Chill Out by Creating and Enjoying Leisure Time on the Busiest Day

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Most people in the United States are not working today in honor of Labor Day. It's a cherished chance to sleep, to enjoy another beautiful day of summer and to be with your loved ones.

The only trouble with Labor Day is that most people will have to go back to work tomorrow. In many jobs, having a day off means doing five days work in four.

How can you create beautiful leisure-time activities during such busy times so that the peace and tranquility of Labor Day can be yours?

Let's consider the poor billionaire first. Even a retired billionaire has busy days. Perhaps he has decided to host a charity event on the south lawn for 800 people. Event planners, caterers, servants and guests who need to be cosseted will be lined up 3 deep with questions, anxieties and problems. That can make for a very stressful day.

One of the joys of not being a billionaire is that busy days tend to involve fewer people and problems. Congratulations on having avoided the worst pitfall of being a billionaire to begin with!

Here are my top ten choices for chilling out on busy days:

1. Take a ten minute break to meditate. If you don't know how to meditate, you can do something as simple as go to a quiet, dark place where you will not be disturbed and repeat a happy or tranquil word to yourself. One of my favorites is "joy" but you'll have your own. As you sit there peacefully and comfortably repeating that word in a quiet, pleasant way, the pressures of the day will recede. You'll come back refreshed and with a more objective view of what really needs to be done. Sit in your car if you cannot find anyplace else to retreat to.

2. Take a minute to figure out if you can pass along any of the day's challenges to someone else. If you have people you can delegate things to, be sure to do so. If you can ask someone for help who's a master, do so. If you can ask for a favor that you'll be happy to repay another time, be humble and ask. You'll be surprised by how much you can get rid of. Do so first!

3. Ask yourself if you could change something about the way you work so that you could eliminate such busyness in the future? For example, many people have too many meetings at work that last too long. Hold your meetings standing up and you will only have brief meetings in the future.

4. Take a few long, slow deep breaths when you feel a little overwhelmed by how much you have to do. While you are doing this, look out at the horizon and think about how small what you are doing is in the scheme of things. "Don't sweat the little stuff and it's all little stuff."

5. Go someplace pleasant to do your work. If you have 74 telephone calls to return, take a cordless phone and sit outdoors in a beautiful spot that makes you happy. If you need to meet, do so while standing under an apple tree. If you have to write something, take a laptop or handwrite a draft in a pleasant spot where you won't be disturbed.

6. Schedule breaks for chilling out. One of the busiest men I ever met always held his discussions with others while taking a walk. If the weather was good, he walked outdoors. If the weather was not so good, the walking occurred in long hallways or shopping malls. Invariably, he would find something that fascinated him and everything would stop for five minutes during the walk to explore the fascination. Such moments brought great stress relief.

7. Start your day by completing or eliminating the most unpleasant tasks first. We all are most energetic and brave when we are well rested. Tasks that seem insuperable at 7:30 p.m. after a long day can be quickly cleaned up at 9:30 a.m. Take advantage of that. Leave what you love to do for later. Your enthusiasm will carry you forward to complete those tasks.

8. Sip lots of water. Most people don't drink enough water and become tired because they are dehydrated. By drinking more water, you'll also need more bathroom breaks which by themselves will get you out of a chair and walking . . . both of which are good for taking away stress.

9. Avoid caffeine. There are few people who don't feel more stressed on a busy day after consuming caffeine. Although you may feel like you have more energy for the four hours while the caffeine is stimulating you, you will be more tired at the end of the day. Why be a basket case when it comes for your quiet time in the evenings?

10. Pray for guidance and listen to the little, quiet voice within you. Don't feel like you are alone. Let God give you a hand! He can do anything!

Tomorrow, let's look at new ways to enjoy visiting mansions!

Wednesday, we'll update the blog on what are the least expensive ways to lose weight right now!

Thursday, you'll get a close look at the upcoming NFL season, and especially the Thursday Night game where the Oakland Raiders come to New England to watch the Patriots put up their third world championship banner.

Friday, I'll describe how you can learn a foreign language in less than 100 days and have more fun than a billionaire when you travel abroad.

Saturday, we'll take a closer look at Trump University's Web course on Wealth Creation, delivered by The Donald and other experts.

Sunday, I'll look at how you can pray better than a billionaire and have a better relationship with God. Don't miss it!

Please let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that was posted on August 31. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

August 31 was the most frequently read blog entry to date. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many tens of thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it. E-mailing your favorite post to them is a great idea. My post on saving money on heating costs this winter is a good choice. You can find it at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

Remember to check out

Live Spiritually Better than a Billionaire at http://livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Be More Successful than a Billionaire at http://bemoresuccessfulthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Football Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoyfootballbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell