Coach for Results

Do you have a BHAG?

Coach Darlene — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:35:00 GMT

Before you can envision success, you have to know what success means to you.

Is that having a million dollars in the bank? Is it having a job that pays more than $35,000? Is it getting your Master’s Degree? Is it having a solid family relationship filled with love and support? Maybe it’s a combination of all of those things.

The key thing is this: Know how you define success for your life. It’s different for each of us. And often, it’s a complex web of various elements. When you are able to envision the life that you want to create for yourself, you are taking the first step toward achieving it.

Remember the concept of the Big, Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) that Jim Collins and Jerry Porras introduced to us in the late ‘90’s? Their trend-setting article, Building Your Company’s Vision, compelled us to think, stretch and grow toward the passionate dreams we hold for ourselves (and our companies).

A BHAG (pronounced BEE-HAG) is that 10- 20- or 30- year goal that defines you (your company) in such a way that you stand apart from everyone else. On a grand scale, it could be a company lilke Microsoft, Starbucks or Wal-Mart. On a personal level, it might be someone who was determined to become an astronaut, the President of the United States, or someone who wanted to perform in the Olympics.

Having a solid BHAG means knowing what you are passionate about and knowing what you do better than anyone else. And thirdly, you know the idea has economic soundness.

Here’s a little snippet of Jim Collins' work with Starbuck’s as they designed their BHAG.

What are you passionate about? What can you be the best in the world at? What will drive you economically? Decide that – and you have your BHAG.

I’d love to hear from you. Be Bold. Share your BHAG with the rest of the world!!!

Have a Golden Day!

Coach Darlene

A Look Behind . . . a Look Ahead

Coach Darlene — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:20:00 GMT

2010.

A new decade has begun. Can you believe it?

When I think back to the beginning of this millennium, a mere 10 years ago . . . it is amazing to recall all that has occurred in my life. How about you? What are YOUR highlights from these last 10 years? Is it what you had planned?

I imagine very few people will be able to say, with firmness and honesty, that the entire block of time turned out just as they planned it. More than likely, most people wouldn’t be able to tell you what they had planned for the first 10 years in 2000. And so, they likely can't tell you what mattered most either - or how it fits in their bigger picture.

There is a good side and a bad side to "Planning." Everything in moderation, right?

You can stay so busy making lists and getting so wrapped up in details of your plans that you aren’t even present in the NOW, to enjoy what’s going on around you. Too much planning keeps the stress level high and the feeling of a constant nagging going off in the back of your head, “Next. . . ok, Next. That’s right. Next. Oops you missed one. Next . . .” It’s exhausting. And it is often a setup for failure.

Yet, without any planning at all, there is a human tendency to just let life pass you by. How many times do you hear someone lament, “One of these days, we’re going to take a cruise,” or “Someday, I’m going to go back to school.”

Before you know it, another 10 years will swoosh by us. We’ll be 10 years older (and for some, 10 years slower!). What do you want this next decade to deliver to you? How are you positioning yourself so that you can receive all that it has to offer?

Get started! Time’s a wastin’

Take that first step – envision your life as you want it to be in 10 years. And then plan on how to get there. You can do it. I know you can. Bring some meaning into your life. You'll be the richer for it.

Toasting to you and the new Decade that awaits us both!
Coach Darlene

Stress by the Numbers (and why I carry kids' bubbles in my car!)

Coach Darlene — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:34:00 GMT

In my guestimation, when it comes to stress, I’m my own worst enemy.

I say that because most of my stress is self-induced. When events turn into stressful situations, it is usually a result of one or two things:

** I didn’t do something I was supposed to do on a timely basis (for example, I may have forgotten to pay the light bill!) or
** I'm taking on too much and I haven’t learned the art of saying “No.” (That’s a topic for another day!)

Nonetheless, stress shows up. And this is probably true for you too.

Without realizing it, my mind-body genius has, over the years, devised a system for evaluating my challenges, and it has helped me learn how to respond to them.

The cool thing is that I truly can decide how I want to respond and how much I want to allow it to affect me and my body. In effect, I give my body permission to take on a stress - or to discard it.

I won’t deny that it’s a steady challenge to stay mindful and to make conscious choices. But each time, I use the 4 Steps mentioned previously to bring myself to the Present and to acknowledge the situation. By doing this, I am filled with a sense of calm and of being in control of my life and the situation.

So here’s how I tend to place my stress items into different categories and what I do with them. You probably do something similar, but perhaps haven’t taken the time to analyze it!

1 – Really critical – affects your life in a major way.
This would be things like going through a divorce, losing a job. These are typically long-lasting, stressful situations. It is crucial to stay calm and to put your “healthy-best” focus on them. Take it step-by-step and work through it as you know you can!

Yes these are urgent and critical and affect you big time. The end-result is usually complex and requires a lengthy period to resolve. You want to use the 4 steps I mentioned earlier and work through these. So stay clear headed – do things to help you stay healthy: meditate, exercise, or get a massage.

2 – Important, but not life altering.
These are usually time-sensitive, deadline-oriented, or urgent. A child gets sick at school and needs to be picked up, you’re overbooked and have too many things on your schedule (who did that anyway? You?) These obviously need some attention. What’s interesting is that by being a better planner, you can create contingency plans (who else can pick up your child on occasion? Can someone else attend a meeting for you?). And of course, if the culprit is YOU – you’re the one who takes on the world by yourself, then STOP it! Have a frank chat with yourself and start a new way of discerning priorities, delegating and keeping focused on the really key things that you’ve identified as important in your life.

Yes, these are important. And most of them are self-induced. So:

• become a better organizer – plan your time more effectively
• learn how to say NO with diplomacy – and firmness
• evaluate what’s important – really important - and either drop or delegate the rest (I know, easy to say, hard to do – but you can improve on it!)
• invest in some self-improvement classes to help you move ahead on these types of stressful occurrences

3 – Worthy of your attention, but not urgent.
This would be something like: your yard needs mowed, but the lawnmower is broken, your child forgot his lunch, you need to schedule that appointment with your dentist. Believe it or not, keeping a lot of “to-do’s” on your list also adds to your stress levels. Make a commitment to get things done. If the lawnmower needs to be fixed, what’s the first step? Finding a repair shop? Then commit to making 4-5 phone calls TODAY and move forward. What’s keeping you from calling the dentist? Do you have to look up the number? Do you even have a dentist? If not, commit to asking some co-workers for recommendations. Do it TODAY and move forward. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to get things done – just by taking the first step, no matter how easy or small it is.

