THE TOP 10 WAYS to KEEP WORKING WHEN SPRING FEVER STRIKES!
Author: Phillip Humbert

With the coming of spring, who wants to be stuck at work? As the weather warms up, the flowers bloom and the trees blossom, it gets harder and harder to focus on work. (I can hear the local golf course calling at this very moment it's a haunting sound, very similar to the rattle a ball makes as it falls into the cup!) And yet, there are things that need to be done, chores that require attention, and responsibilities to be kept. Here are my personal Top Ten Tips for making peace with the arrival of spring:

1. Surrender!
My first rule when my heart longs for the golf course or a walk on the beach is to give in. If you can get away, take a break, get out, have fun, and come back refreshed, relaxed and energized. The trick here is moderation. Come back refreshed, not exhausted. Come back full of creative ideas, not full of mosquito bites!

2. Take it outside!
If you can't get away, my second rule is to work in a better location. Take your laptop, your cellphone and legal pads to the park, find a bench, or a shade tree, and work where it's better! Make your work, and your life, portable!

3. Bring it indoors!
If you can't get out, open the windows, work on the deck, dress casual and sip some ice tea while you work! Fresh flowers, a sprig of lilac or azaleas add color, wonderful aromas, and the promise that when this is finished, there is life after work!

4. Try Bribery.
I use this one a lot! Work for a while, then take a well-deserved mini-vacation. After a long morning, take a leisurely lunch in the park, walk along a river, lounge in the sun or throw a Frisbee. Promise yourself that every two hours you'll get outside, then keep your promises! When the phone rings, just tell 'em you'd love to talk, but you have an appointment!

5. Super-Reserves.
Keep your life so full and satisfied that the "temptations" of spring lose their power. When your reserves and needs are fully met, you're not driven by a sense of "lack" or hunger, longing or compulsion. Enjoy the early mornings when the dew is fresh, watch the sunsets, get out and play after work, do whatever it takes to keep yourself so "rich" that nothing can distract you without your permission!

6. Team Loyalty & Peer Support.
If you work with a team, or in an office with other people, band together to increase productivity and make spring the best quarter of the year. Set performance and attendance goals, encourage each other to stay focused, reward achievement and build a sense of teamwork that transcends the lure of spring.

7. Deadlines & Challenges.
This one is a bit tricky and you must honor your optimum level of stress for it to be effective. The idea is to create personal challenges, projects or responsibilities that excite and motivate you to a higher level of commitment. If you over-do it and become stressed, performance will actually deteriorate, but taking on projects that get your juices flowing, that bring out your passion and creativity can be a tremendous advantage during the spring.

8. Spring cleaning.
In the spring, everything seems new, fresh and alive. Make your office and work environment feel the same way. Paint the walls, order that new computer, clean up, clear out and throw away all the clutter that piled up over the winter. Those boots in the corner? Gotta go! That trinket from the Christmas party? It's outta here! Make your office, and your life, as clean and crisp as spring.

9. Have fun!
It's spring! So dress more casual, send a few cards, plan for vacations, go to a baseball game. Invite your colleagues and co-workers (heck, even your competitors) to join in and make your work fit your mood. Tell the truth you've got spring fever, and you've got work to do. They're probably in the same boat, so celebrate this "problem" and work together to respond appropriately.

10. Hunker down and Force Yourself!
So none of the other things worked? Go ahead and close the drapes, force yourself to work harder, stay later, just buckle down, nose to the grindstone and make yourself do it! It probably won't work, you'll be miserable and your work will suffer, but think how virtuous you'll feel about having "tried" so hard! Spring fever is a real problem for some of us. The beauty and freedom of the outdoors call to us in ways that can interfere with our priorities. My experience is not to fight it. Instead, honor the return of the sun, the wonder of spring, and the vitality of new life and work with nature to strengthen your resolve and focus your energy. After all, it's spring! Everything's alive and growing, and I've got work to do!

© Copyright 2000 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved.







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Dr Philip E. Humbert, author, speaker and personal success coach. Dr Humbert has hundreds of tips, tools and articles on his website that you can use for your own success! It's a great resource! Visit him on the web at: http://www.philiphumbert.com And, be sure to sign up for his great newsletter!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------