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

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
12noon (Hawaii Time)
KAOI 1110am Radio

Do you own, work for or want to start a business on Maui?
Join me, Susan Kim and other business counselors, each month, as we share information and resources to start and grow your business.
SCORE will help you understand how to make the most of business.

Tune in every month at 12noon on the first Tuesday of the month on KAOI 1110am radio for “Talk Story with SCORE” where we support akamai business.

Technorati Tags: radio, akamai, business, counseling, SCORE, information, resources

(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 Thursday evening - 5:30pm Hawaii)

Envision Event Planning presents the Leadership Development Series
featuring Susan Kim presenting
“Creating Strong Teams, One Person at a Time!”

DETAILS:
Thursday, November 29th, 2007
5:30-9:0opm, (5:30-6:00-registration)
My Office, LLC - 1019 Waimanu Street, Suite 101, Honolulu, HI 96814

There is no “I” in team, but it is important to understand each individual that makes up a strong team. This method of team building starts with each person understanding each other. Each member not only contributes something unique, but also comes with their own perspective. Fluid communication among the team members coupled with a clear team vision helps to increase productivity and efficiency.

Join us for this interactive workshop, full of tools and resources to help you start building strong teams, one person at a time. . .

TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT:
CLICK HERE to go to the Envision Event Planning and Management, Inc. sign up site.

Technorati Tags: team building, envision, workshop, tools, resources, improve communication, leadership skills,   productivity, efficiency

(Workbook)

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Would you like others to SELL for you?
Are you tired of constantly pounding the pavement looking for prospects and leads?

LEARN HOW TO BUILD A REFERRAL BUSINESS

Learn over 10 key steps to start building a referral business where you can leverage your current prospects and clients to work smarter, not harder.

Clients automatically come to YOU.

You will learn how to:

• Get the clients you want.
• Prepare a message that “closes”
• Feel comfortable networking and promoting yourself.
• Build strong relationships that result in business.
• Be one step ahead of your competitors
• Have others sell for you.

Make Business EASY for Yourself

“I learned how to ask for referrals. It was informative and very valuable” Jamie Griffiths, Home Express Loan

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Technorati Tags: referral, business, resources, profits, relationships, trust, building relationships, business development, networking, word of mouth, referral

The International Coach Federation Annual Conference will be held in Long Beach, California!

I will be attending the conference and helping my friends at Compass Life and Business Designs at their booth. Would love to meet you, so come and visit me at the Compass booth!

DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday, October 31st - Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
Time: 8:00am - 6:00pm (hours vary each day)
Location: Long Beach Convention Center

Hope to see you there!

Technorati Tags: International Coach Federation, Conference, Long Beach, Compass, Exhibitor

October 16th, 2007 at 2pm Hawaii (5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern)

Join me for this LIVE teleconference hosted by Marcia Wieder, America’s Dream Coach.

Susan Kim will be discussing her “Build Referral Business” program with Marcia and sharing some tips, tools and resources on the call.

To register go to DREAMCOACH.COM

Technorati Tags: referral business, business development, Marica Wieder, Dream Circle, Dream Coach, resources, business, marketing, strategies

(Two Saturdays (9am-12noon))

Would you like others to SELL for you?
Are you tired of constantly pounding the pavement looking for prospects and leads?

LEARN HOW TO BUILD A REFERRAL BUSINESS

Learn over 10 key steps to start building a referral business where you can leverage your current prospects and clients to work smarter, not harder.

Clients automatically come to YOU.

You will learn how to:

• Get the clients you want.
• Prepare a message that “closes”
• Feel comfortable networking and promoting yourself.
• Build strong relationships that result in business.
• Be one step ahead of your competitors
• Have others sell for you.

Make Business EASY for Yourself

“I learned how to ask for referrals. It was informative and very valuable” Jamie Griffiths, Home Express Loan

DETAILS:
Two Saturdays:
October 6th and 13th
9:00am - 12:00pm Hawaii

You will get:

• Two in-depth classes
• A workbook ($10 material fee)
• A complimentary subscription of the monthly Take Action! Newsletter

This class is being offered at Maui Community College.

Register at www.ocet.org (Class #420F07)

Technorati Tags: referral, business, resources, profits, relationships, trust, building relationships, business development, networking, word of mouth, referral

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

(Four Teleclass Sessions)

Would you like others to SELL for you?
Are you tired of constantly pounding the pavement looking for prospects and leads?

LEARN HOW TO BUILD A REFERRAL BUSINESS

Learn over 10 key steps to start building a referral business where you can leverage your current prospects and clients to work smarter, not harder.

Clients automatically come to YOU.

You will learn how to:

• Get the clients you want.
• Prepare a message that “closes”
• Feel comfortable networking and promoting yourself.
• Build strong relationships that result in business.
• Be one step ahead of your competitors
• Have others sell for you.

Make Business EASY for Yourself

“I learned how to ask for referrals. It was informative and very valuable” Jamie Griffiths, Home Express Loan

DETAILS:
Four Teleclass Sessions
Dates and Times To Be Announced

You will get:

• Four in-depth teleclass sessions
• A workbook download ($27 value)
• A complimentary subscription of the monthly Take Action! Newsletter
• Recordings of the teleclasses each week

For more information and to schedule a private class, contact Susan at
bizprep@susankimcoaching.com

Technorati Tags: referral, business, resources, profits, relationships, trust, building relationships, business development, networking, word of mouth, referral