I prefer to see the positive side of things and give people the benefit of the doubt.
Recently, I had a discussion with an employee about her perception of others' actions towards her. She felt - persecuted is a bit too strong of a word, but picked on is so elementary school - strongly questioned for her responses to the question of how the regional office could better assist those out in the field.
This particular employee is a stellar worker who willingly helps others in her career field and shares data and templates easily with her colleagues. She felt that the regional office doesn't appreciate her input.
When she described what happened at a recent training session, I saw it in a different way. The questions being asked of her struck me as complimentary of her knowledge, skills, and abilities.
I shared my thoughts with her, including that maybe they were looking to recruit her to the regional office at some point, and she admitted that perhaps she should take things in a more positive light.
Our perceptions of our environment and others' words and actions are a result of our perspective on the world. And our perspective is what we reflect to the world, which in turn becomes our mirror, reflecting it back to us.
What are you reflecting to the world today? How is your perspective affecting your perception of the situation?
Until next time, Namaste!
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
MaXIMIze - Changes
It has been a while - over two months - since I last posted to this blog. That has been two months of moving to a new town, a new state, a new job, a new agency. All in all, a very good move for me. It took a lot for me to actually make this move though. This move meant leaving behind the life I knew, the area I grew up in and raised my kids in, and the culture I was used to - both at work and in the community. It also meant purging my life of those things that were no longer supporting what and who I was striving to be. It meant looking into the great unknown and taking that leap of faith that everything will work out for the best. And it did!
I wold not be here if it were not for the journey I've taken with this blog to heal myself of old wounds, to truly look at my life's journey, to find the path with heart, and to find the strength and the courage to walk that path to this particular part of my life's journey.
And yes, my journey is far from over. This is but a stopping place in that journey. I am here to finish out one career and truly begin another. How that will all unfold is yet to be seen - and that's okay. Uncertainty is okay in life - in fact it should be welcomed rather than feared. Uncertainty, and the act of being still in that uncertainty and listening to that small voice of Self inside of us, can bring clarity and show us the next part of the heart-path to follow in our lives.
So, remember when life seems overwhelmingly crazy, to stop, breathe, and listen to your inner Self.
Until next time, Namaste!
I wold not be here if it were not for the journey I've taken with this blog to heal myself of old wounds, to truly look at my life's journey, to find the path with heart, and to find the strength and the courage to walk that path to this particular part of my life's journey.
And yes, my journey is far from over. This is but a stopping place in that journey. I am here to finish out one career and truly begin another. How that will all unfold is yet to be seen - and that's okay. Uncertainty is okay in life - in fact it should be welcomed rather than feared. Uncertainty, and the act of being still in that uncertainty and listening to that small voice of Self inside of us, can bring clarity and show us the next part of the heart-path to follow in our lives.
So, remember when life seems overwhelmingly crazy, to stop, breathe, and listen to your inner Self.
Until next time, Namaste!
Sunday, July 24, 2016
MaXIMIze - Principles of Success
As I get ready to transition from one position to another, I think about the road that has brought me to this spot, the actions I've taken that have led to my success thus far.
As I prepared to write this post, I jotted down four principles that have gotten me where I am today.
The first is owning your position. No matter what position you hold, from the lowest-paid clerk to the highest-paid CEO, in order to be successful in that position you have to own it, make it yours and yours alone. Part of doing that is to truly understand how your position benefits the organization - what is the why for that position existing. Every organization has a mission and a function, as does every position in that organization. Figure that out and you will go a long way to being successful in the particular position you hold.
I can think of three examples from my own career to share. First, when I was an administrative assistant in our Contracting Division, I felt my job was to take care of all the administrative stuff - ensuring we had adequate office supplies at all times, ensuring we had the appropriate cost codes to charge to, ensuring we stayed within our operating budget while still keeping our folks trained, etc. - so the contract specialists could do their jobs and get the contracts out on time. If I had simply been reactive to those around me rather than proactive in taking care of those around me, I would not have been successful in this position.
The next two examples are from when I was a budget analyst. Part of supporting our projects was knowing the financial status of the projects at any given time. In my mind that meant knowing what the upcoming contracts and such were to ensure we had the funds on hand to accomplish those tasks as well as knowing what the out year requirements were and the financial parameters we were expected to stay within on any given assigned project I supported. This meant doing analysis on a continual basis to ensure we were meeting our targets and staying within the parameters given - and doing what we said we were going to do with the funds provided. If I had simply been reactive and provided funding without doing the analysis to say hey, this particular section is going above their projected costs, or hey, that's not what we said we were doing with the funds, then the projects I supported would not have successfully met their targets and stayed within their cost parameters.
As the budget analyst responsible for the operating budget of a project office, I analyzed our usage of project and overhead funds for the current year to ensure that we generated enough overhead from our projects to cover our overhead-related expenses (training, rent, etc.) and developed out-year projections on the requirements for the office based the projects currently assigned there in order to not only develop the next year's operating budget but also to determine our out-year manning requirement for the next four years. If I had simply been reactive, we could have spent more overhead funds than we generated from supporting our projects in the current year and not been able to do appropriate long-term manpower planning, and we wouldn't be able to determine what effect changes that come up during the current year after budgets are formulated and/or adjusted will have either.
The second principle is earning your paycheck. Whatever position you hold has an expected level of performance. It probably has a minimum standard, an expected standard, and an exceedance standard, in fact. Aim for the exceedance standard in all you do in that position. If you are just doing the minimum, you are not helping yourself or the organization you work for. In fact, you may actually be hurting both instead, particularly if you want to move up in that position and/or the organization. Just because someone has done the time in the position doesn't mean they've excelled in the position, and excelling is what gets you promoted.
The third principle is being a warrior. According to Steven Chandler, author of The Wealth Warrior, a warrior serves, he does not please. Figure out how your position can try serve your supervisor and your organization at large in the big and small picture and over the short and long term. Do what is right, not just what you are told to do.
The fourth principle is earning sponsorship. If you follow the three principles outlined above, you will earn the notice and respect of the higher ups in the organization as well as your peers, and perhaps even folks outside of your organization. Earning the respect of and building relationships with these folks will provide you the references needed for furthering your career goals - and, more importantly, give you mentors and guides along the way.
Think of the people who are successful - truly successful - in your organization or in the world in general. And by successful, I mean they do their job well, and are liked and respected by others, and likely sought out as mentors by others. What traits do you see that you think earned them that success? Are those traits ones you would like to see in yourself? Remember to look at the big picture too, not just through the small lens.
I believe each of us has the potential to do great things in life, if we are willing to do the work to do so.
What are you willing to do today to help you pave your way to a successful tomorrow?
Until next time, Namaste!
As I prepared to write this post, I jotted down four principles that have gotten me where I am today.
The first is owning your position. No matter what position you hold, from the lowest-paid clerk to the highest-paid CEO, in order to be successful in that position you have to own it, make it yours and yours alone. Part of doing that is to truly understand how your position benefits the organization - what is the why for that position existing. Every organization has a mission and a function, as does every position in that organization. Figure that out and you will go a long way to being successful in the particular position you hold.
I can think of three examples from my own career to share. First, when I was an administrative assistant in our Contracting Division, I felt my job was to take care of all the administrative stuff - ensuring we had adequate office supplies at all times, ensuring we had the appropriate cost codes to charge to, ensuring we stayed within our operating budget while still keeping our folks trained, etc. - so the contract specialists could do their jobs and get the contracts out on time. If I had simply been reactive to those around me rather than proactive in taking care of those around me, I would not have been successful in this position.
The next two examples are from when I was a budget analyst. Part of supporting our projects was knowing the financial status of the projects at any given time. In my mind that meant knowing what the upcoming contracts and such were to ensure we had the funds on hand to accomplish those tasks as well as knowing what the out year requirements were and the financial parameters we were expected to stay within on any given assigned project I supported. This meant doing analysis on a continual basis to ensure we were meeting our targets and staying within the parameters given - and doing what we said we were going to do with the funds provided. If I had simply been reactive and provided funding without doing the analysis to say hey, this particular section is going above their projected costs, or hey, that's not what we said we were doing with the funds, then the projects I supported would not have successfully met their targets and stayed within their cost parameters.
As the budget analyst responsible for the operating budget of a project office, I analyzed our usage of project and overhead funds for the current year to ensure that we generated enough overhead from our projects to cover our overhead-related expenses (training, rent, etc.) and developed out-year projections on the requirements for the office based the projects currently assigned there in order to not only develop the next year's operating budget but also to determine our out-year manning requirement for the next four years. If I had simply been reactive, we could have spent more overhead funds than we generated from supporting our projects in the current year and not been able to do appropriate long-term manpower planning, and we wouldn't be able to determine what effect changes that come up during the current year after budgets are formulated and/or adjusted will have either.
