• Clearing the Slate for 2017

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    We are almost at the end of another year. This can actually be a stressful and confronting time for many of us. Around now is when we realize we did not accomplish all the things we had hoped to do. This realization causes many of us to throw in the towel and just coast until New Year’s resolution time.

    But, there can be great power in clearing the slate before the New Year.

    I’m not saying to go crazy attempting to turn around all of this year’s let downs. Clearing the slate also involves letting go…maybe it’s time to eliminate some of those goals completely.

    This is the time to do your ultimate “to-do” list…write out your goals, your desires, your responsibilities…put it all on one long page. (Include the mundane things you would like to have behind you such as donating old clothes, updating your calendar, getting the oil changed for your car.)

    Write everything down. This could take some time. I recommend taking this list with you everywhere for a few days. Often things pop into our heads when we are in the car or in the bathroom…jot things down as they come to you and do not discriminate. Big or small, put them all on paper. (or create a list on your iphone and tell Siri to add things as they pop into your head)

    Then, set aside a few hours to actually look at this list of yours.

    Circle the doable items that will give you a great sense of relief to not have unfinished in the New Year. By completing these things, you will be entering the New Year “mental” clutter free as well as opening up the time to start new things. (and cross off or politely bow out of the things you agreed to do that simply won’t get done or will hold you back from the more important tasks on your list)

    Then, circle the “big goals” that you did not accomplish. Then ask yourself, do they still serve you? Sometimes letting something go is more empowering than hanging onto it for dear life. Goals and dreams actually do have expiration dates. Put on your truth lenses and ask yourself if this is still worthy of your time and effort. Ask yourself why you set this goal in the first place and more importantly, do you still feel the same way about it now. This step of letting go may feel a little painful or sad, but there is great power in being honest with yourself. Honoring where you are NOW will ultimately help you to make better decisions as to where you want to go in the future.

    How do you know if it’s time to let it go?

    Is it taking too long? Is the pain outweighing the joy? Are you getting nowhere? Are you hanging onto it because you are afraid of what other people will say if you decide to “give up” on it? Is there something else nagging away at you? Could you actually try something different or new and still fulfill the desire that the original goal was meant to achieve?

    Sit with this awhile. These are not easy questions to ask…even harder to answer with honesty and self compassion. But it is worth asking and answering.

    You may decide to let it go. You may shed a tear or two and then allow yourself to open up to other possibilities you were too preoccupied to see.

    Or, you may decide absolutely, NO! I’m not letting it go. And in that realization you will discover more clarity as to WHY you must keep this on your list of goals and desires.

    The point is to be honest with yourself. And compassionate.

    After you’ve decided what you will finish this year and what’s worthy of being brought into the New Year, set an aggressive massive action plan to get all that you can…DONE. Open up your day planner or calendar and schedule every task on that list.

    The idea is to start 2017 with a CLEAN SLATE. Not a slate with leftovers from last year. Ideally the only leftovers being invited into the New Year are your passion projects that you have revisited and have even more clarity on. All the other stuff should be completed or at the very least, completed as much a possible before the New Year begins.

    Take massive action NOW. Not only will you feel a ton of relief to have these things done, but you will also set up your momentum for the New Year when you set you goals for 2017. If you kick it into full throttle and get things done (even if some days it’s simply dropping off donations and gathering earthquake supplies), you will begin creating the habit of GETTING THINGS DONE. Then, when you get clear about your desires and set your goals for 2017, you will be able to be more specific and make clearer distinctions as to what you REALLY want to see happen next year.

    So…write it ALL out. Decide what shall be done, what shall be let go of for good, and what shall be reinforced and invited into the New Year.

    Then, go getter’ done!

    I’d love to see your lists! Send them my way and keep me posted on how you’re doing. And if you want some extra “kick butt mojo”, get in touch and we’ll tackle it together.

  • Why Gratitude is Always an Ingredient of Success

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    Being grateful and knowing why you are grateful is more than just a fluffy self help practice. Conscious gratitude has a direct influence on your life as a whole.

