Coach in Training

Cured: The Power of Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:25:00 +0000

I'd thought about titling this post "Just Passing Through" but somehow that didn't fit. Or maybe it did. In any case, I'm writing because my cousin, Carl Ray, created a play, A Killing in Choctaw, which he would now like to make into a documentary film, Cured: The Power of Forgiveness. I've seen and enjoyed the play some time ago. It was a bit intense but also inspiring. To learn more about Cured, you can click here or click the link below.

Below is a copy of the e-mail request:

Hello,

I need your help. Film maker, David Fisher is shooting documentary film about my life to be released later this year. We have posted a 2 minute trailer on Youtube. Our goal is to get 10,000 views in 30 days to promote the film. I would appreciate it if you would encourage your friends on email, facebook, Linkedin and other social media to watch and share with their friends. Click the Youtube “Like” Button. Thanks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SVTpXxWRU0

Be sure to have a look at the trailer for Cured: The Power of Forgiveness. Also, 'cause I can't help myself, who can you forgive today?

Ciao!

Business/Life Lessons from Angelina Jolie

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:16:00 +0000

source: infoinn.blogspot.com

Back in October, I came across a Vanity Fair article "Direct from Angelina" about Angelina Jolie. The article gave the reader a peek into the life of Ms. Jolie and her combo screenwriting/directorial debut for In the Land of Blood and Honey. Within the article were some indirect lessons that one could apply to business/life. Here goes...
"I've noticed that you don't play a lot of girl-next-door types." (reporter)

"Yeah," she said laughing..."I went on a few of those auditions when I was younger and they told me I should just quit."

Know your brand...and if you don't know it, discover it. While Jolie may not have had much success with being the wholesome girl-next-door, she has had more success in roles that require adventure, daring and moxy.

Keep persisting until you find the formula/product/career/relationship that works for you. Had Jolie gotten stuck with auditioning for the girl-next-door roles and attempted to mold herself into that, she probably wouldn't be as successful as she is today. By auditioning for other roles, Jolie was able to discover a brand which felt more aligned to her personality.

"There's a famous quote," she said. "If it doesn't scare you, it's not worth doing.' I think there's truth to that. I love being home with my kids. I love simple things and wonder why I can't just enjoy them and live that kind of life. But I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't feel my life is of much worth."

Take risks. Granted we all don't have to get our pilots licenses or become ambassadors for the UNHCR but with growing a business there are risks required. If you're like me and prefer a moneyback guarantee to life, then you can strengthen your risk muscle by taking small steps into uncertainty by trying a new food, handing someone your business card, getting feedback on a new business concept. Who knows? the person you hand your card to may be your next client.

"I've never valued somebody's opinion of me over my own sense of right and wrong."

Trust yourself: Just as Jolie, had to believe in herself in spite of being rejected on auditions. Remember to trust your inner wisdom. Is this always easy? Nope, at times, it can make you the object of ridicule and set you apart from the majority of people. Whether people catch up with your or you go back to the drawing board with your idea, at least you'll know that you followed your gut.

Which of these concepts are you already living?

Which quality do you wish to strengthen?

How can you apply one of these lessons to your life/business?

Whether you're in business or not, how would you define your unique "brand"?

Hope you've enjoyed this post. As an update, my life coaching business has transformed and is now called A Singular Life. If you're an overwhelmed single women, you can visit my website or blog to learn more.

An 11-11-11 Query

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks, I've received e-mails from people in the self development industry reminding me of this approaching day. To be honest with you, I don't fully get it. Yes, I understand the numerical significance but the numerological not so much. Nonetheless, if you're a fan of numbers or you don't wish to wait another century to observe such a quirk, here are some tips on memorializing this day:

1. Write a check. Pay your bills, make a donation. You're taking care of business and observing the day at the same time. : )

2. Mail a friend. Get that precious postage-mark on your envelope.

3. E-mail a friend. OK, not quite the same thing but you'll be saving on postage and paper.

4. Make a Top 11 List of your accomplishments for 2011, your goals for the next year, your favorite quotes, favorite celebrities, places to visit, foods to try.

