Tahoe Tallac Window Reflection

Here I am in Lake Tahoe where each morning brings fresh reminders of the beauty that waits.  Yet, there is social media to be addressed, clients to spend time with, agents in my office that I want to mentor, brainstorming for new ideas…  And on top of all of this, each day presents unexpected calls and visits.  Where is the time for photography, reading a novel on the beach, playing with my granddaughter? Just how does one find time to enjoy life?

Okay, okay – I’m getting to my point.  Somewhat of a plug but I can’t help feel that I am not alone in this daily crunch for more time.  So, I am going to pass along some great info I came across.  It turns out that a client (and now good friend,) Karen Leland along with Keith Bailey are the best-selling authors of six books including Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day. They are the co-founders of Sterling Marketing Group http://www.sterlingmarketinggroup.com, which helps authors and entrepreneurs use the power of PR to promote their books and business on time management.  Not one to miss an opportunity – I cornered the poor gal to see if she could give me some free advise.  ”Karen,” I blurted, ”Knowing there is more than one perspective as to setting priorities, how do you recommend I find the balance between creating a personal work/balance atmosphere yet be there as a coach/mentor for those working in my company – all with their own perspectives?

Her sage advise – “Balancing out your individual to-do agenda while also trying to mentor and manage a group of staff can be challenging.  One of the critical keys to doing this successfully is to set very clear boundaries about when you are and are not available. For example:  Let’s say you need to focus on a particular project for an hour on wednesday am from 9-10.  Let everyone know that you won’t be able to answer questions or deal with problems during that time. However at 11 am – you are all theirs.  Most people will learn how to work around a boundary like that, and work things out.

“But Karen” (I pushed) “How do I intentionally find time to set work aside and make personal time equally important?”  Patiently answered Karen: “As one of my clients said ’structure is destiny’.  So I think the key to this is making specific plans every week, carving out time on your calender, to do things in your personal life that create balance. This might mean making a date with a girlfriend to go for a walk, it might mean blocking off a few hours on a Saturday to work on an art project, agreeing that every first friday of the month is date night with your spouse.  If you leave it up to random chance to make time for personal time – it won’t happen.”

Finally – pushing my luck I asked, “How do I continue to maintain stimulation of ideas and creativity in my career when I feel so burned out?  Karen’s brilliant response: “I think that may be one of the biggest problems facing those of us, of a certain age, in the workplace today.  We’ve been doing our careers for 20 or 30 years and we are great at them, but the challenge may be gone, or burn out starting to set in. The best remedy I know of for this is to find some aspect, or tangent of your profession that you find interesting and pursue it – even if it does not directly result in financial gain immediately.  If you have reached the point where you job just does not hold any more juice for you –  you have three choices. 1. Tell the truth, get out and start something new. Lot’s of people have taken this leap and lived to tell the tale. 2. Hire someone to do the more mundane parts of your job and become more of an account manager in your business, rather than the one who does all the ground work. You’ll make less money, but be happier. 3. Look at your job as the bread and butter that let’s you do the other things in your life that give you stimulation and creativity. In other words, stop expecting your job to give you that and carve out time for the things that do.”

I realize that I am carrying on longer than usual yet I can’t help but feel I am not alone.  Living and working in Paradise is a gift.  Let’s face it, we all have our gifts of family, travel, friends and home.  Yet, if we don’t make an effort to truly SEE and EXPERIENCE these gifts, so much will be lost and regretted.  Make the effort – make it a gift to yourself.

If you are interested in checking out Karen’s book, here is a tip.  Buy a copy of “Time Management In An Instant” the week of July 20th and receive a free license to view the Essential Email online course. To buy the book and claim your bonus, or just to buy the book go to: http://www.quality-service.com/timemanagementinaninstant

Years ago (many years ago,) when I was just beginning a career in real estate, a wise and experienced teacher, Danielle Kennedy, taught that a good Realtor should move every 5 years just to stay in touch with the stress, fear and excitement that our clients will go through during a transaction.  Empathy will go a long way into shaping one as a great Realtor.  Well, Ms. Kennedy, I am here to say that after moving twice in a year, I am about as empathetic as one can get.

Moving in or out of a home in Lake Tahoe has its own unique qualities.  The weather for one!  On one hand, I have always been taught that it is a blessing to have rain on moving day.  What is it when one has a mixture of sun, rain, snow and wind?  You know the adage in Lake Tahoe.  ”If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.”  Here are a few tips that I learned (the hard way.)  

1. If you are renting a moving van, book at least a month in advance and call two days in advance to confirm.  

2. DO NOT try to take care of a change of address through an online program.  Go straight to the post office on Al Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Blvd. and personally ask for the change of address forms, fill them out and hand deliver – at least two weeks in advance.  

3. Collect boxes at least a month in advance – there just aren’t that many in Lake Tahoe.

4.  Plan of staying at the new location for at least 48 hours to hook up new utilities.  Help comes from out of area and the expected time of arrival is something like, “between 8am and 5pm.”  Grab a good book and just relax.

5.  If you are not tech savvy, find a pro and ask them to just hang with you.  

Fortunately, the entire moving experience is a beautiful experience – it’s Lake Tahoe!!  How can you miss??

One of the strongest memories of my childhood were the gatherings of friends and family members all coming together with musical instruments (could be just a bongo or a pair of spoons) and belting out songs at the top of their lungs.  A hometown hootenanny, if you will.  Trust me, other than one uncle who was actually a member of a barbershop quartet (yes, they showed up as well) no one could carry a tune.  Never-the less, singing and dancing by all ages lit up the night.

These memories returned in flood stages this past weekend when a few friends and family members of my own decided to visit a local restaurant to hear another friend perform.  It was lightly snowing outside, the room was packed with casual diners and soon the music began.  And what music!  Guitars, fiddles, mandolins, harmonicas (just two musicians) pulled together to present a lively and wide range of tunes.  ”What do you want to hear?” encouraged Ike.  ”Call ‘em out!”  ”Requests” And boy, did they.  Johnny  Cash, Neil Young, Elton Bishop, Britney Spears (yup) and on and on.  Old and new.  And before you knew it, the entire audience was singing along at the top of their lungs, sharing in the simple joy of music.  Heck, my new young friend Aaron (my guess is age 12ish?) downloaded a Zippo lighter on my IPhone so that I could join in on the waving of the light.

It was a great night. Living and working in Lake Tahoe can be such simple joy.

Early morning Lake Tahoe snow

Folks that live in snow country either LOVE it of HATE it.  Those that hate it generally look for greener (year round) pastures within a few years.  Others love it for about a month and then they HATE it and going looking for those greener pastures (in a seasonal manner.)  Those that LOVE the snow learn to ride the roller coaster fresh powder ride.  When is it coming?  When is it coming?  This weather report said that, that weather report said this.  When is it coming?  AND THEN, we awake to a foot of fresh powder in the yard.  Christmas all over again.  It’s as if Santa came once more.  

Then the frenzy begins.  Make those necessary phone calls, rearrange the schedule, grab the skis, (snow shoes, snowmobile – whatever the choice of winter recreation) and GO.  OUTDOORS.  Winter is back and the Lake Tahoe locals are euphoric.  This is why we live here.