Starting Tuesday 5/11/10 I will be on WKSC1300 AM and www.sportsbeatradio.com from 9-10 am pacific time (noon eastern time). The show will be called Jenny Gallagher Your Wellness Coach and I will provide information and motivation to get you going on your path to wellness. The show will be on every Tuesday through Friday and I hope you can join us.
Wellness is an overall sense of wellbeing and a big part of wellness is a healthy mind and body.
To have a healthy mind you must learn how to relax and how to focus on positive thoughts. There is scientific proof that positive thoughts improve health and can even have miraculous healing qualities.
To have a healthy body you must take care of it. This includes a healthy diet and exercise but neither need to be 'hard'. The show will share ideas so you can connect with feeling good about your choices; of which there are many. Other factors things like your environment, which includes decluttering, and getting plenty of rest.
For every excuse you have there is someone out there to prove you wrong. You may think you are too busy or don't have enough money but trust me -- there are people out there busier and poorer that are doing it. The show will share these inspiring stories as well.
If you ever want to be a guest on my show please let me know. We'll schedule some time to talk about your topic and see if it is a good fit.
Just don't give up. Let's enjoy life and create wellbeing.
Showing posts with label life coaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life coaching. Show all posts
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The best athletes have coaches
If you are watching the Winter Olympics you probably notice that every athlete has a coach. The best in the sporting world understand the value of having unconditional support. Here are some benefits of a life coach:
To make lasting positive life change you must understand that subconscious programming plays a role. Your 'hard wiring' takes time to change and working with a coach allows you to figure it all out and to keep the focus you need.
A coach can help you discover the root cause for your sabotage and procrastination. If there is a goal that you just can't seem to accomplish then you fall into this category. Your coach will observe your behaviors through the way you communicate and can point out things you may not have noticed on your own.
Trying to break an undesirable habit is challenging for many reasons and a coach can help you to get to the bottom of it once and for all. Practice is the name of the game. And knowing you have to report back to your coach can help you stick with the practice (vs. putting it off just one more day).
You discover new approaches you may not have thought of on your own.
You will feel motivated by the encouragement you get.
You will enjoy the journey more if you feel like you are not alone.
Don't waste any more time. Believe you are ready to be your very best & make it happen. Call for a free consultation. 503-939-9552
To make lasting positive life change you must understand that subconscious programming plays a role. Your 'hard wiring' takes time to change and working with a coach allows you to figure it all out and to keep the focus you need.
A coach can help you discover the root cause for your sabotage and procrastination. If there is a goal that you just can't seem to accomplish then you fall into this category. Your coach will observe your behaviors through the way you communicate and can point out things you may not have noticed on your own.
Trying to break an undesirable habit is challenging for many reasons and a coach can help you to get to the bottom of it once and for all. Practice is the name of the game. And knowing you have to report back to your coach can help you stick with the practice (vs. putting it off just one more day).
You discover new approaches you may not have thought of on your own.
You will feel motivated by the encouragement you get.
You will enjoy the journey more if you feel like you are not alone.
Don't waste any more time. Believe you are ready to be your very best & make it happen. Call for a free consultation. 503-939-9552
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Independence is a mindset
It’s hard to believe it’s been 6 years since we started Gallagher Solutions, Inc. That plus Gallagher Consulting, LLC makes almost 8 years of owning a business. I love what I do and enjoy the independence.
Independence is a mindset; whether you work for yourself, someone else, or are unemployed. Whatever you ‘do’ you can have an entrepreneurial spirit. I like the word entrepreneurial better than independent because for me independence suggests isolation, and I believe successful people surround themselves with other successful people.
If you’d like answer the questions below so you can begin to think about your current situation. No answer is right or wrong. After you answer the questions read on for more helpful suggestions.
1) Is your day routine and predictable? If yes, do you enjoy that?
2) Do you spend time each week with likeminded thinkers or tend to disagree with others?
3) Are you inspired by the people around you? Do you inspire others?
4) Do you tend to think of new solutions and possibilities?
5) Are you willing to try new things or would you rather stay with the status quo even if you are unhappy?
Routine
Having routine in your life can be very grounding and pleasurable. However sometimes it can lead to boredom and a lack of interest in trying new things. Monitor how you feel and if you are bored think of some fun new activities you can include. If you think you are too busy then consider what activities or tasks you can exclude.
Likeminded Thinkers
Believe it or not the likeminded thinkers are usually not our closest family or friends, because many times we are attracted to people with different personality types. Opposites do attract. However if you are looking for some motivation you may want to start a mastermind group. This would include a few individuals that share an interest of yours. You can meet weekly and talk about your goals and the progress you are making. You should hold each other accountable and provide ideas.
Inspiration
Inspiration comes from an attitude, which comes from a feeling. Engage in activities that allow you to be around inspiring individuals and for you to inspire others. Consider creative activities or get out in nature.
