Tips & Insights for Top Performance » Energy Management

Run with it

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:51:54 +0000

“Let your life come fully and positively to life. You are here on this glorious day, so make the very most of it.

You have passions and interests, so pursue them. You have dreams and desires, so get busy and fulfill them.

You have unique perspectives and opinions, so express them. A magnificent, fascinating universe surrounds you, so experience it.

There are people about whom you care deeply. So give them your time, your attention, your love and fellowship.

You’ve already experienced yesterday, so don’t live it again today. This is a day to bring new and interesting and meaningful substance into your life.

On this very day you have the priceless opportunity to live. Take that opportunity, right now, and run with it as far and as high as you possibly can.”

Ralph Marston

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Making Even More

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:19:12 +0000

“Strength does not get used up when you use it.
In fact, it grows.

Sharing your wisdom with another person does not take that wisdom away from you.
It actually deepens your wisdom, and makes it even more profound.

Giving your love does not in any way diminish the love you have.
It makes your love richer and more meaningful.

You can speak the truth all day long, and at the end of the day that truth is more plentiful than it was at the beginning.
You can exercise compassion for month after month, and you’ll end up with even more compassion.

Some of the most powerful and valuable things in life are the things that never get used up.
Indeed, those things such as love, integrity, truth, compassion and wisdom become more plentiful the more they’re used.

As each moment passes, make full, joyous and meaningful use of life’s goodness.
When you do, you’ll be making even more.”

Ralph Marston

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

What Can a Coach Do For You?

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:30:42 +0000

I recently had to do a comparison of coaching and type of candy.
I picked Jolly Ranchers and my husband Mike wrote this poem about Jolly Ranchers and Coaching…

There once was a rancher named Molly
Whose Ranch was OK, but she not so jolly
The ranch hands were mad, cattle running amuck
Profit was dwindling, poor Molly was stuck

Inventory, weather, food for the cows
Get it all done, she didn’t know hows
She felt very busy, but spinner her wheels
It seemed like she was always back on her heels.

If I could be more productive, get teams to work
Perhaps the important I’d never more shirk
I’d love to know just how to win
To operate my ranch to bring more dollars in.

She needed a strategy to help her sort out
All things of import, the rest she’d toss out
She looked for some help, these topics to broach
And saw the best was to hire a coach.

The ranch became a team, all personalities tested
All working their strengths, while the others, they rested
When one goal was done another was made
The progress she saw, she never would trade.

It just goes to show when life gets a mess
It hampers your business, and just causes stress
So take home a lesson from Rancher Miss Molly
Hire a coach and make your ranch much more jolly!

Every business owner and executive is just like a rancher… with much to plan and manage.
If coaching can support you or a rancher you know, e-mail for a FREE sample session!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Fulfillment Is Yours

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:39:06 +0000

“Fulfillment is yours

You’ve waited long enough. This is the day to take action.

The excuses are quite reasonable and understandable, and yet they have brought no value to your life.

Let go of those comfortable excuses, and step forward into the bright, direct light of achievement.

The hours in this day will quickly pass no matter what you choose to do with them.

So you might as well make full use of them to create meaningful value.

If you’re not sure what to do, take a moment and reach deep inside.

Remind yourself of the things that mean the most, and do what truly strengthens and supports those things.

If the disruptions and distractions erode your focus, reach inside again.

Commit yourself with your actions, over and over, to live true to your highest vision.

This is your life and today is your opportunity to make a difference.

Get busy, because fulfillment is now yours to create.”

Ralph Marston

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Tips and Tricks to Enhance Your Business & Life

admin — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 01:14:59 +0000

I don’t know about you, but this summer has been flying by! As I am working with many of my clients, we are designing what they want for the fall . August is here, a few people may still be trying to squeeze summer activities in before “back to school/work” time! This is a great time to get some work done that is harder to do when people are around and demands of your time are greater. A few months ago we talked about SPRING CLEANING. Now that you have all your cleaning done, it is a great time to assess your environment for maximum productivity in the fall. While this concept may overlap spring cleaning, the focus is on preparing for the fall. An exercise that is great to do this is visiting TOLERATIONS.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer from Minneapolis, MN

When my work feels stressful, what can I do to keep myself calm?

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:07:38 +0000

• Yoga. One year the place where I worked offered lunchtime yoga. It was held several times a week and was one of the best things I did for myself. The deep breathing of yoga and the stretching calms and relaxes your body. I found myself to be slower to frustration, more alert and had an overall increase in health and flexibility. It serves to be effective and helpful for men and women the same.

• Exercise. Along the same lines as yoga, but more expansive, is general fitness time. Ideally 30 minutes a day will help to release tension and stress from your body and increase your overall energy. When you work out you tend to be mentally sharper, more alert and able to focus. This allows you to get your work done faster and better and therefore remove pressures on you that contribute to stress. The ability to manage your frustration and stay calm is helped with prioritizing regular work outs. Many people find it hard to find the time… so you can challenge yourself by parking farthest out in the parking lot, taking the stairs vs. the elevator, etc. It is hard, but start with 10 minutes a day … there are some great 10 minute work outs to get you in the routine.

• Mental perspective. Consider your perspective. Are you caught in blaming, judging, demanding, etc.? In leadership the posture of “the buck stops here” is an effective way to shift to solutions vs. passing blame. If you look at the situation, focus on the opportunity or personal challenge, it will help you to master it and get through it faster.

• Environment. Keep relaxing things in your environment. Candles, soft music, relaxing pictures, soft colors, lavender diffuser, etc.

• Count. The basic “count to 10” can be useful. Sometimes you are so frustrated you say something you regret. A hurtful word can be forgiven, but the “mark” of the word said is always there.

