LOOKING AHEAD

For Christmas I received two prints for my office wall – one from each of my daughters. One says, “Keep Calm and Carry On” and the other one, “Live What You Love”. They are both red! I love red – I think it’s my favourite colour – it’s so vibrant and full of energy and life!
A friend came for lunch last Friday and gave me two little books and a Jim Rohn sampler CD. I couldn’t have been more excited! The books are: SUCCESS – Quotes for Achievers and The Treasury of Quotes, both by Jim Rohn. When I told her that I heard Jim Rohn speak in person, she couldn’t believe it! She is an obvious fan of his. (http://www.jimrohn.com/)

It didn’t take me long to read through the booklets – so motivational.

On one of the pages, this quote caught my attention:
With the beginning of a new year, it’s a good time to really think about that quote. Am I going to leave my future in someone else’s hands, or am I going to make plans for a future that I want?

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.

We’ve all heard this proverb:

Some people make things happen, some watch things happen, while others wonder what has happened.

What are your goals for 2011? What do you want to celebrate at the end of this year?

I have a list of questions which will help me reflect on 2010, and think about the year ahead. I received them from another coach and am looking forward to taking some time today to reflect, set goals and plan for my future. If you email me (bettygood@shaw.ca) I’ll send you a copy. (I couldn’t figure out a way to attach them to my blog post.)

I wish for you a wonderful and happy New Year!

Please feel free to share your goals and reflections with me and others by leaving a comment.


What are my goals for 2011? What do I want to celebrate at the end of this year?

LIVING THE DREAM

Last Tuesday morning I woke up to - 29 degrees in Calgary and reports of icy roads, traffic jams, transit problems, and wind chill temperatures of -35. I got up, showered, poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down on my couch. The nicest thing about the morning was that I did not have to go out that day. I live on the 14th floor and the view from my couch is the skyline of Calgary. My condo was toasty warm, and as I sat looking out the window, I felt very peaceful. I was thankful that I didn’t have to go out into the cold. Why didn't I have to go out?  ...because I was working from home that day!
Reflecting on my life that morning, I realized that I am living my dream! I have my own business, am my own boss, can schedule my own appointments AND I do not have someone else controlling my life. It was an 'aha' moment. When you have your own business, it doesn't always feel like a dream when you’re having to put in some 20 hour days and have deadlines to meet. But times like Tuesday morning when I could take time to relax with a cup of coffee, watch the Calgary winter from my cozy living room, listen to reports of the cold temperatures and numerous car crashes, it definitely felt like a dream.

Dreams don’t come easy – they’re hard work, but they are definitely worth it!

What is YOUR dream? What choices are you making today to move you toward that dream? Please leave a comment and share your dream - and tell us one small step you're going to take to help you realize it.

Betty
http://www.bettygood.ca/

LIVING YOUR POTENTIAL

How often do others think we should do something, but for whatever reason, we don’t do it? We might think it’s a good idea, but either don’t have the desire or the confidence!

Lately I’ve been thinking about people in general, and some specifically – how most people do not live up to their potential! There are so many things standing in their way! Can you imagine what this world would be like if everyone lived to their potential, followed their dreams and passions, and lived a full life? Wow – I don’t think I can even imagine what that would be like!!!

I can hardly imagine what MY life would have been like if I had done that. I have had so many dreams and wishes in my life – gone unfulfilled. And here I am, I the last half of my life, finally following my dream! ...finally having the confidence to believe in myself! Even yet, I sometimes get tired and wish I didn’t have to work so hard! Reaching your dreams is actually hard work – maybe that’s one reason more people don’t do it. hmmm...

I wonder what other reasons people have for not following their dreams or living to their potential. I had a client who told me that he has done a lot of things, but he really wanted to be ‘an expert’ at something. He felt like he never lived up to his potential. He said when things got hard, he’d quit. That sounds like me in the past too! I wonder why? Why do we quit so easily?

We actually do have many opportunities and options. Why do so many of us settle for something that is less than satisfying? Are we so content with our lives to the point that we don’t dream anymore? Maybe we’re lazy! I doubt that! Are we just not motivated? I don’t think that’s true either. When someone is following their heart or dream, they get really motivated. Motivation creates energy – so we wouldn’t be lazy.

