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© 2010 Administrative Sparkle Blog
What a great day… and it’s Valentine’s Day! It is a beautiful day outside and I get to hear the horse carriages trotting around my corner waking me up this morning with an Old World feeling. There are days when it is so amazing to get to wake up in Old Sacramento. All the lovely couples will be down here treating their sweetie to a gorgeous day of interesting shops and restaurants and either sitting alongside the river or sitting on the deck enjoying a cocktail on the Delta King overlooking the river. Old Sacramento really gives you that Old West feeling when women were ladies and men were gentlemen.
In two days, the 16th, it will be my birthday and I feel kind of spoiled today. I usually take the whole week for my birthday because I have Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and I take the week off from work. Yes, I have this week off. Also, this year starts the 2010 Winter Olympics and the United States is doing pretty good and we’re ranking pretty decently. So grab your cup of coffee because I’ve got something for you. My gift to you. I know it’s my birthday, but I love to share great things.
Goal setting and evaluating my accomplishments and my “stupid” moments really hit me around my birthday. That is why I joined the gym in November and set the goal to weigh 145 by my 45th birthday (I am super duper close) and weigh 125 by the end of May (that’s my daughter’s birthday). Also, big decades are motivators, this being 2010. So my big reflective milestones every 5 years.
I failed to mention this to you at the beginning of the year, but you still have time to catch up. My first gift is for you to check out Darren Hardy’s blog at the Success blog (this is one of the links I share on the sidebar). He is literally giving away his Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life for FREE. I actually paid for this last year and it is the exact same material, with accompanying worksheets (downloaded PDF), for all who register for their blog feed. What I love about this idea is that it is like joining a massive Mastermind group. You can read and participate in the comments. With the written material, this interaction isn’t available. So how awesome is that?!
If you use Firefox, I do, you can use Add-ons. Here is the second part of my combined gift to you. Grab the add-on called “Read It Later.” I mentioned in an earlier article that I purchased the iTouch for my birthday. I love it and have a technique for utilizing it in your productivity. “Read It Later” can be downloaded as an App to your iTouch or iPhone, and it’s FREE.
I am able to save my Google Reader items that have some length to them and sync to read it later on my computer offline if I choose, but this isn’t where I really need it. If I’m sitting at my computer already, than I can read it. I need it for when I can use it productively away from my computer. Such as, commuting and you are not the driver, waiting in an office, standing in a lengthy line, etc. For me, I use it when I’m on the cycle at the gym.
Yesterday, for my one hour cycle workout, I listened to music in the background for the rhythm intensity to keep my legs pumping me into a sweat and read my Darren Hardy blog. “Read It Later” has you sync for offline. Here is my learning lesson for you after using it yesterday in my workout. You can sync for offline web and/or text viewing. I only had it on web viewing. It’s pretty, but small and on the iTouch you are not able to zoom. So, my suggestion would be to sync the text view for readability.
So with the combination of these various technology items, you can still be productive during your downtime when you don’t have access or it isn’t reasonable to have your computer in front of you. It is a great series and I promise you will get so much information, ideas, and motivation by reading it. You don’t have to sign up to view the blog, but you do to access the worksheets and the worksheets are a great supplement to the program. I highly suggest it. Darren also does videos, which were not a part of the written material purchased last year. So the program has really expanded with how he has incorporated this being a live participation model. Do not leave this site without checking it out.
I promise, you will love what he is doing with this program. Like me, I can’t afford the thousands of dollars it costs to go to week-long seminars, and I don’t have the time. This is like an online education/seminar for everyone who participates for FREE. I know there are some people who don’t tend to value information or things unless they have to pay for it, but I am telling you that it is the same thing and, to be honest, an expanded version of what you had to pay for just a year ago. So I appreciate Darren for offering this to so many people who can use it, but can’t afford to pay for something like this and who need it the most to acquire the skills, techniques, and tips that it takes to be successful.
So, Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Happy Birthday to me, and I wish you all great success.
