Amazing Mondays

The "Yes List": The Key to Living on Purpose

2009-11-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

You don't have to let yourself be terrorized by other people's expectations of you. Sue Thoele

One must live the way one thinks or end up thinking the way one has lived. Paul Bourget

The more time you spend doing what is important to you the quicker the unimportant things drift away. Leanna Fredrich

Thinking it Through...

One of the keys to living a life of purpose is to know what your "Yes List" is . A "Yes List" is simply a list of your top priorities. The brain can handle only 7 goals at a time so choose a maximum of seven priorities for your life. Make sure YOU, your self-care, is one of those seven items. So often I see client's who quickly begin writing their priorities and leave themselves right off the list. The fact is if you don't take excellent care of yourself then you might as well throw out all the other items on the list because you won't have the energy, health or creativity to do them well.

Write your 7 Priorities down on index cards or where you will see them often so you can check in frequently. Now, when someone asks you to do something that is not on your "Yes List" it is time to cultivate the fine art of saying "no".
I recently asked a client about her "Yes List". One of the items she wrote down first was to start the business she always dreamed of. I asked her when she last spent time working on her business. Well, that questions stumped her. She had to think and think before she hesitantly answered that it was about 4 months ago. Four months since she has devoted any time at all to one of her top priorities! Unfortunately, she is not alone. That is why it is critical to be clear on your priorities and divide your time up accordingly. Put yourself back in the driver's seat of your life.
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Challenge:

1. What are the seven items on your "Yes List?"

2. Are they really your priorities or are you listing what you think they "should" be?

3. How much of your week are you spending on your "Yes List?"

4. What do you need to say "no" to so you have more time for the things that are important to you?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

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Job Hunting: Price Yourself Like a House

2009-11-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

I saw this article and thought those of you looking for a job right now would enjoy it... Happy job hunting! Leanna Fredrich, Life Coach

Job-seekers want to know: How do I price myself in this erratic job market? If I set my sights too high in the compensation department, I'll lose out on opportunities. If I price myself too modestly, I could leave money on the table—and worse, I could lose credibility with employers who won't value my skills any more highly than I value them myself.

The most common mistake job-seekers make is to price their skills based on their current or most recent comp level. If you're in a high-paying industry or company, your past or current salary could be the perfect measure of what you're worth in the market. But if you're not—if you've come from or are still working in one of the many companies paying below-market salaries—you'd be shooting yourself in the foot by relying on your past employer's assessment of your value. You can do a better job of pricing yourself, than that.

Homeowners use the Web site Zillow.com to gain intelligence about their house's value. Zillow uses tax records and home-sale data to arrive at house-by-house pricing estimates (called "Zestimates") that help homeowners make a value argument when nearby comparables are hard to come by. What's great about Zillow is that the longer the database continues to be populated with new datapoints, the more accurate it becomes.
Where to Look

Job-seekers need a Zillow of their own, to price their skills against the market and leave behind the tired "what my last company paid me" measure. Here are few tools to help the comp-befuddled get a sturdy comp number to guide them in their job-search travels:

• GLASSDOOR.COM is something like Zillow for working people. It uses real-person input to arrive at salary estimates for various jobs as well as reviews of specific employers.

• PAYSCALE.COM is another terrific source for job-by-job salary information, factoring into details such as your location, the school you graduated from, and how long you've been on the job. To receive your free report, you'll have to wade through a spammy page or two hawking online degree programs, but the information is good to have, whether you're job-seeking or just checking your market rate.

• SALARY.COM is the hoariest of the online salary-data sites, with good information based on Zip Code and job title.

To supplement the online pay-level data you collect, it's a great idea to check in with a local headhunter or two to make sure your numbers fit the market and those of other candidates with similar backgrounds to yours.

Once you've got a number you are comfortable with, you can start to talk confidently with employers about your salary expectations. And you must: Don't plow through the interview process without having a brass-tacks compensation chat by the end of your second interview round. You've got something to sell, and you've got to share its cost, the same way your Realtor posts the listing price of your home on the multiple listing service. When you're selling a house, you can't take a buyer through the place, chat about the neighborhood, and then ask "What do you think it's worth?" You've got to name your price up front. It's the same way in a job search—coyness about compensation is not part of the deal.

Often, caught up in the "they like me!" vortex of a fast-moving interview stream, candidates think this way: "I really like what I'm learning about the job; I just hope it pays enough. I won't bring it up until they do, so that I don't seem too greedy." This is a bad way to proceed, because it sets you up to take a job that doesn't pay your rate. Once you've invested time and emotional energy in the selection process, you're at risk of making a bad decision rather than walking away. That's bad for your long-term earnings as well as your credibility.
Don't Play Cat-and-Mouse

Since you've taken the time to determine your market value, you've to state it—proclaim it, in fact—when you and a potential employer begin to discuss a job offer in earnest.

Some job-seekers play hard-to-get with their salary expectations, waiting for an employer to name its target pay range for a position. They do this so that in case their target pay requirement is $110K and the company has budgeted $115K for the position, once the company lays out its pay scale the candidate can position himself to collect every dime of it—forestalling the risk that the "extra" $5K will be left on the table.

In my view as a former HR exec, this is silly. The odds that your well-researched salary level is far off the mark are low, and the odds that it's off the mark on the low side are even lower. And besides, if you ask for $110K and get it, what's to be unhappy about? If your employer is the sort that values talent, all the better for you—there should be promotions and bonuses in your future. Rather than play cat-and-mouse with an employer over the issue of "who speaks first," I'd advise a job-seeker to say, at the second interview or the phone call inviting him to the second interview, "Shall we talk about comp ranges now? I'd hate to waste your time or mine if we're not in the ballpark with respect to the salary level."

With that entree, ninety-nine and a half out of 100 company reps will ask you, "So, how much are you looking for?" You'll name your number, and let the recruiter or hiring manager react. If you've done your homework, you shouldn't be far out of line from the company's own expectations. And if you're too rich for their blood, you wouldn't want to work there anyway.

Liz Ryan is an expert on the new-millennium workplace and a former Fortune 500 HR executive. www.lizryan.com

Let's Hear it for the Unbalanced Life!

2009-10-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

"I will not should on myself today." Unknown

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." Ben Stein

"Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it." Brian Tracy

Thinking it Through...

We hear a lot about the need for having a balanced life. "If I only had more "life balance" it would be better." Give it up! We will never have a balanced life nor would we probably want one. What most of us want is a life full of doing what is meaningful to us and what we are passionate about. Think about someone who is passionate about their life. Is it balanced or are they spending huge amounts of time doing exactly what they value? Often we talk about needing more balance when what we really mean is that we are spending a lot of our life doing things that we don't care about. That's when our lives feel unbalanced. It is when we are spending our lives on "shoulds" that we start feeling futile. (For example the day I had last week full of running errands. Ugh!) So instead of worrying that your life is not balanced ask yourself how much joy and passion is in your life? Perhaps having a life full of passion will require spending a entire day painting, hiking or researching a topic of interest. Is that balanced? No, but it is fulfilling and purposeful. So my challenge for you this month is to discover the joys of an "unbalanced" life. Load your days up with activities that are meaningful and enjoyable to you.

Challenge:

1. What do you wish to fill your life with?.

2. What are the "shoulds" in your life that you want to let go?

3. What percentage of your day is filled with activities you love?

4. Take steps today to increase the percentage of time spent on those things you are passionate about.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
Leanna@AmazingMondays.com

5 Keys to Wealth and Happiness

2009-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I listened to this audio by Tony Robbins this morning and got so much out of it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Just click here to listen... (http://jay-tr.s3.amazonaws.com/5keys.mp3)

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
www.AmazingMondays.com

What is Your Ikigai?

2009-09-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

"Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in life has a purpose." Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

"Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it." Brian Tracy

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined." Henry James

Thinking it Through

I was reading the book, The Blue Zones which shares the results of research studies done in areas (Blue Zones) where more people live to be over a 100 then anywhere else on the earth. The researchers were looking for commonality's among the octogenarians to discover the secret to their long and healthy lives. One of the clues they found was that all of the octogenarians had Ikigai (icky guy) or purpose, a reason for living. (Really, it is lots more fun and exotic to say Ikigai then purpose!) In Okinawa, one of the Blue Zones, they talk about it all the time. In fact if you stop one of the Okinawan octogenarians on the street and asked what their Ikigai was they could tell you without a pause. If I asked you, could you tell me your purpose? Do you know why you get up or is your day just made up of an endless to-do list that feels meaningless? If you are without an Ikigiai then it is well worth your time to find a quiet place and think about it. Don't worry we all have one! Consider what is meaningful to you and what you really care about... Here are some examples of purpose statements.

"To leave the world a better place than I found it, for horses and for people."

"To uplift humanity's consciousness through business."

"To inspire and Coach people to live life with passion."

"To bring beauty into people's lives through their homes and yards."

As you read these statements it is obvious that there are many different ways these people could live their Ikigai and that's the beauty of a purpose statement. It needs to be big enough that it will still get you out of bed when you are a hundred and ten! The other wonderful thing about purpose is that you will never get bored because you can do many different things to live your purpose. For example; Let's look at the purpose statement "To bring beauty into people's lives through their homes and yards." This person could be doing a million different things. They might build water features, open a boutique with beautiful things for the home and yard, have an online business, be an organizer... and the list goes on. When I work with clients to find their Ikigai they are often surprised to discover they are already involved in at least a few activities that relate to their purpose. The problem is they have not acknowledged their accomplishments and are not focused on their purpose. Knowing your Ikigai and focusing on it daily makes all the difference!

Challenge:

1. What is your Ikigai? What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning?

2. What are your top 3 unique strengths?

3. How can you use those strengths to live your purpose?

4. What is something you can do today to live your purpose?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
www.AmazingMondays.com

Are You Sitting on an Idea?

2009-08-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

"In action lies wisdom and confidence." Albert Schweitzer

"...courage is only an accumulation of small steps." George Konrad

"I've never been afraid to step out and to move out in order to make things happen." Victoria Gray

Thinking it Through...

I love the world of ideas. That pure, perfect energetic world where anything can be created and obstacles are unheard of. I'm good at playing in that world. I love hearing other people's ideas and I enjoy thinking up my own. There is no argument that the world of ideas is wonderful but taking permanent residence in "idea land" can become a problem. What I have found is that if I stay too long in the "idea stage" the idea becomes stale and bitter causing me to not even want to think about it. The idea that once was energizing becomes an energy drain!

The only cure I have found is to begin the messy work of taking steps to move the idea into reality. It is messy because the minute I take action to create what I have envisioned my "monkey mind" starts chattering. It says "helpful" things like "This will never work." "I think you can come up with a better idea." "There are too many problems with this idea." or the particularly encouraging, "You're an idiot and all your ideas are doomed for failure!" Taking action is also messy because when I take action that is when I find obstacles and things I need to change. Over time I have learned to hang in there because when I keep taking action a beautiful thing happens...My idea gives me energy again. Even though I come up against problems I feel excited because I am creating and creating is one of the aspects of life that makes it worth living.

Challenge

1. What idea do you have that has become stale and bitter due to inaction?

2. What small step can you take towards creating this idea?

3. Every day for a week take at least one action step to create your idea. At the end of the week notice how you feel.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
http://www.AmazingMondays.com

Do You Have a Tribe?

2009-07-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

"Finding your tribe can have transformative effects on your sense of identity and purpose. This is because of three powerful tribal dynamics: validation, inspiration, and what we'll call here the "alchemy of synergy." Ken Robinson

"Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are." JC Hare and A.W. Hare

"Each person has an aptitude born with them. Do your work." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thinking it Through...

One of the things I love to do in my Coaching practice is to help people find their strengths...those unique ways of thinking and creating that they were born with. I have been reading a book called The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. One of the concepts in this book that I had not thought much about was the importance of finding your tribe. When you are with your tribe you feel inspired to create, take chances and most of all you feel "at home." Even if your passion requires a certain amount of solitude you still need a tribe. Martha Beck, a self-help author, has a wonderful group of women writers who she meets with on a regular basis. Freeman Dyson, the physicist says that when he is writing he needs to be alone but when he is actually doing science he welcomes interaction with others. "Up to a point you welcome being interrupted because it is only by interacting with other people that you get anything interesting done."

Perhaps you can even discover your passion by looking for the people you love to be around. By noticing their interests and strengths it will be a sign pointing to your own strengths and passions. Watch for the people and activities that fill you with energy and life. So here's to filling your life with your passions and strengths and having a tribe to keep you inspired!

Challenge:

1. Who belongs to your tribe? What are their characteristics and passions?

2. What are the activities you do where you feel most like yourself?

3. When did you last lose track of time during an activity?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
www.AmazingMondays.com

Do You Chomp or Savor Life?

2009-06-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

"Each moment is a place you've never been." Mark Strand

"The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now." James Baldwin

"Curiosity is in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last." Samuel Johnson

Thinking it Through...

As most of you know I just finished my first product for this year, "The Secrets to Discovering Your Passion-filled Career" audio workshop. I have been teaching this workshop for years and had always dreamed of having it in a format so those who were unable to come to my workshops in Denver could still have the information , do the work on their own and experience the joy of finding their passion. So now I'm done! I had a moment of excitement and off I went to schedule the steps I needed to take to create my next product. Then this weekend I read a wonderful chapter in the book "Mastering Life's Energies" by Maria Nemeth. The chapter was about using the energy of enjoyment. Maria talked about the difference between consuming, guzzling, chomping through life and the beauty of enjoying life. It soon became clear that I have been chomping more then enjoying! This little chapter reminded me to take the time to celebrate, to savor. Learning how to enjoy life is a skill.. One that needs to be practiced and developed. Questions are powerful and developing the skill of enjoyment requires a new question. Instead of spending our time asking "How can I get through this day?" we can ask the question "What might I savor about this moment?" That is my question for each day this summer..."What might I savor about this moment?" I started today and right now I am enjoying writing you. This morning I savored a run in the park and seeing two snakes. (Well maybe I didn't take the time to enjoy the snakes!) I wonder what else I will enjoy today. I'm thinking this is a great way to go through life!