Surprisingly (or maybe not!), these items, when ignored, often become 1’s or 2’s. So yes, work on these – but keep everything in perspective. Make a commitment to yourself to focus on taking first steps and staying in action. Get something completed on this list every week! (And try not to add any more to it!)

4 – Annoyances; things that just happen and get in my way.
The crazy driver cuts in front of you, or you are on a time schedule and the person in front of you at the bank is chatting away, oblivious of everyone else’s needs. Perhaps you run to the store for a last-minute item for dinner and discover the item is temporarily out of stock!

These are the types of things that happen dozens of times every day.

OK – you can’t really do anything about most of these – but you can control how you react to them! I carry a bottle of kid’s bubbles in the car. When I’m stuck in traffic and everyone is really stressed, I get out my bottle and lower my window –then just blow bubbles everywhere. I have such fun with it – and I’m laughing (a great stress buster, by the way!) And you’d be surprised at how many people I see laughing with me, or honking their horns in agreement. It’s a great feeling.

So how can you have fun with your stress? And what can you do to be preventive? Would planning your meals in advance help on your grocery runs and last-minute, frantic, “What’s for dinner, Mom?” demands from your kids?

You are in control of your life; no one else. Only you can make it work the way you want it to! Learn how to minimize the stress-causing events and you’ll surely have fewer challenges to “fix.” Then you can invest that time enjoying the life you’ve created for yourself!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

4 Steps for Managing Daily Stress

Coach Darlene — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:18:00 GMT

STRESS. It’s rampant – everywhere we turn. And these days, most of us are experiencing an escalation of this culprit in our everyday lives.

Stress has long-lasting effects on your personal health – probably not news to you. And it’s easy to dismiss it because, often, there are no immediate, visible signs. It slowly creeps into your life and zaps you. Maybe you have more frequent headaches, or you find yourself forgetting things. At some levels, stress can cause nausea, dizziness and pain. It can eventually hit you with a heart attack, a stroke, or one of many other injuries to your body.

Caveat here – I’m not a licensed medical professional. So always seek the advice of a physician or other medical professional if your symptoms are severe and you feel your health is in danger.

There are mountains of articles and books written on this topic. My intent is to help you become aware of how stress shows up in your life – and how you deal with it. Today, I just want to give you some easy tips on how to reduce the immediate strain and how to introduce new, healthy habits and thought patterns into your life.

OK, so you’re stressed – who isn’t?

Stress affects each person in a myriad of ways. And the sad thing is, most of this we bring on ourselves. That’s right – we are the cause! So the good news is, if we allow ourselves to be stressed, we can also undo that – and find a way to minimize or alleviate it.

The key is to be honest with yourself and accept what’s happening. Next, you can figure out what to do about it.

One of the best ways to calm down during a hectic situation is to take a moment to feel and to acknowledge whatever is going on – no matter what it is. If you’re angry; acknowledge it. If your breathing becomes more shallow, recognize that. When fear creeps in, accept that, too.

Once you know what is going on, then it no longer holds its power over you. That is when you can begin to move past it.

The techniques I’m about to share with you will help you in any situation – when applied with common sense. Obviously, if you’re in a life-threatening situation (someone is trying to harm you), then other methods are necessary to protect yourself.

What I’m talking about today pertains to ordinary, everyday crises that arise in your life. Things like: your child forgets his lunch, there’s a wreck and you’re going to be late for work, you just found out your bank account is overdrawn . . . typical things that probably occurred because someone was already stressed and not paying attention . . . and now the result of that inattention brings on even more stress. It’s a never ending cycle – unless you do something to break the pattern.

Here are 4 simple steps you can take to bring some calm and clarity to any situation:

FIRST – and very important: STOP!
Just stop with whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re about to blurt out. If you’re inclined to do something physical – like punch your fist through a wall. Just STOP!

SECOND – take a deep breath.
Maybe more than one deep breath. By stepping away from an event or situation and bringing the focus back into your body, the urgency, the intensity of the situation is lessened – even if momentarily. Taking a pause allows your lightning-speed mind to break out of an automated response and begin to refocus. This is where you begin to pay attention to how the stress shows up in your body. Do your shoulders get tight? Is your stomach roiling? Are your hands clenched? Recognize the physical signs. They serve as clues. Eventually, you’ll learn to recognize that stress is creeping in – before it can take over!

THIRD – evaluate the situation.
Okay, so your child forgot his lunch. What’s the worst that can happen? Will he go without lunch today? Is that life threatening? I doubt it. So put it into perspective and then it makes it easier to think through the options.

What if your bank account is overdrawn? Will you get hit with some fees? Probably. (If not, let me know which bank you use – I might want to switch! :> Can you reverse the situation? No. So accept what IS – you’re going to get hit with a fee. And then figure out your options. Maybe it was a mistake and you can clear it up with the bank. How can you prevent the mistake from happening again? If there is more than one person depositing and withdrawing on this account, what happened? Put a plan into place to evaluate the problem and to devise a solution.

Ignoring the pattern that got you there only invites the situation to occur again. Be pro-active and learn whatever lesson comes from this so that you can eliminate it from your growing list of stresses that show up!

FOURTH – Decide and take action.
Once you have your options in front of you – don’t stop there! Leaving things undone causes things to just pile up and creates more stress. So you’ve figured out which option makes sense – just Do It ! If you have to schedule a family meeting and go over a new budget, decide when and where the meeting will be: after dinner on Thursday night. If you need to go talk to the bank about an account issue, get on the phone right now and make the appointment. If your child forgot his lunch (the fourth time this week!) then get to the root cause. Is the lunch bag hidden behind other things as the child leaves for the bus? Is the lunch unappetizing and he is subconsciously trying to figure out how to tell you?

By staying calm, focusing on the real issue and deciding what you can do it about, you’ll find yourself moving through daily challenges without a whimper.

In my next entry, I’ll share with you how I categorize my different stress “challenges.”

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

Ask "Why" Five Times

Coach Darlene — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:27:00 GMT

As a general rule, do you question things? More precisely, do you ask many questions of yourself? It could be an effective technique as you continue on your path of personal growth. It could also be an effective tool for improving your business.

Taiichi Ohno, considered to be the father of Toyota’s Production System, encouraged everyone in the company to always ask WHY about everything they did – especially when problems showed up. He believed that “having no problems is the biggest problem of all.” His famous statement was, “Ask ‘Why’ five times,” to get at the root cause of the problem.

I can’t honestly say that this way of thinking has its roots in the Toyota Corporation, but it is definitely a part of their vision and corporate culture. To see how this works, check out the example provided on the Toyota site.

The power in this is that by constantly asking questions (‘why’ or otherwise), you thwart complacency. By employing a Japanese philosophy called kaizen, you can focus on continuous improvement. (Translation: “kai” means school, and “zen” means wisdom.) This kaizen approach is opposite the Western philosophy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

In the Japanese corporate culture, kaizen is embodied by including every single employee to constantly look for ways to improve their work situation. It is said that in companies like Toyota and Canon, for example, over 60 suggestions per employee are implemented each year (that's right . . . per employee!)

These aren’t necessarily huge changes. The principle behind kaizen is to make slow, subtle changes – to be in a constant state of improvement. The results of such an approach include an improvement in productivity and safety, and a reduction in errors or waste. The net effect is stronger employee relations and higher profits.

So . . . that brings a question to mind: I wonder what our Western work environment would be like if we were to adapt this philosophy - even slightly? How might the employee morale change? How might our profitability increase by “asking ‘why’ five times?”

Which frame of mind are you in? Are you resigned to remain in the current state in which you find yourself? Or do you constantly look for subtle ways to change, to improve, to make things better in your life and in your business?

If you are ready to experience new results in your life in 2009, then you must be willing to change something in your current circumstances. Asking yourself “Why” five times may just lead you to clarity. For example:

Why do I feel stuck in this present situation?
Because I don’t have another job to go to.

Why don’t I have a good job?
Because I can’t find anything else.

Why can’t I find anything else?
Because I haven’t looked.

Why haven’t I looked?
Because I don’t really know what I want to do.

Why don’t I know what I want?
Because I haven't made the time to explore what I want.

A-HA!

Or how about this possibility?

Why did our customer service ratings drop?
Because we quit doing the things we knew to be effective

Why did we quit doing those things?
Because we lost our focus.

Why did we lose our focus?
Because we allowed all the negative news to influence our behavior.

Why did we allow this to influence our behavior?
Because we had no leadership to keep us focused.

Why wasn’t the leadership there?
Because I, as the leader, allowed fear to paralyze me.

A-HA! Now you’re getting somewhere!

Getting to the root of things allows you to move forward!

Have a Golden Day! (And keep those questions coming!)
Darlene Dean
Coach For Results
Darlene Dean is a Certified Life and Business Coach. Through coaching, her clients experience clearer focus, less stress, and get the results they want.

What Thoughts Occupy Your Mind?

Coach Darlene — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:32:00 GMT

What do you think about all day?

Quickly rewind your life to yesterday or the day before. What thoughts were swimming through your head? If you could provide one word to describe the overall theme of your thoughts, what word would you use? Might it be fear? Angst? Or was it peaceful, confident, restful?

When you come from a place of anger, scarcity or despair, then the choices you begin to make help fulfill that sentiment. Could you choose instead to think, believe, and do something that would take you closer to the direction you want to go - rather than to perpetuate the current situation that you don't want?

The thoughts (and feelings) that you carry with you will eventually form the words that you use. Believing you CAN’T do something leads you to begin saying things like, “It’s too hard,” or “I’ll never lose this weight,” or “I am always in debt.”

Ultimately, those words will translate into your actions – or inactions. If you think you can’t do something and keep telling yourself you can’t do it, then sure enough, you find subtle ways to keep proving it over and over again. Eventually, you just quit trying. Thus, your actions determine your results.

The good news is that the GOOD thoughts (and feelings) that you carry with you will also eventually form the words that you use – which will also lead to positive actions and positive results.

By approaching a task with thoughts like, “This is easy,” or “I can have fun with this,” you initiate a different chain reaction in the brain, which ultimately produces different results.

The bonus is that once you get the results you want, the cycle starts fresh - but with the new results as the basis for those new thoughts. That's how successful people continue to bring about more success.

What might your life be like if you started with a simple change in the way you think about something?

It all begins with your thoughts.

Only YOU have the power to choose your thoughts. Which path will you take?

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene - Your Coach for Results

Yesterdays Don't Matter

Coach Darlene — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:38:00 GMT

Whatever you were doing a year ago, five years ago, or ten years ago, doesn’t have much relevance today. You have to do things differently just to keep your head above water. This means rethinking your current strategies and staying open to new opportunities.

Here are 3 ideas to keep you moving forward during stormy times.

1. Know your core values and what you stand for. Review your personal values as well as your company’s. When you know who you are and what keeps you moving foward, your calmness and confidence will shine through. By connecting your actions to something you truly value, you will excel and stand apart from those who choose mediocrity.

2. Reframe the negative messages that bombard you. Everyday, you receive hundreds, if not thousands, of messages from external sources. It’s hard enough to turn those off; but what about the internal messages that play over and over in your mind that you have put there?

Practice turning a negative thought around into a searching, positively-stated question. You will achieve new results only when you begin to think in new ways.

Look at these examples:

Current thought: “I’m not good enough.”
New thought: “How will I know when I’ve reached that point of feeling good enough? What does ‘good enough’ mean for me?”

Current thought: “I can’t lose weight.”
New thought: “What do I honestly want to do – and what am I willing to do – about my weight? Who can I enlist to help me?”

Current thought: “I’m lousy at selling.”
New thought: “What can I do to become more effective at selling? What are more successful people doing today?”

3. Revisit your goals – for both personal and business. If you know that the winds of change are blowing, are you adjusting your sails? Your survival may depend upon it.

New opportunities are opening up. Look around. What can you offer during this next year that will fill a need for others?

Associate with different people and get new perspectives. Pay attention – and then make course corrections. Review procedures and policies – are they still supporting you as you change direction in some areas?

Today is what matters. In every negative situation, wonderful surprises always emerge. It is said that we can expect more millionaires to be made during the next 2-5 years than we saw occur over the past 10 years. If you follow science and technology, you know that when things went wrong in the past – a dune buggy on Mars quit working – or a gummy substance wouldn’t stick - the scientists' stood up to the challenge and allowed their collective “creative genius” to emerge. What was the outcome? They created a much superior end products as a result. They knew that whatever they did yesterday didn’t really matter. It’s what they bring to the table today – to solve today’s issues – that matters.

Allow your creative genius to emerge and discover new ways to thrive!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

The Question You Need to Ask Yourself About Your Goals

Coach Darlene — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:21:00 GMT

Most of the people I know set goals. And everyone’s heard of the typical steps to effective goal setting: Is it measurable? Is it realistic? Does it have a time line? And so forth. And sadly, most goals are never met. Do you know why?

