Are You Passing Judgement on Your Clients?

 

P.S.

Small Acts = Big Impact

The sweetest thing just happened to me.

I am sitting on the couch, working away on my laptop and suddenly “Little Miss” announces “Mama, close your eyes, I have a surprise for you”.

Now, bed time was half an hour ago, “Little Man” is already asleep and I am trying to not be grumpy at “Little Miss’” attempts at avoiding bed.  “Ok, my eyes are closed”, I reply.  She scampers in, leaves something on my lap and scampers out.  I open my eyes to find a torn out sheet from a composition notebook.

A simple love poem, written from the heart of a little girl – what a truly beautiful token of affection.

This small act made me think about how we can be more giving and thoughtful in our everyday life.  Last week I had a special opportunity to make a huge impact with a small act.  A group of us ladies pitched in to purchase a much needed item for a friend.  This gift will be a blessing to her.

What are you doing that has big impact?  Are there any small acts you can incorporate into your routines?  Here are a few that I enjoy…

Love notes in lunch boxes – every so often I send a napkin with a note in my daughter’s lunch box.  She thinks it is so much fun to find a special message from me every once in a while.

Flowers just because – I love flowers and I enjoy gardening.  Every summer I grow quite an array of blooms.  Instead of keeping all the beauty for myself I share.  Last year, while my Iris beds were in full bloom, I cut buckets full and delivered to teachers, family and friends.  It was a small act on my part but brought many smiles.

A word of gratitude – Every so often I will send an email or text message to a friend or family member thanking them for all they do to make my life a better place, a little easier and a lot happier.  Just a few words sent off allows your inner circle to know they are appreciated.  Couldn’t we all use a little more appreciation here and there?

Make yourself a cup of tea – Don’t forget to give a little love to yourself.  Every evening I make myself a big cup of my favorite tea to enjoy after the kids are in bed.  This ritual allows me to take a moment, breathe deeply, and relax.

Looking for more ideas on enjoy your days more?  Shoot me an email at Kate@askcoachkate.com and we will get your started.

Oh, and if you are in New England, be sure to check out the Women In Business Summit on March 26^, 2011.  I am joining an amazing line up of presenters and would love to have you join us.

Midnight Musings on Love…

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

 1 Corinthians 13:4 (New International Version, ©2010)

I have carried this verse in my heart for a long time, for most of my life.   There is a quiet truth that rings from it and when you sit quietly and think about what love  – pure love – is, you can hear it. 

I struggled with knowing this pur love most of my life as do many people.  I knew it was out there but could not quite capture it.  

Pure love is not to be captured.  Pure love flows from within and swells outward. 

Following my divorce, I wondered what was wrong with me that I could not find a healthy, pure love.  So I started from scratch.  I went back to the begining of where all love starts from.  I started at the most essential love – God!  I have not doubted God’s love for me since I was a young teen and I had a quiet knowing that this part of my journey was needed to fully know pure love.

So I prayed…I prayed to know God’s will for my life, I prayed to provided for my children, and I prayed for my heart to heal.  I did not pray to find a man, to feel better through the outward affection of another.  I did not seek refuge in this world – in alcohol, sex, drugs, shopping or any number of options to hide from the pain.  Instead, I opened my mangled heart to God’s will and by doing so found healing.

Through healing, my heart found forgiveness for myself and others.  Forgiveness for this mother’s broken heart that her children would not have the “family” I thought I had created.  

Forgiveness came in unexpected waves for wrongs done decades before and  another part of my heart opened up.   I could now embrace the love my family surrounded me with.

Bit by bit, my heart healed.  I found self love.  Gentle, kind and caring love for myself.  My expectations of how I am treated have risen.  There is no room for unacceptable behavior here.  I finally hold others to the high expectations I have always held myself to.  My life is full of caring friends and family. 

My children know love, safety, gentle kisses and warm hugs.  Love flows from my heart at the mere thought of them. 

And when I am tired and weary, I remember to love my children as God loves me because …

Love is patient, Love is kind.

 

“Magic Bullet” To Achieve Goals

What if I could share with you one piece of advice to achieve all your goals and make the changes in your life you desire?  What would that one tidbit of information be?  What is the “magic bullet” that would allow you to make all your life goals come to fruition?

As you know, I don’t believe in “magic bullet” solutions but this piece of advice is the closest you’ll get from hearing me tout one. 