So – what’s the reason? Is it lack of self-confidence? Is it lack of belief in oneself? I think maybe that is what it was for me. I remember a school principal I taught for who had a lot of confidence in me. Because I didn’t really believe that I was capable of what he thought I could do, I didn’t pursue his suggestions or take advantage of those opportunities. What a waste! How many wasted opportunities have we experienced?

I feel like I’ve rambled – I let you into my mind and my thoughts. Truly – what is the reason more people don’t follow their dreams, don’t live their passion? Why are people content with a mediocre lifestyle when life has so much more to offer? Why?

COURAGE

Admirable! Courageous!


Teaching English to immigrant women in Calgary really helps me to appreciate life here. They come to Calgary from all parts of the world. Many of them come because their husbands have jobs here. Some come as single moms. Some come on their own. Their reason for moving to Canada – to improve their own lives and provide a better life for their families.

When I ask them why they’re here, I often see pain in their eyes. One young woman once answered, “I don’t like that question.” I fought back tears as I realized the emotional pain I’d caused.

I admire these women – many of them with young children and pregnant. Life here is not easy! The first thing they do is enrol in English classes as they adjust to a foreign land.

They’re willing to go through this difficult period in hopes of a better future! WOW! They put me to shame. I’d often thought I wanted to create a better future for myself, but was too lazy or scared to leave my ‘comfort zone’! Most of these women’s ‘comfort zones’ were more uncomfortable and more painful than leaving – more painful than changing! I can only imagine!

Think of the courage it would take to make the changes and face the challenges to create a better future.

What can I learn from them?

• That Canada is a great country

• That Canadians are friendly and helpful

• That the air here is fresh

• That this is a great country with opportunities

• No matter how negative and pessimistic some people are about this country and its government, I really cannot think of another place I’d rather live.

• That nothing is impossible

• If I want a better future, it’s up to me. I just have to go for it!

Your turn – what can you learn from people in your life who’ve had the courage to face huge risks to create a better future for themselves?

Let’s make a list of the things we’ve all learned – leave a comment, please. And read others’ comments.

TENACITY

What a great word – tenacity!

A looooong time ago, a principal I worked for (I used to teach school) told me that he liked my tenacity. At that time, I hadn’t heard the word and had no idea what it meant. I smiled, thanked him, and found a dictionary.

Tenacity – the quality of being tenacious. Tenacious: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.

Having tenacity means having persistence and determination.

Why is tenacity a good thing? It keeps you going when the going gets tough! I prefer to think of it as ‘stick-to-itiveness’.

Last week I heard a speaker talking about tenacity. Donna Dahl told the story about Hurry Hare and Tenacity Turtle. We’ve all heard the story. She was speaking to women business owners. What I appreciated about her perspective was that we don’t have to be winners. We just have to finish. We don’t have to be in a hurry – we simply have to keep moving forward.

I recently read that people don’t fail, they just give up trying. Tenacity Turtle did not give up trying. He kept on going.

This seems like a simple concept – and it is. But for most of us, it is easy to give up. Just ask me – I’ve done it many times! Even though I’m a tenacious person, I’ve given up too often.

As most of you know, I returned to school two years ago, took coach training, and started my own Life Coach business. It’s been part-time, one little step at a time. After hearing Donna Dahl talk about tenacity last week, I am more determined than ever to keep on going and get my business to the level I want it to be. In the past, I would have given up by now, because giving up is easy.

Robert Schuller says “Almost anything can be accomplished by the person who really wants to succeed.”

So – here I am – a person with tenacity who really wants to succeed. This time, I don’t want to give up trying. I am not going to give up on my dream. I’m going to be tenacious!

How about you – do you have a dream or an idea? Have you given up trying? You haven’t failed! You can do it. You just have to be persistent and determined. You have to be tenacious! It’s hard – but not impossible. I’ll even help you – that is what Life Coaches do. We follow our dreams and want to help others follow their dreams! Go for it – you can do it – follow your dream. Have tenacity!

Please leave a comment – share your dream and how you are going to be tenacious. Once you get it out there, you’ll be even more determined.

FEEL MORE IN CONTROL

Many people have no idea how they can benefit from having a Life Coach. It is a rather new profession and for many, it's unfamiliar territory. Here is an e-mail I received from a client after a few months of coaching sessions. She had given me permission to use it here, hoping you will be inspired by it! Please leave a comment after you've read it - she'd appreciate that.

