We still have the same twenty-four hours we always had, but it feels like less and less; doesn’t it? There are probably several factors, technology being one of them, with so many ways that people can demand our attention. And then there’s social media (don’t get me started).. You can’t do much about the external factors, but you can reign in your thoughts and habits that are contributing to the problem.

Acceptance is the answer. Acceptance doesn’t mean condoning bad behavior, or hitting ‘snooze’ again because there’s nothing you can do about the situation. It’s about looking reality in the face and admitting, “Yup, it is like this right now.”

Join us as we delve into the world of stress-free projects with Janine Aurichio, a mental fitness coach specializing in the construction industry.

In The Blue Zones project by Dan Buettner, one key component of people living to 100, and living well, is that they have sense of purpose and deeper meaning in their lives. In Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 1 is to be proactive, to have a personal vision. Navigate is one of the five Sage Powers in Positive Intelligence®. The four pillars of my business are Beauty, Wisdom, Purpose and Practice. What’s all the fuss about?!

Appreciation, compassion, awe, play, curiosity, and meaning are all powers of your Sage that can help you navigate challenging times and turn that frown upside down. This time of year can be one of those challenging times for a lot of people. Here are a few helpful strategies and tips based on the Positive Intelligence® operating system.

Perhaps someone comes to mind when you read “Difficult” people. Chances are, you find this person “difficult” because they have strong Saboteurs. When our Saboteurs are driving the bus, the ride is bumpy, unpredictable, volatile, and chaotic. When someone is hijacked by their Saboteurs, they are coming from a place of fear, reactivity and habit. If we’re not careful, we will quickly devolve into Saboteur mode as well because of mirror neurons (our nervous system starts to reflect the nervous state of those around us). Do not fuel their Saboteurs with your fear, negativity or reactivity! There is nowhere to go but down from here.

Have you ever noticed that when someone tells you they have been really productive, they’re usually not happy? Or worse, they are downright exhausted or stressed. Let’s take the glory out of productivity.Prosperity is about meeting your external goals with lasting happiness and inner peace. This comes from the Sage space of expansion, ease, clarity and meaning. Creatives don’t produce, they create. Do you think Matisse, Alvin Ailey or Sister Parish talked about being productive? I doubt it. Creativity is inspired, flowing, energizing, and mysterious.

If you interact with other humans in any part of your life, there will be conflict at some point. In design and construction, you have a new team on every project. That means new personalities, new dynamics, new saboteurs and lots of potential conflicts. That sounds challenging because it is! However, there’s a simple shift in perspective that can make things a lot smoother.

Do any of these ring true? You don’t bill all of your time (or worse, maybe you don’t even track it). You consistently send invoices late. You haven’t raised your rates lately (or ever). If so, your Imposter (aka The Judge) is at work. This post discusses strategies to shush your imposter, lower stress and grow prosperity.

Janine Aurichio on A Well Designed Business podcast Power Talk Friday with LuAnn Nigara, discussing mental fitness, saboteurs and sages, and the simple operating system to take back command of your mind.

It seems fair to say that work/life balance is still a work-in-process for most people, myself included.* I’ll go out on a limb and even say it’s not sustainable. By definition life throws things in our way—illness, unexpected delights, change, traffic, natural disasters, falling in or out of love—that shake our alignment or knock us off balance. No wonder we struggle!

Like so many things, we tend to think confidence and esteem will come from “out there.” When I achieve the next level/goal/position. When I get the affirmation or accolades. When I finally get paid $X. Or if we just think hard enough about it, it will be so. Oh, no. We can’t think or wish ourself into more confidence. It takes effort and action, bit by bit building a stronger sense of self by doing esteemable acts—acts that push our edges and put us directly in the center of our care and concern. Acts that might be scary and that might have us fall on our face. But we tried; we showed up for ourself.

According to researchers at Cornell University we make 226.7 decisions a day just on food alone. Imagine the number of decisions for entrepreneurs and business owners! And then layer on the complexities of a design or construction project. Yikes. Decision fatigue is real. Part of that could be trying to use your analytical mind to solve problems that actually require intuition instead.

Many of us in a service business, or any business, put all of our focus on the client or customer. We twist ourselves in knots to please them. We accept unacceptable behavior. We sacrifice our own self-care and boundaries. That’s our saboteurs in action. Your Sage knows the true joy of service is as much about you as it is about serving others.

Relaxation is your super power. Bam! This truth bomb, dropped by Julie Piatt on my favorite pod, made me smile from ear to ear. In a world where hustle, grind, one-upmanship and even burnout are lauded, this can be a tough one for most of us to swallow. What if the inverse of everything you’ve been rewarded for is actually the seat of your power?

Do you cringe at conflict? Avoid the challenging call with an unhappy client or underperforming team member? Or maybe you say “yes'“ when you mean “no” and later resent it. Whatever your pattern, when your Saboteurs are running the show, it’s bad news for relationships, personal and professional.

If it feels like more of a Holi-daze for you, fear not. The solution is inside you, always available…read on.

Based on Positive Intelligence®, the wise one inside you (the Sage) has five powers that can shift you out of the daze or funk or malaise created by your fear-based survival brain, the saboteurs. Use just one of these (empathy is always a great place to start) or try to apply all five, in order, to a situation or challenge. You’ll be growing your Sage powers and experiencing more ease.

Inflation. Lay offs. Viruses. This is all “bad,” right? Well…that depends on which part of your brain is running the show. Humans are wired for a negativity bias as a matter of survival. That voice is loud and fearful. We also have a quieter, positive voice that knows any outcome or situation can be turned into a gift or opportunity.

In design and construction, you may be hearing about or even feeling a slowdown. Just typing that my gut constricts and my mind starts conjuring scenarios of gloom and doom. But wait! We are not responsible for our first thought, but we are for the second, third, and so on.

Image ©2022 Positive Intelligence

Let’s be honest. Somewhere along the way, busy became a badge of honor and burnout got normalized. This is not the path of ease and flow; it’s the path of stress and burnout. It’s the lies of the saboteurs—the voices of the inner critic, controller or pleaser to name a few, that create all our stress. In a complex business like interior design, architecture or construction, it’s tempting to believe the lies and to hop on the crazy train of reactivity, urgency, blame and dare I say, drama. That’s a surefire recipe for stress, anxiety and burnout. Sound familiar? Read on.

Our true essence of love, empathy, creativity and curiosity gets drowned out by shoulds, doubt, shame, judgment, fear, numbness, anxiety, and so on. While we might get some results from this place, it ultimately keeps us from performing at our best with lasting happiness and peace in our hearts.