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Archive for the ‘Choice’ Category

Living the Dream

Monday, October 29th, 2007

Last Friday, I had a wonderful opportunity to attend “Living the Dream” the 2007 Women Entrepreneurs Expo sponsored by the Women’ Business Center of Northern Virginia. With more than 400 registered attendees, the event sold out weeks in advance. Offering workshop tracks for aspiring, beginning and established business owners alike, the Expo really delivered!

What made the event especially powerful was being in the presence of so many women (and men) who were living their dreams. There I was, in the midst of hundreds of others who decided to follow their hearts and forge their own trails. The energy level was high and participants were so eager to share, learn and engage.

Forming connections with so many people living in choice left me feeling energized and inspired with lots of bold new ideas for my own businesses.

Who and/or what really inspires you? What sparks your creativity and gets your energy pumping? Now, commit to immersing yourself in it in a really big way. Surround yourself by who or what inspires you and then simply notice the impact!

Committing to Change

Friday, October 26th, 2007

“The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance will rise up to help you. The simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet for help.” — Napoleon Hill

I came across the above quote in an email signature recently, and it really caught my eye. Once upon a time, I would have read right past it. But, since I made the decision a few years ago to take my career in a new direction, I feel as though I’ve lived this quote over and over again.

When I decided change careers and become a life and career coach, it felt as though just about everyone with whom I came into contact was somehow connected to my journey. You know that feeling when you buy a car, and then suddenly you start noticing that same car everywhere? Well, that’s how it was for me. And at times, it felt surreal.

I’d always been a bit slippery when it came to making decisions. Whether ordering a meal off a menu, or a more complex thing, like buying a computer, I’d research and research until I’d accumulate so much information that I’d become overwhelmed and paralyzed, unable to make any decision at all.

But, there I was, in a job that was going the way of Apple’s Newton, and I needed to figure out what was next for me. With the help of a career counselor I figured out what I wanted to do and then (deep breath!), I made the commitment to do it.

Making that commitment was a huge leap for me. And, I found that once I made that leap, each subsequent leap or decision became a little bit easier. With every step that I took towards my goal, it seemed as though more hands were reaching out, helping to propel me further along my path. My mind became open to new possibilities and I became more willing to take risks. I developed a new sense of confidence my decision-making ability and a new sense trust in my choices.

Today, as I think about other major decisions in my life, like deciding, with my then boyfriend, to move away from Boston without jobs or even a certain destination, I marvel at how things just seemed to fall into place. I got a temporary job with an organization I was absolutely thrilled to work for and eventually landed a permanent position. A bookstore chain for which my husband worked was opening a new store in the very city where I landed a job. Once we’d committed to moving, so many things seemed to converge to facilitate the process.

What I thought of as strange coincidence then, I now realize stems from living in empowered choice!

What’s one thing you’ve been longing to do, but have been holding back on? Pick one thing, anything. Make a leap, open your mind, and see what happens …

What’s the Next Action in Your Life or Career?

Monday, October 22nd, 2007

As I mentioned in my recent “Work, Life, Balance, Stuff” post, I’ve been reading and working with David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” system.

One of the key things I’ve gotten from the book (and there are many!) is the practice of determining the next action for any given item. Small question – ‘what’s the next action?’ – but the impact of implementing this small question when sorting through stuff is pretty impressive.

At first, I applied the question to email messages, phone calls, task lists, and so on, and it didn’t take long for me to feel a sense of flow. Like things were moving along, almost coasting – no longer tangled up a tension-filled, overwhelming knot. I began to see progress on projects that had been sitting around for months.

Feeling that sense of flow with the more tangible, practical things made me wonder what the impact might be in other areas of my life. Pretty soon, I was asking, ‘what’s the next action?’ in conversations with my husband about making Thanksgiving plans, and getting the house ready for a weekend visitor. But, the real gem came tonight, when shepherding my two girls (ages three and five) through the process of getting ready for bed. As they bounced off the walls, and off of each other, I continually asked, “what’s next?” until what had become a game for them came to an end with no tears or pouting.

And so, I ask you, where are you stuck? In your job? In your career? In your everyday life? Where are you feeling sluggish or overwhelmed? Got an answer? Good. Now answer the simple question… ‘what’s the next action?’ Literally, the very next action. Is it to make a phone call, have a conversation, do research, brainstorm, make a list? Whatever it is, take that next step, and then ask the question again, and again, and again. Soon enough, you’ll be feeling the flow and you’ll see how contagious it is – and how the momentum that you create can carry over into other aspects of your life as well.

One Mom’s Balancing Act

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

While visiting with a friend today, I asked how she was doing with Toastmasters. Without knowing it, we had joined different clubs within a short time of each other. It was fun to discover that we were traveling similar paths. She’s a fellow work-at-home, business-owner mom with two young children and she’s one of those ‘how-do-you-manage-to-do-that?’ mothers. She exudes this clarity about who she is, what she wants, and what she is willing and going to do to accomplish it.

At some point along the way, she noticed that Toastmasters ceased being what it was for her in the beginning. She just wasn’t as jazzed about it as she had been. And, she suspected that it might have been a way to distract herself from the business at hand … growing her business. When she talked about how she’d been feeling about Toastmasters, it was as though someone had thrown a wet blanket over her shoulders. She appeared to be saturated and dragging, and even a little wilted.

But, she also noticed something else … that when she recently stepped up her commitment to her business, she really tapped into her passion. And, it was so clearly present in her being. Her posture straightened when she talked of her business, her face positively beamed, and her vibrant smile reappeared. There was no back and forth. There was no hesitation. She was plugged in and she, and even I, could feel it.

And her priorities were also plainly clear … her family and her business were what lit her up and she knew that was where she wanted to spend her time and energy. But, she had also made and wanted to honor a commitment to Toastmasters, which usually involves two meetings per month (and one additional meeting for her as an officer). Rather than getting stuck in conflicted feelings, she simply rewrote the rules. She figured out how she could continue her work with Toastmasters in a way that fit in with the rest of her life and enabled her to focus more of her energy where she wants it.

What’s neat to me about this story to me is that my friend really paid attention to that inner voice … the one that let her know that something wasn’t working. And then she chose to do something about it. Simply noticing is great. We can get lots of insights by simply noticing what’s going on inside and how we respond to what’s going on outside. But it takes and extra something to choose to do something with that knowing.

Did Toastmasters loose it’s shine because it just got old and stale? Or did she come to realize that she no longer needed or wanted to be distracted from her passion?

Whatever the reason, she tuned in, rewrote the rules, and took action to shift the balance once again … Living in choice!

Do you find yourself still doing things that worked once upon a time, but no longer hold meaning for you? What could you let go of? Where could you rewrite the rules to shift your work/life balance to a more satisfying place?

Living and Working in Choice

Wednesday, October 10th, 2007

Join me in exploring life and work through the lens of conscious choice! In ‘Living in Choice!’ you’ll find commentary, resources, insights and more, about being present and experiencing life as it comes, in full and conscious choice.

We’ll explore challenges and successes encountered on the journey to parenthood and the trial and triumps once you get there. The dynamics of work life, career and entrepreneurship will be interwoven throughout.

Stay tuned …