Finding Your Flow at Work

June 28, 2010 by Di  
Filed under goals, motivation

Have you ever experienced “flow”?

Have you ever experienced one of those exceptional states of blissful, yet effortless focus and concentration called “flow”?

Perhaps, like me, you have been inspired by an idea which compels you to write. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a crowded café or in a quiet room; everything disappears from your consciousness, except for the idea and its expression. Once the “flow” takes hold, your full attention is on the transition of the idea from your mind to the page.  Hours can pass where you are in a state of bliss, unaware of the passage of time, of any physical sensations or egocentric distractions, until the experience is concluded and you are jolted back into reality. I often delight in reflecting on the work I produce when I’m “in the zone”. The quality is exceptional, the ideas new and fresh, the quantity of pages phenomenal, and the structure near word-perfect.

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Get Back in Control with SMART Goals

February 22, 2010 by Di  
Filed under change, goal setting, goals, values

Maxwell SMART Agent 86 from the GET SMART television series and movie has a lot to teach us about aligning our values with our intentions and goals.  His character is crystal clear about his values and priorities. He is on a mission as an agent of CONTROL battling the forces of KAOS and always emerges triumphant at the end of the day – even though his GOALS for success are often fraught with obstacles.BullseyeSmall

Just as Agent 86 had his heart and mind focused on a specific intention, it is equally crucial that you motivate both your mind (what you think you should do) and your heart (what you value). It is difficult to examine your values, beliefs, and true purpose without a trusted partner such as a coach. Once you have explored with your coach what is really important to you in your life (career, family, community, your values and purpose), it should become clear what you need to do. Setting  goals then becomes a natural extension of your values.

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Goal Setting That Works – Aligning Goals and Values

January 24, 2010 by Di  
Filed under change, coaching, goal setting, goals, integrity, values

iStock_000011532245Valuesl[1]  “Begin with the end in mind,” encourages Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.1 When you look at your life, there are so many goals you could pursue. But before you can set meaningful goals for yourself, you need to know where you want to go. If you clearly understand where you want to be, you can make sure your actions bring you closer to that place each and every day.

Corporations spend billions every year on strategic planning. They align their business goals and operations with their mission and values – their core reasons for being in business. Corporations may complete this exercise in-house or engage the services of an external Consultant who has specialized skills in areas like values alignment, cultural and business analysis,  and strategic planning. .

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Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail: Creating Goals That Last the Distance

January 10, 2010 by Di  
Filed under Articles, change leadership, coaching, goal setting, goals

 Are you enthusiastic about your plans for the new year? Perhaps you want to lose weight, get fit, study, earn more money, improve your relationships, invest in your personal development or uncover more business opportunities. Or maybe you’re a little more cynical about New Year, deciding instead not to waste your time with new “resolutions”, because, like most people, you’ll probably wind up breaking them.

How do you make New Year’s Resolutions and goals that last the distance?

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Relax, Don’t Worry: The Brain Science of Productivity

December 17, 2009 by Di  
Filed under goals, leadership, performance, productivity, success

Everyone you meet these days is overworked and out of time. In our tech-enhanced world, we have more timesaving helpers and systems than ever before.

iStock_000004089220IdeaHead

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Relax Your Way to Wealth

December 17, 2009 by Di  
Filed under goals, success, wealth

RELAX – wealth is on the way …

Now that I have ventured into the world of publishing, I frequently have the opportunity to get an advanced look at new information products.

From time to time, new titles grab my attention, like this one I’d like to share with you.

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Business Breakthrough for 2010 Coaching Update

November 9, 2009 by Di  
Filed under change, coaching, goal setting, goals, leadership

Have you ever thought about securing the services of a good coach, but hesitated because you weren’t really sure what coaching could do for you or whether it was worth it?

I asked Paula Jandey of Renaissance Tiles, one of my current small business clients to describe her experience:

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Leadership and Women – Babes In Business Suits the Book Arrives in Australia

August 30, 2009 by Di  
Filed under change, goals, leadership, women

Babes In Business Suits

Babes In Business Suits

Babes in Business Suits is the first in a remarkable series by Canadian author and publisher Felicia Pizzonia, celebrating the entrepreneurial success stories of women around the world.  

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Goal-setting: Love thy neighbour in 2009

One of the things about Christmas and New Year I always enjoy is the sense of friendliness, generosity and respect for one another that seems to permeate the air.  Neighbours who rarely speak wish good things for one another, we dig deep into our pockets so the less fortunate can have a more pleasant Christmas season, and kiss perfect strangers as midnight falls on new years eve. In 2008, several significant events also brought out our more loving side – Barack Obama’s election win and the influx of young people onto the shores of Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day. It seemed that the heaviest of days was made a little lighter by the mood in Sydney carried by 1000s of relaxed, carefree, happy young people from around the world.

There are exceptions of course to the mood – Christmas car parking rage and the recent spate of thefts of money from banks and automatic tellers, of presents from under Christmas trees, and of Christmas lighting from our homes.

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Goal-Setting: Clear the Clutter for Christmas

November 25, 2008 by Di  
Filed under change, change management, goal setting, goals

What better way to get ready for the Christmas/ new year break  than clearing out your cupboards. I’ve decided to motivate myself to clear the clutter with a a garage sale so I can grab some extra Christmas cash at the same time. 

I’ve often read that clearing the physical clutter lying around your house or your office is a really important part of clearing your head in preparation for new plans and goals – like the ones you set for the new year.  You can’t really put new goals on top of old distractions, else the old distractions will keep sabotaging your efforts to focus on the new direction. It’s important to make a space first.

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