The Fast Lane

Today was all about keeping my wits about me. First, I overslept. UGH!! yes, it felt awful but instead of moaning and groaning in my head about the issue, I made the decision to just embrace it and see what I could do for damage control.

All that thinking and writing on the blog about calmness had certainly paid off. I immediately made a few phone calls, rescheduled a couple of appointments and delegated a critical "to do" that had a deadline for the afternoon.

It felt good!! Normally, I would have carried the feelings of "how could I have overslept" for the entire day. This time, I made changes to embrace the unexpected problem in my schedule.

WOW!! I was able to preserve my afternoon meeting and save money by taking the train. It felt great.

Can you think about the last time you had a unexpected change in your schedule? How did you manage? What could you do differently? I know for me, the two things I did that were different, were: 1) I asked others to help me and 2) I asked people to reschedule some items. What a difference that made for the remainder of the day.

So, please share some of the ideas you have about how to manage unexpected changes in your schedule..

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

Keeping the Calm

Keeping our inner calm as we go through the week can be challenging. Yesterday, we talked about how we make comments to our self and how that can either keep us calm or create an internal frenzy.

Another way to help promote an inner calm is to change our surroundings. Take a moment to evaluate your work or creative area. What colors do you have in your working area? Do you have some pictures or mementos that you find soothing? Do you have clutter on your floor, desk or shelves? I am not saying our work area needs to reflect some type of perfection. You may find a nice bit of clutter a sign of productivity. I know I do - What I am saying is - are there items that you can have in your visual field that promote a feeling of calmness or inner peace?

Putting calming colors or items in our work area can provide us a visual cue connecting us to our sense of well being or inner calm. Especially, if you are on the phone with a difficult person or you are managing a challenging situation. Placing photos, quotes, sounds or calming mementos from a recent vacation definitely can provide an atmosphere of calmness.

One particular item that I love was a gift from a co-worker of mine. They are these amazing scented pebbles. They actually look like large pieces of candy shaped like rocks. They are in a large cup and when I shake them around they diffuse a wonderful powerful scent of cinnamon. Another, item that I have is a from "the healing garden" collection. It is a white tea room spray that really provides another refreshing scent to the room.

What ways can you make your working space provide you a visual sense of calmness and well being? Don't forget that you want to include all senses. Perhaps you have this amazing throw pillow that is soft, and squishy with a soothing colorful pattern. Maybe you have one of those miniature little water fountains flowing somewhere on a shelf. Please share how you changed your working area to promote your inner calmness. I would love to know your ways of maintaining your well being.

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

4 Day Week

Where did Monday Go? I cannot seem to grasp how quickly that holiday sped by. All I remember is sleeping in, and taking a nap and contemplating what to have for lunch or dinner. It was extremely nice and exactly what I needed.

How did you spend your holiday? Do you feel that you are at a different pace today or are you letting the energy of the lost work day cause you to become harried or frenetic? It is so easy to lose our calmness and focus when we get back to our work schedule. We allow the list of "to do's" to begin clamoring for attention just because you decided to disengage from your normal routine.

Tell those "to do's" to just be quiet. You cannot give everything your attention at once. In fact, now is the time to really embrace this nice inner calm feeling you have and figure out ways to hold onto this all the time. I know that this is my goal. I am truly a better person and worker if I have can carry this inner calm with me. So, I am approaching all of my "to do's" with an attitude of "I will get to them as needed" or "I will determine what needs my attention first."

Reassuring yourself is key! We all deserve to feel calm and productive instead of rushed and disconnected. This takes promoting a calm center that we maintain by what we say internally to our self. If we are saying to our self "I am behind. I will never catch up." This doesn't help our inner calm, but if we are saying "I will get done what is necessary. I will prioritize and manage my time." Telling yourself often that you know what you are doing keeps those "negative" thoughts away. It is so much easier to be negative than positive. I sometimes wonder why that is.

If you are one of those individuals who has watched "The Secret" or understand that we become what we think we are.. You know that using our inner voice to maintain an inner calm is crucial.

So, play around with this idea not just with your inner calm, but with anything that you need to support in your life. Let me know how it feels and how often during the day do you catch yourself thinking "negative" or "unproductive" thoughts. See if you can turn them into "positive" and "productive" thinking.

Until tomorrow,
Mary Catherine George
Life Choices Coach

Slow Sunday

I adore having a slow Sunday. Sleeping in, getting up slowly, playing with the dogs, drinking coffee and reading the paper - WOW, it just can't get better than that. So seldom does a day allow me the time to truly just go at whatever pace I want.