I would love to hear from you if you decided to join and your thoughts on the program and any other ideas you have that make you productive and encourages your success. I also hope you find information here helpful, so please share with the people who could you positive things in their life. Also let me know how fantastic your Valentine’s Day is. I’m off to see my mom for Valentine’s Day and I texted my daughter to tell her she is my lovely Valentine’s girl. Did you tell your special people how amazing and appreciated they are today? Well… get to it!
With great love and affection to my Sparkle peeps.
-Layne
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I attempt to lead a relatively simple and, to a certain degree, quite a minimalist lifestyle. Sometimes that makes me feel like a bit of an outsider at times. Not always going with the direction of what would be considered “normal” or necessarily mainstream. Not so much a follower of the population, but I do try to follow my heart, listen to my intuition, and keep my eyes open for “signs.” I don’t mean to sound metaphysical, just to express that, with all the craziness of trying to keep up, I make every effort to retain my perspective, the idea of who I am and want to be, and my sanity by not getting bogged down by all the activity that takes place around me that can steer me off of who I inherently am inside or question the greatness that is within me and provoke me to act in a way that is against my best judgment or call into question my morals and values of what I believe is right. Living my life with integrity that represents the core of who I am, the contribution that I make with the people I interact with each day, and the appreciation I receive when I am authentic.
What You Already Know
There are things that you already know about yourself. What you like, what you don’t like. Do you find when you do something that you already know you don’t like, you find yourself disappointed? I do. So why do we keep doing it? Is it thinking that there will be a different outcome? Or that the situation deserves another chance? I love trying new things, new foods, new styles, new destinations, meeting new people. That’s different. When you continue to do things that you know doesn’t work for you, what does it take to make you clear your closet of that and replace with something that doesn’t work for you with something new that may be even better.
Moments of Epiphany
It dawned on me that I don’t look good in grey. I love black and white, those are always my classic colors, but grey completely washes me out and makes me look and feel drab. I know I have a pair of grey pants, so why do I keep them? To reduce the clutter in my life for what doesn’t work for me it is time to get rid of the grey in my life. I also have a wide array of lipstick colors, but there is only one that I always “want” to wear, because no matter what I wear it always looks great. I do have a second color that adds a little punch, and I stroke a bit of my favorite over the top of that. I can also wear just about any gloss over the top of my favorite and it looks fabulous. So why do I hold onto the rest of the colors? I keep thinking if I wear pink, the pink lipstick would look good; or I would wear red during the Christmas holidays, but when I do, I don’t think it is my best color. What I should do is toss all the lipsticks that are taking up space and stick with my “classic” and splurge every once in a while on a fun gloss to mix things up. I’ve also come to realize that black eyeliner is just too much for me and the browns always make my blue eyes that much more bluer. The solution… get rid of the colors that don’t make me feel good, get colors that do make me feel good, and try some new colors that just might make me feel good.
You Have So Many Choices
I loved working in law, I also loved working in engineering. I find both industries to be dynamic, interesting, intellectual, and challenging. I’ve worked in other industries and find them rather boring in comparison. So why haven’t I focused on finding more work that is in line with law or engineering? I guess I never took the time to realize some of the specifics about what I love about being a executive professional other than being really good at getting things done and how to get things done. Still, the industry in which you work can provide passion in the details of what you are doing and why.
Create a List of You
I’ve written in the past about making a list of what you want to accomplish and listing what you need to do to get there. But, I never suggested, starting your list of assessing who you are and what you already know you love or what makes you feel good. If you use this as a starting point, you are able to hone in on what activities or goals are really a perfect match for you, instead of chasing after what you think you should be doing. You will avoid a lot of wasted time and disappointment by going after things that really make your spirit sing. I don’t regret working in the various different industries. After all, that is what helped me discover more clearly what I do love in the work I do. I can also expand on the skills I provide because I have become more conscious of what I naturally have a knack for, what I struggle with, or what I’m really not very good at.
Make It Work For You
I work out at the gym five or six days a week. There are times when I can’t wait to get into the gym that day and am actually looking forward to it. Other days, I have to literally drag myself to the gym, but once I get there, I am full steam and motivated. I didn’t think I would like the elliptical, but found it to be less stressful on my knees and, after a while, now find myself enjoying it as I get into the rhythm of the music for the pace that makes me feel pumped up. I didn’t think I would enjoy the cycle because I am sitting down, I think I could be accomplishing much more aerobically by doing something else. Now I find the cycle almost meditative, I’m able to decompress on the cycle and even watch a movie, and still break a sweat. I also spend an hour on the elliptical and a half-hour on the cycle to offset my thinking that I am not pushing myself like I should. I tend to feel intimidated by weights, but have found that I can get through them very quickly and find myself already done. So I have found ways that make my workouts enjoyable, makes me look forward to going in each day, and feel like I’m missing out when I don’t go. The pros: I feel more fit, my weight is more manageable, and I’m reaching health goals. The cons: being early in the year, the gym is sometimes pretty crowded and it is almost like “Where is Waldo?” when looking for a piece of equipment. I don’t care for crowded locations to a certain degree and would prefer a lighter amount of traffic that makes me feel like there is more air and space flow that surrounds me. So I go as late as possible without getting out of the gym at midnight when I have to get up early in the morning.
Just Do It!
By eliminating what doesn’t work for you and replacing it with the things that do, you create more balance in your life. Believe it or not, many times it is the “things” in our life that we don’t let go of, knowing that it isn’t right for us, that clutters our minds and our life. By removing these things, you allow better things to come into your life, whether you know it or not. And you become more particular and more focused on what you already know works for you to allow them in. This includes friendships and relationships. You and I are sometimes the very people who set up our own roadblocks by letting the unimportant take up space in our lives. We allow it take up residence in our psyche thinking we have a reason for letting it be there.
Don’t! Get rid of what is unnecessary. Make room for what makes you feel good. There are some things that you just can’t change at this very moment, but you can make a concerted effort to step away for a moment to clear your mind space and come back centered and focused. Sometimes you may just need to let what is going on around you just sort of flow past you. To let the energy around the activity sort of pass by with very little reaction from you. To just not take that day so seriously. And, sometimes, to just take a personal day and step away to shake off and let some of the intensive energy settle in order to get back in, hopefully with your perspective, your energy, and your authentic self to reemerge.
Thank You
We are continually on a journey of self-discovery. Find appreciation in the things that make you remarkable; find appreciation in the remarkable things around you; find appreciation in the little things that come your way; find appreciation in the challenges that you take on and overcome along the way that make you stronger, wiser, and more patient.
Find the Grace of God in each day, whenever you can.
If you find this article helpful, pass it on to someone who can use a boost. If you know someone who always seems overwhelmed or a bit harried in life taking over, this article might remind them of their value and the importance of taking the time to appreciate themselves. And, if you liked this article and it really kind of hits home with you, leave a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you and hear about what keeps you authentic. And thank you for stopping by to visit with me.
In goal setting, the method is to make a list of what it is you want. I’ve done this and I have lots of lists. But in order to achieve your goals, you need to break them down, set tasks, research, create a plan that gets you from Point A (where you are now) to Point B (where you want to be).
I am now in my third year returning to California where my family lives. My first year focus was getting work and then, shortly after that, finding a place of my own after helping my mom through surgery. Those were goals that weren’t written down, but came from necessity. Goals that a person takes immediate action on at the moment because it at level-urgency.
My second year consisted of getting settled into the new job, settling into my new place, and setting up my website and blog. Three things that I knew I wanted to create and design, but the individual tasks weren’t necessarily written down. Needless to say, I designed my life on the fly last year. I’m thrilled with the results, pursuing the things I wanted, but it would be interesting to know what would have been different if I had made a plan or mapped it out as a goal.
