This issue is made up of the following sections:

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips
2. Questions for Growth
3. Reality Check

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips

Some tips to build some personal momentum in your life:

1. Get up an hour earlier each morning. Doing something as simple as this adds at least seven hours to your week, an entire day to your month, and fourteen extra days to your year! What you will find is that you can get a lot more done with that extra hour. You can also use it to get that exercising in that you've been putting off, or you can use it to spend some quality time with your spouse/partner/kids, or you can simply use it as quiet time with your thoughts. I like to get up early and run, before I even eat breakfast. I feel so much better about my day, and my ever-slowing metabolism gets a nice kick-start!
2. Pick one important leisure goal in your life and blitz it for a twenty-four hour period. For example, if one of your goals this year is to travel to Europe, you can spend your lunch hour visiting a travel agent. You can also spend an hour or so researching destinations/prices/general information on the internet. Or, you can clear your schedule with your boss for a period of time months from now. Whatever you do, stay with it for one entire day, and you'll feel energized by the momentum it creates towards achieving that goal.
3. Take a leap once a week. What does this mean? Force yourself to do something daring, out of your comfort zone, at least once every single week. This may mean sending out a resume to that job you've been thinking about but were too scared to apply to. It may mean calling that potential mentor and asking them to lunch, even though they might turn you down. It may also mean asking out that special person you have had your eye on. Leap! The water may be cold, but it sure is exhilarating.

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2. Questions for Growth
1. When was the last time you intentionally scheduled a vacation? Why have you waited this long?

2. When was the last time you donated yourself (or your time, money, resources)to a cause bigger than yourself?

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3. Reality Check

The reality check for May 2004 surrounds the idea of forced relaxation. It may sound like a contradiction in terms, but forced relaxation enables better life balance, and every one of us can benefit from time spent relaxing and recharging.

So what is forced relaxation? It is simply scheduled down time. Time spent doing nothing, or time spent doing almost nothing. It could take the form of reading, sleeping, spending time at a spa sitting in the sauna or steam room, getting a massage, hanging out at a bookstore for an entire afternoon, or even eating well at your favorite restaurant. Proper relaxation involves two simple concepts:

1. You are not engaged in anything that involves work on your behalf (or effort exerted)

2. You get nothing done, on purpose

I truly do believe that a good life is a balanced life-one where work and personal life are not separate entities but rather merged activities that prove synergistic. We are taught (directly and indirectly) in western society to work hard, and to put everything we have into our careers. However, I have yet to read a book or see a infomercial by some guru espousing proper balance through forced relaxation time. Perhaps I should write that book, or do that infomercial (but first I would need to develop a manic one-minute intro and perfect my cheesy smile), but the fact remains that relaxation serves a crucial component in a successful life. It allows us to collect our physical and mental energies, and to gain important perspective. The more we relax, the more clear our mind and body will be when the time comes to get back to work. Therefore, make it a point to force yourself to relax. Do this at least once per month and you will find yourself much less stressed and much more able to throw yourself into your other activities and create the life you desire.

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