Welcome to the second half of 2010. How are you doing with those changes you wanted to make in 2010? Are you on track?

Or have you forgotten some of those dreams?

Or decided it was all just too hard to figure out?

Or is there a small voice in your head telling you it’s just too scary to do something you’ve never done before?

YET … maybe … sometimes you wonder about “what if ..”

Here is a technique to play with to look at your career and your life, and to set some goals to get what you want by New Year’s 2011 and beyond!

1. With paper and pencil look back over the last six months and ask yourself these questions:
   1. What happened that I never want to happen again?
   2. What did I learn from those happenings that can support me in making different decisions in the future?
   3. What did I enjoy about my life?
   4. What were my major accomplishments?
   5. For whom and what am I grateful?
   6. What can I appreciate about myself?
2. Print out the Life Balance Wheel below and plot your current level of fulfillment and happiness (however you define it in each area of your life. The center point represents “0″, that you are not satisfied at all. The outer point represents “10″ which means you couldn’t be happier, more pleased or fulfilled. If there is a particular characteristic that is not important to you, go ahead and plot the point at “10″. After plotting all the points, draw a line to connect them.

   By connecting the dots, you now have a visual representation of what your life looks like. If you life is in balance, the dots will form a circle indicating a smooth ride through life. Take a look at your diagram and see what shape you made when you connected the dots. Do you have a smooth ride, or are there potholes and bumps in some areas? Whatever it looks like, please remember to be kind to yourself and do not judge it or yourself. It isn’t good or bad – it just “is what it is”. By gently accepting where you are in your life, you now have the opportunity to make some changes!

3. Notice which aspects of your life have the biggest gaps between where you are and where you want to be. Choose to focus on up to three of those aspects and make a heartfelt commitment to do what it takes to create what you want.

4. Focus on each aspect one at a time and ask yourself:
   1. What do I want this area of my life to look like?
   2. What would have to be different in this area for me to create the happiness I am looking for?
   3. What stands in the way of my getting what I want? (a situation, another person, myself, etc.)
      
   4. If I had magical powers and could transform this area overnight this is what I would see …
5. After you have identified what you want, set a goal to create it. And remind yourself how you will feel when you begin moving toward achieving this goal.
6. Begin taking small steps toward your goal. Appreciate yourself all along the path, have fun and celebrate each step of your progress. By taking these steps you are on your way to creating the career and life you would most like to have.

I’m celebrating and doing a happy dance for the Dynamic Powerful Creative You!

How can I love? How can I serve? How can I take excellent care of myself?

I have been spending time trying to perfect my “message” and small business “brand” about meaningful careers, work-life balance and the mind-body connection. Quotes floated through my brain such as Dr. Wayne Dyer’s

“Don’t die with your music still inside you. Listen to your intuitive
inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul.”

But I let time pass while I tried to get my message “perfect”

Friday afternoon my husband went outside to do some yard work. After about an hour of pulling kudzu vines, he came in and said he wasn’t feeling well. A couple of minutes later, from the other room, he said he thought he was having a heart attack and I should call 911. “NO” he didn’t have chest pains, but he didn’t feel well. Since we live about ¼ mile from the hospital, and I try to be cognizant of healthcare costs, I suggested that I drive him there.

When he couldn’t rise from his chair, I realized this was REAL, and called the paramedics. He didn’t have chest pains, but was feeling nauseous and weak. The paramedics connected him to monitoring equipment. Hubby said he was feeling a bit better and didn’t think he needed to go to the ER. After some mumbling between the paramedics while they viewed the screen of the monitor, they very calmly said “Ready to go to the Emergency Room?” Hubby responded “Well, if that’s what you suggest”. They responded “Not sure but we think you are having a heart attack”.

They told me to stay calm, and drive slowly. I still arrived before the ambulance. After a few minutes a nice lady escorted me into a lovely room, with beautifully polished floors (I was thinking about how my husband planned to sand and re-finish ours that weekend). She told me not to worry. I wasn’t.

A couple of minutes later the ER doctor came in, blurted a lot of words very quickly. I could pick out “Cardiac Cath Lab” and “heart attack” and “stent, maybe bypass surgery”. “WHOA” I told him. “I don’t speak this language. You have got to break this down to me slower.” He paused and asked “Don’t you watch TV?”. “NO!” I said (but failed to add that I do enjoy American Idol from time to time).

He very kindly explained that my husband was having a heart attack, and explained what would happen next. Within one hour and 45 minutes after I dialed 911, my husband was resting comfortably in the critical care unit after having a heart attack and a stent inserted. Doctors said that the heart is strong, and there was minimal damage.

