Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Do You Mind? I'm Having A Bad Day

I was intending to write a wonderfully positive post about the power of my intentions.

Then I had a bad day.

I didn't intend to have a bad day. But I am having a bad day. I've been in a bad mood all day and nothing will shake it. Believe me, I have tried all of my cures - positive thought, exercise, sticking to the good habits, talking it out with a friend. Nothing is lifting the badness.

There's no one event that caused the bad day. I'm just in a bad mood.

That said, while I was at the gym (which I so desperately wanted to skip), I realized my body was in a bad mood and my brain was in a bad mood, but my soul...well, my soul was doing just fine.

I also realized that a powerful intention (rise above the bad mood) was at work.

A powerful intention which gave me some bright spots in the day - like a nice dinner with Beloved (I made killer Mac and Cheese), a great rehearsal for my upcoming appearance at Darlington Arts Center, a good workout and a good ol' chat with a dear friend.

Take that, bad day.


Friday, January 18, 2019

Photo Friday Number 29



Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land...
Address to sanitation workers
Memphis, Tennessee
April 3, 1968

Photo: Rest Area, Bhutan

Friday, January 11, 2019

The Gap

Here's some quality inspiration 
in less than 5 minutes. 
Thanks to the women behind 
for putting this in my life.


which inspired

The Gap by Daniel Sax 
(who seems to have a locked-down presence on the Internet)


Tuesday, January 8, 2019

3 Tips to Getting the Most Out of Guiding Star



Kudos to those of you who have found the time and energy to create your 2019 Guiding Star plan. I just finished mine yesterday. Is it perfect? Who cares? Perfection is highly overrated. I do know my plan has gotten me started, and that's all I need right now.

I've got 3 tips for you today to help you get the most out of your plan.

#1. You've Got A Friend 
Find one person on this planet that you can check in with about your Guiding Star plan. Why? Having a Guiding Star Friend makes you accountable. Having a Guiding Star Friend gives you someone to share the upcoming joys and challenges. This relationship has the potential to keep you on track, to encourage you, and to give you permission when you can't give it to yourself.

Look for someone you trust to be honest with you. Someone who is strong enough to tell you what you need to hear, yet gentle enough to be empathetic.

My GS Friend lives hundreds of miles away. We're both working women with lives full of work, families, homes, cars to drive, commitments to keep, bathtubs to clean, and goals. We see each other once a year, maybe twice. We use Google Drive to share our plans as we're creating them and for our monthly reports. We text challenges and successes frequently.

This one action has transformed my life. I believe this action can transform your life as well, if you'll let it. 

#2. Go On A Date
With yourself. 

Once a month, I sit down with my computer and open up my Guiding Star plan. I actually write a report every month, which I know many of you think is completely wackadoo, but I don't care. Nothing negative has ever come out of that action. Writing a monthly report grounds me, gives me clarity, keeps me motivated and most of all - makes me feel positive and happy. I am reminded of the vision I had for myself at the beginning of the year. I am regularly reinvigorated by the possibilities. 

I also send my report to my GS Friend (and she sends hers to me). The time we spend together because of our Guiding Star plans has deepened our friendship. It is now one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Try it. See what happens for you.

#3. In Your Face
I have a tab open on my computer right now to my GS Plan. This morning, while I was at the gym, I reminded myself of my Slogan (Dance easily with life's astonishing abundance). In my Google Tasks  list are tasks directly related to my 2019 Guiding Star goals. One of my Touchstones is happily sitting next to me on a post-it note.

Find a space, even a small one, in your life for one part of your plan. Keep it close by, ponder it, allow it to seep into your existence bit by bit. 

Why did I take the time to create this plan, and why do I take the time to edit and post it annually? Because I am continually amazed by the transformation I have experienced in my life because of my annual plan, and because I want others to know how that can happen for them. 

I would love to hear from even one of you about your experience with Guiding Star. Where are you? What are you thinking? Have I helped at all? Thanks in advance for your comments.










Sunday, January 6, 2019

Your 2019 Guiding Star Plan

Guiding Star Plan

Congratulations! You've exercised, contemplated, pondered, and questioned all the way to your very own 2019 Guiding Star Plan.  One last, simple step - put it all in one place. I've created a template to assist you. Seeing your plan in writing will help you stay inspired and motivated all year. That said, feel free to make any modifications so the plan works for you.



This link should lead you to the template.  

Quick explanations for each section:

Slogan
Think of your Slogan as the umbrella for your plan. Every other section of your plan feeds into your Slogan. 

Touchstones
These are the positive guiding phrases you discovered in Exercise #2. Choose 1 - 3 that fill you with passionate energy.  

Goals
These come from our final exercise.  Remember to mix in goals from all aspects of your life.  I recommend 5 - 10 goals, but choose the number that feels good in your gut. Be realistic and keep them simple.  You’ll feel so good when you achieve even the simplest goal.

You made it! Your 2019 Guiding Star plan is complete! Now the fun begins! I'll be back soon with tips on how to use your plan for real change in your life. 



Feeling stuck? Starting January 1, 2019, one-on-one assistance is available at the discounted rate of $30/hour. This offer expires on February 7, 2019. (Click here to schedule a session).

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Guiding Star 2019 Exercise #4 - Goals

Here we are - the last Guiding Star Exercise. Today you will choose specific goals that you want to focus on for the next 12 months.  Not your best friend, not your partner, not me. You. Your life. Your focuse. Our previous exercises led to the Why and the How. Today's exercise leads to the What.

This exercise motivates and excites me.  It also requires me to stay committed and to do the work all year long. While I could just write these goals down and walk away, I don't. More on that later. For now, let's exercise.



Goals Exercise
Materials: For this exercise, you will need something to write on or in.  A journal, a computer, or scratch paper - doesn't matter.  

Time: Start with 20 minutes, but give yourself the gift of more time.  Spread it out over a few days.  Stay as joyful and engaged as possible.  If this becomes heavy, walk away and return later. 

 - List anything you would like to accomplish in the next 12 months.  Anything.  Don't edit. Be attentive to all parts of your life - professional, personal, family and just because. 

- Assign each goal A, B or C.  A is for priority goals, B is for important goals and C is for goals that could wait.

- Review your rankings.  Have you included a mix of personal and career goals?  Are you excited by all of the goals?  

- Choose 5-10 goals that will be your 2019 goals. Your instincts will tell you when you have the right number.

Very Important Pro Tip: Choose active, positive words.  

Another Extremely Important Pro Tip: To help you stay focused, be specific. Here's an example:

Tonya wants to lose weight.  She starts with the goal of lose 10 pounds.  She has failed at this goal for years, but knows it is important. She rephrases the goal as attend one exercise class every week for three months. The specificity of this goal (one class per week for three months) feels doable to Tonya. It's also realistic - even though Tonya works fulltime and cares for her father on the weekends, she already has an exercise class she enjoys in her schedule.  In addition, maintaining a specific commitment for a realistic amount of time (three months) will help Tonya create a habit.  Finally, unlike the abstract lose 10 pounds of the original goal, Tonya has more control over achieving this goal. That feels good to Tonya.  No, wait - that feels exciting to Tonya!

Tomorrow, we put it all together.  



Feeling stuck? Starting January 1, 2019, one-on-one assistance is available at the discounted rate of $30/hour. This offer expires on February 7, 2019. (Click here to schedule a session).


Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Guiding Star 2019 Exercise #3 - Slogan

Today we're going to create your very own slogan. One that is unique to you, that will inspire and guide you through your 2019 adventures. A well-crafted slogan will have the power to transform your thinking, your outlook and ultimately, your life.

Huh? What do you mean, a slogan? A slogan is a short and striking or memorable phrase; a motto. If you put your slogan on a T-shirt or coffee mug, you'd be proud of it.

Think of your Slogan as the umbrella for your entire life. Touchstones, which we discovered yesterday, usually feed into your Slogan.

No shoes allowed
The Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, Vietnam




















Exercise #3 - Slogan

Materials: For this exercise, you will need something to write on or in. A journal, a computer, or scratch paper - doesn't matter.

Time: Start with 20 minutes. Don't be surprised if you need more time for this exercise. This exercise usually takes me 2 hours over the course of a week. I like to ponder it over a number of days.

Look back at the list of Touchstones you cultivated during yesterday's exercise.
The one that feels ridiculously powerful or just too crazy? That's where you should start your exploration. Hint: it will probably be at the top of the list.

Craft it into a brief positive phrase that describes what you want life to be about in 2019. You want to choose one simple, but powerful focus.

Write down as many options as you can. Get them out of your head and onto the paper. Just write, don't edit. Feeling stuck? Say your slogans out loud. You'll hear the ones that work. Another option is to walk away, but come back later!

Examples:

Persisting Works becomes: 
Persistence Is My Secret Sauce
OR 
For Best Results, Practice Persistence. Daily.

Failing Sucks becomes: 
Failure Is A Glorious Option 
OR 
Success And Failure: Two Sides Of The Same Coin 
OR 
Embrace Failure

Need more inspiration? Take a look at these, some of which I have used in the past:

Embrace Magnificent Abundance (So powerful, I used it for 2 years)
She Believed She Could, So She Did
Life Is Easy
Being Me Is Attractive
The Year of Amazement
Love Can Tell A Million Stories (thanks, Ashley)

This exercise is completed when you have 1 - 3 short, positive Slogans that you would be proud to wear on a T-shirt.

Pro Tip: I always ask my BFF to take a look at my Slogans.

Pro Tip: If last year's Slogan still feels powerful, keep it!

Friendly reminder - Starting January 1, 2019, one-on-one assistance is available at the discounted rate of $30/hour. This offer expires on February 7, 2019. (Click here to schedule a session).

Boats.
Pokhara, Nepal


Related Posts:
Your 2019 Guiding Star

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Guiding Star 2019 Exercise #2 - Touchstones



In this exercise, you will convert your own experiences from last year into guides, or Touchstones, for the upcoming year.  

What are Touchstones? They are brief positive phrases that I use as daily guides. They remind me what is important in life. They remind me how I want to think, feel and live. They help me stay proactive, not reactive.



Exercise #2 - Touchstones

Materials: For this exercise, you will need something to write on or in. A journal, a computer, or scratch paper - doesn't matter. 


Time: I recommend that you set a timer for 20 minutes. Of course you can keep going for as long as you'd like, but if 20 minutes is all you have right now, you're good.


#1 - From your list of accomplishments and disappointments, list 5-10 reflections, either what you've learned or what you wish you could learn. Keep the reflections brief. Aim to use active words in the present tense.


Using the accomplishments and disappointments posted yesterday, here are some examples:


Persisting works
Breathe through the tough times
Sadness and happiness are partners
Failing sucks
Life is easy


- Mark the messages you feel you understand deeply with a check mark.


- Mark the messages you think you need to pay attention to with a star.


- Using only the messages from the second group, rank them in order of the ones that mean the most to you to the ones that mean the least to you.


For example:


Persisting works is a Touchstone that Alex created 3 years ago. He used to give up at the first sign of failure, but after 3 years of intentional work, he feels a definite shift in his attitude. So he's putting that in the first group.


However, Alex realizes he continues to be challenged by life's emotional ups and downs. He often shuts down when he is sad, even though he's certain there's a better way to cope. So he's putting both Breathe through the tough times and Sadness and happiness are partners in the second group.

After contemplating his list overnight, Alex has decided to rank them:

Breathe through the tough times
Sadness and happiness are partners
Failing sucks

While Alex has only 3 Touchstones right now, the positive action of the first one already resonates deeply with him. He's staying open to the possibility that more will surface as he goes through the rest of Guiding Star.


Pro Tip: You might feel lost in this exercise, particularly if you haven't done this type of reflective thinking before. Be patient with yourself and give yourself a gift - time. You can leave this unfinished today and return to it tomorrow. Or even the day after. Or next week. 


Pro Tip: A friend is a great resource for this exercise.


Feeling stuck? Starting January 1, 2019, one-on-one assistance is available at the discounted rate of $30/hour. This offer expires on February 7, 2019. (Click here to schedule a session).