Got Energy?

A friend of mine works for friends of hers at the Southern California Renaissance Faire every spring.

For seven weekends straight.

Just the idea makes me tired, but for her it's energizing.

She admits it makes her life a little hectic, but she wouldn't miss it for anything. "The booth I work in sells magic wands," she told me, "so whenever I need a little extra time, I just wave a wand and there it is!"

Of course the reality is that we all get 24 hours each day, 60 minutes per hour, 60 seconds per minute (that's 86,400 seconds per day, if you were wondering). There's nothing you can do to change that.

But you can choose where you focus your energy in each of those seconds, minutes, and hours.

Most people plan their days by estimating how long it will take to do each task on their list instead of how much energy it will take. And that's a good way to reality-check your time expectations.

But it leaves you with an incomplete picture and that's because there's not a direct relationship between the amount of time something takes and the amount of energy it requires.

We're all familiar with how completely exhausting it can be to do the simplest task if you don't want to do it - but have you ever noticed that you sometimes have more energy after doing something you really enjoy?

I do.

If I have a day filled with coaching calls, I end the day completely energized. However, sit me down at my desk and tell me I have to write all day... my head will hit the desk with a thump four hours in. (Not literally but that's how it feels!)

Next time you sit down with your schedule and your to-do list, consider how much energy each task is going to take, not just how much time.

Is it an energy drain, or an energy boost? If it's an energy drain, can you choose not to do it - or choose to delegate it to someone else?

If you simply must do it, what can you do to make it more fun and energizing? That might include putting on music, calling a friend for encouragement, or sandwiching it between more enjoyable tasks.

When you maximize your day with activities that boost your energy, you'll get more done and you'll feel a whole lot better. My RenFaireing friend's schedule looks insane to my eyes, but those weekends in full costume, dealing with dust, heat, and sunburn, leave her energized and ready to start her week.

You may not have a magic wand, but you've got something better: the ability to choose.

And when you choose consciously, it's just like magic... because you'll be living your day the way you want to live your life.

"Energy is eternal delight." ~ William Blake

Sherry Essig specializes in helping professionals get unstuck so they can expand their capacity for more... more happiness, success, and peace of mind. Her work is built on an understanding that your professional career and your personal life are two aspects of the whole that is you. She blends over 25 years of business experience, applied metrics, and in-depth coach training with the principles of leadership of self, positive psychology, and yoga. For additional free resources to help you get unstuck visit: http://www.flow-dynamix.com.

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The Soul Of Success

The soul is the vessel in which we govern what we do to foster meaning and purpose in our lives, where once found, we find true success. Without soul success life can be quite desolate.

I think the confusion in today's world with our ever growing media attention, we think our purpose and meaning has to be grandiose where we have to make significant changes that attract public attention to be of value. This inflated definition can leave us feeling insignificant.

I only found meaning by accident; as a result of my return to the salon after being absent on maternity leave.

When I returned I was bewildered to find my clients scheduled for weeks to see me when their hair looked great and in some cases, especially where foils were concerned, much to my egos dismay, it looked even better! (Foiling was never my strength.)

Their comments were that they missed my attention to detail and they just didn't feel like the other stylists were that interested in them.

You see, I am a precision cutter. My goal with clients since first being introduced to Kathy Simon back in 1996, has been to understand how the shape of the skull determines how the hair lies on the head and my clients face shape, how the density of the hair affects the cuts I choose and my finishing techniques and how all components combined create the success of my cut. For me, it was a matter of the discipline of my craft; to my clients it "felt" like caring.

This was the recognition of my meaning. From that moment forward, rather than feel inadequate about my inability to foil hair, I focused on cutting. The energy shift was incredible for me, I stood taller, walked with pride and knew for sure that I was making a difference in peoples lives. But the clincher was when I recognized that my skill gave me the purpose I had been longing to find... TO BE OF VALUE IN THE WORLD.

Here are 3 suggestions I hope will connect you to find purpose and meaning in your craft:

1. Pay attention and listen to what your clients say about their experience in your chair or for salon owners, what they love about the salon. If they don't say it, ask what they love best.

2. What is your brilliance, what do you LOVE to do? Is it finishing, foiling and coloring, finding interest in your clients with attentive listening, your cutting skills? Salon owners; what is your brand, what do you most care clients know your business for? Is it technical excellence, an amazing salon experience or is a friendly comfortable environment your goal?

3. Watch for what lands in your lap. What kinds of clients do you naturally attract, what classes do you want to take just for the sheer pleasure, what do coworkers ask of you in terms of expertise?

Make lists and keep a journal of your answers to the above. Get curious to see if there is something you are unaware of that others recognize in you or maybe you get validation of what your soul has been longing to pursue.

