How is Your Life GPS Working?

Just as a GPS in your car uses a number of satellites to determine where you are on the road, I recommend these "satellites" that are vital in deciding which roads to take in life.

Spirituality
I use this as my first point of reference. Without this, I feel like, as my husband would say, "a loose canoe in a swift stream."

Values
With clarity around my spirituality, I find it much easier to focus in on my most important values...perhaps the top three to five, to help me see where I'm positioned in life.

Priorities
Once I have the first two in place, from there I can set my priorities as they relate to my values.

Strategies
Once I know my priorities, I can develop strategies that will help me make sure that the priorities are addressed.

Goals
At this point, I can develop useful goals easily, because I've looked at the other areas.

Steps
Next, I can use my goals to figure out what steps I need to take on a daily or weekly basis to make sure I'm manifesting my priorities.

Habits
When I take the steps I need to take on a regular basis, I develop new habits that serve me well in accomplishing my goals. These new habits actually make it easier to do the steps than to not to do them!

So how about you?
What keeps you centered and on track? Please leave a comment and let my other readers and me know! Maybe you have a different series of "satellites" that work for you.

If you try my Life GPS, please let us know how it works for you!

Thanks,
Susan

P.S. 'Need some assistance in this area? I'm offering...

"You Are Here": Develop Your Best GPS for Daily Living

...a complimentary coaching session (by phone or in person) where we will work on the upgrades you want for your personal GPS!

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Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up an appointment.

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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***Member of the TriCounty Community Network, a local human services resource at http://www.tcnetwork.info/.

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What a Gift...

My long-distance friend and colleague, Droku, passed away one week ago today. He was one of the most amazing people I've ever met.

About 20 years ago, Droku sustained an injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He taught me, by his outstanding example, that not only can I handle anything that comes along, but that I can do so with an accepting, positive attitude. And I can still make a difference.

Droku did not just survive...he thrived, and he helped others do the same. He turned his attention to what he could still do, and away from his limitations.

He took teleclasses from his bed to become a life coach, and soon he became a leader in Coachville's virtual community.

Droku operated his computer by using voice-recognition software. He helped many others through his coaching and teaching. He also shared the results of his research about how we can put our personal environments and technology to work for us. To see an example and Droku's photo, go see his guest blog post at http://blog.thebrain.com/personalbrain-user-droku-inspires-the-best-in-all-of-us/.

Droku's courage, positive attitude, gentle encouragement, and willingness to share made him quite a powerful role model. What a gift to all that knew him! And that gift will continue to ripple out into the future and touch many more lives in a positive way.

Droku, you will be missed by so many, but you've left us an amazing legacy. Goodbye and thank you, my friend.

Love,

Susan

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The "Perfect" Excuse

What causes perfectionism? It's commonly believed that it results from a fear of criticism. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though.

Consider a more insidious source: the fear of moving out of our comfort zones. Perfectionism steals precious time from activities we consciously wish we had the time to do. But because of our unconscious fears, we use that time to:

~Stay stuck.

~Feel busy without accomplishing much of anything.

~Stall until the "perfect, risk-free" opportunity comes along (which is, conveniently, NEVER).

No matter how much we may want to move forward consciously, a frightened or poorly programmed subconscious will block it in an effort to protect us. We can reassure our subconscious minds by:

~Identifying limiting beliefs and replacing them with beliefs that support our expansion.

~Taking baby steps outside our comfort zones so the subconscious feels less threatened.

~Accepting the fear. The only way out of our comfort zones is through the fear. (See the work of Dr. Susan Jeffers, author of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.)

Please comment on your adventures outside of your comfort zone!

Thanks,

Susan

P.S. Whether you've taken on a "Plan B" or one has been thrust upon you...contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a complimentary coaching session called...

*** Plan B: Transforming Transition ***

In this session we'll strategize for your smooth transition to "Plan B" with...

The Five R's of Transformation:

1) Regroup

2) Reframe

3) Reserves

4) Resilience

5) Rewards!

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

***Member of the TriCounty Community Network, a local human services resource at www.TCNetwork.info.***

Teach Others to Treat You Well

Here Are a Few Questions to Consider....

~How do you treat yourself ? Teach others by modeling care and respect for yourself.

~Assertiveness: Do you speak up for yourself clearly and directly? Do you stand your ground when being pressured?

~What vibes are you sending out? Others pick up on these whether they realize it or not...and whether you realize it or not! if you're conflicted by limiting beliefs about your own worth, that will show up in your interactions with others!

Write out your out-dated and flat-out wrong beliefs about yourself. Then go back and change them to fit the person you are now...or the person you want to become.


Please take a minute to leave a comment so we can all learn from your experience and insight!

Thanks,
Susan

P.S. 'Need more assistance with this? I'm offering...

"Respect 101"

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...a complimentary coaching session where we'll discuss the questions above in more depth as they relate to YOU.

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Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a session by phone or in person!

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P.P.S. for Locals: A hot topic for summer...

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"Keeping Your Cool"

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~~A new workshop for finding answers to anger~~

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 ~~ 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Douglassville, PA

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Contact me soon at scleaver@dejazzd.com for details, as I'll need your prepayment of $20 by Thursday, July 23, 2009.

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In this workshop you will learn about...

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~Using anger as nature intended~

~What anger is NOT~

~The holistic effects of how you handle your anger~

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'Not local? If there's enough interest, I'll run a teleclass also. Let me know at scleaver@dejazzd.com. Thanks!

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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***Member of the TriCounty Community Network, a human services resource at http://www.tcnetwork.info/.***

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Your Environment: Your Catalyst for Productivity

You'll find it much easier to avoid procrastinating on a project when you have an inviting, well-organized space for work and creativity.


A Reminder: Invest Time in the Following Areas: (They may seem obvious, but we sometimes forget anyway!)

~Clear out clutter from past interests. It's taking up precious physical and psychological space, and it's blocking the free flow of energy! Make elbow room for your current interests and projects.

~Stock up on supplies, tools, and materials that you'll need at hand.

~Set up a retrieval and reminder system that works for you. Using someone else's system could prove to be as useless as borrowing their eyeglasses!

~Make the space appealing so that you and your Muse will look forward to going there.

~Use a timer so that you can really get into a project without forgetting about when you need to stop.

~Back up your e-data regularly. (Obvious? You bet. But I don't do it nearly as often as I should!)


What You Can Expect in Return:

~Better Feng Shui

~Less Stress

~Less Time Wasted/Fewer Distractions/Better Focus

~Others trust your word because you can work efficiently and reliably. Tasks that need your attention will be less likely to fall through the cracks or run past their deadlines.

~You'll feel more centered and flexible.


A Bonus Step!

Once you've come this far, consider stepping up to the next level of low-stress living and working: proactivity. Always factor in extra time for miscalculations, interruptions, problems, technical difficulties, and the like.

I set target dates for myself that are well ahead of the actual deadlines. I don't always hit the target dates, but it saves a lot of rushing around just before (or worse, after) the deadline. This way of working has been a major stress reducer for me.


Please comment on your experiences while experimenting with your environment for increased productivity and proactivity!

Thanks,
Susan

S.P.P. (Shameless Postscript Plug! :-) )

My Latest Complimentary Session Offering!

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**** "Become a Kick-Butt Pro at Productivity!" ****

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By phone or in person, we'll brainstorm around the topics below as they apply to YOU!

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~Leverage Your Space~

~Manage Your Time~

~Develop Your Strengths~

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Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up your appointment.

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Give stress and procrastination the boot!

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***Member of TriCounty Community Network, a local human services resource at http://www.tcnetwork.info/.***

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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Enthusiasm: Have You Seen Yours Lately?

Your Level of Enthusiasm Is Your Barometer
Enthusiasm is a crucial aspect of your energetic make-up. You can check with it in many areas of a holistic life to see where you stand.

Making Decisions
Check in with your level of enthusiasm about each option you are considering. This is a great way to begin developing your intuition, too. Balance your more logical ways of making decisions (pro and con lists, etc.) with this valuable tool.

Recognizing Inspired Action
If you're a Law of Attraction fan, you've probably been advised to take inspired action. How will you know the action is inspired? You will feel pure enthusiasm and a certain "rightness" about it.

Actions that you've orchestrated because it's what you think you should do will not be accompanied by these feelings. This is a definite red flag!

Enthusiasm as a Mirror
Do you want to know how you are coming across to others, and how your energy is affecting them? Again, check in on your own level of enthusiasm. Is it sagging or forced? If so, this is what others are picking up from you, regardless of your words and actions!

