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Less
is the New
More
Crystal Jonas
Your Trusted Advisor for Inspiring
Leadership and Life Mastery
to Achieve and Enjoy More, Work and Worry Less
5 Sage Strategies
Contents
Intro: Sisyphus, Hamstersand. . . You.................................................... 3-5
2
Strategy #1: MakeMeaningful Successon Your Terms......................6-10
Strategy #2: Finely TuneYour Focus....................................................11-15
Strategy #3: ManageYour Moods........................................................16-21
Crystal’sCrystals– Here’sWhat toDoNext.......................................32-35
Strategy #4: LeverageYour Values, Imagination and Emotions.....22-26
Strategy #5: PracticeRealistic Optimism..........................................27-31
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Tweetables....................................................................................................36
Sisyphus, Hamsters
and . . .You!
Introduction:
3
HOW exhilarating to experience the joy of being in the state of Flow. To be
working at the peak of your abilities on projects that matter, using skills that
are your greatest strengths. To feel confident that you stayed focused on
accomplishing today’s work, releasing worry and enjoying your achievements.
This ebook will help you experience that zone more often, so you can
experience a delightful level of success and contribution worthy of your
potential.
There’s beauty in balance. Elegant Simplicity is the exquisite
balance of quantity and quality. @CrystalMJonas
Here, you’ll find practical and powerful strategies that you can begin using
immediately to help you achieve and enjoy more and work and worry less.
Have fun! And do feel free to pay it forward by passing this book along to
someone you care about who would benefit from these ideas.
Tobeglorious, your work must havepurpose
Sisyphus, Greek myth tells us, displeased the gods. And Greek gods, having
no sense of humor, do not like humans who don’t know their place.
As punishment, Sisyphus was cursed for all eternity to roll a boulder up a
mountain. The moment it reaches the top, it rolls back down, and Sisyphus
must roll it back up. Forever. That’s the gig for Sisyphus into perpetuity.
Continual, fruitless boulder pushing.
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
CLICK TO TWEET!
4
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Work for the sake of work.
I often think of this story when I’m teaching a seminar on Emotional
Intelligence and I hear someone brag about being a hard worker. Sigh.
The truth is, if you’re looking for more achievement and joy, less work and
worry, we need to take a closer look at hard work.
“The Universe does not reward hard work, it rewards recognized
results.” @CrystalMJonas
The goal of your life’s work isn’t to work hard.
When I first started telling people that, some would literally get upset. One lady
once said “That’s ok. Hard work is it’s own reward.” I answered “Since when?”
To explain: Not suggesting here that hard work isn’t necessary to accomplish
meaningful goals. Note the idea here is meaningful goals. The key is to focus
on whether all your effort is leading to your desired result.
If not, discover which part of your effort works, and where you start to get off
track.
I often deliver keynote speeches on Employee Engagement and really enjoy
talking with audience members before and after my presentations.
We’ve enjoyed many lively discussions, as most leaders believe that most
employees really like working. They just need great leadership to unleash their
full engagement.
So true!
Most people really want to make a positive difference, and to have their
unique contributions valued and appreciated.
Since you’re reading this, I’m thinking that you’re not afraid of hard work, going
the extra mile and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.
Working hard for you is not the problem.
Making sure you’re working with passion, purpose and getting the results you
want is what this ebook will help you do.
CLICK TO TWEET!
5
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Work can be delightfully rewarding, but not for anyone who has the hamster
on the wheel mentality.
Ever been there? So busy being busy you haven’t even had a chance to think,
“Is this task I’m devoting time, energy and intellect on really the best use of my
time?” It’s understandable to get so caught up in minutia of day to day tasks
that you lose sight of the big picture.
Happy news, help is on the way.
Suresign you’ll benefit fromSageStrategieshere
You can honestly say you put in your best effort during the business day, but
at the end of the day, you feel unfulfilled, troubled about all the loose ends or
even worried that you’re getting further and further behind.
Take heart, my friend.
You can turn this around and enjoy the process of work and still enjoy the
delightful balance that makes life so rewarding.
Let’s get going and make sure you’ve got some clear strategies you can start
using right away so you can achieve and enjoy more, work and worry less!
Hard work is not the goal; it is simply the by-product of a worthy
goal accomplished. @CrystalMJonas
CLICK TO TWEET!
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6
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
MakeMeaningful
Successon Your Terms
Strategy #1:
Meaningful work isenjoyablework
Delivering seminars on Generational Differences, I too often hear complaints
about a certain generation: “They think work should be fun. It’s called work for
a reason.”
Yikes! Trust me, I give plenty of push back on this!
Is there any reason work cannot be fun, and by fun I mean a richly rewarding
experience? Not saying we have to have unlimited access to free sushi,
foosball and nap pods. But, why can’t work be a joy?
It can be if you do it right. It starts with picking the right work for yourself.
Given the impact your chosen profession has on the quality of your life, it’s
one of most important choices you make.
Your chosen profession has an epic impact on the quality of your
life. Choose wisely.
@CrystalMJonas
You can be the most conscientious professional person in your industry, but if
you aren’t in a profession that you feel an emotional connection to, you’re not
going to have meaningful success.
Howdid you chooseyour job?
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Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Did you kind of fall into it or did you deliberately pursue it?
By the way, it’s possible that you DID fall into it, but you’re able to spend much
of the time working in your areas of strength, and you believe in what you’re
doing. Truly a happy coincidence!
However, if you just sort of drifted into your profession, and you don’t feel
stretched to learn and grow in your strengths, professional satisfaction may
elude you.
Perhaps you feel family or peer pressure to stay in that job.
It could be that you spent a lot of money on a degree and now feel as though
you MUST have this job after spending all that money on a degree.
I sometimes wonder what would happen if all the people who were unhappy at
work shifted gears and found or created positions (as entrepreneurs often do!)
which allowed them to play to their strengths AND gave them work that they
felt passionate about.
My guess: there’d be a LOT more achievement, joy and meaningful success
and much less work and worry.
Is it possible that you can find meaning in your current position? For most of
you, statistics will say yes! Most people say they are in the right job.
Wonderful! Keep reading for more ideas on how to expand the scope of what’s
possible.
If you are in the right job, here’s a question to ask yourself to make sure you’re
experiencing meaningful success on your own terms: How can I use my
strengths at work to make an even more meaningful contribution?
Ask yourself, how can I use my strengths at work to make an
even more meaningful contribution? @CrystalMJonas
Howtotell if you’re“Misemployed”?
When I separated from the Air Force years ago, I wrote a list of what I wanted
in my next job.
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8
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
1
2
3
4
5
6
To be of service.
To be part of my community
To make $45,000 a year
To have a high visibility job
To work downtown
To have a job that truly matters
I wrote that list, reviewed it every morning as I prayed and meditated on this.
And, of course, I went out looking for the job, as passion, purpose and prayer
by themselves are not enough. Many of us know that “Faith without works is
dead.”
And six weeks to the day after I wrote this note and spent every weekday
focused and busy on pursuing that specific goal, I got literally everything on
that list.
Literally. Everything I asked for.
Joke was on me, though. Seems I got nothing I didn’t ask for!
Embarrassing to admit, but I wasn’t very good at that job. I never thought to
ask for a job I’d be good at!
Why? Well, because like you I have an amazing work ethic. The job’s tough?
No sweat, bring it on; I’ll get ‘er done.
The job takes extra hours sometimes? I practiced global thermo-nuclear war
as the executive officer and only female officer in an F-16 Tactical Fighter
Squadron. We went from our station in Torrejon, Spain to Incirlik, Turkey to
practice readiness. So, I’m no stranger to the tough stuff.
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Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
BUT, here’s what I didn’t expect in my first job after the Air Force. I just wasn’t
any good at that civilian job. It called for very close attention to detail. Mind-
numbing attention to detail. All the time. Every day. All day.
Not only that, but I also was in a corporate culture that was completely foreign
to me. The people, very nice people, I’d like to say, were needing, what’s the
phrase I’m looking for here? Close management.
So, when they had a problem with each other, they’d bring it to me. When I’d
ask: “What did she say when you mentioned that to her?” The idea that they
would speak to each other directly was completely out of their comfort zone.
You could say the job and I were not a good match.
Here’swhat thismeanstoyou
It’s possible to have a great attitude and a world- class work ethic, yet still not
position yourself for meaningful success.
Why is that?
Because, you’ll never reach your true potential if you’re working in an area
where you cannot work in your natural strengths most of the time, and/or you
are in the wrong corporate culture.
