When Willpower Isn't Enough...

It's coming.  The new year is a traditional time to take stock of ourselves, set some resolutions to do better, and inevitably slide into failure and depression as we break each resolution, one by one!  Maybe that's because we depend on willpower to keep our resolutions.  This article from the NY Times suggests that planning for keep yourself motivated and rewarded will outperform willpower every time.

Building On Your Personal Strengths | Lifescript.com

Building On Your Personal Strengths | Lifescript.com

Here's an interesting article to help you focus on your strengths today.

Happy Thanksgiving...

Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, a day to remember and be grateful for all the good things in our lives.  As a fan of this page, you're likely a problem-solver personality.  Problems solvers tend to focus on, what else, problems.  But sometimes this focus can skew your view.  You don't have to be an American to stop and appreciate what works well in your life, and the good things about you.  For today, think about the good stuff you have going for you, and be thankful.  After all, gratitude is the engine of an abundant universe.

Making the Move…

Studies show that as many as 55% of Americans are unhappy with their current job and thinking about changing to another. Are you one of them? Perhaps you’re one of those people who are thinking about making a big move. In today’s challenging economy, a job change can be a big deal. Finding the opportunity is the first challenge, but don’t underestimate the issues of fitting into a new environment. Sometimes, it may make more sense to work on the job opportunities where you are currently situated.

Taking some classes, perhaps achieving a degree, or even improving your communication skills – all can help you advance and succeed even in your current job. Old professions are withering away and new fields are being created every day. To stay up with the changes, you need to know your goals and your marketability perfectly.

So how do you know when it’s really time to move on? Here’s a little self-assessment to assist you in making your decision. There are no right or wrong answers, just interesting ones.

Part One – Are You Really Ready

1. Are you making a decision based on impulse or careful reflection?

So you’re thinking about moving…to a new job (or maybe a new house, or even a new city). Is this a decision you’ve made on the spur of the moment or have you been giving it a lot of thought? Studies show that people who think a lot about what they are looking for before making major changes come closer to reaching what they sought than those who made changes without much thought beforehand.

If you’ve been thinking about a new job for a long time, gathering your skills and abilities and maximizing your resume for best “curb appeal,” you’re probably ready to go. But if this is a new idea, perhaps it’s best to roll it around for a little while longer. Give some real thought to how you’ll feel in a totally new and unfamiliar environment. What is irritating you today at your current job might be nothing compared to how tough a new job could be.

2. Have you had a conflict situation which makes you temporarily angry enough to leave?       

Never make decisions based on anger. It clouds your judgment and obstructs good decision making. If something has occurred at work that’s made you angry, first and foremost, cool off. Then think about what happened. Could better handling on your part have avoided the situation? Are you totally satisfied that you were not partly responsible? Great leaders recognize when they’ve made a mistake, and are never afraid to take responsibility. We’re all only human after all. A simply apology can remedy some of the most serious situations.

But if the situation was not your fault, and is truly unfixable and intolerable, don’t just quit. You put yourself at a disadvantage and in this economy you might never recover. You’ll almost certainly be tempted to take the first job that comes along rather than a truly better one. Instead, begin doing your research and making your transition plan and fly low. When the time is right, you’ll spring free to a steady platform of a great new job.

3. Do you feel a sense of urgency to make a move?

Is a new job something you daydream about when you’re bore, or do you feel a daily pressure to make a move? Does your stomach twist up in knots every morning as you travel to work? Or maybe you’re just convinced that there’s something better for you out there.     It might seem a little backward, but while a sense of urgency can help by getting you into action for your job hunt, it can also cause you to move faster or with less preparation that is best for you.

4. Are you looking for a way for your employer to finally recognize you and your hard work?

We all want the recognition we’ve earned. But few employers will appreciate you leaving. If recognition is what you seek, a job change may not be the answer. Studies show that most people don’t recognize what isn’t put in front of them. If you’re accomplishments are routinely overlooked, perhaps it’s because you haven’t learned how to properly illuminate them. Some people call it marketing; I call it shining light on the things you’re proud of.

5. Do you feel that giving your employer a shock by resigning might get them to see things your way?

Forget it. In this labor market, you’re more likely to give them a chance to replace you for less money that you make now. Don’t use ultimatums or threats of resignation to get your way. If logic or merit won’t make the case, little else will be more effective. Instead, check yourself. The impulse to “show them” may be powerful, but a better solution is to reevaluate your proposal and see better understand why it’s being rejected. And realize that even the biggest executives don’t get their way all the time. If not this time, perhaps next time will be yours.

6. Have you exhausted all options for advancement where you are presently?

OK, so you want career growth. That’s a good thing. But have you really looked at where you are now? Most people overlook all kinds of resources and opportunities available at their current jobs, assuming they’re irretrievably stalled. But perhaps volunteering for a tough project will demonstrate your abilities where you are now. Seek a mentor; ask others how they entered their fields. Have you actually applied for other jobs at your company? Have you spoken to someone in human resources? Be sure you’re company is a dead end before you write it off your list.