The second principle is earning your paycheck. Whatever position you hold has an expected level of performance. It probably has a minimum standard, an expected standard, and an exceedance standard, in fact. Aim for the exceedance standard in all you do in that position. If you are just doing the minimum, you are not helping yourself or the organization you work for. In fact, you may actually be hurting both instead, particularly if you want to move up in that position and/or the organization. Just because someone has done the time in the position doesn't mean they've excelled in the position, and excelling is what gets you promoted.
The third principle is being a warrior. According to Steven Chandler, author of The Wealth Warrior, a warrior serves, he does not please. Figure out how your position can try serve your supervisor and your organization at large in the big and small picture and over the short and long term. Do what is right, not just what you are told to do.
The fourth principle is earning sponsorship. If you follow the three principles outlined above, you will earn the notice and respect of the higher ups in the organization as well as your peers, and perhaps even folks outside of your organization. Earning the respect of and building relationships with these folks will provide you the references needed for furthering your career goals - and, more importantly, give you mentors and guides along the way.
Think of the people who are successful - truly successful - in your organization or in the world in general. And by successful, I mean they do their job well, and are liked and respected by others, and likely sought out as mentors by others. What traits do you see that you think earned them that success? Are those traits ones you would like to see in yourself? Remember to look at the big picture too, not just through the small lens.
I believe each of us has the potential to do great things in life, if we are willing to do the work to do so.
What are you willing to do today to help you pave your way to a successful tomorrow?
Until next time, Namaste!
Monday, July 4, 2016
MaXIMIze - Change
Those of you who know me, know that in about a month I will be headed to Taos, New Mexico, to start a new job and be closer to my significant other.
You also know that I am a born and bred California girl, and this is the biggest change I've chosen to make in my life - yes, even bigger than bringing three beautiful children into this world!
As a result, in preparation for the move, I've been going through my apartment and decluttering - getting rid of those things that no longer serve and/or I no longer love and want in my space.
Thankfully, this is a process I started - albeit slowly - near the end of last year, when my significant other made his move and the determination to follow him intensified.
There were other factors for the decluttering and organizing as well - the death of a friend's loved one and the tangle of legal and emotional issues that had to be dealt with from that made me realize I needed to get my stuff in order so I didn't leave a mess for my kids to deal with.
I also considered this for the job I currently have - I started writing down everything I do on a regular basis and the processes I follow to do those tasks. At the time, I was the only one in our office who did some of those tasks. Now we have another analyst in our office, and I am sharing that information with her to make the transition as smooth as possible. And realizing just how many things I really do to keep things flowing smoothly - wow!
Change happens - whether it is a a big move, a new job, death, or relationship changes - and it can be very scary at times.
And yes, even when we choose the change, we still have that same physical reaction - that seizing of the gut that comes with fear - or with excitement - in reaction to a change in our life.
Our reactions can sometimes be involuntary - our responses based on those reactions are our choice - identifying that seizing of the gut as fear or excitement for example.
By identifying potential changes in our lives and being prepared for them - as much as we possibly can - allows us to accept and move through the change easier than if we have not considered the potential for change, or worse yet, deny the change is coming.
Change happens - how we respond to change is our choice.
So, how are you handing the changes in your life? Are you truly responding to them in a way that allows you to move smoothly through them, or are you reacting to them in a way that causes your boat to go up on the rocks?
If it is the latter - reaction versus response - why? What are you afraid of or want to hold on to that is feeding the reaction?
Until next time, Namaste!
You also know that I am a born and bred California girl, and this is the biggest change I've chosen to make in my life - yes, even bigger than bringing three beautiful children into this world!
As a result, in preparation for the move, I've been going through my apartment and decluttering - getting rid of those things that no longer serve and/or I no longer love and want in my space.
Thankfully, this is a process I started - albeit slowly - near the end of last year, when my significant other made his move and the determination to follow him intensified.
There were other factors for the decluttering and organizing as well - the death of a friend's loved one and the tangle of legal and emotional issues that had to be dealt with from that made me realize I needed to get my stuff in order so I didn't leave a mess for my kids to deal with.
I also considered this for the job I currently have - I started writing down everything I do on a regular basis and the processes I follow to do those tasks. At the time, I was the only one in our office who did some of those tasks. Now we have another analyst in our office, and I am sharing that information with her to make the transition as smooth as possible. And realizing just how many things I really do to keep things flowing smoothly - wow!
Change happens - whether it is a a big move, a new job, death, or relationship changes - and it can be very scary at times.
And yes, even when we choose the change, we still have that same physical reaction - that seizing of the gut that comes with fear - or with excitement - in reaction to a change in our life.
Our reactions can sometimes be involuntary - our responses based on those reactions are our choice - identifying that seizing of the gut as fear or excitement for example.
By identifying potential changes in our lives and being prepared for them - as much as we possibly can - allows us to accept and move through the change easier than if we have not considered the potential for change, or worse yet, deny the change is coming.
Change happens - how we respond to change is our choice.
So, how are you handing the changes in your life? Are you truly responding to them in a way that allows you to move smoothly through them, or are you reacting to them in a way that causes your boat to go up on the rocks?
If it is the latter - reaction versus response - why? What are you afraid of or want to hold on to that is feeding the reaction?
Until next time, Namaste!
Sunday, June 19, 2016
MaXIMIze - Business Karma
Events at work over the last few weeks reminded me that, sometimes, not everyone is looking out for the mission first.
One of our mottos, if you will, is People First, Mission Always. And so it should be in any organization. The organization was created to propel a certain mission forward, and if it has the right people in the right positions, it will succeed in doing so.
A good or great organization is capable of not only ensuring the mission gets done within whatever parameters have been set for it, but also the organization grows the people working on said mission.
That being said, the people have the biggest impact to the success or failure of the organization.
I have been blessed to work in a part of our organization that has a very strong sense of purpose. We have a project - a large project - to complete by a certain date and within a certain scope and budget. Our supervisors have the savvy to be able to balance ensuring our people are growing in their jobs and ensuring our project moves along and is completed within the parameters set for it.
Because we are all focused on this goal, we are in alignment and our course is, while not perfect, at least smoother than it appears in other areas of our overall organization.
In other areas of our organization there has been a lot of change recently, and that has shown the sordid underbelly of some of our organization's issues.
People don't like change. That's a given. However, change happens, and you can either help drive the change or let the change drive you, or drag you along kicking and screaming with it - your choice.
One message that came through loud and clear recently is that how our higher ups in the organization - our leaders, nominal and actual - communicate about something or someone very much affects the organization.
Our goal is the mission. Yes, taking care of people is another one of our mottos or slogans, however, the goal is the mission. People First, Mission Always. And how we perceive and react to our environment and the changes therein affects the capability to complete the mission.
Counteracting the poison of negativity and negative energy can be very difficult, particularly when dealing with adult children that other people raised.
Couple that with me-ism - what's in it for ME, how can I benefit, where do I want to go - and it is a very toxic combination/situation.
There is no I in team - and at work, we are a team focused on a goal. So, when our personal mission and goals are not aligned with the organization's mission and goals, perhaps it is time to find a new organization to work for - or to really examine why you are where you are and how, within the framework of supporting the organization's mission and goals, you can get where it is you want to be.
If you focus on the we, you will take care of the me.
So, before you complain about something or someone, think through the possible repercussions to the organization and to yourself. Are you really helping the situation and the organization in a positive manner, or are you just adding unnecessary venom to the situation?
Think about the good of the whole, not just yourself or your small piece of the organization.
And remember, your perception is just that - your perception - it is not necessarily the Reality of the situation.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them here, or e-mail me at the address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
One of our mottos, if you will, is People First, Mission Always. And so it should be in any organization. The organization was created to propel a certain mission forward, and if it has the right people in the right positions, it will succeed in doing so.
A good or great organization is capable of not only ensuring the mission gets done within whatever parameters have been set for it, but also the organization grows the people working on said mission.
That being said, the people have the biggest impact to the success or failure of the organization.
I have been blessed to work in a part of our organization that has a very strong sense of purpose. We have a project - a large project - to complete by a certain date and within a certain scope and budget. Our supervisors have the savvy to be able to balance ensuring our people are growing in their jobs and ensuring our project moves along and is completed within the parameters set for it.
Because we are all focused on this goal, we are in alignment and our course is, while not perfect, at least smoother than it appears in other areas of our overall organization.
In other areas of our organization there has been a lot of change recently, and that has shown the sordid underbelly of some of our organization's issues.
People don't like change. That's a given. However, change happens, and you can either help drive the change or let the change drive you, or drag you along kicking and screaming with it - your choice.
