I'm Stuck and My Brain Won't Unlock!

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I'd given myself a brain cramp by launching into a learning process for using creativity inside the coaching process.

Well, guess what ... the brain cramp has been worth it, I'm learning some cool stuff. Consider today's topic, unlocking our creativity.

As per the training I'm taking, our creativity can be triggered in numerous ways. This helps us move the creative process from one of "just happening," to a process that is intentionally engaged. I love being intentional, so this was right up my alley. And, the triggers are so doable there is no excuse for not taking at least one of them on.

Here's a sampling of activities that can intentionally trigger our creative process (you will quickly recognize these): spiritual prayer, meditation, music, cooking, gardening, athletics, repetitive actions like knitting, being with pets, water activities, being in nature, helping others, relinquishing control.

American painter, Andrew Wyeth, connects the dots with his quote, "I dream alot, I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious."

A preparation activity, such as those suggested above, prepares us for creative insight. My commitment is to combine two activities and do them for 21 days. At which point, I'll assess how my creativity is stepping up to the tasks I'm involved in day-to-day.

I'll continue with my early AM routine of prayer and meditation. Then, prior to any writiting I need to do, I'm going to break away from desk. I will breathe deeply for 5 minutes, then take a brisk 10 minute walk.Then I will return to my laptop and let my fingers start flying over the keys.

Are you game to join me?

Give Yourself a Brain Cramp

When was the last time you invited yourself to dip (or maybe dive) into something unfamiliar? Sometimes we give ourselves an unintended headache, but that's not where I'm going with this. I'm talking about intentionally sending yourself in a direction that you know will likely cramp your brain, but you go there anyway because you suspect it is going to be worthwhile and so ... you jump! Or, dip your toe. Maybe the difference between jumping and dipping is a reference to our desire for risk, but that's another blog topic.

Tonight I started an online class to expand my coaching technique. In particular, this coaching process engages the participant to use a variety of creative expression as a bridge to unlocking deeper insight. And while I consider myself creative in many ways, the avenue of artistic creative is not one I drive on. So at the same time, I felt both exhilarated and stymied.

During the course of this program, we will make use of art supplies and that sounds like fun. On the other hand, I don't want anyone looking at my art. Why? Because I'm certain it won't measure up. "Measure up to who?" I ask myself. Hmmm .... brain cramp!

The program facilitator asked us to close our eyes and imagine the phrase that had popped to our minds when he first started the call with us. We were to envision the words of the phrase as if painting them with a brush. "What does the phrase look like now?" he asked.

My phrase, which was in reference to what we thought we'd bring to our cohorts as we go through this learning process, was "joy in the journey." At the close of the call, as the facilitator posed the question, my paint brush swiped over the middle letters of the word "journey," and left only the first two letters JO and the last letter Y. And that reflected, for me, that I usually start the journey and end the journey with joy but recognize the middle of that journey might be pretty messy. Now, there's a brain cramp for you! But I'm diving in anyway, certain the learning will be very worthwhile.

Perhaps you had a brain cramp today, too? Please  -  do share!

Do You Choose Positivity?

I am fierce in my opinion that people can choose positivity. Can the world be mean? Yup, no doubt about it. Is life hard? Many times. Do we just get overwhelmed? For certain! Is there struggle and tragedy? Absolutely.

We all have stuff. Don't think for a minute that your neighbor, coworker, or second cousin has it easy. Likely they have stuff, too, we just don't see it. And by all means, I do not take anyone's struggle lightly. But I do know that we can make a choice to find some kind of purpose out of the crappy "stuff" that life tosses over the fence to us.

Okay, let me lighten up and encourage you to check out this You Tube clip: Teaching Positive Thinking. This delightful young lady has the attitude I look for in myself every day. Enjoy!

Who Helps You Be Brave?

Are you brave? I'd like to think that I am, but then again I am certain without doubt that I could often be more brave. I am, for sure, impressed with the expressions of bravery that I see in young people around me.