So this year, with things more settled and my mind space uncluttered with urgencies, and with the beginning of a whole new decade, this is a great time to map out exactly what I would like to achieve and see how it plays out.
Mindmap Tools
Mindmapping is a great technique to use. It’s kind of like throwing spaghetti on the wall to see if it sticks (an old technique that tells you if your spaghetti is done if you have never heard of it). There are several tools you can use that can help you mindmap.
1. Drawing it out on a piece of paper.
2. Visio by Microsoft is a great software.
3. Mindjet MindManager 8 (this is the software I use).
What I love about the software MindManager 8 by Mindjet is that it incorporates your already existing software to help you achieve your goal.
1. You can add start and end dates to a Task that will populate into your Outlook.
2. You can add an Appointment that will populate into your Outlook.
3. You can add a Note that will populate into your Outlook.
4. You can add a Contact that will populate into your Outlook
5. You can assign “markers” to indicate each goal and task priority.
6. You can give pictures to your goals.
7. You can assign people and resources to each task.
8. You can add goal and task details and information in its individual notes.
9. You can add website hyperlinks to your tasks.
10. You can attach documents.
11. You can connect databases or incorporate specific Excel ranges.
12. You can view as a MindMap or you can view it in outline form.
13. You can also track it in Microsoft Project.
14. You can send it as a Presentation, Word document, PDF.
I’ve already started my Goals Mindmap and it will take some time to break everything down and utilize the various components that make it actionable. Set dates, the people I need to talk to, information that is already available on the internet to let me know what I need to do. Really this is the easy part.
Action
Ultimately, it is about taking action. Once you see it on paper, I believe it makes it real and attainable. You have done your due diligence in getting all the information you need to make it happen. It’s creating your own personal step-by-step process. So, wondering what I could achieve with a detailed plan, it will be interesting to see what I can achieve in one year.
And, by default, it appears that me posting this, I am extending my accountability to all of you. I really hope you will do the same because you deserve it for you. You deserve and are entitled to all the successes you dream. Map your path and then go after it.
If you feel you’re doing it alone, I hope you will share here with me. I hope our successes inspire each other and you will be surprised to find you have a lot of other people out there who want to cheer you on too.
I extend my sincerest wish for you to have your most amazing year ever in 2010 and with great love,
-Layne
This is it. No excuses. This is the little pill that takes you down the rabbit hole. I’m not going to tell you it is going to be easy. This works with a habit you want to create, a habit you want to break, a lifestyle that you want to create, and a lifestyle you want to get away from. It includes your health and fitness, spirituality, family, career, friendships, and who you want to be and become. That little pill is discipline.
We live a life where we have so many demands and commitments placed on us. We sometimes forget that there are things that are important to us that we push off to the side because we don’t believe in its importance or value. In essence we let who we are and what we do be defined externally and we may not even particularly care for what that result is.
First, take stock of what you currently have on your plate. What do you do now? Who and what are you surrounding yourself with now? Eliminate what doesn’t serve your higher purpose. This doesn’t mean quitting your job if it doesn’t fulfill you. It does mean doing things those things that get you to a different job, some place better, or in the direction of where you want to go in your career.
Be mindful in each moment. Mindful of the people you come into contact each day. You may actually see some of these people almost every day when you are getting your coffee in the morning, walking past security each day, or riding the elevator each day. I make a point of knowing the names of the people at my bank, coffee shop, any place I frequent. I always have a smile for them and ask how they are doing. And they always treat me like I am one of their best customers. I may compliment a suit or tie or the shoes of someone in the elevator who I find stylish. I believe people are brought into our lives for a reason or a purpose. Something as simple as a “hello” each morning. Mindful of what you do in any given moment. Every chance you get, enjoy the process of eating or the handshake you have with someone. Appreciate the strength and power in your legs as it gets you to and from your destination. I hope these few examples give you ideas of the thousands and millions of moments you can be mindful of.
Focus. It takes laser focus to keep from being distracted, and we are surrounded by all sorts of distractions. Some may come across meaningful, but is it really when it doesn’t encourage you or push you in the direction you are trying to go. This is where you surround yourself with the people who believe in you and are cheering you on in your quest for your personal greatness. Release those who attempt to hold you back, they are only interested in keeping you at their level. Love and care about yourself to treat yourself the very best and hold that expectation of how others treat you as well. In having that love, respect, and appreciation for yourself, you will find yourself treating others with that same respect and dignity. Funny how things circle back.
Take time each day for your own personal time of meditation. It could be lunch in the park under a tree where you feel centered with nature. It could be those few minutes a day with your headphones on listening to some beautiful meditative music while you are on the train with the craziness of the world going on around you. But you have found your moment in time to tune out everything, quiet your mind, become self-reflective, gain perspective, and re-focus your heart and mind. It’s like pushing the reset button and allowing clarity to bubble to the surface.
Discipline is about respecting time. We all have the same amount. It is how each of choose to use it. Be mindful of what you invest your time into and how you use it; focus on what it is that you need to do; meditate and visualize on who you are, what is important to you, and who you want to be; and then finally summon the discipline to make what you see in your mind a reality.
It’s time! Show me your authentic self, because I think you are great!
Goals are important. We all may believe we have goals or is it just wishful thinking? Goals are the ultimate destination, objectives are the actions we take to get there. Are you taking the necessary steps to get where you want or are you just managing what’s coming at you? Are you determining your destination or are you letting life and circumstances control you?
Goals have a roadmap. Here is your reminder of the steps that truly constitute a goal. Are you ready? Here we go.
- A goal must be demanding. Give yourself motivation to stretch yourself, to reach out of your comfort zone.
- A goal must be achievable. This is the other end of the spectrum. Be realistic in your quest. There is nothing more frustrating than a goal that causes you frustration and crushes your confidence. Each goal achieved can set you up for that unattainable goal or “pie in the sky.” I’m a personal believer in “reach for the stars, shoot for the moon.”
- A goal should be specific and measurable. This is where you don’t speak in vague generalizations. Elaborate with specifics that include the action it would take to achieve that goal. For example, “I will get at least a 3.8 GPA at the end of this semester” is general. Stating, “Spend at least one hour a night studying, join and participate in a study group, sit at the front of the class, and take notes in class” gives specific details and gives you guidance to your success.
- A goal must have a deadline. Establishing a deadline creates the sense of urgency and a method of tracking your progress.
- A goal should be agreed to by those who must achieve it. You want everyone “on board.” Everyone should feel a sense of ownership in the progress and ultimate success of the goal. Reaching for a goal can be frustrating when dealing with a “weak link.”
- A goal should be written down. Writing it down makes it real and permanent. If it is not written down, the statement and intention of the goal may morph. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who participated in the same event as you, but remembers it differently? Sometimes our mind has a way of remembering something a little altered over time. Write it down.
- A goal should be flexible. There are some things that are completely out of our control. Be flexible and don’t be so crazy hard on yourself. Some adjustments may be required along the way. On the one hand, to hold onto something that is no longer possible or may no longer apply to the overall scheme of what you are trying to achieve. On the other hand, don’t necessarily be too quick to lower your goal when negative circumstances seem to arise. You may need to make some adjustments, but there is always another way to get to the other side of a wall – not just through it. You may need to go at it from a different angle. When you are faced with a challenge, evaluate or re-evaluate to determine your next course of action, whether to continue to pursue, go at it differently, or it no longer applies.
As much as I love the “dreamer,” I have great respect for the dreamer who does things that move him in the direction of his dream. I may think “a little crazy,” but definitely worthy of respect.
I hope this inspires you to make a special goal today and wish you great success.
Also, please leave your comments if you find this helpful or would like to share that helps others who stumble upon this posting, and thank you so much for stopping by.