• Fresh air. If things are stressful, go outside. I even do this at my home office. When I feel in a rut, stressed or challenged, I take a 10 minute break and go outside and sit on our front porch rocking chairs (there is something therapeutic about rocking too). A little change of scenery can help.

What would help you? Think about what things help you relax and integrate those in your space so you are prepared the next time you are feeling a little exasperated!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

What is the difference between good stress and bad stress?

admin — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:50:23 +0000

To me, bad stress “runs” you in a way you don’t want to be run. It brings out the “ugly” attributes of you and results in feeling nervous and tense. You feel overwhelmed and drag as you have to force yourself to push through the stress. When you have this kind of stress, you want to break the cycle, even though whatever you will have to do to stop the chain of reaction will increase your stress short term. Often this is a result in getting “caught in the urgent” and more and more becomes urgent and it does not stop until there is a major event (i.e. heart attack, you get fired, your spouse refuses to deal with you anymore, etc.)

Both good and bad stress can be out of your control, and put some pressure on you to move forward. Good stress however can be an accountability to drive you to get things done (i.e. a deadline and means to get a project done), and also supports you to stay focused and on task. When you have good stress and you can properly prioritize and move forward with needed decisions and actions. There is likely a thin line between good stress and bad stress, in that too much good stress might be the tipping point to bad stress.

Much of life is how we choose to respond to it. When we choose to be overwhelmed by our stress it piles up and becomes bad stress. When you deal with each challenging situation that comes up and push through it, it can be a good stress that is a catalyst for new opportunities versus if you procrastinate and avoid, it can be a breeding spot for future bad stress. So whatever the stress, break it down into bite size bits and get it done and keep moving!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

When my work environment feels stressful, what can I do to relax me?

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:42:21 +0000

If you have a cluttered, boring or uninspired work environment it makes it more difficult to be there.

1) Set your “stage” for work. What inspires you, what relaxes you, what brings you joy? Decorate your office with some “art”… some people put motivational quotes or passages, pictures of family, certificates of achievement, photos of their WHY (i.e. working hard to save for retirement at the beach), etc. Having these inspirational pieces make your office more enjoyable to be at and help you to relax. Music, smells (i.e. candles), sounds (i.e. fountains) can also help to make a more relaxing environment. Think about the most relaxing place you enjoy going and try to bring in a few of those attributes to your office space.

2) Keep your office space neat and organized. While some people believe they work better in their piles, it has been studied and proven that piles create more stress, take more of your time looking for things and result in reduced productivity. All of this is related to stress. When you can get things done efficiently, not only do you work at a high performance level but you finish your work quicker. So keeping your office neat and organized will get you out of there sooner and reduce your stress while you are in it.

3) Cluttered space is a combination of the two challenges above. It is important to ‘weed” through your stuff and get rid of things. In today’s digital world with a good computer file system and a strong back up system, you can reduce the paper you have. There is a book on Feng Shi and Clutter that tells the cost of clutter in your office and home… just saving things that can be recycled requires you to have more space, more heating/sq. ft. expense, etc. Clutter can make you feel like you have more to do and make it more difficult for you to “finish” tasks as you get distracted with clutter that you touch trying to complete a task. It is a great practice to at least ONCE a year empty your office and sort as you put it back, returning only things that are needed.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Summer Productivity

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:51:23 +0000

How can I take care of myself and eat healthier at the office when I have a busy schedule? This is hard to do; a challenge I have as well. Being prepared is the key. PLANS and PREPAREDNESS. So, 1) keep health bars, nuts and fruit at your desk. If you get absorbed in your work it is easy to grab something good for you. 2) keep water at your desk. You have to remember to drink it, but keep yourself hydrated will help you think clearer and the needed potty break will force you to step away for a minute! 3) get some fresh air. Do you know your eyes need a break from computer screens and your body needs to stretch. You will work better if you take a 10 minute break – walk outside, stretch and grab a little healthy snack. 4) have a start time and end time. In the summer people can feel more causal and get into work late and then they have to work late, it becomes a viscous cycle. Know when you have to get to work and have an end time so you can get home for some summer R & R. If you are planning to take off Fridays, what will you adjust Monday through Thursday so you can take off Fridays. Have a plan so you get your work done and have down time to take care of yourself and be healthy. I enjoy working and can get distracted with work and neglect taking care of myself. Healthy snacks that are easily accessible, water, breaks and scheduled work hours are all keys to helping to stay on track!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Healthy Summer Balance

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:34:40 +0000

As summer gets going – it can be a challenge to balance the on-going demands of work and the pulls of kids, family and warm weather calling you to summer activities.
Here are 4 or 5 tips on how to have a healthy work/life balance this summer:
• Have a FROG time in the AM – which is a one hour, power hour that you do the important things that otherwise get forgotten as you attend to urgent matters. The FROG time helps you feel more prepared, more focused and more on top of your game so you can have a productive work day and then get on with some summer fun!
• Make sure to take at least ONE full day off – no work. It allows your brain to shut off and really recharge. This is very important. Resist the urge to crawl back to your computer/office!
• Enlist some help. There are often a few tasks you can delegate or outsource. If you don’t have money to pay someone, consider other methods – i.e. can you barter or find a summer intern? Get some support to get on top of your work (summer projects).
• Set work hours. If summer means shorter work hours or an extra day off, plan for it and set summer hours. It will help you plan and work efficiently in the time you have rather than working hard and then leaving something important left undone.
• Have a summer game plan. What do you NEED and WANT to get done this summer? Do a brain dump of everything that is a priority this summer and draft out which projects you could do each week.
Summer is a great time to recharge and have fun. You can do both if you have focus and a plan!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN