Tag Archives: change

Break the Habit of “Scrambling”

As January picks up speed, I’m committed to consciously use my time and energy even more carefully this coming year.  As an extrovert, it’s easy for me to get involved in lots of activities and projects.  But as I get older and a bit wiser, I realize that “less is more” when it comes to managing my time on a daily basis. 

Leaders, managers and worker bees all do it . . . scrambling about to get multiple tasks done at work and even at home.  It easily can become a habit – a behavior that we expect of ourselves and as a result, others expect from us as well.  But the consequence is that nothing really gets done well.  We make silly mistakes and waste precious energy redoing tasks because we weren’t paying enough attention or we “didn’t have time” to do it right the first time.  Sound familiar?

“Scramble” Less to Get More Done

So here’s something to experiment with . . . simply slow down both your thinking and your actions.  Catch yourself when you start to scramble and coach yourself to do or think of only one thing at a time.  Concentrate.  That’s often a big challenge because of all the noise in our lives.  But when you do you will be pleasantly surprised by how much more effective you are.  You actually get more done.  And there is a ripple effect of feeling more in control, relaxed and focused.  It’s a great feeling – try it!

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New Choices in the New Year

I caught the newspaper headline just as I was zipping out of the gym early this morning . . . “New Choices in the New Year”.  I like it!  That headline captures the spirit, hope and energy that as a professional coach I hope to bring to all my coaching and training clients.  It speaks to recognizing our own personal power in creating a future that we truly want at this time in our lives.

And that’s what we’re all thinking about this first week of January as the new year gets underway.  It may be a renewed commitment to a regular exercise schedule; healthier eating; more sleep; better time and energy management or a different career path.  This is a natural time to look back over the past year to see what has worked well and what hasn’t; what changes need to be made to move forward and then to use that wisdom to proactively plan for a “prosperous new year”.

The Power of Choice 

Let’s be honest and recognize that it’s all about choices . . . and it’s all within our personal power.  Everyday we make multiple choices – some move us closer to our positive year-long goals but other choices are made when we are hurried and stressed.  These are the choices that often distract or even derail us from what we really want in our lives.  It can be tempting to blame these poor choices on other people or outside circumstances but in all honesty we always have control over how we respond to these situations – even though we may not want to admit it.

Slow Down to Make Good Choices

So what’s the secret to making good choices for ourselves?  Bottom line . . . slow down and think about your choice before you commit yourself.  Make it a habit.  Push the pause button and think about how this choice may support or distract you from a higher priority goal.  That brief pause gives you a chance to think before acting.

But since daily life does move fast, don’t be too hard on yourself for making a few snap choices that you later find yourself regretting . . . it happens to all of us.   The good news is that as we get older and wiser that pause button gets much easier to push!

 

 

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Holiday Coaching Specials

Tired of the same old holiday gifts this season? Try this delicious change. Give a special friend or family member an opportunity to work with an experienced professional career & life coach over the next three months.

Coaching is results-oriented, fast-moving and incredibly powerful. Know that you are helping someone that you really care about create the life they truly want in 2012. What a great way to jump-start the New Year – there is no better gift than that!

This is the best part . . . for the month of December all my coaching price options are reduced by 20% for the first person on your gift list. For the second person on your list it’s a 50% discount. 

Several of these coaching options are for three months, so your savings is significant. And that first or second person could be you as well!

Here’s how you do it . . .

  1. Go on my website www.CareerConnectionsSN.com and click on the tab “Coaching”, then from the dropdown menu, click on “Individual Coaching Options”. Or click here: Individual Coaching by Kit.
  2. Review the descriptions and select one of the options you would like to gift.
  3. Shoot me an email [email protected] or call (775) 324-5151. I will take it from there!

Happiest of Holidays and into the New Year, too!

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Wildfires in the Snow: Lessons Learned

We were expecting snow that Thursday evening.  I was up at “o-dark hundred” getting ready for an early morning meeting before going to the airport to catch a flight out to Boston for Thanksgiving.  Suddenly it’s all over the news – a huge wildfire moving rapidly through the foothills of Reno heading toward the southwest neighborhoods (where we live).  It started with downed power lines.  Pushed by winds of up to 80 miles an hour off the Sierra Mountains the fire was traveling very fast through the canyons. Well, that got my attention!

It’s amazing how fast things can change.  Our daily routines are our comfort zones and we get a lot done each day, each week, month and year.  We plan ahead and we work the plan.  But when things suddenly change we have to move fast to accommodate whatever is needed in that circumstance.

Be Ready to Move Fast

So when the telephone calls came in to “voluntary evacuate” my husband, Wally, and I were already in high gear.  Our suitcases were packed for a week away; important papers were in several portable files from the last season of wildfires and the dogs were ready to jump in the car for a ride.  So off to the local donut shop we went to follow the news and to coordinate with family members plans for my elderly father who lived right in the center of the fire’s path.

All worked out fine for us.  But 29 families lost their homes completely.  These folks had gone to bed that night expecting that the following day would be a normal Friday routine.  It was anything but normal for them; for our first responders and for our Reno community.  And it was totally unexpected . . . after all it was suppose to snow.

Lessons Learned

Every community has its own challenges with the threat of natural or manmade disasters.  We can’t live a healthy life being afraid but we can be proactive.  Here’s how . . . don’t get too comfortable.  Just when you think that life is so routine and predictable it will take a u-turn.  Something will happen that you would never expect. Think ahead of what you would do in a worst case scenario and make some initial plans.  Nothing fancy but just what you would do when – especially if you’re also responsible for family members.  You may never need these backup plans but you have them.  And then you can enjoy that snow when it does come right on schedule.

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Overcome “Recession Fatigue”

Here’s the best strategy I’ve found to push through that “Recession Fatigue”. It is simply shifting your energy to those areas that you do have some control over and concentrating on being successful in those areas over the next few months.

Here’s a way to do that . . .

First. Take a piece of paper and draw out the five Olympic Circles. You will remember that there are five intersecting circles – three on the top and two on the bottom. Next, take a moment to think of the five areas of your current life that you value spending your time and energy on. Often these are areas that in the past you regretted not having the time to spend doing.

Areas such as: your own health (exercise, eating well etc.); learning by taking a class; picking up a new hobby or volunteer commitment; having more time with your children; mini-vacations with old friends or maybe more quality involvement with your elderly parents.

Pick what’s important to you in this chapter of your life. Now, label each circle with one of those areas.

Second. Identify priority short-term benchmarks in each of these areas. Be concrete – is there a weight goal? A sports fitness goal? A passion you want to nurture? Do you want to be more available to your parents, your own kids or your friends? Keep the short-term benchmarks easy to remember and to track.

Third. Now identify when you will know that you have hit those benchmarks – when you’ve made your first short-term goal on exercising; learning; volunteering or extra time with your own kids and parents. What will success look like? And don’t forget to celebrate when you’ve reached those successes each and every time!

It’s great (and critical) to feel productive, appreciated and successful in these additional areas of your life. So even if this recession is beating you up on the job more than you expected, you can take control of other areas, and enjoy a wonderful boost of self-confidence from these other equally important areas of your life.

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