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Posts Tagged ‘Life Plan’

Intentional Leadership — D5, W1, M2 — Relationships

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Another Friday, another week gone by, and a new focus. Time for the weekend…

As we head into this first weekend of Month Two — focused on relationships — what are your thoughts?

What do you need to take care of, think about, prepare for this weekend? Here are some things to consider:

What relationships do you need to focus on and nurture this weekend?

What will that mean in terms of time, energy, preparation, activity?

As you make your list, don’t forget to include yourself. If you don’t take care of you, you won’t be able to care for others.

How much rest do you need this weekend? I need a bunch, but it would take a superhuman effort to get it. Lots to do this weekend, as I have a BIG (and I mean HUGE) week coming — but more about that in another post.

How much – and what kind of – activity do you need?

What loose ends do you need to tie up from this week?

What do you need to do to prepare yourself for a great start to next week, preparing for Monday?

Finally, what thought are you giving to things you have planned or need to prepare for or complete in the coming months?

On Monday, we will begin month two – week two of our Intentional Leadership Journey, continuing to focus on Relationships.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you on Monday!

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Intentional Leadership – D5, W4, M1 – Weekend Prep – Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is becoming our Friday routine. Did you anticipate it?

As we come to the end of this first month on our Intentional Leadership journey, will you spend some time in reflection of the work you’ve done over the past week and consider how it’s going?

Are you ahead of me this week and already have your weekend thought out?

How much rest do you need this weekend?

How much – and what kind of – activity do you need?

Who can you spend time with that will encourage, nurture, stimulate, support you?

Who needs some of your time and attention?

What do you need to do for yourself this weekend — to relax, refresh, reflect, reinvigorate?

What do you need to do to prepare yourself for a great start to next week, preparing for Monday?

As is my norm, I don’t have the time scheduled, but have a few things I know I need to attend to:

I need to get more sleep this weekend than I have been.

I will spend time reading, playing, and doing homework with my son.

I will read at least an hour of something fun and an hour of something on growth.

I will spend at least two hours working through curriculum in the John Maxwell Online University and at least two hours on business accounting.

I will call my parents. I will respond to some personal emails. I will handwrite a couple of letters — one to a mentor and one to an old roommate (I confess to not completing this task last weekend).

And I will prepare for Monday…as we all know, Monday is going to arrive; it always does. I know I feel better when I’ve given some thought to how I want it to be.

Again, what thought are you giving to things you have planned or need to prepare for or complete in the coming months?

On Monday, we will begin month two of our Intentional Leadership Journey, and our focus will shift from Vision to Relationships.

Remember, success comes from taking steps and doing work each and every day, consistently over time. You’ll see the benefits of your efforts if you are persistent and consistent.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you on Monday!

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This is not a dress rehearsal

Posted in Food for Thought, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

YOLO. Surely you’ve heard this before today – You Only Live Once.

This simple fact is something that has been resident in my mind for some time, and I am fortunate to be reminded of it by others at varying intervals.

Take the chance meeting I had with a gentleman last August at the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Meeting at the The Greenbrier Resort. There was an ice cream social on the agenda on the first day of the meeting.

Not one to miss a good hot fudge sundae (for me, this requires hand-dipped hard ice cream – no soft serve!), of course I stopped by one of the serving stations. I stood there for a few minutes pondering the level of bad manners I would be displaying if I picked up the bowl of hot fudge and asked the server to put a couple of scoops of vanilla into it, rather than ask for the ice cream and put some hot fudge on it. Finally, having allowed my better manners to prevail, I started to turn away, delicious dessert in hand, when I noticed the man who had come up behind me. His name tag indicated he worked for a private university system where a good friend also works. I used the opportunity to introduce myself. Little did I know it was a divine appointment in the making!

Having someone in common, and in need of a place to sit and enjoy our sundaes, we made our way over to a table and sat down to eat and chat. Three hours later, we were surprised to be interrupted by the banquet staff, needing us to relocate as they needed to reset the room for a dinner that evening.