A lot of time - the employer's and the candidate's- can be wasted in interviewing  a person  who really isn't ready or serious about making a move, and who is only going through the motions to get a better deal where they are, presently. Please be sure that you have weighed both the pros and cons of leaving and that you have made up your mind to do so.
But once you’ve decided you’re going to make the move, make sure you’re as prepared as possible. The first task is to examine you the way a potential employer will see you. Then make sure the picture is as attractive and compelling as possible.

Part 2 - Taking Inventory

1. Know yourself - your strengths and weaknesses, both professionally and personally.

Name your three top strengths. How do they relate to the positions you’re seeking? What are your greatest challenges and what strategies are you using to overcome them? Remember, this is a job interview. If your strengths don’t relate to the opportunity, an employer won’t be impressed.

2. Where do you shine and where do you need to improve your skills/abilities?

When you look at yourself and your resume as if you were the recruiter instead of the job seeker, how do you rate yourself? Be brutally honest. Those things that most impress the recruiter should be polished and detailed. Look for things that can be improved. Where you are weakest, fix it or deemphasize.

3. How do you define your value and your worth to your employer?

What would you tell an employer to demonstrate that hiring you is a smart decision? What benefits did you bring your current employer? What projects did you successfully lead or how did you improve the work you do now? Employers like specific examples.

4. How effective a communicator are you?

What are your strengths as a communicator? How are your interview skills? This is one area where practice definitely makes a difference. If you get tongue tied, or speak smoothly? Consider taking a class at a local community college or other venue.

5. How effective a listener are you?

The most interesting people are usually the best listeners. Even in a job interview, or perhaps especially in a job interview, good listening is critical. To give the best answers, you need to hear and truly understand the questions. By listening with all your senses – reading body posture, hearing tone as well as words – you will understand the context of the question and give the best answer.

6. How do you react in handling problems and finding solutions?

What’s your problem style? Are you the calm and collected one, or do you get crazed? Understanding how you react to problems provides valuable information on the kind of job you should consider. Every job has problems, but some require immediate answers and some allow time for critical thought. Be sure you know which is best for you.

7. Success means different things to different people - what does it mean to you?

If you’re not clear about your goal, you’ll have trouble knowing how to get there or even if you’ve reached it. Besides a new job, what are you really seeking? Better to get it clear in your mind now, instead of finding out at your new job that it wasn’t what you really wanted.

8. What do you derive the greatest personal satisfaction from in your work?

Is it solving problems? Being creative? The only way to make your work more satisfying it to spend some time thinking about what satisfies you.

9. Determine what is most important to you in making a move and in what order:
Advancement, recognition, security, money, benefits.

Once you’re sure it’s time for a change, you need to begin a campaign as deliberate as any marketing campaign. Rank the things you are looking for from your new job, and ruthless pare off any opportunity that doesn’t meet your specifications.

10. What sort of company appeals to you - Large, medium, small, start-up?

Each size has its benefits and disadvantages. It’s easier to be noticed in a smaller company, but often hard to move up because there are fewer opportunities. Larger companies offer greater opportunities, but it’s often harder to get them and easier to be lost in the sea of employees. People who are excited by a start-up can find themselves bored to tears in an established company.

11. What degree of risk are you prepared to take to progress in your career?

Sometimes an opportunity doesn’t bring financial increase with it, or might even require a reduction in salary. If you’re thinking about changing careers, it’s likely that you may initially lose some financial ground. You are banking on your ability to establish yourself quickly in the new field, and advance rapidly.
If you’re headed to a start-up, you need to balance the potential financial rewards with the risk of the business not continuing. Not all start-ups are successful.

12. How well do you handle uncertainty and change?

Some people thrive on uncertainty and constant change. Other people loathe anything not stable and predictable. Know where you fit. If change is difficult for you, be careful making too great a change all at once and becoming overwhelmed. If you get bored easily, don’t tie yourself down in a position that’s too routine and predictable. Consider the same factors when selecting potential organizations to offer your services to.

13. What compromises/sacrifices are you willing to make to progress in your career?

Most great opportunities come with a price tag. Getting an education these days costs as much as a small house. A career that includes travel means time away from friends and family. Many of us find that we’ve made unintentional sacrifices only by looking back. Better to consider up front how important your career is, and how it will fit in with your other priorities. There are times when career must come first, and times when for many people, it comes second to other priorities. Each of us is unique. What’s important is that we know ourselves.

www.ManifestationCoaching.com

300!

I reached 300 fans today on my Facebook page.   I am especially thankful for those of my fans who are referring me to their friends.  Keep it up, and in celebration, here's a weekend brain squeeze.  Click the pic, print it and go for it.

My Audio Experiment...

Check out my experimental first audio posting.  I've decided to investigate joining the podcast crowd.  My first audio post is a brief biographical sketch and basic summary of my manifestation coaching approach.  Listen and let me know what you think!!  http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/html/audio.html 

The Unread Book...

