Pulse Legacy Archive January / February 2011 | Page 33

The L.I.F.E. Doctor

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What Have I Done For My L.I.F.E. Today
LOVE

INNER-BEING

FITNESS

ENERGY

Healthy Relationships

Conscious Awareness

Strength

Nutrition

Family & Friends

Nature

Courage

Optimism

Pets

Equanimity

Flexibility

Sleep

The Planet & Sustainability

Joy

Mental Toughness

Community

Reflection

Living Fit

Passionate
Work & Career

Mentoring

Gratitude

Your Environment (where
you live)

Laughter
Truth

Music
Touch
Simplicity

Forgiveness
Fun & Spontaneity

with the shared vision of the spa. Make sure everyone’s voice
is heard and with openness and trust no one will be afraid to
express feelings or offer suggestions.
P: Can you give at least three proven ways to effectively multitask?
DD: 1. Focus. Studies have shown that multitasking increases
one’s stress level exponentially and makes one less productive.
It is important to focus on one thing at a time, finish it or figure
out what you need to accomplish to feel satisfied, and then
move on to the next thing. Turn off all distractions. Let your
calls go to voicemail and shut off your cell. If you get a sudden
thought of something that needs to be done, write it down and
get back to the task at hand.
2. Expend and renew principle. The healthiest, most passionate, productive lives are characterized by the ability to
commit fully to life—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, followed by renewal. The best way to adhere to this is
to work in a focused manner for 90 minutes, followed by
renewal. Renewal could be a mental or physical break, or both.
3. Breathe, priorotize and organize. Determine the key
thing you want to tackle each day, stay at it until it is done. If

it involves multiple steps, work one step at at time. Employers
who say they want someone to multitask really mean they
want someone to create and manage work on multiple
fronts during the day rather than working simultaneously on
more than one thing.
Be organized, make lists, have reminder notes.
Practice slow diaphragmatic breathing. This will keep you
present and focused and allow you to stay in the moment.
P: You once mentioned the need “to start pruning and
editing things, people or situations that don’t fit.” What
is the best way to talk to staff members who don’t fit and
are “diminishing the life” of other team members with
their presence?
DD: I’ve learned from the philosophy of Deborah Szekely,
founder of Rancho La Puerta Spa, that it is necessary to edit
and prune people, things and situations that no longer fit on
our journey. This principle—based on the question “Is it lifeenhancing or life-diminishing?”— can be applied to staff
members who no longer fit or who are diminishing the life of
other spa team members with their presence.
Negativity in an employee is contagious and can become a

January/February 2011

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PULSE 31