What's Important to You?

♫  It’s the most…wonderful time of the year!  ♫
 
Well, you want it to be wonderful, but most days you feel less wonderful and more stressed out. For many reasons, year end may feel like you’re running out of time to complete everything on your to-do list.  One way to decrease stress is to be clear about what’s important to you.  With this clarity, you can choose to focus your time and energy on the items that bring you joy…the items that make this time of year wonderful!
 
My passion is helping people move forward with courage. You increase your courage by remaining curious about the life around you and ... remaining curious about yourself.
 
Ask yourself, “What’s important to me?”   Try my two-step simple process to find out what’s important to you and make this the most wonderful time of the year (hint: you can use this process every day and make all year, every year, wonderful!):
 
STEP 1:  Prioritize the items on your list of things to do. 

• Let’s face it, there will always be a list, all year long! The key to managing that list is knowing what’s important to you at any point in time.

• Pick a quiet moment, look over your to-do list, and assess the importance of each item by assigning a unique sequential number to each item. Hint: No two items can share the same sequential number. Oh, and use a pencil (see my next point).

STEP 2: Repeat STEP 1

• Yes, really.

• Review your list to reassess and modify the priority of each item as necessary.  Do this often because, as life happens your priorities may change, and that’s not a bad thing! 

• What can be a bad thing --- and lead to more stress --- is when you realize you spent time and energy on items that had become less important to you.

Your sense of accomplishment (and joy) will increase when you focus on the right things at the right time (what’s important to you) and, of course, cross completed items off your list.  So, prioritize your list as often as you need to!

Are you ready to clarify what’s important to you? 

Contact me today to learn how coaching will help you move forward.

How is a Life Coach Different than a Therapist?

Most people, myself once included, question the difference between a psychotherapist and a life coach.  Given the situation, each profession can benefit you.

A psychotherapist works within a medical setting to restore or improve a patient’s mental health and typically:

• Focuses on past issues, trauma, or crisis (like the death of a loved one, a heart-wrenching breakup, or a job loss)

• Helps the patient accept/let go of the past and achieve emotional balance

• Provides general solutions

• Meets with patients in person

A life coach works outside of a medical setting to support a client’s personal development and forward movement while:

• Focusing on a client’s present situation and defining future goals (What do you want?)

• Asking thought-provoking questions to improve awareness and identify (What does that mean to or for you?)

• Collaborating with the client to create personalized action plans to achieve desired goals (What are you willing to work for/change?)

• Celebrating a client’s strengths, successes, and achievements (What are you grateful for?)

• Meeting with clients in person, on phone, or via Skype (or other mutual video chat application)

If you’re still unsure how coaches differ from psychotherapists, contact me for a complimentary thirty minute meeting.   

Comment here to let me know what questions you have.  

Stay tuned to upcoming blog to learn how clients have benefitted from life coaching.

Are you ready to move forward with confidence and courage and live a purpose-filled life?