I spent a lot of time in trouble during my early school years. Don’t misunderstand; I wasn’t a bad kid. But I was a troublesome kid. I talked too much, asked too many questions, came back with too many impertinent remarks, argued with my elders, and read too much (which basically means I was reading anything but the textbooks I was supposed to be reading. My passion has always been science fiction, and even in grammar school I found the genre more interesting than geography).

In fact, when I finally graduated from Immaculate Conception grammar school, I was given the seven books that had been confiscated from me during my four years there. Each one was taken for reading in class. I had good grades, but reading was an addiction for me very early in life.

Today, it is typical for me be reading three or four books concurrently. Out of economic necessity, I shop at a wonderful used bookstore in the San Fernando Valley called The Iliad. I start there on a Saturday morning with the bargain counter near the entrance. Tons of books under $5. I get all kinds of books I would have passed by before. I don’t want to risk $35 on a book I’m not sure about. But for $1 I’ll buy anything that looks intriguing. That bargain price has lured me into some fascinating reading. But most especially historical reading.

Recently, I’ve started reading another $2 book published in 1916. It’s called A Diplomat’s Wife in Mexico covering her diplomatic stay in Mexico around 1912. Written by Edith O’Shaughnessy as a series of letters back to the States, it presents a fascinating sometimes troubling picture of the American viewpoint at the turn of the century, and our relationship with Latin America.

As I reached near the halfway point of the book, I started having the cut many pages. For those not familiar with this, many times, older books would have pages that were not properly cut along the outside, preventing you from turning the page. In the day, it was typical to have a letter opener or some other knife-like tool handy when reading a book for the first time, to be able to “cut” the pages when needed.

I suddenly realized that if I was cutting pages, I was the first one to turn these pages. That meant this near 100-year old book had never been read all through until I did it myself this week. For almost 100 years, this book has lain fallow, its message locked between its covers just waiting from someone to cut the pages open and release the story.

For some reason, it made me sad. I wondered how many of us are like that book. It has a lovely dark green cover with the Mexican eagle emblem embossed in gold on the front, along with the title and a reproduction of Mrs. O’Shaughnessy’s signature. It’s quite a pretty book, actually, and still it’s never been opened.

So many of us put on our best face, dress up real nice for the world, and still end up standing at the edge of the dance floor, watching everyone else have fun – our book unopened.

But my little book had no choice. It couldn’t jump up and cry “read me!” and it couldn’t read itself. You and I have more going for us. We don’t have to wait for someone to find us finally on the bargain counter at The Iliad.

With a little bit of courage and a little bit of daring, we can speak up for ourselves, create our own readers, and tell our story to the world. Whether it’s creating a compelling resume, giving an Oscar-worthy job interview, or writing the next great novel, we have the power to create without waiting for permission.

I know doing the unfamiliar is scary and daunting. But after my bittersweet encounter with Mrs. O’Shaughnessy’s book, I have a new inspiration. Every time I think about giving up I’ll think about that poor little book just waiting, waiting, waiting, and I’ll know that nothing is scarier than that. No risk of failure is worse than the thought of being like that book, unread, unappreciated, just waiting.

Trying is better. Trying and failing is better. Anything is better than just sitting there.  And that's a great feeling.

Once you reach that point, you have found your power. Find your focus next and blast off. Don’t be that unread book!

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/

In Defense of Impatience...

“Didn’t you learn anything in Italy about patience?” my office colleague asked me after my recent return from a two-week vacation in rural Italy. I was, as usual, demanding deadlines and commitments from my staff at a manager’s meeting.

I thought about that question that night. It’s true that my Italian ancestors have a different pace of living that one could describe as slower. Certainly meals are a leisurely pastime in Italy. But drive on an Italian street or better yet, the autostrada (their freeways)! You’d never describe an Italian driver as patient.

What’s the difference?

When Italians want to get somewhere, they don’t dawdle. Whether by autostrada, or vaporetto boat in Venice, or the subway in Rome, Italians waste no time and have little patience for those who do. But once they reach their destination, they slow their pace and begin a deeper experience.

When I try to create change in my life, that is, when I’m trying to get somewhere, I myself tend to be very impatient. Sometimes I feel like I’m pushing a big object against a heavy wind. But it seems to me that impatience with the pace of progress is the engine that creates the progress. Complacency is the enemy of forward motion. Impatience keeps complacency at bay. This is a good thing.

On the other hand, my impatience sometimes enters into my personal relationships, and that’s where my travel lessons will come in handy. When I had the attention of my Italian relatives during our recent visit, I had their entire attention. We talked over dinner for hours, and they made my mother and I the center of attention the whole meal. We felt welcomed and included despite the language challenges.

My lesson?

Be impatient with progress, but not people. Don’t let your focus on moving forward blind you to the people you travel with. They are, after all, the point of your journey.