Later that evening the paramedics came into his room, to check on him. One paramedic told me that they actually SAW the heart attack occur when he was being monitored in our home. That explains why hubby said he didn’t have chest pains until he was in the ER.

So there Mr. ER Doctor. If I did related this all to TV, I wouldn’t have called 911 until I saw him falling back, clutching his chest like Fred Sanford, and shouting “Elizabeth, it’s the big one” (then I would have still wasted precious time asking questions about who was Elizabeth).

So here are a few things I’d like to share:

1. Maybe it’s not a bad thing that I haven’t watched much television since the 70′s (ok, except for American Idol). Heart attacks don’t always cause chest pain. As a matter of fact, because we called the paramedics early, he was in great hands when the actual heart attack occurred.
2. The next time someone tells me to call “911″, I will call the first time they ask.
3. Although I have many opinions about how to reform healthcare, Cabarrus County EMS, Carolinas Medical Center Northeast, the Emergency Room/Chest Pain Center, and the Heart Group of the Carolinas appear to be able to handle things quite well without my help.

I don’t plan to spend more time discussing my husband and his rehabilitation. But while wrestled with using the “perfect” words to share my message about “meaningful careers” and “work-life balance”, I faced some real life “meaningful” questions about my own “work-life balance”.

Did you know that “High blood pressure continues to be the most prevalent chronic condition in the United States, with 30.6% of adults reporting having been diagnosed with it in 2009, up 1.2 points from 2008.” (Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index March 30, 2010)

People who are uninsured or have concerns about the cost of medical care are more likely to postpone seeking emergency care for a heart attack. A study, reported in the April 14, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that, even among people with private health insurance, money worries are associated with delays in getting to the hospital for treatment.

The article continues “National health-reform legislation will expand access to coverage, experts say, but it’s no panacea for Americans’ concerns about paying their share of the health-care tab, including deductibles and co-insurance for hospital admissions. ”

Sure I am a career coach, but I also want to help you look at and balance all areas of your life. Most of us are relatively competent in the work that we do. But here are a few questions to consider:

1. Are you taking responsibility for choices you make in your career and life and being alert to opportunities around you?
2. Are you engaged and believing and trusting in a future filled with unlimited possibilities yet to be created?
3. Do you have clarity about your purpose and values that resonates with what’s really important to you?

Now excuse me while I watch American Idol

“Don’t die with your music still inside you.”

Let me begin with the end, and share my higher learning first:

1. I don’t need (or want to THINK I need) any more “stuff” to enhance my life.
2. Focusing on fluctuating household income distracts me from listening to my intuition and doing authentic and inspired work.
3. I care less about new technology and more about connecting with genuine, creative, like-minded people who enjoy exploring the opportunity in any challenge.

Before you think I am way enlightened, let me share where I started and began contracting:

1. I don’t want to talk about anything unless it doesn’t cost me one more penny.
2. When are we going to re-assess the household expenses I assumed during the time that my income grew more than my husband’s.
3. Since my husband transitioned twice last year from salary + expenses + benefits to 100% commission with no expenses paid and no benefits, I decided it was better for my mental health to remember the Serenity Prayer, and have the wisdom to know what was and was not in my control. This detachment, taken to the extreme, now has me unclear about some of the finer details of my husband’s present career adventure.

So my husband’s simple comment about new technology triggered in me a cascade of repressed fears about financial security and a subsequent knot in my stomach. As a recovering pessimist (emphasis on the recovering) I decided to step back, breath and journal. I realized I hadn’t been honoring myself and my message to others – that while being overly focused on work issues or things you need to FIX, you may lose sight of the power and beauty of the panoramic view.

So my thought for the day (and to share with you) is that while focusing on one area of your life that may be demanding more of your attention, don’t forget to step back and check in and assess how this all fits with YOU and the life you want to create. And if it feels overwhelming to figure this out on your own, you might want to consider exploring possibilities and a new plan of action with a coach. My coach and mastermind group keep me grounded and hold that larger vision for me when I lose mine.

Now excuse me while I go apologize to my husband.

Don’t you love when something challenges you to see things in a new way!

When was the last time you challenged your point of view or asked yourself a new question? For example, instead of asking why won’t that employer call me back, ask yourself who would I “BE” if I worked for that targeted employer.  How would I feel if I worked there?  Take time to quiet your mind and see if there is something else in your life that is whispering to be acknowledged.    Have a great week!

62 Ways to Brighten the New Year

I know many of us have new ideas and plans for 2010, but I always appreciate reading Robin Sharma’s suggestions about living a “successful” life, and thought I’d pass them along.

What are my favorites? Well, let’s see…#3, #5, #7, #8….#11, #13 and #15…and certainly, #16 gave me the opportunity to sit down, and reflect. Always a good thing at this time of year!

