Finding Joy Rather Than Waiting

Spring is here and it is in March where we follow the practice of Daylight Savings Time (DST). The ritual of adjusting our clocks by one hour was first proposed in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin to align daylight hours and waking hours to reduce candle consumption. Throughout the following centuries, many individuals around the world proposed the practice of DST to be implemented in their countries when seasons changed. Today, the necessity of this “spring forward, fall back” tradition has been questioned by many and there seems to be a movement to abolish this practice by those in power to do so.

Despite all the questions and criticism, the fundamental idea behind DST is quite profound. It is simply a belief in making the most out of the precious time we have. None of us are promised a tomorrow and it only makes sense to seize all the joy possible in each moment. Make those important decisions today, celebrate the small wins, and take action now for the things you want in your life.

The Importance of Communication in Co-parenting

By Kara W. Haggerty

Following a divorce or separation in Pennsylvania, both parents will likely be actively involved in their children’s lives. This means the children will split their time between the two households, often equally or close to equally. Communicating with your ex is not always easy, but it is necessary when you share children. By taking certain steps to ensure the focus stays on the kids, it is possible to make co-parenting a positive and successful experience for your family.

COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER

Communication between parents should not include using children as messengers. Children who are forced to relay messages between parents might feel as though they have to choose sides. Children should never feel caught in the middle because they need to be able to have a meaningful relationship with both parents.

Open communication is critical when trying to plan schedules. Parents need to make efforts to talk to each other so that they are fully informed about the important events in their children’s lives. Sharing schedules, medical information and appointments, school activities, academic performance, parent teacher conferences, and sports schedules may help parents to stay in touch with what is going on in their children’s lives allowing them to parent better and avoid disputes. Planning vacations, holidays, and events in their personal lives, particularly if the children may be affected, well in advance will avoid conflict with the other parent during busy times of the year.

Parents who find it difficult to speak with each other in person or over the phone may want to consider alternative forms of communication. Using email or text messages to communicate with one another is far better than speaking through the children. There are also a variety of apps that parents may subscribe to, either for free or for a fee, that provide a safe and effective way for people to communicate and to share schedules.

STAY POSITIVE

Parents should remind themselves to put their children’s needs first. After splitting up, it is common for people to have feelings of hurt or anger toward their exes. For parents, however, it is important that they do not transfer these feelings onto or express them to the children. If you feel the need to vent about your ex, do so to your friends and not your children. Discourage your children from speaking negatively about the other parent. Staying neutral and remaining positive may help avoid causing the children to feel as though they have to pick a side. Putting your children’s feeling first will show them that they always come first and will ensure that they continue to have a healthy relationship with both their parents.

Children can sense when their parents are upset, and parents who argue constantly can damage a child’s sense of well-being. Parents should avoid making disparaging comments about the other in front of their children. Parents who can put their own issues aside and focus on their children’s interests when they interact with their ex are often the most successful at co-parenting. You will likely be dealing with your ex for the rest of your life, which will be uncomfortable for all parties involved if you cannot be cordial with one another.

COOPERATE

It is a good idea to have guidelines for communication put into the parenting plan. Come up with a set of rules that you and your ex agree with so that your children have a consistent set of rules in both homes. This will let both parents know what to expect and what is not acceptable as well as keep your children from playing both sides. Children need consistent and clear rules, and parents need to be able to talk to one another and provide that consistency for their children.

Parents who make efforts to cooperate with their ex often find co-parenting easier. They realize that unexpected occurrences happen, requiring changes to parenting schedules. If last-minute changes to the regular parenting schedule need to happen, the parent needing the change should inform the other parent as soon as possible. Parents who are flexible when their exes request alternative schedules from time to time often find their exes are similarly accommodating when they need to make a change.

EXPECT CHALLENGES

Even if both parents are dedicated to making their co-parenting agreement work, people will likely face challenges at one time or another. When issues arise, parents should stay focused on their children.

If a dispute is unavoidable and cannot be resolved, the family law attorneys at the Law Offices of Peter J. Russo, P.C. can advise you of your options and help you establish a co-parenting plan that is best for your children.

Contact Kara W. Haggerty at khaggerty@pjrlaw.com or 717-591-1755 for further guidance.

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We are seeking guest writers to contribute to our email newsletter which reaches more than 2000 people per month. If you would like to consider a joint article (for example: How COVID has impacted on the wedding industry and the legal recourse you might have), we would be glad to work on something with you. For more information, please contact Ashley Malcolm via email amalcolm@pjrlaw.com or call 717-610-1639.

Are you a “Leader” or a “Manager”?

By Mark Y. Sussman

I’ve recently found myself in discussions with CEOs and Owners about the difference between being a “leader” versus a “manager”. And that is the subject of this week’s Lessons Found, a weekly series presented by Strategic Business Group.

According to Merriam-Websters, to “lead” is to “guide on a way especially by going in advance; to direct on a course or a direction.” This is in contrast to the definition of “manage”: “to handle or direct with a degree of skill such as to exercise supervisory direction of; to make and keep compliant.” Considering both at their extremes, leadership takes a broad, future-focused perspective in contrast to micro-managing. In practice, the mix between how much time owners can devote to leadership versus managing often relates to the company’s stage of growth. Start-ups require constant hands-on management. As the company’s revenues and profits grow, owners can begin to develop a management structure which allows them to transition their focus towards leadership.

The key to this transition is elucidating your vision of a path into the future. This starts with a clear statement of your organization’s goals, mission and values which define both direction and the company’s personality (aka culture). And as leader, you should ensure each individual understands their role in this vision with measurable annual goals as well as an ongoing exchange of ideas.

As the CEO or Owner, your role as manager never really ends. But as leader, your most important management task is managing yourself. It takes discipline to stay on the leadership track and not revert back to your all-too familiar manager role. This requires putting the right people in key positions and then ceding routine operational decisions to them. This is the tricky part. Your team will likely continue to come to you with routine questions. The easiest and quickest response is to simply answer the question. But in order for the new management regime to establish itself, you need to either point them to someone else who can answer them or, if you are training them to make the decision, ask them what they think is the answer. Their response may not always align with how you would do things. Consider acquiescing if their idea will accomplish the task while still adhering to your vision.

While no one ever said managing is easy, taking on the leadership mantle can be even more challenging. And there certainly is more to it than I could include in a single email. But once you take these first steps, you have momentum on your side.

Life brings us lessons every day. Sometimes from expected sources. And sometimes from sources and situations we never would have thought possible. Either way, they are a gift found. I am fortunate to find these types of lessons regularly and wanted to share them with you with this weekly series of “Business Lessons Found”.

To learn more about Strategic Business Group’s weekly series of “Business Lessons Found” please visit our website strategicbizgroup.com or email Mark at mark@strategicbizgroup.com.

Make Your Work More Fun

You must have heard many times that work will become a sport if you turn your passion into a job. Not everybody gets to make a living out of their hobbies or passion. But, that doesn’t mean a majority of people should spend their working life in a miserable and unhappy state. Here are a few action-oriented tips that you can apply to try and achieve a more harmonious work life.

Make time for things that you love - Your hobby may not be able to pay your bills but it definitely fulfills your life in a much better way. Once you actively start making time for things you like to do, your focus and presence in your work will also increase as you will have something to look forward to after work.

Build a positive work environment - Work becomes way more tolerable if you do it with your friends. Having healthy relationships at your workplace will make you like the job a lot more. If you are in a position where you can foster such a culture then you must take the initiative and make things better for other people as well but if you are stuck in a toxic work environment then looking for other opportunities would make more sense.

Enhance your productivity - Action leads to motivation. Accomplishing tasks gives a gratification that is addictive. Hence, rather than waiting for motivation, you should start taking action towards finishing tasks at the workplace. With increased productivity, there will come added appreciation which will further help you enjoy your work. Trying time management hacks like the Pomodoro technique will greatly benefit your productivity, where you work for 25 mins and take a 5 min break followed by a longer break after four 30 minutes cycles.

Spend time on self-care - Looking after yourself isn’t just about going to the sauna or treating yourself to an expensive massage. Self-care could mean incorporating daily habits like meditation, exercise, or healthy eating. Such small steps help keep your mental and physical health in a sound state.

Spring Up Towards a Healthy You

The arrival of spring brings milder temperatures but there are some common health issues that come with it. Seasonal allergies, common cold, and chances of asthma flare ups are higher during this season. While keeping a check on allergy triggers and keeping your medicines handy is a must, here are a few ways you can utilize the warmer months to become healthier.

Eat more seasonal fruits and veggies - The months of spring allow you to choose from a range of fresh grown fruits and vegetables. Adding these berries, bell pepper, mushrooms, etc will provide you with tons of vitamins and minerals. So make a quick run to the weekly farmers market and fill your fruit basket.

Keep a check on the calories - Weekend barbeques are for the sole purpose of enjoying and unwinding. But, all the calories that you consume in these spreads might need you to keep a tab of the overall calories as a generous amount of oils and fats are used to prepare these meals. Remember to add an extra physical activity during the week to compensate for any unwanted weight gain. It is better to be prepared for the summers well in advance rather than finding quick fixes before the summer holidays.

Bask in the sun - Take all the opportunity to do outdoor activities in the sun but do not forget to add UV protection for your skin and eyes. Sunlight is healthy but unprotected exposure over time can be harmful.