One message that came through loud and clear recently is that how our higher ups in the organization - our leaders, nominal and actual - communicate about something or someone very much affects the organization.
Our goal is the mission. Yes, taking care of people is another one of our mottos or slogans, however, the goal is the mission. People First, Mission Always. And how we perceive and react to our environment and the changes therein affects the capability to complete the mission.
Counteracting the poison of negativity and negative energy can be very difficult, particularly when dealing with adult children that other people raised.
Couple that with me-ism - what's in it for ME, how can I benefit, where do I want to go - and it is a very toxic combination/situation.
There is no I in team - and at work, we are a team focused on a goal. So, when our personal mission and goals are not aligned with the organization's mission and goals, perhaps it is time to find a new organization to work for - or to really examine why you are where you are and how, within the framework of supporting the organization's mission and goals, you can get where it is you want to be.
If you focus on the we, you will take care of the me.
So, before you complain about something or someone, think through the possible repercussions to the organization and to yourself. Are you really helping the situation and the organization in a positive manner, or are you just adding unnecessary venom to the situation?
Think about the good of the whole, not just yourself or your small piece of the organization.
And remember, your perception is just that - your perception - it is not necessarily the Reality of the situation.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them here, or e-mail me at the address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, June 12, 2016
MaXIMIze - What are You Really Bringing into Your Life?
While we don't always get what we want, we get what we choose.
That was posted on Facebook on the 18th of May.
What we think we want may not be what we are drawing into our lives.
So if what is coming into your life isn't what you want, perhaps you need to examine the choices you are making - large and small - and what energies and actions you are drawing into your life with your choices.
Are your actions aligned with what it is you want?
Are your words and thoughts aligned with what it is you want?
If not, is what you think you want truly what you want and/or need, or are your choices telling you something else?
To attain a goal, you need to keep your eye on the prize, even when you have to pick your way along a rocky path.
If other things are drawing your attention, your energy, your focus - and you are sure of what you want, what your goal is - you will have to find ways to keep the focus on your goal and deal with the obstacles in your path.
CALL TO ACTION: Examine your current path. If it is leading you to something other than your goal, determine why. Is your goal a true one? Does your path have heart? Where is your energy focused - on your goal or on something else? Why?
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them here or contact me at the e-mail address below:
Beth Henderson, MaxIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
That was posted on Facebook on the 18th of May.
What we think we want may not be what we are drawing into our lives.
So if what is coming into your life isn't what you want, perhaps you need to examine the choices you are making - large and small - and what energies and actions you are drawing into your life with your choices.
Are your actions aligned with what it is you want?
Are your words and thoughts aligned with what it is you want?
If not, is what you think you want truly what you want and/or need, or are your choices telling you something else?
To attain a goal, you need to keep your eye on the prize, even when you have to pick your way along a rocky path.
If other things are drawing your attention, your energy, your focus - and you are sure of what you want, what your goal is - you will have to find ways to keep the focus on your goal and deal with the obstacles in your path.
CALL TO ACTION: Examine your current path. If it is leading you to something other than your goal, determine why. Is your goal a true one? Does your path have heart? Where is your energy focused - on your goal or on something else? Why?
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them here or contact me at the e-mail address below:
Beth Henderson, MaxIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, May 22, 2016
MaXIMIze - How Are You Holding Yourself Back?
First off, thanks for all the views! The last post, dealing with procrastination, had the highest number of views of any posts on this blog to date! Wow!
On to today's post...
I realized last week the I've been holding myself back, creating a lull in my life, while waiting for something to happen that I have very little control over.
Ah ha! I've put some things in my life on hold while waiting to get a job in and move to (or at least closer to) the city my dear friend lives in.
Ah ha! I really didn't need to do so in this globally-connected economy.
I can coach from anywhere, I can teach from anywhere, and I can write from anywhere.
The only thing stopping me is - ME!
Time to step back, breathe, and decide what I really want to accomplish next and the steps I need to take to do so.
A job will come - that ball is constantly in motion. And when the job comes, the move will come.
Until then, there is plenty of life to be lived, plenty of writing, coaching, and teaching to do.
I just need to take the actions necessary to write, coach, and teach right here, right now.
What are you holding back from doing right here, right now waiting for someday to get here?
Someday is TODAY!
CALL TO ACTION: What is calling to you that you keep putting off with "if this happens" or "when this happens"? What is the real reason you keep putting off until someday what you can begin today? Use The 5 Whys to dig deep to find the answer.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them here or contact me at the e-mail address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
On to today's post...
I realized last week the I've been holding myself back, creating a lull in my life, while waiting for something to happen that I have very little control over.
Ah ha! I've put some things in my life on hold while waiting to get a job in and move to (or at least closer to) the city my dear friend lives in.
Ah ha! I really didn't need to do so in this globally-connected economy.
I can coach from anywhere, I can teach from anywhere, and I can write from anywhere.
The only thing stopping me is - ME!
Time to step back, breathe, and decide what I really want to accomplish next and the steps I need to take to do so.
A job will come - that ball is constantly in motion. And when the job comes, the move will come.
Until then, there is plenty of life to be lived, plenty of writing, coaching, and teaching to do.
I just need to take the actions necessary to write, coach, and teach right here, right now.
What are you holding back from doing right here, right now waiting for someday to get here?
Someday is TODAY!
CALL TO ACTION: What is calling to you that you keep putting off with "if this happens" or "when this happens"? What is the real reason you keep putting off until someday what you can begin today? Use The 5 Whys to dig deep to find the answer.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them here or contact me at the e-mail address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, May 15, 2016
MaXIMIze - Dealing with Procrastination
My dear friend texts me every Sunday, one simple word - "blog?"
He texts more than that, of course, however that one little word with a question mark is his way of reminding me to write a blog post and letting me know he supports my coaching and writing endeavors.
So why do I procrastinate at times?
In the last post I closed with how the best laid plans of mice and men get overturned by circumstance. In the case of the month of May, I had listed it as Physical Health month for this blogging year - and it is Bike Month - an activity I enjoy doing. However, I have become less and less active over the last few years, and writing on physical health just reminds me how unmotivated I am to get more physical activity into my life. I know - in my head - that physical activity will help me lose those 30+ extra pounds I now carry and I will sleep better at night, among other things.
So, why am I so resistant to bringing physical activity back into my life, particular since I enjoy being active?
Commitment, or rather the lack thereof.
Unless I am truly committed to doing something, I am likely not to follow through on taking action - even when I know doing something is for my own benefit.
So how do I build that commitment, that resolve, that follow through?
By committing to it just for today - just for the present moment.
Addiction recovery groups that follow the 12-step process have two sayings - Easy Does It and One Day at A Time.
By taking life one day at a time, we build weeks, months, years, and decades.
By taking action one day at a time, we build success.
So what actions are you taking today to build your next success?
CALL TO ACTION: Pick one thing to do today to build your next success - and do it!
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or e-mail at the address given below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
He texts more than that, of course, however that one little word with a question mark is his way of reminding me to write a blog post and letting me know he supports my coaching and writing endeavors.
So why do I procrastinate at times?
In the last post I closed with how the best laid plans of mice and men get overturned by circumstance. In the case of the month of May, I had listed it as Physical Health month for this blogging year - and it is Bike Month - an activity I enjoy doing. However, I have become less and less active over the last few years, and writing on physical health just reminds me how unmotivated I am to get more physical activity into my life. I know - in my head - that physical activity will help me lose those 30+ extra pounds I now carry and I will sleep better at night, among other things.
So, why am I so resistant to bringing physical activity back into my life, particular since I enjoy being active?
Commitment, or rather the lack thereof.
Unless I am truly committed to doing something, I am likely not to follow through on taking action - even when I know doing something is for my own benefit.
So how do I build that commitment, that resolve, that follow through?
By committing to it just for today - just for the present moment.
Addiction recovery groups that follow the 12-step process have two sayings - Easy Does It and One Day at A Time.
By taking life one day at a time, we build weeks, months, years, and decades.
By taking action one day at a time, we build success.
So what actions are you taking today to build your next success?
CALL TO ACTION: Pick one thing to do today to build your next success - and do it!
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or e-mail at the address given below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, April 24, 2016
MaXIMIze - Extreme Self Care - Hope vs. Faith
This is a topic I've written on a couple of times in the course of this blog. A recent conversation compelled me to come back to this topic once more.
Hope is the little girl waiting for her Prince Charming or her White Knight to come rescue her.
I prefer the modern day version, found in the show Once, of Snow White and her Prince Charming - this is the portrayal of faith rather than hope to me. They each have faith that no matter what happens, they will always find each other again. Snow does not wait on her Prince to save her, she works to save herself as well.
Hope is passive; faith is active.
