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

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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Let's Hear it for the Unbalanced Life!

"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

What is Your Ikigai?

"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?

"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 Chomp or Savor Life?

"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?

"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...

"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

You Can Make a Difference this Year

"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

"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

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:

1. 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.

2. Are you clear when you ask for something? Listen to how you make requests.

3. 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.

4. 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?

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

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!

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

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?

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

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?

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

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!

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

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"