Consistent action!  Consistent action that brings you closer to your desired outcome is the most powerful thing you can to make life or career changes. 

Inconsistent action is one of the main reasons why we do not achieve our goals.  We start, we get distracted, we stop.  How can you move forward if you are always falling back?

“Well, if I were able to be consistent, I wouldn’t be reading your column!” I hear you say.

An important thing to realize is the people who are consistent in making positive change and achieving goals are probably receiving support from a coach, mentor or other source. 

Here are some ways to help yourself be more consistent in making positive change and achieving your goals.

First, decide on a reasonable goal.  Reasonable does not mean easy just that with the right support and consistent action it is possible to achieve.  This goal should include several milestone mini-goals. 

Secondly, discover your WHY.  Why do you want to achieve this goal?  What makes it relevant to YOU?  Why is your happiness in life impacted by having or not having this accomplishment?  Be brutally honest here so you can understand what motivates you as well as what throws you off track.

Next, create a definite time line for your goal.  The timeline should include specific dates for milestones that allow you to celebrate your achievements while providing more manageable mini-goals to focus on.

Then, create an action plan to achieve each milestone.  The action plan will be what you do on a day to day or week to week basis.  Some people need strict structure with dates and times of when they will work on their goal tasks while others need more fluidity, else they feel restricted and defiant.  Make your action plan to best suit YOU and how you are most motivated and productive in a task.

Finally, if you find you are not sticking to your plan, ask for help.  Working with a coach or mentor is a great way to get the support you need while working to make some changes and achieve a goal.  And learning to ask for help when needed is a key ingredient to a successful life in all areas.  

Finding ways to be consistent with your positive change is the key to achieving your bigger goals.  If weight loss or a healthier lifestyle is on your 2011 resolution list but you can’t seem to get yourself to the gym you may need the accountability a trainer or workout buddy provides.

If you would like more info or need some support in planning and achieving your 2011 goals, sign up for a free consultation here or email Kate@askcoachkate.com

Snow Days vs. Work Days

Old Man Winter is at it again here in New England as we prepare for another 7″ -12″ of snow tonight after just coming out of first deep freeze of the season with sub-zero temps.

Of course all this snow means lots of snow days!

School has already been called for tomorrow and Friday was a scheduled training day for the teachers. Including this week – the kids will have been home 6 days in the past 3 weeks!

Now that can put a wrench in your work plans!

Many of you are finding yourselves dealing with snow days and keeping kids busy while getting some work accomplished so I thought I would share some tips on how to help yourself .

First, be realistic about when the kids will be home and how much you can expect to accomplish with them house bound.  It is probably not a great idea to plan a new project or schedule a full day of client sessions when the forcast calls for a foot of snow. 

Secondly, figure out what you can accomplish with the kids help.  You may be surprised at how much can get done by including the kids.  Don’t forget the power of a paycheck either… your children may become very motivated to assist you if there is a monetary reward attached to the job. 

Third, work side by side.  This may be you working on your schedule book or planning out your business events for the year while your children are coloring or building with legos at the kitchen table. 

Finally, make the kids your business partners.  If you have client calls or work that requires your full attention and a quite space while the kids are home, you can explain to the kids that you need this window of time for work.  Of course if you have very young children your quiet time is restricted to nap time.

Explain that you need their help to get this work done – you need them to be quiet and to not inturrupt you.  And because you appreciate their good behaviour you will spend time prior to the work time focused on getting them set up with a quiet activity and will spend quality time with them following your work time focused on them.  This can be you setting them up with an independent craft project then playing a board game, cooking/baking together or spending some girl time doing nails or hair just for fun. 

The most important thing to remember is that you can make both your business and your family cohabitate with a little give and take and a bit of thoughtful planning. 

If you would like more information on working your business while being available to your family email Kate@askcoachkate.com or click here to sign up for your free 30 minute consulation.

Will You Follow Through?

January is a month full of resolutions, good intentions and falling off whatever wagon you happened to have hopped on.

We all have our goals for the year laid before us so why is it that so many of us won’t follow through? Well, I think this is due to several factors, a few being;

- A lack of planning
- Unrealistic goals
- Inconsistent action

Let’s look at a lack of planning first. Most people say “I want to do xyz by the end of this year” and think that is all they need to do to achieve the goal. They think having the desire is enough to make it happen. Well, sorry to break it to you but desire to change/achieve is not enough on its own. You also need a solid action plan if you are serious about making some lasting changes.

