YOUR LIFE A-Z:ACHIEVE

AN ACHIEVEMENT DURING LIFE'S JOURNEY

ACHIEVE

ACHIEVE is the perfect word to follow yesterday’s zealous.  What does this emotionally loaded word ACHIEVE mean to you?  Does the word ACHIEVE make you feel energized and create that sense of “just do it,” inside of your being?  Or does the word ACHIEVE come with a mother-load of guilt that chides you with messages of,  “you should have had this accomplished by now?”  Either way, it is time to neutralize the emotional impact of this word and get to work ACHIEVING your dreams.  List three major things you want to ACHIEVE.   Ask yourself by what date and time do you want them ACHIEVED?  Then create a plan of action with specific steps as to how you are going to ACHIEVE the stated goals. Do not try to ACHIEVE these three goals at the same time.  Make one of these goals a priority and get to work on it immediately in order to build a sense of accomplishment.  Examine the why of this goal.  What will it mean to you once it is ACHIEVED?  How will your life be different as a result of ACHIEVING this goal?  Is the difference this goal is going to make enough of a reward for you?  To ACHIEVE your goals takes a zealous energy that speaks deep in your heart, not allowing for obstacles to interrupt you.  There are always obstacles along the path to ACHIEVEMENT.  Obstacles create opportunities to make your ACHIEVEMENT more meaningful.  To ACHIEVE is to thrive and to thrive is be filled with an inner sense of personal ACHIEVEMENT. Go for it.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: NEXT

Life is Waiting for You.  What is NEXT?

NEXT

If you are like me you have a list of things that need to be done.  That list can keep us busy twenty- four hours a day.  However, that list is not really NEXT in our life.  NEXT is a very important word.  On April 24 1996, the Women’s National Basketball Association was born with the words, WE GOT NEXT.  Those words echoed for the first few years as the WNBA took to the court to prove that women were a valuable denominator in team sports.  NEXT meant we are here now.  We have business to do and we are doing it.  What is NEXT in your life? NEXT is not doing the dishes.  NEXT is that important step of action that allows your life to open a new door of self-discovery.  What is it that you have wanted to do that is really important to you?  What keeps you putting it off?  What is the NEXT step that you need to do now in order to breathe life into your NEXT?  Has there been a class you have put off?  Or perhaps there is an entire college degree that you have yet to achieve.  Life changes in a moment’s notice, but nothing happens without forward action.  You have heard the saying; you don’t drive forward by looking in the rearview mirror that is true too about the quality of your daily life.  NEXT is a process of many small steps toward a goal.  It is showing up and establishing yourself as a person worthy of voice and presence in the world you live in.  

YOUR LIFE A-Z: FORGIVE

NATURE IS A SAFE HEALING SPACE

FORGIVE-FORGIVENESS

The words FORGIVE and Forgiveness are complicated and often misunderstood.  Yesterday, The Twenty Minute Coach spoke about Expiate, making right our wrongs by doing some action that costs us energy, resources, and humility.  FORGIVENESS is a more complicated process.  A victim who has been harmed by someone else’s actions FORGIVES by intentionally and voluntarily letting go of vengeful and angry feelings toward the perpetrator.  This is a process of multiple actions and work.  If one FORGIVES before they work through the feelings of hurt, betrayal and anger then FORGIVENESS is an empty action.  To truly FORGIVE is work and does not come easy.  Being hurt is a part of life.  We have a choice to harbor our hurts and become bitter, hostile, and angry old people or we can choose to FORGIVE.  Many times the lack of being able to FORGIVE does not hurt those who victimized us but hurts us instead.  If you notice you have become hateful and bitter, do an inventory of the people and hurts that have built up inside of you.  They are like prisoners and you must release them in order for you to be free.  Emotional freedom is such an exhilarating feeling of personal accomplishment and leaves you with a sense of contentment.  A simple way to start is to write journal letters to those on your list above.  Start there and notice how your heart begins to change over the next few weeks as you choose to FORGIVE those you hold responsible for your pain.  You can’t change what happened, only how you cope with it. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:YARDSTICK

                          

