Six Things This Book
Will Help You Do
 

1.      Overcome the frustration of too much to do

2.      Increase accomplishment and satisfaction

3.      Reduce stress

4.      Increase quality personal and family time

5.      Enhance your meaning and happiness

6.      Make every moment count so life becomes a
  celebration

Plus Three Bonus Benefits
For People Important To You
 

For You and Your Significant Other
A process to have fun growing closer together

For Your Organization:
Increased productivity, motivation and morale

For Your Clients
Better service and higher satisfaction/loyalty

Make Every Moment Count

 How to get the most from your business and personal life

And make both a celebration

R. James Steffen

With foreword by

Ken Blanchard

© R. James Steffen, 2003-2005

To order an immediate copy of the book by email,
call 203-740-8400.

Endorsements

“This warm and wonderful book shows you how to align every part of your life with your innermost values and your deepest convictions. It makes you a new person!”

            Brian Tracy, author of national bestsellers Boil That Frog! and Time Power

“To really get what you want, the first thing you’ll want to get is this remarkable book.”

Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

“Make Every Moment Count does more than just present time-proven principles of ‘Aligned Thinking’ for living life more fully – this book weaves thought-provoking guidelines into the fabric of a real-life story.  Want to take charge of your life and live with more direction, meaning, and satisfaction?  Begin by reading this practical, pragmatic book!

Paul J. Meyer, Founder of Success Motivation International, Inc., author of New York Times bestsellers including Unlocking Your Legacy: 25 Keys to Success

“I first learned of Aligned Thinking as a General Motors dealer more that twenty years ago. I found it simple to use, especially when I thought I had too much to do. I have used it every day since to add more success and meaning to my life. Celebrate Life This Moment has taken me to the next level. I will give copies to all my key clients, so that I may share this wonderful gift. The book should become a classic.”

            Gary Polakoff, Merrill Lynch

“Voices like Steffen's are sorely needed today. This book will get you to think about your life and work in a holistic fashion.”

Eric Tyson, author of the national bestseller, Personal Finance for Dummies

“Make Every Moment Count a very insightful approach to identifying how to truly make life a celebration and not drudgery.”

Dan Wiersma, Sr. VP and General Manager, Sony Professional Services

“This book will help to move you closer to your higher life purpose.”

Dick Morton, Chief, Classroom Operations Graduate School, USDA, US Government

“Make Every Moment Count  is a book I will have my staff read, and also recommend to family and friends.”

            Jake Monaghan, Executive Director, Customer Care, SBC

“A simple formula to help us experience a wonderful life.  Written in a story format, the book is warm, loving and gives us pause to internalize those ‘golden nuggets.’ Easy reading with a valuable message for everyone.”

Roger Henson, VP, Xerox Customer Service Operations (retired)

“Very empowering…. With the simple elegance of Aligned Thinking, I have the freedom to celebrate life.”

            Mary P. Gai, editor and mother of four

“After I read Jim Steffen’s Make Every Moment Count, I knew I had to send copies to my clients. His book goes way beyond the masterful techniques for time management it provides. He uniquely shows how to create a life worth celebrating by focusing at what is most important to us. He tells us simply and powerfully how to ‘do the right things right’ in our personal and professional lives.”

Emilio De Lia, professional coach and retired AT&T executive

“I’ve always believed that life is a very special occasion … and special occasions are meant to be celebrated! Yet the pressures of life often leave us feeling too stressed to enjoy each day—let alone celebrate each moment. This book can change that.

 “Aligned Thinking has made a tremendous difference in my life. I invite you to open this book.”

            From the foreword by Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager®.

Contents

Part One
Discovering The MIN Secret

Part Two
Discovering The Power Of The MIN Secret

Foreword

          I’ve always believed that life is a very special occasion … and special occasions are meant to be celebrated! Yet the pressures of life often leave us feeling too stressed to enjoy each day—let alone celebrate each moment. This book can change that.

          Over twenty years ago I had the good fortune to take one of Jim Steffen’s Aligned Thinking seminars. The One Minute Manager had just been published and I was riding the wave of early success. It was an exciting time—but stressful, too. It seemed I always had too much to do, too many interruptions, too little control over my life, and that I wasn’t getting enough accomplished. Taking Jim’s seminar was a turning point for me.  Shortly afterward, I sent him a copy of my book with the following inscription.

To Jim,

Thanks for sharing your wonderful time management system. If The One Minute Manager gets to be #1, the Aligned Thinking process will have played a major role. It already has made a difference in my life!

Best regards,

Ken Blanchard, August 1982

Although I don’t take personal credit for the phenomenal success of The One Minute Manager (to date the book has sold over 12 million copies in 27 languages), Jim’s teaching certainly helped me to stayed focused and appreciate each day.

In Celebrate Life This Moment, Jim reveals the secrets of Aligned Thinking. As you walk in the shoes of Ray and Carol Walters, you will be shown how to define and live your dream life.  You’ll also learn how to overcome the frustration of too much to do, increase accomplishment and satisfaction, reduce stress, get rid of interruptions, and feel more freedom, meaning, and serenity in your life. If you have a significant other, Aligned Thinking will help you have fun and grow closer.  For your organization, it will increase productivity, motivation and morale.  For your clients, it will empower you to deliver better service and increase satisfaction and loyalty.

Many people believe that they could never align every action to what they really want. The story of Ray and Carol Walters will show you why this is a myth. Aligned Thinking has made a tremendous difference in my life. I invite you to open this book and discover the Four Secrets and Four Life Aligning Questions that will help you to live your dreams. Your life is a special occasion, and it’s time to start celebrating!

Ken Blanchard
San Diego, California

 To order an immediate copy of the book by email,
call 203-740-8400.