5. Blog. Maximize your Top 11 List and blog it or blog on another topic.

6. Journal. My personal favorite and probably the one that I'll implement in addition to having blogged.
OK, a Happy 11-11-11 to you all and a Happy Veteran's Day! If you can provide a brief comment about the numerological significance of this day it'd be appreciated!

Self Care for Life Coaches

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:53:00 +0000

"footprints on the beach sand and sun" source unknown

I've recently created a new blog and Meetup group Self Care for Life Coaches for coaches who crave a supportive community to boost their self care practices. If you're a wonderful coach who needs support with getting more sleep or improving your eating habits feel free to have a look at the group here. In conjunction with this group there's also a Self Care for Life Coaches blog which I've started.

What does self care mean to you?

In what areas do you wish to strengthen your self care: nutrition, relaxation, relationships, sleep, fitness?

How would your coaching business, career or relationships benefit from improved self care?

Fitting It In

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Originally when I thought of doing this post about a month ago, my idea was to share what I'd learned about fitness over the last 6 months or so. I was going to explain how I was going to the gym more and doing more daily push-ups. Now, that it's been almost a month since I've visited the gym, I realized I'd better rethink this post to fit my current fitness activities.

While I do like the gym, I have been an infrequent visitor to my local fitness center. So in place of going to the gym, I continue to find other opportunities to fit in exercise.

Whether you have a gym membership or not, here are some ideas to hold you over between gym lapses:

1. Walk/take the stairs when possible. While I'm not equating walking to a 30 minute bout on the Stairmaster, it is that "something" which is better than that "nothing" of sitting around all day. Some movement is better than none. Walking is free, low-impact and a cool way to see the neighborhood.

2. Dance. Music, movement, convenience.

3. Workout video. You can buy, borrow or watch workouts on youtube.com. Other sites such as fitnessmagazine.com, sparkpeople.com have workout clips that you can also be inspired by.

4. Adjust your eating. If you're doing less cardio, adjust your eating to fit your less strenuous lifestyle. In other words, you may want to eat less fried foods and more green vegetables. As with exercise, moderation is key. I'm definitely not advocating starving or extreme dieting here.

5. Staying calm. Exercise is not only great for burning calories but also for releasing stress. So if you've recently decreased your workouts, find another way to release stress via deep breathing, meditating, journaling.

By doing at least a few of the above tips, your body will be better equipped to support you when you do make that visit to the gym.

Turn to Your Neighbor on Your Right and...

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:36:00 +0000

Self-growth seminars, have you been? Around May, I went to my first self-growth training which was led by the wunderkind Jonathan Budd. This was my first self-growth training and I was unsure of what to expect. Thankfully, the training did surpass my expectations and I still have some lessons from it which I continue to use in my day-to-day life.

If you've been to a self-growth training, you're probably familiar with what happens at such events. If, however, you missed out on the latest self-growth seminar or if you'd like to attend one in the future, here are some suggestions of making the best of your seminar experience:

1. Rest up ahead of time. Seminars are not for the faint-of-heart. Trainings can last from 12-14 hours a day. There are breaks and the time usually goes by fast. Nonetheless, get your sleep before attending a seminar so you can maintain your energy.

2. Bring water, pens and paper, business cards. You probably already know this one.

3. As best as you can, clean your home/bedroom/office before leaving. Ah, this is an ideal one...and one which I didn't fully achieve so I understand if this tip is a "challenge." Credit goes to coach and speaker Jim Bunch who shared this tip as part of Jonathan Budd's Unstoppable Entrepreneur training.

4. Take what you can from the training and adapt it to your life. Originally, when I attended the Millionaire Mind training, there were about 6 new daily habits which I enthusiastically did for the first week. Around week 2, though, my 6 habits began to feel like too much so I gradually trimmed it down to just one--reading my wealth affirmations.. Do what's manageable and doable. Appreciate that you invested the time and possibly money to attend the training.

How about for you? What trainings have you attended or would you like to attend? How did the training affect your personal life or business?

