STOPPAGE TIME

Show Notes

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9/12/2017  |  49 Minutes

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This week’s guest: Lib and Ben. We take a break from the standard guest template, and discuss our own Ticks and Tick Offs. And this week, it’s about Checks & Balances. Lib is a man of balance, has been his whole life, and he’s put Ben in check a couple of times. But does that friendly reminder come from a place of love? Listen to find out if Lib is right. Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review.

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TODAY'S DISCUSSION: CHECKS & BALANCES

We don't mean this as a political reference. As you pursue different passions and career opportunities and personal relationships, how are you keeping balance between all off the different facets you have to juggle? And when you lose balance, how do you deal with putting your life in check? And even further than this, are those checks coming from within – where you determine you need to make changes in your life? Or from an outside source – a person or a situation that further compounds the out-of-sequence feeling you're having. And which is better?

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CHECKS & BALANCES FOR LIB

Lib has always been a man of balance. There have been many instances, and these are still ongoing, where Lib balances friendships with his marriage relationship. We watch a 4-hour football game, and Lib spends the first half with friends, and the second half with his wife after she gets off work. Lib also balances the expectations in his marriage and creates joint "to-do" lists, instead of the stereotypical "Honey-Do" List. And he surprisingly feels pretty passionate about this. So, to all married men out there, "Let's unite against Honey-Do Lists and unite with our loved ones and accomplish things together." And lists is how Lib best focuses at work. He'll create one list, prioritize them, circle them, and then accomplish. It's his personal, work-based "Stuff I gotta get done at work" list. 

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CHECKS & BALANCES FOR BEN

Ben compartmentalizes. It's a tick and a tick off. He's tries to dedicate 100% focus to all areas of his life, and does this by separating and devoting individual time to these different facets he's juggling. You should check out his reminders app on his phone, with 4 different to-do lists that all converge into the "today" list. But sometimes he falls victim to focussing too much for too long on one aspect, feels burned out, and then just gets frustrated until Lib talks him off the edge. At work, Ben uses compartmentalizing to separate himself to really focus on heads-down work ethics. Don't get him wrong, he'll hang out at the water cooler and contribute to the social culture at work, but he also sets time aside for creative control when he can bear down and focus up.

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BOTTOM LINE

In short, checks come from all angles in life to make sure that we're in balance. And if you can learn to put yourself in check, more frequently than others checking you, you'll stay ahead of your passions and priorities. And in that light, they'll continue to serve you as ticks, and less as tick offs.