For writers and artists in particular...is genuine enthusiasm coming through in your work? If not, maybe it's time to try a new technique, medium, or style!

Depleted Enthusiasm also Depletes Your...
~Energy Level

~Well-Being (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual!)

~Creativity

~Capacity for Rewarding Relationships

~Level of Enjoyment of Life!

Has Your Enthusiasm Gone Missing? Learn from the Little Ones.
Have you ever noticed the unbridled enthusiasm of pre-schoolers? They get so excited, they literally jump for joy!

Why does this come so naturally to them? It's because they have not yet been weighed down with negative self-talk, limiting beliefs, resentments, and other insults to their well-being.

Sure, they have their moments of disappointment or anger. But they express it and move on. That's what emotions are meant to do...flow through us like water through a tea bag. They're not meant to hang around where they are no longer needed.

Learn from a Master
Master Coach Dave Buck has some great advice for cultivating enthusiasm. He suggests that we infuse the spirit of play into everything we do! After all, that's what pre-schoolers do. Perhaps Dave Buck has learned from the little ones, too!

Let's Learn from Each Other
Please add your comments, experiences, and questions to the mix!

Thanks,
Susan

P.S. I'm offering a NEW complimentary coaching session called...

"Get Your Mojo Back!"

During the phone or in-person session, we'll take a personalized look at three areas where you can take action RIGHT AWAY!

~~~Your Values~~~Your Passions~~~Your Self-Care~~~

To set up a time, contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766.

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

***Member of TriCounty Community Network, a local human services resource at http://www.tcnetwork.info/***

Befriending a Better Habit

Energy-Draining Bad Habits
The results of a bad or outgrown habit are like a swarm of gnats...distracting and annoying! The energy it takes to shoo them repeatedly away adds up over time and raises our stress levels. Yet like gnats, bad habits can be very persistent, as we all know!

I'll use one of mine as an example. I was a life-long producer of clutter who was also great at maintaining it! Ugh! In the past several months, I've finally gotten a handle on it. It's a lifestyle change that I have adopted, and I'm keeping a structure in place to assure that the new habit sticks.

Speaking of Structure...
...create some for yourself. Set up some way to be accountable to others for the changes you want to make. Choose your accountability partners carefully, because you will need gentle support and encouragement from them as well.

I continue to receive support and accountability from my family, friends, and coaching colleagues. Last fall I even went public here on my blog with a decluttering challenge that I had set for myself!

Make It Fun!
I know...this is where you're thinking, "This woman is nuts!" But give it a try. You might pair the new activities required with something you enjoy, such as listening to music.

Make yourself a chart so you can visually track your progress. Use colors and symbols that make you smile.

For my clutter-zapping and prevention, I set a goal of 15 minutes a day in four areas for a total of 1 hour a day. This keeps me on track, and the rewards of not having to deal with clutter or cleaning much during the rest of the time are well worth it.

And I do track my time on paper. If I'm out of town for the day, I make up the time later.

The Key to Motivation
O.K., even if you don't think you can find any way to make a new habit fun, ask yourself this: "How will this new habit support my larger vision?" This question could make a crucial difference to someone who, for example, is setting out to change from a procrastinator to someone who is proactive about getting things done.

When I saw decluttering as something I "should" do, I couldn't muster up the resolve to see it through. As my friend Sally says, "Don't should on yourself!"

Now, I see life much more holistically, and I know that staying organized affects the Feng Shui of my office and home, as well as my personal energy. I also see organization as an important element of my self-care. And it's important to me to be a great role model for clients, participants, and readers.

Some coaches don't discuss topics they are still struggling with because it makes them feel out of integrity. My feeling is, however, that if someone else can learn from something I know but have not yet been able to fully implement, why not share it with them? To stay in integrity, I just admit right up front that I'm still working on the issue myself.

These days, with the clutter issue, I can honestly say that I have a handle on it. There are a few drawers and closets that still need some work, but now that my new habit is in place, they too will soon be more orderly!

Best of Luck as You Develop New Habits that Will Serve You Better for a Lifetime! Please share your successes, setbacks, and questions with my other readers and me.

Thanks,
Susan

P.S. Shameless Plug: Contact me to set up a complimentary trial coaching session by phone or in person at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766!

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

***Member of TriCounty Community Network, a local human services resource at www.TCNetwork.info.

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