Hope is waiting for others to do for you. Faith is putting actions in motion to do for yourself.
Each has their place - however, as long as you have taken the actions you need to take to achieve certain things, than can you have hope that others will do the same.
That is what a victor does - takes the action to live her best life now rather than waiting for others to take that action for her. And yes, there is always an action to be taken, however small it may seem at the time.
So, are you waiting in hope that someone will rescue you or are you acting in faith that you are rescuing yourself?
CALL TO ACTION: What one thing can you do today, however small it may be, to move toward living your best life now?
CHECK-IN: We've gone over a lot in the last four months. So, let's review a bit.
How are you doing with moving out on your goals?
Are you remembering what it is you are grateful for each and every day?
Are you changing from the inside out or the outside in?
What can you do right here, right now, to take better care of your Self?
Are you reacting or responding?
Are you practicing the seven self care habits listed in the 7 Mar 16 post?
Are you journaling? Have you laid out your vision for living your best life now?
Are you pondering the 7 questions from the 20 Mar 16 post?
Have you created a manifestation board?
Are you identifying and figuring out how to deal with the roadblocks to living your best life now?
NEXT TIME: Well, this month showed how the best laid plans of mice and men get overturned by circumstance - and the right material is provided at the right time. We shall see what the month of May brings to this blog. My outline says Physical Health - and with the farmers' markets opening up in our area, we may just get to that topic!
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or e-mail me at the address given below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Hope is the little girl waiting for her Prince Charming or her White Knight to come rescue her.
I prefer the modern day version, found in the show Once, of Snow White and her Prince Charming - this is the portrayal of faith rather than hope to me. They each have faith that no matter what happens, they will always find each other again. Snow does not wait on her Prince to save her, she works to save herself as well.
Hope is passive; faith is active.
Hope is waiting for others to do for you. Faith is putting actions in motion to do for yourself.
Each has their place - however, as long as you have taken the actions you need to take to achieve certain things, than can you have hope that others will do the same.
That is what a victor does - takes the action to live her best life now rather than waiting for others to take that action for her. And yes, there is always an action to be taken, however small it may seem at the time.
So, are you waiting in hope that someone will rescue you or are you acting in faith that you are rescuing yourself?
CALL TO ACTION: What one thing can you do today, however small it may be, to move toward living your best life now?
CHECK-IN: We've gone over a lot in the last four months. So, let's review a bit.
How are you doing with moving out on your goals?
Are you remembering what it is you are grateful for each and every day?
Are you changing from the inside out or the outside in?
What can you do right here, right now, to take better care of your Self?
Are you reacting or responding?
Are you practicing the seven self care habits listed in the 7 Mar 16 post?
Are you journaling? Have you laid out your vision for living your best life now?
Are you pondering the 7 questions from the 20 Mar 16 post?
Have you created a manifestation board?
Are you identifying and figuring out how to deal with the roadblocks to living your best life now?
NEXT TIME: Well, this month showed how the best laid plans of mice and men get overturned by circumstance - and the right material is provided at the right time. We shall see what the month of May brings to this blog. My outline says Physical Health - and with the farmers' markets opening up in our area, we may just get to that topic!
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or e-mail me at the address given below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, April 17, 2016
MaXIMIze - Extreme Self Care Are You Living Your Best Life Now?
The only one who is going to take care of you is You. The only one who is going to achieve your goals is You.
What is it that you feel the call to do but are not doing?
Why aren't you doing what you are called to do?
Fear?
What are you afraid of?
Failure?
The only failure is not getting back up and starting again.
Judgement of or losing others?
This is your life, no one else's. What other people think of you is none of your business. If you lose them, you never really had them anyway. If you are living your best life now, you have the best people in your life - the people who are truly meant to be there.
You determine your path - no one else. If the path you are on does not have heart, move to another path.
If you are not living your best life now, if you cannot honestly shout from the rooftops, "Life is Grand!", why not?
CALL TO ACTION: Identify five roadblocks to living your best life now. Figure out what you need to do to get beyond those roadblocks. Take one step every day to getting past those roadblocks and on to living your best life now.
Until next time, Namaste!
What is it that you feel the call to do but are not doing?
Why aren't you doing what you are called to do?
Fear?
What are you afraid of?
Failure?
The only failure is not getting back up and starting again.
Judgement of or losing others?
This is your life, no one else's. What other people think of you is none of your business. If you lose them, you never really had them anyway. If you are living your best life now, you have the best people in your life - the people who are truly meant to be there.
You determine your path - no one else. If the path you are on does not have heart, move to another path.
If you are not living your best life now, if you cannot honestly shout from the rooftops, "Life is Grand!", why not?
CALL TO ACTION: Identify five roadblocks to living your best life now. Figure out what you need to do to get beyond those roadblocks. Take one step every day to getting past those roadblocks and on to living your best life now.
Until next time, Namaste!
Sunday, April 10, 2016
MaXIMIze - Choices and Letting Go
This month's theme was supposed to be finances, however, circumstances led otherwise.
Yesterday, as I was gearing up to work on course work for online classes I'm working to get up and running, I wrote this piece instead of focusing on the course work. The issue that brought this forth is still chewing at me this morning, so I figured I'd post this piece instead of trying to focus on finances.
Judgement and Defensiveness
As I was preparing to work on course work for a class I want to teach, I was angered by someone else's judgement of my choices. I felt the negative emotion surge through my body, raising my blood pressure, making my muscles shake with unreleased tension.
I wondered at my visceral response as I was mentally lashing out in defense of my choices. I realized I do not need to defend my choices to anyone else. I cannot force someone else to accept my choices let alone understand why I do the things I do.
Others will judge no matter what. However, their judgement does not matter in the long run. It truly doesn't. What matters is your judgement of yourself, and whether that judgement is a reaction to the voices of others or a response to that small still voice that comes from your inner Self.
Once we learn to truly listen to and learn from the Self within us, we can move from reacting to responding, from judgement to love, from defensiveness to giving, from lack to abundance.
How to learn this is the question.
Focus is the answer. Determining the focus of our reaction or response will help us discover the root of it.
If we can determine what we are focusing on with our reaction or response, we can figure out why we are reacting or responding the way we are.
In my case, the choice was about an adult child and his current domestic situation. I choose not to become embroiled in the drama that is in his life right now.
Others do not accept or understand my choice, and therefore judge me harshly for it.
Does that judgement hurt? Yes, it does.
Is it going to make me change my choice? No, it will not.
Did I learn why I was reacting so strongly to the judgement of another? Yes, I did.
I raised my children with the idea that family comes first, and one of my children feels my choice in respect to his brother's current domestic situation goes against that idea.
My choice of non-involvement, however, is based in the belief that adult children have to deal with their domestic issues on their own. To the best of my ability, I've given my children the tools to deal with life. Like a horse chooses whether or not to drink the water he is led to, my children have to choose to take on the responsibility for their choices in life and work to make better choices for themselves and their children.
And so the anger and defensiveness at the judgement of another of the choices I made in this situation ebbs away as the root of my reaction to his judgement is brought into the light of day.
Was the process easy? No, it was not.
Am I in a better place for going through it? Yes, I am.
I hope that sharing this experience with you helps you work though your reactions and responses to the actions and judgements of others.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to share on this post, or email me at the address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Yesterday, as I was gearing up to work on course work for online classes I'm working to get up and running, I wrote this piece instead of focusing on the course work. The issue that brought this forth is still chewing at me this morning, so I figured I'd post this piece instead of trying to focus on finances.
Judgement and Defensiveness
As I was preparing to work on course work for a class I want to teach, I was angered by someone else's judgement of my choices. I felt the negative emotion surge through my body, raising my blood pressure, making my muscles shake with unreleased tension.
I wondered at my visceral response as I was mentally lashing out in defense of my choices. I realized I do not need to defend my choices to anyone else. I cannot force someone else to accept my choices let alone understand why I do the things I do.
Others will judge no matter what. However, their judgement does not matter in the long run. It truly doesn't. What matters is your judgement of yourself, and whether that judgement is a reaction to the voices of others or a response to that small still voice that comes from your inner Self.
Once we learn to truly listen to and learn from the Self within us, we can move from reacting to responding, from judgement to love, from defensiveness to giving, from lack to abundance.
How to learn this is the question.
Focus is the answer. Determining the focus of our reaction or response will help us discover the root of it.
If we can determine what we are focusing on with our reaction or response, we can figure out why we are reacting or responding the way we are.
In my case, the choice was about an adult child and his current domestic situation. I choose not to become embroiled in the drama that is in his life right now.
Others do not accept or understand my choice, and therefore judge me harshly for it.
Does that judgement hurt? Yes, it does.
Is it going to make me change my choice? No, it will not.
Did I learn why I was reacting so strongly to the judgement of another? Yes, I did.
I raised my children with the idea that family comes first, and one of my children feels my choice in respect to his brother's current domestic situation goes against that idea.
My choice of non-involvement, however, is based in the belief that adult children have to deal with their domestic issues on their own. To the best of my ability, I've given my children the tools to deal with life. Like a horse chooses whether or not to drink the water he is led to, my children have to choose to take on the responsibility for their choices in life and work to make better choices for themselves and their children.
And so the anger and defensiveness at the judgement of another of the choices I made in this situation ebbs away as the root of my reaction to his judgement is brought into the light of day.
Was the process easy? No, it was not.
Am I in a better place for going through it? Yes, I am.
I hope that sharing this experience with you helps you work though your reactions and responses to the actions and judgements of others.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to share on this post, or email me at the address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, March 27, 2016
MaXIMIze - Manifest Your Vision!
As promised in the last post, we are discussing manifestation boards today.
First of all, let's look at the difference between the words "vision" and "manifest":
Vision - envision; to picture to oneself
Manifest - to make certain by showing or displaying
Visions don't always come to fruition, however manifestations are things that have already come to fruition.
So, with those distinctions made, what do you truly want to see manifesting in your life this year?
I recommend you make a visual representation of those things and post it in a place where you will see it every day - whether that means simply writing out a list and posting it on the fridge; taking a piece of construction paper and gluing words and pictures to it and putting it where you'll see it every day; or decoupaging pictures, words, and other talismans or tokens that represent your vision for your life on a canvas.
The idea is to keep your goals, what you want to see flourishing in your life this year, firmly in front of you.
Also - these are living works of art, just like your life is, which means you can update them as you need to if things change over the course of the year.
My current manifestation board includes a map of New Mexico with the city of Albuquerque prominently highlighted, and my Udemy course page, as well as words and images that invoke personal power for me - healthy, happy, responsible, peace, love gratitude, and karma to share a few.
What images and words are you using for your manifestation board? What meaning and personal power do they have for you?
CALL TO ACTION: Create a visual representation of those things you want to see flourish in your life this year.
CHECK-IN: How are you doing with the other calls to action thus far? Are you moving out on your goals for the year? If not, perhaps creating a manifestation board will help you refocus your energy to do so.
NEXT TIME: New month, new theme...with the taxman coming on April 15th (at least here in the States), Finances are the theme for the month.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or contact me at the email address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
First of all, let's look at the difference between the words "vision" and "manifest":
Vision - envision; to picture to oneself
Manifest - to make certain by showing or displaying
Visions don't always come to fruition, however manifestations are things that have already come to fruition.
So, with those distinctions made, what do you truly want to see manifesting in your life this year?
I recommend you make a visual representation of those things and post it in a place where you will see it every day - whether that means simply writing out a list and posting it on the fridge; taking a piece of construction paper and gluing words and pictures to it and putting it where you'll see it every day; or decoupaging pictures, words, and other talismans or tokens that represent your vision for your life on a canvas.
The idea is to keep your goals, what you want to see flourishing in your life this year, firmly in front of you.
Also - these are living works of art, just like your life is, which means you can update them as you need to if things change over the course of the year.
My current manifestation board includes a map of New Mexico with the city of Albuquerque prominently highlighted, and my Udemy course page, as well as words and images that invoke personal power for me - healthy, happy, responsible, peace, love gratitude, and karma to share a few.
What images and words are you using for your manifestation board? What meaning and personal power do they have for you?
CALL TO ACTION: Create a visual representation of those things you want to see flourish in your life this year.
CHECK-IN: How are you doing with the other calls to action thus far? Are you moving out on your goals for the year? If not, perhaps creating a manifestation board will help you refocus your energy to do so.
NEXT TIME: New month, new theme...with the taxman coming on April 15th (at least here in the States), Finances are the theme for the month.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or contact me at the email address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, March 20, 2016
MaXIMIze - 7 Questions to Ponder
In the last blog post I mentioned seven questions that will help you focus on living your best life now.
I had written these down during a training course I was taking for work back in about 2010 or so, rewrote them in a journal entry nearly three years ago to the day, and shared them in a post in the previous iteration of this blog. Here they are:
Then, in another session, answer THIS question - what is stopping you from doing/having these things right here, right now? And I mean what is REALLY stopping you - not the first blush, superficial answer.
To really get to the heart of what is stopping you from having and/or doing what it is you truly want to, I recommend employing the "5 Whys," which have been discussed in several posts on this blog.
Once you get to the heart of what is really preventing you from attaining or doing what it is you want or feel you need to in order to live your best life now, then you can see what the true roadblocks are, and you can develop action plans to deal with those roadblocks effectively.
One way to do this is to "keep your eye on the prize." This is where manifestation boards come in. A manifestation board will put a visual reminder of what it is you want or need to live your best life now in front of you - to enable you to see the "prize" you are aiming for
We'll go into a bit more detail on these in the next post.
CALL TO ACTION: Answer the questions in this post; then use the "5 Whys" to get to the heart of what is stopping you from living your best live now.
CHECK-IN: How are you doing with the other Calls to Action thus far? Has this exercise caused you to reevaluate your vision or goals, or has it brought them more clearly into focus?
NEXT TIME: We will discuss manifestation boards in relation to the six main areas of our lives.
Until then - Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? You can contact me at the e-mail below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
I had written these down during a training course I was taking for work back in about 2010 or so, rewrote them in a journal entry nearly three years ago to the day, and shared them in a post in the previous iteration of this blog. Here they are:
- What are the three most important things in your life right now?
- What are your three main goals for life?
- If you had only six months to live, what would you do differently? (I've thought of this one a lot recently, with the story of the 90 year-old woman diagnosed with cancer who chose to live life and see the world rather than go through treatments that may or may not extend her life.)
- If you came into a lot of money, what would you do differently?
- What have you always wanted to do but where afraid to try? (again, the 90 year-old woman mentioned above...)
- What activities give you a sense of importance (purpose) and/or a sense of joy?
- If there were no boundaries, what would you want to achieve, do, and/or have?
Then, in another session, answer THIS question - what is stopping you from doing/having these things right here, right now? And I mean what is REALLY stopping you - not the first blush, superficial answer.
To really get to the heart of what is stopping you from having and/or doing what it is you truly want to, I recommend employing the "5 Whys," which have been discussed in several posts on this blog.
Once you get to the heart of what is really preventing you from attaining or doing what it is you want or feel you need to in order to live your best life now, then you can see what the true roadblocks are, and you can develop action plans to deal with those roadblocks effectively.
One way to do this is to "keep your eye on the prize." This is where manifestation boards come in. A manifestation board will put a visual reminder of what it is you want or need to live your best life now in front of you - to enable you to see the "prize" you are aiming for
We'll go into a bit more detail on these in the next post.
CALL TO ACTION: Answer the questions in this post; then use the "5 Whys" to get to the heart of what is stopping you from living your best live now.
CHECK-IN: How are you doing with the other Calls to Action thus far? Has this exercise caused you to reevaluate your vision or goals, or has it brought them more clearly into focus?
NEXT TIME: We will discuss manifestation boards in relation to the six main areas of our lives.
Until then - Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? You can contact me at the e-mail below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, March 13, 2016
MaXIMIze - Sowing The Seeds
Here is a portion of a journal entry I wrote earlier this month:
"This is the month for tilling the garden and sowing the seeds - what do I want to grow in my life this year? What weeds do I need to pull out of my garden of life? What rocks do I need to remove from my soil? What fertilizer do I need to add to my life to help me better move toward my goals?"
That journal entry was focused on, well, FOCUS - do I focus on the negative things at work or do I focus on the promise of the future? Do I lament about the things I have not done on my to-do list or do I focus on the positives in my life and endeavor to do better just for today?
Here is more from that entry:
"Yesterday is past, tomorrow may never come, so focus just on today. The past is done - focus on the present. Plan for the future, yes, but focus on the present - what can I do today to move toward my goals, my desired outcomes?"
So, what do you want to see more of in your life this year? Is your focus such that you are working toward that vision, or are you focusing on things that are moving you away from attaining that vision? What can you do right here, right now to move toward that vision you have for your life?
Pretty powerful stuff!
And yes, I journal nearly every day, first thing in the morning mostly. It helps to clear the flotsam and jetsam and set the tone for the day. It also helps me focus on the vision I have for my life and sort through the life plants, so I can pull the weeds from life, which helps the plants I want in my life to thrive.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, recommends three pages of long-hand journaling first thing in the morning to clear out the negativity and flotsam and jetsam so you can focus on what needs to be focused on.
CALL TO ACTION: Journal; lay out your vision; till the field of your life for the upcoming year.