New Ideas
If you begin to feel stuck or dissatisfied think about your situation and how you can bring about positive change. The change does not need to be big. If you are bored there are little activities like driving a new way to work that can make a difference. If you hate cleaning the house, skip it once; or if you need to declutter the house then do it. Start reading or join a new group, club or class. Do anything you can to allow yourself to think about things differently. A new perspective can be like a breath of fresh air.
Happiness
Life can be challenging but in many cases the stress can be reduced or eliminated. In our society we have many choices, so if you are not happy examine the choices you have made. You do not need to make major life change to feel happiness. Like inspiration, happiness is an attitude that comes from a feeling. If your reality doesn’t make you happy then take time to imagine something that does make you happy. Not only will it reduce stress and the likelihood of illness and disease but it can also create possibilities for real change in your life. I heard Carolyn Myss speak a few weeks back and she said “You are entitled to nothing. Therefore everything in your life is a gift”. Be grateful for everything. People that feel gratitude are happier people.
Here's to your independence. And as my gift to my readers if you mention this posting you can receive 20% off on one month of life or business coaching. I also have a new gift for referrals so refer a client to me and I will send it to you!
Independence is a mindset; whether you work for yourself, someone else, or are unemployed. Whatever you ‘do’ you can have an entrepreneurial spirit. I like the word entrepreneurial better than independent because for me independence suggests isolation, and I believe successful people surround themselves with other successful people.
If you’d like answer the questions below so you can begin to think about your current situation. No answer is right or wrong. After you answer the questions read on for more helpful suggestions.
1) Is your day routine and predictable? If yes, do you enjoy that?
2) Do you spend time each week with likeminded thinkers or tend to disagree with others?
3) Are you inspired by the people around you? Do you inspire others?
4) Do you tend to think of new solutions and possibilities?
5) Are you willing to try new things or would you rather stay with the status quo even if you are unhappy?
Routine
Having routine in your life can be very grounding and pleasurable. However sometimes it can lead to boredom and a lack of interest in trying new things. Monitor how you feel and if you are bored think of some fun new activities you can include. If you think you are too busy then consider what activities or tasks you can exclude.
Likeminded Thinkers
Believe it or not the likeminded thinkers are usually not our closest family or friends, because many times we are attracted to people with different personality types. Opposites do attract. However if you are looking for some motivation you may want to start a mastermind group. This would include a few individuals that share an interest of yours. You can meet weekly and talk about your goals and the progress you are making. You should hold each other accountable and provide ideas.
Inspiration
Inspiration comes from an attitude, which comes from a feeling. Engage in activities that allow you to be around inspiring individuals and for you to inspire others. Consider creative activities or get out in nature.
New Ideas
If you begin to feel stuck or dissatisfied think about your situation and how you can bring about positive change. The change does not need to be big. If you are bored there are little activities like driving a new way to work that can make a difference. If you hate cleaning the house, skip it once; or if you need to declutter the house then do it. Start reading or join a new group, club or class. Do anything you can to allow yourself to think about things differently. A new perspective can be like a breath of fresh air.
Happiness
Life can be challenging but in many cases the stress can be reduced or eliminated. In our society we have many choices, so if you are not happy examine the choices you have made. You do not need to make major life change to feel happiness. Like inspiration, happiness is an attitude that comes from a feeling. If your reality doesn’t make you happy then take time to imagine something that does make you happy. Not only will it reduce stress and the likelihood of illness and disease but it can also create possibilities for real change in your life. I heard Carolyn Myss speak a few weeks back and she said “You are entitled to nothing. Therefore everything in your life is a gift”. Be grateful for everything. People that feel gratitude are happier people.
Here's to your independence. And as my gift to my readers if you mention this posting you can receive 20% off on one month of life or business coaching. I also have a new gift for referrals so refer a client to me and I will send it to you!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
How is your summer going?
Hello.
I find it hard to believe it is 7/12/09 already. The summer is sure flying by and I hope you are enjoying it. This is a time of year that is usually filled with extra activities so it can be hard to keep a focus on your goals. That’s fine. But if you are noticing there is something you want in your life then maybe just take a few minutes to do the following:
-Think about what you have recently accomplished
-Think about where you want to go from here
-Write it down. Simply writing it down increases the likelihood of your success
-Come with an action item, even if it’s just to pick a date in the near future to start working on your goal
-Write it down with a completion date
For me personally I have had a full spring and summer. I have been writing my new book YENPATH ~ A Method for Fulfilling Your Desires, taking advanced coaching classes, facilitating workshops, working with coaching clients and teaching yoga classes. On top of that I had a great vacation with my family, am enjoying quality time at home with my husband and our pets, and having fun with my yoga practice and exercising. For me my new desire is to start a nutritional cleanse so I can improve the quality of the nutrients I put in my body and detoxify. I’ve tried different methods but generally love the results and would highly recommend doing one. If you want information you can always reach me at solutions@jennygallagher.com.
All the best and enjoy the rest of your summer!
I find it hard to believe it is 7/12/09 already. The summer is sure flying by and I hope you are enjoying it. This is a time of year that is usually filled with extra activities so it can be hard to keep a focus on your goals. That’s fine. But if you are noticing there is something you want in your life then maybe just take a few minutes to do the following:
-Think about what you have recently accomplished
-Think about where you want to go from here
-Write it down. Simply writing it down increases the likelihood of your success
-Come with an action item, even if it’s just to pick a date in the near future to start working on your goal
-Write it down with a completion date
For me personally I have had a full spring and summer. I have been writing my new book YENPATH ~ A Method for Fulfilling Your Desires, taking advanced coaching classes, facilitating workshops, working with coaching clients and teaching yoga classes. On top of that I had a great vacation with my family, am enjoying quality time at home with my husband and our pets, and having fun with my yoga practice and exercising. For me my new desire is to start a nutritional cleanse so I can improve the quality of the nutrients I put in my body and detoxify. I’ve tried different methods but generally love the results and would highly recommend doing one. If you want information you can always reach me at solutions@jennygallagher.com.
All the best and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Getting Unstuck
Do you want to be more successful in your personal and/or professional life? It can be discouraging to have great goals but to feel unable to achieve them. Most people tend to be successful in a few areas of their lives but not in other areas. Maybe your career is going great but your relationships aren’t where you want them to be. Or maybe your personal life is wonderful but you hate your job. Maybe you’re a wonderful mom or dad and find you have no time for yourself and are dissatisfied with your personal image. Maybe you love travel or adventure and your finances are suffering. Or maybe you just feel generally dissatisfied but aren’t even sure why.
Of course you need to focus more time in the day for certain aspects of your life. That is fine. But if you can notice when dissatisfaction starts to creep in, then you can begin to implement changes before it becomes a major problem. If you start when the problem is small it is much more manageable. Unfortunately people do not typically do this. You ignore it because “I’m too busy”, or because “It is selfish to focus on me”, or simply because you cannot break your old habits. Now you’re officially stuck!
First you need to identify what it is that is holding you back from living the perfect life. Is it your home, finances, relationships, education, career, personal growth, fitness, or wellness? What is it that holds you back? Where do you feel stuck or a sense of struggle?
There are many levels at which you can get “stuck”
-Do you think about your dreams and goals on a daily basis but believe you do not have the time and/or money to work on them at this point in your life?
-Are you ready to work on your goal(s) now but aren’t sure how to get going?
-Have you tried to achieve your goal(s) in the past but got poor results?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you are currently “stuck”. But if you feel a longing for a specific change in your life then there are ways to get you there. You just need the right tools. Hopefully some of these ideas will help:
I-C-A-N
Read Four Steps to a Better Life, Infinity Publishing. Jenny Gallagher offers a simple approach to positive change. The “I-C-A-N” approach of intention, clarity, action, and next steps allows for an easy-to-remember strategy that lets you set goals you can reach, take action that delivers results, and much more.
The most important thing to remember is “I-C-A-N”. Instead of looking at what you can’t do in life, look at what you can do. It’s a much more empowering and enjoyable place to reside! To find more information on how to purchase Four Steps to a Better Life go to http://www.jennygallagher.com/book.html.
Get to Know Yourself
Understanding the basic characteristics of your personality can be extremely helpful. Your basic characteristics are your patterns of thought, feelings and behaviors that remain stable throughout your life. Your blue print if you will. You have probably heard of Type-A personalities. This was developed to identify risk of coronary disease. Type A personalities can be impatient, competitive and aggressive. These are the workaholics. They thrive on stress (and usually boast about this). Type B personalities are patient, relaxed and easy going. In this case the information you gain can help you to reduce your risk of coronary disease. Learning techniques to relax on occasion can give the body a momentary break from stress and that’s when the body can rejuvenate. In general, learning more about yourself can help you to avoid the pit-falls you would be more likely to encounter, and to move toward the things you want.
The Myers-Briggs personality test was developed in the 1920’s based on the work of Carl Jung. Personality tests can help you to understand things like how you learn best (i.e. by seeing, by hearing, by doing), how you prefer to interact with others, and how you get your energy (being around others or solitude). When you understand your preferences then you can use that to your advantage in so many ways. One caution is that when people label themselves, they can then use that information to create excuses, or justify poor behavior. Use the information to free yourself versus boxing yourself in. To take a free personality test you can go to http://similarminds.com/myers-briggs-jung.html.
