Chick Chat

There is no better education than one’s own failures.

There was an IBM project manager who lost the company ten million dollars.   Dejectedly, he walked into the president’s office and said “I’m sorry.  I’m sure you’ll want my resignation.  I’ll be gone by the end of the day.”

The president’s response showed his understanding of the value of failure.  He said, “Are you kidding?  We’ve just invested ten million dollars in your education.  We’re not about to let you go.  Now get back to work!”

I’m sure you have had your moments in life where you have felt like a failure.  Failures are the mistakes that teach you some of your life’s greatest lessons.  The question is, will you embrace them to help build your confidence, or will you let the mistakes devastate you?  You always have a choice.  Whether your failure is losing a job, your marriage, or some other important matter in your life, you can use it as an opportunity to see what’s in store for your future.

WAYS TO USE YOUR MISTAKES AS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Evaluate what went wrong.  Be willing to take responsibility for your contribution.  Sometimes it’s easier to point the finger at someone or something else, but resist that temptation.  Taking responsibility provides you with a greater learning curve.

2. Be willing to talk to others who can provide you with an objective point of you (Those closest to you and/or your situation cannot).   These people can provide you with what you need to know, not what you need to hear.

3. If faith is a part of your life, talk it over with God.  After you finish talking, be willing to listen and keep your eyes open to see what He wants to show you or teach you through other people or circumstances.

Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive. 

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Wouldn’t you know that as we prepare to leave for our vacation on the Atlantic coast, Fay decides to bring torrential rains to Florida and mid-atlantic states. 

I could be upset that our long anticipated vacation to a destination I have been waiting years to go to is ruined by the forcasted rain, but I am choosing a different perspective:

1. I get 10 days away from my office and enjoy being ‘unplugged.’

2. I get to spend quality time with my family.

3. We have a nice condo to stay at, along with enough games to keep us occupied while we wait for pockets of no rain.  Some sun would be nice!

4. There are a few indoor attractions we can check out.

5. Finally, a vacation we won’t have to spend a lot of money!

A shift in perspective allows me to still be excited although the weather won’t cooperate.  Who cares!  It still is vacation!

Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive

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I am so excited to be leaving for a 10-day vacation on Friday.  The last vacation we went on several months ago, I totally unplugged and found that I did not miss it one bit!  No voicemail, no emails, no nothing.  It was perfect.

I plan to do that again this trip.  My husband doesn’t believe me when I tell him I don’t plan on doing an ounce of work while we are traveling in the car for 14 hours.  There might be some withdrawal there, but I have plenty of reading material to catch up on!

I find as my girls get older, they need me more involved in their emotional and spiritual lives.  My goal is to be there whenever they call out and ask for help. (Anyone with a teenager knows how rare that is!)  Building memories as a family is what vacations used to be about. Not, how busy can we keep the kids so they don’t whine and get bored.

You hear more and more people learning to unplug and what wonders it does for them physically and mentally.  Even if you’re not taking a vacation or have had your vacation, how can you ‘unplug’ at certain times of your week?  I know I try to keep my Fridays free so I can have a ‘play’ day for me.  I find I am far more productive Monday-Thursday and get just as much done as if I worked on Friday as well.

What would be the benefits to you physically, mentally and spiritually if you were to ‘unplug’ on a regular basis?

Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com/essentiallifeskillsreading.htm for more resources to help you unplug.

Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive. 

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Ok, I am now officially fed up with these gas prices and all their fluctuations.  I was sad to see that gas prices jumped almost 20 cents from yesterday when the price of oil hasn’t even jumped $1. 

With Georgia closing down their oil in the midst of the conflict with  Russia, you’d think the U.S. would be able to look to other oil sources.  I sure hope this continues to be a wake up call that we are way too dependent on foreign oil.  And to think it was just as the U.S. dollar started to gain back some strength.

I usually don’t speak any political views, but I am so tired of these gas stations blatantly gas gouging now.  I filled up at one gas station for $3.79, while everyone else has jumped up to at least $3.95.  This gas station has consistently been lower than others in the area.  Although I think all gas stations are gouging prices, at least this one has been the  least offensive!

I guess Toyota can’t crank out those Prius’s fast enough.

Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive.

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I am always amazed at the strength and endurance of Olympic athletes.  For those who are not doping, they truly are an inspiration for how they train and perform.

These athletes don’t just wake up six months before the Olympic trials and say, “Hey, I want to be a member of this team.”  For many, it has been a lifetime of preparation.  They started in their sport many years prior, and made many personal sacrifices to be in the Olympics today.

I can imagine what helped each athlete continue to endure physcial pain and push through what they thought was their threshold was their own will and determination, but also their coaches.  As an athlete, you must possess a certain amount of self-discipline to perform well, but you always need a coach, or mentor to tell you you can do it!

How about you?  Do you have a coach or mentor in your life that can help you push past your threshold?  Find a personal and/or professional mentor-someone you have a great respect for and ask him or her if you could meet on a monthly basis for feedback and challenge.

I am where I am today personally and professionally because of the mentors I have had in my life.  They have certainly not been people to speak only kind words to me and tell me what I want to hear.  They told me what I needed to hear-which, at times, have been great challenges. 