One thing not talked about very often is taking personal responsibility and owning up to your commitment for achieving those goals. If you add one more question to your list of testable questions, you might see a different outcome. Ask yourself this: Is this a goal I’m truly committed to for this next (month, year)?

So often, we end up setting goals that were important to someone else – but weren’t necessarily all that exciting to us. Maybe what you want most is not necessarily in alignment with what your boss wants. Or perhaps your desire to lose weight was motivated by something other than personal desire (The doc said I have to do it, my kids are on my case, and so on).

Whatever your goals are, be certain they are truly meaningful to you, or you will surely stumble along the way. Until you’re really committed, you will find numerous distractions to keep you from reaching the finish line. Why identify those goals at all, if you know in your heart you’re not ready to fully commit to them?

After all, who else but you can achieve your goals?

Did you set goals earlier this year that are now languishing? Pull out your list of annual commitments – you do have a list, right? Ask yourself these questions:

Are there any to which I am not truly committed?
What do I want to do about these? Am I ready to let them go?
Which ones are still important to me?
Which one am I most committed to right now? How would everyone around me know?
What actions am I taking that demonstrate my commitment?

Achieving (and exceeding) your goals is a fun, energizing process when you are on a journey that is meaningful to you. Once you’ve decided which goals are absolutely important to you – then renew your commitment to “get ‘er done.” Share your action plan with a friend or co-worker and ask them to check on your progress between now and the end of the year. Do these things, and you’ll be amazed at the result.

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

THE SEED OF AN IDEA - Building on Your Business Idea - Part 5

Coach Darlene — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:06:00 GMT

STEP 5. THE PLAN - Putting All Together.

This is the last segment in a 5-part series about nourishing your fantastic business idea and putting it all together into a formal Business Plan.

Here are the earlier steps if you want a quick refresher:
The Seed of An Idea , Who are Your Customers?, Location, Location, Location, Show Me the Money

There are numerous ways to write your business plan. Some are very short ; I’ve even seen a 1-page business plan. Most, however, consist of several pages and are broken down into several sections.

At a minimum, your plan should consist of these four areas:

Business Overview
Marketing Overview
Financial Overview
Management Overview

You can scout the Web and find many variations on the design of a good business plan. You’ll even find some sample plans that have been shared out there. Study a few and then design a Business Plan that fits your particular business idea.

Have someone review it – have several people review it –and then stay open to hearing what they like or don’t like, what questions they ask. Revise the plan if necessary. Remember, you’ll need this when you go before any investors or lenders.

You also have many helpful places to give you support as you create this document. One of your best resources is the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , a federal agency that was created to help and protect the interests of small businesses. They have a terrific “business planning” section that will help answer many of your questions. And check out their step-by-step business plan process.

Also, check your local community for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which is often partnered with an area university campus. They offer classes on writing business plans, how to set up your accounting records, how to do payroll and pay your taxes, and so much more.

Good luck to you as you bring your big dream to life and present your best picture to the professionals who will support you. I invite you to join in my monthly, Wednesday Wisdom telecalls , where like-minded business owners share their experiences and ideas for success.

To your Success!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

Autumn Hues Signal Exciting Changes

Coach Darlene — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:11:00 GMT

It’s official – Autumn has arrived!

I love the changing of the seasons. There is nothing quite as breathtaking as a view across a spacious gorge and seeing the shimmering Aspens in Colorado or the gorgeous Maple trees up north. What do you experience in your area as a signal that the seasons are changing?

Where I live, our humidity and high temperatures begin to lower, and we “locals” really come out to enjoy our beautiful area. As a result, we invest more time with neighbors and friends in those leisurely strolls on the beaches, through the woods. I smell the wood fires and sizzling hotdogs. I can taste the toasted marshmallows . . . and find delight in the stories we conjure up on those chilly nights.

Often, in Autumn, we feel a renewed surge of energy and excitement. Have you noticed that within yourself? This extra surge of energy can guide us to stretch that extra little bit to reach – or exceed – our goals. Are there some areas of your life that have been neglected during the Spring or Summer months? Review your plan (you do have one for this year, right?) and take a few moments to re-strategize. What deserves the most focus from you right now?

What colors do you associate with Autumn?

My autumn palette includes rich ochers and golden saffron, pumpkin orange, cinnabar, rust and brick red. These colors represent my deep appreciation for this time of year. Their richness expresses the excitement and change that I sense, and they rev me up.

You are the artist of your life. You, too, can create the warmth of love and abundance, the excitement of change within your life. What will you create for yourself this season?

Share with us your colorful view of this intoxicating season.

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

THE SEED OF AN IDEA - Building on Your Business Idea - Part 4

Coach Darlene — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:49:00 GMT

STEP 4. MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO 'ROUND

Finances. Ugh.

Who wants to tackle this piece of the puzzle? Not many of us, to be sure.

In the first three parts of this series we talked about your business concept, who your customers are, and where you are going to locate your business.

You're well on your way to having a successful plan. However, I would venture to say that many good ideas never get off the ground because the financial requirement stops a person cold. So, today, we delve into the touchy topic of money.

Less than 3% of the world’s population that has an overabundance of funds. And if you’re reading this, I can surmise that you’re probably not in that 3% category; which means, you will be looking for sources of financing.

There are a number of ways to finance your business idea and bring it to life. If you are asking others to invest in you, in your idea, they will want to know the likelihood of getting paid back and/or how much money they can make on the deal. As you prepare your package to present to lenders and potential investors, always wear the hat from their perspective. What are they going to want to know about you, your business and your financial security? This is all summed up in one word: RISK.

There are 4 common avenues to acquire funding for your business. In all cases, you should be prepared to include some of your own money in the project. It’s what we call having “skin in the game.” Investors look at how much you are willing to put in versus how much they will be putting into the pot. The more you provide, the lower their risk.

Think of it another way: the higher the risk, the higher the payback needs to be. That could be reflected in a higher interest rate or in a higher percentage of ownership if you take on equity partners.

A lot of other factors go into the total risk equation such as your expertise and experience level of running this type of business – have you had success in this type of venture already?

Delivering on what you promise, paying on time and so forth, will be fundamental for building that trust between you and your new “partners.” That’s a topic for another day, however.

Here are the 4 most common funding alternatives:

1) Fund it all yourself.
In the first scenario, you’re providing all the money needed to start up your business and to keep it afloat until it is profitable. In this situation, you are not requiring a bank to help you get started.

Funding it by yourself often means you’ll be building your business more slowly than if you have additional money behind you. That’s a great strategy – and one that will undoubtedly keep you from having debt that could easily get out of hand. Just know and understand the pro’s and con’s of either strategy. Frankly, in today’s quirky economy, being able to stand on your own two feet on a new business plan would be a great test of readiness and self-trust in your dream and in your abilities.

Start building that relationship with the bank where you do business. You’ll want to strengthen those ties before you need to borrow their money.

2) Borrow from family and friends.
This is also a common plan for many entrepreneurs. There are some success stories out there, I am sure. However, mostly we hear about the awful, sad stories that result when a business plan goes bad and everyone you know and love has been let down.

Always, always, have a legal professional help you in drawing up the documents that will serve to protect everyone – and make sure everyone understands what they are agreeing to. Many family feuds have developed over disagreements on how you’re spending their money.

3) Borrow from the bank or traditional lending institutions
This is the common avenue most business owners follow as they create and build their business. It’s also a tough process where R-I-S-K is the great measuring stick for the lenders.

They’ll require a lot of information from you, and it will all add up to a picture that they will view to determine if your plan is worth investing in.

Know that they also have your interests at heart. If they feel you’re undercapitalized or your idea is not too convincing, listen to them. They are experts in money management and I’ve know many to heed the advice of their bankers and come out with much stronger business plans and profitability.

This group and the one mentioned in #4 below will really want to know how much you’re putting into the business. I don’t know of too many places out there – and certainly not in today’s tough times – that will loan you 100% of your capital.

4) Look for outside investors and venture capitalists
This group works much like the bankers in #3, and yet they’re a little different. They are usually willing to take more risks with you. One difference in this group is that many of them also want a piece of the action – they want part ownership in the business.

Venture capitalists are great for ideas which aren’t yet common, run-of-the-mill business opportunities. They’re looking for the next Microsoft® or GoogleTM

So defining your funding plan is a crucial component of your overall business plan. It’s a good idea to work with financial experts and business-building experts who can assist you and open up your mind to alternatives for consideration. They’ll also know what ratios are attractive to the lenders (what percent you will put in versus borrow).

As always, consult your legal professionals regarding all documents you want to draw up as well as any you may be signing with other parties. Paying attention to details is a crucial element of a successful entrepreneur.

Know that you will be expected to put your money on the line as you start a new business endeavor. Make sure you have sufficient funds (1 year’s worth, at a minimum is my suggestion) to sustain your personal life (household expenses like mortgage, car, credit cards, insurance and so forth). Most businesses take a lot of start up money to get off the ground. Sales are not steady until several years later. You can help strengthen your lender’s opinion of your business skills by showing them – up front – that you know and expect what it will take to get your seed of an idea to bloom and prosper.

In our next article - and the last article in this series - I’ll share with you how to bring all of this together and create your Business Plan.

To your Success!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

WEDNESDAY WISDOM - Strengthening Your Relationships

Coach Darlene — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:01:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY WISDOM – September 17, 2008 Noon CST

it's Free!

(Strengthening Your Relationships
- Success strategies for your personal and business relationships -

Unless you live in a cave and don't ever communicate with anyone, you undoubtedly have had a conflict with someone now and then. Sometimes it's not even a big, drawn-out, vocal thing, but perhaps all of a sudden, the two of you are no longer close and you don't even know why.

Relationships are at the core of who we are and everything that we do. I hope you'll join me in this month's F REE call on Strengthening Your Relationships. We anticipate a lively discussion and want all of our participants to chime in with their experiences of finding solutions that worked for them as they develop stronger relationships.

Fellow coach, Kim Pichot of Complete Success, will join me in this heartfelt discussion about our Relationships and lessons we learn along the way.

Register now: Wednesday Wisdom call – September 17th, 2008.

I hope to "hear" you there!

To your success!
Coach Darlene

THE SEED OF AN IDEA - Building on Your Business Idea - Part 3

Coach Darlene — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:58:00 GMT

The Seed of an Idea – 5 Steps for Building on your Business Idea
PART 3

A business idea has been rolling around in your head . . . in previous articles, we talked about the Business Concept and Defining Your Customers. Today, let's take it a step further with a focus on how they will find you.

STEP 3. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

WHERE WILL YOU BE LOCATED?

You’ve decided about your business service or product, and you’ve identified your customer base. WHERE are your customers? How will they find you? How dependent are you that they must find you (versus you finding them)?

Are you relying on a heavy foot traffic into a physical location? Will most of your business be outbound – dependent upon your visiting others? Will your business model support a heavy internet selling component? Or do you envision your business being built upon all 3 methods of customer traffic?

This is the third question to ponder as you continue to develop your business idea. Here are 3 points of discussion for your consideration as you answer this question about location.

1) Geographic Location

If you are envisioning a brick-and-mortar business, one that has walk-in traffic, ask this one question before all others: Where will you locate this business so that you have the optimal chance of being successful?

If you’re in the North where you can expect plenty of snow and freezing temperatures during Winter, it’s probably not the best area of the country in which to plant palm trees (which prefer the tropical climate year round).

Is your business better suited to a particular geographic area or population demographic? If you want to open a teen center, for instance, but you live in a retirement community, you see my point.

Often, the business idea is generic enough to appeal to a wide audience base; if this fits your scenario, then you have some flexibility in choosing your locale. But don’t be lured into the concept that “everyone” will want to buy from me. That’s just not how it works.

Of course, that’s just the beginning. Next you will also have to decide on whether it needs to be downtown, urban or neighborhood-centric.

And let’s not forget the new world: the Internet. Perhaps your business idea is best suited for the World-Wide Web. In this case, your physical location is a moot point. However, the skills and tools you need will be vastly different from a standard brick-and-mortar business.

2) Physical Space

If you have experience purchasing real estate, you’ve probably heard – and certainly have learned – that location is everything.

When buying a home, you want to ensure you are located in a desirable neighborhood – this creates a higher demand for your “product.” If you are a commercial business dependent upon walk-in traffic, location will make or break you. Today, we have even more complex business models to include the Internet.

Study how the “big boys” do it – look at Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Lowe’s and grocery stores. Even the ”gas stations-turned-mini-stores” have a template for deciding where – and when – to locate their stores. In my own neighborhood, I observed a gas station close down after a year and build a new facility right across the street. It remains there today with a high-traffic count, all because of how traffic flowed and where the people are located in the adjoining neighborhoods. So location is critical.

