The Summer of Transformation…summer intensive advice part two

I was thinking that I wanted to add a few thoughts, pieces of advice and perhaps give you all a little project for the summer. The summer is a time for fun, relaxing, enjoying friends and family, but it is also a time that things grow. Flowers grow taller, trees bloom and life seems to come alive all around us. Have you ever noticed the when you go back to school or dance in the Fall that many of your classmates look taller? The sun and the summer has a way of changing things around us in the physical world. I would like to suggest that you use the summer to work on changing or perhaps enhancing some of your thoughts and habits to grow as a person, dancer, athlete and student. I humbly suggest you think of this summer as a summer of transformation.

Before I get to that piece I want to add a few thoughts to my previous post on things to do at your summer intensive. When my daughter was at a wonderful summer program two summers ago I had the privilege of hearing the orientation speech that Artistic Director gave to the attendees. His words to the students were insightful, thoughtful and inspiring. I know my own daughter thought of his comments often that summer and they had great impact. He said many things here is one thing he said that I want to share with you all.

Drum roll please. (just kidding…a little fun guys, a little fun). I am going to paraphrase as it was a couple of years ago.

The AD told the dancers, I know many of you are coming to this program because you want to get inspired and learn, but what you may not know is that I will get inspired by some of you this summer. Those simple words created a basis for people to show up to classes hoping to be that special dancer, what an empowering statement! He continued to say, each day you come to class, think about a tool that you have learned that you can use both now and when you go back to your regular studio. He encouraged the students to have fun but to use this time to grow as a dancer. There were many great moments of that welcome speech that I thought were motivational, but these particular comments were very memorable. Dancers, go to your program take that advice, leave each class with something that you take with you always, write it down, make a voice recording on your phone, think about it, visualize it, share it with your friends and be grateful that you are able to spend your summer doing what you love. I know I have talked about the gratitude concept before, but it is worth repeating. When I think about the dancers all over the world that would do anything to have the opportunities that many of you a have (and aren’t able to do) it is worth repeating.

SUMMER OF TRANSFORMATION

In my previous post I gave you some advice on goal setting, planning, gratitude and intention. I want to expand on the goal part of the conversation. Take a few minutes and look over your goal list (now if you haven’t created one yet…take some time to do so)

Remember goals should be measurable by another person, meaning you can say I want to be more flexible but how will you know if you accomplished that goal; otherwise it can easily become a wish, not a goal. You can put things into categories, academic summer goal, fitness, dance etc…then break it down and track it .

We created a board , it is not done yet, as my daughter still has lots of tests in school, but it is almost there. You can put pictures, specific goals and then dates …put a check mark on tracking. Example if you want your foot to look a certain way, take a picture of your foot today, put next to it a picture of your goal foot, then right now the steps you need to take to improve your foot and get it to your goal, then track it…all on the board. Look at the board daily. Now if you are away and don’t want to share this info do it on a smaller scale in a notebook. Whatever works best for you.

The idea is that at the end of the summer you can look back and see what you have accomplished. This method is proven to help you move forward towards your goals.

An academic goal could be certain number of books read, math skill or perhaps you pick a summer long project, write a book, start a blog. increase your vocabulary.

If you need help I will offer 30 minutes of my time to anyone that reaches out, I can work with you how to create the board and tracking.

Send me an email at catalystcoachchristine@gmail.com or go to the contact form and fill out and I will reach out to you.

Most important thing is decide to do it, I know it is hard to get started on this stuff, and dancers, you are all very busy with school and your training. The development of your mind, creating great habits, being aware, planning and taking action, are all important to your becoming the best version of yourself that you can be.

I know many of you are time management Gods and could teach me a thing or two. The input I offer is to enhance what you may already do or to encourage you to start thinking about adding this to your training. It is so easy to get caught into the “doing” part of life, that the “planning and thoughtfulness of our days” can get lost in the shuffle.

One of the things that I think is important to state here is this:

Turn your “should’s”into “musts”…this concept is taught by Tony Robbins.

Example. I should drink a lot of water daily vs. I must drink “x” ounces of water a day and to do that I will make sure I have enough cold water available to me throughout the day. I will not make excuses that I didn’t have access to it, I alone will make sure this happens, this is a must.

When we are totally committed to something we do not make excuses, we find a way to get it done.

Tony Robbins talks a lot about raising our own standards.

Be focused, determined, driven, grateful and excited about the possibility of transforming a part of you that you have decided need to grow/change or become enhanced.

I will end this with a question….what are your “musts” this summer?

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Summer Intensive Advice

Many of those of you that read this blog are young dancers so this post is directed towards you. This will be quick read, I promise.

Most of you are winding down from your home studio’s spring semester and getting ready to attend a summer intensive. I want to spend a minute on how you can maximize the time, energy, effort and opportunity of spending the summer doing what you love!