Satisfaction Level
To determine your overall satisfaction level in all areas of your life you can use the worksheet in Four Steps to a Better Life. Or you can simply take a moment to think about what the important areas of your life are. What feels unsatisfactory? Living a balanced life is important. As mentioned earlier, most people tend to focus on a few areas of their live that they are naturally good at. Maybe it’s the career, or the family life. Or maybe it’s not that you are necessarily good at them, but have to spend time there because those are your commitments. The reason balance is important is because the areas we don’t pay attention to may end up being huge voids later on. Doing this simple exercise of determining your satisfaction level in all areas of your life can help you to notice the changes early on so you can prevent this.
Living a balanced life doesn’t mean spending the same amount of time or money in each of these areas. It simply means noticing your level of satisfaction in each of these areas. If your satisfaction level is high then nothing needs to change. Here is an example: Do you have very little time for recreation or fun? How does that make you feel? If you are okay with this, then your satisfaction level would be high. So a person that gets very little recreation and is okay with that would be more satisfied (and therefore no action is needed) than someone else that spends a lot of time doing these activities but they still want more. Your balance will be very different than someone else’s.
Set a Goal
Most people have no idea how to word a goal. They feel a need or want, and it is usually because of some pain or dissatisfaction that has arisen. So they word the goal around the pain or dissatisfaction. There are lots of ways to word a goal so that it will be motivating to act on. So what do you want? Do you have a goal to “lose weight”? NO! That’s what you don’t want. No one really wants to lose weight. What you want is the result from losing weight. Maybe it would be to fit into your old college jeans, or a specific outfit for a big event in the near future. Maybe you want to focus on a feeling, like being able to walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath, or to play with your children. Consider wording your goal around that.
Find Support
There is no need to go-it-alone. Tell your friends and family about your goal and illicit their support. If someone seems critical of your goal you have a choice. You can listen to see if there is some valuable information there that you can use. Or you can seek out others that honor your goal to support you. If you find it challenging to work with people you know then it may be a better idea to work with a life or business coach so you can have the opportunity to move forward with your goals.
Work with a life or business coach
Life and business coaches provide a unique type of support. For one thing, the style of communication is different than conversations you typically have with friends and family. When you are in a conversation with one or more people, it is very likely that the topic will shift all over the place. You may bring something up you want to talk about but that will remind someone else of something they want to talk about and you no longer have the floor. With your coach this should not happen. They stay with you. That way you can move forward with your thoughts. This is amazingly powerful. This type of communicating allows you to let your ideas grow. And when that happens, you become very motivated and ready for action.
Another advantage to working with a life or business coach is their unbiased approach. Sometimes it is hard for family and friends to support your goals because fear comes up for them. What happens to them if you change? Having an opportunity to talk about your goals to an unbiased 3rd party let’s you figure it out first. Then you can also work with your coach to strategize and develop the communication skills so you can present your desires in a non-threatening fashion. You may be thinking “this doesn’t apply to me” but you’d be surprised. Little changes, like taking a night class, can upset the family dynamic if you do not consider all angles. When you approach family and friends, share your idea in a way that is thoughtful. Consider their needs and your commitments but also learn to set good, loving boundaries. This can be a win-win and take everyone to a better future.
There are lots of other advantages. Hopefully your life or business coach is certified, and if so they are trained to work with people in this capacity. A coach can help you to get to the root of the problem. You are doing what you are doing (behaviors) because you are filling a need. If you just stop doing that thing (i.e. willpower alone) then you may not have the long term results you would hope for. A coach can help you to identify the need; and also things like your limiting beliefs that can hold you back. You will learn what your core values are and how to use them to motivate you.
Coaching is done over the phone which saves time and removes location obstacles. Everything discussed during your phone calls is strictly confidential. You will learn how to set boundaries with yourself and others. You will learn how to make the most out of your most precious commodity; time. If individual coaching sounds intimidating then consider joining a workgroup. These can be done in person or as conference calls. This allows like-minded individuals to get and give support, ideas, and suggestions. Together you will motivate and inspire. You will hold each other accountable. And accountability is a great motivator.
In closing please remember you can be successful in your endeavors. You can seek out support to help get you there. Why struggle and go through your journey alone? So take a moment right now to write down a few words about something you want greater success in. Then decide which approaches you want to use to get going.
Of course you need to focus more time in the day for certain aspects of your life. That is fine. But if you can notice when dissatisfaction starts to creep in, then you can begin to implement changes before it becomes a major problem. If you start when the problem is small it is much more manageable. Unfortunately people do not typically do this. You ignore it because “I’m too busy”, or because “It is selfish to focus on me”, or simply because you cannot break your old habits. Now you’re officially stuck!
First you need to identify what it is that is holding you back from living the perfect life. Is it your home, finances, relationships, education, career, personal growth, fitness, or wellness? What is it that holds you back? Where do you feel stuck or a sense of struggle?
There are many levels at which you can get “stuck”
-Do you think about your dreams and goals on a daily basis but believe you do not have the time and/or money to work on them at this point in your life?
-Are you ready to work on your goal(s) now but aren’t sure how to get going?