CHECK-IN: How are you doing with the other calls to action thus far? Are you moving out on your goals for the year? If not, perhaps the information in today's post will help you to refocus your energy to do so.
NEXT TIME: Next post will discuss seven questions to help you focus on living your best life now, and possibly how to use manifestation boards to keep that focus firmly in front of you.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or contact me at the email address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
"This is the month for tilling the garden and sowing the seeds - what do I want to grow in my life this year? What weeds do I need to pull out of my garden of life? What rocks do I need to remove from my soil? What fertilizer do I need to add to my life to help me better move toward my goals?"
That journal entry was focused on, well, FOCUS - do I focus on the negative things at work or do I focus on the promise of the future? Do I lament about the things I have not done on my to-do list or do I focus on the positives in my life and endeavor to do better just for today?
Here is more from that entry:
"Yesterday is past, tomorrow may never come, so focus just on today. The past is done - focus on the present. Plan for the future, yes, but focus on the present - what can I do today to move toward my goals, my desired outcomes?"
So, what do you want to see more of in your life this year? Is your focus such that you are working toward that vision, or are you focusing on things that are moving you away from attaining that vision? What can you do right here, right now to move toward that vision you have for your life?
Pretty powerful stuff!
And yes, I journal nearly every day, first thing in the morning mostly. It helps to clear the flotsam and jetsam and set the tone for the day. It also helps me focus on the vision I have for my life and sort through the life plants, so I can pull the weeds from life, which helps the plants I want in my life to thrive.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, recommends three pages of long-hand journaling first thing in the morning to clear out the negativity and flotsam and jetsam so you can focus on what needs to be focused on.
CALL TO ACTION: Journal; lay out your vision; till the field of your life for the upcoming year.
CHECK-IN: How are you doing with the other calls to action thus far? Are you moving out on your goals for the year? If not, perhaps the information in today's post will help you to refocus your energy to do so.
NEXT TIME: Next post will discuss seven questions to help you focus on living your best life now, and possibly how to use manifestation boards to keep that focus firmly in front of you.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave a comment on this post or contact me at the email address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Monday, March 7, 2016
MaXIMIze - Relationship With Self
Everything comes from your relationship with your Self.
How are you practicing extreme self care?
Do you put yourself first, last, or somewhere in between depending on the day?
If you've ever flown, you've heard the flight attendant tell you to put your own mask on before helping those around you - even your own child!
Those who take care of themselves are better able to care for and help others.
Self care is not only the physical acts of eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, etc., but also the emotional acts of believing in yourself, knowing you do enough, knowing you have enough, knowing you are enough too.
Self care comes from self love, which comes from within.
So, how are you caring for yourself today? Are you putting your own oxygen mask on first?
CALL TO ACTION: Here are seven self care habits that will enrich your body, soul, and pocket book every day - how many of them can YOU practice every day?
1. Getting enough sleep.
2. Eating breakfast.
3. Getting daily exercise - at least 30 minutes per day.
4. Flossing and brushing your teeth.
5. Reading.
6. Saving money.
7. Eating more fruits and vegetables.
CHECK IN: A quick check to see how you are doing with the previous calls to action:
How are you coming with moving out on your goals for this year?
How are you doing in the gratitude department - can you think of three things right now you are grateful for?
Are you tackling change in your life from the inside out or from the outside in?
What can you do right here, right now to take better care of your Self?
Are you reacting or responding?
NEXT TIME: Well, it's March - time to think about that spring garden. What seeds do you want to sow this year? What do you want to grow in your life this year?
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
How are you practicing extreme self care?
Do you put yourself first, last, or somewhere in between depending on the day?
If you've ever flown, you've heard the flight attendant tell you to put your own mask on before helping those around you - even your own child!
Those who take care of themselves are better able to care for and help others.
Self care is not only the physical acts of eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, etc., but also the emotional acts of believing in yourself, knowing you do enough, knowing you have enough, knowing you are enough too.
Self care comes from self love, which comes from within.
So, how are you caring for yourself today? Are you putting your own oxygen mask on first?
CALL TO ACTION: Here are seven self care habits that will enrich your body, soul, and pocket book every day - how many of them can YOU practice every day?
1. Getting enough sleep.
2. Eating breakfast.
3. Getting daily exercise - at least 30 minutes per day.
4. Flossing and brushing your teeth.
5. Reading.
6. Saving money.
7. Eating more fruits and vegetables.
CHECK IN: A quick check to see how you are doing with the previous calls to action:
How are you coming with moving out on your goals for this year?
How are you doing in the gratitude department - can you think of three things right now you are grateful for?
Are you tackling change in your life from the inside out or from the outside in?
What can you do right here, right now to take better care of your Self?
Are you reacting or responding?
NEXT TIME: Well, it's March - time to think about that spring garden. What seeds do you want to sow this year? What do you want to grow in your life this year?
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below:
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, February 21, 2016
MaXIMIze - Relationships - Communication
Relationships are about communication. Communication is about action and reaction - OR - action and response.
I've touched on this topic before in this blog, however, as I was working through a section of the Life Purpose Coach Certification course I am taking through Udemy, I had one of those "Ah Ha" moments. I even wrote down the words "knee jerk reactions" to remind me to blog about communication in relation to, well, relationships.
We tend to color our perceptions and reactions to people, places, things, and the words and actions of others by how we see our experiences - our lives - to date.
However, we can make the choice to respond rather than react. When we react, we are in fact re-acting past experiences, our perception of which may - or more likely may not - be correct in the current instance we are reacting to.
Responding rather than reacting means taking responsibility and looking at the current instance with new lenses and not painting the action with the brush of the past.
Also, responding rather than reacting puts the present you in control, not your past experiences. You become the victor in the situation rather than the victim.
By taking responsibility and responding rather than reacting, we can enhance our relationships with others - and grow ourselves.
So, will you continue to re-act to the actions of others based on your past, or will you take the time to responsibly respond to others based on your present?
CALL TO ACTION: When you feel yourself beginning to react to someone else's action. take a moment, breathe, and determine if your action is truly an appropriate response to the present situation or if it is a knee jerk reaction based on past experiences.
CHECK-IN: Last week we discussed loving our Selves and taking care of our Selves. So, how did you do this past week with taking better care of your Self?
NEXT TIME: We will close up the theme of relationships with by discussing how the way we relate to the world comes from our relationship with our Self. Or at least that is the topic that has caught my attention at the moment.
If you have a specific topic that relates to the theme of the month or is related to living your best life now in general you would like to see addressed, please feel free to post about it in the comments or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
I've touched on this topic before in this blog, however, as I was working through a section of the Life Purpose Coach Certification course I am taking through Udemy, I had one of those "Ah Ha" moments. I even wrote down the words "knee jerk reactions" to remind me to blog about communication in relation to, well, relationships.
We tend to color our perceptions and reactions to people, places, things, and the words and actions of others by how we see our experiences - our lives - to date.
However, we can make the choice to respond rather than react. When we react, we are in fact re-acting past experiences, our perception of which may - or more likely may not - be correct in the current instance we are reacting to.
Responding rather than reacting means taking responsibility and looking at the current instance with new lenses and not painting the action with the brush of the past.
Also, responding rather than reacting puts the present you in control, not your past experiences. You become the victor in the situation rather than the victim.
By taking responsibility and responding rather than reacting, we can enhance our relationships with others - and grow ourselves.
So, will you continue to re-act to the actions of others based on your past, or will you take the time to responsibly respond to others based on your present?
CALL TO ACTION: When you feel yourself beginning to react to someone else's action. take a moment, breathe, and determine if your action is truly an appropriate response to the present situation or if it is a knee jerk reaction based on past experiences.
CHECK-IN: Last week we discussed loving our Selves and taking care of our Selves. So, how did you do this past week with taking better care of your Self?
NEXT TIME: We will close up the theme of relationships with by discussing how the way we relate to the world comes from our relationship with our Self. Or at least that is the topic that has caught my attention at the moment.
If you have a specific topic that relates to the theme of the month or is related to living your best life now in general you would like to see addressed, please feel free to post about it in the comments or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, February 14, 2016
MaXIMIze - The Greatest Love
It has been said that there can be no greater love than the one that compels one to lay down his or her life for another.
I would posit, however, that the greatest love we have is the one we have for our Self, for how we love our Selves is how we love others.
If we feel we are capable of following our dreams and bringing our visions to life, then we can encourage others to do so as well. If we feel like no matter what we do, we hit roadblock after roadblock and our dreams and visions become so much dust on the windowpane, then we cannot encourage others - in fact, we end up discouraging them instead.