Challenge:

1. Are you chomping through life or savoring it?

2. What will you savor about this moment?

3. How will you celebrate life today?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
www.AmazingMondays.com

Are You in Control?

2009-05-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If you don't like something, change it . If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." Maya Angelou

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves." Dalai Lama

Thinking it Through...

I was recently talking with a friend of mine about what we can really control. Many of us (myself included) want to feel like we control our lives. We do everything we can to keep things in order and going our way. The fact is we can only control one thing and that is our mind...our thoughts and from our thoughts come our actions. That is what we can control and that is enough! I find that it is more then a full time job to direct my thoughts in positive ways and choose a good attitude. So what are the benefits of controlling your own mind? They are endless but here are a few... More joy, more peace, more creativity, a feeling of direction and purpose and the powerful feeling that comes from taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions.

Challenge...

1. What would you like to focus your thoughts on today?

2. What are some action steps you can take today towards what you want?

3. Who or what do you need to stop trying to control?

4. What do you need to give up worrying about?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich

www.AmazingMondays.com

Get Ready for More Joy...

2009-04-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

"It isn't the great big pleasures that count the most; It 's making a great deal out of the little ones." Jean Webster

"We set our goals based on the big picture, but our joy comes from the details." Victoria Moran

Thinking it Through...

Life's pleasures come from the details, the small joyful occurrences. We live in a culture that celebrates the big, noisy accomplishments but really how often do those celebrations come along? To truly enjoy life we need to celebrate the details. For example; Easter Dinner is an event. Watching the children painting the eggs is a detail. Event: Driving to work. Detail: Noticing the snow on the mountains as you drive. Event: Going out to eat with a friend. Detail: Enjoying the sound of your friend's laughter. Train yourself to go through life as an artist using her senses to notice each color and shape.
Don't keep your appreciation of details to yourself. Point out the smell of freshly baked bread, a toddler licking an ice cream cone or the bright blue of the sky. Soon you will draw others into your "detail" game. Before long you will realize that the joy of life really is in the details!

Challenge:

1. What are some events you have today? For each event spend time tuning into the details.

2. What colorful details can you purposefully add and enjoy today?

3. Share some of your beautiful details with a friend or coworker.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
www.AmazingMondays.com

A Wasted Experience?

2009-03-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

"All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible." William Faulkner

"Every exit is an entry somewhere else." Tom Stoppard

"If you prepare yourself at every point as well as you can...you will be able to grasp opportunity for broader experience when it appears." Eleanor Roosevelt

Thinking it Through:

In a workshop I taught last week we were discussing the varied experiences of our lives. When we look back we realize that nothing is wasted. Every success, every failure, if we let them, helps us in the future. We may not be able to see how an experience helps right now but if we keep our eyes open we will. I am meeting with many people who have lost their jobs. Yes, it is a stressful time but within that stress is opportunity. I see people using this time to start the business they never had the guts to begin. I see others, after the initial shock of losing their job, finding a position which is a better fit for them. Our road to our dreams is not a straight path but one with twists and turns. Keep learning and moving and you'll get there!

Challenge:

Always ask yourself..."What is good about this situation?"

What have you learned from your past experiences that is helping you now?

What step will you take today to get closer to your goals?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
Coach@leannafredrich.com
http://www.AmazingMondays.com

5 Reasons for Job-Seekers to Take Heart

2009-02-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

It's bad enough to be job-hunting, but the daily doom-and-gloom news reports are the kicker. If you're in a job search and overwhelmed by the negative news on every inch of screen and newsprint in your life,you're not alone.

Here are five reasons to feel better about your job search and shove some of the hype to the back burner:

Earnings Are Over

Lots of companies had to shed workers to improve their fourth-quarter earnings, but plenty of them are finding that they can't serve customers without bodies on board. Look for more job openings to crop up during the spring.

Training Pays Off

Athletes train for weeks or months before seeing a change in their
results, and then one day hit a new personal best -- coaches call it
the Invisible Power Curve. Job-seekers can experience the same thing. The more experience we get interviewing, writing customized cover letters, and researching employers, the better we get at all these things. If we're learning, then our chance of getting a job improves for each successive position we pursue.

All Job-Seekers Are Not Equal

I look at resumes all day long, and I'm sorry to say that tons of
them are studded with typos and misspellings. That's a shame for
those candidates, but good for you if you're the person who watches those picky and critical details.

Your Network Is Growing

If you're letting old and new friends know about your job search,
your network is growing (even as you sleep!). The more people who know about your job search (and specifically what you're looking for), the better. It's frustrating to sit by as weeks and months elapse in your job search, but if you're cultivating your network,the passing time also builds your cadre of new-job ambassadors.

You Are More Than Your Resume

If the most common refrain of late '08 was, "Oh no, I'm getting laid
off," then the second-most-common one has got to be "But I didn't
love that job, anyway." A job search is a great way to home in on
what you're good at and love to do. When you get clear about those two items, you'll have built the first two legs of your job-search stool. The third leg is the answer to the question "Which of the things I love to do and am good at will employers pay for?"

There's a lot more to the working world than what's on your resume already. This is a great time to think about new outlets for your talents. You deserve to have a next job that will do more than pay the bills -- don't you?

by Liz Ryan
lizinboulder@grouply.com

You Can Make a Difference this Year

2009-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." John Tarrant

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

"If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room. Anita Roddick

Thinking it Through...

As I spend time speaking to and coaching people I am constantly reminded of the longing we all have for appreciation. We move through life with a lot being asked of us and each day it seems requiring more and more. What we don't receive much of is gratitude. If you want to make a huge impact on people this year ...share gratitude. Not only will you positively impact others but the beautiful,beautiful part of this is that you will find more things to be grateful for. What you focus on you get, so gratitude is an activity without a downside.

Have fun with this! Notice the look in the cashier's eyes as you take the time to look at her and thank her for bagging your groceries. Enjoy the reaction when you tell the barista at your local Starbucks that she makes the best cup of cappuccino ever. Imagine the surprise on the face of your trash collector when he finds the thank-you note on your trash can. Change your life and others by being grateful.

Challenge

Show appreciation to at least three people today.

Start a gratitude journal and send thank-you notes every week.

Find someone to thank today who you think rarely receives thanks.

List 3 things you appreciate yourself for.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
coach@leannafredrich.com

January Quotes and Coaching Questions

2009-01-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Howard Thurman

"I believe that you will be at your most productive, creative, focused, generous, and resilient when you figure out how to play to your strengths most of the time." Marcus Buckingham

Have you ever spent an entire day on something you couldn't wait to do again? You went to bed tired but thinking thoughts like, "I wish I could do that tomorrow!" That is what it feels like to use your strengths. When you use your strengths you feel energized, you feel like you are doing something valuable and you are usually excellent at it. It is a great feeling! As we start a new year commit to finding and using your strengths. This is one change that you can make which will create a huge difference in your life!

Coaching Questions:

1. List activities that energize you. (Be very specific.)

2. How often do you do these activities?

3. What are some changes you could make so you use your strengths more often?

4. What is a strengthening activity you can do today?

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

If you would like help finding and discovering how to use your strengths contact Leanna at coach@leannafredrich.com

December Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-12-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Quotes:

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." Ben Stein

"Be as specific as possible with all aspects of your goal." Jack Canfield

"The soul, the self, requires concreteness. There is comfort in knowing and acting on specifics." Victoria Moran

Imagine for a minute your frustration if you looked at the care tag on a new piece of clothing and it said you could... "Hand wash in cold water, Dry clean or Machine wash in warm water."All that's left is head out to the nearest stream and rub vigorously on a rock! What do you do? The vagueness, especially if you really liked the new garment, would drive you crazy! Isn't this what most of us do when it comes to what we want in life? "I'd like a new job." "I'd like to find a husband." "I want more savings." These statements tell us very little about what we really want. Commit this new year to being specific in all the important areas of your life. Learn to ask for what you want and require others to be clear on what they want from you. This one change will bring more clarity, certainty and peace to your life as we start a new year.

Coaching Questions:

What do you want in 2009? Be specific! If you want a new job make a list of all the things you are looking for in this job.
Are you clear when you ask for something? Listen to how you make requests.
Do you say, "I don't care" or when given a choice do you hear yourself say, "Either one."? Just for practice require yourself to make a clear choice.
What is a part of your life that is definitely NOT working? Take time to write down, in clear terms what you want in that area of your life.

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
coach@leannafredrich.com

November Quotes and Coaching Questions... Charmed Life or a Life of Disaster?

2008-11-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

Quotes:

"Inaction, contrary to its reputation for being a refuge, is neither safe nor comfortable." Madeleine Kunin

"Trust life, and it will teach you, in joy and sorrow, all you need to know." James Baldwin

"This isn't the end of the story. It's just a twist in the plot." Victoria Moran

I have met many people who seem to live wonderful almost charmed lives. My mother is one of these people. You would never know that she lost her mother to cancer when she was in high school, her oldest daughter at 3 years of age to a heart defect and 7 years ago her husband died of a stroke.

Other people I know have lives full of trouble. They are always experiencing one crisis or another. What is the difference? What I have seen is that people like my mom understand that life sends us troubles occasionally but they choose to focus not on problems but on what is going well. They look for a silver-lining. They take any action they can to end the trouble and accept what is beyond their control. They always believe that things will get better. In contrast those who seem to marinate in trouble focus on it with helpless horror. They talk endlessly about it and do little or nothing to change it. They worry that trouble will constantly plague their life and usually that is exactly what happens.

As our country faces crisis it is easy to focus on problems, problems, problems but each of us has a choice... Perpetuate the trouble or look for opportunities, focus on what is going right and take any needed action. What is your choice?

Coaching Questions;

1. What will you do today to improve your life?

2. What is going right for you?

3. How will you write the next chapter of your life?

4. What are 10 things you are grateful for today?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
coach@leannafredrich.com

October Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-10-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"Nothing changes until you do." Unknown

"Success follows doing what you want to do. There is no other way to be successful." Malcolm S. Forbes

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." James Allen

You have a wonderful, exciting goal... Perhaps you have a business idea that lights you up or a book begging to be written or maybe an adventurous trip you are longing to embark on. Whatever dream you are holding onto begin today to step into the identity and belief that you are ready and GOING to reach this goal. Often the most simple way to begin is to act and dress as if you have already reached your goal. For example if you wish to create a best selling novel and spend your days engrossed in writing then get up a little earlier or stay up later and devote your time to writing. Put on the cozy robe you plan on wearing as an author. Wear those fuzzy slippers and grab your favorite cup of tea. BE an author for a space of time each day! It is not important if you write a lot or little. What is important is that you are stepping into the identity which will help you reach your goal. As you put on your "author outfit " and spend time writing your book you are giving messages to the subconscious mind and letting it know that this is who I am. I am an author! Your subconscious which is very accommodating will begin to support you in your goal and help you see opportunities to get there faster. Not to mention that it will help you stay motivated on those cold, dark winter mornings.

Another way to begin living your goal is to find other people who have already done what you want to. Join the groups and associations they belong to. Go to the meetings and mingle with people you aspire to be like. We are social creatures and by spending time with others who have done what we want to do it is motivating and educational. Soon it will be easy to believe that "I can do that too!"

Coaching Questions:

1. When you reach your goal how will you be dressing? Start dressing that way as much as possible now!

2. What associations or networking groups will you be in when you reach your goal? Join them now.

3. Who could you talk with who has already reached your goal? Ask them how they did it.

4. Will you talk any different after you have reached your goal? Have those conversations now.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
coach@leannafredrich.com

A Major Obstacle to Career Change...The Fear of Self-Promotion and Selling!

2008-09-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Do you have a great business idea or a new career you would like to build? Many people do and some even start creating their idea. Then they stop. One of the most common obstacles to building a business or career you love are your beliefs about selling and promoting.

Whether you are creating a business or building a career, you will have to sell. You will either be selling a product or service or promoting your own abilities and accomplishments. There is no way to get around it...you must learn to sell.

There are many limiting beliefs keeping us from whole-heartedly promoting our business or ourselves. Many of us hold the belief that selling is a negative activity. We believe sales people are pushy, uncaring and annoying. There are many beliefs around the idea that it is "bragging" to talk about our achievements. People should just notice how great we are! (Of coarse that rarely happens.)

Since you can't be successful and refuse to self-promote or sell then perhaps it is time to change your beliefs around selling. How would it change your attitude if you truly believed that you have something wonderful to share with others? What if you believed that you could promote your business in a way that showed you cared about the success of others? What if you believed that in the process of promoting yourself or your business you could make wonderful friendships and business collaborations?

It all starts with our beliefs which then translate into the attitudes we hold and how we share with others. If you think about it you can probably remember someone who sold you something or offered you a service in a way that felt good. In fact you felt better after they talked to you then before. That is how you want to sell.

Along with changing your beliefs to supportive beliefs around selling it is also time to take a look at how you like to sell. Where do your strengths lie? I found that I loved to show the value of my business through offering workshops. I enjoy leading workshops and talking about my business came naturally in that environment. Others like to get involved in volunteering and in the process share with people what they do for work. Some people thrive on meeting people through networking. Many like to market over the Internet. Some people even enjoy cold calling! Experiment for yourself and find the marketing venue that fits you and your strengths.

As you think about your resistance to promoting your business or yourself make a list of fears and limiting beliefs that come up. When you have your list write an opposite powerful belief to replace it with. Don't let the fear of marketing keep you from the career or business of your dreams. Remember that whatever you have to offer is your unique gift to the world so give it!

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
coach@leannafredrich.com

September Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-09-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"You have to find places where you recognize yourself." Victoria Moran

"There are no precedents: You are the first You that ever was." Christopher Morley

"I'm not suggesting that you refuse to perform necessary tasks but when you have some say in the matter, you can save yourself from the spare peg-round hole frustration of activities that are antagonistic to your essential self." Victoria Moran

We have all known people who adopt the interests and activities of the people around them until they appear to become a different person. We have also experienced the person who will agree to take on a project for which they are not suited at all and do a bad job of it while being grumpy. This is not the way to live a passion-filled life! Spend most of your time doing things that fit you, that give you energy. Does that mean we never try anything new? No! What I am saying is that life is too short to try to fit into someone else's mold. It is time to find out what we love and spend our time there.

Coaching Questions:

1. Are you spending most of your life on things you are passionate about?

2. Are you trying to squeeze yourself into someone else's idea of who you should be?

3. What will you do today that you are passionate about?

4. What activities do you need to say "no" to so you have more time to do what you love?

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

How Old is Too Old to Change Careers?

2008-08-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Many of the client's I work with in my Life Coaching business are in the age range of 40 plus. A belief which often comes up early in our conversations is the belief that maybe they are too old to consider changing careers. After all they should be slowing down. They should be thinking about retiring not starting a new business or entering a new career. Well thats a lot of "shoulds" and as time goes by I am less and less sold on retirement. I get many retired people in my workshops who say that they are totally bored with retirement and are ready to get back to work! Sure, they are picky about the work they want. They want work they are passionate about and many want more freedom of time. What they all want is to feel like they are doing something meaningful and enjoyable with their life.

As a generation we are living longer then ever and many of us are extremely healthy so there is no reason to hold back from finding and creating work we are passionate about. There are many examples of people who change careers much later then is normally thought of as a "good age" for a new career. I remember reading about a woman who always dreamed about being a doctor. She entered medical school at the age of 60. Often people would say to her, "Do you know that you will be in your 70's when you finish?" Her answer always was, "I'll be in my 70's anyway. I would rather be a doctor when I am 70 then just be 70." Last I heard she was enjoying a thriving medical practice. Most successful new businesses are started by someone in their 50's or older. In fact many Venture Capital Companies prefer funding businesses run by a more mature and experienced leader.

A common argument against starting a new career as an older person is that , "I won't have enough energy." Often people are so burned out in their current career that it is hard to imagine having the energy to start a new one. We do need to be good caretakers of our energy at all times of life but especially as we get older. The beauty is that when you find a career you love, which uses your strengths then it will naturally give you energy! Yes, you will get tired by the end of the day but you will be ready and excited to go do it again tomorrow. When you are working from your strengths and passions it feeds your energy rather then draining it. What I have found is that when you are in a career you love it is easier to drop the draining activities in your life or hire them done. Save your energy for what you love!

A big plus to starting a business or new career when you are older is that you bring with you tons of life experience. You have learned through the years how to get along better with others, how to problem solve and you have connections you developed over time. All of this will help you progress faster and move smarter. Take all your hard earned knowledge and life lessons with you and they will give you a huge boost.

So let's change that old belief, "I am too old for a career change." and choose a supportive belief like, "I am the perfect age for a career change." Agnes Martin wrote, "I didn't get my first show until I was 45. If I could tell you anything, I would tell you that you have time." So gather your wonderful self up and get started on that new career or business. It is never too late to have work that brings you joy!

Leanna helps people discover their passions and then build a business or career around it. She specializes in helping people get over their fears and limiting beliefs quickly and easily so they can create the life of their dreams. Contact her at coach@leannafredrich.com to get started now.

August Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-08-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Quotes

"For even when the time comes and you can relax, you hardly know how." Alice Foote MacDougall

"If anybody says, "I need it pronto," remember that in Italian pronto is just another way to say "hello." Unknown

You create stress for yourself because you feel like you have to do it. You HAVE to. I don't feel that anymore." Oprah Winfrey

Life can become so busy that we feel in a constant state of overwhelm. We feel like we can never get enough done in a day. It is time to take a deep breath and schedule some silence and emptiness into our lives. Prioritize each day so you know exactly what is most important and then focus on that. Allow yourself to enjoy this day.

Coaching Questions:

1. Ask yourself this questions each day.... If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?

2. What are the top three activities I use to fill time to feel as though I've been productive but really are usually used to postpone more important actions?

3. Do I allow my cell phone and email to dictate how many interruptions I have during the day?

4. If you could only work two hours a day what would be most important to do?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

Career Change...Is it Just Too Hard?

2008-07-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

I received a phone call from a new client who was frustrated with her career. Each day work drained her energy and left her longing for bed. The interesting thing was that after a few minutes this client told me exactly what career she wanted. She knew what she wanted to do but was not pursuing her dream. Why? She was holding onto the limiting belief that "Changing careers is too hard. It will take too much work." Here she was stuck in a job she didn't like because she was afraid it would be too hard to change.

This client is not alone. The old saying, "The devil you know is often better then the devil you don't." is an old saying for a reason. We are willing to put up with the job we know because we are afraid of change and how hard it might be. But what is hard? I think hard is getting up every morning and dragging out the door to a job I hate. Hard is having this hopeless feeling that I'll be going to this job, spending precious hours of my life, at a place I dread being at. It is hard work showing up at a job that drains my energy and leaves me unable to really enjoy life even after I leave the workplace in the evening. Now THAT is what I consider hard!!

Pursuing a new career, one that interests and excites you can be a great adventure with loads of fun. Will it take some time and energy? Absolutely! Energy and work spent on something you love is a completely different feeling then spending energy on something you dislike. Think back to a time when you learned something new...something you wanted to learn. Maybe when you first learned to ride a bike. You got on the bike and everything felt wobbly and scary. There probably were a lot of falls that first day. But you kept practicing because you wanted to ride that bike! Pretty soon you could ride a little ways with out falling. What a feeling! Before long you were zipping around the neighborhood with the wind in your hair.

When you first begin to change your career or start that new business it is often overwhelming. Just like when you learned to ride a bike everything feels new and unsteady. There is so much to learn and accomplish. Take it easy on yourself and break your tasks into small steps. Take one step at a time and allow mistakes and learning to take place. All of this... mistakes, overwhelm, fear, comes with change and you will be alright.

Take those small steps, keeping your eyes on the goal and before you know it you will have the career or business you have always dreamed of. Oh, and guess what? You will look back and say, "Yes, it took some work but it was absolutely worth it!"

Leanna Fredrich helps people discover their passion and build a business or career around it. To contact her send an email to coach@leannafredrich.com

July Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-07-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"You've got to ask. Asking is, in my opinion, the world's most powerful and neglected secret to success and happiness." Percy Ross (Self-made millionaire)

"Just get used to the idea that there's going to be a lot of rejection along the way to the brass ring." Jack Canfield

"To be alive at all involves some risk." Harold MacMillan

In order to get what you want in life it is important to have the bravery to ask for it. This is extremely hard to do for most of us. It involves facing rejection head on. The truth is that thinking about the rejection is much harder then facing it and you just might get the wonderful answer of "Yes!" Ask for what you want directly and politely. Prefacing your request with, "I know you probably don't want this but..." or "It's ok if you say no" is NOT the way to ask. Just ask directly and then a simple "Thank you." for a yes and "Thanks anyway" for a no response is all that is needed. Keep it simple and keep asking. It gets easier and the rewards are huge!

Coaching Questions:

1. What would you like to ask for at work?

2. What would you like to ask for at home?

3. How has being afraid to ask for what you want hurt you?

4. What will you ask for today?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

"If you need support as you choose to ask for what you want contact Leanna at Coach@LeannaFredrich.com."

How to Put the Brakes on Your Career-Change!

2008-06-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

If you want to stop yourself dead in your tracks while finding your passion-filled career believe this..."I can't make enough money doing what I love. This belief alone is strong enough to keep people from exploring new and interesting careers. Often I hear client's saying, "I love doing ________ but I could never make enough money at it." They keep searching for what they want to do which is hard because they have already discounted the business/career they really wish they could have! In fact often this belief is used as an excuse to avoid exploring ANY options.

The fact is when we say "I can't" those two little words will shut down creativity faster than a spring loaded trapdoor. All of a sudden we wonder why we can't seem to get any good ideas. The problem is we just told our mind "I can't" and the subconscious which is always trying to make us right says,"That is right you can't make money doing anything you love so no more ideas for you!"

What if we changed that belief to, "I make excellent money doing what I love."? How would that change our exploration process? My guess is that we would explore different options with greater enthusiasm and lightheartedness. We would keep our minds open and creative. All of a sudden we would see more options then we thought possible. (The hard part may be to choose the best one for us but that is the topic for another article!)

Here are some simple exercises you can do to help you change your limiting belief, "I can't make money doing what I love." to a supporting belief, "I make excellent money doing what I love." First begin noticing people who make great money following their passions. Ask around, read biography's, listen to the news to find people who are thriving and loving their work. If one of those successful people is doing what you wish to do use them and their business as a model. There is no need to start from scratch. Find out how they took what they loved and made it successful.

Another way to not only change your belief but also open up your creativity is to enlist the help of a supportive, positive friend for a brainstorming session. Start with what you love and want to do and then come up with ways that you can earn money with your beloved career/business. What passive income streams can you develop? Often people who are financially successful doing what they love have several revenue streams. How many can you think up? Be willing to be outrageous in your brainstorming. Many times from those crazy, "impossible" ideas come some very workable, successful ideas. Keep open and have fun!

You can create a abundant career/ business you love. The first step is to believe it. Everyday state the belief you wish to have. The belief that will support you in reaching your dreams. Soon you will be the one that inspires others to believe that they too can make plenty of money doing what they love!

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
"Are you ready for passion-filled work? Contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com"

June's Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-06-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"When the mind talks, the body listens. We literally talk ourselves into and out of every victory or defeat in the game of life. Dr. Denis Waitley, human performance scientist

"Words form the bridge between mind and matter; they play a vital role in shaping our reality." Victoria Moran

Words are powerful and the words we choose especially when we are talking about ourselves are like windows into the beliefs our subconscious holds. This is often easier to see in others. How often have you complimented someone only to have them discount what you said? "Oh, this old thing!" "It was no big deal." Have you heard yourself or others say things like..."I'm not the smart one in my family." "I'll never make that much money." Each time words like this are said the subconscious files them away. The subconscious mind doesn't get jokes! It takes every sentence you say about yourself as fact. Gradually our beliefs and the words that support them create our reality. It is so important that we watch our words and choose words which will create a reality we desire to live in.

Coaching Questions:

1. Notice your words today. Are they supportive of what you want in your life?

2. Do you put yourself down? "I am such a slob." "I'm such an idiot sometimes."

3. Do you diminish your accomplishments? "Oh it's nothing." "Anyone could have done it."

4. Catch yourself using self-sabotaging language and choose words which will support you instead.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

"If you are ready to get rid of the beliefs holding you back from success contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com"

Wait! Just One More Thing...Then a Career Change

2008-05-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

One of the beliefs that I see so often in my Life Coaching business is the belief that, "I need to know more before I make a career change." It is such a convenient belief because it can keep you stuck in your comfort zone of inaction forever. This belief comes from a place of fear. Fear that you might make a mistake. Fear that you won't do it perfectly because you don't have enough information. Let me clear this up. You will make mistakes no matter how much you know because it is the first time you have been in this career or business. There is no way you can avoid this!

It is true that the process of finding out what you are passionate about and then making the move to start a business or change careers does require some learning and research. But and it's a big but! Research and learning need to be done in the PROCESS of moving forward and taking action. It is all too easy to get stuck in the "learning phase" and spend the rest of your life waiting until you "know enough."

Often the belief that "I don't know enough" is simply an excuse to spend time in perpetual worry. "What if this happens? What would I do? What would I say? What if I can't answer this question? Will people think I am a fraud?" The worries go on. Guess what? You can never answer those questions fully enough to feel comfortable getting out of your comfort zone and starting something new.

When I was in Coaching school we were told to start coaching right away. We were supposed to learn in action. I remember that first coaching call, knowing that I didn't know what I was doing. I learned more in those first calls then I could have ever learned in class or by reading a book. The problem is that when we are starting something new whether a career or business we don't really know what we need to know until we get started and then we learn very quickly. I found a quote in the magazine Fast Company that says it best, "There is no substitute for getting smarter faster. And the way that you get smarter is to screw around vigorously. Try stuff. See what works. See what fails miserably. Learn. Rinse. Repeat." It's all about learning while taking steps forward towards your new career.

I remember reading the story of the poet Maya Angelou's life. The one thing that struck me is that she was willing to jump into jobs and other opportunities whether she knew what she was doing or not. If it was what she wanted she said, "I'll do it!" This is a pattern seen in the lives of successful people. They are willing to have a high degree of uncertainty and learn in action.

My challenge to you is to change the limiting belief, "I don't know enough." to " I know all I need to know for right now." This frees you up to take action from a place of confidence knowing you know enough for the moment and when you find out that you need to learn more you will. This eliminates the endless hours of research and years of waiting to "know enough."

You are on your way to an exciting passion-filled career and with your new belief you will find yourself taking action and moving forward with less effort. Here's to jumping in, getting messy and heading towards success!

Leanna Fredrich

Life Coach

"Are you ready to have passion-filled work? Contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com"

May's Quotes and Coaching Questions

2008-05-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself." Unknown

"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."
-- Jonathan Winters

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful
men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they
don't quit."
-- Conrad Hilton

"Opportunities are usually disguised by hard work, so most
people don't recognize them."
-- Ann Landers

Behind the success and glamour of the people we see who have achieved their dreams is, if we look closer, a lot of work! Often when we read success stories it seems as if they were just lucky and had instant success. How misleading! Usually when you look further that "instant success" was preceded by years of persistent work. Consistent action is critical to achieving your dreams. Even though the actions you may be taking feel mundane and small they are, at the very least, a way to build up the "action muscles" that you will need to reach your goal.

