whatever direction your life takes you. Always take a moment to look at your moral compass and adjust your direction as needed.