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3 Ways to Get Your Goals Back on Track

I am an unashamed goal-setter.

Some people don't like to call them goals so call them whatever you like. I like to think about them as things you want to be, do or achieve.

I've been setting and achieving goals for 15 years so I have just a little bit of experience in the area.

It's easier to keep going with your goals if you start building up some momentum, no matter how slow.

At some point along the way, it's very normal for people to want to just throw in the towel because they think it's too hard to go after their goals.

If you can relate, that's usually the point when you're just about to get a breakthrough but only if you do these 3 things:

1.      Look through your goals list and note down your achievements

Recognising your achievements makes you feel like a winner. Even if you only achieved part of a goal, you're still streaks ahead of where you'd be if you didn't do anything.

E.g. If you had on your list to get your entire home organised and you managed to do two rooms, you may feel demotivated. Don't - you have two organised rooms!

2.      Ask for the necessary help

This is a big one and very difficult for a lot of us women.

I'll confess - I also hate asking for help but it's often necessary. It helps get you out of the "I can do it all myself" mentality and best of all, it propels you forward.

One year, I had a blogging goal on my list that I'd made absolutely no headway on for 8 months so decided to hire a blog coach. Best thing I did because I had objective feedback from someone who knew more than I did. There really is no shame in asking for help.

3.      When you do start making progress, celebrate

Celebrate the small wins as well as the big wins.

Non-fiction is not my favourite type of reading but I do want to learn about some topics so sometimes I'll set a non-fiction reading goal (a specific book for the month) and then celebrate by reading a totally frivolous book purely for fun afterwards.

There are also ways to constructively celebrate bigger wins. One year I promised myself new photos for my website once I'd lost some weight. I needed to get the photos done anyway but this was some good motivation to get the weight moving in the right direction.

Doing these three things will start giving you momentum again and put you in a place of progress.

And when you keep steadily on, you'll be sure to put your goals back on track.

Your action steps

1.      Be brave and choose just 3 things that you still want to accomplish this year

2.      Ask for help

3.      Tell yourself you're awesome! 

Marcia Francois is a time management coach and speaker who inspires busy women to break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and take purposeful and focussed action so they have the time and freedom to live life to the full. Visit http://www.purposefultimemanagement.com for your free Time Management Purpose Pack.

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How To Know What You Want In Your Life

Today we are going to talk about how to know what you want in your life. At this point in your life you have an opportunity to really look back and forward. To see where you are right now and where you want to be in the future. Now is your chance to take a look at what you would really like to do with your life.

But, before you find out how to achieve your goals, you have to know what your goals really are. You have to be super specific.

For example, some goals could be:

I will earn $1million a per year in my online business. I will have a great social life filled with great friends. I will drive a brand new Mercedes S Class. Things like that...

For your goals to be real, you have to be specific. If you are not specific you do not have a clear cut goal.

For example, one of the goals I want to achieve in the next couple months is to own a 2014 pearl white Audi S5. I set this goal about two months ago. I made my goal very specific so I know exactly what I'm working towards.

I wanted to use a personal example to demonstrate that you have to be very specific. I know exactly what I wanted it to be.

Whatever goal you might have, keep this in mind, whatever you can dream of, you can achieve! There are no limits unless you put them on yourself.

Go ahead and sit down and write down everything you want from your life, your biggest goals. Then you want to break these down into smaller periods of time. 10 years from now, 5 years from now, 1 year from now, 6 months from, etc. You get the picture.

You won't be able to achieve your ultimate goals without setting short term goals to make your dreams a reality. This is where so many people go wrong. You have to set goals on a daily, weekly and yearly basis to achieve your long term objectives.

The reason for goal setting is very simple. Without goals, you just exist. You don't truly start to live until you set real goals for yourself. You will just end up in a crappy relationship, horrible job, and spend the rest of your life looking at successful people, wondering how they have it all. And I know this is not the life you want to live.

Goal setting is very powerful and it can and will improve all areas of your life. The process of setting goals allows you to choose what you want and where you want to go in life. Goal setting gives you exactly what you must have to move forward in life, right now!

If you would like to learn more about this, check this out

Jason Jeter is the Founder and CEO of The Dream Big Team. Created with the sole purpose of inspiring and changing the lives of 1 million people.

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Does Stress Take Away Your Power?

If you allow it, stress can easily take control of your days. I use the word allowbecause you have a choice. I believe stress is a state of mind.

Would you believe it if I said I really don't get stressed. Probably not! Why!Just like everyone else there are stressful situations that happen in my life.

However, there are better ways to handle stressful situations than to allow yourself

to get stuck in fear, feel your heart racing and get that feeling of anxiety that tends to permeate the body. I've been in those places and I didn't like it.

