Your Leadership Coach

The phrase for the week is "Be Open.” One doesn’t have to be in charge to help shape the environment for open and honest communication.   What kind of environment do you help to create? What is your body language saying when a colleague or friend comes up with an idea that you think is ridiculous? Do you roll your eyes and/or give that body language of “Oh my goodness, here we go again! Or, do you embrace these ideas and look for ways to nurture them and consider their merit? Bring a new perspective to your next meeting or gathering. Challenge your own assumptions.   Note how you are received and the impact you have. I am open to new perspectives and new ideas.

The phrase for the week is "Budget Your Time.” Much like you might establish a budget for your household, few people establish a budget for their time. In my coaching practice, I often hear, “I just don’t have enough time for this or that,” or, “I’m too overwhelmed to add one more thing,” or “I need more hours in each day.”   When I ask what is consuming most of their time, they are at a lost to be specific. This week, develop your own timesheet and record how you spend your time.   Keep a detailed accounting of your activities at work and home.   It is tedious work when you write everything down, but the payoff is tremendous.   The results may surprise you.   Once you’ve determined what is creating havoc on your good intentions, create an ideal allocation of your time and begin a plan to realize your ideal.   I record how I spend my time to inform and plan for the life I want.

The phrase for the week is "Get Enough Sleep” We all have read, heard or felt the benefits of getting a good night’s rest: ·          Better Health ·          Better Sex Life ·          Better Memory ·          Less Pain ·          Better Weight Control ·          Better Mood ·          Clearer Thinking I’ve been functioning on 4 to 5 hours sleep for years, and I can point to a host of friends and colleagues who have done the same.   As I get older, I can see and feel this bad habit must change.   The first thing I did was get into regular sleeping habits. I really try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Even if I don’t go to sleep or wake early, I don’t turn on the TV or reach for my cell phone.   I’m trying to follow the experts’ advice and teach my body when it's supposed to be tired.  It's a work in progress ... I get 7 to 9 hours restful sleep each night. #sleephealth   #sleep   #sleepgoals

The phrase for the week is "Eliminate a Bad Habit” Before you slam yourself for having a bad habit you want to eliminate, consider first making a list of all your good habits.   Be ready to be amazed!   In an issue of O Magazine, Zoe Donaldson dispels some myths about habits and offered these facts: ·          Willpower is all in your mind.   You can control your self-controls to establish new routines.   ·          A University of Southern California study found that on average, it takes 66 days to establish new routines. The range was 18 to 254 days, so hang in there. ·          It’s never too late to adopt a healthier lifestyle.   No matter the age, there were significant benefits to report. Ok, now that all the excuses are out of the way, pick a habit that is limiting your forward progress. Habits like biting your nails are not acceptable.   Now, determine what good habit will replace the bad one.   If you want to quit smoking, what good habit will