Cloroxand Ammonia
Years ago, the kids were all out with friends, my Dan was on a much deserved
fishing trip, and I had the house to myself.
Usually, I’d take off to the movies. It’s one of my favorite Saturday treats.
For inexplicable reasons, I had the urge to clean the house. Since that doesn’t
happen very often, I decided to go with it.
Quickly, it became clear we were pretty much out of all cleaning products.
Thinking of my resourceful mom, I recalled that she’d use Clorox in the kitchen
sink. Tada! Worked beautifully.
10
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
On to the master bath. What’s here? Ammonia. Worked wonderfully on the
tub.
Then, don’t judge me, but I started to think: Clorox good. Ammonia good. They
must be GREAT together. Ok, I know you saw that coming. And, I’m also
guessing that you’re judging me. What can I say? There’s a reason I taught
English and not Chemistry at the US Air Force Academy!
In case you’re wondering, here’s what happened next.
I tried to work through the nastiness of that lethal combo until I finally realized,
“Well these noxious fumes can’t be good.” I flushed the evil mixture down the
toilet, opened all the windows, and THEN, I went to the movies.
Your Moral of ThisStory
It’s possible for you to be great (like Clorox!) and for your company to be great
(like ammonia!) but together, you could be toxic.
Faking fitting in is exhausting.
Choose well. Pick a corporate culture that resonates with your natural
personality and a job that allows you to use your talents most of the time.
Faking fitting in is exhausting.
Faking fitting in is taxing. Pick a job that resonates with your
natural personality & talents. @CrystalMJonas
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11
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Finely TuneYour Focus
Strategy #2:
Adviceworth about $400,000
in today’sdollars
About 100 years ago, Charles M. Schwab was the President of Bethlehem
Steele. Always looking for ways to work smarter, he brought in Ivy Lee, a
management consultant, and asked him to find them a better way to get things
done.
Lee asked for 15 minutes with each of Schwab’s executives.
When Lee was done, Schwab asked what he owed. Lee answered, “Nothing
now. In three months, send me what you think it’s worth.”
Three months later, Lee received a check for $25,000. In today’s dollars, that’s
about $400,000. No bad for a day’s work, wouldn’t you say?
What do you believe Lee’s advice was?
Since this Strategy is called “Finely Tune Your Focus” you’ve probably figured
it out already!
Here’s what Lee told the execs: “Before you leave each night, write down the
six most important actions you need to take tomorrow. Prioritize them.
Tomorrow, start with #1 and stay with it until you’re done. When you’re
finished, go to the next item on your list.”
12
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Themyth that causesMORE
work and worry
For years, I’ve taught full day seminars on Powerful Communication Skills. I
often begin asking participants “List your strengths.”
Sadly, far too many people write down that they multitask well.
“Multitasking is good” (or even possible) is the myth that causes more work
and worry.
You’re not actually doing two things at once at work when you believe you’re
multitasking. You’re task switching. Big difference.
And the difference costs you brain power, energy and work quality.
What multitasking might look like
You may have made such a habit of multitasking, you don’t really realize
you’re doing it. Try this quick check in: If you’re reading this online right now,
how many other windows are open?
See? Multitasking happens all the time. In case you’re wondering how many
windows I have open as I write this, the answer is three: This word window,
one for a dictionary and one for a thesaurus; all three necessary for this task
at hand.
Getting better at sticking with one project at a time has been a slow lesson for
me to learn. This is why I completely relate and empathize with people who try
to do so many things at once, flipping back and forth among tasks.
After studying and modeling what successful people do, those who have
lovely life balance, I finally started to practice this strategy you’re reading
about here.
It has been one of the BIGGEST factors in catapulting my business and letting
me accomplish more with less work and worry.
13
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Can you afford multitasking
I get it.
Multitasking can often feel so right. The truth is: it costs you plenty.
Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D., behavioral psychologist, consultant in
neuropsychology and author of “Brain Wise” has these wise words in her
Psychology Today article called “The True Cost of Multitasking”:
TASK SWITCHING IS "EXPENSIVE" -- There has been a lot of research on
task switching. Here's what we know from the research:
It takes more time to get tasks completed if you switch
between them than if you do them one at a time.
You make more errors when you switch than if you do
one task at a time.
If the tasks are complex then these time and error
penalties increase.
Each task switch might waste only 1/10th of a second,
but if you do a lot of switching in a day it can add up
to a loss of 40% of your productivity.
Task switching involves several parts of your brain:
Brain scans during task switching show activity in four
major areas: the pre-frontal cortex is involved in
shifting and focusing your attention, and selecting
which task to do when. The posterior parietal lobe
activates rules for each task you switch to, the anterior
cingulate gyrus monitors errors, and the pre-motor
cortex is preparing for you to move in some way.
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Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
I know it's popular to think that you are multi-tasking, but the research is clear
that people actually can't multi-task.
Dr. Weinschenk continues by addressing another misconception that many
people have: the idea that young people are better at multitasking. She
writes:
BUT YOUNG PEOPLE CAN MULTI-TASK, RIGHT? – If you think that it’s only
older people that can’t multi-task, think again. A study at Stanford University
demonstrates that multi-tasking doesn't work, even with college students.
Clifford Nass's study found that when people are asked to deal with multiple
streams of information they can't pay attention to them, can't remember as
well, and don't switch as well as they thought they would – even college
students.
Surprised? I was.
So, what can a busy person do?
Clarity of purposecomesfirst
Be clear about your most important task. Given your goals, what one task
delivers the biggest return for your investment of time, energy and focus?
This is your #1 priority.
I’ve never understood the prioritizing method that uses A, B, C, etc., where
you’re allowed to have more than one A priority.
Does this make sense to you? It encourages multitasking in just about
everybody.
Fair pushback if you’re thinking you have had many #1 priorities that simply
cannot be finished in one day, and other tasks must be completed before #1 is
done.
That’s where project management comes in. You recognize that it’s possible
that you DO have other tasks that must be done and fit into the day around
the many tasks it takes to complete your #1 BIG project.
And that’s the way to approach this #1.
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15
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Chunk down #1 priority into small tasks. When other lower
priorities must be done, fit them in around chunks of #1.
@CrystalMJonas
Guilt isunderrated
As a leadership coach, I’ve often been asked by clients: “Can you help me get
over guilt? I go into work early, I work through lunch, I leave late, and I still feel
guilty. What do I do to not feel guilty?"
Guilt is often like the check engine light in your car. Sure, you could pull the
fuse and the light would go out, but you’d still have the problem.
When you leave work feeling guilty, worried or unsettled, check in and ask
Why?
Did you do what I call your “One True Thing”? That’s the one action that’s
worth more than the combination of the nine other actions you did take.
If you didn’t take care of that #1 priority, you’ll probably be pestered by guilt
and worry until you do make first things first a habit.
Guilt can be a good thing. Check in and let it speak to you and guide your
behavior.
Guilt is like the check engine light in your car. Your higher self is
saying there’s a problem you need to fix. @CrystalMJonas
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16
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
ManageYour Moods
Strategy #3:
Start with awarenessand accountability
Because I’ve written a book on Emotional Intelligence, and I frequently deliver
keynotes on the topic, I’m often asked to also speak on employee
accountability.
Let’s begin with this: Get a paper and pen. Go to your happy place. For the
next 60 seconds, write down things you’re happy about.
Go ahead, look at the clock, start writing, and after about 60 seconds, stop.
What kinds of things did you write? Do you have something especially
delightful on the horizon right now? Did you mention long term happy items,
like your family, faith, good health? Did you mention fun items that are quite
small but bring a smile to your face?
The first lesson from this exercise is: Where attention goes, energy flows. You
feel better when you think about what you’re grateful for.
Benefitsof gratitudejournal
17
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
In his article, “Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal,” Jason Marsh notes the
benefits research shows us comes from keeping a gratitude journal:
Studies have traced a range of impressive benefits to the simple act of writing
down the things for which we’re grateful—benefits including better sleep, fewer
symptoms of illness, and more happiness among adults and kids alike. . . The
basic practice is straightforward. In many of the studies, people are simply
instructed to record five things they experienced in the past week for which
they’re grateful. The entries are supposed to be brief—just a single sentence—
and they range from the mundane (“waking up this morning”) to the sublime
(“the generosity of friends”) to the timeless (“the Rolling Stones”).