It’s not too late – you can create your plan NOW and achieve your goals for 2011!

So how can a plan help you stick to your resolutions and achieve your goals? Here is a very simplified way of working out a plan.

First, decide what you want to achieve. Be very specific and include as many details as possible. The more clarity you have about your goal the easier it will to achieve it because you will have thought through what you truly want.

Second, determine the steps you need to take to make your resolution a reality and how long each step should take. Every finish line was crossed by putting one foot in front of the other over and over again so take the time and figure out what your steps to success are. If you are not sure, ask someone who knows.

Now you have all the pieces needed to create your plan so take a note book and sketch out your plan.

Next, decide when you will start (today, next week, and next month). Today is always a good choice since you’ve already started by working out the plan. Keep the momentum going! Then count out how long the first step will take you and determine your first milestone deadline. Do the same for each step needed to complete your goal.

Now you are ready to fill in your weekly to do list that will get you to your milestones. What do you need to do each day/week/month to get to each milestone and to your ultimate end goal? How long will each task take you? When do you plan on completing those tasks? Now write it in your planner or calendar.

I suggest once you have a rough sketch of dates, milestones and weekly tasks that you sit down with your daily planner or calendar program to schedule in these items to your work week. Commit the time needed to make your resolution a reality!

If you need help making your 2011 plan or need some support along the way, email Kate@askcoachkate.com and we will get you on your way to success!

Work/Life Balance Lessons for 2011

Guest Post by Allyson Piper of Marketing in Bloom

Does work/life balance really exist? I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately. Last summer I celebrated my third year as a small business owner. It was exciting and exhausting at the same time. Keeping up with the pace of a growing and changing business is difficult. Add to that the demands of running a household and family obligations and you are left with very little time to have a life, let alone stop and breathe.

I’ve worked as a solo-preneur where I did everything myself and grown my business to a team of two full-time (myself and my husband) with support from part-time virtual team members across the country. But somehow instead of slowing down, even with this extra help my life seems more hectic now than it was before. Go figure!

I keep coming back to the question about work/life balance because I know I cannot continue this way. Not only am I not taking care of myself, but I’m also not serving my clients well if I’m tired and stressed out all the time.

The key – it is all about creating boundaries. In fact, a very wise woman recently said to me “the balance is in the boundaries.”

But how do you create boundaries when your life is ruled by your business? Here are the 5 simple steps I use.

#1 Figure out where your time is going so you can make a positive change. Simply track how many hours each day you’re working and how many hours each day you’re spending on fun, friends, family and yourself. Note: if you’re cleaning the kitchen or picking kids up from school, that’s a third category. Somewhere between work and pleasure. Track that information too.

#2 Assess your happiness and that of the people around you. Realistically, take a good look inside. How are you feeling about your business and personal life? Are you happy? Satisfied? Fulfilled? Now, take a look at your friends and family. Do they feel they’re getting enough of your attention and time? Do they make comments about the fact that you’re always working? Do they seem to resent the time you spend on your business? If so, chances are there’s an imbalance here.

Now that you have both the data and your and your family’s emotions recorded, it’s much easier to see where you can make changes. You can see where you’re spending more of your time and you can see how it’s affecting you and your friends and family. Now comes the tough part – making changes and sticking to them.

#3 Create a vision for your ideal life and figure out what is most important to you. You could create a vision board or write a story about your ideal life. I thought long and hard about what I wanted and I created a mind movie. Now, I watch my mind movie on a regular basis to remind me of my priorities.

I found Kate Power’s information about core values incredibly helpful while creating my mind movie. That’s why I invited her to join me as a speaker during the Your Brand in Bloom Telesummit January 3-7, 2011. If you’re ready to stretch yourself, I hope you register for this FREE virtual event and learn as much as you can from the 11 fabulous speakers on how to create the life you want, the business that supports it and thrive.

#4 Translate your vision into a realistic schedule. Put it on your calendar and stick to it. One of my biggest issues has been working late at night. To combat this, I’ve recently set an alarm on my phone for 7pm each workday to remind me to get out of the office. You can also create lists, prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important, high impact activity first.

#5 Finally, learn to let go. It takes practice but it is possible to focus on what you’re doing right now and to let go of the fear, guilt and stress related to what you think you should be doing. Once you can accomplish that, you’re better able to produce and to enjoy the moment. When you’re with your family, be with them. Don’t think about what you should be doing for your business and vice versa.

