Last week I was leading a workshop on temperament, but noticed a few other themes creeping in: organization, check-lists, time management, and overwhelm. These concerns come up with my private clients, too, and it’s not a surprise. Most of us are trying to do too much, too perfectly, in too little time.

Unfortunately, no single organizational system is going to work for everyone. Personally, I use a monthly calendar for appointments and keep lists of tasks on sticky notes stuck to my computer. (Not exactly high tech!) I am also more “piler” than “filer,” but I have a physical and computer filing system that works fairly well for me.

However, I struggle with getting rid of paper and always have. What if I need that piece of paper later?! At one job, I had a co-worker who had a single desk drawer that he kept a dozen small files in. As he held any piece of paper, he would ask himself, “will I get fired if I throw this away?” That simple test was too anxiety-provoking for me, but it worked for him. There’s an important key: match your system to your style.

For some clients, I’ve recommended David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done.” It’s an incredibly highly-structured system – a bit suffocating really – but there are tips and ideas to pick and choose from. One idea that closed a hole in my filing system was a catch-all file for things that didn’t fit anywhere else. That gave me some peace of mind and a place to put that last pile that had no where to go (and was always sitting on my printer)!

For other clients, I’ve suggested Marie Kondo’s book “The Magic of Tidying Up.” This one is more about organizing your stuff than paperwork, but may appeal to people who want a less strict and more feeling-based system. Kondo suggests we treat our possessions with great care and surround ourselves only with things that bring us joy. When we do this, there is another payoff, and the benefits trickle into other parts of our lives as explained by Cate La Farge Summers of One Kings Lane:

“All sorts of decisions are falling into place. This might be the best payoff of all: Once you’ve looked at hundreds of things and asked yourself if they give you joy, decision-making gets a lot easier: which book to read, which projects to pursue, what to make for dinner, whether to say yes or no to the many optional obligations that come our way.”

And there’s the set-up for my next blog about time management!

Stay tuned…

p.s. Your comments/likes are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

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Happy new year!

I’ve talked to several people who’ve set goals for 2016 and several who haven’t. There are a lot of benefits to setting goals. They give you something positive to focus on as well as permission to say “no” to other things. They also tell you when to act and when you are making progress – and when to celebrate!

If you don’t like a structured process to goal setting, I would still encourage you to create a little space for your thoughts about what you want in 2016. Because everything gets created twice; first it’s a thought and then it’s a thing. So set aside 30 minutes by yourself to have a cup of coffee and ask yourself one simple, but powerful question: “what would I do in 2016 if I really, completely loved myself?”

Ponder away!

p.s. Your comments/likes are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

p.p.s. If your goal for 2016 is career or job related and you are in the Memphis area, I’m running a three-month group career coaching program beginning January 25 – and there is one space left! If you are interested, contact me now. Details can be found at https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2016/

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’Tis the season to set goals for the new year. Unfortunately, statistics from the University of Scranton show that only about 8% of people successfully achieve their New Year’s resolutions.

But not setting goals isn’t a good alternative. However, you might be surprised to know that you already have a plan — and the results are your current life. If you don’t like the results you’re getting, then it’s time to change your plan. It’s time to set intentional, conscious goals for what you want more of in your life in 2016.

Why bother? Your goals will provide clarity, provoke action, and help you say “no” to other things; they’ll give you something positive to focus on; and they’ll illuminate your progress as well as show you when to celebrate.

Here are a few tips for setting your 2016 goals:
–  Put your goal in writing. Find a specific goal you feel excited about and have energy behind. Then write it down and put it where you’ll see it often. Writing your goal down increases your chances of success by 40% (so says a goal-setting study from the Dominican University in California).
–  Get a vision of what success. Imagine achieving your goal. What does that look like? How does that feel? Connect with those feelings; that’s where real, lasting motivation comes from.
–  Take action. Do the next thing you can from where you are with what you have. If you are having trouble getting started, make the action smaller.
–  Rinse and repeat. Spend time with your vision (and the associated feelings) as often as possible, and keep taking the next step from where you are with what you have.
–  Be kind. Expect a setback or two, and celebrate your successes along the way — both big and small.

Yes, this is the simplified version for setting and working towards a goal, but it is the general formula for success. The real secret? Getting the support you need — and that will look different for each person.

So what’s the goal you want to dedicate yourself to in 2016? What can you imagine achieving?

Start now!

p.s. Your comments/likes are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

p.p.s. If your goal for 2016 is career or job related and you are in the Memphis area, I’m running a three-month group career coaching program beginning in January. Come explore, discover, and begin taking action — all in a supportive environment. The deadline to register is December 23 and more details can be found at https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2016/

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Last month I was working with a career coaching client in her twenties. We were doing an exercise designed to uncover what she really wanted from a job. Lots of great clues and requirements were coming up that we recorded. As I encouraged my client, she said, “aren’t you supposed to tell me that I shouldn’t expect to get all of this?” Hmm.

I explained to her that we wanted to capture everything that was important to her in a job. From there, she could continue her search, consider her options and then make compromises, if needed. But we always want to aim for “awesome” — and then come back to “great,” if necessary. We don’t want to set our sights on “adequate” and then compromise our way to “misery.”

Is there an area of your life where you’ve set the bar a little too low? Do you need to aim higher so you “land among the stars?”

Shoot for awesome!

p.s.  Your comments/likes are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

p.p.s.  If you are in the Memphis area, I’m running a three-month group career coaching program beginning in January. Come explore, discover, and begin taking action — all in a supportive environment. More details can be found at https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2016/.

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If you’d like a little gospel music accompaniment while you read this, here’s Hezekiah Walker’s “Grateful”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0W-kQyz6A Read slowly though; “Grateful” doesn’t really kick in until after the 3 minute mark!

This year has been full of blessings and challenges. Like many people, I am pretty good about pausing and saying a silent “thank you” to the universe when positive things happen.

In tough times, I can still point to the many wonderful people and things in my life. Gratitude is a terrific practice to ground us in the present and remind us that our lives are full of joy and abundance – regardless of our present circumstances.

Where gratitude gets harder for me is being grateful for the challenges themselves. There are lessons and growth – even goodness – in our difficulties, but can we allow gratitude to exist alongside our sadness, fear or anger?

During the past year, the best I was able to do at times was to bless my challenges, knowing that I would be grateful for them later – even if I couldn’t connect to that gratitude at the time.

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful to be a work in progress. I am grateful for the challenges that help me grow and become more than I am today. And, as always, I am grateful for the many blessings in my life – including you!

What blessings and challenges are you grateful for this holiday season?

Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s.  Your comments/likes are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

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