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 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

No doubt there will be new goals and revised planning at the start of this new year. You will create a vision for your personal health, financial wellbeing, business, lifestyle, etc. Starting a new plan is a natural benefit of each new year.

However, this time, instead of just planning out goals and accomplishments for the coming year, also schedule in some time to look at the “year in review” at regular (2 or 3 month) intervals.

Oftentimes goals are like “blinders.” We focus in and target on that goal regardless of what is happening with the big picture.

Discovery Tip: Painting Your Mural

Pretend you have been asked to paint a large mural and it will take you a whole year to complete this project. You know what the mural will look like as a whole, but itʼs too large to complete all at once. You schedule segments and work in intervals. Each phase is a particular focus, however every once in a while you step back to take a look at the big picture to
see how your mural is coming along. Perhaps at each segment you have to tweak a color or a shape or change direction. However, by making revisions throughout the process the mural is completed easier and faster.

Itʼs hard to paint a mural without stepping back everyonce a while. Itʼs also hard to reach your goals without “stepping back” and looking at the overall view of your goals.

What is the big picture?

Throughout the year spend some time “stepping back” to assess where you are; not only with your goals, but also how youʼre feeling about your “mural.” If the mural isnʼt right, whatʼs the point of continuing along in the same fashion.

Oftentimes taking stock and making the extra effort to change direction bears great rewards. So instead of sticking with something that doesnʼt work any more, shift gears to succeed.

Ask yourself:
Does this feel right?
Am I going in the right direction?
What can I revise to improve on what I am currently doing?

Technorati Tags: Vision, Strategy, Goals, Results, Action

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

What keeps us from attaining the results we want?

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of:
I can’t seem to get motivated. . .
I keep procrastinating. . .
I just can’t make my goals for this month. ..
I’m having problems keeping focus. . .

Perhaps we’re in limbo between winter and spring. We’re caught in this transition between the snow on the ground and the seedling deep in the ground ready to sprout and blossom. It doesn’t have to be March for this feeling to pop up. . . it can happen any time throughout the year, in ANY season.

Something is keeping us from getting the results we want. . .

What I’ve found is that oftentimes it is either our strategy or lack of a strategy that keeps us from getting what we want. How often do we choose NOT to strategize in life? Setting off on a journey or starting a task without planning a route or even taking a look at a ‘roadmap.’ Decisions are often made without the end in mind OR a plan of action to get us to our goal. Sometimes we set our sights on unrealistic goals and expectations.

Plot out a path to success.

Strategizing is essential to getting the results you want. It is the set of actions that you take to get you from where you are now to where you REALLY want to be. Your strategy is what will move you forward.

If you have a dream or a goal, you’ve already started strategizing. How? You’ve identified WHERE you want to get to.
A strategy requires an end result. The best analogy is taking a trip. This analogy is so appropriate because no matter what we’re trying to achieve in life, it is always a journey. When taking a trip, it’s important to figure out where you’re going (the end result or goal). Then to arrive successfully at your destination, it’s critical to map out your path (strategy).

Without a strategy it is a lot easier for us to lose our way.
Sometimes our lost path manifests itself as procrastination, feeling overwhelmed, feeling unmotivated, lack of focus or just simply feeling lost.

When you lose your path in such a way, remember to revisit your strategy and revise it as necessary.
Times and situations change, so in time, your strategy may not be as appropriate as when you first conceived of it.
Nothing is etched in stone and if a strategy isn’t working for you, change it.

Make your strategy timely and right for you.

Discovery Tip: Strategizing for Results

Strategizing always starts with a desire, dream or wish to be somewhere other than where we are now.
Strategies start with an end in mind or a goal - something to strive for.

(1) Identify WHERE you want to go - what is the end result?
(2) Be really honest with yourself and ask ‘Is it realistic?’ - make it a DO-able.
(3) Create a plan of action - what do you need to do to get to that end result?
(4) Revisit your strategy - is it appropriate to your life right now?
(5) Revise your strategy - so that it makes sense to you and your life now.

Business Tip: Strategizing for Business

Same steps as above, except really keep in mind the end result with regard to your business.
Ask yourself:

(1) Where do you want to go with your business?
(2) Are you looking at it realistically?
(3) What is your focus on? Products and Service? Bottom line? Value? Speed?
(4) Are there added expenses/costs to meet your goal?
(5) What will it do for your business? How will it overall help your business?
“Ideas not coupled with action never become bigger than the brain cells they occupied.” Arnold Glasow

 

Technorati Tags: Strategy, Results, Goals, Vision, Action

What if you planned a trip without knowing where you were going, who were you traveling with, what you wanted to see or do. It’s not much of a plan, is it? And much less of a trip!

This is similar to a life journey without a vision.
How will you know where you are going if you can’t even describe your destination?

Without a vision, you don’t know where you are going. If you don’t have a destination in mind, you’re driving aimlessly. Being able to articulate your destination - where you want to be - is an important component to a vision. Just as with any journey, it’s important to know where you want to end up. In order to find the path to your destination, it’s important to be absolutely clear and detailed on what that vision is - your environment, your community, your state of balance and well being. The more clear you are with your vision, the easier it becomes reality.

A vision will not only show you where you are going, but it will also help to create the path by which you get there. Once you’ve figured out where you want to go, it’s time to take the map out, find the location and figure out a route. Same with a vision. Through visioning, once you’ve fully and clearly expressed where you want your life to be, “the map” is the strategy to get yourself there. “The route” is the specific action steps you will take on your journey.

I like to refer to a vision as a “dream based in reality.” It’s a dream because it’s a picture of how you would like your life to look, but it’s not there right now. Dreaming also inspires hope and faith that it WILL happen. But the most beautiful thing about this dream is the reality piece of it. The reality part makes the dream absolutely POSSIBLE. This possibility generates momentum to move forward!

Sound simple? It is!
Follow the Discovery Tip below to start creating your vision.

FREE and Easy Self Improvement

Discovery Tip: Steps to creating a vision

1. Give yourself some time and space. Visioning is a simple process, but it deserves (and YOU deserve) ample time and space to really make it work. So, stop being busy for just a moment and . . .
2. Think about where you want your life to look in a year from now - be detailed.
3. Write it down - get even more detailed. Ask yourself some questions to be really clear. Some examples are:
   • Where do I live? What does my house look like? What do I see out my window? What do I smell and feel when I step outside my door?
   • What am I doing? How much am I making? How do I feel with my job?
   • Who am I with? Am I in a relationship? How is my family?
   • Where do I spend my free time? Where do I go? What do I do? Who am I sharing it with?
   • How am I taking care of myself? What is my diet? Do I exercise?
   • How is my financial situation? Do I have debt? Do I have a savings? How much?
4. Now share your Vision with someone. It’s the next step in making it REAL.

Think it, write it, say it, LIVE it!

Creating a vision works well with a business as well. Ask the same questions, but ask it in terms of your business.
For example:

• Where is my office located? What does it look like?
• What service/product am I delivering? Who are my clients? What kind of relationships do I have with them?
• What does the bottom line look like? How much am I reinvesting in my business?

Can you see the possibility of your vision?
Is it starting to become real for you?
If don’t feel it yet, try getting more clear, fine tune it and really focus on the detail.

I invite you to share your vision with me - info@susankimcoaching.com.

Technorati Tags: Vision, Results, Strategy, Personal Development, Business Development, Action