Did you know fast-food restaurants visit supermarkets and measure the number of feet of shelf coverage for particular food items? For example, a pizza place would perhaps measure how much space is allotted to frozen pizzas in a neighborhood grocery store. This information tells them if area residents are readily buying pizzas.

There are many, many ways to measure the habits of your buying public and where they work and live. Depending on your situation, you may need to allocate part of your budget for some serious market studies.

If you are locating in a public space, do you know how much physical floor space you need? What about the layout of the room(s)?

If you are a retail business, it is vital to know exactly what will be put on the sales floor, which products will take up how much room, where your storage will be, how much “back-office” space is needed, and so on.

If your business idea is primarily offering personal services, like a doctor, a repair service, or a consultant, you likely have more options. Perhaps you could do just as well in a professional complex where you’ll find mostly office space and little or no front-end retail space.

You are a visionary now. You have ideas sprouting up . . . so dream big and think 2 years from now, 5 years from now. Do you see yourself still having sufficient room? It’s not the end of the world if you have to relocate. Heck, if you’re relocating because business is booming, more power to you. But moving is not something you want to do too often. You always lose some customer base when you relocate. And it’s costly to use your advertising budget just to tell people how to find you again.

Lastly, consider your parking requirements. Is there sufficient parking allotted for your anticipated customer traffic and your employees? I’ve observed strip centers where an anchor business has so much traffic that the smaller guys can’t even get a parking space or two in front of their doors. When you’re not a convenient place to stop, you are not a convenient place to shop; customers will go elsewhere.

Options for outbound sales

If you are in an out-bound sales arena (Tupperware®, Mary Kay®, independent consultant, a real estate salesperson, etc) then you may be able to work from your home and have a highly successful business.

If you’re a licensed professional (real estate, lawyer, insurance agent and so forth) there may be some restrictions from your state licensing boards that will dictate how you can operate. Also, what are your local zoning regulations? Can you run a business from your home? Each community has a Planning and Zoning group within their county – or city – government. It’s easy to do some checking, acquire the appropriate licenses and do things within regulation.

Guess what? If you find out you’re prohibited from running this type of business from your home, it is far better to know it now – up front – than 18 months into your business.

3) Web Traffic

It’s not news that the Internet is a great place from which to do business. This technology has literally opened our doors to the world. It’s also not news that some businesses do better on the web than do others.

So where does yours fit into the picture of world-wide selling? Is it a viable concept? Do your customers have to find you and meet you in person in order to do business?

For instance, if I am a computer repair facility, it probably is not realistic to assume that a person with a broken computer in Los Angeles is going to ship that system to me in a small town in Florida. He’s probably going to find a local-based business and drop it off there.

Now, if my business model is slightly different and highly specialized, that could be different. Let’s say instead of repairing computers I now am in the data recovery business and my specialty is recovering data from systems that have been damaged in rain and storms . . . and maybe there are only 3 or 4 of us in the country that are this highly capable. Do you see how a customer might want to find me and ship his broken system to me?

In this latter case, having a strong web presence will be important to getting the word out about my capabilities, my specialties. I might also still need to be in a physical location where people can drop off their equipment – and where I can accept deliveries and manage my shipments, house my employees and my spare parts.

If you are a multi-level marketer (and hey, that’s one of the fastest growing industries around!), or a self-employed professional such as myself, then it makes sense to operate from home and become outbound when necessary.

Maybe your plan is to start small, work from home and then grow into a larger place. No matter which way you go, the main thing is to know what your plan is and to be able to justify it to your investors and supporters.

So think about your big picture on your business and drill down to how you’re going to interact with customers, employees, and vendors. Deciding your location is an important component in your overall business concept and business plan.

To your success!
Coach Darlene

THE SEED OF AN IDEA - Building on Your Business Idea - Part 2

Coach Darlene — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:13:00 GMT

The Seed of an Idea – 5 Steps for Building on your Business Idea
PART 2

A business idea has been rolling around in your head . . . earlier we talked about the 1st of 5 steps to consider as you plant that idea in solid ground: the Business Concept. Today, let's take it a step further with a focus on who will buy your product or service.

STEP 2. WHO WILL BE YOUR CUSTOMER?

In the first article we talked about your concept – what you would offer. Another key success ingredient is to know and understand who will be buying your products or services. This is an equally important piece of your decision as you continue to think about the soundness of your business idea.

It pays to do this research. The more specific you can become with your demographics, the more viable your plan becomes.

If your product/service is a brand new item, ask yourself: Who would be the most likely early adopters? You can bet companies like Apple think of that when they work through their new product concepts.

If your product or service is more common, then it becomes even more important to identify your target audience. Today, there are too, too many choices when it’s time to make a purchase.

With the ever-present Internet, your market is often the entire world – so that can be a great thing. On the other hand, it also means your potential customers can ALSO reach across the Internet to make their purchases.

So ask yourself these starter questions:
1) Who definitely is NOT a customer interested in my product/service? (Sometimes asking who is NOT a potential customer helps get more clear on who IS!
2) Who might be a customer for my product or service?

You may find that this “WHO” category is still too broad. Think of it in these dimensions:

a) Is there a specific age group that will want what I offer? (A baby doll probably would not be exciting to many teenage girls.)

b) Do they have a typical level of education? (If I have some great products for professional chefs, the culinary schools and highly-rated restaurants might be a source for me)

c) Are they in a particular profession? (If I’m providing jet transportation services to movie stars, I probably won’t find the majority of my clients at a grocery store)

d) Do they tend to live in a particular geographic region? (I wouldn’t expect to sell too many snowmobiles in Florida.)

As you continue to develop your business concept, you’ll also discover more ways to identify your potential customer base. Use all of this information to help fine tune your business idea.

Next, we’ll cover a 3rd step in this series of developing your great business idea.

To your Success!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

PS: Join me in my monthly, Wednesday Wisdom telecalls, where like-minded business owners share their experiences and ideas for success.

THE SEED OF AN IDEA - Building on Your Business Idea - Part 1

Coach Darlene — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:21:00 GMT

The Seed of an Idea – 5 Steps for Building on your Business Idea

There is this tiny seed of an idea that you’ve been carrying around with you for some time now. Maybe it’s just one of many seeds, all neatly tucked away in your mind. If you’re serious about becoming a business owner, the ideas won’t die; they’ll keep “growing” on you. And then, one day, you’ll decide it’s time to get into action.

Invest your best thinking in these initial steps, and you’ll be well ahead of most of your competition!

