My to do list this past weekend was at least a mile long. Realistically, there was no way I could complete everything on Saturday and Sunday. With limited time during the week, the weekend is the ideal time for most of us to get things done. And that's usually the case for me, too...my weekends are usually quite productive. In fact, I take great pride in how much I am able to accomplish in a single weekend. This weekend was a little different though.
As usual, I left the office on Friday and had to run one quick errand on the way to pick the kids up from school (got to start on that to do list, right?). So I ran into the store and picked up a novel that several of my friends highly recommended along with a couple of other things. While waiting for the kids to get out of school, I opened up the book and started reading. Well, I had to wait a little longer than I had anticipated, but just long enough to be completely drawn into the book. I spent much of the remainder of the weekend reading instead of tackling that gigantic to do list. I very rarely (ok, never) do anything like this where the majority of the weekend is spent doing what I want to do. The problem was that I still had to face the list on Monday morning.
Usually, this would lead to great anxiety for me. But this time was different. I'll admit I had a twinge of guilt about "wasting" the entire weekend when there were so many other things that I should have been doing. But when I really thought about it, I realized that I was starting the week relaxed and refreshed. Hmmm, that's very interesting, don't you think? I got nothing done AND didn't feel guilty about it at ALL! And because I felt so refreshed from the weekend, I have been able to attack my list with a vengance!
Obviously, it's not practical to spend every weekend like this. But it is important to take some time for yourself periodically and do something that gives you time to unwind, recharge your batteries, and keep you feeling balanced. The result will be increased productivity. I know this may sound a little counter-intuitive, but it's true.
My challenge to you is to find something (or nothing) that makes you feel this way. Schedule an hour or so (yes, write it in your calendar) to do this. Then look at your to do list again...suddenly it doesn't seem so daunting. Sometimes letting go of the things we think we should be doing better prepares us to face them.
What helps you unwind and recharge? I'd love to hear your comments!
Relax and enjoy life!
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing Inspiration to Life!"
P.S. If you'd like help getting started, call me for a free 30-minute coaching session. I have many different tools and tips to help you create the life you dream about!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Changing your beliefs
Now that you have your list of beliefs, pick out the negative beliefs. These are the beliefs we are going to change. Transforming your negative beliefs will change your life. And you have all the power within you to make the change!
Here are a few examples of negative beliefs and the transformed beliefs:
Negative / Transformed
I can't. / I can.
I am not good enough. / I am always okay.
I can't change. / I am always changing and transforming.
I am a victim of events. / I control how I respond to events.
Although it may be challenging to overcome years of negative beliefs, it is possible to do. Write down your new beliefs and read over them at least twice a day.
I challenge you to try this exercise over the next two weeks and see what happens. If you need help transforming any of your beliefs, feel free to contact me and I can help you.
Get started on creating the life of your dreams!
Warmly,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing inspiration to life!"
Here are a few examples of negative beliefs and the transformed beliefs:
Negative / Transformed
I can't. / I can.
I am not good enough. / I am always okay.
I can't change. / I am always changing and transforming.
I am a victim of events. / I control how I respond to events.
Although it may be challenging to overcome years of negative beliefs, it is possible to do. Write down your new beliefs and read over them at least twice a day.
I challenge you to try this exercise over the next two weeks and see what happens. If you need help transforming any of your beliefs, feel free to contact me and I can help you.
Get started on creating the life of your dreams!
Warmly,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing inspiration to life!"
Friday, June 20, 2008
Who are you?
Have you ever thought about who you really are?
Who you are is defined by what you believe about yourself. That's kind of a scary thought, isn't it? It's true though - our beliefs define who we really are. Let's first define belief - a belief is any habitual pattern of thinking. We hold beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. While most of our beliefs were formed when we were children, some of our beliefs have evolved or changed altogether as we matured and viewed the world differently. Looking at it this way, it seems as though that would give us control over our own beliefs. Hmmm, there's an intesting concept. Let me say it again, you control the beliefs about yourself. Holding the power to our own beliefs gives us the opportunity to shift our belifs. How can we do this? We can shift our beliefs by making a conscious choice.
The first step to changing your beliefs to increase your self-concept is to identify your beliefs. That's my challenge to you this week - make a list of all of the things you believe about yourself. Keep in mind that these beliefs can be positive or negative - you will likely have some of both. Be honest as you create your list. Even if you find your list is full of negative beliefs, remember that you can change this. Don't worry too much right now about what is on your list. Next week, we'll analyze the list in greater depth and talk about how to change the beliefs you don't need in your life.
