A selection from TFT’s travel grouping is my favorite free thing for this week.  The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada is offering 2 free nights at their resort and casino.

Even better is the fact that you don’t have to use the free nights now.  They are available until just before Christmas. 

You can make reservations on-line here, or call 1-800-736-6386 and ask for offer “CPFREE.”

Change Anything Labs studies and works with people who are struggling with self-destructive patterns in any area of their lives.  In this book, they introduce a system, based in science, for adopting and holding on to better behaviors.  The authors show that will power isn’t really the best way for you to change yourself.  Alternatively, there are skills you can learn that will actually propel you forward into a lasting change.  I listened to the audio book version, and was really intrigued with their strategy.

Change Anything comes with a free code to access their web site which is the changers’ portal to additional information and a behavioral assessment.  Shortly after I registered on the website, I received this email:

Cindi,
We’d like to thank you for being among our first users and for reading the book. To show our appreciation we are upgrading your account from 3 months of premium access to a full year for free. Your account should show the upgrade immediately.

We’d also like to extend this benefit to those you may know to help you build your change support team. Please share this coupon code “money” with at least 5 people. The code will allow them to receive a free premium membership as well. You can share the code with:

*Immediate and extended family members
*People you want to be coaches or mentors on your Change Plan
*Co-workers, friends, and professional contacts (including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn)
*Your blog followers

Again we thank you for being one of the first users and we wish you continued success in your change efforts.

Please take advantage of their generosity.  As your “change agent,” I will focus my next few posts on walking us through the book, the website, and applying the lessons learned there to a personal challenge of mine.  I feel very hopeful that this will be successful for me and to you too!  Got any changes you’d like to work on?

The first thing I do after I strap into my seat in an airplane is try to get to sleep.  Flying is boring for me and a nice nap makes the flight go much faster, and then I’m really ready to hit it after I get off the plane.  Maybe that works for you too.  I bet this pillow would be a nice take-along on a road trip too.  :-)

Today’s Friday Freebie is a travel pillow from your local sleep number store.

This is a shot of Sleep Number’s Facebook page:

And here’s the link for you to follow:  https://www.facebook.com/SleepNumber?sk=app_7146470109

Everyone has an idea about something they would like to change . . . and you do too.  Right?

If you are like me, you’d like to shake things up a bit in your environment, and change some of your own habits and characteristics.

It seems that our best efforts should be directed towards those things about ourselves we want to change, rather than those things in others that “need” to be changed.  It’s funny how others can sometimes block or take offense at our efforts to “improve” them.  Weird, huh? 

So, now that we’re focused on ourselves, the next thing we usually do is decide on some behavior modification we need to implement.  We then turn our white-knuckled determination and fierce will power loose on that new behavior.  For me, that usually lasts until I start feeling uncomfortable.  Sadly, that’s usually an hour or two, or when I’m really determined, a day or two later.  That’s not nearly long enough to see any benefit or result. 

photo by Beny Shlevich

Happily, I have found a better way to make changes stick that I want to share with you.  Come back here tomorrow to find out what that is.

All that you need to have all that you want, Cindi, will be provided, as if by magic, once you know what you want and do something about it every day.

No matter what,
The Universe

Photo by vramak

via:  Thoughts become things… choose the good ones!®
©www.tut.com®

Today’s free offer is from MyHabit.com (a new Amazon site):

Here’s a screen shot of the site.  Use your Amazon account to sign in, or create one if you don’t have one already.

This link will get you there.

I hope you will find something great for yourself or your kids!

photo by Debasis

A change agent is a catalyst . . . one person who changes another person’s capabilities to achieve a higher level of output or self-actualization.  In more down-to-earth terms, a change agent is someone who helps others to do more or to do better, or to find a better perspective on life.  This better perspective can be the foundation for future change which achieves previously unattainable outcomes for the growing person.

A change agent is the vision-holder . . . the one who sees what’s possible for the future.  They are able to share this vision with others, ignite their passion and transform it into energy for making difficult changes.  The most complex role of a change agent is to get others to ‘buy in’ to the change process, and to get them committed to taking relevant actions.

Change agents are either good project managers who can guarantee timely progress, or they should be good leaders with the ability to motivate people. They must be very self-motivated and able to hold others accountable to their own desired changes.

Above all, a good change agent understands people.

Some would suppose that our title is referring to that thing you might consider to be second best as compared to “the best.”  I prefer to think of it as the single action that would be the most productive thing for me to tackle next.

You all know that we don’t manage time.  Right?  We actually manage ourselves and the things we do with our time.  So, it behooves us to always be considering what the next step we take should be. 

Of the projects I am currently working on, which one needs attention the most?  What is the most effective small step I can take to move my highest priority project forward? 

Think of yourself as the “guy” who has a bunch of plates spinning atop a corresponding number of sticks.  Which of those plates is closest to slowing down and wobbling to a thunderous crash?  That’s the plate that most needs a gentle push to keep it spinning.

Here’s an example from my life today. 

I am actively involved in these projects:  personal health and wellness, housekeeping, gardening, outfitting the 5th-wheel, processing SBC’s invitations to bid, preparing bid files, and sending out today’s job estimates.  My personal priority is to keep SBC running smoothly.  The highest priority for SBC is to keep work in the pipeline by sending our work estimates for upcoming jobs to general contractors.  I cannot fax or email our bids until the estimator completes his process, but I can build a list of email addresses for potential recipients and store it for later use. 

This is my next step . . . the highest priority, requires the least effort, keeps me one step ahead of the estimator, positions my work so someone else could easily send out the bids if I were engaged in something else. 

All of the plates are nicely spinning . . . my time and effort is being used to it’s best advantage.  Viola!  My next best thing.

It’s not the day you have to manage, Cindi, but the moment.
It’s not the dragon you have to slay, but the fear.
And it’s not the path you have to know, but the destination.

What a relief, huh?
    The Universe

So good to know that the Universe is looking out for me!  Actually, this is the daily email I receive from the site in the screen shot below.  Most days these thoughts touch me so accurately that I save them and revisit their thoughts over and over.  Maybe you’d like to see what the Universe has to say to you.  Just click on the screen shot for the link.

Let’s make this really personal . . . What will a life coach do FOR YOU? 

Life coaches promise to motivate, offer support when you need a boost in confidence, and help you decide which direction to take.

photo by Delphine

A life coach will facilitate growth for you  in virtually every aspect of personal development.  Some possibilities include the fine-tuning of career direction and development, the building of management, executive and leadership skills, helping with business start-ups and entrepreneurialism, life skills, personal fulfillment, life balance, and the development of specific skills or knowledge.

The coach facilitates your personal growth by . . .

• drawing out your potential, not directing and training you,
• developing your gifts, not imposing theirs on you
• encouraging your reflection and introspection rather than by directing you.

Coaching is never judgmental or based on assumptions, but it will hold you accountable.

 Consider this example scenario . . .

 ”Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?”

This is one of those questions many job-seekers dread during an interview, and it can also be daunting to answer on a personal level.  With all your responsibilities, activities and projects, it’s sometimes hard to see the big picture.  It can be too easy to become overwhelmed or feel like you’re lacking direction.  Worse still, imagine finding yourself at the end of your work years and feeling regret or disappointment in where you ended up.

This would be a great time to call on your life coach and make sure you are where you want to be, doing what you want to be doing.

If you feel frustrated with some aspect of your life, not sure how to consistently make better choices, or just want to have more happiness, peace of mind and passion, then know that life coaching can do that for you.