10 Deadly Sins – Seminar Series
Over the course of the next 8 weeks I will be presenting 4 seminar titles to help you kick start your Personal and Professional Development for 2009! All seminars are held in the 4th Floor Boardroom at my office 938 Howe St. Don’t hesitate, sign up today for:
10 Deadly Sins of Goal Setting
- 10:00 am – January 31st
- 6:00 pm – February 12th
10 Deadly Sins of Business Development
- 10:00 am – February 21st
10 Deadly Sins of Business Planning
- 6:00 pm – February 26th
* Register today as space is limited.
How are the resolutions going?
We’re almost half way through January which is usually when the gym starts to get back to normal and I no longer have to arrive 45 minutes before the start of an aerobics class to get a spot. Change is hard – no question, but, there are things you can do to ensure your success. I wrote a lengthy post over at SheTeam about how to best insure that when you do attempt to change you acknowledge the reality of the situation and take a kinder approach to your self as you navigate your new way of operating. The desire to do things differently (i.e. make a change) is genuine and in order for you to live your best life you need to pay attention to those desires and find a way to honour them. That said, I think we as humans are far to ignorant when it comes to the inner workings of our brains and bodies with respect to the role they play in our valiant efforts to make change in our life.
Free will is truly an amazing gift we have as humans, but, we can’t solely rely on it. Here’s some resources that have given me a greater understanding of all my working parts. Please feel free to send in your comments on what has worked for you.
The Present Moment
The present moment? What is that exactly? Most of the time it eludes me. Most of the time I’m actually somewhere else, usually a place I have not consciously chosen to go to. It’s a good thing that, as humans, we are not yet able to manifest things instantaneously. I would get dizzy from all the places my mind takes me to. So far today, I’ve been to our new home on the Gulf Islands; I’ve flown with Harbour Air and Seaair, taken the ferry to Victoria, taken the Clipper ferry to the San Juan Islands, replaced all the appliances in my house, and been to the dentist, Not bad cramming all that into less than half an hour.
Who says we can’t bi-locate? In that time, I also ate breakfast, did two loads of laundry, tidied the kitchen and said my hello’s and good-byes to my dear family as they started their day. Who knows where they ‘ve already been to?
Did I relish my breakfast? Sort of. Did I cherish the moments with those who are dearer to me than anything else in the world? Fleetingly. Sort of. Not really. Did they cherish me? Sort of. Maybe. The truth is that they had probably already left the building, their minds leading the way and their bodies following.
Didn’t I, years ago, dream of the day that I’d have my own family and I’d picture the rich togetherness that we’d have in the morning as we started our day? Yes, and now I have it and we are all so busy living our futures that we’re missing the most precious time of our lives: this moment.
So, how do I live this moment? What I’ve noticed is that in my moments, I’m busy pondering what I should be doing with future moments. At some level, I have decreed that this particular moment is not important enough to be focused on. So, I am focusing my thoughts on more important moments, comparing this moment to other people’s moments, to past moments and to future moments.
So for now, I have decided to treat the moment that I’m in as the most important moment of my life.
Nothing is more important than this moment. Nothing is more important, right now, than feeling my fingers on the keyboard, feeling my butt on the chair and my feet on the floor. This focus helps me to be here fully in this moment.
I figure that if I make each moment precious, then I will automatically have a very rich life in every sense of the word. Just like a toddler finds everything in his world fascinating, my world will, once again, become fascinating. One moment will no longer be more important than the other. My mind and my body will be in partnership, no longer at war with each other but a united energy fully experiencing the richness life has to offer and that we miss a lot of the time. My health improves becuase now I actually have a relationship with my body. As I’m eating my food, my mind enjoying it and my body doing the work of chewing, swallowing, digesting and being appreciated for it’s role in making my moments special.
I’d like to commit to practice this for the next thirty days, but then I’d be getting ahead of myself again. So, right now, I’m aiming for practicing being in the present moment, moment to moment.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Written by Willie Carter
Human Being not Human Doing
This time of year is always very interesting to me. The challenge I have, however, is in the enormous lists of things that are being ‘done’ as a result of the holidays. (Gift buying, card mailing, party attending, traveling etc.) What pains me is how many people seem to be absolutely miserable while they ‘tick’ all the things off their lists. The lines are long and people are impatient. The latest gift that every child just has to have is sold out. The parking lots are packed and to boot, we’re actually having winter weather right now!
My challenge to you over the next two weeks is be a human being not a human doing. If you don’t get all the things miraculously checked off your list, but, you are a kind, patient and warm human being throughout the holidays – you will feel amazing. Come January, when the pace slightly slows, go back to the things you didn’t get to and with the energy you saved by not getting sucked into the vortex of holiday stress, you’ll bang them off in no time.
Enterprising Moms!
Tonight I gave a talk at the White Rock Chapter of Enterprising Moms Network. Wow, what an impressive group of women. What impressed me the most is that even though they are busy moms, who own businesses, they are still making time for this incredible network that allows them to grow together as they professionally develop. I LOVE the fact that they are willing to ask for help- it is SO much easier when you use a collaborative approach. Congratulations to these Enterprising Moms!
Tonight’s talk was on time management and the importance of honouring your personal time. Not surprisingly, I came home to find my ‘daily meditation’- that I receive every day on email – brilliantly reflecting the discussion. Read it here.
Putting in your time – It's a must!
It always pains me to hear people say they don’t like doing anything that they aren’t naturally good at. I’m sad to hear that someone who isn’t born with the ability to jump confidently into double black diamond run on a ski hill will never enjoy the picturesque scenery of a mountain on a beautiful sunny day. I was always raised to believe that I could do anything that I put my mind to – and I still believe that’s true. But there isn’t a question about the hard work and long hours that will be required to reach the mastery level in anything. Malcolm Gladwell, Author of the popular books “The Tipping Point” and “Blink” adds “Outliers” due out next week to his repertoire. In it he discusses an interesting take on the concept of success and what it really takes to achieve it. There’s no short cuts in life and putting in your time is a must if you want to be rewarded. At the end of the day – what you put in is what you get out. Read an interview with Gladwell regarding his new book here.
Are You Ready for a Business Coach?
The Ghost CEO coaching program takes tremendous pride in educating potential clients about the process of making this decision. A relationship with your coach requires 100% honesty and commitment on your part and therefore is a decision that should not be taken lightly. That said, in the world of organizational development, coaching has become the most effective tool to accelerate results in learning and professional development and building engaged workplaces and lives. My business partner and founder of Ghost CEO, Christopher V. Flett, author of What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business, developed the following check list to help you decide…are you ready for a business coach?
- You wish you had someone objective and knowledgeable to talk professionally with
- You want a sober second thought when making professional decisions
- You want to move ahead quicker than you feel you are right now
- You want to start planning your professional future with quantitative results
- You are looking for an edge in business
- You are accountable, keep your word and want to work smart
- You are honest, open and interested in learning and trying new things
A Lesson in Primetime
On an episode of the (slightly unfathomably) popular MTV reality show ‘The Hills’ one of the most important Professional Development lessons was illustrated tonight: do not get drunk at work functions, especially when you are supposed to be working! It is just a simple NO. NO, NO NO. And, no exceptions.
This is not a point, and granted I appreciate my rigidness on this issue, that is non-negotiable. Excessive alcohol consumption and professional life do not mix.
This is not to say that you can’t go to a networking event and sip on a cocktail while engaging with new contacts on a more social basis. This is not to say, don’t go for a celebratory drink with a colleague after signing a big deal. This is to say, stop at one. And again, I reiterate – no exceptions.
Protect your reputation, your integrity and your credibility – keep your professional life professional.
Are you stuck in a paradigm?
Business today is changing and morphing on a daily basis. There is a constant need for new ideas and innovations. What often happens, however, when it comes to big business and innovation is that companies get stuck in their old paradigms, their old ways, their old markets, and their old patters, which hinders them from seeing a new idea for what it is – a NEW idea. Chances are high that if you try to force a NEW way of doing something or a NEW product line into an old system it isn’t going to fit. So, then what?
Watch Clayton Christensen as he so eloquently talks about why it’s so necessary to forget the business you are so that you can become the one you need to be!
It reminds me of JFK’s quote “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were. ”
Understanding "Y"
I was recently selected by Small Business BC to deliver a workshop on Generation Y. The workshop is geared towards Managers, primary Baby Boomers, who are struggling to understand these young members of the work force. What’s exciting to me is that I get to be part of the conversation encouraging these two generations to embrace the opportunity for them to synergize (work together as a cohesive team where the “power” of them as a collective whole is far greater than each working alone) and achieve new levels of success in business.
I’m excited about what is possible for the next 40 years in business. It is a apparent that there is a major shift in the traditional paradigms; making for exciting times.
Join me for the workshop. Register here.