I made a decision to use the power of choice and put plans in place so that if something wasn't running smoothly I can deal with it without 'internalizing' the stress.

The subconscious mind is all powerful and old messages get stuck there so if as a child you perceived that fear and anxiety is the way to live and as an adult you look at the worst first, this can become your immediate response and anticipatory anxiety will become your behavior.

Your mindset is one of your most powerful tools however your subconscious mind is

like a mischievous little 'gremlin!' It will run your life the way it wants unless you become conscious enough to recognize the signs immediately and you have a techniques in place to deal with things differently.

If they are open to it, which most are, one of the reasons I use hypnosis with my coaching clients is because with hypnosis I can bypass the critical area of the mind

and give positive suggestions directly to your subconscious. Hypnosis works just as

well on the phone as it does in person.

I'm not just talking about stress. This applies to limiting beliefs or any kind of negative thinking that might sabotage your success including all the 'what if's" and "I can't."

Lots of things in life can cause stress both personally and professionally but instead of just getting frustrated, fearful or overwhelmed next time things don't run smoothly take a step back before reacting. Allow yourself to be conscious about how the situation makes you feel and then make the choice to deal with it differently.

Working too many hours can cause stress. Has your business/job become your life? Has it taken over so you are spending more time with your job and less time for yourself and your family?

You can easily learn how to balance your work life with your home life. Make a commitment to yourself that when you leave your job for the day work stays where it belongs - at work. Your mind needs to be on you and your family when you get home.

What does your office, home or car look like? Your environment is extremely important to the state of your mind! Disorganization tells me that your mind is in some way chaotic. This is not about perfection it's about creating a space for you that allows your mind to be calm.

Do you love to walk through your front door or do you know that you are walking into some kind of chaos? Is your office a place that feels good so you can create your days with focus, joy and passion or do you dread starting work? This applies even if you are self employed and are using your kitchen table.

No, is one of the most powerful words in the dictionary and yet there are lots of women who are afraid to say No in case they upset someone else! Is this you?

It's not necessary to say yes to everything and everyone. Create boundaries. Say Yes to YOU more often. You can still help others just remember not to go overboard. It really is okay to say no to a friend, co-worker or family member. People will respect you even more when you stick to your boundaries.

Attempting to tackle too many things at one time can cause a lot of stress. This is something that is extremely prevalent in entrepreneurs. You want to do everything. You may have so many ideas that it becomes overwhelming. You're a human being, not a robot. You also don't have to be perfect and wanting instant gratification is a sure path to creating stress and overwhelm.

Your brain can take in a lot of information and it can also overload. Do it and yourself a favor, create a plan, focus on one thing at a time and believe it or not, you will find that everything gets done. It's easier to be creative when you leave space to 'be' instead of always doing!

Transformation Expert and certified coach Hazel Palache is the president of Your Stairway to Wealth and an Amazon, best selling author and motivational speaker. Additionally she is certified as a master clinical hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner and stress management counselor. Using the tools of NLP and hypnosis as well as her vast life and business experience, she teaches women 45 plus, how to let go of fear and doubt so they increase their self confidence and become empowered to live lives infused with financial freedom, more free time and more joy. For more information and to register for her complimentary E-Book, Lifestyle and Business Alchemy - 10 Steps to turn Mistakes into Success, visit http://www.yourstairwaytowealth.com

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Meditation for People Who Can't Sit Still

Being a double Sagittarius, born with wheels on my feet, I really hate sitting in one place for very long. This makes me just about the worst candidate in the world for traditional meditating.

Oh, I've tried it. Many times. And failed miserably at each attempt.

The first try at meditation was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's mode of meditating. I was given a mantra to repeat endlessly until I achieved Nirvana or something. All I ever achieved was becoming agitated from the boring repetition of a word that had no meaning.

I tried the breathing technique, where you focus on your breath. In. Out. In. Out. That lasted about five minutes for me before I found other things that were much more interesting to focus on. Like my cute instructor.

Through the years there have been other methods I've tried, each time thinking maybe this would be the one to put me into that peaceful state of mind that professional meditators promote. So far, the only state of mind I've achieved during meditation is one of extreme agitation or boredom. Or both.

Finally I realized that I'm one of those people who just can't sit still and NOT use their mind for it's designated purpose of thinking. It was about that time when I found Tai Chi, which is often termed a moving meditation. I tried it and discovered it to be perfect as a meditative practice for this wiggle-butt, can't-sit-still person.

As I'm practicing a Tai Chi form, my mind is completely focused, which is one of the main points of meditation. Complete and total focus of thoughts.