-Have you tried to achieve your goal(s) in the past but got poor results?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you are currently “stuck”. But if you feel a longing for a specific change in your life then there are ways to get you there. You just need the right tools. Hopefully some of these ideas will help:
I-C-A-N
Read Four Steps to a Better Life, Infinity Publishing. Jenny Gallagher offers a simple approach to positive change. The “I-C-A-N” approach of intention, clarity, action, and next steps allows for an easy-to-remember strategy that lets you set goals you can reach, take action that delivers results, and much more.
The most important thing to remember is “I-C-A-N”. Instead of looking at what you can’t do in life, look at what you can do. It’s a much more empowering and enjoyable place to reside! To find more information on how to purchase Four Steps to a Better Life go to http://www.jennygallagher.com/book.html.
Get to Know Yourself
Understanding the basic characteristics of your personality can be extremely helpful. Your basic characteristics are your patterns of thought, feelings and behaviors that remain stable throughout your life. Your blue print if you will. You have probably heard of Type-A personalities. This was developed to identify risk of coronary disease. Type A personalities can be impatient, competitive and aggressive. These are the workaholics. They thrive on stress (and usually boast about this). Type B personalities are patient, relaxed and easy going. In this case the information you gain can help you to reduce your risk of coronary disease. Learning techniques to relax on occasion can give the body a momentary break from stress and that’s when the body can rejuvenate. In general, learning more about yourself can help you to avoid the pit-falls you would be more likely to encounter, and to move toward the things you want.
The Myers-Briggs personality test was developed in the 1920’s based on the work of Carl Jung. Personality tests can help you to understand things like how you learn best (i.e. by seeing, by hearing, by doing), how you prefer to interact with others, and how you get your energy (being around others or solitude). When you understand your preferences then you can use that to your advantage in so many ways. One caution is that when people label themselves, they can then use that information to create excuses, or justify poor behavior. Use the information to free yourself versus boxing yourself in. To take a free personality test you can go to http://similarminds.com/myers-briggs-jung.html.
Satisfaction Level
To determine your overall satisfaction level in all areas of your life you can use the worksheet in Four Steps to a Better Life. Or you can simply take a moment to think about what the important areas of your life are. What feels unsatisfactory? Living a balanced life is important. As mentioned earlier, most people tend to focus on a few areas of their live that they are naturally good at. Maybe it’s the career, or the family life. Or maybe it’s not that you are necessarily good at them, but have to spend time there because those are your commitments. The reason balance is important is because the areas we don’t pay attention to may end up being huge voids later on. Doing this simple exercise of determining your satisfaction level in all areas of your life can help you to notice the changes early on so you can prevent this.
Living a balanced life doesn’t mean spending the same amount of time or money in each of these areas. It simply means noticing your level of satisfaction in each of these areas. If your satisfaction level is high then nothing needs to change. Here is an example: Do you have very little time for recreation or fun? How does that make you feel? If you are okay with this, then your satisfaction level would be high. So a person that gets very little recreation and is okay with that would be more satisfied (and therefore no action is needed) than someone else that spends a lot of time doing these activities but they still want more. Your balance will be very different than someone else’s.
Set a Goal
Most people have no idea how to word a goal. They feel a need or want, and it is usually because of some pain or dissatisfaction that has arisen. So they word the goal around the pain or dissatisfaction. There are lots of ways to word a goal so that it will be motivating to act on. So what do you want? Do you have a goal to “lose weight”? NO! That’s what you don’t want. No one really wants to lose weight. What you want is the result from losing weight. Maybe it would be to fit into your old college jeans, or a specific outfit for a big event in the near future. Maybe you want to focus on a feeling, like being able to walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath, or to play with your children. Consider wording your goal around that.
Find Support
There is no need to go-it-alone. Tell your friends and family about your goal and illicit their support. If someone seems critical of your goal you have a choice. You can listen to see if there is some valuable information there that you can use. Or you can seek out others that honor your goal to support you. If you find it challenging to work with people you know then it may be a better idea to work with a life or business coach so you can have the opportunity to move forward with your goals.
Work with a life or business coach
Life and business coaches provide a unique type of support. For one thing, the style of communication is different than conversations you typically have with friends and family. When you are in a conversation with one or more people, it is very likely that the topic will shift all over the place. You may bring something up you want to talk about but that will remind someone else of something they want to talk about and you no longer have the floor. With your coach this should not happen. They stay with you. That way you can move forward with your thoughts. This is amazingly powerful. This type of communicating allows you to let your ideas grow. And when that happens, you become very motivated and ready for action.
Another advantage to working with a life or business coach is their unbiased approach. Sometimes it is hard for family and friends to support your goals because fear comes up for them. What happens to them if you change? Having an opportunity to talk about your goals to an unbiased 3rd party let’s you figure it out first. Then you can also work with your coach to strategize and develop the communication skills so you can present your desires in a non-threatening fashion. You may be thinking “this doesn’t apply to me” but you’d be surprised. Little changes, like taking a night class, can upset the family dynamic if you do not consider all angles. When you approach family and friends, share your idea in a way that is thoughtful. Consider their needs and your commitments but also learn to set good, loving boundaries. This can be a win-win and take everyone to a better future.