Chapter 1

The Black Tunnel

Too much to do! Not enough accomplished!

Too many interruptions!

Not enough time with the family!

I have so little control over my life!

Life doesn’t seem to have much meaning anymore.

These were Ray’s thoughts as the train from Lower Manhattan tunneled to New Jersey under the Hudson River. As Ray looked out the window into the blackness, an occasional light flashed by to show him how dark the tunnel truly was.

          How fitting, he thought.  This is like my life. I feel like I’m in a dark tunnel. My life is under water.  The infrequent flashes of light reminded him of the few lights in his life—his wife Carol and the two kids.  Unfortunately, like the lights flashing by, he saw them for all too short a time.

What have I really accomplished today?  Ray took out his organizer and reviewed the day.  He’d skipped lunch and stayed late.  He added two things he’d forgotten to put on his to-do list. This made the list longer than it had been at the beginning of the day.  He felt miserable.

          In frustrating times like these, his wife was his beacon of hope. When he talked over problems with Carol, she always helped him come up with solutions. What a great partner he had! He resolved that he’d discuss his dark, underwater life with her tonight as soon as the kids were in bed.

          Ray looked at his watch. Nine o’clock already. The kids would be in bed before he arrived home. The thought angered him.  He pounded the time organizer as if it were the cause.

          Life is too long on work and too short on real meaning, Ray thought.  The muscles in his neck felt so tight they hurt. He couldn’t wait for Carol to help.

          “I need things to change!” he declared.

Chapter 2

An Unwelcome Surprise

As soon as Ray pulled out of the station, he called Carol on his cell phone to let her know he was on his way home.  She sounded a bit distracted, but told him that supper would be ready when he arrived.

          Once home and settled in, Ray sat down with Carol to one of her warm suppers.  He fully expected that she would listen sympathetically to his frustration and anger.  With her help, he looked forward to creating a plan of action, as they’d done so many other times.

          Ray hadn’t even finished his list of frustrations when Carol interrupted.

“Too much to do!  Tell me about it!” she fumed.

He wasn’t prepared for her reaction. Instead of a supportive ear, he got an earful.

           “I was up with you at six,” she said.  “As soon as the kids were off to school, I was off to work. You know I hate to have them come home before me. Even though they’re older now, it’s still not okay. When I got home today, they were both doing their homework, which is great.  But I had to take Tammy to her music lesson, do shopping, spend time on my own paperwork, and then go back to pick her up.  As if that weren’t enough, I needed to interrupt this to get Jamie to and from soccer.”

          Carol was on a roll.  It was obvious that she also needed support.

“Work was full of interruptions, interrupted by interruptions,” she continued.  “You’re right! There’s too little family time, too little control over our lives, not enough getting accomplished, and too little real meaning in our lives!”

          With the flood of anxiety Carol was dumping out, Ray couldn’t get a word in.

“Ray, what’s happened to our dreams? We wanted to have daily family time, and family weekends a few times a year.  And what about alone time for us? This isn’t our dream!  It’s a nightmare!”

          Carol was close to tears. Finally, Ray saw an opening.

“You’re right,” he said.  “We have to change if we want to take control and live our dreams.  I wish my dad were still alive.  He was usually busy with business but when he was home, he’d help me think through problems.  When he retired at sixty-two, he planned to spend more time with Mom and us kids.  But he died just a year later.”

          “Let’s not let that happen to us,” Carol said.

          Ray put his fork down and looked at his wife.  “Tonight when I was in that black tunnel under the Hudson, I tried to figure out when all this started.  What happened to the dreams we had before we were married?

Carol shrugged.  “I don’t know.”

“I think—” Ray hesitated, struggling for words.  “The trouble started as early as our honeymoon.  Remember how I had a hard time relaxing on that glorious beach?  I couldn’t just enjoy the sun and sand…or even you.  I had to check the stock market almost every hour.  I took my work with us.”

Carol sighed.  “I wasn’t exactly the blissful bride.  I had just landed my first managerial position.  I couldn’t let go either.  I called the office at least ten times during that week when I didn’t have to.”

“We need help getting rid of all this meaningless stress,” said Ray.  “Who do we know who really seems to have their life together?”

          The question hung in the air.

The silence thundered!

          He restated the question.  “Who do we know who has great meaning in their life?”

          Carol’s eyes lit up.  “That sounds like Joe and Bonnie!  They have five kids, and one of their sons is mentally handicapped.  Yet they act like they’re privileged to have him.  On top of everything, Bonnie finds time to distribute goods to the poor.”

          “You’re right,” said Ray.  “Joe seems so centered, and yet he’s got his hands full with a very successful company.  He hasn’t exactly had it easy, either.  One of his key employees started a business behind his back.  The guy used Joe’s sales people to sell to Joe’s own clients.  He charged Joe’s clients and put the fees in his own pocket, the whole time drawing a salary from Joe.  He even used Joe’s copier to copy his invoices.  That’s how Joe caught him.”

“Talk about stress,” said Carol.

Ray nodded.  “Yeah, it messed up Joe’s business for a while.  But no matter what’s going on, Joe always seems to find great meaning in his life.  He and Bonnie are the kind of people who make it seem like you’re doing them a favor by letting them help you. I want to know how they do that.”

          “I’m sure they’d be willing to share some ideas with us,” said Carol.

“Would you call them tomorrow and invite them to dinner this weekend?” Ray held up a hand. “No, wait.  You’re busy enough. I’ll make the arrangements.”

That night in bed, Carol laid her head on Ray’s shoulder, the way she slept many a night.  It seemed to Ray she was a beacon of hope in the dark tunnel.  He got the feeling that the train was starting to slow down.

          Ray was not a very religious man, but that night he let a little “thank God” slip out.

To order an immediate copy of the book by email,
call 203-740-8400.