The best way we can love our Selves is by practicing extreme self-care. I've hit on this time and again over the last four years, and will continue to do so. If you can't take care of yourself - love yourself, believe in yourself, push yourself - then you can't take care of others.
My book, MaXIMIze: Take Your Life in Your Arms and Kiss It! covers a lot about developing your relationship with yourself.
We see the world through the lens of ourselves - our thoughts, our feelings, our view of the world - so it makes sense that to be the best person we can truly be, we need to know ourselves as intimately as we think we know our lovers.
We need to truly understand what motivates us, what stalls us, what truly lies beneath the way we react and respond to the world around us.
So the first question I have for you to ponder is - are you treating yourself the way you treat others?
"Love thy neighbor as thyself" is one of the tenets of the New Testament, and as I often people-watch I wonder - do the people I watch truly love themselves?
What we put out in the world is a reflection of what we have and who we are inside. Do you really know who you are? Do you know the root cause of your reactions to people, places, and things?
I challenge you for the next week to take note of your reactions and to apply the 5 Whys to each one to get to the true root of that particular response. If you don't have at least one "Ah Ha!" moment doing this, either you know yourself very well - in which case, great! - or you are not going deep enough. Whichever it is is up to you to know.
CALL TO ACTION: What can you do right here, right now, to better take care of your Self?
CHECK IN: We had two Calls to Action last month:
How are you doing with these Calls to Action?
I can tell you that I am working my resolution to eat better hard and heavy by packing a salad for lunch during the work week. I have also cut my soda consumption from nearly daily during the work week to 3-4 in the last month. I have also dropped four pounds since the start of the New Year - baby steps, but steps forward for sure!
NEXT TIME: We will continue with the theme of Relationships. The exact topic, however, has not come to me yet.
If you have a specific topic that relates to the theme of the month you would like to see addressed, please feel free to post about it in the comments or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments: Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
I would posit, however, that the greatest love we have is the one we have for our Self, for how we love our Selves is how we love others.
If we feel we are capable of following our dreams and bringing our visions to life, then we can encourage others to do so as well. If we feel like no matter what we do, we hit roadblock after roadblock and our dreams and visions become so much dust on the windowpane, then we cannot encourage others - in fact, we end up discouraging them instead.
The best way we can love our Selves is by practicing extreme self-care. I've hit on this time and again over the last four years, and will continue to do so. If you can't take care of yourself - love yourself, believe in yourself, push yourself - then you can't take care of others.
My book, MaXIMIze: Take Your Life in Your Arms and Kiss It! covers a lot about developing your relationship with yourself.
We see the world through the lens of ourselves - our thoughts, our feelings, our view of the world - so it makes sense that to be the best person we can truly be, we need to know ourselves as intimately as we think we know our lovers.
We need to truly understand what motivates us, what stalls us, what truly lies beneath the way we react and respond to the world around us.
So the first question I have for you to ponder is - are you treating yourself the way you treat others?
"Love thy neighbor as thyself" is one of the tenets of the New Testament, and as I often people-watch I wonder - do the people I watch truly love themselves?
What we put out in the world is a reflection of what we have and who we are inside. Do you really know who you are? Do you know the root cause of your reactions to people, places, and things?
I challenge you for the next week to take note of your reactions and to apply the 5 Whys to each one to get to the true root of that particular response. If you don't have at least one "Ah Ha!" moment doing this, either you know yourself very well - in which case, great! - or you are not going deep enough. Whichever it is is up to you to know.
CALL TO ACTION: What can you do right here, right now, to better take care of your Self?
CHECK IN: We had two Calls to Action last month:
- Breaking one resolution you made for the new year down into clear, concise, achievable goals - and then moving out on those goals.
- Identifying the impetus for change in your life - is it coming from within you or from an outside force?
How are you doing with these Calls to Action?
I can tell you that I am working my resolution to eat better hard and heavy by packing a salad for lunch during the work week. I have also cut my soda consumption from nearly daily during the work week to 3-4 in the last month. I have also dropped four pounds since the start of the New Year - baby steps, but steps forward for sure!
NEXT TIME: We will continue with the theme of Relationships. The exact topic, however, has not come to me yet.
If you have a specific topic that relates to the theme of the month you would like to see addressed, please feel free to post about it in the comments or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments: Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, January 31, 2016
MaXIMIze - Habits
As promised, I will share with you my thoughts on and gleanings from my current re-reading of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. So far, in this re-reading to date, I have only read to the first habit, however, in those first 75 pages, I have gleaned a lot.
This book was first published in 1989, and the copy I am currently reading is from the 2004 printing. Interestingly enough, the first tier of the three-tier leadership development program where I work is also reading this book. The participants have been divided into groups of four, and each group is expected to develop and give a presentation based on one of the seven habits during the course of their program.
So, you can see, even nearly 30 years after it was first published, this book is still a worthwhile read.
Okay, back to what I gleaned from my current re-read of it thus far.
The subtitle for this book is "Restoring the Character Ethic." Per Covey, the character ethic is that which comes from the inside, based on life principles. He contrasts this against what he calls the "Personality Ethic" - using the force of our personality to get what we want rather than the strength of our character. We have to work on ourselves, ensure we are coming from and viewing the world from a place based on universal laws and principles. This is the kernel of "seek first to understand and then to be understood." Covey reminds us that we need to work on ourselves and perhaps question our perceptions before we can understand and influence others. He also reminds us that we are the creative force of our lives.
Covey reminds us that principles are natural laws that cannot be broken, and that how we view the world is directly related to how we are in the world. He focuses on the "inside-out" paradigm - what you are inside shines through to the outside.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~ Aristotle
This harkens back to the TED video I shared last January, where Boyd White reminds us to "walk in the world as you want it to be."
Covey also touches on how we move from dependence (early childhood) to independence (adolescence and young adulthood) to interdependence (mature adulthood) in our growth continuum, and how we have to master self first.
"Private victories precede public victories. You can't invert that process anymore than you can harvest a crop before you plant it. It's inside-out." ~ Stephen Covey
He also tells us, "...the more you produce, the more you do, the more effective you are." This reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000 hours principle.
Covey touches on three kinds of assets - physical, financial, and human - and reminds us that in order to keep all in good running condition over the long haul, we need to properly care for and maintain them.
Marilyn Ferguson said, "No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or by emotional appeal."
It took me years to get that concept - change is an inside job!
I have only gotten partway into the first habit - Be Proactive - however, already it reiterates something I have said before - each of us has the choice to react or respond to the actions of another.
Very powerful stuff!
I will continue reading this book and may remark on it more in future posts. And of course, I highly encourage you to add it to your reading list as well!
CALL TO ACTION: Think about what it is you are trying to change in your life. Are you tackling it from inside yourself or is the impetus from change coming from outside?
CHECK IN: In the last post, the Call to Action was when you are moving towards negativity, stop and write down three things you are grateful for in that moment. Did you do so, and if so, how did that refocusing change your outlook in that moment?
NEXT TIME: New month, new theme - Relationships. We will discuss the relationships we have with ourselves and others.
If you have a specific topic that relates to the theme of the month you would like to see discussed, please feel free to post about it in the comments or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
This book was first published in 1989, and the copy I am currently reading is from the 2004 printing. Interestingly enough, the first tier of the three-tier leadership development program where I work is also reading this book. The participants have been divided into groups of four, and each group is expected to develop and give a presentation based on one of the seven habits during the course of their program.
So, you can see, even nearly 30 years after it was first published, this book is still a worthwhile read.
Okay, back to what I gleaned from my current re-read of it thus far.
The subtitle for this book is "Restoring the Character Ethic." Per Covey, the character ethic is that which comes from the inside, based on life principles. He contrasts this against what he calls the "Personality Ethic" - using the force of our personality to get what we want rather than the strength of our character. We have to work on ourselves, ensure we are coming from and viewing the world from a place based on universal laws and principles. This is the kernel of "seek first to understand and then to be understood." Covey reminds us that we need to work on ourselves and perhaps question our perceptions before we can understand and influence others. He also reminds us that we are the creative force of our lives.
Covey reminds us that principles are natural laws that cannot be broken, and that how we view the world is directly related to how we are in the world. He focuses on the "inside-out" paradigm - what you are inside shines through to the outside.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~ Aristotle
This harkens back to the TED video I shared last January, where Boyd White reminds us to "walk in the world as you want it to be."
Covey also touches on how we move from dependence (early childhood) to independence (adolescence and young adulthood) to interdependence (mature adulthood) in our growth continuum, and how we have to master self first.
"Private victories precede public victories. You can't invert that process anymore than you can harvest a crop before you plant it. It's inside-out." ~ Stephen Covey
He also tells us, "...the more you produce, the more you do, the more effective you are." This reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000 hours principle.