Remember that each of us is a unique and special creation.
Do your beliefs reflect that?
Wishing you much joy and happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Who you are is defined by what you believe about yourself. That's kind of a scary thought, isn't it? It's true though - our beliefs define who we really are. Let's first define belief - a belief is any habitual pattern of thinking. We hold beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. While most of our beliefs were formed when we were children, some of our beliefs have evolved or changed altogether as we matured and viewed the world differently. Looking at it this way, it seems as though that would give us control over our own beliefs. Hmmm, there's an intesting concept. Let me say it again, you control the beliefs about yourself. Holding the power to our own beliefs gives us the opportunity to shift our belifs. How can we do this? We can shift our beliefs by making a conscious choice.
The first step to changing your beliefs to increase your self-concept is to identify your beliefs. That's my challenge to you this week - make a list of all of the things you believe about yourself. Keep in mind that these beliefs can be positive or negative - you will likely have some of both. Be honest as you create your list. Even if you find your list is full of negative beliefs, remember that you can change this. Don't worry too much right now about what is on your list. Next week, we'll analyze the list in greater depth and talk about how to change the beliefs you don't need in your life.
Remember that each of us is a unique and special creation.
Do your beliefs reflect that?
Wishing you much joy and happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Monday, June 16, 2008
Are you a failure?
I think it's pretty safe to say that we, as humans, enjoy success and dislike failure. No one sets out to fail at something - we set out to succeed. But what happens along the way? More often than not, we experience some degree of failure before succeeding and this failure can give us feelings of discouragement or make us quit.
Sir Winston Churchill says that "Success is going from failure to failure without loss in enthusiasm." A look at almost any historic figure will show you many failures prior to success. Look at Thomas Edison, for example. He is one of the most successful inventors of all time. Do you think he sat down with an idea and created the wonderful inventions that we enjoy today? It wasn't quite that simple. Many of his inventions failed 700 or more times. But do you think he gave up? Quite the opposite - he considered himself quite successful. How can that be with more than 700 failures? In his own words, he successfully discovered 700 ways that don't work. That put him that much closer to achieving his goal. Lucky for us that he chose to stick with it!
Admittedly, most of us (myself included) don't have the enthusiasm or the determination to keep going after 700 failures. But there are ways to keep from feeling like a failure. Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself:
* What is failure?
* Do you feel like a failure? Does feeling like a failure mean that you are a failure?
* Can you learn without failing? Does failing at something you do, make you a failure as a person?
* Can you think of anyone who has never failed at anything?
Carefully consider the answer to each of these questions. Although it can be quite difficult at times to separate who we are from what we do, that distinction is necessary. Just because we fail at something doesn't mean that we are a failure as a person. It simply means that we have something to learn. My challenge to you is to face your failures and embrace them as progress toward your success.
Wishing you much success,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Sir Winston Churchill says that "Success is going from failure to failure without loss in enthusiasm." A look at almost any historic figure will show you many failures prior to success. Look at Thomas Edison, for example. He is one of the most successful inventors of all time. Do you think he sat down with an idea and created the wonderful inventions that we enjoy today? It wasn't quite that simple. Many of his inventions failed 700 or more times. But do you think he gave up? Quite the opposite - he considered himself quite successful. How can that be with more than 700 failures? In his own words, he successfully discovered 700 ways that don't work. That put him that much closer to achieving his goal. Lucky for us that he chose to stick with it!
Admittedly, most of us (myself included) don't have the enthusiasm or the determination to keep going after 700 failures. But there are ways to keep from feeling like a failure. Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself:
* What is failure?
* Do you feel like a failure? Does feeling like a failure mean that you are a failure?
* Can you learn without failing? Does failing at something you do, make you a failure as a person?
* Can you think of anyone who has never failed at anything?
Carefully consider the answer to each of these questions. Although it can be quite difficult at times to separate who we are from what we do, that distinction is necessary. Just because we fail at something doesn't mean that we are a failure as a person. It simply means that we have something to learn. My challenge to you is to face your failures and embrace them as progress toward your success.
Wishing you much success,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Monday, June 2, 2008
What makes happy people so happy?
This is the second installment in our "8 Habits of Happy People". In part one, we identified 4 habits of happy people as acting happy, living in the moment, exercising, and getting enough rest. I challenged you to try at least one of these habits and see how it worked. Did you try one? I'd love to hear your comments about it.
Now, let's take a look at four more habits of happy people. Again, I challenge you to try at least one and see how it works for you.
5. Take care of yourself. At first glance, this may sound a little selfish but it's quite the opposite. We all need some time to ourself - this could just be alone time, finding a hobby, reading a book, taking a bubble bath, calling a friend, or whatever. Find something that refreshes you and make some time to do it at least once a week.
6. Do something for someone else. Try doing something out of the ordinary for someone else. This could be volunteering a few hours for a charity, sending a card to soldiers overseas, donating to a homeless shelter, or visiting a retirement home. There are many different options that only take a few minutes of your time but will lift your spirits immeasurably. Knowing that you've made the world a better place in some small way can bring you happiness.
7. Surround yourself with happy people. Have you ever spent time with someone that is really miserable? It likely didn't make you feel happy. Just as being around an unpleasant person can bring you down, surrounding yourself with happy people will lift you up. Find someone that seems happy and spend more time with them.
8. Take control of your life. Sometimes our lives feel like they are out of control. This leaves us feeling helpless, stressed, and unhappy. By taking control of the areas where you feel helpless, you create space for happiness. Identify the areas of your life that you need to take control of and focus on one at a time. If you are unorganized, strive to organize your life. If you need to lose weight, set a goal and develop a plan to move forward. Happy people control their own lives.
You can see that there are many different options for living a happy life. Embrace one of these ideas and get moving on it. Your happiness awaits!
Wishing you success and happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing Inspiration to Life!"
Now, let's take a look at four more habits of happy people. Again, I challenge you to try at least one and see how it works for you.
5. Take care of yourself. At first glance, this may sound a little selfish but it's quite the opposite. We all need some time to ourself - this could just be alone time, finding a hobby, reading a book, taking a bubble bath, calling a friend, or whatever. Find something that refreshes you and make some time to do it at least once a week.
6. Do something for someone else. Try doing something out of the ordinary for someone else. This could be volunteering a few hours for a charity, sending a card to soldiers overseas, donating to a homeless shelter, or visiting a retirement home. There are many different options that only take a few minutes of your time but will lift your spirits immeasurably. Knowing that you've made the world a better place in some small way can bring you happiness.
7. Surround yourself with happy people. Have you ever spent time with someone that is really miserable? It likely didn't make you feel happy. Just as being around an unpleasant person can bring you down, surrounding yourself with happy people will lift you up. Find someone that seems happy and spend more time with them.
8. Take control of your life. Sometimes our lives feel like they are out of control. This leaves us feeling helpless, stressed, and unhappy. By taking control of the areas where you feel helpless, you create space for happiness. Identify the areas of your life that you need to take control of and focus on one at a time. If you are unorganized, strive to organize your life. If you need to lose weight, set a goal and develop a plan to move forward. Happy people control their own lives.
You can see that there are many different options for living a happy life. Embrace one of these ideas and get moving on it. Your happiness awaits!
Wishing you success and happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing Inspiration to Life!"
Friday, May 30, 2008
What makes happy people so happy?
Have you ever wondered how happy people can always seem to be happy? I'll be the first to admit that I'm not happy all the time. I'd like to be, but I'm just not. How can we be happy when things around us just aren't going well? As it turns out, we do have control over our own happiness! That's great news, isn't it?
Over the next couple of days, we'll take a look at the 8 habits of happy people. These are relatively simple things that you can do to take control of your own happiness and begin to live an intentional life. Let's look at the first four:
1. Act happy. This is probably one of the most difficult ones to master but it can have a profound effect on you and the people around you. Acting happy includes laughing, smiling, being friendly, and maintaining a positive attitude. Pick one and try it out!
2. Live in the moment. Don't waste your time worrying about the past or the future - the past can't be changed and the future hasn't happened yet. You have today, so make the most of it!
3. Exercise. Studies have shown that daily exercise helps people feel better. I can't give you all the scientific reasoning behind it but I do know that endorphins are released when you exercise and these endorphins can elevate your mood. Even a few minutes of physical activity each day can help make you happy. Try something fun like a hula hoop or a scooter!
4. Get enough rest. This one can't be emphasized enough. Have you ever met someone who has only had a few hours of sleep? Likely not the happiest person you've ever met. Long term sleep deprivation can lead to more serious issues beyond a bad mood. Getting 7-9 hours of rest a night is ideal to maintaining a healthy, happy attitude. Make sure to get to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up refreshed and happy!