    Unfortunately, when things aren’t going so great, we tend to focus on what’s “wrong”. The problem with that is, you attract more of what you “don’t want”. Your subconscious works with images, not words. So thinking and obsessing over what’s depressing you will only bring more of it into your days. However, when you focus on what your are grateful for, you are sending an energetic signal to your subconscious and the world that you want more of those joyous things to be in your life.

    What’s on your gratitude list and why?

    A client of mine was struggling with work and the money was running out. I had her make a list of what she DID have and why she was grateful for it. What she had that she was most grateful for, was time. She had an abundance of time, so to speak. So instead of dwelling on her lack, she focussed on her abundance. And, without compromising her job search, she utilized her free time to volunteer. She worked with her church to provide food and support for the homeless in her area. She loved it. She had in essence found “work” that she enjoyed. She also continued to acknowledge how grateful she was for it. And soon enough, her job search turned into an actual job. And a great one. She still volunteers and is grateful for her meaningful work…both volunteered and paid.

    You’ll notice, I’m not saying to pretend everything is okay and to lie to yourself. You know if you’re unhappy. But to change your situation you must first change what you focus on. Focussing on the pain brings more pain into your life. Acknowledging the good things in your life breaks that pattern and helps your mind focus on what you want vs what you don’t want.

    Doing this same practice when things are going great is also helpful.

    I can say I am grateful to have worked with some incredibly talented teachers in many areas of learning. Everything from piano to Pilates to knitting. I’m grateful for the amazing coaches and books that assist me as well. Why? Because if I want to change or set a new goal, I have all the tools at my disposal. And these tools help me be a better teacher and coach.

    And then? My inbox gets filled with more good news from happy clients than junk mail. I sent out the message and the universe responded.

    What’s already working in your life that you can be more consciously grateful for? Is there something you want more of? Why? By actively focussing on and being grateful for what you already have, you will bring more of it into your life.

    One last thing, write it down. When you take the time to sit and write about something, it becomes more real to you and you will harness more energy to attract that which you want.

    Do this everyday…and see how blessed you truly are.

  • Beating back the hold your EGO has over you

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    “One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time”- Andre Gide

    Your faith must be greater than your fear if you have big plans for your future. And your fear is manifested through your ego.

    Your ego HATES new plans…particularly big juicy ones. Your ego’s primary interest is to keep you safe. That means no risks, no rocking the boat, no new paths and absolutely no expansion whatsoever. It wants you stuck to the trunk of the tree while your big plans require you to step onto the skinny branches further up and out. Your ego will do everything in its power to stop you from taking that risk.

    Think of it as an overprotective parent. Their intentions are good: they love you and want you to be safe. But the minute there is a suggestion of anything new and unknown, they go into full panic mode and start locking all the doors and grounding you for life.

    So, here’s how positive change goes for a lot of people. They take the first few steps and are rockin’ it! Synchronicity is pulling in a bunch of opportunities…and then, bam! They get laryngitis. Or crash their car. Or their smart phone dies. Deadlines encroach on their time and their money gets tight and suddenly, all that excitement and enthusiasm is gone. They get sucked back into their mundane lives.

    This is classic ego at work. Your ego is setting you up to fail by using all your forms of self sabotage. It wants you to screw up…horribly. Why? So you won’t attempt to do something new and risky again. It wants you safe and stable and has no interest in anything new. To the ego, new = danger.

    By knowing this, you can override your ego’s tantrums. You can become aware of the challenges cropping up. Yes, someone may have slammed into your car. But that doesn’t have to stop you from going for your goals. Get the car fixed and move on. Your day job may be interfering with your free time but you can focus on the time you DO have and capitalize on THAT. Instead of crawling in the fetal position when your iPhone dies, take a deep breath and make an appointment at Apple’s genius bar.

    By seeing the issues and moving forward anyway, you can beat back the ego’s power. Also, the more often you “feel the fear and go for it anyway”, the more comfortable you will feel taking risks. The most successful people in the world, also took the biggest risks. When they failed, they failed big. But then, they dusted themselves off, learned what they could from the experience, and went back to the work of going for it.

    So, yes…it feels like the universe is conspiring against you. But it isn’t. Your ego is. Your ego is moving heaven and earth to keep you stuck and safe…and bored.

    Turn your focus to moving forward anyway. Get comfortable being out on the “skinny branches”, and start leaping for your dreams.

  • The Truth about Synchronicity

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    “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous” – Albert Einstein

    Synchronicity happens when you take a bold step towards following your passion. What you think is a coincidence is actually the universe’s helpful response to the actions you take to live your life’s purpose.

    It doesn’t happen while you’re dreaming about your goals, it happens when you take deliberate, focussed actions towards achieving them. To finally say “I’m going for it!” requires high energy. Think back to a time in your past when you set a big goal and then took those first few steps. You weren’t sleepy or grumpy…you were excited and enthusiastic.

    Energy attracts ‘like’ energy. Have you ever noticed when you are having a “bad” day, it feels like the world is plotting against you? Usually your energy is in the toilet and you are dealt problem after problem throughout the day. I’m not saying that sometimes crappy things don’t just happen. But ultimately, we create our experiences whether we’re conscious of it or not. So just notice that when you are cranky or run down, simple issues become major challenges. You are literally pulling that low draining energy into your experience.

    The same is true for high energy choices. Resolving to lose the weight will likely have you notice your local gym is running a sale for personal training. Deciding to finish the script by December 31st could attract an unexpected meeting with an agent interested in finding more clients. Committing to meditating every day for 30 days could cause your schedule to change in a way that makes it easier for you to sit and practice. (I literally had that happen with yoga. I decided it was time to switch classes and boom! My schedule changed to make room for the new class and fill the previous time with a new client!) This is synchronicity at work.

    But,again, this kind of “luck” doesn’t come from sitting at home doing nothing. It happens with action. You must move in the direction of your passion in order to receive the goodies of synchronicity.

    To quote Oprah, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” The world is energy…the more charged with excitement you are, the more of that same energy will be drawn to you.

    Start taking big actions today towards your goals. Enlist all of your passion and determination. And watch the world step up to support you in ways you never even thought of.

  • How the Economic rule of 80% vs 20% can be applied to Your entire life

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    How the 80% vs 20% rule can be applied to action:

    According to time management guru ‘Brian Tracy’, (and economist ‘Vilfredo Pareto’, who was researching time management back in the late 1800’s), 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. 20% of your customers will account for 80% of your sales. 20% of your products will account for 80% of your profit.

    This means your actions matter. If 20% or your actions create 80% of your achievement, then those actions are more valuable and more necessary to pinpoint to help you succeed.

    Your to-do list just got very important…if you have 10 items on the list, just 2 of those items will yield the greatest returns. What are the highest valued actions you can take to achieve your goal? Let’s say you are studying for a big test or finishing a big project. Is tidying your desk going to bring you as much success as ignoring the clutter and getting an extra hour of work done? No…the clutter can wait.

    Start to get curious about what you actually accomplish every day. How much time are you wasting looking through junk mail? How many times a day do you check your email? If you cut back to checking it only twice a day, how much time would that free up for you to be more productive? If you’re responding to emails, which ones will give you an 80% return for your time? Bottom line…if it’s not a high value action, it can wait.

    80/20 applied to obstacles.

    You can apply this to self sabotage as well.

    Here is an interesting statistic…only 20% of what’s holding you back is out of your control. That means, 80% of what’s not working, is IN YOUR CONTROL.

    This is true for companies as well as individuals. The majority of your obstacles are internal. If you owned a coffee shop, for example, there are many areas you could look at to improve your revenue. Maybe the employee turnover is high thus costing you time and money to train new people. Your accountant might be off on their numbers or maybe your marketing campaign isn’t hitting your target customer. These are internal issues that you can improve upon.

    This is the same for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone tying to achieve a big goal. You control 80% of your obstacles.