The early stages of preparation for your garden spot include steps like tilling the soil and fertilizing it, and maybe adding in some compost. Yet, even before that comes the important decision of WHAT you will plant – and WHERE you will plant it. Is this the right season? Are you located in an appropriate geographic region that will support the types of things you plan to grow?

In business, you should consider similar questions about your seed of an idea. This 5-part series will look at the steps necessary to more clearly focus on your business idea. It’s time to plant those seeds and get growing!

STEP 1. WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CONCEPT?

What type of business will it be? The question sounds very simple, doesn’t it? As you begin to peel back the layers, however, you can bet a thousand more questions will pop up.

This first decision is probably one of the most important ones to make. And the more specific you can get on this answer, the stronger chance you have of succeeding.

As you prepare your soil for your planting, you’ll want to think ahead and prepare for those pesky weeds and bugs that inevitably show up. So it is in your business planning. Getting answers to as many questions as you can come up with now will go a long way to filtering out the unexpected surprises in your business world.

There are thousands of business models that fit into the various industry sectors. What is it that YOU want to do? How will you be different from all the others? Why would I want to buy from you instead of someone down the street?

Are you going to open a sandwich shop or a parts store? Do you want to run a restaurant? If so, what kind? Will it be a quaint, mom-and-pop place with blue-plate specials – or an upscale, dinner only establishment?

Once you have a basic idea, invest in some quality “think” time and really narrow it down. Get a picture in your mind of exactly what your physical place will look like. What types of employees will you have? How many will it take to run the place? How do you see your days playing out? If you’re carrying inventory, do you need warehouse space? Retail space? Work with your concept for awhile and see how it feels. There is no rush.

Are you a “specialist” kind of person, or a “generalist?” And how will that shape your business model? Are you going to be known as another restaurant owner in town, or the best place to go for blueberry pancakes on Saturday mornings?

Sometimes, visionaries see a need (customers looking for something and can't find what they want) and that’s where the idea begins to develop for a product, service or business.

Other times, an entrepreneur will want to have a business for the sake of being self-employed, and he or she really doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) what business it is. “I want to own a self-storage business,” may be the vision.

And there’s always a third scenario, the hobbyist, who says, “I’d love to teach art classes.” They have a great love or hobby and want to turn it into a business.

Any of these scenarios can be successful; but each requires a very different approach.

If you haven’t already started one – go out right now and buy a big notebook. You’ll want several dividers. For now, create a section and label it “IDEAS.” Then fill it up! (And be sure to capture all those questions that are lurking in the back of your mind!)

The next article will help you fine tune this concept by asking, “Who is your Customer?”

To your Success!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

PS: Join me in my monthly, Wednesday Wisdom telecalls, where like-minded business owners share their experiences and ideas for success.

WEDNESDAY WISDOM - Building Your Team to Increase Your Success

Coach Darlene — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:28:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY WISDOM – August 20th, 2008 Noon CST

Building Your Team to Increase Your Success
- Create the talent around you so you can grow your business! -

One of the most common challenges faced by many new business startups is building a solid foundation to help sustain their business as they grow.

If you're a solo-preneur - working all by yourself - then you know what I mean when I say, "It gets lonely at the water cooler!"

And what about if you're a stay-at-home parent - not necessarily in business - but still needing addidtional support? You can take this idea and mold it to fit any situation.

Who do you go to when you want to bounce some ideas around? WHo can you call when you need a quick legal reading? Where can you find resources to help with temporary surges in your business?

It's about networking, it's about hiring virtual assistants. It's about all that and MORE.

Come join us on this call in August and learn creative ways to get a team around you to help solidify your business practices.

Participate in this call and learn:

The purpose of a Board of Advisors
The structure: How many? How often?
What are their roles? What to look for as you select the right "players"
5 things YOU need to know before inviting them to join

Fellow coach, Kim Pichot of Complete Success, will join me in a fun, mind-altering discussion about Building A Team around you.

Register now: Wednesday Wisdom call – August 20th , 2008.

Be prepared to share you wisdom during this lively call -- we’ll want to know how you have boosted your business by adding TEAM!

To your success!
Coach Darlene

Building Your Team for Success

Coach Darlene — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:01:00 GMT

When my husband and I owned our own computer business, the inside joke was . . . “Why yes, as owners, we get to work half days . . . we just have to pick which twelve hours we want!”

Business owners face all sorts of challenges. We have the day-to-day management of staff, customers, inventory, vendors, and the list goes on. Is it any wonder that, at the end of the day, we’ve barely got time to do any strategizing or planning for our future growth?

One of the success factors in any business, regardless of size, is to learn to build a team around you.

Certainly, your staff is important. But what I’m talking about is beyond the internal support. This is about thoughtfully putting together a group of outsiders who can offer expertise, experience and connections in other areas that you cannot get otherwise.

In corporations, a board of directors is part of their structure. Most often, they’re paid for their expertise and they show up at quarterly meetings (or whatever frequency is mandated). They may review budgets and marketing plans put together by the staff. They are elected by the stockholders and thus, are accountable as to the profitability of the company.

In our case, that may be a bit too elegant and too formal. However, the expertise is needed, just the same. So it’s important to acknowledge areas in which you are weakest – or those things you don’t like to do – and then seek out willing participants who can assist you.

For day-to-day operations, you’ll want to think about bookkeepers, marketing assistance, repair teams and so forth. Virtual assistants are great options here, especially if your needs are sporadic and not requiring consistent, 40-hour weeks.

And for the really big, heavy decisions, I encourage you to think about developing a Board of Advisors. These could be people who come from the same industry as you – or from disparate ones, but who also have strong skills in various areas.

Who do you admire in your community that has been successful and could provide some great insights? Why not approach them to be part of your “dream team” and allow them to impart their knowledge as a mentor?

Some of my clients merely want a team of 4-5 people who can meet with them quarterly to go over specific topics – maybe this time it’s the business plan for next year. Maybe next time it’s reviewing an employee compensation plan.

This concept is what I refer to as a Board of Advisors. And this is your game, so you make up the rules. You can design a team around your needs and work the program any way you want. You can choose to implement their ideas or not.

Being a sole proprietor or a business owner with limited staffing does not have to result in limited success. Add a Board of Advisers and take your business to the top!

If you’d like ideas on how to get started with a Board of Advisers, join me during my f'ree call: Wednesday Wisdom on August 20th when we talk about Building Your Team for Success.

Until then, have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

Tired of Struggling? Find the Adventure Instead!