Gratitudejournalscan hurt you
Yes, after all that about how journaling your gratitude can help you, we need a
healthy serving of reality.
Here’s where the practice of thankful journaling can hurt you: You’re making
yourself do it everyday, and feel guilty when you don’t. You’re just making a
list based on what you said yesterday, and you don’t really feel it, you just
want to check it off your list.
When you phone it in, it feels like homework, and the happiness effect is
replaced with dread.
Don’t get superstitious about this. You don’t have to write a list daily.
Oncecould beenough: Quality iskey
Research reveals that journaling just once a week (okay, twice if you’re an
overachiever) works beautifully.
Focus on one person you’re particularly grateful for. Write down even how life
would be different (presumably less wonderful) without them.
This is the sweet spot of managing your moods by intention.
18
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
#GratitudeJournal: Quality/depth are key. Try 1X/week. Focus on
a person you’re grateful for = greater #happiness!
@CrystalMJonas
Pop Quiz!Nopeeking!
Don’t look back in the text for the answer to this question yet.
At the beginning of this chapter, I asked to you spend 60 seconds writing
something down.
What do you recall the instructions being?
Think for a moment. It began with Get a paper and pen. Go to your happy
place. For the next 60 seconds, write down things . . .
What did you understand the instructions to be?
Perhaps: Write down things you’re happy about? Or maybe: Write down things
that make you happy? Which would you guess?
Drum roll, please. The instructions were: Write down things you’re happy
about.
Most peopleheard something different
I’ve used this process in Emotional Intelligence seminars around the world,
and more often than not, people are sure the instructions were: “Write down
things that make you happy.”
Let’s unpack this for a few minutes.
There’s a huge difference between “makes you happy” and “you’re happy
about.”
A friend tells you he went to a meeting today. When called upon to express
his opinion, he was interrupted three times. The boss “made” him so mad.
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19
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Consider this alternative: Same scenario, but instead he says, “I chose to be
mad.”
Big difference.
When someone “makes” you mad, think you are the victim, powerless, and
they have control.
When you think: “I chose to be mad.” You have power, control, accountability
and responsibility.
Accountability is what everyone wants. For other people!
ThisIS NOT your fault!
When it comes to managing your own emotions, you need to know that there’s
a lot going on when something happens that you perceive as a threat.
For example, if someone speaks to you in a way when you think: “I know you
are not talking to me like that!” You have an automatic response. Your
sympathetic nervous systems slips into high gear and your heart beats faster,
respiration increases, blood pressure goes up, skin temperature rises, among
other symptoms.
Sound familiar? You recognize this as the fight or flight syndrome.
What you might not have realized is that you process a threat to your ego the
same as a physical threat. With a fight or flight response.
No wonder you might not have behaved well in the past when you felt verbally
attacked!
Recognizeyour “Point of Power”
While your sympathetic nervous system isn’t your fault, managing what
happens next IS your responsibility. Fair enough?
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20
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
#GratitudeJournal: Quality/depth are key. Try 1X/week. Focus on
a person you’re grateful for = greater #happiness!
@CrystalMJonas
Do this by recognizing what I call your “Point of Power.”
An event happens, most people react.
Your point of power is what happens between the event
and your reaction.
EVENT
REACTION
POINT
of
POWER
Leverage your point of power by being self-aware that you have choice.
Let this be your mantra: “I have choice.”
Let this be your #mantra: “I have choice.” @CrystalMJonas
You get to chose your: attention, attitude and actions. Chose now in a way
that you’ll be proud of once your amygdala hijacking is over!
Beemotionally resilient
Perhaps you’re not more emotionally resilient because you don’t fully see the
impact of what it costs NOT to be resilient.
Here we go to the world of finance and the concept of opportunity costs.
Let’s say you really like a muffin and a latte, and that costs $10. And you really
like kung pao chicken and that costs $10.
You leave for work tomorrow and didn’t have time to eat breakfast at home.
You think: “Well, if I don’t have a bite, everyone in the office will hear my
stomach growling by 10am.”
You stop and get a muffin and a latte on the way to your desk.
In terms of opportunity, what did that muffin and latte cost you?
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21
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Did you say, it cost you the kung pao chicken (or lunch)? You’d be 100%
correct.
Opportunity cost is what you sacrifice when you chose X over Y. Key words
here are ‘”sacrifice” and “choose.” Be mindful of your choices.
#Manageyourmoods: be mindful of where your attention,
attitudes and actions go. Such is emotional resilience.
@CrystalMJonas
CLICK TO TWEET!
22
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
LeverageYour Values,
Imagination and
Emotions
Strategy #4:
Threeresources, alwaysavailable, seldom
fully leveraged
In your desire to achieve and enjoy more, work and worry less, you may have
overlooked three powerful resources you always carry with you, but few
people rarely make the most of. These three are:
1
2
3
Your Values
Your Emotions
Your Imagination
Your Valuesareyour WHY
You are worthy of the full expression of your potential. But you
deserve what you settle for. @CrystalMJonas
CLICK TO TWEET!
23
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
You are worthy of the full expression of your potential. But you deserve what
you settle for.
If you’ve ever had a desire to make a positive, lasting change, and found
yourself coming up short, the missing secret sauce might be that you haven’t
found big enough WHYs.
Believing that you should make a change is more of an intellectual draw. You
look at the facts, see that you’re not living up to the full expression of your
potential. You think that you work all the time, but aren’t satisfied with the
quality of your results given your investment of time and energy.
Intellectually, you think perhaps, “I should change what I do. I’m not making
the most of my talents.”
While you may have big plans for changes, any enthusiasm for change quickly
fizzles out, and you’re left over-thinking the process. Believing you should
make a change, but not sustaining the energy and emotions to get motivation
in high enough gear to keep momentum going.
Combine“TheHeart and Scienceof Success”
For many years, I wanted to write non-fiction. I told no one but my Dad. It was
the Summer of 1979, and we were driving across country from Florida to
Nevada.
Dad was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, and I was going to start college in
Las Vegas. During the long road trip, we had plenty of time to talk.
I looked at him and said “I’m going to be a writer one day.” He looked at me
and said, “I believe you will.”
For the next 27 years, I thought about writing books, I imagined how great it
would feel to be a writer, but still, I finished not one book.
There were years where I would read every self-help book I could get my
hands on. Some were about passion and purpose, others about strategies and
systems.
It wasn’t until many years later I realized what I’d been missing.
24
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
I put it all together in an approach I call “The Heart and Science of Success.”
Here’s how your values and you big fat whys (BFWs) come into play.
You know what you want to do, but you need an emotional reason for acting
that’s so powerful that there is NOTHING that will stand in your way of fulfilling
your life’s purpose.
Do your #values support fulfilling your own #potential? Leverage
your values for meaningful success. @CrystalMJonas
Here’swhat doesNOT work
Willpower is a resource of limited power. It burns up fast when you’re using it.
And, using it literally makes you weaker in other areas.
Did you know that using willpower literally leaves you less intelligent on other
tasks? Studies have proven that when people feel compelled to use willpower
in one area of their lives, they do not perform as well on other cognitive tasks.
Howyour valuescan serveyou
Consider your values. Do you value being of service and a good example to
others? Is it important to you to make sure that you discover your unique
talents and use them to leave the world a better place?
Connect deeply to your values, and you’ll find yourself being more aware of
the choices you make during the day. You’ll notice if your efforts are congruent
with what you value most.
CLICK TO TWEET!
I cover new habit formation in other training programs I offer, so to be
kept in the loop on that, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter
via CrystalJonas.com
25
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Strivefor congruence
When I was a young kid, my dad was a preacher. I can remember him telling
me: “Always tell the truth.” And I answered, “Yes sir, because it’s the right
thing to do.”
“Yes,” he answered, “and it’s also easier to remember!”
Sometimes, in the short term, it might be harder to make choices according to
your values.
When my older two kids were in high school, they were in choir. I made a
commitment that I would never take any speaking engagements when they
had a concert, because I knew it was important to them and to me that all of
us attended each choir concert.
I passed up many speaking engagements during those combined total of eight
years Tyler and Jaclyn were in high school.
I always knew, though, that another keynote speech would come along. And,
they always did.
I never once regretted my choice. Much more happiness comes from making
your choices congruent with your values.
Tap intoyour imagination
A great man once said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Do
you know who that great man was? Want a hint? Think genius. Did you guess
Einstein? You’d be right!
Einstein also went on to say that your imagination is your preview of life’s
coming attractions.