Coaching Questions:

1. Where in your life do you need to take action today?

2. Are you taking daily action towards your dreams?

3. Are you focusing on each step and putting your energy into it?

4. Are you choosing to enjoy the journey to your goals?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

"If you are ready to get past the mental obstacles that keep you from your dreams...Contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com.

Do You Feel Paralyzed When Considering a Career Change?

2008-04-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in the sky there must be a rule written in big, bold letters..."Thou Must Not Make Mistakes After Age 30!!" Most of my client's are on at least their second career and many of them are terrified of making a mistake when choosing a career they are passionate about. They have huge expectations for their next career step. This career must be fulfilling, fun, world-changing, lucrative and involve working with angels on earth! Now, as a Life Coach I am all for having a career with all of the above perks but lets face it, that is a lot of pressure on one decision. Often all that pressure leads people into paralyzed inaction.

I hate to be the one to say it but the path to a passion-filled career is not always straight and full of sunshine. Many times it is crooked and full of pot-holes ie.. mistakes. In fact finding a career that is fulfilling and exciting requires a ton of mistakes so it is a good idea to get started!

Many people feel that they cannot trust themselves to make the right decision when it comes to their next career. The fact is that YOU are the only one you can trust to find a career that you are passionate about. Yes, you can work with a Coach and it will speed up the process but the Coach will be spending that time helping you find the answers inside. It is time to get back in touch with that wise person inside of you. The one who's voice is all covered up with the stress and chaos of life. You can do this simply by taking quiet time each day, not to choose your career but to be quiet and listen to your breathing. Slow down your mind so that your wisdom and creativity will shine through. Then follow any ideas you might have. Take a step forward to explore a career or business you are interested in. Allow yourself to explore it as a young child explores things. Keep asking yourself... "Does this interest me?" If the first path you explore comes to a dead end don't berate yourself just turn around and get the scent of a new trail. Have fun! Be curious! Let go of the idea that you have to have a clear plan right now.

When you are following your passion and listening to your heart you can be sure that you are heading the right way even if your career doesn't end up looking like you expected. For example, Kathy thought she wanted to be an artist and sell her paintings around the world. She took steps to begin that career but along the way Kathy discovered that she loved helping people choose and place artwork in their home. Kathy is absolutely crazy about her new career even though it wasn't what she set out to do. Remain open and curious.

If you find yourself holding to the belief that "I don't trust myself to choose the right career or business consider a change. How would your life change if you truly believed that , "I will follow my heart and I know it will lead me to my passions and the career of my dreams?" And don't forget to add this to your beliefs. "It is ok to make mistakes!" So as your Life Coach for the moment here is your fieldwork. Listen to your heart, begin exploring and along the way make a lot of mistakes!

Leanna Fredrich guides people to find their passions and then build a career or business around it. She helps them quickly and easily get over their fears and limiting beliefs so they can pursue the career of their dreams. Contact her at coach@leannafredrich.com

April Quotes and Coaching Questions...

2008-04-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"Rest and be thankful." William Wordsworth

"When you find yourself declaring that absolutely, no way, can you possibly take time off, that is exactly when you need to." Jennifer Louden

"A little sacred space is a gift we give ourselves, our homes, and our families - even if they wonder what on earth this is about." Victoria Moran

Thoughts...

Taking time out to stop, rest and still the mind is so important to creating a passionate life. One of the ways to do this is to have a special place of quiet. It can be as simple as a favorite chair and blanket. You might add a candle, picture, inspirational book or a journal to your quiet spot. Having this special spot is a great way to remind yourself to stop and take the time you need to reconnect. Set up a quiet place for yourself today. You deserve it!

Coaching Questions:

1. Do you have a favorite spot for "quiet time?"

2. What can you do to make that sacred place special?

3. What will it take to start taking a few minutes of quiet time everyday?

4. Will you do it today?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna

"If you would like support in creating the life of your dreams contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com."

Here's How to Keep Motivated as You Make a Career Change

2008-03-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

You are looking for a career that is fulfilling and exciting. One that will get you out of bed in the morning with a smile on your face. So you begin looking for that career. Weeks go by. You are still stuck in that life-sucking job. How do you keep motivated enough to do the work it will take to find your next career?

The key to success that is most often ignored or forgotten is this... Take time to celebrate! I can hear you saying, "I have nothing to celebrate. I am stuck in this job and I haven't made the career change I want." My answer is find something to celebrate. Researchers show that people we consider successful tend to focus on their past successes . People who we would consider failures tend to focus on their past failures. We get more of what we focus on. Plus how motivating is it to focus on past and current failures? It doesn't get you out of bed filled with energy to work on moving towards a new career!

I will share with you two simple activities to help you focus and celebrate your daily successes. (Yes, you have them!) The first activity is a "Success Log." Peter Thigpen, a former vice-president at Levi Strauss & Co. kept a "Success Log" on his desk. Anytime he had a success whether it was big or small he wrote it down. Everyday he wrote at least a couple of entries. Sometimes the entries were about work, sometimes they referred to success in his personal life. When he had a bad day or when he was about to do something uncomfortable like make a speech to the board of directors or negotiate a big deal Peter pulled out his Success Log and read his previous entries. Doing this kept him focused on success and prepared him for a confident speech or negotiation.

Start a Success Log today! I don't want to hear that you have nothing to write down! Are you out of bed? Did you get the kids off to school? Did you drive safely to work? All of us have many successes everyday so write some down! Give yourself credit. Most of us have a double standard in regards to taking credit. When we complete something successfully we tend to downplay it. In contrast when we make a mistake we tend to blow it up and take full credit. Not fair! It is time to take full credit for our successes instead. Focus on success.

The second activity to help you focus on success is the "Mirror Exercise". Every night before bed simply look in the mirror, right into your eyes and say your name... I appreciate you for ______________ today. For example I might say, "Leanna, I appreciate you for going on a run today." or "I appreciate you for making that hard phone call." List five successes you have had today. When you are done look yourself in the eyes and say, "I love you." Many people have trouble with this last part because they truly have a hard time loving themselves. Do it anyway because as you change careers you need the confidence that will come from loving yourself. If you can't look into your eyes at first then look away and say it. It will get easier.

In order to have courage and motivation to take the risks necessary to have a career you love you must gather strength from your past successes. You need to celebrate each step of the way. Doing this will not only give you confidence but it will help make this career change journey exciting and fun.

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
If you are ready to create the career of your dreams contact Leanna at coach@leannafredrich.com.

March Quotes and Coaching Questions...

2008-03-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

"Let's make a toast to the long art/ of lingering." Lee Upton

"Rest and be thankful." William Wordsworth

"If you want inner peace find it in solitude..." Stewart L. Udall

Thought's...

After beginning the book, "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle I have been spending a lot of time thinking about not thinking! Although maybe not the point of the book it is a step in the right direction for a severely addicted thinker like me. I realize how much time I think in frantic circles and how little time I focus on what is going on right now. I catch myself, under stress, breathing so shallowly that it is barely breathing at all. The beauty of watching my thinking is that I am now reminded to breathe, to focus on what I am doing now, to God-forbid rest for a moment!

Coaching Questions:

1. How often do you rest from your thoughts?

2. When is the best time during your day to take some time for solitude?

3. How often do you just focus on your breathing?

4. What is right about your life in this moment?

As the song says, "Just breathe!"

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
"If you have limiting beliefs keeping you from your dreams email me a coach@leannafredrich.com and lets work together to move you forward."

How to Make a Career-Change Plan that Works!

2008-02-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

In my Life Coaching Business I often see clients who after a few minutes of talking tell me what career they would love. They really are not confused about what they want to do instead they are afraid to go after their dream or they don't know how or perhaps a combination of the two. It is wonderful to know what your passion-filled career would be but extremely frustrating to know that and never do a thing about it! Carol is a prime example of this dilemma. She is amazingly artistic and loves decorating houses. Her own house sold in two days during a depressed market and had several offers. Why? Because Carol had made her home a showplace. Any outsider can see that Carol has the talent, passion and gift for Interior Decorating. Unfortunately, she has not followed that dream and has jumped from one unsatisfying job to another. Part of the reason Carol is stuck is the absence of a clear goal and plan to achieve it.

The first step to turn a dream into a reality is to be very clear about what you want. Take time to write out your ideal job. Put as many details into your description as possible. You need to give that powerful part of your brain, your subconscious, detailed and brilliant pictures to work with. When you describe your goal use all your senses to make a clear picture of what you want. For example writing down, "I want a rewarding career." does not give the subconscious much to go on. What is a rewarding career? What would that look like? What would you be doing? What would others be saying about you? Once your goal is clear it is much easier to move forward with purpose and motivation.

The next step is to acknowledge WHY you want to reach this goal. A goal without a strong purpose will not keep you interested. Write down all the reasons you can think of. What is in it for you? How will you impact others? If you cannot come up with a strong "why" then it is often a sign that this goal is not yours at all but something that you think you "should" do or someone else thinks you "should" do. A powerful "why" helps you stay motivated even when you encounter obstacles as you embark on your career change.

After you are clear about what you want and why you want it then you can start creating a Dream Line. The Dream Line should be for the next six months to one year. If you make a plan for much longer then that it is easy to procrastinate. Write down where you want to be at the end of the year. What do you want to accomplish that would feel really great? Do you want to have your own business running and profitable? Do you want to move to a new city and be working at your dream job as _____________. Do you want a promotion into the position you have always dreamed of? When you know the end result then you can begin filling in the blanks. What do you need to have done this month? What will you accomplish next month. Of coarse this is a "living" plan and you will change as you go but by writing down what you think you should accomplish each month you will keep momentum.

Jonathon Winters the comedian once said, "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to meet it." After making a plan the key to unlock your dreams is action. Consistent, daily action. Jack Canfield, author of "The Success Principles" talks about taking 5 daily actions steps towards your goal. Don't worry if you are not sure how to take some of the steps do it anyway. Yes, you will make some mistakes but that is how you move forward. We all learned how to walk by trying and falling and trying again. I'm not sure why we get the idea that when we learn as adults we need to do it without mistakes! It just doesn't work that way.

Because we will be making mistakes, learning new things and feeling fear it is important that we gather a support team. Who do you need on your team? These should be "can do" people who will encourage you as you change your career. They need to be people who will let you cry on their shoulders and then give you a gentle ( or not so gentle!) shove towards your goal. Remember that sometimes we need to tell people how we would like to be supported. Don't assume they will know. Tell them!

As you move forward towards your goal keep focused on the desired end result. Imagine what it will be like when you are working in your new career. What will you feel like? What will you be doing? Who will you be working with? Keep your vision bright. Not only will it keep you motivated but you will naturally attract the people, resources and circumstances that will help you begin your passion-filled career.

Celebrate as you work towards your goal. Many of us celebrate after we start our new business or land our dream job and that is great but it is not enough. We need to celebrate each small step. Research has shown that people who feel successful tend to have more successes. The way to feel successful each day is to acknowledge your completion of each small step. These little treats along the way will keep you moving forward and make the journey fun. Let's get started.. It is time to take action and turn your dream into a reality!

Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach
If you are ready to create the career of your dreams contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com.

Treat Yourself to a Wonderful, Big Life!

2008-02-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Quotes:

"The ultimate secret to aging exquisitely is to identify more with the part of yourself that doesn't grow older-the inner part-and less with the other part that metamorphoses through ages and stages all your life long." Victoria Moran

"The older I get the greater power I seem to have to help the world." Susan B. Anthony

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason turn his back on life." Eleanor Roosevelt

I often hear from client's that "they are too old to make the career change they have always wanted." What a sad commentary on life and getting older. So often we allow our world to shrink instead of expand. We feel we must get smaller, less valuable. What a bunch of self-defeating baloney!! Now is the time to create your dreams. Age has nothing to do with it. The three greatest regrets people express on their death bed is that they did not take enough risk, did not take excellent care of themselves and they were not as vulnerable to the people closest to them as they wished they had been. In short, they played life safe and small. Don't make the same mistakes. Live life boldly, taking risks that mean something to you and living large!

Coaching Questions:

1. Where have you been playing small in your life?

2. What is a risk you need to take?

3. How can you take excellent care of yourself today?

4. What is one thing you can do today to live large?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
If you would like support in creating your dreams contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com

What's Stopping You from Making a Great Career Change?

2008-01-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

You are longing for a career change. One that makes your heart sing. One that will cause you to leap out of bed Monday morning, (Well maybe not leap but at least feel great about work!) Maybe you have been wishing for your own business but are not sure what that business would be. Why haven't you already found that career? Part of the answer may be that you do not know what career you want but there is another block to you moving forward – Limiting Beliefs. I have found in my Life Coaching practice that limiting beliefs are the greatest obstacle to people moving forward towards their dreams.
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Think about your dream for a career change. When you imagine your career the way you want it, what do you start thinking about? Do you think thoughts like...."I am too old to make a career change." "I could never make enough money in a career I loved." "Starting my own business would take too much time." "I'm not smart enough, thin enough, rich enough, outgoing enough..." These "lovely" little tapes in our heads are beliefs - limiting beliefs. They are what makes reaching your dreams a struggle. They are the very things that cause you to procrastinate, make excuses and ignore taking action towards your goal.

Where did these limiting beliefs come from? From just about everywhere- our society, friends, parents, teachers, TV. We, for whatever reason chose to believe these statements and make them true for us. When we choose a belief then we began looking around for support. The beliefs are in our subconscious and the job of our subconscious is to make us right. When we choose a belief like, "I could never make enough money in a career I loved" we quickly look around and see examples of others who have careers they love but very little cash. Over the years we gather more support for our belief until we firmly believe it is the TRUTH! The fact is if we had chosen the opposite belief, "I can make wonderful amounts of money in a career I love." then we would have gathered support and examples to make that belief true for us and guess what? If we hold that belief then nothing would stop us from having a lucrative career we loved. You see we don't get what we want we get what we believe we deserve. When we change our beliefs we absolutely change our life!