My own daughter has attended a few really wonderful ballet programs through the years, Bolshoi, ABT Young Dancers, ABT/NYC, Forrest Academy of Ballet NYC as well as Ellison Ballet. All of these programs, as well as those offered everywhere else, give the dancer the opportunity to grow in the their craft, learn other styles of teaching, connect with dancers/teachers from around the world, for some to be on your own, meet new friends and of course have some fun!

You are so lucky to spend the summer doing what you all love to do, dance!

That first day walking into the placement class I have seen dancers get so nervous thinking about the girl with the amazing feet, or hyperextended leg or the insane flexibility. Come on even the best of you sizes one another up! That’s okay and its normal to check out who you’ll be sharing your time. I know for my daughter seeing the talented dancers is both inspiring and encouraging. She has often said in these situations, I am so honored that I was chosen to dance with these girls. ( I am sure she had a bit of nervousness too!).

So my first piece of advice when you walk in the first day, look around, admire those dancers, then look in the mirror and admire you! You made it! For many of you, you had multiple offers and choices, and for your own reasons you choose this place that you will spend a good portion of your summer. Congratulations! Enjoy the moment, take it in….and please take a moment to be grateful. There is no doubt that when you look to the right and the left of you on the barre, that there were many dancers that wished they could be that person. Gratitude is so important. Be grateful for the “yes you received, be grateful that your parents, teachers and other support systems helped you get to this moment and be grateful to all of the dancers. Why the other students, well it you let them one or more will push you to work harder each day.

Second really important piece of advice, decide on your intention. What do I mean by that? Decide what you want to accomplish at this intensive. Pick a measurable goal or two (for the very inspired pick more!), write them down…this part very important.
This article is a quick and easy explanation or just believe me and do it.

Writing down goals

In addition to the 5-8 week summer goal (s) you might have from your dance intensive, when you walk into the studio on a daily basis ask yourself, “what is my intention for today”. Better yet, decide on your intention for the day. Take a moment to think about what your goals (written down , I hope) for the intensive, then ask yourself, what you can do to move forward towards those goals for the day.

“Our intention creates our reality” Wayne Dyer

Each day walk into class and ask yourself am I totally present mind, body and soul. What can I give today, (my answer is everyday give it your all, don’t hold back) Be open and ready to receive what the amazing teachers have to offer. For some of you this summer might be your first big summer intensive, for others its old hat, been there , done that. In either situation, a seasoned summer intensive “veteran” or a “newbie” make a commitment to yourself. Decide ….decide what you want to receive, decide who you want to be in the class, be the one that the teachers love to work with, be the one that 5-8 weeks after the intensive is over, looks like a different dancer. Walk into this experience with all that you are today and all that you see yourself as tommorow. Just for fun>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Quick recap:

1. Be grateful. Do you keep a gratitude journal? If not great idea, write 3 things daily that you are grateful for.

2. Pick a 1,2,3 goals for the summer, make them measurable, So if you want to execute on a pirouettes on pointe, or have a better arabesque..make sure you say exactly what you want on that goal list. True goals are not general, don’t be vague, be specific.

3. Read your list daily, and set your intention for the day.

4. Enjoy yourself, decide who you will be during this intensive. Make some new friends.

If you like this blog, share with your friends, follow me on Instagram Catalyst Coach Christine

Website is www.catalystcoachchristine.com

Slips when working towards goals, don’t have to become big falls!

Hi all, I want to do a quick entry about set backs. Even with the best of intentions, planning, prep, affirmations, visualizations, reading your goals daily and taking action; even with all of that, we can sometimes falter.

Set backs or slips are a normal part of the process when reaching towards a goal of any type. If it is a fitness/health goal, a personal achievement goal, professional, relationship or any other anything that we are moving towards.

When we have these little slips it is important that we do a couple of things so that they don’t get us so off track that we have a major fall.

1. First things first, admit that you got off the track, for a moment. It is important that you acknowledge to yourself (and if you are working with a coach or have a close friend) you tell them as well. Do not beat yourself up, you are human, not a robot! Life happens.

2. Once you have acknowledged the slip, forgive yourself. That is right, no beating yourself up and please do not have the internal dialogue that you stink or you are a failure. If you are reading this, you must promise yourself (and me) that you will forgive yourself. Simply saying “I forgive myself for my mistake or slip, lack of follow through (whatever it is), I will do better today and it is really okay” You can change this sentence into your own words but is it important that you do forgive yourself and move on. We are hardest on ourselves. Slips become bigger issues when we wallow in the negativity, and believe me, I know how easily that can happen.

3. Now this one is important, is there anything to be learned from this instance. Meaning, the slip occurred because______________________________________________

Fill in the blank, if it occurred because of lack of focus, prep, not reading goals, getting distracted, being tired or perhaps no real reason. Then right that down, or say it out loud. Whatever the reason, know this just giving it a little attention, forgiving yourself, looking for a lesson and then moving forward. The slip become a short little moment in time and nothing more. Most goals are not achieved with big moments, they are the decisions we make daily and in some cases, minute by minute.

Remember this ALL THOUGHTS/FEELINGS CAN LEAD TO OUR BEHAVIORS. So if we want positive behaviors, that is right, we need positive thoughts. Beating ourselves up is not a productive use of our time.

