I wouldn’t trade the last 20 months that I’ve spent being solely focused on creating and evangelizing the Hug Your Kids project and Work-Life Priorities for any work in the world.

But what I’ve learned is that while my work-life work is Important, in these economic times, it isn’t Urgent. Fortune 500 companies may still be able to fund both Important and Urgent work, but for the rest of the business world, which is about 95% of all the businesses, they can only fund work these days that is Urgent. This is for both financial and political reasons. 

So I’m putting this work on hiatus until 2010, and heading back to my former company, Savvy Selling International, as a speaker and consultant on Sales. I’m specifically looking at how to increase your closing ratio, an especially Urgent topic in these times. Check out http://www.savvyselling.com – and stay tuned! Thanks.

Yes, one MILLION (channel your inner Austin Powers when you read this number) hugs is our goal for National Hug Your Kids Day on July 20, 2009.

We can do it – together. If 10 people hug their kids and tell 10 friends to hug their kids and tell 10 friends, it just takes 5 iterations for us to reach one MILLION. That’s so doable, it’s almost laughable.

But it starts with you hugging your kids.

And telling 10 friends.

Think we can reach this goal? If so, how long do you think it will take?

How can we speed it up?

Comment below with your thoughts, ideas and, well, comments!

Sorry, I’ve been too busy working on the holiday to blog about working on the holiday.

1. Please mark your calendars for Monday, July 20, 2009 – National Hug Your Kids Day. If you have children within a hug’s reach, hug them! If they’re too far away, give them a call, text, email, snail mail, a Cookie-gram… whatever it takes to make sure on that day, they feel hugged.

Remember, hugs are fast, free – and non-fattening. Perfect for these times when we’re fighting a time crunch, a money shortage and our waistlines. No excuses!

2. We’re working to get the word out via digital billboards across the US (thanks, Clear Channel Outdoors!,) announcements during Major League Baseball games and in contests in Gannett newspapers from coast to coast.

3. Call-ins, I love ‘em! My whole day is brightened when I get a call from a university in Ohio, or a junior hockey team in Ottawa, Canada (and the CAPITAL of all of Canada!)  that they’d like to announce and promote Hug Your Kids Day. Come on folks, jump on the bandwagon! Jump in the pool! The more voices, the merrier – and the more hugs.

4. My vision is to change the world’s families – one million hugs at a time. Once we reach a few million hugs, momentum will kick in and the rest will be easy. Please help me reach those first few million hugs. Start with hugging your kids and telling a few friends.

5. Updates? check here or http://www.hugyourkidstoday.com/2009.asp

Or call me – (775) 303-8201

The Cincinnati Reds showed Nick Adenhart’s photo on the video board and asked fans to stand and remove their hats for a moment of silence in his memory before the seventh-inning stretch during their game against the New York Mets. “It makes you want to hug your kids. It just goes to show you, tomorrow’s not promised to anybody, so enjoy today,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Adenhart was the 22-year-old rookie was among three people who died early Thursday after their car was struck by a motorist who ran a red light. He made his season debut a few hours earlier in a loss to Oakland. It was just the fourth start and appearance of his major league career.

Ron Glover, Vice President of Diversity and Workforce Programs, at IBM says, “Work/Life difficulty is no longer a women’s issue – it’s a people issue.

Businesspeople often talk about “unintended consequences,” but here’s one I didn’t think of. NPR just published a story about how executive women who lost their jobs recently are spending more time with their kids and learning more about them. They’re spending time with their children at their schools, daycares and doctor’s offices, apparently places the nannies went in their stead when the moms worked full time. http://tinyurl.com/cspcds

What do you think? I think it’s an opportunity for the kids have quality time. I know it’s hard to see unemployment as a gift to mothers , but from a kid’s view, it just might be. 

For working parents these days, it’s like we’re fighting in a smoke-filled room. It’s  critical to discern what is important, and what is not so important, which comes from prioritizing.

I believe that work-life balance is the wrong goal. When you’re trying to hold onto your job AND keep your family relationships going, then “balance” is an illogical, impossible – and downright dangerous plan. It’s illogical because work and family are not of equal value, impossible because there is no conversion rate for work and family so they can’t be balanced, and dangerous because work is ultimately replaceable and family is irreplaceable so your health can be put at risk if they are made equal.

Instead, I recommend people prioritize. It’s not 50% work and 50% family; it’s family first and work a close second! That means, hug your kids, spouse/partner/loved ones – and then get to work. By taking care of the most important thing first, it lets people focus on their work and get more done! For more info, http://www.hugyourkidstoday.com

My son recently had his 12th birthday and my hubby and I bought him a basketball hoop. I’m not trying to raise the next NBA star (OK, I’ve started too late for this goal anyway,) but I was also thinking that maybe my son and I could spend some time together shooting baskets while we talk about his day, his dreams and of course, girls.

Sure there’s a depression, recession, or whatever, but he’ll only be 12 once – and I’ll only be this age once too. Parenthood is a gift and it’s fleeting. For more info: www.hugyourkidstoday.com

Daniel Levine, a trend spotter at the Avant-Guide Institute who analyzes social trends recently said “People are being more value conscious, but just as important, they’re being more conscious of their values, and what that means is that they’re looking for experiences that speak to their heart.”

Anyone for a game of Horse?

‘Just saw this query from an author:  ”Looking for women who have built careers or businesses that allow them to travel long-term — and have balanced that with family. Interested in sources who have taken their families with them while traveling, as well as chosen to limit family in the interest of travel. “

My thought: I guess it takes all kinds, but it never crossed my mind that some folks would rather travel than have another baby.  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt can do both. People of regular means do it all the time, too. Check out www.hugyourkidstoday.com

Is travel that great? Will your slideshow of the Taj Mahal or the Acropolis keep you company when you are old?  What do you think? Comment away!

According the the Harvard Business Blog:

U.S. workers’ leisure time shrank 20% last year, down from an average of 20 hours a week in 2007 to an average of 16 hours in 2008. During the same period, their average work week increased by 1 hour. Why the 3-hour discrepancy? Researchers at Harris Interactive speculate that stressed-out employees are spending more time at home checking their email and thinking about work – that’s not exactly work, but it certainly isn’t leisure, either.

SOURCE: Harris Interactive