Trolling the blogs while preparing to drive back from the Hamptons shore Sunday, I was inspired by Christine Livingston’s (@coblyn) post, Why New Work Pioneers Really Bother. Immediately, I slowed down my pace to enjoy a better (as @CaliYost says) “work life fit” for the afternoon. Christine wrote about things like joy, contentment, mindfulness and gratitude being important to these “New Work” pioneers, and I couldn’t agree more. Afterall, I’m one of them.

A different kind of work

I was introduced to Christine’s blog, A Different Kind of Work by blogging consultant Michael Martine (@remarkablogger) just a few months ago and I was thrilled to find a kindred spirit in Christine.  This day, she reminded me why I launched my own blog nearly three years ago,  Judy Martin’s WorkLifeNation.com: to cover the stories, pioneers and organizations that are fostering Success, Serenity and Significance in our 24/7 world – our “new economy.”

The universal nudge

Christine’s post was the nudge from the universe to heed my own philosophy on Sunday morning. There was no need to dart out the door of this magnificent home, to prep for my client. The creating could easily happen by the beach and at my leisure – because of technology.  (I am a Mac girl) The atmosphere was rich with fresh sea air which got my creative juices flowing and infused me with joy. I was content to sit, work and take in the roses – in between the spreadsheets. Precisely the tone of Christine’s post as she wrote about New Work Pioneers:

“Yes, they want more control over their lives. Yes, they want to do more of what they love, inside and outside of work, more on their terms……It’s the wish to have not just a professionally successful career, but also to have a well-lived life…..In short, they want to give themselves the pleasure of being wholly alive.”

New work/vocation

Back in December I posted on how we’re redefining success ( Redefining your career, business or personal success in a chaotic world ) based on an inner need or wisdom to be part of something much bigger than ourselves within our career trajectory, to be more passionate about life and to seek a more productive and peaceful work life merge. Likening this type of work to “vocation” is not a stretch, especially with the increasing popularity of the Encore Career community. Giving back,while making a profit and loving the work you’re doing.

Beachside success

I was loving working near the beach Sunday. It fueled my spirit. I completed a brief for my client, and then allowed downtime for meditation and breath work. I say  “downtime,” but to clarify, I’m talking about a quickly scheduled respite in this case. Although my work life fit includes longer periods of “downtime” in the form of recharging and contemplation, today called for a moment of pause and even a quick nap.

Is  “downtime” detrimental to success?

In a post at TheMammaBee blog, @TheMamaBee has somewhat of a different take on this as she wrote in her post, Workplace Prioritizing:What is “Urgent?”

“For me, improving finding peace in my professional and family life isn’t about downtiming, or even taking time for moments of peace throughout the day.  It’s about a consistently pleasant and rational work environment.”

TheMamaBee illustrated the concerns of working in this new economy with increasing demands and the need for better work life design, as she offered stories from working moms:

“Neither of these friends want to down-time — if anything, they are intensely ambitious individuals who want to climb further up the corporate ladder.  They don’t need to slow down, per se.  But they would be much happier if their companies could better prioritize; not every hiccup should be an urgent request…”

That need for instant gratification and expectation, especially in corporate America (which is now a cog in the competitive wheel of globalization)  is likely here to stay. That’s why prioritizing workload and burning the midnight oil often plays a pivotal role in success. But I don’t think “overwork” is the answer to the dilemma of performing in a business world that changes in an instant. I’m certainly not knocking hard work, but I would never mistake my “downtime” for taking a chill from the game.

Merriam-Webster defines “downtime” as “time during which production is stopped especially during setup for an operation or when making repairs.” A car can’t run on fumes, nor can the human body. The mind gets frazzled with information overload if not managed.  That’s why I’m a believer that stopping and refueling are necessary for growth. Inner and outer expansion on our career journey.

Taking a chill

Meditative practices and Yoga bring me into a state of calm for the moment and in fact have played into my definition of success. Producing quality work in a 24/7 high-tech global marketplace with success, serenity and significance. These practices build on the inner core of quiet that I’ve been working on for years, as I’ve transitioned and thrived in our new economy. The warehouse of calm is like an internal fuel pump that carries me throughout my day, and is especially useful when consulting with business executives on their stress reduction and work life merge.