I can hear you saying, "Alright let's get rid of these nasty beliefs! How do I do it?" The first step is to bring them into the light. Most of us go through life without looking at what is going on in our brains that is making life a struggle. So just getting those beliefs out of your head and onto a piece of paper is powerful. What are the beliefs that are stopping you? Take a minute to write down all the beliefs that may be stopping you from making an exciting career change. Write them down no matter how outrageous they are.

Take a look at your limiting beliefs. How have they cost you? Not just financially but emotionally, physically? Our limiting beliefs are there to supposedly keep us safe but instead they hurt us. They keep us from even trying for what we want most. They keep us from believing in our abilities to reach our dreams..

The next step is to read your beliefs over and ask yourself, "What beliefs do I need to have to support me in finding work I love?" Take a minute to write those beliefs down. Many times they are just the opposite of the limiting beliefs we have. For example, your limiting belief may be "I am too old to make a career change." Your new supporting belief could be, "I have all the experience and energy I need to make a wonderful career change."

Now that you have written down your new beliefs, read them over 2-3 times per day. At first when you read them they will feel like lies but stick with it. Soon you will begin to believe them. Also spend time daily looking for support for your new beliefs. You have years of examples to support your limiting beliefs so we need to build a foundation of support for your new ones. Look around for people that are doing what you wish to do. Find people either in person or in books and the media that have jobs and lives they love. Give the new beliefs as much support as you can every day!

You may have some beliefs that are so ingrained that they are quite difficult to get rid of. There are a couple tools I use in my Life Coaching which quickly remove limiting beliefs. One tool is called the "Emotional Freedom Technique" (EFT) and the other is Psych K. If you are interested, email me at coach@leannafredrich.com

Getting rid of limiting beliefs is the single most important step you can take for your career and your life. When you have beliefs that support you then nothing can stop you from finding the career of your dreams. You will move forward with ease and joy for it is those nasty beliefs that keep you struggling. Start today to replace them and then move forward towards your amazing career!

Leanna Fredrich helps people discover their passion and build a business or career around it. She specializes in helping people easily and quickly get over their fears and limiting beliefs so they can create their dreams.

Change Your Beliefs. Change Your Life!

2008-01-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

Quotes:

"Beliefs are filters for reality- You see the world not as IT IS... but as YOU ARE!" Robert Williams

"The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn." Gloria Steinem

"If you believe you can or you believe you can't ...you're right!" Henry Ford

The beliefs we hold in our subconscious are powerful. In fact they are what we base decisions on and live our lives by. Our subconscious, where our beliefs are filed away, controls at least 95% of what we do. We adopted most of our beliefs as very young children and we carry them with us to this day. The way to really take control of your life is to take a good look at your beliefs and decide for yourself if they are serving you well or not.

Coaching Questions:

1. What are some areas in your life that you feel stuck?

2. What are some beliefs you are holding that might be keeping you stuck?

3. What are some new beliefs that you could choose to support you in getting unstuck?

Have a wonderful January!
Leanna Fredrich
Life Coach

PS. I am very excited about a new technique I learned last year to change beliefs at the subconscious level. The process works quickly and easily. I have been using it in my own life as well as my client's with amazing results. If you are interested call or email me at coach@leannafredrich.com. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Pamper Yourself Starting Today! December's Quotes and Coaching Questions

2007-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Quotes:

"Surely joy is the condition of life." Henry David Thoreau

"You were made for enjoyment and the world was filled with things which you will enjoy." John Ruskin

"One can get just as much exultation in losing oneself in a little thing as in a big thing. It is nice to think how one can be recklessly lost in a daisy!" Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Never underestimate the value of taking the time to enjoy the little things in each day. So many people come to me who have lost sight of what they love, what they are passionate about. The reason they have disconnected from their true self is often because they have stopped taking time for the little nurturing activities which feed their soul. It does not take much more time to live well as to live poorly. It can be as simple as pouring your morning juice or smoothie into a beautiful glass instead of a plastic super hero cup. Perhaps it is taking a bit more time in choosing food that really tastes good. A beautiful piece of dark chocolate to savor instead of mindlessly scarfing down a candy bar. Maybe it is taking time to turn on your favorite music the minute you get home from work or changing into luxurious soft clothing in the evening. Sometimes it is mind-food that we need. Taking the time to read a book, a poem or listening to an audio book that will feed your soul. Whatever nurtures you and brings you pleasure do it today!

Coaching Questions:

1. What are some activities which nurture you?

2. How much of each day do you take time to enjoy?

3. What are you going to do today to feed your soul?

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
"If you are burned out and would like more passion in your work and life contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com."
--

The Key to a Career Change that Uses Your Genius!

2007-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Have you ever spent an entire day at work doing something where you really felt awesome? All day long you were busy doing things that made you feel powerful and energized. That night you went to bed physically tired yet thinking, "I would love to wake up and do that all over again!" You have just experienced a day using your strengths. How would you like everyday to be like that? The key to finding a career or business that you will be happy and wildly successful in is to be clear on what your strengths are.

All of us have strengths that make up who we are. Unfortunately, most of us do not know our strengths. We tend to overlook them because activities which use our strengths come so easily to us. Often we think that "everyone can do this." We can list off our weaknesses (at least in private) without a pause but when asked about strengths we say things like, "I am good with people or I am good at organization." What does that mean? Are you good with people one-on-one or are you best in groups? Do you like to organize projects, file cabinets or people?

What is a strength? A strength is an activity that gives you energy instead of draining it. You may be physically tired after a day of using your strengths but you will be thinking things like, "When can I do that again?" Many times people confuse their strengths with skills. A skill is something you are good at but may not be an activity that energizes you. In fact a skill can be a drain. I am quite skilled at keeping large numbers of children from killing each other at recess but it is an activity which drains me. Of coarse a skill may be a strength as well. It all depends how you FEEL when you are doing it.

Let's take the first step to find out what your strengths are! One of the best ways to do this is to categorize each activity you do during the day. Tasks are either energy draining, neutral, or energizing. Take out a piece of paper and divide it into three sections. Put Energizing Activities in one section, Neutral Activities in the next and Draining Activities in the third section. Now, write down your daily activities in the appropriate area. After a day or two of this look at your list and check for patterns. Perhaps you believe you are a "people person."

How do you like to interact with others?

Do you get more energy from groups?

Do you like to teach people?

Listen to people?

Lead people?

Keep track of your activities until you have clarity on the specifics of your strengths.

OK, now you have a list of your strengths but what do you do with them? The short answer is find ways to use them! Observe your day at work and find ways to maximize the time you are using your strengths. If you love to teach then let your boss know that you are available for that. Put it out there. You never know what will happen! Maximize your strengths outside of work as well. Often by doing this you will open up doors to opportunities to enter a career which will better use your strengths. When you are interviewing for a job let the interviewer know where your strengths lie. Ask questions to find out how much of your job will allow you to operate within your strengths.

Now for the question I hear most often when working with client's on strengths. "What do I do about my weaknesses?" Well, not much! You could work hard to improve your weaknesses and end up for the most part wasting your time. For example, I want people to like me and because of this I am terrible at confrontation. Over the years I have worked to improve this weakness. I have taken assertiveness training, read books on how to say what you need to say even though it is hard. After all that work I went from being terrible at confrontation to being bad at it. You see no matter how much time and effort I put into working on improving my weaknesses I will still be weak in those areas. In contrast, when I work on my strengths I have extraordinary results. Life is too short to spend much time working on our weaknesses! Instead get creative. Find people who have your weakness as a strength and outsource it. Barter... find someone who needs your strengths and you need theirs. If you must do tasks that drain you save them for the end of the day and clump them together so most of your time is spent on activities which energize you.

Living life in a way that maximizes your strengths is the key to having a passion-filled work and life. It is the way you can make the biggest impact during your time on this planet. In Marcus Buckingham's book "Now Discover Your Strengths" he lists three questions for you to ask yourself before you take that next job or start a new business.

1.Does "why the company exists" strengthen you?

2.Does "who you are going to be working with" strengthen you?

3.Does "what you are going to be spending most of your time doing" strengthen you? ( The answer to this question is the most important of the three questions.)

Find a way to maximize your strengths and I guarantee you will have more energy, excitement, passion and most of all you will be the genius you were meant to be!

By Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
"If you would like to find out your strengths and how to maximize them contact me at coach@leannafredrich.com."

You Get to Choose! November Quotes and Coaching Questions...

2007-11-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

"Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success-or are they holding you back?" W.Clement Stone.

"One must live the way one thinks or end up thinking the way one has lived." Paul Bourget

"Never underestimate the effect of clutter on your life." Karen Kingston

There are many books and shows out there about simplifying your life and how important it is. They are right! Everything we do, own or commit to takes energy so it is imperative that we are careful what we add to our lives. The fact is though, some of the most precious parts of our lives are actually huge complications. For example when you get married it complicates both of your lives. Now instead of just considering your wishes you have someone else to consider as well. Not to mention all the stuff you both bring into one house! When you decide to have a child that's another big sweet complication. These are all choices we made that add complexity to our lives. When you start writing a book or creating a new business you add complexity. For most of us the benefits of these complications far out way the energy spent. They are worth it! An important part of having an extraordinary life is to add complexity selectively. Make sure you get rid of the energy drains in all areas of your life so that you are free to focus on what matters to you. Now if there is a bit of clutter around you know it comes from projects you are passionate about. If there are complexities you have chosen them instead of the other way around.

Coaching Questions:

1. Where are some areas of clutter in your life that you can simplify?

2. What are the selective complexities in your life that you chose and want to keep?

3. Have you cleared out the clutter so you have time for what is important to you?

4. What can you do today to simplify your life?

Happy simplifying!

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
"Are you ready to get rid of the beliefs that are holding you back? Ask me how to do this instantly! Email me at coach@leannafredrich.com."

October's Quotes and Coaching Questions

2007-10-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to October! As most plants are going into a dormant stage I have been thinking about rest, "wasted time," doing nothing. I grew up in a family where if you were caught doing nothing you would get a chore! So, I learned that it is important to look busy. Now it is hard for me to relax guilt-free. Maybe some of you feel the same way. What I had to learn is that resting is not "doing nothing!" In fact it is probably one of the most important things we do each day. The fact is whether we plan for it or not our body will take down time so we might as well plan and enjoy it.

Quotes:

"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose." Indira Gandhi

"What am I doing? Nothing. I am letting life rain upon me." Rahel Varnhagen

"Play so that you may be serious." Anacharsis

"This wasted time I have found by constant experience to be as indispensable as sleep." John Adams

Coaching Questions:

1. How do you feel about down time?

2. What do you like to do that is relaxing and healing?

3. What are your beliefs and fears about "down time?"

4. What will you do to relax today?

Join me in enjoying guilt-free "do nothing" time today!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach

If you would like a coach to support you as you create an extraordinary life contact me at Coach@LeannaFredrich.com

More Then a Career Change... a Life Change

2007-09-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

Is your vision for your life big enough to make you jump out of bed in the morning? For most of us the answer is "no". We drag our sorry bodies out of bed and groan when we think about going to work. Our lives are small but "safe." We have an itsy, bitsy vision for our lives so that we will not be disappointed. What a high price to pay to avoid disappointment!

My wish for you is that you will grow a vision for your life so big that you could never reach it in one lifetime. Michelangelo writes, "The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." When we have a huge vision for our lives we grow WHO we are in order to reach it. That's the beauty of an amazing vision- we must constantly grow to attain it. The growth keeps us feeling vital, excited and inspired.

Many people feel confused and at a loss when asked what their vision is for their life. Finding that answer begins simply by asking questions and exploring. I will get you started by asking you a few important questions. If you are not sure what the answers are then just guess. You may always go back and change your answers!

1. What do you want to give to others?

2. What are the natural strengths that you have to offer?

3. What difference do you wish to make?

Each of us has something to offer that is unique. We are passionate in offering this gift in a certain way. For example one of my Life Coaching clients has a son with learning disabilities. Through the years she has spent countless hours researching about, and negotiating with, the school system to get help for her boy. She has the natural strengths of teaching, organization and negotiating. She is passionate about getting help for children with learning disabilities and about supporting parents as they deal with their children. Her personality is warm and bubbly. As we talked about what career change she could make she looked at all her experience, passion and skills and decided to start parent workshops, write books, create "How-to guides" to help families with children who need academic assistance. Her quest for a career change turned into a life change.

Many client's tell me that they are looking for "meaningful" work. The definition of meaningful work is different for each of us. That is the beauty of creating your own vision. It will be different than anyone elses vision. So what is "meaningful" work to you? What makes it meaningful? Here are some answers I have received from Coaching clients...

"Meaningful work is helping others have a good time."
"Meaningful work is creating software that will help people have more free time."
"Meaningful work is helping children or animals."
"Meaningful work is anytime I can express my creativity."
"Meaningful work is helping others become financially independent."

As you make your next career change don't just look for a job you can live with. Ask yourself what you have to give to others and how you enjoy giving. Find out what makes work meaningful to you and then use the information as the foundation on which you build your next career. Find a career that will change your life!

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
If you want to find your passion-filled career and life email me at Coach@LeannaFredrich.com.

Isn't it Time to Make a Change?