You control your life. You’ve created a fantastic business and you deserve the best of both worlds. You can have it. It takes a plan, commitment and an honest look at reality. If you’re living an unbalanced life, make changes. Live the life you want. It’s all in your control.

The New Year does afford a perfect opportunity to start fresh. With that in mind, remember I will be hosting a special Free weeklong telesummit called Your Brand in Bloom January 3-7, 2011 and you’re invited to attend.

About Allyson PiperAlly works with small business owners and mangers to turn napkin notes into marketing plans and bring big picture marketing into focus with achievable steps and results. Learn more about how to take charge of your marketing and grow your business at http://www.marketinginbloom.com.

Resolutions – Will You Keep Yours?

Happy New Year! And with the new year comes time to make our resolutions, to think of the things we would like to change about ourselves and our lives. Resolutions are just another name for goals. I understand the power of setting goals and planning in my life and in my business.

This year, I must admit, I am very excited about my goals both personally and business. I am starting the year off full of excitement and anticipiation of what is to come. It is going to be an great year full of opportunity, fun and making things happen.

So how can you do the same? Well here are some tips on how to get started!
First, where do you want to be by the end of the year? Is this goal realistic? It is important for your goals to be a stretch but not so unrealistic that your mind can not believe it is achievable. If you’re not sure if it realistic, use the following planning tips to see if you can make it happen. If not, you may need to reassess.

Second, what steps do you need to take to make that goal a reality? Write down all the things that will need to happen to get you where you want to be by year’s end. Not sure what all the steps are? Well, this is where a coach comes it to give you the support you need to get where you want to be.

Third, understand your strengths and weaknesses! In understanding your weaknesses, you are giving yourself the opportunity to get the support you need to move beyond it. And by knowing your strengths, you can focus more on what you excel at and less on what you struggle with.

Finally, start scheduling your steps onto a calendar so you have clear picture of what your calendar looks like for the year. This will give you the ability to see what you need to do and when. Whether your goals are financial, weightloss, work related or creating balance, these steps will get you started.

Need a bit more support in commiting to your resolutions? Email Kate@askcoachkate.com and get started today to make 2011 your BEST year yet!

Your Brand In Bloom Telesummit

I am participating in the Your Brand In Bloom Telesummit which runs from January 3-7, 2011. There is a great line-up of presenters scheduled for the 5 day event and topics range from marketing to life balance.

The is a FREE event and by signing up you will have access to join any of the calls live!

I will be presenting information about Creating Life Balance as a Small Business Owner on Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 7:00 PM EST. You can register by clicking here!

Here is the full line up for this event!

Event Schedule
Please note all call times are EST.

Attendees can access recordings for 24 hours following the call.

Monday, January 3 at 4 pm Allyson Piper of Marketing in Bloom
Big Vision: Set Your Direction and Goals

Tuesday, January 4 at 1 pm Nora Richardson of Spot-On Branding
Branding 101

Tuesday, January 4 at 4 pm Michelle Salater of Sumèr
The Power of Your Brand Story: 5 Tips to Create Content That Sells

Tuesday, January 4 at 7 pm Kate Harrington of Return to Happy
Creating Abundance: The Essential First Step That Has Nothing To Do With Business

Wednesday, January 5 at 4 pm Lee Heyward of Charleston Style Concierge
Create a Business Image that Turns Heads and Profits

Wednesday, January 5 at 7 pm Janet Savage of HandTales
What are your favorites “Yes-Buts”? Making peace with your resistance on the path to success.

Thursday, January 6 at 1 pm Tiffany Jackson, ND of EcoHealth & Wellness
Nutrition & Wellness for Women Small Business Owners

Thursday, January 6 at 4 pm Sarah Hays of YuDu Concierge
Delegation: The Key to Entrepreneur Life Balance

Thursday, January 6 at 7 pm Kate Powers of Ask Coach Kate
How To Create Life Balance As A Small Business Owner

Friday, January 7 at 2 pm Allyson Piper of Marketing in Bloom
Pulling it All Together: 5 Steps to Build the Marketing Plan to Get You Noticed

I would love for you to join me for this free event! Click here for more info and to register!

On The Twelth Day Of Christmas…

On the twelth day of Christmas, Coach Kate said to me…

Cherish each crazy moment on this special day, remembering the true reason for the season is love and giving.

Merry Christmas

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