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

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
At least for those of us who live in the United States and celebrate this holiday. Other than the freedoms and the patriotic feelings I get as a proud American, I also think of summer, sunshine, BBQ’s and VACATION!

Last year I wrote an article, “Get Lost - Vacationing with Intention“about the importance of intention and getting the most out of your vacation. I still consider this relevant and encourage you to check out that article to put you in the right mindset for your time off.

However, this month I’m going to focus on various vacation tips I want to share with you so you can prepare, plan and make your vacation as painless and pleasurable as possible.

In the coming weeks, you can learn about:
Tips to Finding a Pet Sitter
Tips to Save Money on Vacation
Tips to Inexpensive Activities

Come back throughout the month and visit to get the most recent Tips update.

Today, however, I’ll share how I prepare for my vacations. The first step for me is to create a checklist of: (1) what I need to do NOW, before I go, (2) what I want to do DURING the trip and (3) what needs to be taken care of while I’m away. This gives me an opportunity to organize my thoughts and even dream a little about my vacation.

(When I was planning for my New Zealand trip, it gave me a chance each evening to do a little online research about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see. That was a fun process!)

TAKE ACTION TOOL!
Here are some steps to organize and prepare for your trip.
A. List out the To-Do’s that are on your mind and everything you need to plan your time.
B. Separate them into 4 categories:

(1) VACATION :
Things you want to do during your time away - sight-seeing, restaurants, tours, etc.
My recommendation is to keep the whole list, but prioritize the activities and make sure you plan your top #1 and #2 activities. In the long run, it will also help you on your vacation because you will have already decided what is important to you to do. Include your whole family on this exercise so you’re all on the same page.

(2) PACKING:
Everything that you ABSOLUTELY need on the trip.
Remember, most places that you’re traveling to will have things like shampoo and conditioner, which can add weight to your luggage (which you might have to pay for now!). My recommendation is to pack light, leaving extra room for things that you want to bring home, like souvenirs!

(3) HOME:
Things that need to be taken care of BEFORE you leave, like holding the mail, stopping the newspaper delivery, putting the sprinkler on a timer, etc.
The checklist is handy to keep for when you RETURN and want to resume service.

(4) WORK:
Things that need to be handled BEFORE you leave as well as preparing for project maintanence while you’re gone.
Most people prepare their work fairly well before a trip, but oftentimes will check voicemail or email while on vacation. As an added challenge, prepare as if you will be out of communication with the office for your entire trip. You might be amazed at how well you can prepare for your own absence. . . AND it will also give you a totally work free vacation - isn’t that what a vacation is about anyway?!?!

Organizing and listing thing out helps to plan and prepare so you can fully enjoy your time off. Also, it can help to keep you positive with a little vacation dream in sight each day.

Check back for more TIPS in the coming weeks.

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technorati Tags: independence day, travel, vacation, tips, saving money

How do you find balance amidst all of your responsibilities and duties?
How do you lead effectively without overwhelm?

The answer not only has to do with self care and balance, but in a large part has to do with leadership - a positive style of leadership.

The first step is to learn how to recognize your personal threshold and say “No.”

Think of “Jody.” She owns her own successful business. She is a member of three different business networking organizations, where she is highly involved. She also believes in community, so voluteers her time on a number of different boards and serves as President for a non-profit organization. She wants to do it all, because it is ALL important. She is often late to board meetings, leaves early and tends to check her blackberry during meetings. She has so much going on, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of details. The other board members find her behavior rude, notice that there is little progress on action items and questions her commitment.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

Everyone has a different threshold, but notice when you feel overwhelmed or you are not as effective. Listen to feedback. This is the time to prioritize and start saying “No” and commit to what is most important.

Spreading yourself too thin is a sure way to overwhelm yourself while diluting your ability to lead and build loyalty.

Once you’ve said “No” the next steps are the VIP of Positive Leadership: Vision, Influence and Prototype.

Create a Clear VISION:
The Vision focuses you, as the leader, focuses the team and makes your life easier.

Creating a clear vision enables the leader to stay focused, take ownership of what needs to be done and makes leading easier. It also serves to inspire and energize your team to stay “on purpose” by keeping them organized and on target.

INFLUENCE through Encouragement and Support:
Give more than you expect to get from your team. Listen to what they have to offer. Encourage and support each member as individuals.

A sense of loyalty naturally comes forth when a team is encouraged by their leader, their ideas and feedback are heard and they are supported with sincerity. By being an encouraging and supportive leader, you are able to leverage your time and energy on what is important because your team is “effected” and inspired to move forward.

Be a PROTOTYPE :
When you build a strong foundation upon which to emulate, it empowers your team, who then becomes energized to created the next “model” of success.

When you lead by example, people respect you. When your successors improve upon your foundation, this is the ultimate compliment. Being a prototype means you don’t have to know it all - you can learn and grow through the process with your team. Doesn’t that make life easier - to know that you do not have to know it all? What a relief!

Leadership and self care are intertwined in many ways.
Being a great leader empowers your team.
It also enables you to lead a lot easier with less stress and more confidence.

Wishing you a Life with Joy and Ease,
Susan

Technorati Tags: leadership, vision, influence, prototype, role model, stress, confidence, self care

You already know my feelings about resolutions. . .
Fuhgedaboudit!
At least “fuhgedaboud” the “old” resolutions that do not pertain to your life RIGHT NOW. And “fuhgedaboud” those goals that weigh you down, year after year (see SOAR).
Instead, create intention and purpose around what you want.

Five years ago I worked with my coach to create a “Living Theme.” A theme is a motto or mantra that supports you every single day. It is an intentional focus that empowers you throughout the year. Every day, when you wake up, your theme inspires and motivates you to move forward.

It is about setting an intention based on what you want the year to be about. As an example, here are some themes I created:

• “Be Great” – The year I created this theme, I moved to Maui, bought a house, started my coaching practice and established myself as a professional speaker/trainer. Each step of the way I was thinking of “being GREAT!”

• “Get Involved” – My “Get Involved” year was amazing! I started working with (and getting involved with) community organizations I care about, like the Maui Humane Society and American Cancer Society. I also got more involved professionally by volunteering my time to work with entrepreneurs as a business counselor/coach for the Small Business Administration offices of SCORE and SBDC.

A theme empowers and inspires through purpose and intention all year long!
To start creating YOUR Theme, brainstorm with the following ideas:

1. Think of what you want right now. Brainstorm words and phrases that are relevant and touches you personally.
2. Challenge yourself (refer to SOARing, December blog) – Think of how you want to stretch yourself in the coming year.
3. Think of 3 quotes that speak to you and what you’re about today.

As you brainstorm, your theme might pop out at you or you might have to find a common connection among your ideas. Either way, this will get you started.

Have a wonderfully, intentional Year!

Technorati Tags: intention, theme, resolutions, goals, stay inspired, motivation, challenge, success, purpose, inspiration.

(Three Session Teleclass)

Do you find yourself spinning your wheels every day?
Are you losing sight of why you’re in business in the first place?

“Susan and her course helped me to confirm what my true passion in life was. It also helped me to create a strategy that will help me to integrate my passion to my current employment.” Kathy Kanemitsu, Loan Consultant

Align your PASSION and PURPOSE with PROFITABILITY

Discover and clarify your passions and align it with what you do every day. Create a strategy and a business plan that makes sense for who you are and what you want in life.

Make business EASIER and more NATURAL.

You will learn how to:

• Discover your passion and purpose.
• Identify the driving force that motivates and excites you.
• Learn how to deliever more natural and less stressful results.
• Develop a clear vision for your business.
• Create a business plan that evolves with you.

Make Business EASY for Yourself

“[I learned] how to start with my vision and values and go from there. . . Awesome! Susan knows her stuff!” Nancy Robberson, Entreprenuer

DETAILS:
Three Weekly Sessions
CHECK “UPCOMING EVENTS” FOR SCHEDULED CLASSES.

You will get:

• Three interactive teleclass sessions
• Detailed notes and excercises via download
• A complimentary subscription of the monthly Take Action! Newsletter
• Recordings of the teleclasses each week

For More Information, Contact: bizprep@susankimcoaching.com

Technorati Tags: Business Plan, Strategies, Vision, Teleclasses, Goals, Results, Business Development

In order to stay inspired, to take action and to move toward what you REALLY want in life, oftentimes it entails learning - learning something new, different or just discovering something within ourselves. The best way to learn something is to teach it. If you want a deeper understanding of a topic or your want to move forward and gain more success, teach that which you want to learn.

Why does this work?
The short answer is that in order to teach, you have to have a clear understanding of the topic at hand. The path to that understanding means that you naturally learn, but teaching it takes it one level deeper - you express the material in your own words and thoughts - you make it your own.

Because learning is an organic, interactive process, the nature of having students asking “why” strengthens your knowledge and opens up for a creative dialogue. A great teacher empowers others to discover the same ownership and clear understanding (this is also the mark of a great leader as well).

The next time youʼre struggling to explain something, trying to wrap your head around a concept, write a proposal, give a presentation, put together your 60-second elevator speech or just learn something new; try this:

1. Ask yourself, “What questions did I start with?” and “How would I explain this to someone else?”
2. Formulate how you can clearly and succinctly communicate the material.
3. Teach it to someone else.

Not only do YOU learn better, you also share knowledge and growth with others.

Technorati Tags: Education and Learning, Communication, Goals, Strategy, Focus, Personal Development, Business Development, Results, Action

Speaking is still a very common fear. The fear of speaking is not limited to public speaking. It also includes much more common occasions, such as talking to someone at a party, speaking to a supervisor, or just providing feedback during a meeting.