2007-09-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Growth is exciting; growth is dynamic and alarming. Growth of the soul, growth of the mind." Vita Sackville-West

"People underestimate their capacity for change. There is never a right time to do a difficult thing." John Porter

"The future is called 'perhaps' which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the only important thing is not to allow that to scare you." Tennessee Williams

Fall is one of my favorite seasons, with it's cool mornings and loads of sunshine. As with the change of each season it is a wonderful time for revaluation and transition. Many of us are afraid of change and avoid it at all costs. The problem with this is that change is inevitable and however much we try to control it, control is simply an illusion. We live with some type of change everyday. It is essential to embrace change in order to have an extraordianry life. Welcome it, cause it. As Summer turns to Fall ask yourself what changes you would like to make in your life? Here's to a September full of exciting changes!

Coaching Questions:

1. What are 3 changes you would like to make in your life this Fall?

2. What are some of the best changes you have made so far in your life?

3. What did you do to have the guts to change?

4. What can you learn from your past "change-successes" to help you make the necessary changes to your life now?

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
If you would like Coaching-support as you make changes in your life contact me at Coach@LeannaFredrich.com.

Enjoy the Ultimate Career Change by Following Your Dreams

2007-08-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

If you want to find work that is meaningful, fulfilling and exciting then it is time to reawaken your ability to dream. Most of us used to dream big at one time or another. We dreamed of being a movie star, sports hero, a princess or the richest person on the planet. Then we begin hearing things like, "Be practical." "You have to be realistic!" "You'll never make any money doing that!" This for many of us, is the beginning of the end of dreaming.

One of the major roadblocks to dreaming is the fear of disappointment. "What if I go for my dream and it isn't what I want?" or even worse "What if I go for my dreams and fail?" Many times we avoid taking action towards our true passions because it is SO important to us that if we fail it would just be too painful. Really though, what is too painful? Would you prefer to live life in a dull, boring way covering up your dreams so that you'll be "safe" from possible failure or would it be more fun to dream wildly, with abandon and follow your desires? One of my favorite quotes is by Robert Fritz, "If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise." Is that what you want? Compromise?

In the path towards your dreams you WILL have obstacles, perceived failures and fear but the payoff will be a feeling of meaning in your life. The reward will be a renewed excitement, passion and the internal rightness that only comes from having the bravery to follow your heart.

Are you ready to unleash your wonderful imagination and let the dreaming begin? I hope so! As a Life Coach working with hundreds of people I have found that the only way to get clear on the career change you REALLY want is to allow yourself to dream wildly. So let's get started! Have paper and pen handy and I will walk you through one of the exercises I use with my life coaching clients.

Think about what your ideal job would look like. Where would you work? Inside? At home? Outside? What kind of people would you be working with? Would you be working alone? What would you be doing? How much would you make? (This is where many people jump back to the safety of "realism". I don't want to see you writing, "Oh, I just want to make enough to get by." Stop! What do you really want in financial reward? Let's play big!) What will you be accomplishing? Which of your passions will you be using? What kind of recognition will you receive?

I can hear some of you saying, "How am I supposed to do this exercise when I have no idea what career I would be passionate about?" My answer is to just guess. Write down what you do know about your ideal work. Leave the rest open. It is important to explore what you know you are attracted to and see where it will lead. Martha Beck in her book, "The Joy Diet" tells a wonderful story of a client's journey towards his passion. Alan hated his job and wanted a career change. The problem was he was so burned out he felt passionless. The only thing that interested him were cars. He thought maybe he wanted to hang out around race cars. So he begin to go to the race track on the weekends. As he was watching the cars he realized it wasn't satisfying enough. He wanted to touch the cars. When he allowed himself to run his hands over the smooth metal it dawned on him. It wasn't the cars he loved, it was the shaped metal! Alan now owns his own design business making beautiful, original furniture and in his spare time he creates metal sculptures . Where will your desires lead you? I dare you to find out!

You don't have to do this alone! If you would like a Coach to help you get past your limiting beliefs encourage and support you towards your goals contact me at coach@LeannaFredrich.com.

Are You Ready to Enjoy this Chapter?

2007-07-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

Quotes:

"And so we turn the page over/ To think of starting. This is all there is." John Ahbery

"I didn't get my first show until I was 45. If I could tell you anything, I would tell you that you have time." Agnes Martin

"Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold/ your own myth..." Rumi

I don't know when or how it started but there it is, we feel like we need to do everything right now. We feel this intense pressure to accomplishing everything in this instant! What we need to realize is that our lives are like a novel. There are many chapters. Right now we are living only one chapter and soon we will move on to the next. Are you enjoying and putting your energy in the NOW- in the chapter you are writing this moment? What chapter are you living? Is it the raising small children chapter? Is it the messy getting a divorce chapter? Is it the changing career chapter? Sure you may want to change some things and you can take steps to do so but it all does not have to be done now. Relax and enjoy where you are at. Often I hear,"But I am getting older and I won't have time..." There are very few things that age prevents you from doing. We underestimate what we can accomplish over a lifetime and we overestimate what we can accomplish this week! My challenge to you is to decide what chapters you want in your life story. Accept that fate may give you a few others. Focus and love the chapter you are in now and trust that it is preparing you for your next chapter.

Coaching Questions:

1. What do you wish to accomplish during this chapter of your life?

2. Are you trying to stuff too much into this chapter at the expense of enjoying it?

3. Are you letting limiting beliefs of aging get in your way of planning your next chapter?

4. What can you take out of this chapter that is stressing you and add to this chapter that will bring you joy?

Happy Life-Writing!

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
coach@leannafredrich.com

What You Need to Know About Dreams that Stalk You

2007-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Donna has been telling people for years that she wants to start her own business. She has dreamed about it since she was in high school but instead of taking steps towards following her dream, she has spent her days in the corporate world. When asked, Donna will say she doesn't know what she wants to do for a career. All she knows is that she is burned out with what she is doing. Yet, everyone around her knows the dream that has been following her – the dream of being her own boss.

Many of us have dreams that are following us around while we desperately try to ignore them! Think for a minute. Have you heard yourself saying things like..."I'd love to turn this hobby into a career but..." or "I've always wanted to be my own boss but..." or "What I really wanted to do was _______ but now it is too late." If this sounds like you then it is time to turn around and look those dreams right in the face. They hold clues to what your passion-filled career change can be

What keeps us running from our dreams? One of the most common reasons I have seen as a Life Coach is that we think it is too late to live a dream. Most of the time that is absolutely false! We give up on our dreams way too fast. I remember reading about a woman who always dreamed of being a doctor. She was 60 years old when she went back to college to pursue that dream. Many people asked her, "Do you realize that you will be almost 70 years old by the time you get out of school and begin your career?" Her answer was always, "I can be 70 and a doctor or 70 and not a doctor. Either way I'll turn 70. I would much rather be 70 and a doctor!" She went on to achieve her MD and is still enjoying her thriving career. Are you giving up too soon?

I'll admit (although reluctantly) that sometimes it might be too late to accomplish certain dreams. For example becoming a professional athlete in your 60's might not happen. Although, I really hate to say that because of a man called Banana George. He begin barefooting at the age of 46. He now holds 4 world records and is a professional barefooter. To top that off when George turned 75 he learned how to snowboard! Be very careful before you decide your dream is "impossible"! But if you really, really believe that the dream you have is impossible for you to reach then take a look at the essence of your dream. What is it that you wanted most from it? If you wanted to be a professional dancer then what attracted you to that career? Was it the movement? If so you can have a career around movement . Was it the music? Was it the thrill of performing on stage? The challenge of mastering something and being known for it? Whatever you loved about that dream you can have in many different careers. Take the essence of that dream and find a career to meet that essence.

The next time you hear yourself saying, "I have no idea what I am passionate about or what I want to do for a career change." take a quick peek behind you. Do you have a dream that is stalking you? If you do look it in the eye and start taking it seriously. I have been amazed over and over again at how well those clingy dreams lead people to exciting, passionate, and meaningful careers!

Leanna Fredrich works with professional and executive women in the 2nd half of their careers who are burned out and don't know what to do next. She helps them go from burned out to fired up by finding meaningful and passion-filled work. Are you serious about creating an amazing life? Take the FREE “How to Discover Your Passion-filled Work” email class. For more information go to http://www. LeannaFredrich.com

Do You Feel Stuck?

2007-07-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

"The distance isn't important, it is only the first step that is difficult." Marquise du Deffand

"I believe how I act today will affect the way I am tomorrow." Katherine Hepburn

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis." Margaret Bonanno

Have you ever felt stuck? It is probably one of the worst feelings we can experience. I specialize in Coaching people to find passion-filled careers and so that is the area I see people stuck in most. Often they have done absolutely nothing for years and years to change a career they are unhappy with. They wonder around and around in their same deep rut . The fact is that we are never really stuck we just keep doing the same things over and over and so we FEEL stuck!

So how do you move out of that "stuck" place. Well, it is not glamorous, but the best way to start moving out of your nasty rut is to do the next indicated action. What I mean by that is to ask yourself, "What is one step I can take today to do something different about this problem?" It may be a small action step and most likely should be. Then do it! Don't fall into the black hole of worrying that your action step is not the "right" one. It is more important that you are taking action NOT that it is the "right" action. Often that first action step is the most difficult to take but as you ask the question everyday and keep moving forward it will get easier and easier. Soon you will look back and realize that you are out of your awful rut and on to someplace wonderful and new.

Coaching Questions:

1. In what area of your life do you feel stuck?

2. What are you gaining by being stuck in this area? (We never stay anywhere for long if it isn't serving us in some way.)

3. What is one step you can take today to do something (anything!) different about this stuck area?

4. Are you stopping yourself from taking action because you are afraid it will be the "wrong" action?

Make July the month for new beginnings and an end to an old rut!

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
http://www.passionfilledwork.com

Enjoy the Ultimate Career Change by Following Your Dreams

2007-06-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

If you want to find work that is meaningful, fulfilling and exciting then it is time to reawaken your ability to dream. Most of us used to dream big at one time or another. We dreamed of being a movie star, sports hero, a princess or the richest person on the planet. Then we begin hearing things like, "Be practical." "You have to be realistic!" "You'll never make any money doing that!" This for many of us, is the beginning of the end of dreaming.

One of the major roadblocks to dreaming is the fear of disappointment. "What if I go for my dream and it isn't what I want?" or even worse "What if I go for my dreams and fail?" Many times we avoid taking action towards our true passions because it is SO important to us that if we fail it would just be too painful. Really though, what is too painful? Would you prefer to live life in a dull, boring way covering up your dreams so that you'll be "safe" from possible failure or would it be more fun to dream wildly, with abandon and follow your desires? One of my favorite quotes is by Robert Fritz, "If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise." Is that what you want? Compromise?

In the path towards your dreams you WILL have obstacles, perceived failures and fear but the payoff will be a feeling of meaning in your life. The reward will be a renewed excitement, passion and the internal rightness that only comes from having the bravery to follow your heart.

Are you ready to unleash your wonderful imagination and let the dreaming begin? I hope so! As a Life Coach working with hundreds of people I have found that the only way to get clear on the career change you REALLY want is to allow yourself to dream wildly. So let's get started! Have paper and pen handy and I will walk you through one of the exercises I use with my life coaching clients.

Think about what your ideal job would look like. Where would you work? Inside? At home? Outside? What kind of people would you be working with? Would you be working alone? What would you be doing? How much would you make? (This is where many people jump back to the safety of "realism". I don't want to see you writing, "Oh, I just want to make enough to get by." Stop! What do you really want in financial reward? Let's play big!) What will you be accomplishing? Which of your passions will you be using? What kind of recognition will you receive?

I can hear some of you saying, "How am I supposed to do this exercise when I have no idea what career I would be passionate about?" My answer is to just guess. Write down what you do know about your ideal work. Leave the rest open. It is important to explore what you know you are attracted to and see where it will lead. Martha Beck in her book, "The Joy Diet" tells a wonderful story of a client's journey towards his passion. Alan hated his job and wanted a career change. The problem was he was so burned out he felt passionless. The only thing that interested him were cars. He thought maybe he wanted to hang out around race cars. So he begin to go to the race track on the weekends. As he was watching the cars he realized it wasn't satisfying enough. He wanted to touch the cars. When he allowed himself to run his hands over the smooth metal it dawned on him. It wasn't the cars he loved, it was the shaped metal! Alan now owns his own design business making beautiful, original furniture and in his spare time he creates metal sculptures . Where will your desires lead you? I dare you to find out!

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
Take the FREE “How to Discover Your Passion-filled Work” email class. For more information go to http://www. LeannaFredrich.com

Are You Deliciously Eccentric?

2007-05-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

Quotes:
"You die when you are faking it, and you are alive when you are truthful." Maria Irene Fornes

"Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are." JC Hare and A.W. Hare

"It takes a lot of energy to keep parts of yourself under wraps. Stifle too many of them, and you risk losing a bit of your soul." Victoria Moran

Coaching Thoughts:

Don't you love the surprise when you find out that quiet accountant at work does stand-up comedy on the weekends? Or perhaps you find out the bubbly,outgoing salesperson spends an occasional weekend at a meditation retreat. It is the eccentricities of people that brings out their color and makes them interesting. Eccentricities. Don't you love that word? It is the opposite of boring. Often though we hide our eccentricities because we are afraid of ridicule. Maybe we were told in so many words that we need to fit in more. ..be like everyone else. Just for the month of June I want to encourage you to think about what makes you different and allow the differences to come out and play!

Coaching Questions:

1. How are you eccentric?

2. What uniqueness do you have that you often hide from others?

3. Think back to when you were six years old. What did you want to be? Don't stop at "ballerina" or "movie star" but concentrate on the kind of person you wanted to be.

4. What can you do today to let your uniqueness shine?

I would love to hear what is unique about you and how you let it out. Feel free to post it here on my blog for everyone to enjoy and be motivated to let their uniqueness out to play.

Have a very eccentric June!
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"

The Hunt for Your Passion-filled Career

2007-05-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

"If I only knew what I was passionate about then I could figure out the ideal career for me!" Feeling this way is a frustrating place to be. It is hard to find work you are passionate about when you don't know WHAT you are passionate about. Often we feel numb under frustrating or forced circumstances. Passion is a feeling too, so taking excellent care of yourself is always the first step in allowing yourself to feel it. Down time ensures that you are able to experience those feelings of passion.

