Point of Power

One day at a time, one moment at a time. Staying in the present moment means staying in your "Point of Power". Right now is the only time when you can make a new decision, choose a response, forgive, and most importantly ACT. 

A focus on any other time, either past or future, is folly. There is no power to affect your destiny in any time but this present moment. Ask yourself "What are my choices right now? What is the best use of my valuable time, focus, and energy right now? Who do I need to be right now?"

Take Charge - Get Moving!

What's the Gift?

Losing your job is painful. It hurts - and it isn't fair - and it's terrifying.

In the aftermath of that event, it may not be obvious that you have a choice about how to react emotionally and behaviorally. The fact is simple - the job is gone. You probably need to have another way to earn money in a fairly short time to continue to live in the "old normal".

You can begin to create a new normal by choosing to react with gratitude. "What? Be grateful for losing the job?" you ask. Yes. Begin by asking yourself, "What's the gift in this?" The gift might be a chance to let go of old patterns of thinking and behaving that have become a rut. Maybe you have a dream on the shelf that has gotten dusty because you didn't have the time to bring it forward as a possible reality. Now you have some time to plan for a new future.

OK, so you were a teacher. What expertise did you develop in that? What, specifically, did you love about teaching? Who else needs that passion and expertise? What other dream did/do you have that aligns with the values that made teaching fun for you?

Did you work in an office "cubicle farm" that sapped your soul? What kind of home-based business would you start that is based on something you love? Consider Network Marketing with a product or service that you truly enjoy - your time and earning potential are yours to command. 

Just coming out of military service? How did you grow through that job? What do you really want to do now? You have choices. Where to live, how to embrace a lifestyle that fits your new normal, who to invite as mentor or guide.

Looking back on the event of losing the job will one day seem very different from how it looks today. Let go of the negative emotions and focus on the gift of new possibilities.

Take Charge ... Get Moving

And if you want an unconditionally supportive success partner I'm here for you as your coach.

Love and light,

Diane

Is that so?

A favorite teaching story is one that tells about a wise man, known and respected across his land. He is wrongly accused of a terrible act, given a difficult challenge, and robbed of the most valuable things in his life, including his reputation. With each event that happens, each horrible circumstance, his response is simply "Is that so?" delivered without emotion. His behavior is an example of not being attached to the outcome - not depending on things going the way you planned for your sense of peace and OK-ness.

What would that be like? To accept life as it comes to you without going into drama? To simply do what needs to be done, to be the best you can be in that moment, to direct your energy toward what you CAN control. Reflecting back on circumstances in my life, both personal and career, it is obvious that the energy wasted on emotional reactions did not take me anywhere. It would have been nice to be able to say, "Is that so?" and use my energies to move forward.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that all feelings should be squelched. Feelings are Truth and are a source of a tremendous amount of creative power.  What does not serve is being stuck in the mire of ranting and raving about the injustice, the awfulness of whatever has happened - loss of a job, not getting to the goal, being treated unfairly or rudely. Feel it, and then CHOOSE your response. My current practice is to say, "What is ... is. What ain't ... ain't. What are my choices right now?"

Take Charge - Get Moving!

Love and light,

Diane

45 Days and 29 Work Days

Can you believe it - 2010 is nearly gone? With the end of the year comes the push of reports and budgets, completing projects, and preparing for the interruptions of the holiday season.


Here are some questions to keep us moving:


1. What is the one thing that I can do NOW that will make the biggest difference in my life? It may be personal, professional, or relational - just choose that highest and most compelling goal.


2. Who needs my support, service, or attention in alignment of that goal? Whose support could I request?


3. How can I organize my time, actions, and priorities such that I can achieve or make significant progress on that goal?


4. What do I need to do for myself in alignment with that goal?


5. What do I want to be saying to myself a year from now about my progress or achievement of that goal?


6. What might I be doing, thinking or feeling that would sabotage my ability to make it happen?


Time is quickly passing. It is the little things we do and say in each moment of our NOW that create the results.


Take Charge -- Get Moving!


Love and light,
Diane

Fresh and Engaged?

For many of my unemployed friends and clients, the unemployed state continues to be a much longer ordeal than anticipated. In past years, landing a new position was a matter of doing the basic steps: resume, network, recruiters, interviews, landing. The rule of thumb was a month for every $10K income desired. 


Today the old rules don't apply -- it is the creative and persistent job seeker and sales person who comes out ahead. 


How do you stay "fresh" over the long, long, and even longer job search? In fact, how do you stay engaged as a sales person in the longer sales cycles of today's market? 