Like when I see how our friend and former exchange student son, Marcos, is doing I know I am watching bravery. Marcos is from Brazil. He bravely left his home country to spend a year with us here in the Twin Cities. During that year he made countless friends and had many, many experiences. Now, nearly two years into his college career, he's made another brave move and hopped over to spend a semester in France. Marcos is my example of bravely reaching out to grab new adventures in life. He's a rich (in experience) man already in his young life.

And then there is my second cousin, Sally, she's brave, too. Sally has worked and lived in London for many years now. And while the move itself was brave, it was when Sally spent significant time back here that I learned how brave she really is. Sally was here for an extended time while her mum was ill. When her mum passed away, she did many brave things. As an only child, she managed the funeral preparations and offered a moving eulogy during the service. She graciously helped her father get household tasks organized. And perhaps most bravely of all, she went back to London where her life was.

I'm excited that our youngest daughter has bravely decided to put herself in the role of stay-at-home mom. Leaving her job and work friends was not an easy decision, but she did it. And I watch her bravely grabbing hold of her new role with energy and a sense of purpose that I did not possess when I was her age.

Our oldest daughter has made brave moves, too. Before slowing down to be a mom she jumped on a plane and jetted off to Australia to backpack around, all by herself. And because her dollars were few, she worked her way from spot to spot meeting new adventures all along the way. And she was brave a second time when she sold her house in the city to move to her hobby farm. Being in the country is where she knew she needed to be, it's who she is so she made it happen. I was not nearly so certain of where I needed to be at that point in life.

These young people are inspirations of bravery to me. Who might inspire you to be brave?

Paint Your Client

One of the trusted advisors that I am blessed with is Steve Kloyda. Steve and I go back a ways, to when he was looking for HR consultative services for his company and in that process, ended up getting leadership coaching for himself. Steve was a a "picture perfect" client. He articulated what he needed, was open to my suggestions, and always came to our coaching meetings ready to work.

I trust Steve's advice in the sales arena, just like he trusted me during the process of leadership coaching. I was reminded of what an ideal client Steve was while viewing his weekly sales tip. Steve reminded me that we need to use our words to create a picture for our clients. They need to see who we are, what we do, and how we do it before they can envision a benefit from engaging us to serve them. He likened this to an artist's world where the how is our choice of brushes and our words are the colors that paint the picture in the mind of our client.

One of Steve's best tips, that I have remembered many times, is that when we are calling on a client (or anyone for that matter) we need to stay focused on the purpose for that meeting or phone call. This is ultimately the greatest way in which we respect our client's time. If we can consider the purpose for our meeting first and foremost, then when we pick up our paint brush we are more likely to create a picture the client can clearly see. And, hopefully, they will like what they see and want more!

Try this out for yourself. Understand the purpose of your call, pick up your paint brush, choose vivid colors, and paint a picture of success for your client. If you'd like to hear more great sales advice from Steve, find him at: http://www.theprospectingexpert.com/

Junk Food Thoughts

Did you make a resolution this year? As I understand from my fitness buddies, many of us who make a New Year's resolution start to waiver as early as the third week of January. Geez, that doesn't say much for our willpower, does it? So, okay - maybe I'm one of those who waiver, too. I declared that the year of 2012 would be the year I say no, more often, to sugary foods. I swear, the minute I said that outloud I wanted anything sweet so much more than I did the day before.

Now that it is coming up on February, I'm evaluating this resolution. Was it the wrong thing to consider? Too hard to accomplish? Not necessary? Nope, none of the above. I think at the very time I made the resolution, I simultaneously filled my head with junk food thoughts that said I would never make it happen.

I firmly believe that we allow way too much junk food into our thinking. We under estimate the power of our mind - both the positive and negative abilities. Too many times I can hear myself thinking, "well, it can't hurt ... right?" But that is the wrong question to ask! We need to ask, "how can it help?"

How does it help me to watch crappy television? Read negative news blogs? Chime in the demeaning gossip of the day? Pick up an "entertainment" magazine? I mean really, what do any of those have to offer that will actually help me personally or professionally?

So, along with a rededication to reducing my sugar calories, I am also determined to reorient what I allow in my brain. Are you with me?

Test Your Rest

I love chiming in on the blogposts over at Dempsey Marketing. Check them out, http://dempseymarketing.com/journal/. You'll find the site full of great tools, posts, and videos. A bit ago, a few of us chatted about sleep. How much sleep we'd like to have, how much we were getting, how sleep has changed for us over the years, all that and more. Yes, most of us agreed, sleep is a beautiful thing.

As I was breezing through the latest edition of Upsize Minnesota magazine, and enjoying the story of Lisa Bollin, CEO of Cowgirl Tuff, the Upsize business builder of the year, I zeroed in on the sleeve of her Cowgirl Tuff jacket where it says, "Never Give Up." One of the sentiments that Lisa shares is, "If you're going to do it, do it the best you possibly can or don't do it all." That thought collided with the ideas about sleep and got me to consider how my "rest" assists my business endeavors, or not.

I'm wondering if a good "test of my rest," is how effective and efficient I am being in giving my best to my business. If the quality and/or quantity of my rest is enhanced, would my work efforts also increase?

We hear alot of opinion about allowing our bodies to rest, both how and why to do it. The how for me is going to include shutting the TV completely off for one week. The idea is to disengage from the distraction that TV can offer to redirect my brain elsewhere. I suspect I will either sleep better because the noise has reduced. Or, I'll just get more done because my brain will want to move and the TV won't be in the way.

How about you? What are the distractions that may be getting in the way of your best rest?

Is Writing Your Business Plan Distracting You?

I like this Fast Company article that pops up 9 questions that nag at those who are in the midst of a start up venture. It's sort of refreshing to know that I'm not the only one out there thinking some of these things for myself, let alone having others share such thoughts with me, too.

I must be clear, though. I've had very little resistence from anyone close to me about launching in a new direction. Mostly, folks are just plain supportive and their encouragement fuels me along. But I do find that I ask myself these questions and wonder, "what do other think about this?" So, I'm sharing this article to ask y'all.

The question of most interest to me is the one about writing a business plan. I know there are some reasons why a start up just absolutely has to have some sort planning document - especially if they are out there seeking financing. I'm lucky. My solo professional endeavor only requires the financing of me and my husband. I'm extremely fortunate that he is my number one advocate, so I score 10 out or 10 on that one.

What I really like about the article's comments on this issue of whether or not to write a business plan is how the writing of it can become a distraction from actually doing much to get the business off the ground. We could spend oodles of time drafting the plan when, in the end, our venture veers off in another direction entirely. What good have we accomplished then?

It is scary to jump into something new and starting up a new business venture is right up there with "holy crap, what am I doing?" Are you letting the business plan distract you? I'm not, but I'm reminded that there are plenty of other distractions so I best take heed to stay my own course!

http://www.fastcompany.com/9-nagging-questions-to-tune-out-when-launching-a-startup

Solo Professional Doesn't Mean Single

I have recently been trying out a new introductory statement for myself. "Hi, I'm Barb a solo professional ..." I sort of like the idea of having "credit," if you will, as a professional even though I'm not part of a formal organization or large group. But, wait a minute. Actually, I am part of a large group. And that includes all of you!

One of the best things about launching in a new direction, (for me that equates to growing a reputation as a public speaker), is we get to create new connections and build broader communities. Given the technology tools at our disposable, that is so much easier today than it used to be. The resources are plentiful, but we do have to reach out to grab them and then make good use of them. And in this blog, I want to encourage you to stretch your arm in this direction.

This past week I've been geared toward understanding the next step of using social media technology to create new networks and to combine old networks into the new. This feels sort of like going to a junior highschool dance. You know the scene. Where the boys are all on one side, the girls on the other side. As the night progresses, somebody finally gets brave enough to ask someone of the opposite gender to dance. And, bingo! The spell is broken and pretty soon a few more people are connecting.

That's what my last few weeks have felt like. Watching the "other side," and trying to figure out when its safe to jump in. Here's the deal - it's already safe, just summon up the courage and jump! There are many others in this pool swimming around and they are so great about  helping us out. Skype is now my ally, no longer foreign. Connecting Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn is totally doable. Using Evernote to capture notes and ideas is readily accessible on my IPhone, IPad, or laptop - one tool, three devices! Gotta love it.

For sure, there are those of you out there reading this with a smile on your face probably thinking, "yeah, it's about time, Barb." But you are also gracious enough to encourage me along the way. Bringing me back to my original musing - I am a solo professional but not flying solo at all. Thanks, all!

Resolution - for the New Year or for Life?

I heard a good definition of resolution today, "firmness of purpose." I like that because it reminded me that our intention in setting a goal or a target is so critical to the progress we make toward the goal. I decided to make a life resolution, rather than a resolution for just this year of 2012. Actually, I decided to make two life resolutions. The first, eat less suger. My intention? Just to feel better. Since I'd like to feel better for more than just this year alone, seems like a good idea for me to extend this for say, my whole life? Yes, I think so. I have a wonderful second cousin, Sally, who decided to give up chocolate for lent one year. Once the season passed, she thought to herself, "I wonder if I could stretch this out for a year?" And, she did. For that entire year and for the next 10 years! Yes, it's been 10 years since she has indulged in chocolate. Now that is what I call leading by example and she inspired me in the process. My second life resolution, be more grateful. In general, most folks would say that I am grateful. But there are so many ways in which I could extend gratefulness. So, I'm going to be intentional to be more like Sally in life resolution. I'm going to be grateful for lots of things large and small. This is well within my grasp, I just need stay aware and be keenly observant of what's happening around me. How about you - will it be a goal for the new year? Or a goal for life?

Rush Hour Leadership: Rest

Without fail, nearly every time I listen to a Sunday sermon, I feel like I want to hit the "pause" button on the pastor's comments. Reason being? My brain connects a bullet point in the message to effective leadership. Sometimes it is not even a key point, but either way, the comment offered is impactful when considered from the lens of effective leadership. Today's message centered on the need for rest. That due to our "rush hour" life we disallow rest as an important factor in our personal productivity. Without citing research, we instinctively know that we are better at our jobs when sufficient rest takes place. This is apparent in those times where organizations mandate overtime to meet increasing demand. We want to think that 10 hour days will, in the end, actually equal 2 additional hours of production. When, in fact, a decline in production ends up being the case after a period of overtime. When we get tired, we just can't move at the same pace. Here is the leadership part I want you hear ... as "leader," you set the example! This is hardly anything new to you. And yet, we don't see leaders modeling the behavior they intellectually know will result in greater contributions to the company. Let me share some tips based on the sermon today. Take stock in them and try them out. And then let me know how you're doing when you are more fully rested. 1. Divert daily, withdraw weekly. When you divert daily to feed yourself, divert your thoughts and give yourself a brain break as well as a physical break. Withdraw for a designated period of time (at least 2 hours)once each week. During your short, weekly sabbatical: * Do nothing practical. Yes, you read this correctly - do NOTHING practical. Let the tasks sit. This is your time to mentally rest. Take the brain break seriously by shutting off your technology. * Reflect on what needs to be put in the "not now I'm resting" box. For instance, you appreciate hearing from your people, just not during this window of time. * Grab a piece of paper and pen. Jot down a list of what you are doing to nurture your connection to those who matter most to you, especially your God. * Kick evil thoughts to the gutter. If you find yourself floating in the sea of negativity, swim over to a trusted colleague for a splash of optimism. Prayer can work wonders in this spot. Decide to find, for yourself, a rhythm of rest. When you do, you may also find that beating the drum of life becomes easier, smoother, and more enjoyable.

60 Leadership Seconds

Have you ever thought of your leadership journey in terms of seconds? I admit, I have done a bundle of reflection, over the years, about my own leadership journey, but never quite at this level of "seconds."

Here's where the thought got started for me. I saw a blogpost, today, from an interesting guy named Erik Qualman. He is the founder of Socialnomics. (check out the website, very interesting stuff). http://www.socialnomics.net/

One of Erik's quick posts revealed that every 60 seconds, 370,000 people Skype. Isn't that incredible?! 370,000 people in just 60 seconds reaching out to "touch" each other through this medium. There is absolutely no way I can lead myself without considering this fact. Communicating with each other has been changed forever, due to the technology we have widely available. To ignore such a powerful communication vehicle would be darn right stupid.

I'm jumping on the wagon, I do not want to be left out of the loop. Want to ride with me?