Work Life Success

Every Monday here at WorkLifeNation.com, we’ll be talking about how we’re redefining work life success. What does it look like?  Is work life success the journey toward work life balance? Is your “success” defined by the “success” of your personal brand and voice in a way that’s impacting those around you? Are you defining your success at the work life intersection with better flexible working practices? How are your working toward a better work life merge in your workplace or business? Please take a breath and chime in.

The heart of New York City is hurting for those in Mumbai. The scope of the tragedy is different, but the pain is no less than what New York City experienced during the September 11th terror attacks. Forbes.com spoke with the Vice Chairman of one of India’s largest banks who echoed that sentiment. Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank told Forbes, “This is India’s 9/11. It’s a great shame.”

As CNN covered the developing story of  the terror attacks in Mumbai, the words, ” This was India’s 9/11,” was repeatedly spoken by commentators, witnesses and news people alike. It’s not just the terror aspect of the tragedy that is upsetting, but the reality that there are a flood of U-S companies and multinational corporations doing business in India.

In our 24/7 high-tech global marketplace we are more interconnected than ever before. That reality makes this tragedy one with no cultural or nationalistic boundries. The deadly events have prompted swift action from some American companies with workers in Mumbai.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Delta Airlines is actively checking with its employees in Mumbai and “working to bring them home safely.”  Dow Jones is reporting that a number of global high-tech companies are scrambling to find their employees and secure their safety. Google, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft are not reporting any casualties as of this writing.

Next week a contingent of American companies and members of the U-S India Business Council are scheduled to tour India. It’s part of a fact-finding mission regarding nuclear commerce. About 30 companies are looking to do business with India. The tour includes a stop in Mumbai, but that might change in the wake of the terror attacks. You can read more about this in an article on The Hindu News Update Service.

A microscopic look at the security concerns in India is currently underway. Reports that the terrorists were targeting Americans and Brits might give westerners pause before taking a job there. With the ensuing chaos, global companies operating in Mumbai have new concerns. The saftey of their workers.

Such violence is not new to India, but the seemingly protected terrain of Mumbai as India’s financial capital and the home of the Taj Mahal have now become the soft targets of terrorists. Big business already learned that nothing is sacred or spared after 9/11. The deadly events in India are another reminder.

Seven years ago our world-view changed, triggering chaos in our living and working experience. But we emerged resilient. As a reporter working for Marketplace Morning Report airing on NPR – 9/11 was a wake-up call. The concept of human capital took on an entire new meaning as I worked by day as a business reporter  - and by night volunteering with the children impacted by the tragedy.

The grief of reporting in the days following the terror attacks was almost debilitating, especially because I had lost a number of friends and a dear colleague – a cameraman named Glen Pettit. Fortunately, I was able to immerse myself in the workplace – ground zero on many days.  I was also gifted with being able to work with the children of the victims at the Pier 94 triage site.

While the kids and I played and drew pictures, their parents filled out paper work, waited on line for insurance information and quietly brought personal items with DNA evidence to officials in hopes of identifying their loved ones. The weeks that followed were a blur of sorts, but certain images will always stay with me.

The faces of the children who lost a parent

The faces of the rescue workers covered in ash

The faces of the volunteers at ground zero

The faces of the news reporters

The faces of the thousands of people who lined the West Side Highway as emergency crews raced in and out of the remains of the World Trade Center

The faces of family and friends who, by chance, were not working at the twin towers that day

The faces of the nearly departed who missed their plane and instead survived

Many images and lessons emerged from that time. Gratitude, newly found faith, resilience. But to stay on message for WorkLifeMonitor.com here's what comes to mind.

A passionate need to do work that is better aligned with our core values (we don’t know what tomorrow will bring)

The importance of cultivating resilience even when there is no chaos (hardly ever)

The deep heartfelt desire to make a conscious contribution to the world (the bigger picture – “not about me". )

This month at East/West Books in New York City I'm participating in a panel discussion with Matthew Fox, author of The Reinvention of Work. In his book he states, “Work is indeed our way of creating…our deepest contribution to the community lies in that to which we birth.” So what is your life’s work – and are you living your deepest desire in your vocation? Food for thought on this sacred day.

Getting the laundry done, feeding the cat, doing the dishes, helping the kids with homework, the needs of aging parents, workplace deadlines, multi-tasking with your job and families. There’s a never-ending list of responsibilities that often get placed on the back burner – if it’s not life or death.

Honestly, most of us can more than justify a "mental health day" from work – on occasion. And a new study suggests that a lot of you out there agree. 82% of employees admit to taking "mental health days" to recover or recharge. Interestingly, work stress was not the most likely cause of skipping out.

The study comes from employee assistant consultant company, ComPsych. In it’s Tell It Now poll, one-third of employees surveyed said family and relationship issues were the top reasons for taking a mental health day from work.

We are human beings with needs in a world that has increasingly become a sensory nightmare.Whether at home with our families, living alone, or acting as caregivers we’re still navigating the information that comes to us through the media and advancing technology. So our family issues are no longer left at the workplace door and might be just as stress inducing as a business deadline.

I gave some real thought to this. My mom, for example, can reach me whether I’m on a TV set, doing a radio story or meditating at home. And while I enjoy her greatly – I’ve been known to check out for a bit from everything and everyone. Anyone who knows me has a ridiculous amount of options to track me down.

• 7 e-mail accounts
• My Black Berry e-mail
• My Black Berry phone
• My home phone
• Calling the studio and having them e-mail me or leave a message
• Calling or e-mailing a co-worker to get to me
• Calling or e-mailing my Executive Assistant Diotima
• Get a hold of my sister, Mary
• Etc.

Ok- so you get the picture. The lines between our personal and work lives have blurred. So it doesn’t surprise me one bit that we can all use a mental health day – just for being human.

The epiphany comes thundering into your brain. It’s your next BIG IDEA and you sit in front of the computer trying to articulate exactly what it is. What is looks like. Thoughts come racing, but there might not be a clear perfect path to getting it down on paper, let alone the plan to make it happen.

How often do you walk away from the computer instead of getting the energy moving around the idea – even if it’s not the perfect picture?  You have to start somewhere, says EnergyRICH Success Coach Heather Dominick. Tossing out the idea of perfection, which has been ingrained into our cultural upbringing might clear a path for something new and creative to evolve. Whether a business idea or career move, a baby step is not a bad place to begin. Dominick explains her view in this WorkLife Minute. You can hear more WorkLife Minutes at JudyMartinSpeaks.com.

WorkLife Minute with Heather Dominick:

There is a depth to your message as an expert which no one else on this planet offers. That’s because you are delivering it through your lens of awareness – in your voice. The media is attracted to that which galvanizes and educates at the same time. It craves experts who can quickly articulate a laser-sharp message with ease -  to address current events which impact your local community and the world. Deliberate talking points will be heard above the rest no matter what kind of work you do, and may also help you stand out above the rest in the workplace in tough economic times.

A good expert is engaging, exudes confidence, and commands attention. When you clearly articulate your message as a leader in your field, you can catch the attention of your colleagues, your superiors and those with whom you do business.   

We all want to share our message infused with meaning, passion and purpose. But delivering your distinct vision in a succinct way is an art form that warrants careful consideration and planning. Creating what the media refers to as “talking points,” might clear a path toward more credibility in your field of expertise, new clients, limitless media opportunities and perhaps keep you on the frontburner in the mind of your boss. Producing “talking points” is not an overnight process, but here are a few pointers to get you started:

1. Ask yourself, “Who am I, and what is the unique message I have to offer?” Your personal brand and/or identity is your calling card. If you are a therapist – what is your specialty? What education, experience, background makes you uniquely qualified to comment as an expert in your field? Is your message different from others in your niche?
2. Who is your audience? If your specialty is indoor air quality – who needs to hear your message? Perhaps learning institutions, large corporations, parents with children suffering with allergies. Cull anecdotes from your client work. Know the latest trends, statistical information and studies associated with your field.
3. Write down the top ten points most important to you. Have a discussion with a friend (not another expert) about these ten items. Ask them to share the top three points that would make them want to hear more about your topic.
4. Choose talking points that you can associate with a visual image. Descriptive language which creates a picture is more interesting to listen to, than random facts.
5. Be open to using your personal story as a talking point. I know a man who decided to go to massage school after years of unrelenting back pain. He had tried all other approaches including surgery and finally realized that certain massage techniques helped him alleviate the pain. He uses his story to help and teach others. Why have you chosen your line of work and why are you passionate about it?
6. Look out for storylines related to your field that the media harps on. Often, you’ll see the same story in a different version continuously popping up in your community or on a national level. Keep up-to-date on current affairs in your niche. Begin to develop your own talking points or comments on these issues.
7. Be aware of the needs of the media. While TV and radio call for quick sound bites, if you are being interviewed for a blog or magazine, you might have more of an opportunity to get your message across. You should have tighter talking points for broadcast media.

In 2002 an initiative called the Spiritual-Based Leadership Research Program was launched in Europe by the Global Dharma Center to explore the emerging consciousness of spiritual-based leadership in the workplace and business.

The fruits of this labor is Leading with Wisdom, a book written by Peter Pruzan, Professor Emeritus at the Copenhagen Business School and his wife, Danish journalist – Kirsten Pruzan Mikkelsen. The research is based on interviews of business leaders throughout the globe which were conducted by the Pruzans in partnership with Debra and William Miller – a couple with more than five decades of corporate and consulting experience.

This book cuts right to the chase in speaking about spiritual-based leadership in a business setting. With high ranking corporate officials from the likes of such multi-national companies as Motorola, Franklin Covey, Infosys and Ernst & Young – the book takes a chainsaw to the myth that a stringent corporate culture devoid of human values is the best path to success. It tears at the fabric of the stereotypical consciousness that business is just business – by allowing these corporate executives to share their experiences which exalt characteristics such as compassion, humility, service, and intuition in daily business.

Here are some of the conclusions appearing in Leading with Wisdom. Spirituality is…

• A knowing of the true core of being within you, and realizing it is the same core being within everyone.
• The essence of being.
• The deep connection with a force deeper than ourselves.
• Taking principles taught in many belief systems and living them as a natural way of life.
• Man’s quest into his innate divinity.

In this WorkLife Monitor Podcast, author Peter Pruzan shares his thoughts on the need to tap the wisdom of executives who embody human principles which drive them in live and business. For more WorkLife Monitor Podcasts, head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com at the WorkLife Series link.

WorkLife Monitor Podcast with Peter Pruzan

What is not met by consciousness is met by fate.  —-Jung

I often touch upon the theme of conscious business here at worklifemonitor.com. We’re in a time of great chaos, which calls for great care. Engaged in unprecedented flux due to our 24/7 world, exponentially evolving technology, and a new depth of consciousness, we are realizing we simply can’t do things the way we used to. We are redefining ourselves not merely as human capital, but human beings in the workplace and in business. Transformation is taking place on a personal and societal level by shere necessity.

We have pressed the elevator button catapulting us from the Age of Information to what Deepak Chopra and many other socially conscious leaders have called the dawning of the "Age of Wisdom." (at least we would like to think so) With that, my holiday greeting as we head into the new year is simply to pass along the holiday greeting sent to me by Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard and the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. Enjoy!!!

Working from home this week on my elusive quest for worklife balance, I had one eye on my computer and another on the dips and dives of the stock market. I couldn’t help but catch up with this weeklong soap opera which had most financial institutions on the hot seat.

Wall Street went bonkers this week when Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke announced the quarter-point interest rate cut in two important rates. Amidst the continuation of the sub-prime loan chaos, the big brokers had hopes of steeper cuts. But alas, the fluttering of noise coming from market trackers that inflation worries still loom, kept the Fed in more conservative territory.

As we close 2007 there’s little hope that interest rates will change much in the coming months. Various economic indicators such as the Producer Price Index and retail sales numbers came in better than expected this week. Consumers are spending despite the housing market jitters. Hey, it’s the holidays. But what’s to come next? More loans of a different nature.

Wednesday Bernanke announced a new auction system to inject billions into the banking system. The Fed said it would hold these auctions along with other central banks in Canada and Europe allowing banks to bid for loans. So what does all this mean to your typical homeowner or consumer when the Fed comes up with new formulas to steady the economy?

That’s the kind of question being flushed out in a new documentary still in the works by Alchemy Films International called $:The Movie. The film reveals how money impact us all in ways we likely don’t even fully comprehend. How does the almighty dollar and business effect us? This trailer give you a taste, of what appears to be a global ignorance about something that is literally transforming our world, the way we do business and the way we work. Check it out.

$:MONEY