Lessons Learned While Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:25:00 +0000

As I shared in the last post, I've had the opportunity to do some traveling over the past 6 months. I figured that with all of the teleseminars, reading and concepts I'd absorbed that traveling would be a cool gentle breeze. That I could shift my perspective, adjust to challenges, and overall, be a fairly decent traveler. Indeed, this was not quite the case.

Here are some lessons that I learned while traveling:
Social
1. When traveling, keep in mind the purpose of the trip. If it's a family gathering, think family time. For a more sociable trip, think "hanging out with friends" time. In other words, if you're used to being a solo traveler, like me, shift your expectations for group oriented trips. Yes, I'm sure this is obvious for most travelers but for some reason, I was maintaining a solo traveler mindset on instead of a group traveler one.
2. Best to travel with friends and family members that are patient with you in case you haven't quite mastered lesson 1.

Packing
1. Use a standard list for packing. Instead of re-writing your packing list, create a basic one for essential travel items.
2. Bring clothes that are versatile. For a 4 day trip, I prefer to pack 2 pants and 4 shirts since people rarely notice if you wear the same pants twice.
3. Wear something comfortable while traveling.

Getting There
1. Booking a flight and hotel at the last minute can feel slightly exhilarating but can also be expensive and stressful for you.
2. If you're using transit, find out in advance how to go from the airport/train station to your destination. Google Maps proved to be a handy option for me.
3. If you're traveling as a group, see if you all can pack your "liquids" into one bag and split the baggage cost.

Being There
1. Enjoy eating...but at the same time aim to stay on track with your health values. Every now and then, aim to get some fresh vegetables along with whatever local cuisine you're enjoying.
2. Doing 15 push ups or sit ups will at least make you feel somewhat on track with fitness. : ) Make whatever effort you can, to support your health.
3. Be calm about your purchases. Does your friend really need a bulky, singing key chain?

When it's over...
1. If you can, unpack your bags within 2 days of returning. Seeing your unpacked bags in the corner can be draining and a bit of a nuisance.
2. Give yourself a chance to rest before you swing back into everyday living. Sleep in, do some journaling, have "me" time.
3. Ah, and if a trip doesn't go as planned, see if you can find something positive about the trip. What did you learn about yourself? How well do you manage flight delays, lost items, too much rich food?

Have I mastered all of the lessons that I've shared? Nope, am working on some of these myself. However, a couple of positives about my experience is that it taught me to be patient with myself and also to appreciate the humor and patience of my friends and family members.

When A Blogger Goes Offline...

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:58:00 +0000

There was a phase about 4 years ago when I became mildly obsessed with fashion blogs. Reading about other bloggers lives, looking at their various clothing styles and enjoying the music posted was pretty sweet relief for me from my-then routine life.

However...every now and then I'd come upon a fashion blog without any recent posting or one in which there was a significant gap between posts. What happened to the blogger's enthusiasm? Their creativity? Their group du jour? I felt disappointed and miffed by the sudden lapse in posting. Where was their dedication?
And then...the same lapse happened to me! : ) After joyfully and somewhat less joyfully posting on this blog, I, too, began to slow down my postings What happened to my enthusiasm? My creativity? My tip du jour? As I mentioned in my last posting "Still On?" I felt more in need of receiving advice than doling it out. The Tuesday Tip began to feel like a chore. I felt somewhat certain that I maxed out on my creativity. I'd posted on fitness, finding more joy, improving your life...what else was left?

So I decided to take a break from "Tuesday's Tip" and gradually that evolved into taking a break from my blog which turned into taking a break from my business and focusing on reducing my own sense of overwhelm.

All-in-all, it was a wise decision for me to take a rest from business-ing. My sleeping, exercise and eating habits were erratic. I had papers which needed to be filed, pending Facebook notifications and a closet in need of decluttering. Delegation is dandy when you have the staff or willing offspring but when you have only yourself to delegate to then it's not quite as fun.
While the saying, "You gotta live it to coach it" is not necessarily a necessity, it did offer me some comfort while I was going through my growth experience. I am and I expect I always will be learning more about my behaviors and my habits. From a traditional business standpoint, it probably wasn't the wisest move to take such a break from my business but definitely for my own personal growth, it was a needed and welcome break! : )
In the following weeks, I'll post info as to what I've been doing in the last 5 or 6 months. I expect posting will relate to: self growth seminars, traveling, health....and more.