By the way, I just watched “Man on Wire” this past weekend. Fascinating movie about a man with a dream, while many others (including myself!) found him a bit unstable from time to time. But the thought about living life “on the wire” has resonated with me since then.

Be sure to read Robin’s Bio at the close of this post, and drop by his Web site for more inspiration.

And, as always, I hope you take the time to leave a comment – with YOUR favorites in the list.

62 Ways To Make 2010 Your Best New Year Yet
By Robin Sharma, January 3rd, 2010

1. Remember that leadership isn’t about your position. It’s about your influence.

2. Get fit like a pro athlete

3. Lift people up versus tearing people down

4. Protect your good name. An impeccable reputation takes a lifetime to build. And 60 seconds to lose

5. Surround yourself with positive, ethical people who are committed to excellence

6. Remember that even a 1% daily innovation rate amounts to at least a 100% rate of innovation in 100 days

7. Believe in your dreams (even when others laugh at them)

8. Measure your success, not by your net worth but by your self worth (and how happy you feel)

9. Take an intelligent risk every 24 hours. No Try-No Win.

10. Read “Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist”

11. Watch “Man on Wire”

12. Regardless of your title at work, be a team builder.

13. Remember that business is all about relationships and human connections

14. Say “please” more

15. Say “thank you” more

16. Know your Big 5: the five things that need to happen by the end of this year for you to feel it’s been your best year yet

17. Read your Big 5 every morning while the rest of the world is asleep

18. Read “As You Think”. At least twice this year.

19. Be willing to fail. It’s the price of greatness

20. Focus less on making money and more on creating value

21. Spend less, save more

22. Leave everything you touch better than you found it

23. Be the most positive person in every room you’re in

24. Run your own race

24. Stay true to your deepest values and best ideals

25. Write a handwritten thank you note to a customer/friend/loved one every day

26. When you travel, send love letters to your kids on hotel stationary. In time, they’ll have a rich collection to remember your travels by

27. Read “Atlas Shrugged”

28. Be a problem solver versus a trouble maker

29. Rather than doing many things at mediocrity do just a few things-but at mastery

30. Honor your parents

31. Commit to doing great work-whether anyone notices it or not. It’s one of life’s best sources of happiness.

32. Give more than you receive (another of the truths of happiness)

33. Have your 1/3/5/10/25 years goals recorded on paper and review them weekly

34. Be patient. Slow and steady wins the race. The only reason businesses that went from zero to a billion in a year or two get featured in magazines is because 99% of businesses require a lot more time to win

34. Underpromise and then overdeliver

35. See part of your job as “a developer of people” (whether you work in the boardroom or the mailroom)

36. Wear your heart on your sleeve. When people see you’re real, they’ll fall in love with you

37. Be authentic versus plastic

38. Read “The Alchemist”

39. Remember that life wants you to win. So get out of your own way

40. Consider that behind every fear lives your next level of growth (and power)

41. Eat less food

42. Drink more water

43. Rest when you need to

44. Read “SUCCESS” magazine

45. Write your eulogy and them live your life backwards

46. Demand the best from yourself

47. Remember that the more you go to your limits, the more your limits will expand

48. See everything that happens to you as an opportunity to grow (and therefore, as a precious gift)

49. Be obsessed with learning and self-development

50. Become comfortable alone (you are the only person you get to be with your whole life)

51. Smile. It’s a stunningly effective way to win in business and life

52. Reflect on the shortness of life

53. Be bold when it comes to your dreams but gentle with those you love

54. Remember that success is dangerous because it can kill drive/innovation/passion and going the extra mile. Be successful yet stay hungry

55. Read “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”

56. Be of deep value to this world

57. Own beautiful things but don’t let them own you

58. Use excellent words.

59. Laugh more.

60. Don’t complain, gossip or be negative.

61. Plan as if you’ll live forever but live as if you’ll die tomorrow.

62. Feel free to pass these lessons on to those you want to help.

Robin Sharma is a world-renown leader and coach in the personal development world and is the CEO of Sharma Leadership International, which helps organizations develop world-class leaders. He’s also the author of 10 books, including 5 #1 bestsellers, such as The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. And on top of coaching and writing, Robin is a highly sought-after speaker and consultant to organizations all over the world like Microsoft, Nike, FedEx, NASA, KPMG, IBM and The Young Presidents Organization. Visit his Web site at: http://www.robinsharma.com/.

It has been difficult for me to “step out” as a career coach into the virtual world.  There are always questions in my mind about whether I will be “good enough” or will people “like me” — or even worse, LAUGH at me.

Well, folks, here I am!  And asking you, how are you not “stepping out” in your career?  In what way are you playing “small” and fearful of showing all of the talents you have?