There are lots of other advantages. Hopefully your life or business coach is certified, and if so they are trained to work with people in this capacity. A coach can help you to get to the root of the problem. You are doing what you are doing (behaviors) because you are filling a need. If you just stop doing that thing (i.e. willpower alone) then you may not have the long term results you would hope for. A coach can help you to identify the need; and also things like your limiting beliefs that can hold you back. You will learn what your core values are and how to use them to motivate you.
Coaching is done over the phone which saves time and removes location obstacles. Everything discussed during your phone calls is strictly confidential. You will learn how to set boundaries with yourself and others. You will learn how to make the most out of your most precious commodity; time. If individual coaching sounds intimidating then consider joining a workgroup. These can be done in person or as conference calls. This allows like-minded individuals to get and give support, ideas, and suggestions. Together you will motivate and inspire. You will hold each other accountable. And accountability is a great motivator.
In closing please remember you can be successful in your endeavors. You can seek out support to help get you there. Why struggle and go through your journey alone? So take a moment right now to write down a few words about something you want greater success in. Then decide which approaches you want to use to get going.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Work to Live
Do you spend most of your time working? Is this the life you want to live? I’m not suggesting you quit your job and stop being a responsible human being. But taking a few moments to determine if you are living to work, or working to live may help you to reprioritize. If you follow the steps below you will quickly see where you want to make improvements and how to get started. And you may be able to increase your efficiency, which will free up time for the other things you love but currently do not have time for.
The key ingredient to success is personal satisfaction. If all you are doing is working, then it is very likely that at some point you will have regrets. Your health or relationships may suffer from lack of attention. Or maybe you haven’t had a vacation in years and feel you have missed out on enjoying life. Or maybe you’re old belief that big homes and fancy cars are signs of success has caused you to realize that big mortgages and car payments leave you feeling stressed out or depressed.
You can work smarter, be productive and be profitable. You can improve your quality of work and quality of life. You simply have to take some time to look at the big picture. Here are some ideas:
The Satisfaction Survey
Determine your level of satisfaction in each category below. Use a scale of 1-5, 1 being least satisfied and 5 being most satisfied. Leave out guilt or societal measures. For example; don’t guilt yourself into thinking the category for fitness means you “should” go to the gym, and if you don’t, that you deserve a low score. If you honestly believe going to the gym would improve your personal satisfaction, then by all means give it a lower score because these are the areas you may decide to work on. And get creative. You can improve your fitness in lots of ways if you hate going to the gym. An example of a societal measure would be assuming you need to have a significant other for a high rating in this category. If you are on your own and happy with your life than your satisfaction level for this category would be high. Now you are ready. Go ahead a take a few moments to review the categories below and rate each one separately.
Professional/Business: First and most importantly; what is your satisfaction level on your overall work or business? Are you satisfied with your knowledge base, contributions and your compensation? Do you like what you do?
Next create a few categories around the major functions of your work/business and rate each one separately. Then look at each function with a rating of 3 or less. How can you increase your satisfaction in these areas? Can you delegate simple tasks to someone else? Are you wasting time somewhere and can you think of a creative idea to fix that? Are there personnel problems that should be addressed? Does your dissatisfaction come from being overwhelmed or from too much clutter? Clutter is a big drain on energy so eliminate the mess whenever possible.
Improving productivity not only increases satisfaction but can free up some time so you can move onto other things.
Personal: This includes things such as health, fitness, self care, education, personal development, fun, recreation. Rate each one separately and if there are other categories you want to add then by all means do so. This exercise is meant to get you thinking about everything that is important in your life. For example, if you are a religious or spiritual person that may be an important category for you to add. You also may want to eliminate a few categories.
Financial: What is your satisfaction level as it relates to your finances? Are you satisfied with the amount of money you have saved? Are you satisfied with the balances on your lines of credit, mortgages and/or rent? If you want create a detailed list of your expenses and rate each separately. There may be some real opportunity here to de-clutter as well because we do not just accumulate clutter in the office, house and garage. Over time your magazine subscriptions may pile up or memberships to groups and clubs. And if you did find a new way to exercise that does not include the gym than don’t forget to cancel the membership.
If you own a business do one rating for your personal finances and one for your business.
Social: This includes things like significant other, romance, family, friends, and community. Rate each separately and add or remove categories to make this a complete list for you. Human beings are social creatures. If you feel lonely make it a priority to find ways to meet new people. Take a class, volunteer, or join a group or club. Then go. Look at people when they walk by and say hello. Ask people how they are doing and really listen.