Coach Darlene — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:51:00 GMT

“Struggle and adventure are two sides of the same coin. When you find yourself struggling, flip it over!”
by C.J. Hayden, Get Clients NOW!™

I take myself too seriously sometimes. And the same goes for my business, too. After awhile, things often seem to become stale, worn-out; and I lose my excitement. How about you?

When you find yourself struggling and the results aren’t coming, it’s time to take a step back and try another approach. When you change your perspective, even just a little freshness will go a long way!

Try this easy exercise with me:
How appealing is the word “diet” to you? What if, instead, you replaced it with “nourishment program” - would that be more enticing? Now you are focusing on what the benefits are - and what you WANT more of.

Let’s try another one. Think of the word “budget.” How does that settle inside your gut? Is it something you look forward to each month? Let’s replace it with the phrase, “spending plan,” and see what comes up for you. Does it sound more exciting? If you're like me, I'd much rather be thinking about what I want to spend my money on instead of what I can't have.

It’s all in how we look at the world. Words become labels that hold certain messages and expectations. Sometimes, we’re doomed before we even get started! By changing your pictures, you change your thought patterns, and it is then easier to get into action.

So replace that old, stale, picture with another that is more fun, more exciting, and more rewarding. When you enjoy something, guess what! You will usually do it again and again.

Let’s put some fun back into our daily living!

Play with this today. Whenever you find yourself putting off a task, or just not enjoying what you’re doing, ask these questions:

Does it need to be done at all? (Are you creating work and struggling with something for no reason?)
What part of this am I not enjoying?
How can I make a game out of it or change my framework around it? (Hint: often, just visualizing the reward will help!)

If you’d like to take the struggle out of your grinding schedule and, instead, you want to flow with more ease throughout your day, I can show you how to create your Ideal Week.

Call or email me. I love new adventures!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

Gleaming, Silver Birds and Other Patriotic Thoughts

Coach Darlene — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:01:00 GMT

" ...And the Rockets’ red glare, the Bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night, that our Flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the Land of the free, and the home of the brave.”

from The Star Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key, 1814

No matter how many times I see a man or woman in uniform, nor how many hundreds of times I’ve seen, heard and felt the mighty roar of the gleaming, silver birds flying overhead, I still get a tingling excitement in the pit of my stomach.

I can’t help it. I grew up in a military environment, and I married into it, too. My current place of residence is smack dab in the middle (that’s southern talk!) of a host of military bases. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love all that this represents and I so appreciate the sacrifices made so that you and I can still live FREE in this great country.

Many days, on my drive to and from a nearby town, I am graced by a mighty jet flying just overhead. Often, it is at the break of dawn, with the sun barely peeking over the treetops. As the shining bird comes mightily soaring down from high in the sky, I can hear the roaring of the engines and feel the thrusting of its power. I am filled with excitement . . . and I swell with pride. Other times, I witness the constant practice of other types of “birds” in their lonely droning over a pattern, determined to master their technologies and skills as they serve to protect one another in the heat of battle.

I’m lucky enough to benefit from these encounters at least once a week. And yet, with each occasion, it’s like experiencing it for the first time. I never tire of it. Just as I never tire of seeing the performances of the precision teams – the Air Force’s Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels.

From Day One of their training, everyone in the military learns pride, discipline sacrifice and respect. That’s respect for others AND respect for themselves. I don’t think we see enough of any of those virtues today.

They learn about cooperation and trust. No major project (or mission) can be accomplished by one person alone; it takes many, if not hundreds. They come to understand that teamwork is critical to their survival. Every day, they are responsible for each other’s lives.

These are the symbols that stand out for me when I think of our military.

Are you, as a civilian, willing to be accountable for that level of reliability in your workplace? And on top of that, be willing to work in not-so-plush conditions and to work for low pay and barely suitable housing? Think about it.

There may be some of you who read this and are against everything the military stands for. And so, I gladly give you the space to feel that way. You are free to write and say what you want about that – or any other topic. (That’s thanks to our military, by the way, that you can do that!)

There are many of you who will also understand what I feel and will silently “high-five” me for what I cannot adequately put into words. But once you have lived it, you know and understand it; and it really needs no further explanation.

So it is on this great day of celebration that I boast of our nation – and especially of our military men and women and their families. I do so appreciate the sacrifices they make and the commitment they exhibit.

When I see you in uniform on the street and I give a silent nod or smile, know that inside, my heart bursts with honor and a deep respect. YOU are important in my life, no matter what role you play.

If you are one of the pilots in those gleaming, shining birds that flies overhead, you may see a hand wildly waving out a car’s window as you swoosh by. Know it is me, representing thousands of others, waving you onward and upward. (I declare . . . those wheels will someday tap the roof of my car, they’re so close!).

I am proud that, together, we make up this wonderful community – and I'm proud to call you my neighbor and friend.

To our freedom!

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene

Let’s Celebrate!

Coach Darlene — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:21:00 GMT

The month of June always feels magical to me. It is a time for endings and beginnings as high school graduates close out one phase of their lives and move into another. Many weddings are held in June - the partners are leaving one life and beginning another.

As you look at your life these past 6 months, what are the celebrations that stand out for you? In what ways have these experiences impacted your life and your relationships with others? How do they mark the ending of one thing -- and the beginning of another for you?

The summer solstice occurs in June. For the northern hemisphere, this is the day in which we experience the most amount of daylight. And of course, the end of June is significant because we’re now at the halfway point in this year.

Are your plans for your life unfolding as expected or in new, surprising ways? How is this revelation meaningful? If the general direction is not what you really want, how will you move it into the direction you desire?

It is always so easy, and so human-like, for us to focus on what is not working or what has not gone right for us. Before we know it, we’ve put ourselves into a downward spiral while we keep the negative currents flowing through us.

And then, when good things do come our way, we often dismiss it with a flip of a hand. “Oh, it was just a bit of luck,” or “That wouldn’t ever happen again.”

I have news for you: we create our own luck. It is our attitudes and beliefs that hold the experience as either a positive one or a negative one. Even in tragedy, there is a gift if we look for it.

There are ALWAYS positive experiences in your life each day. Practice focusing on the things you want more of – not on the things you don’t want or don’t like. Do this for the next five days. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how your entire outlook shifts. And if you’d like a 5-minute guided assistance, contact me.

So if you want more positive experiences, keep your mind and spirit filled with the goodness and flowing energy that embodies those moments and thoughts that inspire you.

You are unique. You are special. You deserve all the joy and happiness that surrounds you. It’s there waiting for you to partake. How will you celebrate your life today?

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene