Sleep Your Way To Success! Or Working Smarter In The Information Age
Queensland professional speaker, educator and author, Lesley Gillett, has challenged workplace managers to invest in a
smarter way to work, with the publication of her book, "Sleep your Way to Success," a result of her investigation into
how we work - both inside and out.
Lesley has spent the past 30 years researching significant issues of her times and facilitating positive change through
her teaching, seminars and presentations.
She encourages readers to change their perception of stress and to work smarter with their Basic Rest and Activity
Cycles and to bring about remarkable improvements in their productivity, creativity and general well-being.
Lesley Gillett believes that by developing the new work habit of regular 20-minute breaks, you can automatically be
taking care of yourself while taking care of business. Many of her theories are based on 50-year-old military secrets,
which have never been released into the work force.
"Imagine a working life in which you visibly thrive on the job. You begin the morning with enthusiasm, perform optimally
all day and finish in the late afternoon on a high note. Problems are easily solved, job satisfaction and morale are
high and sick days are a thing of the past."
Already, enlightened companies are starting to offer their employees a choice of resting and working spaces. Lesley
quotes the Lend Lease Company in North Sydney, which consulted with its employees and architectural adviser when
renovating its North Sydney building. Because many of its employees worked in excess of 60 hours a week, they wanted to
ensure the refurbishments were designed to make the workspace feel more like home. Amongst the upgraded facilities are
couches and beanbags for relaxing, and special purpose "think tank" rooms.
"Sharpening the Saw" Whilst many people are familiar with the wisdom of '"sharpening your saw" or balanced self-renewal,
Lesley feels that many of us do not put this into practice. Consequently, her book offers a variety of simple elegant
and scientifically validated ways of sharpening your saw while you work.
Lesley is a realist and understands that her suggested new work ethic will severely challenge entrenched notions of how
we should be working. She accepts that Ultradian awareness, or listening to your body, may not be for everyone, but it
is cutting edge material and early adopters will reap the benefits.
"Sleep your way to Success" uses relevant quotes from noted writers such as Alvin Toffler, Deepak Chopra, Nelson Mandela
and Australia's Hugh Mackay. It is written in a warm style and is an easily understandable guide for people who want to
successfully meet the stressful challenges of this century.
The book lists the top 10 benefits of 20-minute breaks as: Self-renewal is promoted; Mind power is sharpened;
Productivity is improved; Creativity is enhanced; Intuition is heightened; Optimism is rescued; Self-esteem is raised;
Accidents are avoided; Weight can be regulated; Sexuality can be nourished.
Too Tired for Sex? Lesley Gillett comments in the book that with many people too tired to be bothered about sex these
days, a new phenomenon of the 21st century has emerged in the form of work related celibacy.
"Sex and intimacy, it seems, are fast becoming casualties as work-stressed couples argue about who works harder, who's
the most fatigued, whose turn it is to stay home with the sick child, and so on."
Lesley says that not only sex and intimacy are falling foul of the work ethic, but she is concerned by media reports
that workers are sleeping less in order to work more - in Australia's case, a sleep deficit which could cost more than
$1 billion annually in lost productivity.
"Working smarter in the Information Age is definitely an idea whose time has come proclaims Lesley Gillett.
"All it will take to nurture the idea into a reality is enough wise men and women to share the vision and have the
courage of their convictions," she added.
The last four chapters of the book remain unwritten, as she believes that all great ideas need time to be introduced.
Consequently, chapters 13 to 16 will appear in the second edition and will be based on the experiences of people who
have had time to put the "working smarter" ideas to the test.
"Sleep your way to Success" is available from the 'Time Out'! Seminar Company, PO Box 761, Hamilton Central, Queensland,
4007, Tel. (0061) (7) 3348 4600.