Pick one of these habits and get started on becoming a happier person! Check back tomorrow for the next four habits of happy people.
Wishing you much happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Over the next couple of days, we'll take a look at the 8 habits of happy people. These are relatively simple things that you can do to take control of your own happiness and begin to live an intentional life. Let's look at the first four:
1. Act happy. This is probably one of the most difficult ones to master but it can have a profound effect on you and the people around you. Acting happy includes laughing, smiling, being friendly, and maintaining a positive attitude. Pick one and try it out!
2. Live in the moment. Don't waste your time worrying about the past or the future - the past can't be changed and the future hasn't happened yet. You have today, so make the most of it!
3. Exercise. Studies have shown that daily exercise helps people feel better. I can't give you all the scientific reasoning behind it but I do know that endorphins are released when you exercise and these endorphins can elevate your mood. Even a few minutes of physical activity each day can help make you happy. Try something fun like a hula hoop or a scooter!
4. Get enough rest. This one can't be emphasized enough. Have you ever met someone who has only had a few hours of sleep? Likely not the happiest person you've ever met. Long term sleep deprivation can lead to more serious issues beyond a bad mood. Getting 7-9 hours of rest a night is ideal to maintaining a healthy, happy attitude. Make sure to get to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up refreshed and happy!
Pick one of these habits and get started on becoming a happier person! Check back tomorrow for the next four habits of happy people.
Wishing you much happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Monday, May 19, 2008
Have you made a difference today?
It’s no secret that we live in a “what’s in it for me” society. In our overloaded and busy lives, many of us seldom take the time to do something that doesn’t directly benefit us. We defend our actions by saying that we just don’t have the time. We’re busy, we’re stressed, and we have other things on our mind. But how can we change this? In all honesty, it’s quite easy to change this and begin making the world a better place. And it doesn’t have to be a big action. In fact, little actions can compound and make a big difference. Here are a couple of simple things that you can do today to make a difference:
• Smile. This is perhaps one of the easiest things you can do. It doesn’t cost anything and tends to be contagious. Smiling at someone might be just what they needed to feel better. Because they feel better, they may pass the smile on and create an epidemic of smiling. It wouldn’t hurt for the world to be a happier place, would it?
• Do something nice for someone else. Look around and see what you can do for your fellow man. Perhaps you can allow the person in line behind you with only 2 items to check out before you. This will only cost you a couple of minutes and your kindness will brighten someone’s day. Perhaps you could call or send a card or email to a friend telling how much you value them. It just takes a couple of minutes and will really make someone feel great. The possibilities are virtually endless!
• Make a donation to a cause you are passionate about. Many of us have very busy schedules and find it difficult to volunteer our time. How about making a cash donation? When you sit down to pay your bills, send a check or online payment to the charity of your choice. Many of these organizations are able to do wonderful things with your money. If you are able, spend a couple of hours helping a charitable cause. You don’t have to make a huge commitment to make a big difference.
These are only three simple ways that you can make a difference in the world. The good news is that doing something for someone else makes YOU feel good. So go out and start making the world a better place!
Sincerely,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Bringing Inspiration to Life!
• Smile. This is perhaps one of the easiest things you can do. It doesn’t cost anything and tends to be contagious. Smiling at someone might be just what they needed to feel better. Because they feel better, they may pass the smile on and create an epidemic of smiling. It wouldn’t hurt for the world to be a happier place, would it?
• Do something nice for someone else. Look around and see what you can do for your fellow man. Perhaps you can allow the person in line behind you with only 2 items to check out before you. This will only cost you a couple of minutes and your kindness will brighten someone’s day. Perhaps you could call or send a card or email to a friend telling how much you value them. It just takes a couple of minutes and will really make someone feel great. The possibilities are virtually endless!
• Make a donation to a cause you are passionate about. Many of us have very busy schedules and find it difficult to volunteer our time. How about making a cash donation? When you sit down to pay your bills, send a check or online payment to the charity of your choice. Many of these organizations are able to do wonderful things with your money. If you are able, spend a couple of hours helping a charitable cause. You don’t have to make a huge commitment to make a big difference.
These are only three simple ways that you can make a difference in the world. The good news is that doing something for someone else makes YOU feel good. So go out and start making the world a better place!
Sincerely,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
Bringing Inspiration to Life!
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