So, I guess the answer to my friend’s question is “yes,” after all. I have learned something from my recent vacation. I’ve learned that there is a place for impatience and pushing, but there’s also a place for stopping and listening. As with so many things, it’s all a matter of balance.

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/

Starting school...

Summer is over already and school is upon us.  If you're new to the school routine, here's a useful website, Mom's Homeroom, dedicated to helping you prepare your child to succeed in school. 

Useful as the site is, there's an even better way to help your child succeed in school, and that is to get involved and stay involved in his or her school life.  This article shows the many ways that parental involvement is key to student success.

It doesn't take a degree in rocket science to help your kids succeed in school.  All it takes it encouragement, support, and involvement to make a difference that will last a lifetime.

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/

Renew your dreams...

"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born." — Dale E. Turner

Never think it's too late to pursue your dream or achieve major accomplishments.  This article will inspire you.  You'll be surprised at who became world famous in their later years.  Grantly Morris humourously lists amazing things accomplished by senior citizens.

But you don't have to be in your golden years to learn this lesson.  Perhaps you never graduated from high school, and feel at 35 it's too late to fix it.  Not true. 

Last night I saw an amazing documentary called Changing Keys about Billy McLaughlin, a famous guitarist whose brain sort of forgot how to play.  He could have given up.  He almost did.  What he finally did in the end is head-shakingly amazing.  And a true lesson in not giving up.

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/

Brain Sqeeze...

Something to relax you this Sunday as you prepare for the coming week.  Print and enjoy!

Learn from Mistakes...

“Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.” – Dale E. Turner

"Own the mistakes..."

"We had to admit to ourselves and to the people of this company that we owned the mistakes that were made. Once we did, it was a powerful turning point. It’s like when you have a secret and get it out: The burden is off your shoulders."

Those are the words of one of America's most successful CEO's, Howard Schultz of Starbucks in his interview with the Harvard Business Review.  He's talking about the amazing power that comes from admitting and owning your mistakes.

Too often we spend our time rationalizing why we're not getting to our dreams.  If something we try is unsuccessful or backfires on us, we immediately seek to understand what happened.  But all too often, we forget to look at ourselves.

We're not perfect.  And as mere imperfect beings with imperfect knowledge, we make mistakes.  If you're like me, you make a lot of them.  One way to respond is to refuse to admit them and seek to place the blame on other people or circumstances.  It couldn't be that perhaps I wasn't as well prepared as I could have been, or maybe got too nervous during the interview, or couldn't read my notes in trial.

Another, better, way is to openly and proudly own your mistakes. 

Each one represents you trying to achieve your dream.  I wouldn't be in court if I hadn't put myself in law school and dared to start practicing at 47. 

Each one is a learning experience, though probably an uncomfortable one.  I learned quickly how to make usable readable trial notes.  Before getting to an interview, I make sure I have at least 15 minutes to relax in preparation. 

Viewed correctly, mistakes are something to be proud of. 

After all, as Mario Andretti said, “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”

So lay down that burden and celebrate your mistakes.  Just try not to keep repeating them!

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/

"Our Deepest Fear..."

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people around you won’t feel insecure.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

– Marianne Williamson

Brain work...

A little brain teaser to pass the time!  Print and enjoy.

Your Competitive Advantage...

If you're the owner of a small business, you know the margin between success and failure is very thin.  You need every advantage you can get.  Marketing, efficiency, economy...each has to be at it's best.  But there's one area that can give you more competitive advantage than anything else, and it doesn't take loads of investment to get there. 

Value Your Employees

Every person who works in your business is a potential goldmine.  If you treat them correctly and keep them motivated.  Studies show that what employees want from their job can be (superficially) boiled down to three things:

• Equity
• Achievement
• Camaraderie

Equity - people want to be treated fairly with respect.  Communicate, communicate, communicate.  And that means listen more often than speak.  Full communication not only helps get the job done better, but its a sign of respect.  Face up to poor performance.  Find out what's getting in the way of improved performance.  But also, don't shirk from dealing with poor performers, or your best people will soon lose their motivation.

Achievement - Instill an inspiring purpose in the workplace.  Help your people understand how important they are to you and to the mission.  Having a mission statement is a powerful uniting tool.  Provide recognition.  People need to be recognized when they do something well.  It gives pride and strengthens their connection to the mission.  Coach your team for improvement.  Help them reach the next level.  Most people are excited by progress and mastery.  Those who aren't will soon make room for others.

Camaraderie - People love to feel a part of a winning team, just look at professional sports fans.  Promote teamwork.  Teams are more effective getting things done well than individuals, and most people get a morale boost from feeling part of a team.

In short:

** Listen and involve your employees in the business.
** Promote teams and show interest in their ideas.
** Give your teams freedom with defined task boundaries and let their imaginations fly.

A word about money.  Most business owners feel helpless to ask more of their employees when they can't give more money.  Especially when they can't give big raises because they're just barely hanging on now.  I spent twelve years as a corporate compensation expert and I can tell you that the excitement from a money raise fades very quickly, and with it, any increase in motivation.  Money doesn't buy happiness...for very long.

For long-term satisfied employees, your best tool is to value your employees and make them feel it.  Recent surveys have shown that people are feeling less valued at work than ever before.  Think it's because of their pay?  Actually, the largest percentage (42%) said they felt less valued because of the behavior of their manager or supervisor.

Not their pay, workload, benefits...the behavior of their boss.

Yes, money is important, but not the most important.  A successful business with motivated employees generates money and raises.  But a valued workforce generates a successful business.

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/

Irish words of wisdom

"Contending against knowledge,

contending without proofs,

Taking refuge in bad language,

A stiff delivery,

A muttering speech,

Hair-splitting,

Uncertain proofs,

Despising books,

Turning against custom,

Shifting one's pleading,

Inciting the mob,

Blowing one's own trumpet,

Shouting at the top of one's voice."

The Story of the Irish Race, 1921, Seumas MacManus.

The great Irish king Cormac MacArt on what makes a bad lawyer, circa the tenth century.  Some things never change. 

What a Coach Can Do....

Some folks think you need to be an under-achiever to benefit from a personal life coach.  Not true!  Here's a story about a highly ranked education professional, an expert in career creation, who attributes much of his personal and professional success to using a coach.  "All along, he worked with an executive coach who helped him figure out what motivated him and how to be a better manager, father, and community member."

His coach helped him build a dynamic career and help others in the process.  How could a coach help you?

Getting Started #1 (Mornings)…

Technorati Tags: mornings,waking up,bedtime,good sleep,sleeping,getting started,coaching,life coach,manifestation coaching

"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."  --  Will Rogers

Getting up in the morning can be one of my most difficult lifetime challenges. Some mornings, even though I can hear the birds chirping outside my sunny bedroom window, elevating myself up from my deep morning's sleep can seem an impossible and unwelcome chore. I used to joke that I'm not fully awake until 10 o'clock in the morning, but as I get a little older, it becomes that much less of a joke.

Speaking of the office, by the time I get there and face the piles of paper on my desk, I'm not so happy to be awake. Is it any wonder that the first thing I do is drop my briefcase and headed across the street for a strong cup of coffee?

Of course, similar pattern emerges from me when I start on projects. I suppose you can begin to see the pattern yourself: the only thing I don't have trouble getting started is my car and that's because it's a Honda. In fact it took me three tries to start this article and it's now Saturday afternoon.

Am I alone? I don't think so.

There's two parts to getting started, preparation and execution. Let's start with getting up in the morning. The best way to get up in the morning is to get a good night's sleep, and the best way to get a good night's sleep is to be prepared for one.

Getting To Sleep at Night

Relax.  The best thing you can do for yourself to prepare for a good sleep is to be relaxed. For me that means reading a good book, for you that could be a hot bath, or even a bowl of cereal with warm milk.

Set a regular bedtime. I know it sounds like something you tell your children, but the body is a creature of habit. Get your body accustomed to going to sleep at a particular time of the evening and it will become easier and easier to sleep at that time.

Don't wait until you're drowsing on the sofa. That drowsing is exactly what you want to drift you into a good night’s sleep. If you have to interrupt it by getting up off the sofa, getting undressed and getting into bed, you've already interrupted your sleep.

This sounds silly, but keep an orderly bed. Tangled sheets and blankets hang you up at night and make you toss and turn more than you normally would. Take just a moment before you go to sleep to straighten out your covers and make sure you're comfortable.

Use music or white noise. Many people have trouble turning off their brain when they lay on the pillow at night. Their thinking continues to run a mile a minute, or they listen to every sound they hear and project a potential disaster. Gentle music of any genre in the background, or even a white noise machine with the sound of the ocean or birds chirping quietly, can distract your mind and help you focus on the nothingness that will bring you sleep.

Get a good pillow. You'd be surprised how fast a pillow wears out and ceases to provide the proper support. If you’ve had your pillow more than three or four years, it's time to replace it. If it's one of those expensive down-filled pillows, consider taking it to a dry cleaner to have it cleaned and fluffed and possibly even refilled.

Remember that the pillow is more than just a block to lay your head on. It needs to provide the proper support for your head and neck so that you can breathe properly while you sleep, and minimize strain on the back and shoulder muscles.

Getting Up in the Morning

Now that we've mastered preparing and getting a good night of sleep, I thought about getting up in the morning. This is the real problem for me. When I was young, it was common for me to sleep through three alarm clocks and still be late for school. I know now it wasn't because I didn't hear the alarm clocks, it was because I wasn't ready to face the day. Sometimes the reason that you can't get up in the morning is because you don't want to, and sometimes the reason is because you didn't get enough sleep and you can't wake up. It's important to know which is which and which is happening to you.

Here’s what worked for me for both reasons.

Don't use the sleep button. Don't let your body think that each deadline gives you more time. Reconcile both your body and your mind to getting up without the extra 10 minutes or 15 minutes or 30 minutes that you steal with the sleep button. Think about it, if you can regularly give yourself an extra 15 or 30 minutes, then set your alarm appropriately and get up when it rings. Steve Pavlina suggests that you use a Pavlovian training method of repetition to a custom yourself to getting up upon hearing the alarm. However you get there, fight that hesitation to fall back into sleep.

Stretch. Before you even throw the covers back, stretch out take a deep breath open your eyes and look around your room. Give your body a chance to become accustomed to being awake.

Shower immediately. Don't slump around making your coffee, picking what you're going to wear for the day. Hit the shower right away. It's much harder to fall back asleep if you're showered and shaved.

Don't think about the day ahead of you. There's plenty of time for that. Give yourself at least an hour in the morning of not thinking about the day that's coming up. Instead, listen to the sounds of the morning or music, appreciate the weather, say hello to your fish. Anything but stressing yourself out by anticipating the events of the day.  Don’t listen to the news.  You can hear that on the way to work.  This time is for easing into the day.

These are my strategies for getting a good sleep and getting out of a good sleep the next day for a good start.

Having conquered that, I next set out to master the art of facing my desk in the morning. I'll write more about that in the near future.

Www.manifestationcoaching.com

Season of simplifying…

[see the original at www.ManifestationCoaching.com]


Spring is on the way, and that means it’s getting to be my least and most favorite time of the year.  I love Spring weather, especially here in Los Angeles.  Clear sunny blue skies with brisk cool breezes is my idea of heaven on earth.

The rebirth of beautiful weather is the basis of the tradition of Spring housecleaning, starting over with a clean slate so to speak.  While I love a clean house and orderly office, I detest what it takes to get one and keep it that way.  I suppose you could call me a supremely lazy neat freak.  So I look for easy ways to get or stay organized.


Here’s a few of my discoveries:


Go Paperless.  This is the 21st century; it’s time to give up on paper. 
Continuing to receive paper means you have tons of mail to deal with.  You bring in the mail when you get home from work.  It sits there until you open it.  Then you open it, read it, and it sits there until you either file it or shred it.  Then you put it into the file or shred pile, and it sits there some more.  Stop the madness!!
Going digital with your important records means they take up almost no space at all, so you can get rid of most of those ugly file cabinets.  You save time and money because there are no file folders to buy, and no labels to write.  Filing is a snap; simply name your files properly and the computer sorts them by any number of ways.


More importantly, it’s easy to duplicate digital records to safely store copies offsite in case of disaster.


Get e-bills.  Most utilities, credit card companies, and phone service providers all offer their bills in digital versions so that you can stop receiving paper bills.  Take them up on this offer.  When you receive your e-bill by email, simply save it to a folder on your computer named for the biller.  I have a master folder named File Docs, and I keep them all there.


Scan what you can.  What you can’t get as electronic documents, scan.  Scanners used to cost of lot of money, but now you can get them inexpensively incorporated into printers, or standalone.  What you choose will depend on your needs, preferences, and budget.



Get a photo-quality scanner so that you can preserve photos as well as documents.  If you have a lot of paper to scan, consider a scanner with a sheet feeder.  If you have a lot of photo negatives, there is equipment specially designed for that use.


Whatever you choose, you’ll find it makes a world of difference.  Go here for a selection of scanners to review.


Standardize.  Take a lesson from WWII tank warfare.  The Germans used a variety of designs of tanks.  The Russians relied on two basic designs.  German tanks were probably superior, but all the different designs meant tons of different spare parts to stock and keep track of when the tanks inevitably broke down.  The Russian tanks won.


Think about that the next time you’re frustrated because you can’t find the right size lid to that storage container for tonight’s leftovers.  You have a container for every use, in every size.  You’re totally prepared for anything.  But you can never find what you need when you need it.
Forget that. 


Use only two sizes of inexpensive clear food storage containers.  One container should snugly hold two servings.  The other should hold about twice that.  Make sure they both use the same size lid.  If you have less than one serving, combine it with something else or don’t bother saving it.  Most people don’t use the more expensive storage containers enough to justify the added expense.  Supplement with plastic sandwich bags that seal and that’s all the leftover storage most people need.


Exploit your crock pot.  Or, if you’re like me, find it first, then exploit it.  It’s probably buried behind the wok, the bread maker, the espresso machine, the roasting pan, and assorted sauce pans.  If you don’t have one, seriously consider purchasing one.  If money is constrained, a refurbished or used one works quite nicely. 


The wonderful thing about a crock pot is that it takes so little to accomplish so much.  Create entire meals from one pot, without standing over the stove all day.  Now experiencing a resurgence in popularity because people have discovered that you can do much more with a crock pot than simply simmer stew, a crock pot can be your friend too.  Simple recipes can make meal preparation satisfying and simplified.


House the Homeless.  Disorganization is a combination of things with no home, and things not in their home.  Don’t support homelessness.  Make sure everything you own has a home, a place to rest out of the way and preferably out of sight.