Keep your heart and mind open to what others can teach you.  You will grow physically, personally, professionally and spiritually when you do!

Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive. 

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To know how you are motivated,       Ask yourself the following questions: 

1. How am I best motivated- create and act on own ideas vs. team player?

2. How do I best communicate- very verbal vs. evaluate before saying anything?

3. How I work best- fast-paced/variety/results-oriented vs. stability/slower-paced?

4. How I like to give/receive information- need a lot of information vs. not focused on the details.

ACTION ITEM:

The way you are motivated is not always the way others are motivated.  Keeping these questions in mind, think about the people you come in daily contact with and see if there is an adjustment you might need to make in order to effectively communicate with that person.  For example, if you are fast-paced and a co-worker is more deliberate/slower-paced with work, set a deadline that is appropriate that will satisfy the need for both of you.  HINT: Not everything is urgent and important-consider prioritizing.

 Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive.   

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I just finished a 3-week corporate project where people were being let go from their jobs.  It was hard to hear some of their circumstances, but there is never a good time for job loss and career transition.

I did have a few who looked at the situation with a positive perspective-”where one door closes, another one opens.”  This is exactly what pivoting for perspective means.  You have a choice to stay stuck with one perspective (usually negative) about a situation, or you can pivot to see a different perspective.  I know in my own life recently, I have had to pivot several times to see a lingering situation differently.

Here’s a pivot tool I use with my coaching clients:

Ask yourself these questions when you feel stuck:                                                                                                                                1.   What is actually happening (or about to happen) right now? 2.   What am I thinking, feeling, and doing right now?)    3.    What do I really want to happen right now that will serve my future commitment?   4.     What actions can I take that will support me in achieving the results I desire? ACTION ITEM:Use this exercise when you are stressed about a situation or decision and see how you’ll be able to pivot to see a different approach or perspective about it!  Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive. 

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WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED AND TIRED ASK YOURSELF: 

1.  How did I get here?  Ask yourself the who, what, where, when, and why questions.

2.  Did I set and implement the boundaries with these people and/or this particular  situation? 

The term “Energy Management” is fast replacing time management in the corporate arena because we must become efficient and effective energy managers to keep up with the demand of everyday life.  Time management is a by-product of effective energy management.

ACTION ITEM:

Identify one specific area of your life (personal or professional) that requires some energy management.  Make a list of those items that give you energy (people, situations, an avenue that allows you to use your gifts).  Pick one and implement it into your  week’s schedule once AT THE VERY LEAST! 

A CONTINUAL ACTION ITEM:

Keep picking one new energy item each week to implement and watch how you’ll become more productive and passionate about your life and what you do.  Energy drives our passion for life!

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Complaining seems to permeate everything and everyone these days.  Can you honestly go an entire day without complaining?  Complaining keeps us from enjoying simple things called blessings. 

Often times we miss the daily blessings because ‘life’ gets in the way.  In what ways are you missing your recommended daily allowance of blessings?

1. Daily schedule packed with too much activity
2. Excessive worry about issues (finances, kids, job, and spouse)
3. Too caught up in others’ activities/no time for self
4. No life balance
5. Little or no recognition or unaware of own needs
6. Trying too hard to control everyone and/or everything
7. Performance driven about every aspect of life
8. Expect yourself and others not to make mistakes
9. Life expectations aren’t going as planned, too many detours
10. Caught up in own problems, don’t see big picture or look at other lives to keep own life in perspective.

(This checklist is an excerpt from my bestselling book “Why Bother Looking.”  To find out more about this book, visit  http://www.thelifebalancechick.com/essentiallifeskillsreading.htm 

ACTION ITEM:

Which item on the list is most apparent in your own life?  What ACTION will you take to ensure you’re not missing the daily blessings in your life?

  Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive. 

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When it comes to deadlines, are you a procrastinator or one who has projects and tasks done with plenty of time to spare?  If you are in the latter group, consider yourself part of the very fortunate minority!

One way I have noticed I and others add tremendous stress to our lives is by not budgeting enough time to get a project done.  I sometimes will underestimate how long a task or project will take and then rush to get in done in the “11^th hour.”  Here are some ways to avoid adding stress:

1. When you decide to take on a new task or project, always OVERESTIMATE the time you think it will take to complete it.  For example, when I write bi-weekly ezine, I can usually whip something up in 45 minutes, but I allocate 90 minutes in my schedule just in case.

2.  Pace yourself.  If you know you have a few weeks before a project is due, make sure you have assigned the right amount of time needed. Then SCHEDULE blocks of time each week until the task is completed. 

3.  Recognize your limits.  Be realistic with the other tasks and projects you have going.  Does your schedule allow you to take on another project?  Or is it a matter of learning how to allocate your time more efficiently?

ACTION ITEM:

What tasks are still untouched or not finished?  Look at this week’s schedule and see where you can SCHEDULE the time to move your unfinished items to completion!

  Lynn Jarrett, “The Life Balance Chick,” has helped thousands of people through her speaking and coaching programs to bounce back from setbacks
and create lives that soar!
Visit www.thelifebalancechick.com to sign up for Lynn’s free bi-weekly “Chick Tips,” which gives insider techniques to stay stress free & be more productive. 

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