So my goal with this post is to do a pattern interrupt. Meaning if you have a slip, for most of us, we would feel negative about ourselves, which could lead to more negative or non productive behaviors, that lead us astray from our goal (s). Instead of wallowing in feeling badly, pity or anger. The steps above are to get you right back on your track towards your personal greatness.

Here is a little secret, sometimes this small set backs fire us up to work even harder the next day or moment.

So if you had some cookies, did not make the sales calls you agreed to do, read, did your affirmations, decluttered your office, whatever it is that you did not do, it is okay! You are breathing, you are alive and you have today to get back on track.

I have faith in you!

PS I was feeling amazing last week in the gym, feeling like I had turned the corner for my fitness/weight loss goal. Saturday and Sunday I did not eat well and I had an issue with my knee. During my workout this am I was struggling and I left class early, I never do that. My knee really hurt and I was feeling pretty terrible. So what am I going to do. I have a choice, continue to eat crappy and have a bad workout tomorrow or forgive myself, understand that my food choices impacted my workout, along with a knee issue, and spend the rest of the week working my butt off with renewed determination and commitment. I forgive myself and know that I WILL HAVE A GOOD WEEK WITH LOTS OF PERSONAL SUCCESS. It is as easy as that!

There is no magic pill, there is not magic moment…what we control is how we respond to events that occur. That is always in our control. The outcome is determined by our response to the events. The event only determines the outcome if we let it. You be in charge of you!

Keep going towards your goals!

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Attended on day workshop “One Day to Greatness” hosted by Jack Canfield

17 days later…..

First of all reading his books, watching you tube videos, training videos and manuals; is just a glimpse at the true greatness that this man brings to us all.

Clear, concise, accessible, interesting, thought provoking and of course inspiring are the words I would use to describe how Jack delivers his talk on the Success Principles.

From the moment I checked in until the minutes of departure, the environment was one of growth, opportunity, excitement and just feeling so much gratitude to be in that room, with Jack, his staff as well as the fellow attendees. Honestly, I am not exaggerating it was worth every penny and then some!

The difference between reading his material and listening to Jack tell the stories that are the foundation of his methodology, is tremendous. As a Certified Jack Canfield Trainer, I have read or heard most of what he shared, it didn’t matter. It was great to experience first hand what I have taught and will continue to teach and coach to others.

Did I have any personal breakthroughs? Why yes I did! Now not every motivational event will produce “aha moments”, but for me, I must say I had a few. First of all I got to meet and hug Jack. What was a bit suprising to me was my level of emotion. I legitimately could not believe I was standing in front of him, it was like a kid meeting Santa Claus for the first time. I am not exaggerating. A voice that I have both read and listened to for years was right there, and I hugged him! I regret not paying for the VIP lunch, ugh, what a mistake! I did not sleep so much the night before ( like a kid on Christmas Eve, so forgive how drawn I look here). Jack was a gentlemen and a delight and my admiration and love for him grew exponentially, after this event and our brief meeting.

The program was a full day with an hour and a half for lunch, but it moved so quickly. Jack has great stamina. He took pictures and signed books at every break and stayed as late as was needed to make sure all had a chance to say hello, get a picture and/or signature. The staff at the Canfield group as well as the many volunteers were both professional, approachable and above all kind. If you read this blog, you will know I place a high value on that particular characteristic.

Back to my big take away. Prior to going to the event, I always pictured myself delivering the success principles to small workshops in companies or to individuals. I didn’t think I wanted to do a big group. In fact I have yet to present the Success Principles to a bigger audience than 15. That has changed! Watching, and listening/participating in the program I could feel the excitement inside of me swell. I was visualizing myself doing what Jack does, adding my own style and creating an exciting and memorable event. I thought to myself, yes I can do this! The messages he has taught us to share are so powerful and needed in today’s world, I actually feel an obligation to share it with whomever will listen! (Truth be told and to those that might be resistant, I know I can win them over).

Well what have I done with this new found belief and passion.

1. I recommitted to doing my affirmations and visualizations daily.

2. I have added a lot more reading to my day.

3. I start my day with my intentions.

4. I took the first action step to creating my event, I went to several local hotels and got prices. One more thing I did , the hotel that I really want to host this one day event in my town allowed me to go into the room. I stood there and looked out at the seats, that ironically were set up just like they were at Jack’s event and I pictured myself in front of 100 people. In my past life I was a DJ/dance performer and talked and danced in front of lots of people, so though I will be nervous, it is not so foreign for me to picture myself in front of a lot of people.

5. I have since started to brainstorm about sponsors to offset the cost as well as who would truly benefit from what I will deliver, really anyone and everyone. However, I thought I should think in a bit more of a targeted way.

6. I have a plan, an action plan written down and each day I MUST do one thing (at a minimum) that moves me forward towards this event. Oh I got some printing pricing as well.

The most important thing is that I truly see myself combining my love of event planning with my talent and insight as a coach. I know I can create something special, I can feel it.