So often, I am fixated on a schedule that is mandated by getting to work, scheduled time to accomplish tasks and working with clients and marketing plus all the other things that make my life work. Our time is so full during the week and the weekends. Here it is we have a Monday that is a holiday and in my mind that allows me time that I don't normally have. Which of course is a total fiction.

Time is a challenge and managing our time is critical to our very well being. I know that just because Monday is a holiday how I work with time is ultimately my choice. No one places demands on my time or puts things into my schedule but me. Of course, certain tasks are time consumers just because of the type of task. For example, washing the dishes. You have to take whatever time required to wash and put the dishes away. There isn't a middle ground. Another is getting dressed in the morning. Of course, if you are allowed casual attire getting dressed probably doesn't take that much time, but showering and doing what is necessary always takes time. Certain things would be definitely unpleasant if we skipped them.

It is interesting that somehow I believe that I have a windfall of time this morning because of the holiday. In actuality, I am taking the time to relax, reflect and enjoy some slow leisure moment that nourishes my soul. I must be on a roll with all that has happened since Friday afternoon.

When is the last time that you planned some real leisure, no plans made time? It is critical that we don't fill every minute of the day with a must or a should. I guess my message for this entire Memorial Day Weekend is to schedule regular down time. I know I have not and I am making up for it this weekend.

Have fun doing nothing.

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

My Saturday Time

It is Saturday and last night was amazing. I spent the evening with a friend at the Upright Citizen's Brigade. I am a lover of improv! I am a co-founder of an improv group called "Play It by Ear, Inc." We perform musical drama using music and improv and the audiences suggestions. Check out our my space address: www.myspace.com/playitbyearimprov

It is such a wonderful experience to go and truly share with a friend something you have a passion for in life. I love how my weekend has started. First, I chose to leave work early (2pm) despite all the items that are still not done. I had lunch with a friend to celebrate several things that she has accomplished in the last 9 months.. What a big WOW!! that was. It made me truly humble to hear about her plans. I called a friend earlier to wish her safe travels to her new place in Colorado. Spent time with my partner and shared the business issues with him. Wrote on the blog and then headed down to the Upright Citizens Brigade and spent evening there until the early morning hours. WHAT A BLAST!

I love it when I can chose to have time that feeds my soul. I feel tired but replenished. Today, helped my partner set up his business and now home for a nap and cleaning and some planning. WOW, I am loving how this weekend is going. My goal is to make sure I have time to connect with myself on Sunday and Monday, with plenty of downtime.

The other thing that also feeds my soul is sharing here with you on this blog. Connecting with others to create meaningful lives is so very important to me. I look forward to hear about the downtime you choose to include during your weekend. Or if you couldn't share what held you back..

Let's keep sharing and learning. Those are the two ways I know of that guarantee that our lives will definitely change.

Until tomorrow,

Mary Catherine George
LifeChoices Coach

Finding Time during a Weekend Vacation!

It is a four day weekend! How do you find some down time that is away from family and friends? It seems selfish. There is the Memorial Day Weekend and in July we have the Fourth of July holiday and then in August probably some planned family or friends vacation. How do we carve out some time that is dedicated to you alone?

If you have been always carving out "me" time with your immediate family then it isn't so hard to do so during a family vacation. Just find a time that doesn't seem too interrupting to the scheduling that has been planned for the vacation or long weekend. Pick a time that seems to be a down time and have something planned that you want to do during that time. Perhaps, wander off and read a book, or write in your journal or rethink a creative project, or do nothing just let your mind wander and watch the crowd go by.

I find that for me, it is the just watching the crowd go by that fulfills some deep need to just be. So, pick an activity that really fills your spirit or gives you maximum bang for your buck. Have a beginning and ending time. Perhaps, even set an alarm so that you don't lose track of time and take the focus away from what the family has planned.

During long weekend or holidays it is just as important to spend time with family as it is to make sure we spend time with our self. That way we are much more available to those that we love and love us.

Enjoy the cookouts and outings this weekend..

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

Memorial Day Weekend Thoughts

Perhaps, this Memorial Day weekend you might consider taking time to do some soul searching. Take a few hours or take several hours over the weekend, think of three areas in your life that you want to see change. Think of the ways you have approached these areas. Consider the actions that you took to make change happen in these areas. What worked, what didn't. Then spend some time writing about these areas. What you see in the future. Let go of how you approached them before. That can carry negative energy..

Next, take some time and seeing the final product of your life with change in these areas. How does it feel? Really make this vision as filled with the five senses as possible. Allow yourself to truly embrace the reality of these three areas changing. If three areas is too much just tackle one area in you life you would like to see some change. Truly embrace this action of closing your eyes and see this area in your life changed. How would people react to you? How would your life feel if this area suddenly were profoundly changed. What would people say to you? What would you say to yourself?