Your Turn....
What insights or challenges have you experienced these last 6 months? What have you learned about yourself as a result of what you experienced? How can this new knowledge help you now or in the future?

Thanks for reading and hope everyone enjoyed their summer!

Quick update: I did manage to jog the Bay-to-Breakers back in May. My legs were a bit sore but I enjoyed the race. Congrats to my brother, his family and all other first-timers for taking part in the Bay-to-Breakers! Appreciation to my father and sis for being there!

Still On?

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 05:37:00 +0000

So a few weeks ago, I decided to take a hiatus from Tuesday Tipping because I felt more in the need of tips, advice, suggestions than I felt like doling 'em out. It's now been about 3 weeks since I've posted and yes, I am surprised by the speed of time.

All-in-all, am doing fine. Am learning about life coaching, business, and how to manage my time. Definitely, a work in progress. In the meantime, would like to share an upcoming goal which I have for May: To run in the 100th anniversary of the Bay to Breakers, a 12k race held in San Francisco. While I've run it in the past, I've since gotten out of the habit of the morning jog and so I'm now training for the race. Training is perhaps an over-statement but I've recently began taking 3-minute jogs during my work break. Yes, it does look weird, yes I do wear my jogging shoes and yes, I will gradually increase my jogs. Right now, though, the 3 minute jog works for me because a. it's a start and b. it's a tolerable start.

For you, is there something which you've been delaying because it felt too overwhelming?

Is there a baby step that you can take toward your goal? Can you look at images of someone who's achieved what you wished, look at videos, listen to an interview, read an article or speak to someone who's had success in an area that you're now struggling with?

How would your outlook change if you regarded your problems/challenges/difficulties as opportunities for growth?

Wish everyone progress with their goals and will keep you posted on how my training goes!

Tuesday's Tip - Hmm, what's this?

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 06:03:00 +0000

source: Laughing Squid (flickr.com)

Hello, all readers...Recently, I've been more in the mood for receiving tips then doling them out. I suppose you could say that I've been in a hiberno-reflective mood. So, for the last few weeks, I've thought about doing a new column called "Shan Shares." Maybe I should turn it into another full-fledged blog. Who knows?

OK, ruminating online isn't always the most productive thing to do. And so with that being the case, I'm going to start new postings under "Shan Shares" and suspend the "Tuesday's Tips" version of this blog. I'll still post tips but will also vary my postings to include some additional thoughts or slices of life moments.

And yes, I do think that "Shan Shares" has somewhat of a kitschy early 80s sound to it...but that's why I like it. : )

All the Best!

Update: It turned out the "Shan Shares" addess was already in use on blogspot, so instead I've created a new blog called Shannon HQ, you can visit it here.

Tuesday's Tip - About "To-Dos"

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 05:54:00 +0000

This was a thought that occurred to me yesterday because there are some to-dos on my list which I haven't completed. I haven't implemented this myself yet but will see how it work when I do. Essentially, if there's something on your to-do list that you can't get around to you can list 3 examples of one of the following...
1. How you'll feel when the task is done (relieved, energized, calm)
2. Your reason for wanting/having to do a certain task (you promised someone you'd do something, it's a key step in a larger project, there's a deadline)
3. The benefits (you'll help someone else, you'll feel healthier, you won't have to keep re-writing it on your to-do lists.)

Hope you/we have a chance to give this a try....or then again, it's even better if we don't delay our to-dos and therefore not have to resort to this tactic. : )

Wish everyone a great week!

Tuesday's Tip - A 2-Step Challenge Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:38:00 +0000

All right, will launch right into the 2 steps....

1. Think of 2 successes whether it's learning to tie your shoes or having an article published you've had and extrapolate the strengths you demonstrated or gained. What did you have to do to achieve the success? What qualities did you display in reaching your goal? Did you even think it was possible for you to succeed?

