Permissions - are you a super-user?

I have spent the last 2 years building web sites that allowed more than one person to edit it - when it was finally posted.  In the web world - it is often called 'permissions' or users.  For someone to be able to access all the levels of editing - they are often called a super user - and they have unlimited permission to edit pages within the site.

And so I talk about 'permissions' and 'allowing' - all the time.

When I think of the word permission - I think of it in a negative fashion.  We have 'permission slips' to allow us out of a class at school.  If you did not bring your 'permission slip' - you could not participate in an event.  

Rarely do I think of life as a 'carte blanche' scenario; we generally need permission or are denied permission for many activities in the world.  In fact depending on your level within a company or even society - we are granted permission according to our positions - and access to privileges or information is granted accordingly.

Permission.

Today I was meeting with my VP of operations with Roaring Women (Fiona Prince).  It was a 'working meeting' and at one point we got to the topic of calendars and time off.  As we were sharing our calendars - we were also sharing stories of what was going on for us in our lives with our families.  

After Fiona saw my calendar she strongly suggested that because what was going on for me right now - that I book 2 hours for lunch - and work my work around my life and family.  She continued that if I wanted to work in those times - because nothing demanded my attention - I could do so.

Fiona explained about a principle in her faith that she determined to be very important.

"Shalom HaBa'eet means peace in the house. It is one of the foundations of Judaism. Shalom HaBa'eet allows us to be who we need to be in the world. Take the time you need for peace in your house and schedule your work around it. Work will always be there."

One of the foundations of her world includes this principle.  By telling me this - she gave me permission to take care of the things in my household. 

As a business owner I have been very guilty of taking care of the problems or things that need to be done that are making the most noise - in my head or in events.  Unfortunately - the people we love do not often shout or make a lot of noise about their needs - until it is too late.  

However, according to the principle of "Shalom HaBa'eet", it is peace in the family that is most important and we should build our lives around a peaceful household.  Fiona's suggestion that I book 2 hours for lunch - considering the needs of my household right now - gave me permission to work different hours than perhaps the regular workforce might set.

I joking thanked her for giving me permission to take more time off.  But then I realized that I did not need her permission - I needed to grant myself permission to attend to my family before the needs of my business.

In my experience - many faiths have very wise principles on how we should be living our lives.  In this case - I cannot explain how grateful I was to whomever recorded that wisdom as a commandment or principle to live by.  

Implementing this principle however was much easier than I thought.

Sitting with my calendar - I began to plot in EVERYTHING that my family and I needed - to maintain peace in the household.  After this was done, I scheduled in all the work items.  This was in fact putting the principle into action exactly how it was intended.  And so I began to build my work around my life - something I thought I had done years ago.

What I had done was raised my level of permission on my life.  I had elevated myself to become a 'super-user' in my life instead of being a simple administrator of my calendar.  As a super user - I had permission at the highest level to organize or build my life as I knew was best.

In reality - I gave myself permission - to live first and work secondly!

Now - I can breathe - and so can my family.  They now see that living is so much more important than any loud or squeaky wheels in my business life!

Ready, set..... stuck?

There I stood - not budging.  I pushed harder and harder.   Leaning forward on a 20 degree slope downhill, two boards strapped to my boots and the most awesome powdery conditions - and I was stuck.  

Other skiers breezed by me, screaming "yahooooo" - and rejoicing in the abundance of powder below and the huge flakes falling from above.  But I just stood still.

I lifted my one foot then the other and began walking down the hill.  Every once in a while I stopped, banged the skis on the ground and attempted to push one foot forward in a sliding motion. No go.

A a ski instructor I was baffled.  OK - I am on a hill, leaning forward what was going on?  My understanding of physics told me I should be moving forward and down the hill.

It took me 10 minutes to walk down to the bottom of the hill from the chalet - and when I was on more solid snow, I took off my skis. (actually, it was my ski partner who thought he knew what the problem might be)

I had already decided of course that my skis needed a tune up - or waxing.  He knew differently.  Turning the skis over he showed me the problem. There was a four inch section on each ski bottom covered in bumpy, snowy ice, right under where I would have centered my balance.  I scraped the ice off - and was away sliding easily to the chair lift and then riding up up to the top of the mountain to begin my skiing day.

On the chair lift I began to think about how skiing could be much like business.  Once you push off, downhill momentum could make the skiing very enjoyable.  But when you all of a sudden become 'stuck' or stopped for no apparent reason - things can become very frustrating.

In fact when I looked at the surface of the problem with my skis - nothing appeared to be wrong.  I was on a slope, I had skis on and the snow conditions were perfect.  Had I taken off my skis earlier - I could have identified the problem, scraped off the ice and skied down to the chairlift.  But instead I pushed on in the most inefficient way possible - determined to get to the bottom of the hill - even if I had to walk!  (I wonder what would have happened had I asked for help?)

How many of us do the same in business?  We may be experts. (after all I was a ski instructor)  We may have a lot of knowledge about business, but when we become stuck instead of stopping for a moment to investigate the reason for the slowdown or 'stuckedness', we push harder and harder, determined to not let ANYTHING stand in our way.  

Interestingly enough I wonder how often a quick 'check in and check up' on our business would afford us the information we need to get over the 'hump' and regain momentum.  Further to that - I wonder how much more easily we might grow our businesses if we stopped every once in a while to ask for help in assessing what is really going on.

This is one of the reasons we have a business assessment available on the Roaring Women web site.  (yes it is available and free to everyone.)

So the next time all things seem to be in order - and you appear to be doing everything right but you just can't budge - take a minute to examine what is really going on.  And if it isn't readily apparent - ask for help.  Sometimes just a small tweak can get you moving forward again with little effort at all.

We have many great resources available for members of Roaring Women.  We are North America's largest business resource!  Why not try us out for free here - and get some valuable gifts!

Bubble gum before 7 am can make your day a little brighter!

People have often asked me how I can jump out of bed and race to work every day. It is because I have these great little rituals that I do that make me smile! Most days I get up by 5:00 a.m and get ready, have a scrambled egg and pour coffee into my favorite pink coffee thermos and jump into my 'Roaring Van' and head to the office. I am in the office and firing up the computer by 6:20 a.m. at the latest. My little routine revolves around my cute pink thermos. I love it. It makes me feel pretty and successful. I usually only have one coffee a day, but it is always from my pink thermos! It is my morning comfort. All the way to work I go to that special place in my mind where I have created my destination. I re-create my living space, my office, my day and even add a limousine arriving at my door to pick me up. In other words, I spend 20 minutes creating my future - visually. That alone puts me in a great mood. When I arrive at the office, I am usually the first one here. I like coming in first because I get to set the tone for my day before anyone else gets here. I unlock the door, hang up my coat and head straight to the bubble gum machine I have on my desk! Then I decide which colour of double bubble I want that day and then with a look over my shoulder to make sure no one sees, I CHEAT and open the top of the machine and take the colour I want for the day. Then I dive into my work blowing bubbles and tapping my foot to the music on K-lite FM that I have streaming in on my computer and listen to Peter Jaycock's morning show! This whole routing makes me feel like a kid again! I have used my favorite cup, and gone out in the dark! Then I dared to sneak a bubble gum - all before 7 am! These goofy rituals brings some silly excitement to my day!

HOW CAN MY DAY GET ANY BETTER?

Success begins on the inside - just like happiness does.