An 11-11-11 Query

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Self Care for Life Coaches

"footprints on the beach sand and sun"  source unknown

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

What does self care mean to you?

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

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

Fitting It In

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

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

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

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

2.  Dance.  Music, movement, convenience. 

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

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

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

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

Turn to Your Neighbor on Your Right and...

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

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

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

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

3.  As best as you can, clean your home/bedroom/office before leaving.  Ah, this is an ideal one...and one which I didn't fully achieve so I understand if this tip is a "challenge." Credit goes to coach and speaker Jim Bunch who shared this tip as part of Jonathan Budd's Unstoppable Entrepreneur training.
 
4.  Take what you can from the training and adapt it to your life.  Originally, when I attended the Millionaire Mind training, there were about 6 new daily habits which I enthusiastically did for the first week.  Around week 2, though, my 6 habits began to feel like too much so I gradually trimmed it down to just one--reading my wealth affirmations..  Do what's manageable and doable.  Appreciate that you invested the time and possibly money to attend the training. 

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

Lessons Learned While Traveling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When A Blogger Goes Offline...

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

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

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

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

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


Thanks for reading and hope everyone enjoyed their summer!


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

Still On?

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

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

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

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

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

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