This can be a powerful exercise. If you come away feeling motivated, invigorated and ready to take immediate action to make this change a reality - then take some time to truly connect to what your actions should be over the next several months.

If you came away uncertain, feeling fear or another negative feeling. Perhaps, you truly have issues with accomplishing what you want. Maybe there are other issues with what you want that you have as barriers. Maybe your family will feel threatened if you made more many than anyone. Maybe your spouse would feel jealous if you had some popularity or became more noticeable to others. Truly see what lies beneath why you are not moving forward in a certain area in your life.

Change no matter how much we want brings discomfort. That is just part of the process. Either we are motivated so much that we can tolerate this discomfort because we desire the end result, or we don't have the motivation because there are barriers that keep us from tolerating the discomfort of change.

What happens when you do this activity? So, I encourage you to take this weekend and reflect and see what things you encounter. Please send a comment if you find that you experience some interesting reactions. We all would benefit from your remarks..

Enjoy a wonderful time with family and friends

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

Wednesday's Surprise

Midweek and where am I? Struggling with a cold and a list of details that need to be accomplished. Other people depending on me. I feel the pressure. Plus, I have the start of a cold. I am feeling that sensation of having fever, scratchy throat and runny nose. I would love to just lie down. Do I!!

YES! It is senseless to push myself forward when my body is saying HEY~ take care! Many times before I have barreled on through a cold or flu just to make things worse and the cold/flu lasts even longer because I didn't heed my bodies warning.

So, I encourage you ALL!! Listen to your body. Stop and really pay attention. Not just when you having cold symptoms but all the time! Your body will amaze you with the signals it is sending. Such as Hey, I am full - stop eating or Hey, I am so sleepy go to bed. Or I am hungry. Our bodies have tons of information if we would just start to learn the messages.

So, take some time today and see what your body is telling you. I am taking some cold medicine and taking a nap.

Until tomorrow,

Mary Catherine
LifeChoices Coach

Embracing a Positive Spirit

How we start our day can set the tone for how we end the day. If we start with a positive and upbeat attitude it can really put energy around all the activities you have scheduled. I know that today, I am busy doing things I would prefer NOT to do, but they are part of my job. Smiling and thinking fun thoughts about the day can truly make me survive those parts of my day that I would love to delegate to someone else.

Today, I was fortunate enough to have someone send me this really fun photo of the "Gazillion Bubble Man." It really made me smile and feel relaxed. In fact, it gave me the idea for today's blog post. I felt what an image to be surrounded by all those spinning, floating bubbles. So, I used this imagery to burst the bubbles of negative thoughts about my day and embraced a positive, and playful spirit. It really turned my mood and energy around.

Action: Try this later today or tomorrow. See how you feel if you think fun and energetic thoughts before you start your day or afternoon. Does it change how you feel about the work you are doing? Then compare these feelings and purposefully think negative dreary thoughts and see how it makes you feel? If you are like me you will certainly want to embrace more positive and energetic thoughts to each day.

Until,

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

Monday Morning Call to Action

How many times have you started out with tons of motivation and a full task list that you are ready to plunge into on a Monday morning? Then by the end of the day you have run out of steam? The rest of the week your desires get lost amongst the other things that you are juggling in your life. Then you focus again on your task list and get revved up over the weekend to repeat the cycle again the next Monday. Does this sound familiar?

Tackling the tasks around our desires is not always smooth sailing. So often, we become filled with energy and enthusiasm and are ready to tackle the world, but our task list is overwhelming. We haven't really thought about the time investment in addressing specific items. That is why, before you plunge into your Monday Task List step back and evaluate how much time each item will take. Some may take only 30-45 minutes. Other items, may take 3-4 days to accomplish. Perhaps, choosing 1-2 items to address on your list for Monday would be the best. Keeping it simple and keeping your task list brief can be a tool to getting more done than you anticipated. Plus, when you have only 1-2 items to address and you accomplish them, you can have a good feeling which increases your motivation instead of finding yourself overwhelmed.

I encourage you to break up all the things that you would like to do into categories. Put time frames attached to them. Decide on what times of the day you do best to perform specific items. For example, maybe you like to do physical organization in the morning because you feel more like moving around in the morning. In the afternoon, you might schedule more of a thinking item, because you are better at thinking in the afternoon.

Let this Monday be the first day that you tackle only one or two items on your to do list. Then perhaps you can find some "do nothing" time in your schedule. Let's check in on Friday and see where you are and how you feel if you do less each day instead of loosing momentum because of a huge "to do" list.

Mary Catherine George

LifeChoices Coach

WEEKEND RENEWAL

Taking time to relax, and engaging in the "doing nothing" activity is just as important as all the structured activities that we schedule. Downtime is critical to how well we pursue the other activities in our life. Recognizing this important necessity to refuel is often overlooked. We are so pushed to accomplish whatever we haven't done by the end of the week that we feel we need to "catch up" during the weekend.

When is the last time that you just did nothing for a whole day? Or had unscheduled time to just go with the flow? I encourage you to put some "do nothing" time in your weekend schedule. It really can change your perspective about your upcoming busy week. Having "do nothing" time replenishes that place inside yourself that is creative and energetic. I know when I make sure that I have "do nothing" time in my schedule either weekly or daily, my mind is sharper. I am more available to others and my ability to listen is easier.

It is critical that we consider a job that gives us "do nothing" time. It really is impossible to work so many hours or engage our minds so much that we have no time left for ourselves. If there is one thing I have learned - time is limited. We all believe there will be time to do things that we desire. Time only comes in 24 hours per day. In a day, we have 7-8 hours that we sleep, 3-4 hours that we eat and take care of our self. The 12 hours in a day that we have available contains the 8-10 hours that we work leaving 2 hours for us to pursue something we desire. It is important to understand how we use that 2 hour segment. Are those 2 hours available for an activity which will feed our inner self.

Today think about how you use your time daily? Are you wasting time? Time is a critical issue in our life. If we have a job that doesn't infringe on your personal time, but the money isn't what you want, perhaps that isn't such a bad thing? Or if we are making a large salary, but it doesn't allow any personal time, perhaps the money isn't really worth the loss of a personal life.

Things to think about when we are exploring what we want to choose for our life... Until tomorrow. Let me know how you spend your downtime.

Mary Catherine
LifeChoices Coach

Good Feelings

It is amazing how good it can make me and my clients feel when they suddenly have a resume that truly states their strengths. It is such a challenge to take our mind away from focusing on our negative abilities. Putting together a resume that acts both as a tool and a reflection of your worth is a relief. You work towards having a document that contains talking points for the interview. It can be a lengthy process to change how we think about what we do in the work place. Can we see the bigger picture? If an employee works to consider how the way they do their job impacts the companies performance. It is sometimes difficult.

The way we answer a phone, or file, or seek to help someone all adds up to how a company is perceived. It can eventually impact the bottom line and can lead to changing how many people a company employs. Can you think of what you do and how you do it might impact the company that employs you? Is there something that you could do to improve your job or system that would help your company. Sometimes re-framing our jobs can help us change the manner in which we are treated. Now, that doesn't always happen...

Companies can be just as flawed as the managers that run them. This can be unfortunate. Then you know that no matter what you do, you must leave and work in an environment that values you and your willingness to do things differently. Especially, if it leads to work satisfaction and positive outcomes for the company.

We all want to feel satisfied by a job well done and then financially compensated to acknowledge that YES - the job we do is well done.. No one should suffer in a job where they don't have compensation. Tomorrow, I will talk a little more about compensations that are not necessarily financial in nature.

Mary Catherine
LifeChoices Coach

Arghrrr!! that #$%^D resume

Why is it? It always seems easier to have someone help us to put our resume together. Describing strengths strong clear words seem to allude us when we are left alone to write our resume. I wish we all would seek to help others out when it comes to describing how we work, what we desire and wish. The information is too close when we do it ourselves. We cannot see the forest, all the trees around us are poking us in the eye. What are those trees? Negative thoughts about how we perform our work, negative thoughts about whether we deserve job opportunities that would make us happy. We don't believe we are deserving of our Choices in our Life. Choices that make us happy. It is much easier to think that we will get be disappointed and that opportunity doesn't exist except in the movies. Then when it there is a negative outcome, we are prepared and the disappoint is expected. We are afraid to believe in what is possible and that we are deserve to have employment that makes us feel happy and fulfilled with the added plus that it pays the bills.

The next time you are preparing to update your resume, do it with a friend or barter with someone who knows you. Have them facilitate updating and changing your resume. You may see a little more of the "real" you. Your friend won't down play your wonderful attributes, your friend will look for the best way to describe what a wonderful addition you would be to a company. So, start now and schedule that shared exchange and make a "new choice" to live a life you are thrilled about in a job you are happy to wake up in the morning and embrace with a great big smile.


Mary Catherine George
LifeChoices Coach