Physical Environment: This includes your home, workplace, neighborhood, and community. Are these places comfortable and aesthetically pleasing to you? If you feel comfortable in your physical environment your level of stress will be lower than if you do not. Next think of the place where you feel most relaxed. This may be a special vacation spot or maybe the time you get to unwind on your drive home from the office. If you do not have a place or a few minutes each day to unwind then make this a priority.
Now look at the areas you scored lowest in. See these as the weakest links in your life chain. And just like a chain, the weakest link will be unable to bare the same level of strain that the stronger links can bare. Take time to think about how you can strengthen these areas of your life. If you don’t believe you have the time now to work on these changes then think about that. Why not now? Putting off change that can make your life better doesn’t make a lot of sense. Later won’t be easier. You’ll probably never be less “busy”. And in fact it may get more challenging to make the changes later, especially if that link breaks and the relationship ends or an illness occurs. But if you really have a really good reason to wait then pick a time in the near future and make that your start date. You’ve got to commit to it.
The Vision Statement
Now that you have taken time to think about all areas of your life hopefully you feel motivated and ready to make some positive changes. There may be a few things you want to do. Before jumping into specific goal setting consider coming up with your vision statement. Busy people will say they do not have time for this. Logical people may think this is silly.
Businesses understand the importance of a vision and mission statement but many times individuals do not even consider creating one. Vision and mission statements are powerful because they provide you with clarity, direction and purpose. Individuals with a clear vision find it easier to be successful because quite simply, they know what they want. Not just in one area of their life but the big picture. From here you can then prioritize your goals and work on them in an order that will give you the best results. For example, if your see yourself with a PhD, then your first steps will need to include education. With other things you can work on multiple goals at once. You can work 60-70 hours per week, continue your education, spend time with family, and fit in a few yoga classes or walks. That’s exactly what I did for many years. You just need to have a vision and plan your day so you can function as efficiently as possible.
So what is a vision statement? It’s simply a way of articulating an image you are seeing in your minds-eye. The image is you living your perfect life. What would that look like? If you want start writing down as much as you can. Then try to summarize. It’s best to have a short and easy-to-remember vision statement. That way you can check in throughout your day to see if your actions are in alignment with your vision. If your actions are not in alignment with your vision, then take some time to decide if those are activities you want to continue engaging in. There will certainly be some responsibilities that fall into this category. But there could be opportunity here to use your time more efficiently.
Don’t think about the time it will take to do this exercise. Think about the benefits.
The Goals
Whether you came up with a vision statement or not, you can still set goals. If you don’t like the word goal then find a word that suits you better. Maybe you would prefer aim, objective, destination, purpose, target, or aspiration. I will use the word goal however.
Now you can decide what goals you want to establish for yourself. Take a moment to write them down. Next, look at the wording. Is your goal clearly stating what you want? Many times people word goals around what they do not want. You may be wondering why it matters and again it’s quite simple. If you cannot clearly articulate what you want, then how do you expect to get it? It’s easy to state the obvious like “I want to lose weight”, or I want to earn more money, or “I want to be in a happy relationship”. Here are some suggestions for good goal wording:
The Lifestyle
You may now be thinking this seems like a lot of work. But is planning for your perfect lifestyle effort or pleasurable? And the return on investment is living the life you desire. Maybe consider working with a life or business coach to help get you in the right frame of mind. Attitude is everything.
The key ingredient to success is personal satisfaction. If all you are doing is working, then it is very likely that at some point you will have regrets. Your health or relationships may suffer from lack of attention. Or maybe you haven’t had a vacation in years and feel you have missed out on enjoying life. Or maybe you’re old belief that big homes and fancy cars are signs of success has caused you to realize that big mortgages and car payments leave you feeling stressed out or depressed.
You can work smarter, be productive and be profitable. You can improve your quality of work and quality of life. You simply have to take some time to look at the big picture. Here are some ideas:
The Satisfaction Survey
Determine your level of satisfaction in each category below. Use a scale of 1-5, 1 being least satisfied and 5 being most satisfied. Leave out guilt or societal measures. For example; don’t guilt yourself into thinking the category for fitness means you “should” go to the gym, and if you don’t, that you deserve a low score. If you honestly believe going to the gym would improve your personal satisfaction, then by all means give it a lower score because these are the areas you may decide to work on. And get creative. You can improve your fitness in lots of ways if you hate going to the gym. An example of a societal measure would be assuming you need to have a significant other for a high rating in this category. If you are on your own and happy with your life than your satisfaction level for this category would be high. Now you are ready. Go ahead a take a few moments to review the categories below and rate each one separately.
Professional/Business: First and most importantly; what is your satisfaction level on your overall work or business? Are you satisfied with your knowledge base, contributions and your compensation? Do you like what you do?