It was a profound and interesting conversation as he shared his dreams, his longing to do something bigger and more meaningful than what his daily work amounted to, and his realization that time was passing quickly. “This isn’t a dress rehearsal,” he said, painfully aware that each day he puts off actively pursuing his dream of writing a book, the closer he is to the day when it will be too late. We’ve spoken several times since then, and I don’t believe he is any closer to getting started.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve been listening to JoDee Messina this week. This morning, another song grabbed by attention as I was thinking about this concept of only living once. Here it is:

Was that My Life*

I don’t want to be the one who’s old before their time

And lose the wonder that I felt as a child

I can’t run this race believing I might lose

Still so much to see, so much left to do

Yes, I’ll fall more than I’ll fly

But no one can say I never tried

We just get one ride around the sun in this dream of time

It goes so fast, then one day we look back and we ask:

Was that my life?

I close my eyes and think how lucky I have been

To hold the ones I love and share my dreams with them

All those sunny days and all those starry skies

Good morning kisses and sweet goodnights

I can’t tell them enough just how much they are loved

We just get one ride around the sun in this dream of time

It goes so fast, then one day we look back and we ask:

Was that my life?

I appreciate these reminders, as they keep me focused on doing the things I need to each day, so I don’t need to worry about that day coming and being full of the “I wish I would have…” angst and disappointment. It’s a work in progress for me.

How about you?

What matters most to you?

What do you long to do?

What change do you want to make in the world?

Who do you need to reconnect with, make amends with?

What adventures do you yearn to go on?

Whatever it is, what do you need to do today to get started moving in the direction of your purpose, your future?

As the man said: This is not a dress rehearsal.

I encourage you to make the most of every day, knowing you will fall before you fly, but if you persist you will get there!

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Intentional Leadership — Weekend Prep — D5, W3, M1 — Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is becoming our Friday routine. Did you anticipate it?

Are you ahead of this post and already have your weekend thought out?

As we come to the end of this third week on our Intentional Leadership journey, will you spend some time in reflection of the work you’ve done over the past week and how it’s going?

What about giving some thought to how you will spend the weekend?

Who do you need to spend time with?

Who needs to spend time with you?

What do you need to do for yourself this weekend — to relax, refresh, reflect, reinvigorate?

What do you need to do to prepare yourself for a great start to next week, preparing for Monday?

We have a play date to make Valentine cards for my son’s Kindergarten class.

I will read at least an hour of something fun and an hour of something on growth.

I will call my parents. I will respond to some personal emails. I will handwrite a couple of letters — one to a mentor and one to an old roommate.

I will spend at least two hours working through curriculum in the John Maxwell Online University and at least two hours on business accounting.

And I will spend some time preparing for Monday.

As we all know, Monday is going to arrive; it always does. Won’t it feel much better to be ready for it?

Again, what thought are you giving to things you have planned or need to prepare for or complete in the coming months?

On Monday, we will begin week four of our Intentional Leadership Journey.

Remember, success comes from taking steps and doing work each and every day, consistently over time. You’ll see the benefits of your efforts if you are persistent and consistent.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you on Monday!

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Want or need?

Posted in Food for Thought, tagged , , , on January 27, 2013| 3 Comments »

My 20-year old niece posted this on her Facebook page Friday night:

You’re everything I want, but nothing that I need.

Pretty profound stuff for such a young woman. There’s nothing else in her post, so I have no idea if it came from a song, something she’s reading, something she heard from someone else, or just from her heart, but it got me thinking about what a vast difference there is between the two.

It’s easy enough to jot down a list of all the things I want…a new bed, vacation in Italy, a library in my house with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with books and cozy chairs to snuggle into and read for hours, a cruise through the Inside Passage in Alaska, to see Chris Isaak in concert, again…and if I really want these things badly enough, they are all within my reach if I plan, prioritize, and save. But the point is, they are “wants,” truly not needs.

What I need is significantly different. I need nourishing food; adequate rest; regular exercise; to be surrounded by people who love, support, and nurture me; deep conversations with close friends; opportunities to learn and grow. Really pretty basic stuff, and yet so important.

Sure, it might be nice to have a closet full of new clothes and shoes, maybe a different car, a budget that would allow me to eat in restaurants every night of the week if I wanted or to go on vacation anywhere, anytime. But these things are just things; in the long run, they have no true and lasting value. They will not significantly add to the true quality of my life. They won’t make me a better or happier person. They won’t ensure my relationships are strong and healthy. They won’t make me different. They won’t make me better able to add value to others. They are, in fact, just more “stuff” to clutter up my life with. And for the past six months, or so, I have been actively working at cleaning out my drawers, closets, bookshelves, filing cabinets, and those never-ending boxes in the basement with a focus on getting rid of all this “stuff” that is cluttering up my home, my mind, and interfering with better energy and focus in my life.