How many great ideas have not been expressed because of this fear?

Ironically, this fear is not based on a tangible or life-threatening source; it comes from our own beliefs and perceptions; it comes from what is in our minds.

How many great ideas have YOU not expressed because of this fear?

Since this fear is based on beliefs, it can be eradicated by beliefs.
If you believe in yourself and your message, you will discover the passion and confidence to speak your mind.

THREE STEPS TO SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE

1. Get Over The Fear - Think of a time in your life where it is more important to speak up than to remain silent (e.g. for a promotion, to honor someone, when you see an injustice, to express love and gratitude, to land a client, to remember a loved one with a eulogy). Write this on an index card and look at it to remind you that this is more important than your fear - your message is more powerful than this fear.

2. Know Yourself Better - Being clear and really understanding your own thoughts will enable you to manifest better in words and speech. Get clear.

3. Be Yourself - Leo Buscaglia said, “The easiest thing in the world is to be you. The most difficult thing is to be what other people want you to be.” You donʼt have to “perform” to be heard. Sincerity has a loud voice and is always appreciated.

Technorati Tags: Being in the Present, Communication, Confidence, Challenge, Goals, Personal Development, Results

Is it difficult to make a decision and stick by it?

Do you labor over the smallest decisions?

Making decisions is definitely a responsibility and takes ownership and accountability. Merriam Webster dictionary defines a decision as “a determination arrived at after consideration: CONCLUSION.” To decide means to “to make a final choice or judgment about; to select a course of action.” Is it the definitive nature and conclusion from making a decision that is difficult?

Usually the decisions that are made based on what others think and want are going to be the hardest decisions to make. If you are trying to make choices based on what others think or what you think they want, it will only be a good guess at best. When making a “final choice or judgment,” how comfortable are you with a “guess?”

Easy decisions come from knowing yourself and knowing what you want. Decisions based on your own integrity and standards come easier. The ownership and confidence in the decision follows naturally because it is NOT a guess.

Three Steps To Easier Decision Making:

1. Think about your own integrity - what are your values, what is important to you
2. Develop a set of standards for yourself based on your definition of integrity
3. Live by these standards - make decisions using these guidelines

At first it may be difficult to stick to your own guidelines, but remember, at the end of the day, you are the only one that lives with your decisions and your conscience. Knowing this may help you make the decision thatʼs right for you every time.

Live without regret. Live easier.

Technorati Tags: Decision Making, Standards, Personal Development, Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Focus

Is life passing you by? Do you feel unfulfilled? Need more time?

In the past I have written about the three things I believe are essential towards gaining success: commitment, clarity and action. Commitment is the first requirement, because that is the agreement that you make to yourself to attain what you are striving for - to follow through. You will often see quotes from highly successful people about commitment. NBA coach, Pat Riley said:

“There are only two options with commitment, youʼre either in or youʼre out. There is no such thing as life in between.”

He wasnʼt just talking about basketball. Heʼs talking about LIFE. In life you have to commit and ride the wave.

In surfing, to catch a wave, you have to commit. If you donʼt, either the wave will pass you by or (much worse), you fall victim to the wave itself and it crashes right on top of you, tumbling you to the bottom of the ocean. However, when you commit to catching the wave, you watch, paddle, follow through and actually RIDE the wave. You make an agreement with yourself, “Iʼm going to get this one!” and you do.

If you donʼt commit to what you want in life, it will either pass you by or tumble you in every which direction. Ask yourself:

What are you committed to and are you fulfilling that commitment?

Maybe itʼs time to RE-commit. Perhaps itʼs time to move on and make a NEW commitment. Make that promise to yourself that you WILL ride the wave and do it!

Technorati Tags: Commitment, Decision Making, Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Focus, Results, Action

The workbook “25 Ways to Make More Time,” takes you step by step through the process of changing your current time habits to better, more efficient ones that work for you. Before taking on new tools and implementing more strategies in your life for better time management, it is important to first determine what has NOT been working and WHY. Time is not something that is managed, per se, we manage ourselves within the time that we have - 24 hours in every day.

The first step is to log your time and see what you are currently doing with your time. You canʼt fix what you donʼt know is broken!

For at least three days (up to a week), log your time throughout the whole day, do not wait til the end of the day. Be specific. In three columns, write:

(1) The time;
(2) The activity;
(3) How long it takes to do the activity.

Log everything, from a 1-minute phone call to a 2 hour lunch.

After three days, you will get a sense of how your time is being utilized throughout the day and where changes may need to take place. Ask yourself:

What are you doing in your day that is NOT working? What IS working?
Next to each activity, write out how you could have done things better.

Contact Susan at info@susankimcoaching.com to find out more about “25 Ways to Make More Time”

Technorati Tags: Time Management, Organization Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Focus, Personal Development, Business Development, Resources, Action