Tame The Beast That Runs You Ragged

Does it ever stop?

• Your boss’ last-minute emergency that has to be tended to before we can escape into the darkness of night. 
• Never-ending demands on our all-too-limited time.
• The relationship that needs our attention and nurturing.
• Family time, family crisis.
• Soaring expenses and plummeting cash flow.
• Gridlock, medical bills, national, political and financial meltdowns.
• Emotional overload and dare I say it? The end of Two and A Half Men as we know it, (yikes could the end of our civilization be upon us?).

In this helter-skelter world that we live in constant transitions is the rule. How we thrive through these transitions is critical to a successful and a valued existence.

Great value is attributed to human resiliency, the innate ability to rebound from devastating life experiences and to succeed against all odds.
There are a multitude of historical accountings of individual and community devastations and recovery that support our remarkable ability to flourish during incredibly dire circumstances.

But, how do we flourish during persistent and enduring change and daily stressful experiences?  I believe mindful awareness and conscious proactive choices are critical if we are to flourish during these never ending transitions.
It is imperative to have awareness of your external as well as your internal worlds. It is easier to see what is before you than what lies within you and yet both are critical to our well being. Our internal world is filled with thoughts, emotions and fears that we are all too often unaware of or tend to avoid paying attention to. 

Take note of what you are experiencing throughout the day. Ask these critical questions whenever you feel your actions aren’t leading you towards desired outcomes or when you have lost control of your focus, time and activity

• What am I doing?
• What is motivating me to do this (planful/mindful focus, strong emotions, a need for immediate gratification, distractions, fears, outside demands, feeling tired and needing a break)?
• What outcome am I seeking?
• Is what I am doing critical to this outcome?
• Will this outcome allow me to flourish?
• Have I lost my focus? 
• Am I in control of my actions or am I being controlled by them?
• Do I need to change my behavior?
• What is one thing I can do or stop doing quickly that will improve my situation?

Contact Jim to learn more about how you can achieve what matters most to you and begin living your "no-limits" life.

We frequently do not have control over what happens to us on a daily basis. While we seem to put forth great effort towards controlling our environment, it is quite common for universal forces to exert unexpected events upon us.

What we can control more successfully but not completely is how we face these events and the attitude we maintain during each experience. Being aware of your thoughts, feelings and actions give you an opportunity to make proactive choices that engender positive outcomes.

We typically do not step back to ask mindful questions as a part of our daily routine. This will take time and practice. Make an effort each day to step back and ask a few mindful questions when you are faced with a difficult transition or experience.

Remember, good choices typically lead to good outcomes. 

Write it down: Keep track of your successes each day

How often do you question your efforts to make any progress towards personal or professional goals you have set?  Many professionals I have coached initially find themselves bogged down in self-doubt and negative focus.  When asked to review their progress they will list a litany of all of the things they have not done and note how discouraged they feel. 

When asked to identify what they have accomplished over the past week they struggle to recall any positive actions.

Here is a simple action that can be invaluable when you fall into this trap.

Take an inventory of your accomplishments each day. Set aside a few moments each day to identify successes and positive steps you have taken that you find noteworthy and write them down, then review your inventory each week.

It is easy to get distracted by all of the things that go wrong in your day and week. You never want to lose sight of your accomplishments and significant efforts. Your ability to be mindful of what you have achieved will provide impetus for continued effort and ultimate success.  

Contact Jim to learn more about how to begin living your "no-limits" life.

    

But I never planned on being a hat check girl in a Chinese deli!

So how did I get here?

By luck?  By accident? By trusting in the good intentions of others?

If you believed you were going to be an astronaut and ended up working as a Hat Check Girl in a Chinese Deli, chances are you never designed and followed an action plan that was based on your skills, your values, your goals.

Mindless focus and behavior often places us at the mercy of luck, accidents and the good or bad intention of others.

Take a moment to identify a personal or professional goal. Identify the steps it would take to reach that goal. Commit to taking the initial step towards that goal and set a completion deadline. Share this deadline with someone you trust.  Periodically share your progress towards this step with that person to assure accountability.

Three questions to help you get started on the path to helping you identify and achieve a personal and professional goal.