The other consideration is that often we find ourselves wanting things we know are not healthy for us. For example, I love Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robbins. But, I know for a fact that eating it daily is not a good idea! I’ve been in relationships with people I very much wanted in my life, but knew they were not healthy for me to be around.

As the girl said — everything I want and nothing I need.

I’m working on maintaining my focus on the needs, and can honestly tell you, I am feeling more balanced, healthier, more settled. Happy in my own skin, as the saying goes, and it’s a glorious thing.

What are the things you want, but know you don’t need?

What are the things in your life that are preventing you from becoming the very best version of you possible?

Is it time to give some serious consideration to this equation in your life, and maybe make some changes?

Let me know how I can help.

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Intentional Leadership — W2, Day 5 (M1) Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »

And it’s Friday, again. Did you take the challenge last week of planning for your weekend?

How did it work out?

What are your plans for this weekend?

As we come to the end of this second week on our Intentional Leadership journey, it’s time, again, to think about how we will spend the weekend. If you are like many, you will heave a sigh of relief of having made it through another whirlwind, hectic week.

I’m here to encourage you — again — to think about your weekends differently and consider the value to be enjoyed by thoughtfully planning how you will spend the time. As you do that, consider how you want to feel on Monday and take the steps necessary over the weekend to set yourself up for success with that.

As I said last week, it’s not my natural tendency to plan for the weekend unless traveling, but I’m trying it out. So, here’s what’s on my list:

I will take my son to arts & crafts, then on to the crafts store to buy supplies so he can make homemade Valentine’s for his Kindergarten class (I’m no Martha Stewart — there’s an easy to follow pattern in the latest issue of Parents magazine). If the snow that’s predicted actually comes, I’m sure we will spend considerable time playing in it!

I will make cranberry pot roast for dinner — mmmm yummy! Again, good food, nice dinner time, and cooking is very relaxing for me!

I will read at least an hour of something fun and an hour of something on growth.

I will call my parents. I will respond to some personal emails.

I will spend at least two hours working through curriculum in the John Maxwell Online University and at least two hours on business accounting.

And I will spend some time preparing for Monday.

As we all know, Monday is going to arrive; it always does. Won’t it feel much better to be ready for it?

Then take some time to think about the big things you have planned in the coming weeks and review your planner to ensure you have the time set aside to prepare for and meet whatever those commitments are.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey — we have now finished month one – week two, of our Intentional Leadership Journey. Remember, success comes from taking steps and doing work each and every day, consistently over time. You’ll see the benefits of your efforts if you are persistent and consistent.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you on Monday!

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Intentional Leadership – Day 5 (M1, W1) Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Ah, another Friday! Are you prepared for the weekend?

As we come to the end of this first week on our Intentional Leadership journey, it’s time to think about how we will spend the weekend. If you are like many, you will heave a sigh of relief of having made it through another whirlwind, hectic week.

Would it surprise you to know that some people actually thoughtfully plan for the weekends – before the weekend arrives? It’s true!

I must confess, I’m not one of them – at least not 99% of the time. If we plan to go somewhere for the weekend, I am more mindful about the need to plan the time; it’s kind of a requirement when traveling with small children. But, if we are staying home for the weekend, I don’t plan, much to the frustration of my husband.

Oh, I do have a list in my mind of the various things I need to accomplish, errands that need to be run, and chores to complete, but I definitely don’t have a schedule mapped out. And, no surprise to anyone, I’m sure, many Sunday evenings arrive when I still have a bunch of things I did not get done. You know what they say about having good intentions…The good news (for me, at least!) is I’m aware of this pattern of behavior, which gives me the opportunity to rethink it and experiment with new processes that may provide a smoother rhythm to my and my family’s life.

What do you say we try another tactic on this journey we are on?

What if we thought about the weekend differently going forward?

What if we were intentional about defining our needs for the weekend and making time to meet them?

For example, if you work a traditional Monday-Friday schedule, the weekend is typically a time for rest, for fun, for spending with family. How much more satisfied would you feel on Sunday evenings if you actually approached the weekend with these needs in mind, with a plan?

Let’s start this week and see how it goes, ok?

I will meet family time by taking my son to an arts & crafts class, working on his homework, watching at least one episode of Blues Clues, and reading, at a minimum.

I will cook a turkey dinner for my husband, for the two of us to enjoy after he returns from hiking with a friend. This will serve double duty…with the cold, gray weather we’ve been having, I’m craving comfort food and cooking is very relaxing for me!