Covey touches on three kinds of assets - physical, financial, and human - and reminds us that in order to keep all in good running condition over the long haul, we need to properly care for and maintain them.
Marilyn Ferguson said, "No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or by emotional appeal."
It took me years to get that concept - change is an inside job!
I have only gotten partway into the first habit - Be Proactive - however, already it reiterates something I have said before - each of us has the choice to react or respond to the actions of another.
Very powerful stuff!
I will continue reading this book and may remark on it more in future posts. And of course, I highly encourage you to add it to your reading list as well!
CALL TO ACTION: Think about what it is you are trying to change in your life. Are you tackling it from inside yourself or is the impetus from change coming from outside?
CHECK IN: In the last post, the Call to Action was when you are moving towards negativity, stop and write down three things you are grateful for in that moment. Did you do so, and if so, how did that refocusing change your outlook in that moment?
NEXT TIME: New month, new theme - Relationships. We will discuss the relationships we have with ourselves and others.
If you have a specific topic that relates to the theme of the month you would like to see discussed, please feel free to post about it in the comments or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Maximize - Moving From Bitching to Bragging
So, with the wild winter weather we are experiencing - at least here in the States - are you bitching about the weather and how it is inconveniencing you? Or are you thankful for the precipitation, particularly if you live, as I do, in one of the 14 Western states with drought conditions not seen since the mid-late 1970s?
Even though I have experienced this repeatedly in my life, it still astounds me sometimes - the serendipity of how things come together at times. I had put the topic for this post out there at the end of December (I lay out my blogging year in advance with as many topics as come to mind), and as I'm going through a course on Udemy, we cover coming from a place of abundance. My notes from that particular lecture are:
"Coming from a place of abundance - a state of gratitude - positivity expands - negativity constricts"
When we are thankful, grateful for something - the much-needed water that winter storms bring for example - we are less bothered by the inconveniences those storms bring us.
I am not discounting the damages and deaths that major flooding and sudden, powerful snowstorms can bring, as seen in some parts of the US in recent weeks, and I do ask that you keep the people who are affected by those acts of Nature in your thoughts and prayers.
My point is rather that every cloud has a silver lining, and we can choose to focus on that or we can focus on the darkness of the cloud instead.
So, are you being expanded by the positivity of gratitude or are you being constricted by the negativity of focusing on the darkness?
CALL TO ACTION: Write down three things you are grateful for right now. Then, for the next week, when you are moving toward negativity, STOP and write down or think about three things you are grateful for in that moment.
CHECK-IN: In the last post, the Call to Action was to take one resolution you made for the new year and break it down into clear, concise, achievable goals and then move out on those goals. How are you doing with that? Feel free to share your progress by leaving a comment on this post.
NEXT TIME: I'm currently re-reading Stephen Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and will report out next week on what I have (re)gleaned from it thus far.
If you have a book you'd like to share that has helped you grow, please feel free to post about it in the comments, or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Even though I have experienced this repeatedly in my life, it still astounds me sometimes - the serendipity of how things come together at times. I had put the topic for this post out there at the end of December (I lay out my blogging year in advance with as many topics as come to mind), and as I'm going through a course on Udemy, we cover coming from a place of abundance. My notes from that particular lecture are:
"Coming from a place of abundance - a state of gratitude - positivity expands - negativity constricts"
When we are thankful, grateful for something - the much-needed water that winter storms bring for example - we are less bothered by the inconveniences those storms bring us.
I am not discounting the damages and deaths that major flooding and sudden, powerful snowstorms can bring, as seen in some parts of the US in recent weeks, and I do ask that you keep the people who are affected by those acts of Nature in your thoughts and prayers.
My point is rather that every cloud has a silver lining, and we can choose to focus on that or we can focus on the darkness of the cloud instead.
So, are you being expanded by the positivity of gratitude or are you being constricted by the negativity of focusing on the darkness?
CALL TO ACTION: Write down three things you are grateful for right now. Then, for the next week, when you are moving toward negativity, STOP and write down or think about three things you are grateful for in that moment.
CHECK-IN: In the last post, the Call to Action was to take one resolution you made for the new year and break it down into clear, concise, achievable goals and then move out on those goals. How are you doing with that? Feel free to share your progress by leaving a comment on this post.
NEXT TIME: I'm currently re-reading Stephen Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and will report out next week on what I have (re)gleaned from it thus far.
If you have a book you'd like to share that has helped you grow, please feel free to post about it in the comments, or send me an e-mail about it.
Until next time, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
Sunday, January 10, 2016
MaXIMIze - Resolutions versus Goals
Well, we are now 10 days into the new year - how are you doing with your New Year's resolutions?
One thing I noticed when I used to go to the gym was that during January, the gym would be packed with people. By mid-February, though, the crowds would thin out again and we regulars could use our favorite machines in peace once more. I noticed the same thing at the start of every semester when I was in college. The parking lot and the classrooms would be full to the gills at the beginning and then a few weeks into it, you could actually get a parking space and a desk without a problem.
You'll notice the title of this blog is Resolutions versus Goals. Resolutions are great, however, in order to follow through on them, you need to set clear, concise, achievable goals.
We've discussed this topic before in this blog, most notably in the post from January 26, 2014, titled Values, Goal Setting, and the Five Whys.
If you make a resolution or set a goal without a clear reason as to why you are doing so, and I mean why YOU are doing so, not why someone else wants you to do so, then you are setting yourself up for failure.
I'll give you an example from my own life.
I've touched on the fact that dealing with my financial piece of life has been a struggle for me. Well, I worked through getting out of debt - except to myself - over the last two years, and am currently debt-free, have money in the bank, and am getting funds back on my taxes for the first time in the last four years.
Why did I do this - what was MY reason for doing so, not someone else's? Freedom, pure and simple. That, and not leaving a mess for my children to clean up. Which is why I am following through on the last goal to meet my resolution of having my financial life in order - getting all my financial paperwork - rental agreement on my apartment, credit card statements, bank statement, insurance policies, titles to my cars, annual benefits information, etc. - in one place and getting my wishes recorded and codified.
I found a Trapper Keeper binder on clearance at Office Depot, and lined up my paperwork in the plastic document protectors you can put in binders. I still have some things to do (make copies of my credit and debit cards to put in the binder, for example), but I have made major strides towards moving my rating of my financial health from a 5 last year to an 8 or higher by the end of this year.
CALL TO ACTION: Take one resolution you made for the new year and break it down into clear, concise, achievable goals. Then, move out on those goals.
Next time, we will discuss moving from Bitching to Bragging, how to move from a place of lack to a place of abundance.
Until then, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions, comments? Feel free to contact me at the email address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
One thing I noticed when I used to go to the gym was that during January, the gym would be packed with people. By mid-February, though, the crowds would thin out again and we regulars could use our favorite machines in peace once more. I noticed the same thing at the start of every semester when I was in college. The parking lot and the classrooms would be full to the gills at the beginning and then a few weeks into it, you could actually get a parking space and a desk without a problem.
You'll notice the title of this blog is Resolutions versus Goals. Resolutions are great, however, in order to follow through on them, you need to set clear, concise, achievable goals.
We've discussed this topic before in this blog, most notably in the post from January 26, 2014, titled Values, Goal Setting, and the Five Whys.
If you make a resolution or set a goal without a clear reason as to why you are doing so, and I mean why YOU are doing so, not why someone else wants you to do so, then you are setting yourself up for failure.
I'll give you an example from my own life.
I've touched on the fact that dealing with my financial piece of life has been a struggle for me. Well, I worked through getting out of debt - except to myself - over the last two years, and am currently debt-free, have money in the bank, and am getting funds back on my taxes for the first time in the last four years.
Why did I do this - what was MY reason for doing so, not someone else's? Freedom, pure and simple. That, and not leaving a mess for my children to clean up. Which is why I am following through on the last goal to meet my resolution of having my financial life in order - getting all my financial paperwork - rental agreement on my apartment, credit card statements, bank statement, insurance policies, titles to my cars, annual benefits information, etc. - in one place and getting my wishes recorded and codified.
I found a Trapper Keeper binder on clearance at Office Depot, and lined up my paperwork in the plastic document protectors you can put in binders. I still have some things to do (make copies of my credit and debit cards to put in the binder, for example), but I have made major strides towards moving my rating of my financial health from a 5 last year to an 8 or higher by the end of this year.
CALL TO ACTION: Take one resolution you made for the new year and break it down into clear, concise, achievable goals. Then, move out on those goals.
Next time, we will discuss moving from Bitching to Bragging, how to move from a place of lack to a place of abundance.
Until then, Namaste!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions, comments? Feel free to contact me at the email address below.
Beth Henderson, MaXIMIzer
maximize.beth@gmail.com
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