I will keep you posted! In the meantime, if you know of anyone or a company that I could approach about participating as a sponsor I would be grateful. Please send me an email at christinerandall22@sbcglobal.net

The event date will most likely be in early September.

It will be called 30 DAYS TO RESULTS

I will the teach the foundations of the Success Principles, it will be interactive, inspiring, fun and for those that allow it the spring board to moving forward towards any goal or goals you may have. I can promise this ….. anyone that attends will walk away thinking and feeling just a bit (or a lot) differently than they did when they walked in for the day. My goal as a coach is and has always been, to help you move forward in a way that brings you to what you most want and need. My individual coaching clients will often tell me they feel so understood by me, which makes me so happy, as that is my top priority when I work with them.

“Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success” Shiv Khera

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A little project about Success for you.

Hi there, I feel like I haven’t had much to say in last few weeks. Everything kind of status quo, except I feel a bit better, more energized and focused. I attribute it to #orangetheoryfitness. I also have been doing a couple of things that I coach others to do and it definitely helps. PS. There is no magic pill and like Jim Rohn says “You can’t get someone to do your pushups”. To be happy and successful, you need to commit to doing some basic exercises, daily. If you want stronger arms, chest, pushups are a way to get that and you need do it, Same theory for those of us that want to move forward and make some positive changes in our lives. Here are a few things I have been doing. First of all listening to #tonyrobbins when he says raise your standards, he calls it an hour of power, this is just part of it. Both #jackcanfield and #tonyrobbins talk about gratitude ( I have written about it before as well)

1. Keeping a gratitude journal, 3 things I am grateful for on a daily basis. Sometimes I do in am for the day before or in the evening and review that day.

2. When I am drinking my coffee in the am, I think of what I want out of that day, what is my intention. I ask myself what do I want to accomplish. Admittedly, some days I am quite ambitious and others not so much!

3. I forgive myself for what I haven’t completed, vowed to do better and congratulate myself on what I did do well. (This is so important, if you are like me and very hard on yourself).

This leads me to a little project I have in mind for you. Go to a quiet place, grab your favorite beverage, piece of paper and pen. This exercise might take about 10-15 minutes (rough estimate). Start brainstorming about success’ you have had to date, in addition if you can remember the obstacles, if any, you had to overcome to get that success.

Here are a few for me. (In no particular order of importance, but just brainstorming it all)

1. Won many dance contests in clubs in both NYC and beyond. I bought my first car with dance contest money back in college. (It was a 1973 Gran Torino and it was a huge 8 cylinder engine, that I could barely drive)

2 In college, I won the top Freshman History Award.

3. Sold enough life insurance in my first 10months with #northwesternmutual that I made what is called, #milliondollarroundtable #mdrt. This was a big deal. So many obstacles that I overcame that year, too many to list.

4. After many tries and two miscarriages was able to get pregnant and carry my daughter to full term. This is the greatest success of my life.

5. Becoming a Certified Jack Canfield Coach.

6. When I was a DJ with Big Apple Entertainment I established a sales program and helped grow the company from two events per weekend into a company that was booked faith 3-4 teams working 3 days or more per week. I also conceptualized and designed their “mock wedding” that has been used for many years at Bridal showcases to sell their services to potential wedding couples.

7. I have put together many successful celebratory events for myself, friends, family and organizations.

8. I have coached many clients to reach their stated goals and beyond.

9. Learned to drive a car. (Lol) for my younger readers.

10. Auditioned for and got parts in local community musical theatre.

11. Learned to play flute and given second seat in the orchestra.

12. When selling master card and visa processing for Bank Of America, made significant increases in my territory.

13. Chaired a huge (very successful) party for the Girl Scouts of America in my region.

14. Won a first place fitness/weight loss competition in my gym against other 40-49 year olds. Obstacle here was the competition was over 90 days and I had many injuries while training. I just kept visualizing winning, that helped me so much.

15.Joined Orange Theory Fitness. ( I was really scared to do this)

16. I have helped many clients move forward and take action to start their business’.

These are the top ones that came to my mind, I will have more when I give myself a bit more time. That took about 20 minutes to think and type up, so maybe give yourself a little more time, or do some of the list today and complete in a day or two.

Let me share what happens when you start to think about what you have done that is successful. My mood started to shift ( I started typing this up and I was so tired). Suddenly I have some energy. I was typing and smiling, thinking to myself, “you go girl”! The thought that people might judge me from my list did start to come into play, I forced those thoughts out. For a moment I realized it is kind of vulnerable to share this, thinking my success list might be quite paltry to some or I might seem full of myself. It is okay to be proud of ones self! Let me repeat that, a bit loudly… IT IS OKAY TO BE PROUD OF ONESELF! It is not being a braggart, it is acknowledging all that we are, have been and can be.

In addition something I think I have written about before, but worth repeating..all thoughts lead to our behaviors. When we remind ourselves about our successes, we are in a positive state of mind. Positive thoughts will encourage us and lead us to positive behaviors.