I will read at least an hour of something fun and an hour of something on growth.

I will call my parents. I will respond to some personal emails.

And I will spend some time preparing for Monday.

This is important! You know Monday is going to arrive; it always does. Take some time to think about how you want to feel on Monday, and what you need to do to feel prepared to start your new week off on a positive foot. Then take the steps over the weekend to set yourself up for success.

Finally, have you given much thought to the big things you have planned in the coming weeks? Are they in your planner? It’s been proven by so many people before us: Successful people are intentional, planning their time focused on their priorities. It’s a simple enough process, but requires focus and commitment. Are you ready for that? If not, get your calendar out and write it down.

Congratulations on making it through month one – week one, of the Intentional Leadership Journey. Next week we’ll focus on Seeing the Bigger Picture.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you on Monday!

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Intentional Leadership – Day 2 (month 1, week 1) – Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

What is true about you?

When you dream and have a vision for your life, you begin to set the journey apart from what others are doing.

Do you want to do, be, or have more in your life? I think many people do want more. Based on experience and observation, however, many of them never take action toward realizing that longing. It takes time, commit, energy, and hard work. 

In the beginning, you may not have a full, crystal-clear picture of what success will look like. You may not even see more than the first couple of steps on your journey, leading in the right direction.

Know this: Each step you take towards achieving your dream brings you one step closer to becoming a fuller, more satisfied, better version of yourself. Each step will bring your vision into clearer focus, more steps will appear, and the resources you need will become available to you.

This personal journey is critical; if you cannot lead yourself, how can you lead others? If you cannot define your personal vision – for who you are and what you will be – how will you create a compelling vision that will draw others who would follow you?

With this in mind, I am refocusing from my thoughts of yesterday. Today is about my personal vision for me – not creating and growing a business.

Remember, a vision is what you will do, be, or have when you have “arrived.” It’s a future state, not a representation of who you are today. State it in the “present” tense as you develop your vision – it will fuel your belief in your ability to achieve it.

So, here is mine:

Do. Be. Have. I am intentionally pursuing my personal growth plan, understanding it is a lifelong journey, and I learn something new every day. I am a person of value who values others and does whatever I can to add value to others. I am enjoying the fulfillment and satisfaction that comes with recognizing and living my purpose.

This is a different statement than the one I would make about the vision I have for my business.

Today’s exercise:

  • What is your personal – not business – vision?
  • How does your vision affect those closest to you? Is it enriching or destructive?
  • How is your personal vision embodied in your work?
  • Does your work nurture and feed your personal vision, or is it drawing you away from where you need to be?

I trust if you are reading this, you are serious about growth and serving others. Take your time in responding to the questions. The key is to do a quality job here; rushing through this will not serve you well.

I’m thrilled you are coming on this journey with me. I’ll “see” you tomorrow!

 

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Becoming an intentional leader — Day 1 (month 1, week 1) Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2013| 2 Comments »

Last May, I attended the Chick-fil-A Leadercast. It was a powerful event and food for my growth plan. I learned a number of lessons that day, and have been mindful to apply them over this past 8 months, and have shared a number of them with others. I purchased a number of books through the Leadercast and received a couple of additional benefits. One of them, a booklet called Intentional Leader, created by Giant Impact (the organization that runs the Leadercast every year). I rediscovered it last week while organizing my home office. It offers twelve months of lessons, broken out for a 5-day week (with prep work for weekends), with each month focused on a different topic. At the end of each day’s lesson is one or more questions, intended to help the reader dig deeper into their thought processes and beliefs.

I’m a couple of weeks past the start of the year, but there’s no time like the present to learn and grow. So, I’m starting today. Won’t you join me?

Month 1 is Vision; week one is Personal Vision; day one is…

Leading others well begins with leading yourself well. And without a strong personal vision driving your own leadership, even this task can prove difficult.

In the beginning, the first, most critical step towards becoming an effective leader is self-awareness. You must know your strengths and weaknesses. You must understand what it is you seek to achieve. Once you understand your vision, you must be able to articulate it. Then, you must reinforce your words with your actions. Hold strong against the people and forces you will inevitably encounter that will attempt to deter you from your path.

Envision yourself succeeding, and refuse to let failure deter your vision.

