One of the lessons I’ve learned through my life has been brought home as I’ve walked my Caminos: Simplify. While I think it’s a great lesson to learn and practice any time of year, this holiday season seems particularly appropriate to put it into play.
Integration and Alignment
Something’s not quite right – like things are out of sorts. But what? While you love your life from personal to professional, sometimes you feel you aren’t connecting with people the way you want, and they misunderstand you. The challenge is to figure it out. But how?
I’ll Push You
“Pushing people” has numerous connotations, and most are negative. As a coach, I’ve consciously avoided pushing my clients…too much, anyway. I have thought of myself as more of a guide. I’m starting to wonder if guides can push, more.
Stretching Your Focus
Time management intrigues me. Way back when, when I was a bed and breakfast innkeeper, I learned from a time management expert that everyone needed to block their time, and be committed to those time blocks. Since then, I’ve felt there has to be a better way. That was further reinforced when I was a real estate agent. My broker followed the advice, blocking his time — and that meant we couldn’t get his input on contracts except during specific times. That seemed just as crazy. I felt then that when you are in the service industry, time management took on a different tenor than it did for those in traditional office jobs.
Challenge Yourself to Success
Through my years of pursuing personal growth, I’ve encountered numerous ways to set goals, to start new habits, and to be a better version of yourself. And I’ve learned a new approach to self-improvement: the 66-day challenge.
Checking In For Success
When I was a bed and breakfast innkeeper I created a checklist for the staff so that each of the jobs around the inn was done completely, correctly, and consistently — regardless of who was working which shift. There was a checklist for each of the breakfast, housekeeping, and evening shifts. We had a great team to start with and I knew these checklists were going to make their contributions and the inn shine even better.
Take Back Your Power
I deserve better than this! What the heck! It’s time to take back my power and be responsible. It’s time to live into my best self.
Hard — But I Did It Anyway
It seemed like an easy job. I just needed to disconnect two pipes, plug them, and pull the water heater out from under the yurt. The project started when the water heater breaker tripped, and when the pressure relief valve started dripping, costing us 1,000 gallons/month for several months.
Reading Gifts
I used to think of reading as a way of passing time, entertaining myself, or learning new things. Little did I realize how much more I’ve been gaining from reading — until I read an article expounding on the numerous benefits of reading. My favorite phrase was “Read for the revolution of your spirit.”
It’s Time To Move Past the Age of Ageism
Getting old isn’t the source of our aches and pains or muddled minds. A lifetime of habits and bad choices is. Humans may not be built to last forever, but I bet they’d age better and die with more grace if they made healthier choices today.