One of the benefits of having a list like this around is for the days (for me today) that I feel unmotivated, a little down, tired and not very successful. Just sitting here thinking of these 16 items, I have an excitement and energy that I did not have 30 minutes ago.

Of the 16 items listed above there isn’t one item that I can recall I accomplished without overcoming something whether it was lack of time, resources or simply fear. Nothing I listed above was a so called lay up. What’s great about creating this list , it reminds me of what I am made of and how far I have come, but also, how much further I can go. I hope it does the same for you!

So write your list, share it with me or others, you can email it to me at http://www.catalystcoachchristine@gmail.com. If you need a little help getting started, drop me a line, I would be happy to give you a little push to start you off!

Do what you say you are going to do

So I was reading a chapter in the Success Principles by Jack Canfield, Chapter 54. “Keep Your Agreements”. I was reflecting on my own experience with this very issue. I believe we should say what mean, mean what we say and honor our commitments. The commitments made to others as well as to ourselves.

Do you think this is true….”Your life work to the degree you keep your agreements”. (Werner Erhard). Thinking about this quote, I would answer yes. I do think when we live our life with a high level of integrity, we raise standards as to what we will accept from ourselves as well as others. If we are honorable we will only seek to connect with those that are similar. We will want our personal and professional relationships to be filled with only authentic and reliable people. The more you become someone who keeps your agreements, the more you will be able to “sniff” out those that will not. When I was selling life insurance for Northwestern Mutual, I was not the most knowledgeable rep in my peer group, but I was the most successful. One of the reasons that I believe I did so well was a simple and basic core belief that I lived. I did more than expected, sought to understand my clients and for them to know they were understood. My clients used to tell me they knew they could trust me. I knew no other way but to give the best of myself and do more than was expected. If you are in sales and reading this, please do not over promise and then under deliver, this seems to permeate so many business’ today.

“Never promise more than you can perform” Publilius Syrus

This concept of keeping agreements made is very important in business; however, keeping agreements with ourselves, that is where the magic happens, and that is where I recently have faltered. I can remember a time in my life that I was very structured, in a great routine in the gym as well as my meal planning. I was in great shape and felt very much in control. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was making myself a priority in my own life. Fast forward to today, I have my good days and my bad days. I have been keeping to my workout schedule at Orange Theory Fitness, which I highly recommend, go take a class. Where I have missed a few steps is in the nutrition department. The reality is once I let myself off of the hook it seems to be easier to do so the next time. Need to break that pattern with a pattern interrupt. How do we do that…read a book like Success Principles (or part of it), listen to motivational talks on youtube, podcasts and read some good blogs. (I hope mine is one of them). Acknowledge that you made a misstep or two…and get back on track. No need to beat ourselves up. What we need is to honor our agreements to our mind, body and soul.

EVERY AGREEMENT YOU MAKE IS WITH YOURSELF (this is from Chapter 54 Success Principles by Jack Canfield, page 360.

“More importantly, every agreement you have made is ultimately with yourself. Even when you are making an agreement with someone else, your brain hears it and registers it as a commitment. Your are making an agreement with yourself to do something, and when you don’t follow through, you lean to distrust yourself. The result is loss of self-esteem, self-confidence and self-respect. You lose your faith in your ability to produce a result . You weaken you send of integrity.” Jack Canfield

(I read this paragraph and had a few aha moments, every time I let myself off of the hook for anything I have really felt so badly for more than just that one item. After a while I can see how we can become numb to that, almost expecting ourselves to be the one that doesn’t get it done. This concept can be life changing if truly internalized and put into action).

In the book Jack uses an example about telling your spouse you will get up early to go to gym, after 3 days of hitting the snooze button, your unconscious mind gets all confused and basically stops trusting you. The end result is you lose a little bit of a the personal power that you have.

So what can we do to build on this. If you are already a person that keeps their agreements both to self and others, my guess is you are a person that is very often asked to help, volunteer and basically be a “doer” I would also take a guess that you are successful in your personal and professional life.

For the rest of us that need to work this “agreement muscle ” here are 4 tips from Jack Canfield:

1. Make only agreements you intend to keep.

2. Write down all of the agreements you make. ( it is so easy to forget, there is a study that if we don’t write something down or make effort to store in in long term memory, we can lose that info in as little as 37 seconds) So even with the best intentions, we can miss the mark on our agreements, just from being forgetful, results still the same as if we purposefully did not do them.

3. Communicate any broken agreement at the first appropriate time. (If you are going to be late, can’t attend something you said yes to, and agreements to yourself) As a side bar, (not in book) I add to this one, when we have broken and agreement with ourselves, it is the moment to reevaluate if it was indeed doable, and if so, what can we do to make sure we don’t make the same mistake. Make a plan to do it!

4. Learn to say no more often. (Jack says give yourself time to think it over)

This is from me not Jack. One line that is really helpful, especially because many of us have a hard time saying “no”, you can always try this ” I am sorry that doesn’t work for me”. (Side bar…I have coached a few of my clients that are in management with this line and they have shared with me that it is much easier to say , then “no”.)