Here’s how to use your imagination for good. You can mentally rehearse
situations that before you would worry about and imagine what you could do
to influence a more positive outcome.
As you imagine, you literally create new connections in your brain. This is
called neuroplasticity.
26
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Years ago, people believed the myth that it’s very hard to learn as you get
older.
Now, we know that you have such an amazing capacity for continual mental
growth that your ability to learn new skills is essentially unlimited.
We will discuss this more when we cover Strategy #5 Practice Realistic
Optimism.
Get emotional about it!
I’ve learned so much since I started giving seminars and keynote speeches on
the topic of Emotional Intelligence. Even after having a book published
internationally on this, I still continue to be amazed at how much more there is
to know.
Your emotions can consume you in a negative way. You know this if you’ve
ever been stuck in fear and self-doubt.
They can also serve you in a profoundly powerful way, such as when you get
passionate about pursuing your purpose.
Negativeemotionscan serveyou, too
It’s possible to be served well by negative emotions, believe it or not.
For example, many studies show that people will do more to avoid pain than to
gain pleasure.
If you focus on what could be possible for you if you take a deep breath, take
a risk and step out on those skinny branches, you’ll feel exhilarated. Do this
enough times, with enough intensity and you will believe meaningful success
is possible for you.
Now, after you’re convinced of what’s possible for you and your ability to make
your work truly matter, imagine NOT taking reasonable risks. Think of all that
you would miss out on, including your ability to truly make a difference.
So, you see, you don’t have to only focus on the positive for your emotions to
work in your favor.
27
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
PracticeRealistic
Optimism
Strategy #5:
Secretsof sustained weight loss
Perhaps you’re one of the three people on the earth who has not tried to lose
weight in your life, if so, I believe you’ll still find this interesting, as there is
much we can learn from those who have succeeded in losing weight and
keeping it off.
People who were attempting to reduce were asked how optimistic they were
about being successful.
Some were 100% sure they would be successful.
Others were aware that there were certain situations that are especially
challenging, such as office parties, and going out to eat.
Those who thought about the challenges ahead and how they would handle
these challenges were much more effective at losing weight and keeping it off.
Most people who were overly optimistic quit trying soon after the first
encounter with a challenge.
Imagining theworst that could
happen can help you
28
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Turns out, allowing yourself to imagine likely challenges that will occur will
open the door for you to make a plan for how you’ll handle the situation.
It might look like this: You imagine yourself at the restaurant, and ordering first
a meal that will support your goals. Over and over imagine what that will feel
like, and how you will think and act.
At work, what’s the worst that could happen?
Sometimes, it helps to even be outrageous. What’s really the worst that could
happen? You can imagine the most unlikely thing, and then say, “How would I
handle this?”
Recall your previousresilience
Think back over your life. There has already been something, a big thing, and
at least one big thing, perhaps more, that you’ve already endured and
survived.
You got through it, you learned, you came out stronger and smarter. You’ve
lived through quite a bit, and you might want to give yourself appropriate credit
for your ability to be emotionally resilient.
It’snot a sign
It’s okay if the path is hard. Any destination worthy of reaching is
worth the journey. @CrystalMJonas
Some people are especially quick to believe that signs are everywhere, and
not always to their advantage.
For example, many people believe that if a task is hard, it’s a sign that they
should stop trying and try something else.
Nope. It’s probably not a sign to retreat.
CLICK TO TWEET!
CLICK TO TWEET!
29
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
It’s probably a sign that you’ve selected something just outside your comfort
zone, and when you master it, you’re going to feel especially good that you
challenged yourself, and stretched yourself to go just beyond what you were
capable of.
If you don’t challenge yourself, you don’t change yourself.
@CrystalMJonas
Reframefailure
I mentioned before that it took me 27 years from the time I first said out loud
that I’d write a book one day until I actually wrote my first book.
By the way, I’m often asked how long it took me to write some of my
publications. I’ve been published seven times.
The first book took 27 years, and then I wrote four books in six weeks.
What stood in the way of my writing that first book?
My ego. And fear of failure and what’s called “fixed mindset.”
I didn’t want to try something that other people might criticize. If you’re out
there in the world taking a stand on anything at all, someone somewhere will
criticize you. I took way longer than necessary to learn that lesson!
Also, I was afraid of making mistakes. Think about this for a minute. Do you
worry about trying something new because you “might” make a mistake?
Of course, you’ll make mistakes! And that’s exactly the point. They are simply
mistakes.
Make mistakes more often, adjust and speed up your success
rate. @CrystalMJonas
CLICK TO TWEET!
30
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Howgood wereyou when you started
working?
Do you remember your first job? How far have you come since then? Learned
anything new?
Silly question, I realize, but deliberate.
Unless you are exactly the same as when you first started working, then you
have surely learned something along the way.
Proving, of course, that you are teachable.
Fixed versusGrowth Mindsets
My Dan is a teacher, and he taught me about fixed versus growth mindsets.
People with fixed mindsets believe you’re either good at something or not,
you’re smart or you’re not. They tend to be especially resistant to trying new
things.
Here’s why, they either believe they aren’t smart enough to learn something,
so why bother. Or they so identify with being smart that they don’t want to risk
losing that label by trying something new, and failing at it.
People with a Growth mindset, believe they can learn pretty much what they
set their mind to.
Growth mindset people genuinely believe mistakes are feedback to be used
thoughtfully as they change their approach and try again.
No idea goes from idea to execution without finding out what
doesn’t work. It’s feedback, not failure. @CrystalMJonas
CLICK TO TWEET!
31
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Imaginethepossibilities
As you release excess work and worry and embrace more meaningful
achievement and joy, let your spirit of adventure for what’s possible roam free.
What would YOU do if you knew you could not fail?
YOU are the only one who gets to decide if you are unstoppable.
@CrystalMJonas
CLICK HERE TO VISIT
CRYSTALJONAS.COM
FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES
CLICK TO TWEET!
32
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Crystal’s Crystals
Strategy #1
MakeMeaningful Successon Your Own Terms
Check in with your life. Are your results so far worthy
of your potential?
Be purposeful in selecting your profession and your
next job. So much of the quality of your life depends
on it.
For meaningful success make sure your chosen
work allows you to play to your strengths most of the
time.
Select the right corporate culture where the best of
your natural personality can shine through and be
valued
Strategy #2
Finely TuneYour Focus
Each night write a priority list for the next business
day. Start with #1; complete it. Go to the next priority
on your list. Repeat throughout the day.
Expect that you’ll need to refocus many times
throughout the day. Continually ask yourself, “What’s
the next action I need to take?”
33
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Let go of multitasking mode and get back 40% of
your day.
To release worry and guilt and embrace meaningful
achievement, finish your “One True Thing” each day.
Strategy #3
ManageYour Moods
Accountability begins with you.
Three of the most powerful words: “I have choice.”
Remind yourself often.
Gratitude journals help you feel great! Try them once
or twice a week and focus on the people in your life
you’re grateful for. Quality over quantity counts.
Your point of power is when you choose to control
your attention, attitude and actions.
Be mindful of what negativity really costs you.
34
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Daily connect with your values as they are your
unshakeable motivators which start and sustain
momentum.
Leverage “The Heart and Science of Success.”
Passion or processes by themselves are not enough.
You need both feelings and facts to move forward for
meaningful achievement.
Literally use your imagination to help create new
possibilities. Neuroplasticity allows you to make
positive, lasting change no matter where you are
now.
Feel free to experience “emotional diversity.” You
don’t always have to be “on.” A wide range of
emotions, appropriately applied will serve you well.
Strategy #4
LeveragethePower of Your Values, Imagination and
Emotions
Strategy #5
PracticeRealistic Optimism
When you begin, imagine likely obstacles and how
you’ll overcome them.
Recall previous examples of your own emotional
resilience. You are stronger than you know.
35
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
It’s okay if the path is hard. Any destination worthy of
reaching is worth the journey. @CrystalMJonas
You are the only one who gets to decide if you are
unstoppable.
36
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
Tweetables
Click on these quotes to tweet them!
There’s beauty in balance. Elegant Simplicity is the exquisite
balance of quantity and quality. @CrystalMJonas
“The Universe does not reward hard work, it rewards recognized
results.” @CrystalMJonas
Hard work is not the goal; it is simply the by-product of a worthy
goal accomplished. @CrystalMJonas
Your chosen profession has an epic impact on the quality of your
life. Choose wisely.
@CrystalMJonas
Ask yourself, how can I use my strengths at work to make an
even more meaningful contribution? @CrystalMJonas
Faking fitting in is taxing. Pick a job that resonates with your
natural personality & talents. @CrystalMJonas
Chunk down #1 priority into small tasks. When other lower
priorities must be done, fit them in around chunks of #1.
@CrystalMJonas
Guilt is like the check engine light in your car. Your higher self is
saying there’s a problem you need to fix. @CrystalMJonas
37
Less is the New More
Crystal Jonas
Inspiring Leadership &
Life Mastery
Your Trusted Advisor
© Crystal Jonas
All Rights Reserved
Ebook designed and created by A.C. Jackson
Using Piktochart
Pictures courtesy of Piktochart
To see more of Ace’s art go toMrser.deviantart.com
CLICK HERE TO VISIT
CRYSTALJONAS.COM
FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES

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Less is the New More eBook.compressed

  • 1. Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Your Trusted Advisor for Inspiring Leadership and Life Mastery to Achieve and Enjoy More, Work and Worry Less 5 Sage Strategies
  • 2. Contents Intro: Sisyphus, Hamstersand. . . You.................................................... 3-5 2 Strategy #1: MakeMeaningful Successon Your Terms......................6-10 Strategy #2: Finely TuneYour Focus....................................................11-15 Strategy #3: ManageYour Moods........................................................16-21 Crystal’sCrystals– Here’sWhat toDoNext.......................................32-35 Strategy #4: LeverageYour Values, Imagination and Emotions.....22-26 Strategy #5: PracticeRealistic Optimism..........................................27-31 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Tweetables....................................................................................................36
  • 3. Sisyphus, Hamsters and . . .You! Introduction: 3 HOW exhilarating to experience the joy of being in the state of Flow. To be working at the peak of your abilities on projects that matter, using skills that are your greatest strengths. To feel confident that you stayed focused on accomplishing today’s work, releasing worry and enjoying your achievements. This ebook will help you experience that zone more often, so you can experience a delightful level of success and contribution worthy of your potential. There’s beauty in balance. Elegant Simplicity is the exquisite balance of quantity and quality. @CrystalMJonas Here, you’ll find practical and powerful strategies that you can begin using immediately to help you achieve and enjoy more and work and worry less. Have fun! And do feel free to pay it forward by passing this book along to someone you care about who would benefit from these ideas. Tobeglorious, your work must havepurpose Sisyphus, Greek myth tells us, displeased the gods. And Greek gods, having no sense of humor, do not like humans who don’t know their place. As punishment, Sisyphus was cursed for all eternity to roll a boulder up a mountain. The moment it reaches the top, it rolls back down, and Sisyphus must roll it back up. Forever. That’s the gig for Sisyphus into perpetuity. Continual, fruitless boulder pushing. Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 4. 4 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Work for the sake of work. I often think of this story when I’m teaching a seminar on Emotional Intelligence and I hear someone brag about being a hard worker. Sigh. The truth is, if you’re looking for more achievement and joy, less work and worry, we need to take a closer look at hard work. “The Universe does not reward hard work, it rewards recognized results.” @CrystalMJonas The goal of your life’s work isn’t to work hard. When I first started telling people that, some would literally get upset. One lady once said “That’s ok. Hard work is it’s own reward.” I answered “Since when?” To explain: Not suggesting here that hard work isn’t necessary to accomplish meaningful goals. Note the idea here is meaningful goals. The key is to focus on whether all your effort is leading to your desired result. If not, discover which part of your effort works, and where you start to get off track. I often deliver keynote speeches on Employee Engagement and really enjoy talking with audience members before and after my presentations. We’ve enjoyed many lively discussions, as most leaders believe that most employees really like working. They just need great leadership to unleash their full engagement. So true! Most people really want to make a positive difference, and to have their unique contributions valued and appreciated. Since you’re reading this, I’m thinking that you’re not afraid of hard work, going the extra mile and doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Working hard for you is not the problem. Making sure you’re working with passion, purpose and getting the results you want is what this ebook will help you do. CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 5. 5 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Work can be delightfully rewarding, but not for anyone who has the hamster on the wheel mentality. Ever been there? So busy being busy you haven’t even had a chance to think, “Is this task I’m devoting time, energy and intellect on really the best use of my time?” It’s understandable to get so caught up in minutia of day to day tasks that you lose sight of the big picture. Happy news, help is on the way. Suresign you’ll benefit fromSageStrategieshere You can honestly say you put in your best effort during the business day, but at the end of the day, you feel unfulfilled, troubled about all the loose ends or even worried that you’re getting further and further behind. Take heart, my friend. You can turn this around and enjoy the process of work and still enjoy the delightful balance that makes life so rewarding. Let’s get going and make sure you’ve got some clear strategies you can start using right away so you can achieve and enjoy more, work and worry less! Hard work is not the goal; it is simply the by-product of a worthy goal accomplished. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 6. CLICK TO TWEET! 6 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor MakeMeaningful Successon Your Terms Strategy #1: Meaningful work isenjoyablework Delivering seminars on Generational Differences, I too often hear complaints about a certain generation: “They think work should be fun. It’s called work for a reason.” Yikes! Trust me, I give plenty of push back on this! Is there any reason work cannot be fun, and by fun I mean a richly rewarding experience? Not saying we have to have unlimited access to free sushi, foosball and nap pods. But, why can’t work be a joy? It can be if you do it right. It starts with picking the right work for yourself. Given the impact your chosen profession has on the quality of your life, it’s one of most important choices you make. Your chosen profession has an epic impact on the quality of your life. Choose wisely. @CrystalMJonas You can be the most conscientious professional person in your industry, but if you aren’t in a profession that you feel an emotional connection to, you’re not going to have meaningful success. Howdid you chooseyour job?
  • 7. 7 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Did you kind of fall into it or did you deliberately pursue it? By the way, it’s possible that you DID fall into it, but you’re able to spend much of the time working in your areas of strength, and you believe in what you’re doing. Truly a happy coincidence! However, if you just sort of drifted into your profession, and you don’t feel stretched to learn and grow in your strengths, professional satisfaction may elude you. Perhaps you feel family or peer pressure to stay in that job. It could be that you spent a lot of money on a degree and now feel as though you MUST have this job after spending all that money on a degree. I sometimes wonder what would happen if all the people who were unhappy at work shifted gears and found or created positions (as entrepreneurs often do!) which allowed them to play to their strengths AND gave them work that they felt passionate about. My guess: there’d be a LOT more achievement, joy and meaningful success and much less work and worry. Is it possible that you can find meaning in your current position? For most of you, statistics will say yes! Most people say they are in the right job. Wonderful! Keep reading for more ideas on how to expand the scope of what’s possible. If you are in the right job, here’s a question to ask yourself to make sure you’re experiencing meaningful success on your own terms: How can I use my strengths at work to make an even more meaningful contribution? Ask yourself, how can I use my strengths at work to make an even more meaningful contribution? @CrystalMJonas Howtotell if you’re“Misemployed”? When I separated from the Air Force years ago, I wrote a list of what I wanted in my next job. CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 8. 8 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor 1 2 3 4 5 6 To be of service. To be part of my community To make $45,000 a year To have a high visibility job To work downtown To have a job that truly matters I wrote that list, reviewed it every morning as I prayed and meditated on this. And, of course, I went out looking for the job, as passion, purpose and prayer by themselves are not enough. Many of us know that “Faith without works is dead.” And six weeks to the day after I wrote this note and spent every weekday focused and busy on pursuing that specific goal, I got literally everything on that list. Literally. Everything I asked for. Joke was on me, though. Seems I got nothing I didn’t ask for! Embarrassing to admit, but I wasn’t very good at that job. I never thought to ask for a job I’d be good at! Why? Well, because like you I have an amazing work ethic. The job’s tough? No sweat, bring it on; I’ll get ‘er done. The job takes extra hours sometimes? I practiced global thermo-nuclear war as the executive officer and only female officer in an F-16 Tactical Fighter Squadron. We went from our station in Torrejon, Spain to Incirlik, Turkey to practice readiness. So, I’m no stranger to the tough stuff.