• Understand the New Reality. The rules of the game have changed and to win, you have to be willing to change too.

• Reexamine your goals. Has your target moved or disappeared? A friend has been seeking a position as a college administrator with a substantial salary and benefits. His qualifications and expertise are extensive and would serve any institution well. However ... and here's where life is unfair ... he is over 60 years old and is not willing to relocate or take a lower salary, nor is he willing to consider "repackaging" his skills in order to himself into a new arena. The longer he is out of his career, the less desirable he is to potential employers unless he engages with life and work differently.

• Has your industry disappeared or downsized? No matter how painful change may be, it will be even more painful to try to hold on in a dying industry. Let go of the past so you can be able to notice different opportunities.

• Get creative. Break down your past experience into SKILLS that are marketable. NETWORK in order to build relationships. 87% of jobs come through a relationship, someone who knows you, knows about you and your work, or word of mouth. Make sure the right people know you.

Staying fresh and engaged in your work, especially the work of career transition, takes a lot of consciousness. No one will tell you it's easy. And don't overlook the value of engaging a success partner - a coach makes a big difference. You are worth the effort!

Take Charge -- Get Moving!

Love and light,

Diane

S-st-tt-stuttering and Sputtering Out

There I go again! It has been a very long time since my last blog post, and I have to ask myself, “What’s that about?” As motivated and intentional as I may start out, I find that many times I lose focus and simply Sputter out for a while. And guess what – I see other entrepreneurs doing the same thing. Why can’t we just set the goal, develop a strategy, and get moving with focus and consistency?

Here are some reasons AND some ways to change this unproductive pattern.

Reason #1: life happens. People get interrupted, something breaks and needs attention and investment to repair, allergy season saps your energy, company from afar needs attention, other stresses take our attention. Falling off the plan is like stuttering – it’s uncomfortable and it impacts our self-esteem. The good news is that we can overcome the impact of life’s interruptions to our plan.

Solution: Plan for #1 to happen. Know that progress happens in steps and plateaus – you just have to keep on doing the daily small steps that move you forward. It’s normal. It can be briefer if you don’t get stuck in the “stutter”.

Reason #2: it’s not a habit. We all know that it takes 21 days (or more) to install a new habit. If you go 15 days and then forget, the habit doesn’t stick. It takes consistency of commitment for 21 days.

Solution: Get a buddy! Knowing that you are accountable to someone else is a success strategy that will bridge any commitment gaps you may have. This works even better if your buddy is asking you to give the same support for a habit he/she is developing.

Reason #3: you don’t really, really want it badly enough. You think you do, you tell yourself you do, but deep down, it just doesn’t match your sense of what is possible for you.

Solution: tell the truth. What is the purpose, the bigger “why”, for you to achieve the goal? When your actions are aligned with your purpose, the stuttering and sputtering won’t be an option.

So here is my commitment to myself – I am putting these 3 solutions into action starting today for my Send Out Cards biz.
Let me know if you see me starting to stutter on that commitment. I'm going to Take Charge - Get Moving!

Love and light,

Diane

To DiSC or Not To DiSC

"I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap."  Ani Defranco, American singer, songwriter

One question that comes up quite often is, "Now that I'm learning about differences in behavior style, do I need to do a guess at their DiSC style with everyone I meet?" 

Good question ... in most interactions, we are so focused on the message we are giving or receiving and what we have to do with the information that it is already too much sometimes. 

How about keeping things simple? If you are already in rapport, in sync, in alignment with the other person, you are probably paying attention on the unconscious level to how that person prefers to communicate and you are automatically adapting. Or they may have a similar preferences to yours. It is when the communication does not feel clear and easy that the DiSC Model can come to the rescue. 

By observing the distinctions regarding task-oriented and people-oriented you can begin to align your style with theirs. (See the previous blog post.)

When a person who scores high on I-Influencing works with a person who is very high on C-Compliance, he needs to slow down and pay attention to the details of the task. Vice versa - when the C needs to have a positive relationship with the I, she needs to warm up a little and start with the big picture before delving into details. 

The D-Dominant preference needs to warm up and relax a little to establish rapport with the I's and S's, and to have some understanding that C's will have far more detail than is needed by the D and that the S's will do anything they can to get the job done, if you just ask nicely.

So the answer to the question "to DiSC or not to DiSC?" is Yes! Just a little attention to what the other person prefers or needs will save time and energy and opportunities.

Take Charge -- Get Moving!

Love and light,

Diane