The next step to finding your passion is to begin searching for clues. Often this is another place where people get stuck because most people spend inordinate amounts of time discounting their interests. Have you ever said, "I could never make a living doing that!?" When you hear yourself saying that- Stop! Just allow yourself to rediscover interests and find new ones—without worrying whether you can make a living at it. Allow yourself the freedom and time to just explore for a while—don't rush it.

Finding your passion is like searching for treasure. You have to look for clues. Start by looking around your house. Just walk around noticing the things you love. Do you collect art, make crafts, have loads of books? What catalogs do you have a hard time throwing out? Look around with fresh eyes as if you were a stranger trying to figure out who this person is by looking through her house. Take out a notebook (your clue notebook!) and write down everything you see that tells something about you and what you like. Are you learning some things? Let's move on with our exploration... What are your all time favorite movies? Why are they your favorites? What are your favorite magazines? One of my clients loved fashion magazines but not for the clothes. She rarely read the articles but instead noticed and admired the way the magazine and photos were laid out. Another client would go straight to the political section of the paper or magazine he was reading. What about you?

Passion is a feeling just like joy, anger or love so notice any strong feelings you have. Notice your feelings about events or things. What news stories really stick in your mind and cause you to be angry, happy or excited? Perhaps you have strong feelings about justice and fairness for others. Maybe you get enthused when you hear about a program empowering women or protecting children. As you find these clues add them to your "clue" book.

I can hear you saying, "I could never make a living using my passion for____." Don't be so sure! There are stories after stories of people making a fine living out of using the most obscure passion. Oprah loves to talk, Donald Trump loves to collect real estate, Cesar Millan is passionate about training dogs, I love to get to know people and talk on the phone. A great example of using your passions to create a unique career is Jean Duane. Jean worked as a business consultant. In her personal life she was struggling with allergies to dairy and gluten. She got so tired of the bland, boring food she ended up eating and because cooking was one of her passions she began experimenting with dairy and gluten-free recipes. This led her to start her own business which combined her passions for performing, cooking, teaching, writing and business planning. She created a DVD as well as other products to help people learn how to cook delicious dairy and gluten-free recipes. Making a living doing what you love is not only possible but absolutely doable when you are willing to be creative and play outside the box!

Now it is time for action. Take your list of passions (or possible passions if you are not sure!) and began exploring them. Do this like a child would -just for fun. Get a book to read on your passion, take a class, volunteer. As you experiment you will find out if it is truly a passion of yours or not. Wonderful events will happen when you take action to become involved in your passion. Doors will open and you will see ways to use your passion that you would have never thought of before. Start your treasure hunt today and enjoy the adventure!

I'd love to have you share some of your discoveries here on my blog. What passions have you discovered as you do this exercise? Do you have a wonderful story of how someone turned their passion into a way to make a living? If you do share it here for others to read!

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach
Take the FREE “How to Discover Your Passion-filled Work” e class. For more information go to http://www.passionfilledwork.com

What You Should Know About Problems

2007-04-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

May's Coaching Quotes and Questions

"We build the courage to get through the substantial trials by learning to cohabit serenely with the trivia." Victoria Moran

"If you can come through the snow and the rain and the sleet, you know you can make it easily when the sun is out and everything is all right." Malcolm X

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." Marcus Aurelius

Coaching Thoughts and Questions:

1. Are you waiting for things to be perfect to enjoy life?

2. What are the problems you have right now that are getting in your way?

3. What can you do today to begin to take care of those problems.

4. What can you do today to enjoy life in spite of the problems in it?

Learning how to deal with problems and love life anyway is an invaluable skill. The truth is that the day we don't have problems is the day that we are dead and buried! How do you deal with your problems and enjoy life? The first step is to allow yourself to have fun even though your life is not perfect. Doing this is not denial it is a healthy way to live with a problem without making your life a problem! So act happy and normal in spite of what is going on.

The next step is to ask yourself what you can do today to begin solving your problem. Take the steps you need to and then go off and do other wonderful things. Put fences around your problems so they don't take over your life. You have many great things going on. Do what you need to do to take care of your problems and then spend the rest of your day focused on all the things you are grateful for!

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
http://www.leannafredrich.com
http://www.liveyourfabulouslifenow.com

How to Find Your Passion-filled Career by Listening to Your Body Talk

2007-04-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Let's face it most of us spend our lives in our heads. When we have a decision to make we use our head. We research, analyze and think, think, think! Now, there is nothing wrong with a bit of thought but when we leave out our body's wisdom our thinking often heads the wrong direction. This is a statement I often hear from client's, “I don't know what I want anymore! I feel lost." Our body can be our greatest friend when it comes to figuring out what we want. It is very hard for the body to lie. That is why lie detectors work so well. Our body tends to tell the truth. Have you ever had a job that you didn't like? Did your body complain by getting sick often, getting headaches, neck aches, backaches, feeling exhausted? My guess is that it did. Our wonderful body has ways of saying “no” to things we don't want or like. The problem is that most of us are not listening. In fact we often do not listen until the messages get so loud that we are knocked flat on our backs...literally! The way to find your passion-filled work and life is to learn to listen to your body saying "Yes" or "No".

So how do you do that? I'm glad you asked! Here is a simple exercise to help you notice the signs your body gives you. Take a minute to think of the worst job you ever had. Really imagine yourself working that job again. Now notice what your body is doing and feeling. Did your hand touch your throat? Do you feel tension in your shoulders? All these are signs that your body is telling you "NO!" You can play with this some more by thinking of the three people you dislike the most. Imagine all three of them moving in with you!! Help! What is your body doing and feeling now? Make notes about how your body says "no" so you will remember.

The next step is noticing how your body says "Yes". Think of the best job you have ever had. Maybe it was a volunteer job. Imagine yourself showing up for work at that job again. What are your hands doing? Are they relaxing? Did your shoulders come down? How do you feel? Does your head feel light? Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Try the same exercise thinking of your three favorite people coming over for dinner. Don't you love that feeling?! Now you have a good idea of what it feels and looks like when your body is saying, "yes".

Does this mean that when you follow your passions and listen to your body you will always feel good? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Following your passions requires risk. It requires you to move out of your comfort zone. When you do that you will feel fear. Sometimes following our passions requires us to do some painful healing as well. You will learn the difference between the discomfort of your body saying "No" and the discomfort of healing and the fear of trying something new. The latter feels cleaner, it often has excitement mixed in with the fear, it feels necessary and exhilarating when you go through it.

Start today to listen to your body and when it says "yes" follow that. When it says "no" honor that as well. I know it may sound impossible to do at first but take baby steps, experiment with it. Soon you will learn to trust those feelings and your body will lead you to your true path, the path that will fill you with joy and keep your life and work passion-filled!

Leanna Fredrich works with professional and executive women in the 2nd half of their careers who are burned out and don't know what to do next. She helps them go from burned out to fired up by finding meaningful and passion-filled work. Are you serious about creating an amazing life? Take the FREE “How to Discover Your Passion-filled Work” ecourse. For more information go to http://www.LeannaFredrich.com

Is a Mountain Stopping You?

2007-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

April's Quotes and Coaching Questions

"Trust life and it will teach you, in joy and sorrow, all you need to know." James Baldwin

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." Frank Clark

"If you're looking for a charmed life, or even just a ray of hope, you first have to recognize the mountain that is most effectively blocking your way." Victoria Moran

Coaching Thoughts and Questions:

1. What is your mountain? What is the story you keep telling yourself that stops you from moving forward to the life you've dreamed of?
Too much debt and too little money? Not enough education? A chronic illness? Being overweight?

2. What are your beliefs having to do with this mountain? "I don't deserve more money." "I will never be at my ideal weight." "My friends will feel uncomfortable if I am too successful."

3. What action is your mountain keeping you from taking?

4. Are you ready to deal with your mountain? I hope you said a loud "YES!" If you did, read the suggestions on how to deal with that nasty obstacle.

Many times the best way to deal with your mountain is to do nothing with it. Yes, I said do nothing! Often we have been focusing on it so long that it has grown huge. Move your focus away from the mountain and let the process of life take care of it. Remember how often even the most baffling situations work themselves out.

This does not mean it is time to sit on your bum and wait for your beautiful life to fall into your lap. Your job is to do what needs to be done to live a joyful life in spite of your mountain. Take care of yourself. Make breakfast. Spend time with friends. Take an action step towards your goals. While you are busy doing these things and focusing on what you love your mountain may start to shrink or you may feel as if you have been lifted over. However it works out you will no longer be focused on this huge obstacle. In fact that awful,scary mountain of yours may actually turn into a road to your dreams!

Have a wonderful April.

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Professional and Executive Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
http://www.LeannaFredrich.com
http://www.liveyourfabulouslife.com

How to Find Your Passion-filled Life's Work When the Only Passion you Have is Napping!

2007-03-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

"I want to find work I am passionate about and I want to find it by next week so I can quit my job!" is what I often hear from clients. The first question I ask is, "What are you passionate about? " And their response is frequently something like, "I have no idea. I haven't felt passionate about anything in a long time. The only thing that interests me is sleeping."

If you are feeling numb and burned-out, your passion-filled work could hit you in the face and you wouldn't notice it! In fact you would probably be unable to muster up enough interest to pursue it. Is this the place you find yourself? If it is, don't give up! There is a simple way to get fired up and interested in life again.

The first step to finding your passion-filled life's work is to stop thinking so much and reconnect with your heart. Most of us live in our heads--think, think, thinking. The problem is that passion is a feeling. Feeling comes from our heart not our heads. When you try to find your passion through just thinking about it, you'll end up feeling stuck and frustrated.

So how do you reconnect with your heart and find your passion? The answer is to take extremely good care of yourself. Give yourself as much love, care and nurturing as you give others. Take a good look at how you treat yourself. My guess is that you would never treat your children, friends or even your coworkers as poorly as you treat yourself. Most of us work much harder and take far less time for fun then we encourage others to do. It is time to take extremely good care of yourself. You deserve it!

I have found the best way to do this is by making self-care a daily habit. What are some activities you love to do that feel nurturing? These can be simple things like having coffee in a beautiful mug that makes you happy every time you look at it, or turning on your favorite music as you get ready in the morning. These daily habits can be activities you already do but are not mindful of. For example you already take a shower, so why not turn that activity into a delicious, nurturing habit by using wonderful-smelling bath gel or lighting candles. You get the idea! So now, take out a piece of paper and list 6-10 "Daily Delicious Habits" that will make you feel pampered.

Are you done? If you are, take a minute to read them over. This is NOT a place to put your "shoulds". You know those "shoulds" in your life... "I should eat better." "I should exercise." Anything you know you should do but you don't want to do. The "Daily Delicious Habits" list is not a place for those. If you see any "shoulds" on your list take them off and add them to a different list. Each of these habits should be things you WANT to do.

After you have done your "Daily Delicious Habits" for a week, notice if there are any habits that you skip regularly. Are they "shoulds"? If they are then take them off the list and replace them with something you want to do. Another common reason for not completing an item on the list is that it is not convenient. I love to listen to music in the morning but if I did not have my favorite CDs upstairs in my room it would not get done. Make your habits convenient and easy to do.

As you make self-care a part of your life you will soon find that you are interested in more things and are more in tune with your desires. Keep asking yourself the question, "What do I like?" "What do I want?" It' s not about being selfish. Instead it is about reconnecting to what is important to you, what you love and the unique gifts that you have to offer the world. Remember, by nurturing yourself you can't help but give back to others. So give yourself a big hug and get started with those "Daily Delicious Habits!"

by Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Professional and Executive Women
Take the first step towards finding passion-filled work! Go to www.passionfilledwork.com and take the FREE "How to Discover Your Passion-filled Work" e class.

You Are in Charge!

2007-03-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is to say 'I don't want to.'" Lao Tzu

"Each of us has the opportunity to change and grow until our very last breath. Happy creating." M.F. Ryan

"Clear your mind of 'can't.'" Samuel Johnson

Coaching Questions:

1. What have you been saying you want to do but you do not have time for?

2. What have you been saying you want to do but can't do?

3. How would you like to spend your time?

4. How would you like to change and grow this month?

My challenge for you this March is to catch yourself saying "can't" and replace it with "won't". Feels different doesn't it?! Now you are in control and although that can feel uncomfortable it is also empowering and exciting. Now you get to choose to change if you wish! Have a wonderful March!

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Professional and Executive Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up."
http://www.LeannaFredrich.com
http://www.Passionfilledwork.com
http://www.Liveyourfabulouslifenow.com

The Top 10 Ways to Find Your Passion-Filled Life's Work

2007-02-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

1. Practice Extreme Self-Care

The first and most important step to finding your passion-filled life's work is to take outrageously good care of yourself! When you feel numb and the only thing that gets you excited is a good long nap, your passion could plop in your lap and you wouldn't even notice it! So start taking excellent care of yourself now. What are some nurturing activities you could do everyday? Enjoy!

2. Listen to Your Body

Do you know how your body says "No?" Many of us have been in jobs and had the unpleasant experience of our body saying "No!" We get sick often, have headaches, stomachaches, neck aches. All kinds of aches and pains! It is hard for our body to lie. That is why lie detectors work so well. So if you want the truth about what your passion listen to your body! Listen for it to say "Yes!" Watch for increased energy (fear is ok too!), excitement and joy.

3. Explore Your Passions

Passion is a feeling so notice them. What subjects, activities, magazines or topics interest you? Have fun with this! Make a list of what you are passionate about and watch for themes. Now, begin exploring your strongest passions.

4. Allow Yourself to Dream

As adults we often stop dreaming in favor of being "realistic." The problem with this is that we loose track of what we REALLY desire. So start dreaming wildly and with abandon. Look at each area of your life and write down an ideal vision of what you truly want that area to be like.