Any time you're totally focused on something, it changes your brain wave state to that of Theta, which is the same frequency of brain waves that a person in deep meditation experiences.

Years ago when I had horses and rode Dressage, I would become completely engrossed in what my horse and I were doing as we practiced the movements. It took me away from the stress of my job and after the ride I was relaxed and calmed. Moving meditation.

When I fly my stunt kites my attention is completely on my kite, the wind, and the adjustments I must make to my movements in order to keep my kite aloft and describing geometric forms in the air. Moving meditation.

Any time you're so focused on whatever you're doing that the rest of the world seems to fade, you're meditating. In order to meditate you don't have to be sitting on the floor in Lotus position, repeating a mantra until your brain falls out of your head.

Your meditation practice can be anything that allows you to focus your mind, putting you in Theta brain wave state. If you're an active sort of person who hates sitting still, use one of your favorite creative activities as your moving meditation.

Kathy Wilson helps people create a better life for themselves using a multi-faceted approach. Each client's needs are unique, and the methods she uses are customized to their specific needs. She and her client may use Life Purpose Coaching, spiritual mentoring and consulting, NLP, vibrational healing, PSYCH-K, Tarot, teaching... whatever is in her client's highest and best interests. She's a Certified Professional Coach, spiritual teacher, Reiki master, vibrational healer, author of An Inner Journey: Living Your Life Purpose, and has written and published many ebooks and articles. For information about her products, services, and classes, visit her website: http://www.warrior-priestess.com.

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How To Clear Your Mind Before Bed

St. Peter wrote "Don't worry then about tomorrow," which certainly applies if you want to know how to clear your mind before bed. There is nothing like worrying about how early you have to get up, or how sharp you need to be at work, to keep you from getting to sleep.

The trick to clearing your mind before bedtime is one part adding a few good habits, and one part avoiding things that keep you awake.

Turn your bedroom into an oasis of calm. Have you ever watched those DIY shows where an expert comes in and de-clutters and redecorates someone's home? Whenever they find a bedroom overrun with clutter and disorganization, they always ask the same question, "How can you possibly sleep in here?"

How to clear your mind before bed? First, clean the mess out of your bedroom, so your new restful environment invites you to relax.

Lose the worry by wrapping up loose ends. If you have things on your To Do List that you've been putting off, see if you can take care of at least one task before bedtime. You will have fewer things nagging at the back of your mind, as well as the satisfaction of what you've accomplished. If you do one task every day, soon you'll have far less on your list, and on your mind.

Write down anything you don't want to forget. If your mind spins around with things you have to remember the next day, just write them down and relax, knowing your have that reminder. Some experts recommend keeping a pen and pad beside your bed, for things you only think of after you've turned off the lights.

Prepare for an especially big day by doing routine tasks in advance. Whether you have a critical early morning meeting, or a plane to catch, simple tasks like laying out your clothes or setting up the coffee pot can calm your thoughts. Just knowing you have less racing around to do in the morning can help keep your mind from racing so much at night.

Don't charge your computer in your bedroom, and turn your clock face to the wall. Studies have shown that we are annoyed by the little blue light of charging electronics, even with our eyes closed. The red light of clock digits is supposed to be less disruptive, but it has its own sneaky message. Even as you try to clear your mind so you can sleep, your brain keeps asking how much later it is than the last time you looked at the time.

How can you clear your mind before bed, with late night TV replaying in your brain? As much as you may look forward to the comic monologues, late night TV just revs up your brain. Instead, enjoy the jokes by recording the shows and using the humor with your morning coffee to jump start your day.

Angry political commentators may be the worst sleep deprivers on the late night airwaves. And watching these people yell at each other can make you more agitated than you even know. Letting go of this one habit can be a big step toward quieting your mind for bed.

Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid. Yes, alcohol can make you feel nice and drowsy. But fuzzy thinking does not mean your mind is clear. Taken too close to bed time, alcohol may put you to sleep, but it soon wears off, and leaves you more awake than if you hadn't drunk anything at all.

Indulge in music made for sleeping. Calming music specifically designed to help you relax is said to target specific brainwaves, and quiet them down. It works for me.

Establish your own special meditative routine. Whether you use a mantra or specific prayers, by choosing a meditation that you consciously align to the idea of sleep, and using it repeatedly, you link the meditation to deeper relaxation and sleeping. The more your nighttime meditation becomes a habit, the easier it is to quiet your mind before bed.

Have any special bedtime routines that clear your mind? We'd enjoy learning about them.

For more tips and great information on how to deal with stress, check out ClearYourStress.com. You'll also find many guided exercises and meditation methods to relieve stress, connect with your inner wisdom, and enjoy a balanced lifestyle. Visit ClearYourStress.com now to get started.

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