  • 9. 9 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor BUT, here’s what I didn’t expect in my first job after the Air Force. I just wasn’t any good at that civilian job. It called for very close attention to detail. Mind- numbing attention to detail. All the time. Every day. All day. Not only that, but I also was in a corporate culture that was completely foreign to me. The people, very nice people, I’d like to say, were needing, what’s the phrase I’m looking for here? Close management. So, when they had a problem with each other, they’d bring it to me. When I’d ask: “What did she say when you mentioned that to her?” The idea that they would speak to each other directly was completely out of their comfort zone. You could say the job and I were not a good match. Here’swhat thismeanstoyou It’s possible to have a great attitude and a world- class work ethic, yet still not position yourself for meaningful success. Why is that? Because, you’ll never reach your true potential if you’re working in an area where you cannot work in your natural strengths most of the time, and/or you are in the wrong corporate culture. Cloroxand Ammonia Years ago, the kids were all out with friends, my Dan was on a much deserved fishing trip, and I had the house to myself. Usually, I’d take off to the movies. It’s one of my favorite Saturday treats. For inexplicable reasons, I had the urge to clean the house. Since that doesn’t happen very often, I decided to go with it. Quickly, it became clear we were pretty much out of all cleaning products. Thinking of my resourceful mom, I recalled that she’d use Clorox in the kitchen sink. Tada! Worked beautifully.
  • 10. 10 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor On to the master bath. What’s here? Ammonia. Worked wonderfully on the tub. Then, don’t judge me, but I started to think: Clorox good. Ammonia good. They must be GREAT together. Ok, I know you saw that coming. And, I’m also guessing that you’re judging me. What can I say? There’s a reason I taught English and not Chemistry at the US Air Force Academy! In case you’re wondering, here’s what happened next. I tried to work through the nastiness of that lethal combo until I finally realized, “Well these noxious fumes can’t be good.” I flushed the evil mixture down the toilet, opened all the windows, and THEN, I went to the movies. Your Moral of ThisStory It’s possible for you to be great (like Clorox!) and for your company to be great (like ammonia!) but together, you could be toxic. Faking fitting in is exhausting. Choose well. Pick a corporate culture that resonates with your natural personality and a job that allows you to use your talents most of the time. Faking fitting in is exhausting. Faking fitting in is taxing. Pick a job that resonates with your natural personality & talents. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 11. 11 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Finely TuneYour Focus Strategy #2: Adviceworth about $400,000 in today’sdollars About 100 years ago, Charles M. Schwab was the President of Bethlehem Steele. Always looking for ways to work smarter, he brought in Ivy Lee, a management consultant, and asked him to find them a better way to get things done. Lee asked for 15 minutes with each of Schwab’s executives. When Lee was done, Schwab asked what he owed. Lee answered, “Nothing now. In three months, send me what you think it’s worth.” Three months later, Lee received a check for $25,000. In today’s dollars, that’s about $400,000. No bad for a day’s work, wouldn’t you say? What do you believe Lee’s advice was? Since this Strategy is called “Finely Tune Your Focus” you’ve probably figured it out already! Here’s what Lee told the execs: “Before you leave each night, write down the six most important actions you need to take tomorrow. Prioritize them. Tomorrow, start with #1 and stay with it until you’re done. When you’re finished, go to the next item on your list.”
  • 12. 12 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Themyth that causesMORE work and worry For years, I’ve taught full day seminars on Powerful Communication Skills. I often begin asking participants “List your strengths.” Sadly, far too many people write down that they multitask well. “Multitasking is good” (or even possible) is the myth that causes more work and worry. You’re not actually doing two things at once at work when you believe you’re multitasking. You’re task switching. Big difference. And the difference costs you brain power, energy and work quality. What multitasking might look like You may have made such a habit of multitasking, you don’t really realize you’re doing it. Try this quick check in: If you’re reading this online right now, how many other windows are open? See? Multitasking happens all the time. In case you’re wondering how many windows I have open as I write this, the answer is three: This word window, one for a dictionary and one for a thesaurus; all three necessary for this task at hand. Getting better at sticking with one project at a time has been a slow lesson for me to learn. This is why I completely relate and empathize with people who try to do so many things at once, flipping back and forth among tasks. After studying and modeling what successful people do, those who have lovely life balance, I finally started to practice this strategy you’re reading about here. It has been one of the BIGGEST factors in catapulting my business and letting me accomplish more with less work and worry.
  • 13. 13 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Can you afford multitasking I get it. Multitasking can often feel so right. The truth is: it costs you plenty. Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D., behavioral psychologist, consultant in neuropsychology and author of “Brain Wise” has these wise words in her Psychology Today article called “The True Cost of Multitasking”: TASK SWITCHING IS "EXPENSIVE" -- There has been a lot of research on task switching. Here's what we know from the research: It takes more time to get tasks completed if you switch between them than if you do them one at a time. You make more errors when you switch than if you do one task at a time. If the tasks are complex then these time and error penalties increase. Each task switch might waste only 1/10th of a second, but if you do a lot of switching in a day it can add up to a loss of 40% of your productivity. Task switching involves several parts of your brain: Brain scans during task switching show activity in four major areas: the pre-frontal cortex is involved in shifting and focusing your attention, and selecting which task to do when. The posterior parietal lobe activates rules for each task you switch to, the anterior cingulate gyrus monitors errors, and the pre-motor cortex is preparing for you to move in some way.
  • 14. 14 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor I know it's popular to think that you are multi-tasking, but the research is clear that people actually can't multi-task. Dr. Weinschenk continues by addressing another misconception that many people have: the idea that young people are better at multitasking. She writes: BUT YOUNG PEOPLE CAN MULTI-TASK, RIGHT? – If you think that it’s only older people that can’t multi-task, think again. A study at Stanford University demonstrates that multi-tasking doesn't work, even with college students. Clifford Nass's study found that when people are asked to deal with multiple streams of information they can't pay attention to them, can't remember as well, and don't switch as well as they thought they would – even college students. Surprised? I was. So, what can a busy person do? Clarity of purposecomesfirst Be clear about your most important task. Given your goals, what one task delivers the biggest return for your investment of time, energy and focus? This is your #1 priority. I’ve never understood the prioritizing method that uses A, B, C, etc., where you’re allowed to have more than one A priority. Does this make sense to you? It encourages multitasking in just about everybody. Fair pushback if you’re thinking you have had many #1 priorities that simply cannot be finished in one day, and other tasks must be completed before #1 is done. That’s where project management comes in. You recognize that it’s possible that you DO have other tasks that must be done and fit into the day around the many tasks it takes to complete your #1 BIG project. And that’s the way to approach this #1.
  • 15. CLICK TO TWEET! 15 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Chunk down #1 priority into small tasks. When other lower priorities must be done, fit them in around chunks of #1. @CrystalMJonas Guilt isunderrated As a leadership coach, I’ve often been asked by clients: “Can you help me get over guilt? I go into work early, I work through lunch, I leave late, and I still feel guilty. What do I do to not feel guilty?" Guilt is often like the check engine light in your car. Sure, you could pull the fuse and the light would go out, but you’d still have the problem. When you leave work feeling guilty, worried or unsettled, check in and ask Why? Did you do what I call your “One True Thing”? That’s the one action that’s worth more than the combination of the nine other actions you did take. If you didn’t take care of that #1 priority, you’ll probably be pestered by guilt and worry until you do make first things first a habit. Guilt can be a good thing. Check in and let it speak to you and guide your behavior. Guilt is like the check engine light in your car. Your higher self is saying there’s a problem you need to fix. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 16. 16 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor ManageYour Moods Strategy #3: Start with awarenessand accountability Because I’ve written a book on Emotional Intelligence, and I frequently deliver keynotes on the topic, I’m often asked to also speak on employee accountability. Let’s begin with this: Get a paper and pen. Go to your happy place. For the next 60 seconds, write down things you’re happy about. Go ahead, look at the clock, start writing, and after about 60 seconds, stop. What kinds of things did you write? Do you have something especially delightful on the horizon right now? Did you mention long term happy items, like your family, faith, good health? Did you mention fun items that are quite small but bring a smile to your face? The first lesson from this exercise is: Where attention goes, energy flows. You feel better when you think about what you’re grateful for. Benefitsof gratitudejournal
  • 17. 17 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor In his article, “Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal,” Jason Marsh notes the benefits research shows us comes from keeping a gratitude journal: Studies have traced a range of impressive benefits to the simple act of writing down the things for which we’re grateful—benefits including better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness among adults and kids alike. . . The basic practice is straightforward. In many of the studies, people are simply instructed to record five things they experienced in the past week for which they’re grateful. The entries are supposed to be brief—just a single sentence— and they range from the mundane (“waking up this morning”) to the sublime (“the generosity of friends”) to the timeless (“the Rolling Stones”). Gratitudejournalscan hurt you Yes, after all that about how journaling your gratitude can help you, we need a healthy serving of reality. Here’s where the practice of thankful journaling can hurt you: You’re making yourself do it everyday, and feel guilty when you don’t. You’re just making a list based on what you said yesterday, and you don’t really feel it, you just want to check it off your list. When you phone it in, it feels like homework, and the happiness effect is replaced with dread. Don’t get superstitious about this. You don’t have to write a list daily. Oncecould beenough: Quality iskey Research reveals that journaling just once a week (okay, twice if you’re an overachiever) works beautifully. Focus on one person you’re particularly grateful for. Write down even how life would be different (presumably less wonderful) without them. This is the sweet spot of managing your moods by intention.
  • 18. 18 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor #GratitudeJournal: Quality/depth are key. Try 1X/week. Focus on a person you’re grateful for = greater #happiness! @CrystalMJonas Pop Quiz!Nopeeking! Don’t look back in the text for the answer to this question yet. At the beginning of this chapter, I asked to you spend 60 seconds writing something down. What do you recall the instructions being? Think for a moment. It began with Get a paper and pen. Go to your happy place. For the next 60 seconds, write down things . . . What did you understand the instructions to be? Perhaps: Write down things you’re happy about? Or maybe: Write down things that make you happy? Which would you guess? Drum roll, please. The instructions were: Write down things you’re happy about. Most peopleheard something different I’ve used this process in Emotional Intelligence seminars around the world, and more often than not, people are sure the instructions were: “Write down things that make you happy.” Let’s unpack this for a few minutes. There’s a huge difference between “makes you happy” and “you’re happy about.” A friend tells you he went to a meeting today. When called upon to express his opinion, he was interrupted three times. The boss “made” him so mad. CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 19. 19 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Consider this alternative: Same scenario, but instead he says, “I chose to be mad.” Big difference. When someone “makes” you mad, think you are the victim, powerless, and they have control. When you think: “I chose to be mad.” You have power, control, accountability and responsibility. Accountability is what everyone wants. For other people! ThisIS NOT your fault! When it comes to managing your own emotions, you need to know that there’s a lot going on when something happens that you perceive as a threat. For example, if someone speaks to you in a way when you think: “I know you are not talking to me like that!” You have an automatic response. Your sympathetic nervous systems slips into high gear and your heart beats faster, respiration increases, blood pressure goes up, skin temperature rises, among other symptoms. Sound familiar? You recognize this as the fight or flight syndrome. What you might not have realized is that you process a threat to your ego the same as a physical threat. With a fight or flight response. No wonder you might not have behaved well in the past when you felt verbally attacked! Recognizeyour “Point of Power” While your sympathetic nervous system isn’t your fault, managing what happens next IS your responsibility. Fair enough?
  • 20. CLICK TO TWEET! 20 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor #GratitudeJournal: Quality/depth are key. Try 1X/week. Focus on a person you’re grateful for = greater #happiness! @CrystalMJonas Do this by recognizing what I call your “Point of Power.” An event happens, most people react. Your point of power is what happens between the event and your reaction. EVENT REACTION POINT of POWER Leverage your point of power by being self-aware that you have choice. Let this be your mantra: “I have choice.” Let this be your #mantra: “I have choice.” @CrystalMJonas You get to chose your: attention, attitude and actions. Chose now in a way that you’ll be proud of once your amygdala hijacking is over! Beemotionally resilient Perhaps you’re not more emotionally resilient because you don’t fully see the impact of what it costs NOT to be resilient. Here we go to the world of finance and the concept of opportunity costs. Let’s say you really like a muffin and a latte, and that costs $10. And you really like kung pao chicken and that costs $10. You leave for work tomorrow and didn’t have time to eat breakfast at home. You think: “Well, if I don’t have a bite, everyone in the office will hear my stomach growling by 10am.” You stop and get a muffin and a latte on the way to your desk. In terms of opportunity, what did that muffin and latte cost you? CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 21. 21 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Did you say, it cost you the kung pao chicken (or lunch)? You’d be 100% correct. Opportunity cost is what you sacrifice when you chose X over Y. Key words here are ‘”sacrifice” and “choose.” Be mindful of your choices. #Manageyourmoods: be mindful of where your attention, attitudes and actions go. Such is emotional resilience. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 22. 22 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor LeverageYour Values, Imagination and Emotions Strategy #4: Threeresources, alwaysavailable, seldom fully leveraged In your desire to achieve and enjoy more, work and worry less, you may have overlooked three powerful resources you always carry with you, but few people rarely make the most of. These three are: 1 2 3 Your Values Your Emotions Your Imagination Your Valuesareyour WHY You are worthy of the full expression of your potential. But you deserve what you settle for. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 23. 23 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor You are worthy of the full expression of your potential. But you deserve what you settle for. If you’ve ever had a desire to make a positive, lasting change, and found yourself coming up short, the missing secret sauce might be that you haven’t found big enough WHYs. Believing that you should make a change is more of an intellectual draw. You look at the facts, see that you’re not living up to the full expression of your potential. You think that you work all the time, but aren’t satisfied with the quality of your results given your investment of time and energy. Intellectually, you think perhaps, “I should change what I do. I’m not making the most of my talents.” While you may have big plans for changes, any enthusiasm for change quickly fizzles out, and you’re left over-thinking the process. Believing you should make a change, but not sustaining the energy and emotions to get motivation in high enough gear to keep momentum going. Combine“TheHeart and Scienceof Success” For many years, I wanted to write non-fiction. I told no one but my Dad. It was the Summer of 1979, and we were driving across country from Florida to Nevada. Dad was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, and I was going to start college in Las Vegas. During the long road trip, we had plenty of time to talk. I looked at him and said “I’m going to be a writer one day.” He looked at me and said, “I believe you will.” For the next 27 years, I thought about writing books, I imagined how great it would feel to be a writer, but still, I finished not one book. There were years where I would read every self-help book I could get my hands on. Some were about passion and purpose, others about strategies and systems. It wasn’t until many years later I realized what I’d been missing.
  • 24. 24 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor I put it all together in an approach I call “The Heart and Science of Success.” Here’s how your values and you big fat whys (BFWs) come into play. You know what you want to do, but you need an emotional reason for acting that’s so powerful that there is NOTHING that will stand in your way of fulfilling your life’s purpose. Do your #values support fulfilling your own #potential? Leverage your values for meaningful success. @CrystalMJonas Here’swhat doesNOT work Willpower is a resource of limited power. It burns up fast when you’re using it. And, using it literally makes you weaker in other areas. Did you know that using willpower literally leaves you less intelligent on other tasks? Studies have proven that when people feel compelled to use willpower in one area of their lives, they do not perform as well on other cognitive tasks. Howyour valuescan serveyou Consider your values. Do you value being of service and a good example to others? Is it important to you to make sure that you discover your unique talents and use them to leave the world a better place? Connect deeply to your values, and you’ll find yourself being more aware of the choices you make during the day. You’ll notice if your efforts are congruent with what you value most. CLICK TO TWEET! I cover new habit formation in other training programs I offer, so to be kept in the loop on that, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter via CrystalJonas.com
  • 25. 25 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Strivefor congruence When I was a young kid, my dad was a preacher. I can remember him telling me: “Always tell the truth.” And I answered, “Yes sir, because it’s the right thing to do.” “Yes,” he answered, “and it’s also easier to remember!” Sometimes, in the short term, it might be harder to make choices according to your values. When my older two kids were in high school, they were in choir. I made a commitment that I would never take any speaking engagements when they had a concert, because I knew it was important to them and to me that all of us attended each choir concert. I passed up many speaking engagements during those combined total of eight years Tyler and Jaclyn were in high school. I always knew, though, that another keynote speech would come along. And, they always did. I never once regretted my choice. Much more happiness comes from making your choices congruent with your values. Tap intoyour imagination A great man once said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Do you know who that great man was? Want a hint? Think genius. Did you guess Einstein? You’d be right! Einstein also went on to say that your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions. Here’s how to use your imagination for good. You can mentally rehearse situations that before you would worry about and imagine what you could do to influence a more positive outcome. As you imagine, you literally create new connections in your brain. This is called neuroplasticity.
  • 26. 26 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Years ago, people believed the myth that it’s very hard to learn as you get older. Now, we know that you have such an amazing capacity for continual mental growth that your ability to learn new skills is essentially unlimited. We will discuss this more when we cover Strategy #5 Practice Realistic Optimism. Get emotional about it! I’ve learned so much since I started giving seminars and keynote speeches on the topic of Emotional Intelligence. Even after having a book published internationally on this, I still continue to be amazed at how much more there is to know. Your emotions can consume you in a negative way. You know this if you’ve ever been stuck in fear and self-doubt. They can also serve you in a profoundly powerful way, such as when you get passionate about pursuing your purpose. Negativeemotionscan serveyou, too It’s possible to be served well by negative emotions, believe it or not. For example, many studies show that people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. If you focus on what could be possible for you if you take a deep breath, take a risk and step out on those skinny branches, you’ll feel exhilarated. Do this enough times, with enough intensity and you will believe meaningful success is possible for you. Now, after you’re convinced of what’s possible for you and your ability to make your work truly matter, imagine NOT taking reasonable risks. Think of all that you would miss out on, including your ability to truly make a difference. So, you see, you don’t have to only focus on the positive for your emotions to work in your favor.
  • 27. 27 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor PracticeRealistic Optimism Strategy #5: Secretsof sustained weight loss Perhaps you’re one of the three people on the earth who has not tried to lose weight in your life, if so, I believe you’ll still find this interesting, as there is much we can learn from those who have succeeded in losing weight and keeping it off. People who were attempting to reduce were asked how optimistic they were about being successful. Some were 100% sure they would be successful. Others were aware that there were certain situations that are especially challenging, such as office parties, and going out to eat. Those who thought about the challenges ahead and how they would handle these challenges were much more effective at losing weight and keeping it off. Most people who were overly optimistic quit trying soon after the first encounter with a challenge. Imagining theworst that could happen can help you
  • 28. 28 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Turns out, allowing yourself to imagine likely challenges that will occur will open the door for you to make a plan for how you’ll handle the situation. It might look like this: You imagine yourself at the restaurant, and ordering first a meal that will support your goals. Over and over imagine what that will feel like, and how you will think and act. At work, what’s the worst that could happen? Sometimes, it helps to even be outrageous. What’s really the worst that could happen? You can imagine the most unlikely thing, and then say, “How would I handle this?” Recall your previousresilience Think back over your life. There has already been something, a big thing, and at least one big thing, perhaps more, that you’ve already endured and survived. You got through it, you learned, you came out stronger and smarter. You’ve lived through quite a bit, and you might want to give yourself appropriate credit for your ability to be emotionally resilient. It’snot a sign It’s okay if the path is hard. Any destination worthy of reaching is worth the journey. @CrystalMJonas Some people are especially quick to believe that signs are everywhere, and not always to their advantage. For example, many people believe that if a task is hard, it’s a sign that they should stop trying and try something else. Nope. It’s probably not a sign to retreat. CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 29. CLICK TO TWEET! 29 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor It’s probably a sign that you’ve selected something just outside your comfort zone, and when you master it, you’re going to feel especially good that you challenged yourself, and stretched yourself to go just beyond what you were capable of. If you don’t challenge yourself, you don’t change yourself. @CrystalMJonas Reframefailure I mentioned before that it took me 27 years from the time I first said out loud that I’d write a book one day until I actually wrote my first book. By the way, I’m often asked how long it took me to write some of my publications. I’ve been published seven times. The first book took 27 years, and then I wrote four books in six weeks. What stood in the way of my writing that first book? My ego. And fear of failure and what’s called “fixed mindset.” I didn’t want to try something that other people might criticize. If you’re out there in the world taking a stand on anything at all, someone somewhere will criticize you. I took way longer than necessary to learn that lesson! Also, I was afraid of making mistakes. Think about this for a minute. Do you worry about trying something new because you “might” make a mistake? Of course, you’ll make mistakes! And that’s exactly the point. They are simply mistakes. Make mistakes more often, adjust and speed up your success rate. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 30. 30 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Howgood wereyou when you started working? Do you remember your first job? How far have you come since then? Learned anything new? Silly question, I realize, but deliberate. Unless you are exactly the same as when you first started working, then you have surely learned something along the way. Proving, of course, that you are teachable. Fixed versusGrowth Mindsets My Dan is a teacher, and he taught me about fixed versus growth mindsets. People with fixed mindsets believe you’re either good at something or not, you’re smart or you’re not. They tend to be especially resistant to trying new things. Here’s why, they either believe they aren’t smart enough to learn something, so why bother. Or they so identify with being smart that they don’t want to risk losing that label by trying something new, and failing at it. People with a Growth mindset, believe they can learn pretty much what they set their mind to. Growth mindset people genuinely believe mistakes are feedback to be used thoughtfully as they change their approach and try again. No idea goes from idea to execution without finding out what doesn’t work. It’s feedback, not failure. @CrystalMJonas CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 31. 31 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Imaginethepossibilities As you release excess work and worry and embrace more meaningful achievement and joy, let your spirit of adventure for what’s possible roam free. What would YOU do if you knew you could not fail? YOU are the only one who gets to decide if you are unstoppable. @CrystalMJonas CLICK HERE TO VISIT CRYSTALJONAS.COM FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES CLICK TO TWEET!
  • 32. 32 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Crystal’s Crystals Strategy #1 MakeMeaningful Successon Your Own Terms Check in with your life. Are your results so far worthy of your potential? Be purposeful in selecting your profession and your next job. So much of the quality of your life depends on it. For meaningful success make sure your chosen work allows you to play to your strengths most of the time. Select the right corporate culture where the best of your natural personality can shine through and be valued Strategy #2 Finely TuneYour Focus Each night write a priority list for the next business day. Start with #1; complete it. Go to the next priority on your list. Repeat throughout the day. Expect that you’ll need to refocus many times throughout the day. Continually ask yourself, “What’s the next action I need to take?”
  • 33. 33 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Let go of multitasking mode and get back 40% of your day. To release worry and guilt and embrace meaningful achievement, finish your “One True Thing” each day. Strategy #3 ManageYour Moods Accountability begins with you. Three of the most powerful words: “I have choice.” Remind yourself often. Gratitude journals help you feel great! Try them once or twice a week and focus on the people in your life you’re grateful for. Quality over quantity counts. Your point of power is when you choose to control your attention, attitude and actions. Be mindful of what negativity really costs you.
  • 34. 34 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Daily connect with your values as they are your unshakeable motivators which start and sustain momentum. Leverage “The Heart and Science of Success.” Passion or processes by themselves are not enough. You need both feelings and facts to move forward for meaningful achievement. Literally use your imagination to help create new possibilities. Neuroplasticity allows you to make positive, lasting change no matter where you are now. Feel free to experience “emotional diversity.” You don’t always have to be “on.” A wide range of emotions, appropriately applied will serve you well. Strategy #4 LeveragethePower of Your Values, Imagination and Emotions Strategy #5 PracticeRealistic Optimism When you begin, imagine likely obstacles and how you’ll overcome them. Recall previous examples of your own emotional resilience. You are stronger than you know.
  • 35. 35 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor It’s okay if the path is hard. Any destination worthy of reaching is worth the journey. @CrystalMJonas You are the only one who gets to decide if you are unstoppable.
  • 36. 36 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor Tweetables Click on these quotes to tweet them! There’s beauty in balance. Elegant Simplicity is the exquisite balance of quantity and quality. @CrystalMJonas “The Universe does not reward hard work, it rewards recognized results.” @CrystalMJonas Hard work is not the goal; it is simply the by-product of a worthy goal accomplished. @CrystalMJonas Your chosen profession has an epic impact on the quality of your life. Choose wisely. @CrystalMJonas Ask yourself, how can I use my strengths at work to make an even more meaningful contribution? @CrystalMJonas Faking fitting in is taxing. Pick a job that resonates with your natural personality & talents. @CrystalMJonas Chunk down #1 priority into small tasks. When other lower priorities must be done, fit them in around chunks of #1. @CrystalMJonas Guilt is like the check engine light in your car. Your higher self is saying there’s a problem you need to fix. @CrystalMJonas
  • 37. 37 Less is the New More Crystal Jonas Inspiring Leadership & Life Mastery Your Trusted Advisor © Crystal Jonas All Rights Reserved Ebook designed and created by A.C. Jackson Using Piktochart Pictures courtesy of Piktochart To see more of Ace’s art go toMrser.deviantart.com CLICK HERE TO VISIT CRYSTALJONAS.COM FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES