Tips & Insights for Top Performance » Personal Growth & Development http://synergystrategies.com/blog with Coach Christy, Strategic Coach and Trainer Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:58:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 © christy@synergystrategies.com () christy@synergystrategies.com() with Coach Christy, Strategic Coach and Trainer christy@synergystrategies.com No no http://synergystrategies.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg Tips & Insights for Top Performance http://synergystrategies.com/blog 144 144 Making Things Happen http://synergystrategies.com/blog/2010/03/making-things-happen/ http://synergystrategies.com/blog/2010/03/making-things-happen/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:34:40 +0000 admin http://synergystrategies.com/blog/?p=388 In our American culture, the “path” for personal development is greatly laid out for us. As a baby, there are milestone check points for parents to follow. Age appropriate toys and videos teach toddlers numbers, letters and words. At kindergarten (sometimes before) the formal training begins. An academic progression monitors social, emotional and physical development through high school and often college and graduate school. At the end of school people are suddenly in charge of their own development plan and strategy to accomplish their vision/goals.
 
Here is the problem. Many people get lost in high school. Some know what they want to do, but most move to college having no idea of what they will do. They go to college hoping their career will become obvious to them. For some, they find it; for others they try something hoping they found it; and for others they finish still not knowing.  All move on with life doing something, trying a career, working a job, looking and living off someone else, or opting for more education. 
 
Few people know what they want to do and are able to make it happen. Most need to take time to find it and often do several things before they find it. In the process of discovery, change is needed. This can be scary, especially as risks and dependents increase (family, kids, home, payments, etc.). Many times people have ideas of what they want, but are simply unable to make the change because of fear, being overwhelmed, or apparent lack of resources, skill or vision.
 
If your current path is not a fit or you have a new passion, forge your future and embrace change.

 

Here are a few keys:

1)    Anything is possible. Believe that it can happen and look for ways to make it happen.

2)    Know what you want/need in life and what is necessary to accomplish those needs (i.e. a working lady wants to work and have kids but needs to have work flexibility. Solution: Find a job that has flexibility or can be done from home that uses your skills and will meet your work needs (income, work environment, preferences, etc.).

3)    Have a vision of the solution. (If you can see all the way to the end, plot the actions it will take. If you cannot, plot the first set of actions and work on those. The next steps will become obvious as you move).

4)    Take baby steps to move closer to that vision. What ONE thing can you do?

5)    Surround yourself with people, resources and tools to keep you courageous, focused, encouraged and optimistic so you do not grow weary, discouraged, distracted or overwhelmed.

6)    Embrace Change. As you go keep your eyes fixed on the objective/goal and allow for adjustments along the way. 

]]> http://synergystrategies.com/blog/2010/03/making-things-happen/feed/ 0 Important vs. Urgent: Getting Out of Crisis Mode http://synergystrategies.com/blog/2009/04/important-vs-urgent-empty-the-urgent-fill-with-the-important/ http://synergystrategies.com/blog/2009/04/important-vs-urgent-empty-the-urgent-fill-with-the-important/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:06:27 +0000 admin http://synergystrategies.com/blog/?p=34

Steven Covey, in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about one of the traps of people is getting caught in doing the urgent rather than the important. Bottom-line this trap is reacting to life rather than responding.  While urgent things will come up, they seem to happen more when you are not planning. Eventually everything will become a crisis. STOP. When you give attention to what is important you will have less urgent things to deal with. There will always be truly urgent things, but these are called emergencies and priorities, not daily urgent tasks. Spend some of your day on this area, but spend more of it on what is important. Make a list and determine what is important for you to do to move forward with your business (or life).

Important things often seem like it will not matter if they get done today or tomorrow and therefore often are perpetually put off until tomorrow or until they become urgent. It is similar to the bad habit many of have in school with projects or homework. The teacher gives important weekly assignments, i.e. pages to read for the week. Students are busy and do not read what is important and let it go until a few days before the test when there is 200 pages of reading, now the assignment becomes urgent. Thus the cycle begins as we create urgent tasks that would not be urgent if we did the important things we need to do each day.

Action:

  • Recognize the cycle and how much time you spend reacting to the urgent

  • List what you are trying to accomplish (your goal)

  • What is important to do today to reach that goal?

  • What is important this week to reach that goal?

  • Highlight these things on your to-do list

  • Block at least one hour in your day to do the important tasks

  • Force yourself to do the important today and watch how the overflow of urgent tasks decrease off your plate
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