For agreements made to self, having someone you can be accountable to is a huge benefit. I think I have written about accountability partners before. Find someone that you can text, call or email about an agreement that you made to yourself.

Accountability is where so much growth, change and success begins.

Continue reading “Do what you say you are going to do” →

Move yourself forward by making a difference in someone else’s life

I had a of thought that I wanted to share. Could be repetitive for some and for others could be just what they needed to hear today. I promised myself if I felt really strongly about a topic, opinion or something I thought was valuable to share I would get it into the blog asap.

There is a saying I heard a long time ago

“Never underestimate the impact of what you say and do has on others”

I have a suggestion for you, if you could try it and let me know the results that would be lovely. Here is my request, as you go about your day, look for moments to so or say something nice to another person. Whether you look them in their eyes and give a heartfelt hello and smile, or perhaps just a smile. Try to find something about someone that you can compliment, be sincere. The coffee girl that has pretty nails, tell her. The person that holds the door for you, thank them and smile. You be the one to let someone carry a heavy bag. One idea, tell someone that their working out is starting to show up. (This was my impactful moment example). From the smallest to the most grand gesture, you can make the energy around you change. In the end, you will have a shift in your state of being. If life is just perfect for you and you don’t really need that, it will just be better! On the other hand, if malaise has set in for the day, I can promise you that this will be the shift and perhaps save the day. Sometimes we need one small catalyst to make things change for the better.

In fact in my workshops I teach the attendees how positive thoughts about self and others make them physically stronger as well as how the opposite it true, when we judge self and others we get really weak. It is done with a volunteer and honestly is always a highlight and very eye opening to the group. I give tools and suggestions on how to protect them from the negative “stuff” that might be secretly sent their way. I wish I had video of it as this would be a great link to add right here. I will have to do that!

I wanted to share this right now because I was the beneficiary of a few words of encouragement. I had a few people make positive comments to me. They noticed the physical changes that are happening. One young girl said to me, you look really good and you look like you have more energy. It really made me smile and encouraged me so much. Of course I thanked her and let her know how much I appreciated her kind words. She was my favorite that day. When someone “sees” us, it can be a powerful moment. In fact I really believe that those moments, if increased, could change the world, I digress as this post is meant to be short and sweet.

I have favor to ask, find 3 people over the course of the next week and make it your mission to say or do something that will impact them in a positive way. Check in with yourself, as much as your goal is to make them feel good, my promise to you , is the happiness you are creating in them, will bounce right back to you! Now just imagine if that type of exchange was done all over the world throughout the day. OMG the energy of positivity created would be astounding!

Do you know where you are?

If you have been following along with any of my posts you will know this blog is about changing, moving forward and working towards our goals. There are many coaches, blogs, books, you tube videos and seminars that you can read, watch and attend that talk about many of these same topics. So thank you for coming along with me. I read and listen to many to help myself, my clients and anyone else that takes the time to read this blog. I hope that some of the insights that I have experienced and posted about have been helpful. I created this blog as a bit of self indulgence, to keep myself accountable, to serve others and hopefully move us all forward, one step at a time. ( you know my mantra)

In order to know where we are going, it is important to know where we are. Many times we say “I want to lose weight”, “I want to save more money”, “I want to reduce my debt”, “I want to cut back on……..”, “I want to spend more time doing …….” “I want to spend less time on…….”I want to go to…..” “I want more sales” ” I want ……” “I want to be a better student”, ” My dream is to dance professionally’, “My dream is to got to an IV league college” ” My dream is to own a business”. You get the idea. It is very easy to say I want this or that. I dream this or that. The difference between a goal and a dream:

I would like to give you some practical easy to follow steps to start you on your path (if you aren’t already, so this might be a reminder)

Step One: Pick a goal that truly with all of your heart, mind and soul want to achieve this year. (If you need help finding a goal reach out, I’d be happy to assist) In some of the other steps I give you some ideas on this, so read it all the way through before you start.

Step Two: Write this goal down on index cards, put it on the mirror in your bathroom, on your dashboard, computer, phone anywhere you will be able to see it a few times a day. Make sure this goal can be measured by an outside party and in addition have the date to when you want this to be achieved. I will give some examples.

I want to lose weight this year. That is a goal…well maybe, powerful, could be, stating that same goal with specifics and a deadline, this is where the magic happens.

“I want to weigh 125 pounds by June 1, 2018” Can you feel the difference in those two statements?

Here is another example. “I want to spend more time reading”. Good goal, but how will you or anyone else know that you have achieved this goal?” Instead you can say ” I want to have read 6 biographies by December 31, 2018.

One more example. “I want to improve my flexibility..(this goal geared to my dance followers)” alternative “I want to be able to do a certain position and hold for 1 minute by June 21, 2108.”

I hope I am being clear. Reach out if you need a little input. Happy to help.

