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More Than One Answer

February 20, 2013
Thinking

Photo courtesy of College Degrees 360

Decisions, mostly, are not just an a or b answer.  How many times has your child asked you a yes or no question and instead of answering with yes or no you simply answered maybe?  You found a third answer when there only looked like two.

When you have a decision to make and it looks like you only have two options and they are both bad you need to search for the third.  Write down your possible answers, seek out the advice of a friend, or look to another source but look for your third, and hopefully better, option.

“I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.” William Shatner, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ask For More

February 13, 2013
The Way I See It - Starbucks Cup

Photo Courtesy of Linda Lane.

Want more from life? All you have to do is ask. Ask more of yourself and set your expectations higher. You might call this setting a goal but I think in this is a bit different. This is expecting more out of yourself.

Things will never just come to you. You have to want them, expect them, and believe that they are going to come to you. Napoleon Hill says that “No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.” In other words, you have to have the confidence in yourself.

Whether it is money, fame, or the desire to change the world it all starts with asking yourself for more. I close with this poem by Jessie B. Rittenhouse (from the book “The Door of Dreams”, 1918).

My Wage
“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.”

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Make the Call

February 6, 2013
Last Call

Photo Courtesy of eefeewahfah

You have to decide. Right now you must make the decision to decide. Decide what exactly? Well, what decision have you been putting off?

Everyone has to make choices and decisions. The important point is actually making them. We have all put a decision off and then proceed to make excuses as to why we can’t make a choice right now. The longer you put off a decision the harder it becomes to make — you must make the call.

Dan Miller suggests giving yourself a timeline. Give yourself a few days on the important decisions, consult those you need to get input from, and you make the call. You put a date on the decision and when the day comes you make it – no excuses.

Or you can try the Dave Ramsey way. Think about the worst possible outcome that your decision can have. Can you live with it? If so, then go. Many times the worst case scenario is not as bad as we imagined it once we actually think about it.

We all have hard decisions to make from time to time. The important thing is to make them.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Organization Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Treat People Well

January 30, 2013
All Are Significant

Image Credit: Studio JRU

“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place on the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

You need people.  You can call yourself a loner or say you don’t like people but we all need each other.  You need someone to hire you for a job or you need someone to buy your product if you are running your own business.  We are all connected in one way or another and we should treat each other well.

Next time you are in line at the supermarket during a busy holiday instead of getting frustrated at the lines and people take a minute to thank the clerk.  For that matter, thank the people around you in line for the few minutes you spent together – it might seem odd but you can brighten their day and you will be the person they are telling their family about when they get home!

It all comes down to the fact as humans we need interaction and connection.  Treat people well.

 

Filed Under: Customer Service, Leadership, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Are You In Jail?

January 23, 2013
Are you in jail?

Photo Courtesy of Michael Coghlan

A person doesn’t have to be behind bars to be in jail.  Your jail can be in your own mind.  This is something I learned from Iyanla Vanzant.

When you feel stuck in a situation you always have options.  Take a few minutes to write down what your options are and which one is the key to unlock the cell.  It will not always be an easy key to turn but, in the long run, it can set you free.

Don’t allow your limiting beliefs to hold you back.  Push forward, turn the key, and release yourself.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational Tagged With: , ,

Your Past Does Not Dictate Your Future

January 16, 2013

So many people seem to think that their past defines everything about their future.  This is simply a myth.  While I will say that your past has helped shape you it should never define you.

Have you noticed when you see one person who says that their life sucks they do things that cause this (they spend money they can’t afford, complain about everything, drive people away, etc)?  And then you have the other person who says that life is great and they seem to have everything in order (good relationships, savings, friends, etc)?

The human brain is a remarkable thing.  It provides you with the answers and reasoning you are searching for whether right or wrong.  Your life might be great when other people look at it but when you continue to tell yourself you have the worst luck and a bad life then your brain starts to provide you with how you have the worst luck and what you are doing wrong in your life.

If you want to change you can.  Will you?

 

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , , ,

Nobody ‘Always’ or ‘Nevers’

January 9, 2013
Lao Tzu Quote

Posted on Facebook by Positive Outlooks

You hear people saying “I never get the chance to _______________.” Or, “I always ___________.”  I think these are destructive phrases and simply are not true.

Your mind has a way of making things come true that you think about.  We are wired this way.  If you constantly think “I always have to clean up my co-workers mess” then your brain will find examples of this and you start believing it.  But how true is this really?

Same thing with “I never” such as “I never get to do the fun stuff.”  Say it to yourself long enough your brain puts into play examples of how you “never” get to do what you want to do.

Next time you find yourself saying these two phrases stop yourself.  Think about what you are saying and correct your mind.  Write down 5 times that you have gotten to do the fun thing or 5 times that you didn’t have to cleanup another mess.  You’ll realize while these things may happen often it is a long way from never or always.

 

 

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: 100 Days of a New Year by Jennifer Tankersley

January 7, 2013

100 Days of a New YearJennifer has once again provided an excellent resource to those who want to stay on track and stay motivated for the first 100 days of the year.  In her most recent edition, Jennifer takes you day by day from January 1-April 23.

This edition is setup like the other two that I have written reviews about.  It comes with 75 downloadable planning pages to help you stay on track.  You are provided with an activity each day to help navigate and organize your life (except for Saturday – that’s catch up day!).

The book is in PDF format which allows you to read on your computer, tablet, or print it out and put into a three ring binder as recommended.

What I enjoy most in each release are the different activities.  Many times they are things that you have thought of but put off or activities which give you that “I haven’t thought of that” a-ha moment.  A new version comes out each year and I do like going through and seeing what is new.

You can purchase this ebook directly from ListPlanIt for five dollars.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching, Organization Tagged With: , , , , ,

Book Review: The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber

January 3, 2013

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant“The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant” by Terry Felber follows Julio and his grandfather Antonio as his grandfather imparts wisdom on the young boy.  It is a parable that explains how to run a business properly with principles such as staying out of debt, taking responsibility, and keeping a budget.

This is a quick read that will take you an hour or two cover to cover.  It is an excellent story that is set in Italy.  Antonio, the wise grandfather, takes Julio through Rome visiting various characters that cause Julio to have those “a-ha” moments we all look for in life.

My personal favorite take away was that businesses making money is not a bad thing and that they need money in order to purchase products and services from other merchants and help the people in their communities.  It is the way that it is laid out in the book that I really enjoyed.

All in all I think this is a book any person in business or who is considering going into business should read.  The hour or so that it will take you to read it can change your business course for the better.

If you would like to get other peoples point of view or purchase the book you can do so on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Make Goals Instead of Resolutions

January 2, 2013

Resolutions vs GoalsIt is time for everyone to start their resolutions but I urge you: DON’T! Why? Well, how many times have you or a family member made a New Year’s Resolution and come February (or a week later) you have already forgotten about it or dropped it? Exactly. That is why I urge you to make New Year’s Goals instead.

The difference between the two is simple.  A resolution is when you say you are going to do something to change your life and that is about as far as it goes.  A goal is something you write down along with the steps it will take to accomplish the goal and with a time frame on finishing it.  The process of goal setting allows you to make small steps over a period of time rather than looking at the big thing you want and thinking it is to big to even mess with (it is the whole ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ thing).

Want to lose weight?  Get out of debt?  Spend more time with family?  Simply set up your goals the SMART way (first published by Paul J. Meyer):

  1. Specific – Instead of “I want to lose weight” change it to “I want to lose 20 pounds.”
  2. Measurable – You have to be able to measure the goal (it is three weeks in, how much weight have you lost).
  3. Attainable – Your goal must be something that is reasonable.  Something within your life that can be reached.
  4. Relevant – Your goal needs to be something that matters even if only to yourself.  If you don’t care if you stop eating junk then your goal is not relevant.
  5. Time Bound – You have to have a time frame around it.  Maybe it is a six month time and maybe it is five years but you must have a time set.

Let us all go out and make 2013 the best we can!

Sources:

Filed Under: Goal Setting Tagged With: , , ,
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