Posts

Regroup, Refocus & Recharge

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Time to Regroup

During a recent conversation with my Connecticut mastermind group,1 one of my coach friends described having several potential opportunities in play. Investing her time and energy in multiple directions was making her feel scattered and unfocused. By the end of the conversation she concluded: I need to take a breather right now and get grounded and back in balance. In hearing herself say these words, she knew what she needed to do. That’s the value of tapping into your inner circle – people who will listen, hear what you’re saying, and give honest and helpful feedback. Read more

Go Gently, Go Strong

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Structure + Compassion

Whichever words you use — goals, habits, intentions, or even those infamous resolutions — it all comes down to the stuff you want to work on, achieve, and improve. As I select my areas of focus for the year and the projects I’ll declare priorities this winter, there’s always that tidal wave feeling that tries to convince me they’re all important and should have been done yesterday. I allow that feeling with a familiar nod of oh-yes-there-it-is. It’s a natural part of the process of periodically taking stock and Planning with Perspective, as I’ve come to name it. Read more

Tempted to Back Off Your Big Goal?

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We Interrupt This Program

It was late afternoon and Norah, a client and Human Resources Manager, stated that she only had about ten minutes to talk, as an urgent issue needed to be addressed before leaving the office. Rather than rescheduling, Norah had gone ahead with our call, so I was confident that something important would transpire even in the short amount of time we had. I asked the familiar question: “What would you like to get from our conversation today that would be of value to you?” Norah’s response without hesitation: “Help me to not back off my goal.” Read more

September is a Fresh Start

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Whatever the Weather

I recently returned from a two-week vacation, visiting friends and family back east. After four years living in Arizona, I’m getting to learn the art of these visits, which includes scheduling just the right amount of activity and not packing too much in — and that goes for my suitcase, too. On this trip I had the pleasure of witnessing a friend’s wedding and spending time with my stepsons, parents, and a few other friends. I also got to escort my niece, Natasha, on shopping trips for college supplies and then surprise my niece, Olivia, by picking her up at camp and seeing her perform in a talent show. Read more

Your Short & Mighty List

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Are You Satisfied with Your Progress?

Do you end most days feeling like you worked on the most important things, given what was put in front of you? How about that mental list you’ve been meaning to get to… are you satisfied with your progress there? For the second question, I’m talking about the kind of proactive steps that when taken, would definitely have a positive impact on your work and life overall. Interestingly, it’s possible that you could answer yes to the first question and no to the second. Daily life is an unpredictable mix of what just happens combined with what you cause to happen or initiate. On a day-to-day basis, you can be doing a fairly good job of managing what’s in front of you and yet still be dissatisfied with the results you’re getting overall. Read more

Leap + Steady-As-You-Go

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A Strategy for Approaching Your Goals

This summer, I’ve witnessed several clients make tremendous progress using a strategy I developed for myself and shared with you a few years ago. I decided to rerun the issue today with a few enhancements. Read more

The Planning Paradox

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“…I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower

photo of note pad and pencilIs Planning Worth It?

“The best-laid plans… often go awry.”¹ What looks good on paper doesn’t always work out as envisioned. So why bother planning at all? I used to think that the point of planning was the satisfaction I got by checking off completed tasks. While this still makes me feel good, I now see that the main reason for planning is to get you into purposeful action and to make progress. Read more

To Goal or Not to Goal? (Part 2)

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A confession and a contrast

Many of you responded to the previous issue and are busy forming your goals.  I have a confession to make.  I did not set goals this year!  Lest you think I’m some kind of “goals hypocrite,” allow me to explain.  In essence, I still have personal and business goals which I am pursuing.  It’s just that I didn’t write them down formally this time.  I am progressing with the vision and goals I created last year and allowing them to continue to guide me. So, it is not that I am without goals; it’s just that I am proceeding with less structure.  For me, a planner by nature, this is progress.  It finds me making intuitive choices and tapping into: flexibility—spontaneity—present-mindedness.  I continue to use my natural strengths of organization, planning, and breaking it down… just in a more relaxed way. Read more

To Goal or Not to Goal? (Part 1)

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To goal or not to goal, that is the question.

Every January, I hear the same conversations and read the same articles.  They pose the question of whether resolutions and goals are worth the effort.  After all, they argue, so many people fail at this process and just feel worse later.  Some people don’t like the word ‘goal’ and would rather replace it with some other euphemism.  Call it whatever you like, but as Shakespeare said, a goal by any other name is still a goal.  (Okay, I stretched poetic license on that one.) Read more

Allowing the Space Between the Notes

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Musical Metaphor

Miles Davis, as quoted by Adam Shatz in a New York Times Book Review (1), often said that the biggest challenge in jazz improvisation is “not to play all the notes you could play, but to wait, hesitate, let space become a part of the configuration.”  Likewise, in a television profile, Placido Domingo commented that one of the singers he most admired was Frank Sinatra because of his talent for phrasing and pausing in between the words he sang. Read more