Talking about technology this month has brought out the “geek” in me – who doesn’t like the bright and shiny objects that dangle in front of us? However, sometimes we purchase the “upgrade” just because it’s there, not necessarily out of purposeful intention or because it is a good choice.

The important questions to ask yourself are:
How does it benefit your life TODAY?
Does it upgrade your lifestyle?
What systems in your life need to be “tweaked?”

Distinguishing between trinkets that serve you and enhance your life VS. those that make your life more difficult and stressful, is a great tool to have. It helps you to make choices on a daily basis that suit you and makes life EASIER for you.

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technology used to benefit our self care can make a huge difference in how we organize and plan.

1 1/2 years ago when I changed from carrying a separate cell phone and palm pilot to ONE Palm Treo that served both for me, it was the best thing I could have done! I had always utilized various systems to help me organize - Franklin Covey, Day Planners, the Palm Pilot – but the Palm Treo helped me take it one step further and really helped me be more efficient throughout my week.

The fact that I have all my contacts in one place makes it easier to update/revise and/or access my contact information. It was cumbersome to maintain when I had three separate places for my contacts: my pda, my cell phone AND my contact software on my laptop. Now it’s all in once spot, saving me time, energy and sweat! With the extra time, I do a little more yoga or walk my dog.

TAKE ACTION! CHALLENGE:
Life does not have to be hard work. Instead of working hard to maintain technology, let technology work hard for you.
How can you improve your daily “system” to incorporate technology for you to enhance your life, to “upgrade” life?

Another example would be my coffee maker. I purposely bought a coffee maker with the brew timer. It’s easier for me to set up the coffee the night before and have fresh brewed coffee ready for me in the morning when I wake up! Now I just have to get someone to bring it to me in bed. . .

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

(one Tuesday at 10am Hawaii / 12noon Pacific)

“Get Ready For Life” is my brand of time management or “priority” management.

Managing time is one of the keys to achieving harmony and happiness in our lives. However, getting a handle on the fast moving and intangible notion of time can be “slippery.”

Oftentimes “having more time” also makes “balanced” sense - being able to spend more time with family, having an abundance of time to accomplish business goals, or just having the luxury of taking time out for your Self.

“Get Ready For Life” focuses on what is most important to you - what you value - and prioritizing activities based on these important elements of your life.

It’s not about creating more time, it’s about creating space in your life for what matters.

To be on the call, visit Compass Life Designs and join their free community.
In addition to this call, you will gain access to a “lifestyle community for women.”

Technorati Tags: Compass Life Designs, lifestyle, women, community, time management, prioritizing, life coaching,   balance, work/life

(one Tuesday at 12noon (Hawaii))

Susan Kim will be the guest speaker at the Kiwanis Club of Kahului meeting on Tuesday, November 13th. She will discuss Toastmasters’ “Communication and Leadership” program which is offered to the adults and youth of Maui County.

Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Time: 12noon - 1pm
Location: Maui Beach Hotel, Molokai Room

Lunch is available from the hotel’s snack shop for a fee.
No charge for attending the event.

For more information contact Lynn at (808) 244-6042 or visit: www.kahuluikiwanis.com.

Technorati Tags: Kiwanis, Toastmasters, Youth Leadership Program, Communication, Speaking, Community

I know I’m jumping the gun, just a little bit, but whenever August rolls around, I always think of the end of summer and the start of my favorite season. . . Autumn.

To me, the Autumn season represents change, transition, new life, growth and development. It is like a new day. It is when kids go back to school, trees shed their leaves and crops are harvested. It’s a wonderful time of year. But then again, I LOVE change, others may not.

Everyone reacts to change in their life differently:
Some embrace the change.
Some purposely create change.
Some enjoy the status quo and try to avoid change as much as possible.

Regardless of your approach to the concept of change, life IS change, change is inevitable.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy.

So how do YOU deal with change in your life?
Does it work for you?

Below I share some three tips on how to bring about change smoothly, easily and naturally. (PS - These tips are great even if you are NOT in transition.)