Step Three: Let’s make a count down chart

Goal 6 biographies by December 31. 2018

Today’s date : March 1, 2018

Book 6____________ completed on

Book 5 ____________

Book 4 _____________

Book 3_____________

Book 2______________

Book 1 _____________ completed on or before 12/31/18

Example 2:

Goal: weigh 125 pounds by June 1 2018

Countdown should be current weight/date

Then as every pound comes off you write it down counting down to goal weight

Example

March 1, 2018 weigh in 140

April 15, 2018 weigh in 135

Why do I teach this countdown concept, (which by the way, many of my clients have said this was a game changer for them)

It is really simple, if we are standing at the bottom of a mountain and looking at all the steps we have to take going up, it can seem daunting, perhaps overwhelming and for some it might be the moment we decide, that mountain is not climbable, I will have to find a smaller one or give up all together. Has that ever happened to you? Now for moment picture yourself at the top of a mountain looking down, your goal is to get to the bottom, step by step, for most of us it will seem achievable.

Simple right! Here is an image to help with that little visualization.

Start at the top looking down

Step Four: Let’s chunk down this goal into the beginning actionable steps.

Ask yourself, brainstorm a bit, what do I need to do to make this goal happen?

(I am using the book example because I think it is very straightforward)

Here are some thoughts this person might have when they start thinking about the goal, the commitment to read 6 biographies I don’t really have time to read, there aren’t 6 people I want to read about, when can I actually get to a library or book store to obtain these books. Then this is what happens….they will change their goal to a smaller goal, one that most likely will not challenge them and is what we might call a “lay up”. Sound familiar? When we first think about some of our goals we get excited, then as the reality of the hard work and in many cases, the discomfort we will experience, going after this goal, sets in, some of us might back down, and lower our own expectations.

Here’s my advice pick a goal that stretches you , will make you work, get you out of your comfort zone, force you to do things differently, but make sure it is not “I want to have 180 degree split in 2 months and I can barely do a lunge right now.” Or back to the book example, I truly only have 1 hour per week to dedicate to reading, the odds are your book reading goal is not going to happen. Then again, if you are committed to that book reading, you can look at your schedule and see where can you find the time to HONOR YOUR COMMITMENT. A GOAL IS A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF!

Brainstorming for your goal, just write down all the ways to make it happen. Look over those ideas now let us put them into manageable chunks. Jack Canfield calls this chunking it down. Here’s a quote from Henry Ford:

So using the book example, once I would look over my schedule, I might start blocking off the time that I can read. Perhaps I must give up watching a favorite TV show, or stop looking at social media. That could be a mini step. How to get started on any goal is doing small doable actionable steps. The idea is if we are truly committed to our goal, the how will show up! The key is the commitment, the deadline and a plan.

To continue on this brainstorming example, it might be purchasing the books in advance, so there are no gaps in time, putting in my calendar a schedule for reading which book by when.

Simply put an outline, a plan, the steps I might need to take to get started.

I could spend a lot of time on this one topic, but this entry is meant to get you thinking and starting, if you get stuck I can help. We can spend a little time over the phone or email to get you thinking and more importantly, doing.START!!!!!

So if this book goal person was my client, I would have them create a schedule, brainstorm on the books they want to read, go buy them or take them out of library (at least the first two)

Step Five: Track and measure progress

Step Six: Find someone to be accountable to, or use your social media to be accountable. Be honest with yourself always. Go pubic it is amazing how results oriented we become when someone else is watching!

This post starts out with the question “Do you know where you are?” Knowing where we are is really the only way we can figure out where we are going. Be brutally honest with yourself. Do not let yourself off of the hook. REMEMBER IT IS OKAY WHERE YOU ARE…NO JUDGEMENT, LETS JUST GET YOU ON THE PATH TOWARDS THAT GOAL OR GOALS. I am getting excited just thinking about it, how about you?

My own personal wish is that you that you can use these steps to go after some, one or all of your goals. These are proven methodologies that are sure to make a difference. Transformation starts with that first step. Come on you can do it!

Remember >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thank you to Jack Canfield for his inspiration, his knowledge and for creating the most amazing community that has encouraged me to trust that I have much to offer.

Check out my website http://www.catalystcoachchristine.com

I have an Instagram and Facebook Page, please follow.

I think I am going to start a FB group soon. Both pages are with the same name.

I picked the word catalyst because so many people have told me I impacted them for the better and was indeed a catalyst in their lives. I would be honored if I could be even a small piece of any positive change for any of you.

WHY?

Hello there, sorry I have not entered a post since January. A quick report on my fitness progress. I am loving Orange Theory Fitness. The classes are challenging, move quickly and I feel total sense of accomplishment when the hour is done.

A secondary benefit has been that I have more conviction in my role as a coach. I say this because I know that 100% of the time had I been in these classes without the coach pushing me, I would have told myself ” you did enough for today”. Instead I take the classes and honestly push myself beyond what I thought I could do (at the encouragement of our OTF Coach) and leave it all there on the floor ( along with a lot of sweat!). How I relate this to my own coaching practice is I have been asking more of my clients, pushing them further out of their comfort zones and never letting them off the hook.

I have been listening to a lot of webinars, motivational speeches, podcasts etc, all to help myself and my clients move forward, that is after all my mantra. I came across one that I want to share with you, as it is something I have always done as both a coach and in my various sales positions. I can attribute much of my success in sales to this concept, it is what separated me from many of my peers. When I was operating from this place (which I will share with you momentarily) it was not because I thought, “this will get me the sale”. I was as they say an “unconscious competent”. What I am speaking about is helping my clients both then and now, understand either their why or why they would want to do business with me. As a coach is the foundation of my process and as a salesperson, I know no other way to work.

Have any of you all heard of Simon Sinek? He is brilliant. Lots of good stuff you can find of his on YouTube and beyond. One thing he talks about is the Golden circles. Simon says, “everyone has a why.” (I agree with this and this is a huge part of what I do with my clients, as I mentioned) When we know why we get up in the morning, why we do what we do on a daily basis, once we get in touch with that and the ability to convey it to others, there is really no stopping us. When we know our “why” it helps us to overcome obstacles, stay motivated, keep on task and even for some inspire others to take action.

Simon talks about the Golden circle. Some of his talks are longer on this, I decided to include this one because it is short and will give you the basic about this Principle of Why…click on the link.

Simon Sinek Golden Circle

During a coaching session this week I worked with a client that is hesitant to ask for referrals, (though we have proven together that for her business to change getting referrals is a must, not an option). I decided to change my strategy and asked her, tell me why anyone should do business with you? Without a moments hesitation she rattled off 5 reasons significant reasons. They were all very good, more importantly they were authentic. I pointed out to her that when she talks to me about how she interacts with either prospects or current clients, she spends a lot of time on the what and how, not so much on the “why”. On some level I think she just assumed they knew her 5 pillars, my guess for her long time clients, they do know. Going forward I asked her to make sure in all of her interactions she shares at least one of the pillars we discussed. My goal with this little strategy session was to help her on a couple of levels. My role is to guide and let my clients come to their own “aha moments”, but truthfully, sometimes I need to point out the obvious. (Lol) Most important part of this session was my client realizing what she brought to the table was very valuable and worthy of her asking for referrals. In addition she had more conviction at the end of our session. I would say we moved her forward!

So if you read this blog for personal growth, to help in your sales or any other reason. I encourage to begin to think about your own why. Your purpose, your reason for doing what you do. In business ask yourself and make a list, why do or should people work with you. If you are a leader in your organization ask yourself why your employees would do well working with you. Once we are clear on our “why”, the choices, decisions and actions we take become relevant, clear and impactful.

For my younger followers, start to think about what makes you happy, what do you do without needing any nagging from anyone. What makes you feel like “you”. Start to pay attention to those moments, Write them down, perhaps a pattern will emerge. Many of you are already clear on your why, bravo, do your best to share your why and live it as much as you can.

Check out my website for goal planning tools http://www.catalystcoachchristine.com they are free!

Focus on the vision

Hi guys, so how is everyone doing as we round out January? This month seemed very long to me. I am happy to report that I am moving forward with my coaching business, creating some good systems and almost ready to start seriously marketing myself.

My path to better health and fitness has begun; things are not happening as they did in the past. The metabolism at 53 is like a slug moving. However, I am not complaining I am simply sharing, that I am not skinny….yet. Actually skinny not really my goal, just feeling strong, fit and liking how I look and feel in clothes. In previous posts I shared what I am doing with the workouts. The food situation, well that is no exactly where it needs to be, it is getting there.

I titled this entry “focus on the vision” because, as we close in on January. Some of our “resolutions” “goals” “promises to self and others”. might be a bit more challenging to stick to than was in our original plan.

Simply put…when we are stuck or things are not working out as we had hoped or they are taking WAY TOO LONG to happen. How do we get through? What do you do? Some people give up, it is too hard, they convince themselves that is is not doable or that they really didn’t want that particular goal. Has that ever happened to you or someone you know? I am guessing that at least one point in your life you might answer yes to that question. I can sincerely say that I have fallen into that trap. In addition a big part of what I do with my clients is to get them to move though that moment when it is easier to throw in the towel vs. keep it moving. I thought I would share what I use to help.

Try these tools that have worked for my clients:

Focus on the end game. Create the picture in your mind, see it, feel it , be it, have it, what ever that goal is think about it. The vision of the victory is very powerful.
Make sure you are reading your goals 3 times a day. ( I know people say I know what my goal or goals are , I don’t need to read them) I promise you the reminder to your brain helps!
Recognize that for most worthwhile endeavors, time is what is needed. Acknowledge that no matter where you are today, you are further than you were in January. I can say this because the mere fact that you have stated goals, puts you ahead of the pack, (even if you have made zero head way).
Commit to one small action step that moves that goal forward today! Can be the smallest thing, but do it. Remember from my other blog post, “don’t think, just do”
Finally if you haven’t done so already, find an accountability person, group, coach. Someone that you tell what you are doing and why. If you don’t know your why, ask yourself what achieving the goal(s) you wanted will do for your life.