On your desk, use storage containers and organizers to make sure that everything can be put away.  Then, develop the habit of putting things back in their home when you are finished.  You probably remember hearing the admonishment to put your toys away?  Well, some things never change!





“Getting organized” has such an intimidating sound to it that many people are defeated even before they start.  Instead of deciding to get everything organized, consider starting to use these three simple strategies – not all at once, but gradually,  the way real behavioral change is created. 


Good luck!


[see the original at www.ManifestationCoaching.com]

Web site update …

I spent this morning working on my web site, doing some minor content revision and design refinements.  I hope the slightly modified structure will be easier to navigate and make more sense to the first time visitor.

Your comments are always appreciated.

www.ManifestationCoaching.com

How to write a cover letter …

I decided this year, with the encouragement of a colleague, to pursue teaching in a formal academic environment.  In short, I’m going to be a college professor – part-time, but real classes and students in a real college.  I’ve done a lot of training in corporate and business environments, both with individuals and groups.  I’ve developed and taught both short- and long-term programs.  But I’ve never taught a class that led to a formal college degree.

Now that I’ve accumulated so much education and experience, it’s time to share it.  So I’m going to teach part-time in addition to my labor relations duties.

I’m sitting here working on a cover letter for my teaching applications.  I decided to share some of the resources I found as I brushed up my skills.

Here’s a simple template for a cover letter for a job application and resume.  How to write a cover letter.

Some experts question the need for a cover letter at all, but I think you should almost always include a cover letter when sending a job application or resume.  The resume and application are a pretty bare bones presentation of you.  The letter is one unstructured opportunity to focus attention on your strong points and let a little of your winning personality through.

Since I’ve been in human resources for many years, I’ve seen a lot of cover letters.  If I had to limit my advice about cover letters to one things it would be this:  eliminate spelling and grammatical errors.  No matter how earnest and sincere you sound, poor grammar or spelling will undermine you every time.  They say you are sloppy and don’t care about details.

Think about what the reader wants to see – a couple of quick phrases that powerfully sum up what you have to offer and why you should be selected, all contained in one page.  Throw in a request for an interview and you’ve got the winning letter.

www.ManifestationCoaching.com

Making Change …

One of the biggest challenges my clients seem to face when they talk about building their life is actually getting something to begin to happen. Getting out of the starting block for many of my clients seems to be the biggest challenge that they will face in their journey toward change.

"I know what I want to do," said Ben. "I've thought about it a lot. I just can't seem to get moving." Ben was a client who actually came to me with a pretty well thought out idea of where he wanted his life to go. But somehow, he just couldn't get it to go there.

For Ben, the barrier was time- and structure-related. He knew what he wanted, he knew what he needed to do, but he couldn't anchor it in his daily practicing reality.  Ben needed to learn how to take his ideas and turn them into action. Deadlines and the calendar became Ben's best friends as he overcame his inertia.

But each person has his or her own  initial hurdle to overcome, and for each person there's a different strategy for breaking the logjam.

Here's a few ideas to think about. See if one of them doesn't speak to you as a way to break that logjam of action that you've been experiencing.

Write it down. You've heard it said a million times and even so it's still true today that "talk is cheap." By that I mean talk is just that, talk. Don't get me wrong. I'm a talker from way back. I see nothing wrong with talking. It can help you clarify what you have in mind, make your goals more specific and specific goals are easier to accomplish.

But at some point the talk has to stop and action must begin. For many people, the first action that can set them on their road is to physically manifest what they've been talking about. And the easiest and simplest way to do that is write it down.

Some clients are most comfortable creating to-do lists.  For others, its more important to first write about their hopes and dreams, and then build task lists.  But either way, the very act of writing gives your thoughts physical presence – the first step towards full manifestation.

Before you dismiss this suggestion lightly, consider the significance that our US Constitution carries – because it's in writing. There is power in writing, and if you write down your vision for yourself, and what your goals are to get there, you've actually taken the first step of manifesting.

Exercise. Okay, I admit people who know me will laugh that I propose this suggestion. But to me exercise is a very broadly defined word.

Maybe you want to fill that extra 45-minutes that you normally spend sitting in bumper to bumper traffic commuting home from work with a quick workout at the gym near your office. Don't get scared. By "workout" I mean almost anything besides chatting with the desk clerk. Twenty minutes on the stationary bicycle would be a great start. But don't do it with your music earphones on. Don't hide from your thoughts.

Okay, so maybe you're not going to join a gym. Then take a walk. And don't say you don't have time. Park your car farther away from the office. Walk to the post office instead of driving. And again, don't do it to music.

You may ask me what I have against music and I have to say nothing. I listen to it all the time. The purpose of these exercises is not to listen to music but instead to listen to that voice inside you that will guide you to the next step you've been searching for.

If you find yourself longing for something to listen to or something to watch while you're walking or riding your bicycle or anything else, perhaps that's a sign that you're uncomfortable being alone with your thoughts. Maybe you need to take some time to get to know yourself a little better.