#1. ENJOY THE RIDE
Transition or not, it’s always refreshing to have a bit of fun! However, particularly during times of change, fun is often forgotten. One way you can bring back a bit of fun is to celebrate your milestones, relish in your discoveries, reward yourself for your successes!
A. List rewards for yourself or ways you want to celebrate.
B. Categorize them into two columns: “Adding Joy” and “The Big Kahuna!” (or whatever labels you like). The “Adding Joy” column is any reward you would like to give yourself for on-going milestones and progress. “The Big Kahuna” column are rewards for larger accomplishments and completion of a big task.
C. Each time you reach a milestone or success on your journey treat yourself by “Adding Joy” or giving yourself “The Big Kahuna!”

#2. REMEMBERING SELF CARE
Too often Self Care is forgotten when people go through transition; this makes it harder. The transition is already bringing a certain amount of stress, it doesn’t make sense to further add to the imbalance in your life by not taking care of your Self. During transition, we end up DOING instead of BEING. Taking time to remember Self Care will enable you to BE while DOING. It will give you a sense of control, revitalization, motivation and relaxation.
A. Think about where you get your energy from.
B. List 5-10 things you can do for yourself in 30 minutes or less (give yourself options to choose!). Some examples might be to stretch, enjoy the fresh air, write in a journal, take a bath, read for 20 minutes, etc.
C. Practice at least 2 items on your list DAILY.

#3. MAKING YOURSELF AT HOME:
Wherever you are in the transitional process, it is important to get a sense of your physical environment and create a space that is comfortable and safe for you. This is different from Self Care in that it is your external environment, whereas Self Care relates to your well-being and inner Self.
A. Think about your definition of Home.
B. Write down 5 things that make it a home for you. It can be tangible items, like flowers or a comfortable couch, or it can be intangible, like the smell or feel or your home.
C. Incorporate at least 3 of these things into your home during transition.

Technorati Tags: Self Care, Transition, Change, Relaxing, Peaceful Environment, Reward

What motivates, inspires and continually challenges us to be on top of our game?
What supports our continued growth and development?
What fosters our creativity and imagination?

Learning

This past weekend, I volunteered at the Maui Writer’s Conference in Wailea, Maui.
Every year writers come together with agents, editors and publishers to create an environment filled with excitement and creativity. Authors pitching their ideas to various agencies or receiving professional feedback, while agents and publishers listen for their next bestseller!

However, it’s not the dealing and pitching that makes the Maui Writer’s Conference so alive, it’s the energetic synergy from sharing of ideas and the inspired development of one’s craft. During the workshops you can see minds expand and feel the creative process flow through the participants as each idea triggers a different idea in someone else and that shared idea in turn inspires another.

Learning is an important element of growth and attaining the next level of success.
It’s about reaching out of your comfort zone, putting aside what you already know and entering an unknown world where you challenge yourself to think differently or newly. That difference gives you a pioneering edge for your business or opens up a new sense of confidence in you personally.
It is in the challenge that we learn the most.

As you learn, you discover more about yourself.

No matter what your interests or profession, I encourage you to keep learning - keep growing - keep developing your mind and honing your skills. Through the learning process you will achieve great success. Enjoy the journey!

“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” Louise May Alcott

Discovery Tip: Always Be Learning

In the next month or two, find different ways to learn - keep your mind in action!

(1) Read a book (look at the NYTimes Bestseller List)
(2) Attend a workshop or seminar
(3) Take a class (check out an online class or an e-course)
(4) Go to a professional conference
(5) Search the web (simply ask a question at www.ask.com)
(6) Read your local newspaper, cover to cover
(7) Watch a doumentary (March of the Penguins or What the Bleep Do We Know?)
(8) Listen to an inspirational speaker (live or recorded)
(9) Watch a stand up comic
(10) Try something new!

Technorati Tags: Innovation, Personal Development, Business Development, Education and Learning, Change, Balance, Challenge, Law of Attraction

Ghandi said, “We must become the change we want to see.”

This quote is meaningful in so many different ways, but the biggest message is:

We have a choice in our life to become whatever we want.

It is in our control to create a life that suits us, perfectly, whether it relates to our personally life, professional life or even to our own business. The key to having the life we really want is actually in the becoming. It’s not simply about “doing” or ”thinking,” it’s truly about becoming the change you see. Becoming implies a “being” or a way of life - a state of mind.