Next create a few categories around the major functions of your work/business and rate each one separately. Then look at each function with a rating of 3 or less. How can you increase your satisfaction in these areas? Can you delegate simple tasks to someone else? Are you wasting time somewhere and can you think of a creative idea to fix that? Are there personnel problems that should be addressed? Does your dissatisfaction come from being overwhelmed or from too much clutter? Clutter is a big drain on energy so eliminate the mess whenever possible.
Improving productivity not only increases satisfaction but can free up some time so you can move onto other things.
Personal: This includes things such as health, fitness, self care, education, personal development, fun, recreation. Rate each one separately and if there are other categories you want to add then by all means do so. This exercise is meant to get you thinking about everything that is important in your life. For example, if you are a religious or spiritual person that may be an important category for you to add. You also may want to eliminate a few categories.
Financial: What is your satisfaction level as it relates to your finances? Are you satisfied with the amount of money you have saved? Are you satisfied with the balances on your lines of credit, mortgages and/or rent? If you want create a detailed list of your expenses and rate each separately. There may be some real opportunity here to de-clutter as well because we do not just accumulate clutter in the office, house and garage. Over time your magazine subscriptions may pile up or memberships to groups and clubs. And if you did find a new way to exercise that does not include the gym than don’t forget to cancel the membership.
If you own a business do one rating for your personal finances and one for your business.
Social: This includes things like significant other, romance, family, friends, and community. Rate each separately and add or remove categories to make this a complete list for you. Human beings are social creatures. If you feel lonely make it a priority to find ways to meet new people. Take a class, volunteer, or join a group or club. Then go. Look at people when they walk by and say hello. Ask people how they are doing and really listen.
Physical Environment: This includes your home, workplace, neighborhood, and community. Are these places comfortable and aesthetically pleasing to you? If you feel comfortable in your physical environment your level of stress will be lower than if you do not. Next think of the place where you feel most relaxed. This may be a special vacation spot or maybe the time you get to unwind on your drive home from the office. If you do not have a place or a few minutes each day to unwind then make this a priority.
Now look at the areas you scored lowest in. See these as the weakest links in your life chain. And just like a chain, the weakest link will be unable to bare the same level of strain that the stronger links can bare. Take time to think about how you can strengthen these areas of your life. If you don’t believe you have the time now to work on these changes then think about that. Why not now? Putting off change that can make your life better doesn’t make a lot of sense. Later won’t be easier. You’ll probably never be less “busy”. And in fact it may get more challenging to make the changes later, especially if that link breaks and the relationship ends or an illness occurs. But if you really have a really good reason to wait then pick a time in the near future and make that your start date. You’ve got to commit to it.
The Vision Statement
Now that you have taken time to think about all areas of your life hopefully you feel motivated and ready to make some positive changes. There may be a few things you want to do. Before jumping into specific goal setting consider coming up with your vision statement. Busy people will say they do not have time for this. Logical people may think this is silly.
Businesses understand the importance of a vision and mission statement but many times individuals do not even consider creating one. Vision and mission statements are powerful because they provide you with clarity, direction and purpose. Individuals with a clear vision find it easier to be successful because quite simply, they know what they want. Not just in one area of their life but the big picture. From here you can then prioritize your goals and work on them in an order that will give you the best results. For example, if your see yourself with a PhD, then your first steps will need to include education. With other things you can work on multiple goals at once. You can work 60-70 hours per week, continue your education, spend time with family, and fit in a few yoga classes or walks. That’s exactly what I did for many years. You just need to have a vision and plan your day so you can function as efficiently as possible.
So what is a vision statement? It’s simply a way of articulating an image you are seeing in your minds-eye. The image is you living your perfect life. What would that look like? If you want start writing down as much as you can. Then try to summarize. It’s best to have a short and easy-to-remember vision statement. That way you can check in throughout your day to see if your actions are in alignment with your vision. If your actions are not in alignment with your vision, then take some time to decide if those are activities you want to continue engaging in. There will certainly be some responsibilities that fall into this category. But there could be opportunity here to use your time more efficiently.
Don’t think about the time it will take to do this exercise. Think about the benefits.
The Goals
Whether you came up with a vision statement or not, you can still set goals. If you don’t like the word goal then find a word that suits you better. Maybe you would prefer aim, objective, destination, purpose, target, or aspiration. I will use the word goal however.
Now you can decide what goals you want to establish for yourself. Take a moment to write them down. Next, look at the wording. Is your goal clearly stating what you want? Many times people word goals around what they do not want. You may be wondering why it matters and again it’s quite simple. If you cannot clearly articulate what you want, then how do you expect to get it? It’s easy to state the obvious like “I want to lose weight”, or I want to earn more money, or “I want to be in a happy relationship”. Here are some suggestions for good goal wording:
The Lifestyle
You may now be thinking this seems like a lot of work. But is planning for your perfect lifestyle effort or pleasurable? And the return on investment is living the life you desire. Maybe consider working with a life or business coach to help get you in the right frame of mind. Attitude is everything.
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