Volunteer. Sometimes the easiest way to figure out yourself is to stop thinking about yourself and try thinking about others for a change. Volunteering for any kind of activity can take you outside your preoccupation with the challenges that you face on a daily basis and show you other people's challenges. In the process, I guarantee you'll learn more about yourself.

Whether it's for your child's PTA or at the homeless mission soup kitchen, doing good for others always enlarges our view of life and of ourselves. You may be surprised at the skills and talents that you evidence, or the things that you enjoy during your volunteer activities. And these may give you valuable clues to what the next step on your journey should be.

Use deadlines. We all like to talk about the proverbial "someday."  But we also know that "someday" rarely comes.

For some people deadlines are not problem. They seem to have a natural sense of the flow of time and what they need to be doing when. I remember when I used to watch my Italian grandmother cook, she never used a recipe. She never used a timer. She rarely used measuring spoons or measuring cups. But darn it if she didn’t make the best food I remember ever eating.

But I believe those are truly exceptional people. For the rest of us, a recipe is a necessity. And so are deadlines. Time passes rapidly when you have something to do. You always will have less time than you think. The only way for most of us to keep time from slipping away and taking with it our opportunities is to tack your goals and desires to a spot on the calendar. In other words -- a deadline.

Always remember though, that deadlines are not sacrosanct, they can and sometimes must be changed. But never abandoned.  Deadlines can provide the valuable forward momentum that you need to keep on track and on time.

Get out of town. Well maybe not literally, but if you can actually leave town, that would be even better. Lots of folks enjoy a change of scenery and a change of scenery can make a change in you. Perhaps it's as little as driving to the other side of town spending some time over there; walking the neighborhood, perhaps stop and have a espresso at a small neighborhood coffeehouse.

Or maybe you want to get a little bit more ambitious and take a weekend out of town. Drive up the coast. Drive to the lake. Drive to the desert. (By now I'd guess that you see that I love driving.)

Meditate in the desert for a week, observing life all around you.  Or go fishing!  My point here is that you want to change your surroundings from what you're familiar with for more than just a minute or two.

Let go of perfect. Let's get one thing clear right up front: you're not perfect. Good for you; me neither. Too many people hold back for fear that their effort will not be perfect. And the result is that their effort is nonexistent instead.

Look at Microsoft. No matter how much research and money and publicity goes into marketing Windows, every new release is rapidly followed up with updates and security patches. Why? I mean, isn't Windows perfect when it's released???

Okay I know you understand how ridiculous that question is if you're a Windows user. But you see my point. Today's successes did not get there by waiting until what they had to offer was perfect.

Let's take a more recent example, but still in technology. Google. Nothing Google releases is ever out of beta. Despite garnering some criticism for the practice, Google benefits by eliminating a perception that the product is never completely developed. This gives them the freedom to experiment without risking severe or significant customer disappointment.

So feel free to think of yourself as permanently in beta and forget about being perfect. 

Get fit. There, I said it! But let's not panic. I'm not talking about ending up looking like Schwarzenegger. There's lots of kinds of fit, and if you're heading for a major life change you're going to need most of them.

Here's a quick list of 15 ways to get fit in preparation to change your life. They're all very simple and none of them involve going to the gym. But you'd be surprised at what small things can make a difference.

Remember that change is stressful, and stress takes a physical toll on you. Being in good shape physically and mentally guarantees you the better shot at achieving your heart’s desire through change.

Get organized. Whether by physical means or digital, successful people are organized. They keep calendars. These days there's no excuse for not having an appointment calendar and a listing of your important contacts and phone numbers with you at all times.

I'm old enough to remember when carrying a calendar meant adding 20 pounds. And my paper contact listing was hopelessly out of date because it was so annoyingly difficult to keep current. In the end it simply became the anchor point for millions and millions of post-its.

Now I carry everything in my cell phone. It's my brain. You don't need to go that far. My point is that it's important enough to be organized that there is little excuse not to be.

Use a coach. Every successful athlete works with someone more experienced than them to help them train to be their very best. We're familiar with an athletic coach, but sometimes it's hard to transfer that idea to one's own life.

And if you've done a lot of Internet research about life coaches, you may have noticed a distinctly "spiritual" aspect to many of them. For many people that spiritual aspect of coaching is an important element, but many more are using a coach, not to assist with their spiritual development, but to make real concrete changes in their lives. And to make those changes in ways that maintain their own personal and spiritual integrity.

As a coach I don't impose my any spiritual beliefs on my clients. Nor do my clients come to me for spiritual guidance. Instead we focus on the client, the client's life, and the client’s desires.  I have no secrets to give because there are no secrets.

I have experience, study, and talent. So do you. We put them together to help you create the dream life you've always wanted. Think of the coach who follows Michael Phelps along the swimming lane timing him, observing his form, making notes about what to talk about when the lap is done.

Now you be Michael Phelps, and I'll hold the stopwatch.

http://www.manifestationcoaching.com/