We're not offering a promotion for you to go out and buy a car or truck, but a proven relationship-building tool that will help you achieve your life goals. Unless you are an 'I' (ego centered) personality type, you probably have some issues about meeting people and building meaningful relationships. If you are shy, reserved, quiet or reticent, or find ideas more interesting than meeting people, building relationships may be difficult and painful. FORD is a strategy or principle that is easy to learn and master and will give you a wonderful tool to enrich your life.
FORD is an acronym: The F is for Family, the O is for Occupation, the R is for Recreation and the D is for Dreams. Almost every person you will ever meet will be passionate about at least one of these four themes. You may notice that there is also a certain continuity and alignment with the four personality types, which is why it is so successful as an icebreaker and as a tool in getting to know someone.
People love to share their passions and interests and they automatically like people who are willing to listen. An easy way to use this principle is to simply say when introduced or meeting someone: "I have learned that most people are passionate about at least one of four areas of life; family, occupation, recreation and their dreams. Please tell me about your passion." That should provide at least 5 to 10 minutes of listening and will give you many opportunities to ask more questions and, if you are interested, allow you to get to know the person much better. If you are not interested, be polite and move on. By continuously using this technique, you will meet many people who are interesting to you, and you will make many wonderful relationships. The quantity and quality of your relationships is your choice; this technique will give you the means to have as many meaningful relationships as you desire. A life rich in relationships is a magnificent life.
An At-Home Exercise to Help You Meet New People
A wonderful exercise that will help you meet many new and fascinating people and enrich your life is to commit to practicing this principle at least once a day. You do not have to wait until you meet a stranger. How many people at work or in your social group do you actually know well? Practice on them. Give yourself a chance to discover a true friend who was recently merely an acquaintance. A friend is only a stranger who you have not taken the time to know and learn about.
Where and how can you use this technique to develop relationships that will help you achieve your goals faster, easier and without stress? What are the benefits you see in embracing this principle? What changes will you put in place to adopt it? When will you choose to make this strategy a part of your life?
I___________________ will begin to practice this strategy daily beginning on the _____day of ____________. I___________________ will review my Power Living documents ____________________(enter date).
I have learned the following are the benefits of applying these principles and enabling me to embrace my life to its fullest:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Congratulations - You have just taken another step on the road to "Power Living!"
Finding work/life balance in today's frantically paced world is no simple task. If you spend more time at work than at home, you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, if you're facing challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital or financial problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.
Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and personal life feel out of balance, stress - - and its harmful effects -- is the result.
To take control, first consider how the business world has changed, then reevaluate your relationship with work and apply these strategies for striking a more healthy balance.
There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight to nine hours. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers.
Here are just a few of many examples:
- Global economy. In this global labor market, companies are outsourcing or moving jobs to reduce labor costs. These days, individuals feel pressured to work longer and produce more to protect their jobs. - International business. The world keeps spinning and that means work continues 24 hours a day for some individuals. If you work at an international corporation, you might be on call 24/7 as troubleshooter or consultant. - Advanced technology. Individuals currently have the ability to work and/or stay connected to work anywhere, including from home, car and even on vacation. Management may expect this. - Longer hours. Employees these days are asked to work longer hours than they're scheduled. Overtime can be mandatory. And if you want to move up the career ladder, you may be working more than 40 hours a week to achieve these expectations. - Changes in families. A married worker today is most probably part of a dual-career couple. This makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family and friends.
If you're experiencing any of these types of challenges, you understand how easy it is for work to invade your personal life.
If you're an hourly worker, it's tempting to work overtime because you can earn extra money for a college fund or dream vacation. Some individuals need to work overtime to stay on top of their finances.
If you're a salaried employee, working more hours doesn't provide extra cash, but it may help with your workload. Arriving early and staying late may also help earn a promotion or bonus.
Sometimes working overtime is imperative. This may be due to a new job, new boss, or financial necessities. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won't be able to avoid it; perhaps it's time to move on.
Both Art Kleimer & Pat Carpenter are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Art Kleimer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Ford, Web Development and Psychology. Art and Anna Kleimer are certified professional coaches with an international practice, and authors of Power Living, Living Your Life, Liberty and Happiness. Visit their website at. Art Kleimer's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.
Pat Carpenter has sinced written about articles on various topics from Women, Marathon Tips and Insurance. Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at . Pat Carpenter's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.