Dear Betty,
In coaching you taught me about ways to keep a dream active and alive, such as making a dream board and keeping it visible. Also, by learning how to turn the dream into a goal, plus already seeing the progress, it is inspiring enough to keep the motivation in forward gear.

Putting a time-line in motion is liberating.

Through this process, my  husband, too, is learning and we both have been able to appreciate and be more at peace with our lives. Before the dream taking on a life of its own, daily life seemed to be in a whirl-wind of confusing limbo. In other words...out of control. I guess what I am saying is that after all of the coaching I've had with you, I finally realized that being more in control is not at all a life of being bound and restrictive. I now see that taking charge and being more in control is actually giving me a more liberated feeling. I know, at first it seems a contradiction in terms, but it is really quite the opposite, as I've just recently learned. Planning and order result in a life of freedom for the soul because of the peaceful feeling it evokes, not to mention a clearer picture or path. A clearer path in life is so much more relaxed. A crowded and windy path has all sorts of unforeseen twists and turns which don't provide enough time to adjust before the next jog in the road. Relaxing on a windy path is the last thing on one's mind, or in one's life, when each new jog creates nervous anticipation.

The life of a free-spirit is not at all about complacency as I thought.
I've learned my anxiety has come from too many unknowns....not having enough control.
I've learned a better balance in life.
I've learned how to recognize and implement the balancing tools of life.
I've learned how to find and use my own skills and tools......that were right there all along ....almost obvious.....but somehow obscured.

I feel that the job of a Life Coach is to hand out the right key to unlock each new door of peace/freedom/potential/life. Betty, as I write this from the heart, I have realized just how much I have learned and just how far I have come.

Looking back to the beginning and reviewing where I was, is even more motivating. Your life coaching sessions have taught me the tools necessary to balance life, goals and dreams. Teaching me how to begin working on the path towards our 'boat-life' was the catalyst point for developing skills in many other areas of my life. It is definitely about balance...for one thing affects another.....and another...and another....that’s for certain, which makes that another benefit of having a Life Coach. I've learned to appreciate even more, the 'simple pleasures' in life because they are part of the scenery along that nice clear path. The 'simple pleasures' aren't lost among the overgrowth or hairpin turns.

Thank-you Betty....truly....life-coach/friend....such a blessing....

Roni

I Have a Plan!

At the end of every coaching session I ask the client what value they created for themselves. Do you know what the most common answer is? "Now I have a plan." "Now I know what to do first."

We all know the saying "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Have you ever thought of how true that is? Just take a minute to think about it. In order to achieve your goals, you need a plan. When you go on a trip, you have a plan of how to get to your destination. But how many of us actually go through life without a plan?

Think about your dreams and aspirations. How many of them have you accomplished? We don't accomplish them because we don't have a plan to do so. When we are faced with a problem, how do we solve the problem? Without a plan to actually solve it, we just focus on the problem. We have to focus on the solution and in order to do that, it involves making a plan.

Here's an action step for you for today or this week. Think about a challenge you're facing or a dream or project you'd like to pursue. Don't focus on the issue itself, but start thinking of a way to meet the challenge and solve the problem. Decide what you're going to do first! A journey begins with the first step. Even if you aren't sure what the second step will be, you can still start with the first one. Go for it!

If your challenge or goal is huge, you might need some help sorting out your thoughts. Talking to a friend might help. You may even need a coach - if that's the case, let me know :)

Please leave a comment and let us know how making a plan is helping you.

Vision versus Fear

Vision trumps fear. That's what I read on a Facebook status this morning. The person who posted it was my instructor when I took coach training. She was partly responsible for helping me to understand how important it is to understand why we do something. The Bible says that without vision, people perish. I think I finally understand that.

We need to have a purpose in this life. We all know that material things do not satisfy. But many are still collecting 'things', looking for fulfillment. It just doesn't cut it.

When we have a purpose - a vision - bigger than ourselves, it takes the focus off what we want and what will make us happy and redirects it to others. A great example of this is Mother Theresa. Did she ever think of herself? Imagine her vision.

Anyone who is truly fulfilled in his/her life has a vision. When you have a vision, it's important to know why that vision is important. What value is there in following your vision? When you know that, it will keep you focused and grounded. When you have moments of doubt, remembering why you are following your vision gets you back on track.

What is YOUR vision? Sharing your vision will inspire and encourage others.