    Do you procrastinate? Do you skip running spell check when emailing potential clients? Do you waste time on Facebook when you should be revamping your resume? Do you fail to follow up? Are you chronically late?

    Start to look at your behavior from more of a business perspective…where are the internal weakest links? Where are YOU holding YOU back? If you aren’t clearly able to see the ways you get in your own way, look at your past. Look at your previous let downs. What were the mistakes that YOU were responsible for? Where, why, and how did you drop the ball?

    This is not a self shaming expedition. This is a close examination of where you can improve and ultimately experience more success. Ask any successful business owner, they will tell you that their struggles and their own mistakes showed them more about themselves than they ever knew before. Self examination is a necessary practice if you want to achieve your goals. Period.

    So again, take a look at your to-do list…what are the highest valued actions? Maybe you can cut that list down to a few ‘mega’ tasks…What actions can you take today that if completed, will give you the biggest bang for your buck?

    And then look at what internal obstacles need to be addressed. Where can you step up your game and why aren’t you already doing it? Where are you holding yourself back?

    Get curious and specific. And then, go for it!
    (Often our various forms of self sabotage can be hard to spot and even harder to overcome. This is where having a coach can be the smartest investment you can make when tackling a big challenge. I work with people on these issues all the time. And the actions I have them take towards conquering their obstacles, always produce 80% of their ultimate success. If this sounds good to you, get in touch and we’ll get to work!)

  • procrastination…what are you really committed to???

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    We all procrastinate sometimes. After all, work is called “work”, not “play”.

    Sometimes our procrastination is a signal to shift gears and reevaluate our goals. And if that’s the case, we usually feel it in our gut. Maybe it’s telling us to rethink a goal we may have set, or a job we’ve signed up to do. This is a healthy form of procrastinating and it’s a signal to stop and rethink.

    But, some of us are sabotaging our dreams by letting procrastination run amuck. If you are procrastinating on something you are passionate about… writing a script, getting an agent, building a website… then you are sabotaging yourself.

    Oddly enough, you likely have very good reasons to avoid taking action. The problem is, you don’t know what those reasons are. Your subconscious fears are running the show. Getting to know your personal sabotage “signature” is your biggest weapon to self defeating urges.

    So, how do you figure out what beliefs you are being ruled by?

    Ask. Ask a lot. Ask, ask, ask.

    I had a client who was concerned about starting a new business. From personal experience, I will tell you that starting any new venture is time consuming and offers no guarantees. This is why many people are happy managing say a Peet’s vs opening their own coffee shop. Going your own way takes money, courage, and a shit-load of energy.

    So, he had reasons to be nervous. But he’d done the research, had a good financial plan, and for all intents and purposes, it looked like a risk that would be worth taking.

    Yet he stalled. And avoided. And got distracted…

    So I asked:

    “If the worst case scenario were to happen, what would that mean to you?”

    He said he’d lose a substantial amount of money.

    “And then what would happen?” I asked

    “I might have to move, I might have to get another job, I’d be pretty broke”

    “And then what would happen?”

    “Take out a loan…if I could…”

    “And if you couldn’t take out a loan, then what?”

    “I guess I’d have to ask my father to help me out”

    “And then what?

    “He’d see that he was right. I’m terrible at business and should have just followed in his footsteps instead.”

    “And then?”

    “He’d think I’m an embarrassment to the family.”

    BINGO!!!!

    He was procrastinating because he believed that if he failed, his father would be ashamed of him. Now THAT is a very scary thought for most of us. As “grown up” as we all are, most of us still don’t want to let our parents down. And nobody wants to feel like a cause for family shame.

    No wonder he was avoiding going for it fully. His identity and self esteem were at stake. He was MORE COMMITTED to keeping his self esteem intact and not upsetting his father. After realizing that, he could then acknowledge to himself that win or lose, he wasn’t going to incur the shame of his Dad. Taking action became easier and easier until his business was up and running. When he caught himself backsliding, he asked himself the same questions I did…and asked and asked until he got to the real reason for his self sabotage. Which then he could then conquer fairly easily.

    So why are you stalling on your dreams? What would happen if you failed? And then what? And then? And after that, what would happen?…

    Dive into the rabbit hole head first and figure out what you are really committed to. If you are procrastinating, you are afraid of something. And, you are more committed to avoiding that pain than achieving your goal.

    Once you figure that out, you can choose to override it and take the necessary actions to achieve your success. And when you slack off or stumble, get curious. Ask and ask until the truth comes out. If you want to defeat the dragon, you have to look it in the eye first. And your dreams are worth fighting for.

    (If you need more help with this issue, please, get in touch and we’ll get to work.)

  • Meditate your way to new healthy habits …“but I suck at Meditation!”

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    Change is hard. Even when we know it will benefit us in the long run, we still resist it with all we’ve got. Whether its cutting out fast food, learning a new skill, hitting the employment sites to get a new job…the desire to bail is often greater than our desire to go for it.

    And there are plenty of reasons for this. Mainly, your whole psyche is geared around keeping you safe. Survival is essential. Change means instability and our bodies and minds will fight that at all costs. Also succeeding at survival is more likely when we can react quickly and without hesitation…the opposite of what it takes to stick with and create a new behavior.

    This is why we need to become aware of our thoughts, our physical sensations, even our breathing patterns, to override this resistance to change.

    And, just five minutes a day of meditation can be your biggest weapon against your instinct to play it safe.

    It sounds too good to be true, right? Don’t take my word for it. Google “scientific tests on five minute mediation” and see all the studies that pop up. Study after study has shown the benefits of meditation from getting over addiction to getting better grades.

    “But I suck at meditation!” you say. Actually, the “worse” you are, the better for creating lasting change.

    Meditation is nothing more than being still and paying attention. Focusing on ONE thing, be that music (the link to my fave meditation tracks are below), your breathing, a fixed place on the horizon… You can focus on a word or a color if you want. Just choose something to focus on and then, sit still.

    Likely, you’ll be able to focus for about 15 seconds before your mind wanders. You are not failing at meditation! THAT’S NORMAL. THATS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. But the next step is what makes meditation so beneficial. The moment you notice you’ve stopped paying attention to the music, etc, let go of whatever thought has pulled you away from your chosen focus. Just drop the thought that pulled you away, and come back to your breath, music, etc. This releasing and returning will happen repeatedly. And that is how you override your desire to stay safe. Notice the thoughts that grabbed your attention, and return to your focus..

    When you practice this form of meditation, you are training your brain to react differently to urges and impulses. For example, if you’re a smoker, you may not notice that a commercial for beer or coffee trigger you to reach for a smoke. If you’re chronically late, you may not notice that you’re choosing to send just one more email before heading out for your appointment. If you are a procrastinator you may not notice that you actually feel more committed to goofing off than getting to work. (Which is usually the case with procrastinators…stay tuned for a separate newsletter about that topic)

    By becoming aware of our thoughts while meditating, we can more easily notice our “unconscious” thoughts, habits, and behaviors in our daily activities. Armed with this information, we can begin to consciously change. So, for the smoker trying to quit, they may have to avoid watching TV at night for a few weeks. Tardy people trying to be more accountable may choose to put their smartphones in their backpack 15 minutes before they want to leave the house. Procrastinators might be able to acknowledge their desire to slack off but not be pulled into that desire. They will be able to make the conscious decision to get to work.

    Change requires HUGE amounts of focus, attention, and willingness. Training your mind to be effective at noticing your thoughts, and then letting them go, is crucial to creating lasting change.

    And it starts just with five minutes a day.

    (And I coach people with this all the time so if you want extra help getting a meditation practice started…fire me an email and we’ll set up a session.)

    And my personal fave meditation music: THALLEE link

  • Do what you say you’re going to do… Aim for Impeccable

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    Aim for impeccable vs average

    We know when we’ve done it: agreed to something that we shouldn’t have. Sometimes we say yes because we want to be liked, sometimes we get talked into things because we think we “should” do them. But the truth is, we are not meant to do everything. And, if you aren’t the one to do it, there is a good chance that someone else will do it anyway.

    A clear and sincere “no” can be very powerful. I’m not saying to be bratty, stubborn, or flat out lazy. I’m suggesting that before you take on yet another task, quietly check in with yourself and ask, “Do I really want to do this?”. If you don’t absolutely 100% want to do it, then with direct sincerity say “no”.

    Marie Forleo (marketing maven) calls it “buying a first class ticket on the ‘no’ train!”

    If you say yes and then try to slide your way out of it, you are on a slippery slope to being unreliable. And part of being successful in life, is being someone others can count on.

    Don’t take my word for it…look around in your own life. Who is accountable? Who is a flake? How do you feel about that flaky manager, friend, professor? What is you honest opinion about them? Knowing you can’t count on them, what level of respect do you have for those people?

    Is that how you want to be perceived by others? I doubt it. None of us wake up in the morning stating “Today, I shall drop the ball!”

    We all want to have integrity. But before we can have integrity with others, we have to have it with ourselves. How good are you at keeping your commitments to yourself? Usually people who follow through on goals for themselves, find it easier to turn down requests that they know they can’t commit to. If however you notice you are knee deep in promises that you now regret making, you likely are letting yourself down as well.

    But, with practice, you can change that.

    Start small.

    For example:

    I started with a 30 day challenge to floss my teeth every day. Since childhood, dental hygiene has ALWAYS been a struggle for me. As much as I hate the dentist, for some reason, I hated flossing more. So, my challenge was to floss every day for 30 days. I chose this challenge also in the hopes that my dental experiences would be improved should I finally adhere to this practice. I stuck to it. If I missed a day, I had to floss twice the next day…until I got to 30 days. (and now I floss most days)

    Maybe for you it’s:
    -Putting out your gym clothes before you go to bed.
    -Making the bed.
    -Gassing up your car every Sunday.
    -Sitting and meditating even if it’s just for a few minutes
    -Eliminating a specific food from your daily diet

    You can also set small commitments with other people. Turning off your phone for certain periods of time is liberating once you get past the technological withdrawal. Unless you’re an ER surgeon, it can wait. You can have 5 minutes without being at someone’s beck and call. (And side note, if you are taking a class like yoga or pilates, turn your phone off. It’s distracting to the rest of the class and the benefits you will reap from unplugging will far out way the hour or so that your friends or boss can’t reach you.)

    And let me stress, your time is VALUABLE. I used to have a hard time ending sessions on time if clients were late. Now? It’s easy. But, I had to ride out the queasy feeling of letting them know out time was up when the hour ended…regardless of what time they arrived. I still have people see the clock and try to “extend” their time with more questions, but now, I firmly say “we’ll go over that next week. Our session was until 11am” etc. But for the most part, they have learned that I stick to my agreements and our session time is one of them. Being accountable is always more appreciated than being flaky.

    So, challenge yourself to make and keep your commitments to yourself and others by starting small. Then, when the bigger requests come along, quietly and honestly ask yourself if this is really something you want to do. And if the answer is “No”, be as direct and respectful as possible. Because sometimes, the best decision, is to take that “first class ticket on the ‘no’ train”!

  • “Trimming the sails” for a more balanced and focussed life

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    “We constantly trim the sails: some ships ply east, and some ply west, by the self-same wind that blows. It is the set of the sail, and not the gale, that determines where it goes” Chuck “C”

    In other words, life WILL take you off course. It’s your job to keep your life pointed in the direction you want to go. Try to do a little more of what you love every day. And, try when possible, to do a little less of what you don’t like to do.

    You may need a day job to support your art at night. You may need to miss out on some girl nights if you want you child to do better at school. You may have to go home for a few months to care for an aging parent until they have the help they need. Sometimes we have to compromise and sometimes, life throws us off track completely. But that still doesn’t mean you can’t readjust your course and continue to keep yourself on target. It might take longer or the road might not be so linear, but if you remain on your trajectory then you are not being swayed by the trade-winds or storms that inevitably appear in life.

    I think this is where we also need to look at our idea about “balance”. Living a “balanced” life has become the catch phrase of what a “fulfilling” life is all about. But the harsh reality is you may never have exactly right amount of time for your physical health, mental health, relationships, work, spiritual practice, and sleep. This “balance” that we are striving for should feel more like an equilibrium rather than a perfectly level teeter-totter. Equilibriums have constant change and fluctuation as the norm. Something is thriving while something else is wilting. Something is contracting so something else can expand. For every inhale, there is an exhale. That is the balance we should aim for.

    Which means, sometimes, your work has to come first. And sometimes work has to take a back seat to your family’s needs. And sometimes you need to take an entire weekend to unplug, breath deeply, and get your downward dog wagging it’s tail.

    “You can have it all” is a bad lie that women were told back in the ’80’s. And now that many men are taking on more of the responsibilities of child-rearing, they are under more pressure too. Most of us all agree, that belief was toxic and has unfairly overstressed many families attempting to achieve such “balance”. But our new vision isn’t realistic either.

    Twyla Tharp said that when she was in the midst of choreographing one of her masterpieces, she would seal herself into her “creative bubble” until it was complete. There is a certain level of tunnel vision needed to create something new. And whatever you’re creating…a healthy new lifestyle, a feature film, a family, a renovated bathroom…whatever your main focus is, let it be just that: your main focus. Keep your eye on the prize. Choose what you will have to ease up on to accomplish this task. (And if it’s going into hibernation from social outings, I highly suggest giving your friends the heads up so they know the cave you’re in is one of your making.)

    I’m not saying to bail on all responsibilities for your art or drop your dreams when the shit storm hits. But, consciously deciding “what will it take?” is a question worth asking. And then, see how you can STILL include more of what you love than what you don’t. If you are knee deep in helping someone critically ill, you likely won’t get the book written as quickly as you had hoped. Yes, they will require most of your attention but you can still trim your sales and squeeze in some time to jot down some thoughts or read something inspiring. Just like if you just landed a role in a tv show…you wouldn’t be as available to your friends and family for a while. But, by accepting a more realistic idea of balance…change and fluctuation vs everything as a perfectly balanced scale…you can focus on what you need to do today, and less of the rest.

  • “I’ll figure it out” vs “I just don’t know what to do…”

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    “I’ll figure it out” vs “I just don’t know what to do.”
    Allow me to be blunt..“I just don’t know what to do” is a total cop out.

    It’s awfully convenient that you staying ‘confused’ also keeps you safe. If you ‘knew’ what to do, then you would have to take action, step up to the plate, take the risk, own your dream. So “I don’t know what to do” actually means, “I don’t feel like it” or “I’m scared”, etc.

    Instead of buying into the “I don’t know” myth, try a different thought:

    “I’ll figure it out”

    “I’ll figure it out” gives you all the permission in the world to be freaked out and confused. It gives you ownership of where you are at and frees you up to receive help.

    “I’ll figure it out” also gives your brain a direction to move…forward. “Not knowing” keeps you in that never never land of poor me. And, if you stay in that land for too long, the label “victim” might surface and none of us want to associate ourselves with that word.

    And as much as you might hate to hear this…everything ever created could have been better. Every book, every design, every relationship, every day…there will ALWAYS be room for improvement whether you “know” what to do or not.

    So, instead, enlist the phrase “I’ll figure it out”.

    Then, keep up with the questions. “How? How will I figure it out? Who do I have to call, what do I have to research, what possible strategy could I use to ‘figure it out’?”

    I highly recommend taking that action ASAP, like NOW. Get the ball rolling. Which might mean picking up the phone or quietly journaling or, going for a run (repetitive activities often open us up to ideas our brains are otherwise too busy to hear) Side step your usual excuses and distraction…I sincerely doubt that tweeting is what you need to be doing right now. The truth is, the sooner you start stepping forward in the direction you want to move, the sooner you will achieve your goals.

    Decide today to “be the one who pulls it off”. And before you know it, you will have “figured it out”.