YARDSTICK

A YARDSTICK is commonly a flat wooden stick measuring a yard (3 feet) and subdivided by 1/8  or sometimes 1/16 inches throughout its length for measurement.  Sometimes it is easy to get focused on the full yard and forget that every small effort of a 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch helps us achieve our goal.  Thus, when measuring your progress do not allow yourself to slip into an all or nothing mentality.  Don’t focus on your lack of success; focus on the 1/16  inch of success along the way.  Maybe you have not reached the full YARDSTICK of accomplishment but maybe you are 1 and ¾ of the way to the full 36 inches that a YARDSTICK measures.  When we focus on the positive it builds our morale and energy and it becomes easier to say I can do another sixteenth of an inch right now.  Tomorrow I can do a full inch.  Inch-by-inch I will reach my goal.  This is a good time to re-evaluate your success and the definition of your goal.  It is not enough to say I am going to eat healthier.  It is important to have a healthy daily eating plan and then it will be easier to measure the YARDSTICK of your success.  Once one Yard has been accomplished then the YARDSTICK gets moved and your start on the second YARDSTICK.  Interior designers depend on YARDSTICKS to help them furnish a room perfectly.  Think of yourself as the interior designer of your life and focus on the “look” you want to accomplish with the YARDSTICK of your life. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z DILIGENT

BE DILIGENT IN ALL THINGS

DILIGENT

It is my impression that if something feels too hard or becomes too difficult that often the shame (interruption of the positive experience) makes us feel as if something is wrong with us.  “What is the matter with me that I can’t get this?”  The reality is that we can “get it” or re-direct our intention by being DILIGENT. Being DILIGENT is showing constant attention and effort in the project at hand.  Don’t give up.  If it is not working, go back to the A word of Analyze.  Step away from your situation and ask, “What about this is not working?”  “What do I need to Tweak or do differently to obtain my desired outcome?”Then move forward with your goal by being DILIGENT.  There is nothing wrong with you if it requires more work than you originally thought. Or if the project or goal has to be re-designed or re-directed.  Either way, go for what you want by being DILIGENT.  Pay attention to the detail required. Do not get sloppy, instead, move forward one step at a time and by being DILIGENT and you will get your desired outcome.  Being DILIGENT is not easy but it is not shameful either.  So what if it requires more effort than originally thought?  Don’t let yourself off of the hook. Practice being DILIGENT.  Your only competition is you, so be DILIGENT in all that is necessary to be your best self.  Be DILIGENT!

YOUR LIFE A-Z:JOURNAL

WRITE IT OUT...ALL OF IT

JOURNAL

Yes, write it down.  To JOURNAL is to record a story.  Think about it. Journalists are reporters that write down the event.  They don’t just report the event, such as, today there was a bank robbery at the corner of Bell and Jack Rabbit, they describe in detail the robbery.  Today, at 1:07, a blue pick up truck pulled into a very active strip mall and parked near the exit.  Two heavy set white males, appearing to be about 5’6” got out and walked to the bank.  As they entered, they nodded to a woman wearing a purple shirt and blue jeans.  She got in the bank line, fiddled to get her check book out of her leather purse, and when it was her turn at the teller, the two guys rushed behind her and stuck a gun in her back.  She told the teller, “I need $10,000 or these guys are going to kill me and everyone in the bank.  They are armed and have three hand gernades to dislodge if you don’t do this now and without any cues to anyone else. Understood?”  See, got interested didn’t you?

Make your journaling a written and interesting report about your day. Now, take ten minutes and describe your day as definitive as possible.  “My first thought this morning was, I want taco’s tonight.  As I dressed in my black suite and turquoise blouse, my taste buds were remembering those tacos at Sierra Blanco.  You get the point.  Now go do it.  No Excuses.  Do and Do It Now!

YOUR LIFE A-Z QUANTUM

FOCUS ON THE COLORS

QUANTUM

A quantum is the smallest possible discrete unit of any physical property, such as energy or matter.  The word comes from the Latin root “how much.”  As we are involved with the Twenty Minute Coach, our year of change, Quantum is the perfect word to reduce some stress.  I will bet 99% of my readers examine their daily life with what did not get done, how much money is not in the account, and how much more is left to do?