2. Next, think of a current challenge or obstacle you're facing and imagine what strengths you'll acquire or increase by overcoming it. For instance, having a money challenge could teach you to be smarter about personal finance, to appreciate life's non-monetary aspects and to strengthen your inner resilience.* Having a clutter challenge could teach you to be cautious about the items you acquire and to value organizing systems.

What's the point?
By reflecting on how your current challenges will strengthen you, you can appreciate the gifts that these challenges will bring. You can also keep these gifts in mind when your challenges are especially challenging.

(Please note, I'm not trying to be flip or blithely dismiss people who have a financial challenge. I'm not saying, "It's great that you're broke!" but I'm supportive of us learning from our challenges)

Tuesday's Tip - What's the Benefit?

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:01:00 +0000

This post is geared towards someone who may have started a new habit, say around January or so, and then dropped it. Or if you were inspired by last week's post and yet haven't managed to adjust your morning routine, then this post is to have you focus on the benefit of a new habit or routine.

The idea is to think of as many benefits as possible to a new habit which you wish to undertake. Hopefully, during those moments when your motivation lags or you experience a relapse, then by remembering the benefits, you can have a positive result to move you forward. Or if the consequences of not adopting a new habit motivate you, then you can list that as well. For instance, you can ask yourself, what will your life be like in 5 years if this habit continues.

So, here's how this will work.

1. Decide which new habit you want to adopt for this year.

2. List the benefits of adopting the new habit.

3. Take a 30 minute break, again list any other benefits that come to mind to adopting this new habit. Here are some questions: How would you feel when you're free of your old habit? Who could you inspire? How much money could you save? How much time would you save? What else could you do by establishing this new habit? What new people would you meet or new environment would you be in? What fears or limiting beliefs about yourself would you eliminate?

4. Over the next 14 days, either in the morning or night, review the list of benefits. If reviewing the list of benefits leaves you feeling indifferent, search for more worthwhile benefits or decide if you're truly committed to adopting a new habit.

When adopting a new habit you'll have to alter/eliminate an old habit which while a part of you may want to give up, another part of you may still be clinging to. So practice patience and kindness with yourself and celebrate the progress that you make, whether it's starting a morning yoga practice or finally getting rid of your stack of old newspapers.

Tuesday's Tip - Your Ideal Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:05:00 +0000

source: flickr.com (Guillaume Cattiaux)

In the past, I've posted on this blog or on the Optimal Habits blog about describing your Ideal Day or even your Ideal Year. For some people thinking about their Ideal Day or Ideal Year may be too much absorb and perhaps may result in the person feeling that it's something he/she would like to have but couldn't really experience. So for today's tip we're going to focus on describing your Ideal Morning.

Here are some questions to get you started:
1. Would you wake up with an alarm clock or naturally?

2. How do you want to feel when you wake up (energetic, enthusiastic, calm, well-rested, excited)?

3. Would every morning be new and fresh or would there be a set routine that you'd follow?

4. What activities would be included in your Ideal Day, e.g., exercise, meditation, finishing yesterday's task, journaling, reading?

5. Do you want to start your morning by working on your top priorities or by gradually easing into the day's activities?

6. Do you start your Ideal Morning with music or in silence?

7. Currently, what are your typical mornings like?

8. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = Ideal), how close are you to realizing your Ideal Morning?

9. What adjustments can you make this week to bring you closer to your Ideal Morning? Some possibilities could be to wake up earlier, eat a healthy breakfast, plan your day the night before, go to bed earlier.

Often the way we start our morning affects the rest of our day so by getting closer to your Ideal Morning, you can also get closer to having your Ideal Day.

Tuesday's Tip - Bonjour!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000

source: qwrrty (flickr.com)

More and more frequently, I've had the chance to practice French which I studied back in my scholarly days. Likewise, more and more I've realized that my French has gotten rusty. About 6 months or so ago, I made an effort to keep up my French by reading an article for 10 minutes or by listening to something. Having not kept up even that minor practice has, of course, resulted in my current rustification of French.

So for today, I just want to ask you, if there's something that you used to enjoy that you no longer do? What caused you to give up the activity that you enjoyed?

Can you somehow fit that activity back into your current routine?

Can you refresh your interest in the activity?

What can you do to update or advance your skill level in this activity?

As for myself, I listened to a French audio cassette while washing dishes yesterday. It was a small but helpful start in making my French a little less rusty and a li'l more polished.

Tuesday's Tip - Not As Planned

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:49:00 +0000

This post will offer some brief advice on what to do when things don't go as planned. This could be something such as a traffic jam making you late for work or finding out that you didn't get the position that you interviewed for.

1. Accept it. Reflect on the situation and learn from it. (Please note that I said "reflect" and not "dwell" which can get you bogged down in dredging and re-living a past experience.) What could you do better next time?

2. Tweak it. You're aware that things haven't gone as planned and you now wish to somehow make your current situation more agreeable for you. You could do this by taking a shorter break if you're late for or by applying for another position with a company/organization that you want to work for.

3. Have a backup plan. Do you have a Plan B in case your original choice is unavailable? Are there 5 other businesses that are vying to interview you? With this option, you could combine options 2 and 3, but also you could have an idea in advance of what you wish to do in case, your first plan is unfulfilled.

There are times, of course, when things will not go as planned: you can't find a needed report, you damaged a borrowed CD, you get a lousy haircut. What's useful when things don't go as planned is to be open to change. This doesn't mean that you if you didn't ace an audition it means that you're not destined to be a great actress. Instead, it means that there could be some adjustment that you may need to make in your approach, whether it's learning more about acting or finding a different play to audition for. A person who's open to change is more adept at coping when events do not turn out as planned. Such a person has a definite advantage over someone else who's stewing and brewing over what once was.

Before Valentine's

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:02:00 +0000

Did you know that there's another holiday before Valentine's? It's called Madly in Love With Me Day and it was created by Christine Arylo. As her web website describes it, the aim of the day is "to make a commitment to self love.." So whether you're singular or plural, here are some suggestions on enjoying the day

1. Have some quiet time for yourself.

2. Read a book that you enjoy.

3. Go for a walk. Not so much to burn calories but simply to enjoy the day. (This applies if the weather is comfortable enough for walking!)

4. Take a class or do something fun that you might not have gotten around to doing (getting a facial, scalp massage, sitting in a park).

5. Write in your journal on a theme of your own or as a response to one or more of the following:
a. What's great about you? List your strengths, your uniqueness, your winning moments. Recall compliments that people have given you on anything related to you--your point of view, hairstyle, clothes, laugh, facial expressions, business sense, sensitivity, etc. Or maybe you've never been complimented on this skill/quality but you appreciate it nonetheless.
b. What's great about your life? What do you enjoy about your life as it is right now? In spite of whatever current challenges your facing, focus your attention on the positive in your life. Have you created meaningful friendships? Have you taken the leap into becoming an entrepreneur?
c. What are some of your dream goals? What would you one day like to do? What do you imagine yourself doing even though it seems far away from your current circumstances?
d. Who are the people that have most influenced you?
e. Who are the people that you've influenced or in some way inspired and how?

Hope everyone enjoys Madly In Love With Me Day and spreads the word about this day to their friends and family members! Also, you can visit the site for your own free self-love kit.

(My Disclaimer: Am not an affiliate.)

Tuesday's Tip: A Refresher

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:50:00 +0000

This is an über-quick tip for dealing with overwhelm. When there's too much to do and your thinking is getting fuzzier by the second, go for a walk to refresh your mind and energy. Or if it's too chilly for that, detach yourself from your activities and simply look out the window.

Hope this brief tip works!

Tuesday's Tip - From Thought to Action!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 07:25:00 +0000

source: lindyi (flickr.com)

I didn't realize how much I relied on lists until I did my 30 Day Life Improvement Plan on this blog---and on cinchcast.com. There I was doing lists galore, from listing people that supported you to listing what you're grateful for. I've found lists to be a helpful way of getting your ideas out of you head and onto paper in a quick, orderly fashion. After all, it's much easier to read items on a list than to read them in a paragraph.

So today's bite-sized type is to create a list when you're unsure of your priorities or when you'd simply like to relieve your mind from its concerns. You can check out my Weekly Coaching Challenges at Optimal Habits to learn more about clearing the mind of its concerns.

In honor of this post, I'll list how to turn a "concern" list of into an action list. ; )

1. List your concerns

2. Cross out the thoughts which repeat

3. Underline the conerns which are important to you.

4. Highlight the concerns, you want to work on this week.

5. Schedule the concerns into your calendar...or when making your daily to-do list, refer to your list of concerns for actions to incorporate into your day.

From thought to action! Hope everyone benefits from doing this exercise.

Tuesday's Tip - Decluttering

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 05:04:00 +0000

If you read last week's post on aligning your environment and got bogged down in the decluttering process, then hopefully, today's post can help you to remove the clutter and align your environment with your goals.

STARTING

1. Figure out how much time you wish to spend on decluttering

2. Decide what you want your place to look like once it's clutter-free

3. Figure out what the source of the clutter is. Is it from items that you're buying and collecting? Unused gifts that people are giving you? An overdose of retail therapy?

4. Decide how much is manageable for you or your space right now. Perhaps you're OK with reducing your dishware, excess electronics and old clothes but you hedge at giving away your CDs. Instead of depleting your CD collection, decide on a "reduction" number that is manageable for you and that truly feels as if you're making progress on decluttering. On the other hand, you can accept that right now you're not ready to part with your CDs while you are willing to remove other items from your life.

DOING

1. Select a room, area or theme to your decluttering process. (By theme, I mean, you may have an excess of T-shirts or decorated soaps that you want to remove from your space)

2. If you choose a room, focus on one task at a time. If you skitter from one part of the room to the next, it's going to be hard to see the progress that you're making; however, if you focus on one area/theme then it's easier to stay inspired and to see your progress.

3. If while decluttering you feel overwhelmed and berate yourself or others for the clutter, then pause, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for taking action on the clutter. Better to applaud your current action then to criticize yourself for your past behavior.

4. This tip contradicts #2 but if you're getting discouraged with the progress you're making on one area, then shift your focus to an area that's easier to declutter. Once you're inspired by your accomplishment in that area then use that inspiration to energize you for the harder to declutter spots.

5. Have patience. As with gaining weight, it probably didn't take 3 days for the clutter to build up so it may take a month or more for the clutter to be removed. The important thing is to be consistent with your decluttering process.

6. Take a pic. Some time ago, I read this tip in a book on organizing your space. Essentially, if you're having difficulty removing an item because of sentimental reasons, you can take a photo of it as a keepsake. This tip may sound a bit strange but it gives you a way to release the item while you still have something to remember it by. For myself, the idea of taking a photo of a cherished item is enough to cause me to relinquish it.

7. The holding zone. For items that you find it hard to make a decision on, you can box them away to see if you should later need the item.. You should put a date on your calendar when you'll donate the box if that's what you decide to do. Ideally, you're supposed to give away the unopened box once its expiration date is up. I've had so-so success with this in that items which I've kept in the holding zone suddenly gain some value for me and ease their way back into my wardrobe/onto my bookshelf.

8. Removing. The choice is yours as to how you want to remove your clutter. Selling, donating, recycling and re-using are all possibilities.

MAINTAINING

1. Decide on a monthly, quarterly or yearly schedule of decluttering.

2. Figure out what new habits, you'll establish to curtail the clutter. Will you use the something-in, something-out approach? Will you limit your monthly purchases of a certain item? What daily or weekly habit will you adopt to keep the your space reasonably free of clutter?

Tuesday's Tip - Environmental Alignment

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Langley Collyer
source: wikipedia.org (New York Public Library)

Yesterday, I did a show on environmental alignment called "Creating A Success Environment" you can listen to here to learn of how you can align your physical environment to support your goals. Below are 6 tips on creating a success environment.

1. Awareness - For a few days, become aware of your home/work environment and see how it’s affecting your goals. Are you always looking for an ink pen that works or searching for a needed form? Is it easier for you to grab a bag of potato chips than a piece of fruit? Develop awareness of what is and is not working in your environment.

2. Declutter - Donate, recycle, reuse, or throw away whatever you aren’t using. Declutter one room or area at a time. If you only have time to declutter your pocket, purse or briefcase, then do that. Be patient and focus on one area when decluttering. The aim is to make the decluttering process manageable with the other demands on your time.

3. Simplify - Challenge yourself and see how you can place items in a more accessible or logical area for your activities. Can you put items in a more convenient place? Where needed, decrease multiples. You may need only a dozen bath towels in your house instead of 30.

4. To Buy - Determine what you need to buy, if anything, to support your goals. Make sure that it’s truly an item that you need. Also, if you’re buying something to replace a broken item, then be sure to discard the old object.

5. Fix it - Fix what needs to be fixed. If something is halfway working or if a jacket is missing a button, create a list of items that need to be repaired or replaced and plan on getting those items updated.

6. Maintenance - If you’re really in the environmental alignment mood, you can schedule time on a monthly or quarterly basis to assess and improve your environment.

January is National Get Organized Month so I hope that you all have a chance to practice environmental alignment and create an environment which supports your goals. Please remember that we're all human so some days your place may be less aligned than others but overall strive to create a home/work environment that helps you to make progress and reach your goals whether it's to be healthier, have more calm or earn more money.

After Watching Hoarders

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:05:00 +0000

This latest show "Creating A Success Environment" was inspired by my watching of the show Hoarders and January being National Get Organized Month. You can listen at the player below...Happy Monday to all!

Listen to internet radio with ShannonMcQueen on Blog Talk Radio

Tuesday's Tip - Planting Positive Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Today's post is a follow up to last week's article "Pulling Out the Weeds." You can view last Tuesday's Tip by clicking here.

So assuming that everyone has had a chance to respond to the questions from last week's article and managed to track any negative comments made about them. Here are the action steps to work on uncovering and dislodging your limiting beliefs.

1. Review the list of limiting beliefs which you made last week.

2. Review or create a list of the negative comments which you caught yourself saying over the past week.

3. See if these negative comments supported your current limiting beliefs or did they reveal additional limiting beliefs?

4. If you did make negative comments about yourself, are you surprised by that comments which you expressed?

5. How are your limiting beliefs keeping you from living the life that you would like to live?

6. Do you surround yourself with people who support and share your limiting beliefs?

7. Imagine yourself without your most powerful limiting belief and describe how you would behave. What actions would you take? How would you move your body? Relate to others? What would your overall behavior be like?

8. For 3/more of the negative comments which you made about yourself, create a positive statement. (For instance, if you said that you always spend any money that you have, you could create a statement such as "I appreciate the money that I have and I manage it responsibly.")

9. From your list of positive statements, pick the one which feels the most empowering and create 3 supporting statements/experiences for it. For instance, if your statement is "I appreciate the money that I have and I manage it responsibly," your supporting statements could be that you pay your bills on time, you once saved for a major purchase and that in the past, a friend complimented you on your math skills. You could also use examples of others who are doing what you want to do or of your commitment to improving your thoughts as your supporting statement.

10. Decide to read, write or recite your affirmation and its supporting statement once a day .

11. Schedule time 2 weeks from now to review your responses and to assess your progress. Has the belief lessened? Have you noticed any change in your thinking or behavior? How do you now relate to others?

Bonus: How do your limiting beliefs affect your ability to tolerate change or to take risks?

Goal, Interrupted

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:57:00 +0000

15 strategies for maintaining focus on your goals and dealing with setbacks. Hope that it helps everyone with staying on track with their goals.

Listen to internet radio with ShannonMcQueen on Blog Talk Radio

The Blogging Begins....just not here ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 07:34:00 +0000

source: andrew morrell (flickr.com)

I've joined a 30 Day Ultimate Blog Challenge hosted by Michele Scism and Michelle Shaeffer. Will be participating in the challenge on my Optimal Habits site. There I'll post a question a day. You can check out the blog by clicking here.

Ah, I also wish everyone excellent health and prosperity for the NEW YEAR! Hope you all enjoyed the day.