There is a wave of change sweeping across American corporations and government. A change in the way we do business within our walls with our workforce as well as with our external customers and constituents. It seems that people like doing business with people who like doing business and mixing fun with effectiveness makes good business sense in these stressful times. This is particularly true in the public service arena where many lives are touched by those who serve them and where quality of life is a basic issue.

Our workforce is like cows; they produce more when they are contented and cared for. Creating a workplace that promotes peak performance through playful professionalism also decreases absenteeism, sickness, turnover, and stress while increasing morale, teamwork, creativity, and productivity. Just recently I've had the privilege to work with the Clerks of the Senate and the Internal Auditors as well as several military installations and military comptrollers on tips to practicing safe stress and the keys to energizing the worksite. I share some of the most important keys below in order to help increase your personal energy so that you may share your energy with colleagues and customers.

F1 - Function - what is yours? What is your function in life? Studies show that those who have a purpose and are actively working towards achieving their goals are happier and wealthier than those who just show up for life each day. Set goals, change them, and actively work on them.

Ctrl - Control your life and your immediate environment Take control of your immediate circle of influence. Realize you have the power to control your state of mind and reactions to whatever life hands you. You can also control your immediate physical environment such as your cubicle. Give yourself an energy boost by hanging up photos which cheer you up or putting a candy dish on your desk, having a nice rug under your feet, playing soft instrumental music to soothe your nerves.

Space - What does your space say about you? Can you navigate through your space? Is it pleasant, comfortable, and workable or does it create stress? Are items easily accessible? If you are left brained, are things vertical behind closed doors? If you are right brained, are they horizontal and within view ? Do your desk accessories accommodate these preferences? What is the color or what type of furniture do you have and how is it positioned in the room? Do you like to be in this room? The key here is organize to energize!

Shift - Shift tasks to increase energy Adults in our infinite wisdom say that children have short attention spans, but they are just shifting to a task which brings them more energy when they are getting drained from the task at hand. Shift from left brain tasks such as budgeting to a right-brain task such as reading your mail or watering your plants. Your productivity will increase and your mind will feel refreshed.

Delete - Delete internal & external clutter Have you ever known somebody who could just light up a room..... when they left? Do you have any of these people in your life? Just delete them! They will sap the life energy right out of you. External clutter is anything around you that "bugs" you such as dusting, unread newspapers and catalogs piling up, the lamp you got in the divorce, or the tacky souvenir your neighbor brought you. Internal clutter is such things as dishonesty, secrets, emotional stress, miscommunications, or any other "messalanea" which is clogging up your circuits to think freely and be charged up.

Insert - Energy inserts and toys for the playful professional Fill your day with energy inserts, toys, and playful items which speak to you. Studies show that using colored pens, stickers, and getting creative will cause you to look forward to your daily planning sessions. Turn your daytimer into an adult version of a coloring book. Professionalism can be playful - remember to mix fun and effectiveness and bring your sense of humor to work.