My personal vision is to continue to grow and to reach out to as many people as I can to share the gifts I’ve been given, adding value to whomever crosses my path along my journey. To that end, I’ve invested in myself in many ways throughout my life — classes, workshops, seminars, reading, gleaning wisdom from a variety of mentors, and surrounding myself with others who share my passion and are also on a growth journey. I’ve become a John Maxwell certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker, and am building a business focused on helping others discover their passion, overcome self-limiting beliefs, develop and implement plans to reach their goals, and to realize their full potential.

I’ve got the beginning steps in place and I can see the next few I need to take, but I’m a long way from fully realizing my dream and my potential. But that’s ok, because I know it’s a journey and it will take me some time. This is the kind of work — for me at least — that comes so naturally and is so fulfilling, the idea of “retiring” doesn’t seem very appealing!

Question: What may be preventing you from confidently believing in your personal vision?

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What’s your growth plan for 2013?

Posted in Food for Thought, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 9, 2013| 2 Comments »

If you are reading this, you are probably already aware that growth doesn’t just happen – it’s intentional.

Knowing that, what’s your growth plan for this year? What do you want to learn? What do you want to know more about? What new skill would you like to develop? What new experience do you want to have?

These are all important questions to ask yourself. More important are the answers. Even more important is how will you address them? What is your plan for achieving those things you long for?

What is your plan for achieving those things you long for?

Remember, hope is not a strategy!

Making a resolution is not a strategy!

If you are serious about achieving your goals – and have experienced any kind of success in your life previously – you know that you must have a plan, and you must take specific action steps, and you must reflect on your process, and then make adjustments along your journey.

I have a plan; here it is:

  • I will spend no less than 2 hours weekly working my way through the amazing curriculum offered by the John Maxwell Team University (leadership philosophy, coaching, marketing and sales, business building, and so much more).
  • I will participate in a minimum of 4 hours of the mentorship calls each week (this is a resource I am still amazed to have access to through JMT). 
  • I will facilitate a minimum of 6 Mastermind Groups covering a variety of topics of growth, leadership and personal development, and how to reach higher levels of performance in whatever you choose to do.
  • I will spend a full week learning with the John Maxwell Team in February. Nothing like full immersion learning with ~500 others who share my passion!
  • I will intentionally teach someone something new at least 5 days a week; after all, teaching is the best way to really internalize something you are learning.
  • I will research and complete at least one other seminar, program or workshop – topic yet to be determined.
  • I will work with a professional performance coach, whose sole focus is supporting my success in whatever I strive to achieve.
  • I will learn from my coaching clients and Mastermind participants.
  • I will read at least 30 minutes every day.

Here’s my reading list (as I know it right this moment – I tend to fit a lot of other material in as I discover it!):

  • Think and Grow Rich
  • Put Your Dream to the Test
  • Off Balance
  • Failing Forward
  • 5 Levels of Leadership
  • Smart Trust
  • Crucial Conversations
  • Outliers
  • One Small Barking Dog
  • The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
  • Go for Gold
  • Leadership Gold
  • Credibility
  • Platform
  • Standout
  • The Advantage
  • Thinkertoys

I will re-read:

  • Today Matters
  • The Rhythm of Life
  • The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (at least twice!)
  • The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth (at least twice!)
  • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
  • The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

And as I read, I will make notes, I will file deep thoughts, I will deliberately note the things I will Apply, Change, and Teach (ACT tool). Based on experience, I know these books will lead me to other books and materials, so I will follow the bread crumbs as they appear.

Of course, I know where I desire to grow, but I also know that along the way opportunities and needs to grow in unanticipated areas and ways will emerge in my life. And while I know I will find myself in some uncomfortable places, I will do my best to welcome the discomfort because I know it means I’m on the right path – to growth, to a better version of myself, to greater fulfillment.

So what’s your plan? How will you achieve it? How will you hold yourself accountable to your commitments? How will you respond when you encounter the enormous boulder in your path – will you allow it to derail you, or will you take a deep breath, consider the situation, reaffirm your desire, and access the creative genius in you that will show you the way through?

How will you respond when you encounter the enormous boulder in your path – will you allow it to derail you, or will you take a deep breath, consider the situation, reaffirm your desire, and access the creative genius in you that will show you the way through?

Here’s a hint: If you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen! If you are truly committed, focused, and driven, you will block out the time, plan your work and work your plan.

I welcome your calls if you need a coach to help you on your journey, and I look forward to hearing your stories…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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