In order for you to become the change, there needs to be an awareness of not only who you are, but more specifically an awareness of your beliefs and thoughts and how it affects your actions. Your Thoughts lead to your Feelings, which lead you to take Action toward the end Result. Our beliefs are shaped throughout our life and become habits of thought, so often times it is difficult to pull away and be fully aware of them. These beliefs are affecting our lives from how we brush our teeth to how we deal with money to how we react and behave each day.

If you want to change something about your life, first look at your thoughts and beliefs.
The change may just be an inkling or a feeling of discontentment. Perhaps you can’t clearly
define it just yet, but you know you want something different, something better in your life.
What feelings do you have around these thoughts?
What actions do you take (or avoid) because of these feelings?
What results do you get?

Working with entrepreneurs and independent business owners, I witness the power of their own thoughts and beliefs around their business. One of my clients has his own business but was struggling with growing his business. He felt like he was doing the right things, marketing, networking, giving value, but he wasn’t able to get his business where he wanted
it to be. Through coaching, he discovered that he had a negative belief around “selling.” He struggled with “selling” his services because he believed salesmen were pushy, unlikeable and just wanted to see a sale, so of course he didn’t want to be a salesman. After further discovery around how these feelings were causing certain actions (ie not promoting his own business!) and by improving upon his business strategies, he was able to change his belief, readjust his methods and start creating the results he wanted - to grow his business!

It wasn’t just his belief around selling, but more importantly it was his belief about himself.

You have a choice in your life to become whatever you want

Discovery Tip: Become The Change You Want To Be

To become the change you want to be:
(1) Be aware of your own thoughts and beliefs
(2) Consider your feelings around these thoughts
(3) Discover the actions you take (or don’t take) because of these feelings
(4) Analyze the results you are getting

After this fourth step, if you are not getting the results you want to have in your life (or business) KNOW that you have a choice to become whatever you want and then develop a belief for yourself that will enable you to become the change you want to be.

Technorati Tags: Balance, Vision, Reflection, Change, Results, Strategy, Law of Attraction, Action

The extraordinary jacaranda, a wonderfully purple blooming tree, reminds me that thinking differently is important because there is so much more outside of our scope.

When we get out of our comfort zone and think “outside the box,” that is when change and growth start to happen. In order to improve or change our lives, we have to not only think about what we want, but we have to think about how the life we want is DIFFERENT from what our life is like now, . . . . and then fill in that difference!

Being in a rut
Feeling stuck or trapped
Wanting a change
Getting to the next level
Feeling bored
Wanting a challenge
Whatever you want to call it, they all come from that place we call a “comfort zone.”
Oftentimes we get settled in our ways - not only in terms of what we do, but also in our BELIEFS.

If you believe you will stay in a rut - that is where you will stay.
If you believe you can change your life and live how you truly want to - you’ve started to look for that difference - you’re looking for that purple tree!

Please be aware that I’m not saying everyone has to change.
Staying in your comfort zone is okay if it works for you.
However, if it is NOT working for you and you identify with some of the phrases above, it’s time to Take Action! - think outside the box - think differently.

Discovery Tip: Think Differently

• Think of where you are right now and where you feel stuck, bored or trapped.
• What is it exactly? (i.e. no independence, not enough time with family, negativity, etc.)
• Ask yourself honestly, how are you perpetuating this thinking (what you are or are NOT doing)
  It’s helpful here to get an objective point of view from a coach.
• Now, what would take you out of this “comfort zone,” what do you need to do?

Example: You feel stuck at your job.
You feel stuck because the job is boring and you don’t feel like you’re really fullfilling a purpose.
You stay at the job because it is stable job and you know what you’re doing in it.

Think outside your comfort zone:

Know that you can break out of this by simply realizing that there are job opportunities
out there for you. It can be as simple as looking in the classifieds to talking to head hunters.

OR on a deeper level:

Take notice of how you think about your job - is it surrounded by negativity? The attitude
you bring to your job is very powerful - don’t underestimate it.
Changing your attitude just might lift that boredom and feeling of being “stuck.”

“Many stand guard over their ideas because they want to protect their thought systems
as they are, and learning means change.” A Course In Miracle

Technorati Tags: Vision, Strategy, Results, Innovation, Motivation, Challenge, Change, Action