5. Look for Dreams that Have been Following You

Do you have a dream that has been following you? Have you been saying things like, "I would love to start my own business." "Someday I will turn this hobby into a career." Pay close attention to those "clingy" dreams. Often finding your passion-filled work is as simple as looking behind you to see the dreams that are chasing you!

6. Expand Your Vision

Most of us have a small, safe vision for our lives. We are terrified to reach for something greater. Are we worth it? Can we do it? Absolutely! It is time to grow and expand that vision! Find out what gifts you give others. Decide what is really important for you to accomplish. Design the life you desire and take action. A vision comes alive only when we take action towards it!

7. Find Your Genius

All of us have strengths and talents. These are gifts we have had our whole life. We often overlook them because they come so easily to us. When we use and develop these strengths we are working on the "Genius Level." Work on your weaknesses and you will be competent. But develop your unique gifts and you will be a genius!

8. Start Clearing Out Your Choking Beliefs

Often we are stopped from creating our desired life by "Choking Beliefs." They literally choke the life out of our dreams! These beliefs come from past experiences, our parents, teachers or friends telling us we can't or shouldn't do something. It's time to take a look at them and the price we pay for believing that way. Lose the Choking Beliefs! Choose supporting beliefs that breathe new life into your dreams!

9. Make a Plan

All the dreaming in the world will not change your life unless you take action. When you have an idea about what your passionate work would be, start taking the first steps. Make a plan that will help you explore that idea. It is amazing how many doors will start opening for you when you make a plan and take action!

10. Celebrate Your Successes

This is my favorite part--celebrating! Right from the beginning celebrate each small step on your journey to passion-filled work. Why? Well, first, because it is fun! Second, celebrating every success helps you stay focused on your successes and keeps you motivated to move forward.

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Professional and Executive Women
Take the first step to finding your passion-filled work by taking the FREE e class at http://www.passionfilledwork.com.

You are Who You are With

2007-01-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

Quotes:
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Jim Rohn

"There are two types of people - anchors and motors. You want to lose the anchors and get with the motors because the motors are going somewhere and they're having more fun. The anchors will just drag you down." Wyland

"I just do not hang around anybody that I don't want to be with. Period. For me, that's been a blessing, and I can stay positive. I hang around people who are happy, who are growing, who want to learn, who don't mind saying sorry or thank you...and [are] having a fun time." John Assaraf

Coaching Questions:

1. Take a look at the five people you hang around with most. Are they motors or anchors?

2. What are the traits you are looking for in your ideal friends and coworkers? Write them down.

3. Who do you need to be to attract the people you want in your life?

4. What boundries do you need to set to protect yourself from people who are energy drains?

5. Are there any relationships in your life that you need to let go?

Remember as you let go of relationships that do not serve you, you are leaving room for new, uplifting relationships to come into your life. Here's to wonderful, energizing, joyful relationships!

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Professional and Executive Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
Try out the FREE "How to Discover Your Passion-filled Work" eclass at http://Passionfilledwork.com.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

Quotes:

"Life is demanding of me,'Start again. Begin new things. Again set to work to build your world.'" Jean Toomer

"It is never too late--in fiction or in life--to revise." Nancy Thayer

"Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out." Katherine Dunham

Coaching Questions:

1.What would you like to change in your life this year?

2.What are you happy with in your life?

3.What do you do to gain inner strength so that your dreams stay alive?

4.What is the one life-changing goal you will focus on this year?

Happy New Year! As you set your goals for the new year don't forget to look back at all you accomplished in 2006. Get out a piece of paper and write down all the victories you experienced both large and small. Now you will begin the new year with feelings of success and motivation. May this be a wonderful year for you!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
Try out the FREE "How to Find Your Passion-filled Life's Work." eclass at http://www.Passionfilledwork.com.

Are You Curious?

2006-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

"Curiosity is in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last." Samuel Johnson

"Growth is exciting; growth is dynamic and alarming. Growth of the soul, growth of the mind." Vita Sackville-West

Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will." James Stephens

December brings lots of opportunity for curiosity. After all what is in those presents? How will your loved one react when they see the gift you chose for them? Curiosity keeps the mind and spirit young and encourages a feeling of aliveness.

Coaching Questions:

1. When was the last time you were curious about something?

2. What were you curious about?

3. Go on a "curiosity-outing" and see how many things you see that you are curious about?

4. How does being curious make you feel?

5. How can you turn some of that fear of setting huge goals into curiosity?

Have a holiday filled with curiosity! (Doesn't that sound mysterious?)

Dance with Joy,

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
coach@LeannaFredrich.com
http://www.leannafredrich.com/

Welcome Those Obstacles!

2006-11-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

"Being in motion, not knowing what's going to happen next, not only suits me but has become an unlikely vehicle for faith." Holly Morris

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." Marcus Aurelius

"If you can come through the snow and the rain and the sleet you know you can make it easily when the sun is out and everything is all right." Malcolm X

Many of us feel like if we hit an obstacle on the way to our goals that is a sign that we are headed the wrong way or that we will never make it. The fact is that coming upon obstacles is a natural part of reaching our goals. In fact if there are no difficulties it is most often a sign that we aimed too low. So welcome those obstacles, greet them and keep moving!

Coaching Questions:

1. What obstacles have you overcome in your past?

2. How did you overcome them?

3. How can you look at obstacles differently so they loose their power?

4. Are you aiming too low or playing life too safe?

5. What attitude do you need to have to be successful as you reach obstacles?

Have a wonderful November!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"

Take Time to Enjoy the Moment!

2006-10-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

<em>"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone.... The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." Lin Yutang

"When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere." La Rochefoucauld

"We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking. We move along the surface of things...[but] there are times when we stop. We sit still. We lose ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper." James Carroll

Coaching Questions:

1. What do you need to leave undone today?

2. What activities or thoughts tend to bring you peace?

3. What can you do today to get below the surface of life?

4. What will you do today to enjoy life?

This is my favorite season of the year. The colors, the crisp mornings and warm afternoons. Find a way to get outside and enjoy autumn!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"

Keep the "Wonder" in Life!

2006-08-31T10:53:00.000-07:00
"Each moment is a place you've never been." Mark Strand

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" -- Mary Oliver

"Live life like you were on vacation. When you're on vacation you expect to find things intriguing." Victoria Moran

Coaching Questions:

1. What will you be curious about today?

2. How can you keep the "wonder" in your life?

3. If you took the time to slow down what would you enjoy today?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"

A Vision Worth Having

2006-08-01T12:07:00.000-07:00
"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
-- Audre Lorde
"The great tragedy of life is not death, but what dies inside of us while we live." -- Norman Cousins

Coaching Questions:

1. Do you have a vision that is so big and important to you that you are willing to face your fear to reach it?

2. Have you allowed a dream to die inside of you?

3. If you have, then what is the essence or most important part of that dream to you?

4. What is one step you can take today towards your dream?

If you don't have a vision that gets you fired up or you need help creating the one you have, contact me!
September, the "2nd Act Revolution" calls will be back so plan on joining me on the call!

Have a wonderful August!

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
www.LeannaFredrich.com

Gratitude and Success

2006-07-07T09:53:00.000-07:00
"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." Mother Teresa

"I have yet to find a person, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism." Charles Schwab

"When you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance... And because the law of attraction states that like attracts like, you will attract more abundance-more to be thankful for- to you." Jack Canfield, "The Success Principles."

Coaching Questions:

1. Who are you grateful for ? Have you told them?

2. How do you treat yourself? Are you working under a spirit of approval or criticism?

3. What will you do this week to show appreciation to yourself?

4. What are you thankful for?

Have a wonderful July!

Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
You are invited to the free "2nd Act Revolution" calls. To find out more go to
www.LeannaFredrich.com

Focus on Success!

2006-06-19T21:19:00.000-07:00
"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." James Allen
"I look back on my life like a good day's work; it is done and I am satisfied with it." Grandma Moses (She lived to be 101years old.)
"Research has shown over and over again that the more you acknowledge your past successes, the more confident you become in taking on and successfully accomplishing new ones. " Jack Canfield

Coaching Questions:
1. What are some of your biggest and best successes so far?
2. What are the successes you have had this week?
3. Do you tend to focus on your failures or successes?
4. What system will you put into place to make sure you acknowledge your successes?

Have a successful June!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
You are invited to the free "2nd Act Revolution "calls. Find out more at www.LeannaFredrich.com.

Time for a Change!

2006-06-18T20:19:00.000-07:00
"Gone is the belief that adulthood is, or ought to be, a time of internal peace and comfort, that growing pains belong only to the young..." Lillian Rubin

"Change means movement. Movement means friction." Soul Alinsky

"Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal." Arthur Schopenhouer

"The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it." Marcus Aurelius

Coaching Questions:

1. Since change is inevitable, what areas of your life would you like to change?

2. In what areas of your life are you holding on to "sameness" at the expense of your dreams?

3. What is a big, exciting change you can make this week?

Embrace change!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
You are invited to the free 2nd Act Revolution calls! Find out more at www.LeannaFredrich.com.

Is Fear Stopping You?

2006-06-16T11:11:00.000-07:00
"Fear is nothing except a drain of energy and not a power unto itself. Trust in yourself, for therein lies the true power." Lori Hard

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." Eleanor Roosevelt

"At the bottom of every one of your fears is simply the fear that you can't handle whatever life may bring you." Susan Jeffers

Coaching Questions:

1. How have you handled fear in the past?
2. Think about the goals you want to achieve. Is fear stopping you?
3. When have you faced the fear and done it anyway?
4. What did you do when you didn't let fear stop you?
5. What is one thing you will do this week that fear has stopped you from doing in the past?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
Come join me on the free "2nd Act Revolution" calls. Find out more at www.LeannaFredrich.com.

Life is an Adventure!

2006-06-15T15:30:00.000-07:00
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller
"To change one's life:
1. Start immediately.
2. Do it flamboyantly.
3. No exceptions." William James

Coaching Questions:

What is an adventure to you?

When did you last experience adventure?

What adventure will you have this week?

My challenge to you is to find a way to really taste life!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
Come join the free 2nd Act Revolution Calls. Find out more at www.LeannaFredrich.com.

Extraordinary Love

2006-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00
"Spontaneous and honest love admits errors, hesitations, and human failings; it can be tested and repaired." Nancy Friday
"Love has no awareness of merit or demerit; it has no scale... Love loves; this is its nature." Howard Thurman
"We never know we are beings till we love. And then it is we know the powers and potentialities of human existence." Jean Toomer

Coaching Questions for February:

1. In what area of your life are you receiving the most love? From friends, family, a romantic love?
2. What holds you back from sharing love? How is that costing you?
3. What does extraordinary love look like to you?
4. What action are you willing to take to build extraordinary love in your life?

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"
Join the Free 2nd Act Revolution Calls. Find out more at www.LeannaFredrich.com.

Success Means Being Willing to take Risks!

2006-06-13T19:52:00.000-07:00
"Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse, and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. Is the fear of failure stopping you from doing what you love?

2. How would you behave differently tomorrow if you were not afraid of failure?

3. How do you know when you've failed? What are your rules for failure? I have failed when...

4. Do you need to change your rules for failure? (You made them up, you can change them!)

My your life be full of passion and adventure!

Dance with Joy,
Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women
"When you are ready to go from burned out to fired up!"

Midlife Adventure and the Extraordinary Life

2006-04-02T18:07:00.000-07:00
I just had an adventure! I walked on fire and didn't burn, not even a little! Just thinking about it makes me happy. I had forgotten the feeling that you get when you try something you aren't sure you can do. The fear, the anticipation, the crazy relief and exhilaration of trying.

Often the older we get the fewer new things we try. It is easy, especially in midlife to live in our small, comfortable box only doing those things that we know we are competent at. It is easy but not exciting!! If you desire an extraordinary life then it's time to try something new. Have an adventure! Do something that you've always wanted to do but are too scared to try. Remember as children we were always trying something new. Everything was new from riding a bike to learning how to read. Did we mess up a lot? Yes! Did we try again? Of coarse! So now you know how to have an adventure. Try it, be willing to mess up and try again. Most of all allow yourself to have fun doing it! Remember as Bob Proctor said, “We come this way but once. We can either tiptoe through life and hope that we get to death without being too badly bruised or we can live a full, complete life achieving our goals and realizing our wildest dreams.”

Are you ready to stop tiptoeing and have a wonderful adventure? Then take action! Make a list of adventures you would like to have. Do you want to learn to dance, swim with dolphins or learn to play an instrument? What would be an adventure for you? Choose one to do this week and get ready to experience that amazing feeling of being totally and extraordinarily alive!

by Leanna Fredrich, Success Coach
Join me on the Free, 2nd Act Revolution calls.
For more info. Go to www.LeannaFredrich.com

Are You Having a Midlife Crisis?

2006-01-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Here are the top 10 signs that you might be experiencing a midlife crisis.
You are feeling an unexplained restlessness and distraction.
You find yourself wondering what your purpose in life is.
You are questioning long held beliefs.
You are interested in activities which seem out of character for you.
You long to be fully self-expressed.
You are bored with activities that previously held great interest and dominated your life.
You have a “crush” on someone who is not even your type.
You find yourself behaving completely out of character. You feel like a stranger to yourself.
You wonder what is unique and special about you?
You are asking yourself what legacy you would love to leave?
If you answered yes to one or more of these signs you may be having a midlife crisis. Don't despair! You can choose to turn this midlife crisis into a fabulous midlife transformation! It is time for you to grow wings and fly. It is your wake-up call which leads you to a bigger, more fulfilling life if you are willing to take the steps to get there. To learn how to make this amazing transformation visit http://www.leannafredrich.com/.
By Leanna Fredrich
Success Coach for Executive and Professional Women