Today, I want you to practice thinking backwards from your normal mode of operation.  Look at your accomplishments today. Did you brush your teeth?  List ten things that you did today.  I am reasonably sure each of you did at least ten things. Start with the obvious, like brushing your teeth.  When you add up ten things that you did today notice what it is like to focus on the smallest physical act that you did today.  It is highly probable that your mouth felt better after you brushed your teeth and your body felt better after you showered.

We have spoken about gratitude and even the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal.  By focusing on the minimum amount of accomplishment today, you build energy to keep doing small things.  Small things lead to big things, big things lead to feeling better and better about your choices.  Focus on the minimum today and watch your spirit lift.

Your Life A-Z KINDLE

BLAZE WITH LIFE!

KINDLE

No,  I am  not speaking of the Amazon Reading App!   Even thought that is a great app and has clearly fed my book addiction,  I am speaking of the old-time word KINDLE.  The word means to ignite. Think about the words we have been using, such as aware, develop, interest.  Now, on this eleventh day of the New Year, how are you doing?  Where in your life do you need to light a fire, ignite an old dream, desire, or idea?  What is it that you have been dreading, putting off?  I invite you to choose one thing you have been procrastinating about and put it on top of your to do list.  Light a fire under it and get it done.  You will feel so much better and it will be out of the way.  Kindle a desire to enjoy getting stuff out of the way.  Retire the procrastinator in you and hire a "to do" manager.  It is only eleven days into the New Year and you can transform this year into a year of action, vitality, and motivation by kindling your actions into success.  After retiring the procrastinator, drag out an old dream or desire that you felt was too big for you and decide to pursue it just for the fun of it.  Kindle the fire within and live with it burning new life into all of your actions this coming year.  When you find yourself feeling bored or overwhelmed, just ask yourself, "what is it that I need to be kindling?"  

Your Life A-Z JOY

THE SNOW LION IS ALWAYS FULL OF JOY

JOY

Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and delight.  Joy follows the word interest because we have only nine innate affects (that means we have hard-wiring in our biology that generates anger, distress, sadness, dissmell, shame, disgust, interest, joy and surprise).  As I alluded to in yesterday’s word, interest, without interest there is no real joy. We do not experience joy in our relationships, work, family, friends, hobbies, or chores unless we have some interest in them.  Some people hate to clean house and if they have no real interest in having a clean house, they usually don’t clean house. However, if they have a vested interested in a clean house, even though they may hate housework, they feel a sense of joy and accomplishment when it is done!  Learning how to cultivate interest will lead naturally to more joy in your days and weeks ahead. 

Today, what do you imagine will bring you great joy and delight?  Cultivate it as if you were making a special cake for your birthday.  List the ingredients you will need to experience a delicious sensation of joy and then go out and accomplish making a joyful event in your life. 

INTRODUCING THE TWENTY MINUTE COACH FOR 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Today is the first day of 2014.  Allow yourself to acknowledge this opportunity to grow, change, and be different in 2104.  Today this blog starts a daily entry, Your Life A-Z, The Twenty Minute Coach.  Each day I will post on a letter from alphabet to keep you focused and moving forward with your life.   The posts may automatically post to www.facebook.com/inamomentsnotice.   However, to assure daily delivery please sign up to have this blog delivered directly to your email.

The basics of the Twenty Minute Coach are these three simple questions:

1. What do you want to change?  (Are you sure?)
2. What steps do you have to take it change?
3. Start step 1.  Repeat


Other questions to ask your self are:

1. How is the thing I want to change serving me? (What are the positive benefits?)
2. What will it cost me to change it?
3. Am I ready to pay the price?
4. What will I enjoy as a result of making this change?
5. How will my life be better by making this change?
6. Will I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment by making this change?
7. How will I keep encouraging myself to do this change?
8. Who can I recruit to help me so I don’t have to do this alone?
9. Now, that I am clear, what is my action plan?
10. When is my finish date?  If this plan is too big break it down into three parts with three separate finish dates.