Most of us have seen the recent footage of the US Air jet liner sinking in the cold Hudson River.  Whether conservative or liberal, watching Fox News or MS NBC, most commentators are calling the safe landing a miracle.  And, after watching the computer generated reenactment of the plane taking off, swallowing the birds, turning around and then landing in the river, I'd say it's a miracle as well.

We don't get the chance to see real, live miracles everyday... or do we?  Personally, I don't think that we need to look very far at all to witness, on a daily basis, miracles happening.  They happen all day long and all around us.

For instance, have you been in the position where you just weren't quite sure where payroll was going to come from next month and then a big contract comes through.  Or, you're having a particular problem with an employee and just when you are getting to the point when you are planning to have that really difficult discussion with her, she walks in and quits anyway.  Or, you've made a presentation to a prospect and it really didn't go very well, maybe you weren't properly prepared, and you just know you're not going to get this deal but the prospect calls and says, "It's a go"! 

Well, I believe those are all little miracles helping us along the way.  So, I suggest that rather than waiting for those super, huge miracles to come along to make major changes in our lives, we relish those little ones with smaller impacts that just serve to make our lives a bit smoother. 

Yes, during these difficult economic times, we still need to be managing our receivables aggressively, using our marketing and advertising dollars effectively and leading our people productively.  We can also be looking for opportunities - miraculously!

Have you ever heard of the Kit-Cat® Club?  Our friend and owner of ComedySportz Improv Theater, Christine Walters, recently spoke about her Kit-Cat Clock. 

Kit-Cat Clocks have been around since the 1930s when they became popular during the Depression because they entertained folks during difficult times.  Many people have wonderful memories of those clocks in their homes while growing up and those same people continue with the tradition today.  The Kit-Cat Clock remains popular with many new, flashy colors and its own website:  http://www.kit-cat.com/kitcathistory.htm

Along with the entertainment factor, the Kit-Cat Clock has become of symbol of optimism espousing the following creed:

While we might not be able to make everyone around us smile, we can certainly go the extra mile to remain positive in light of the challenging times surrounding us.  A great lesson to learn from a sill cat clock! 

Another great way to stay positive to visit the ComedySportz Improv Theater for some family-friendly improv fun!  http://www.comedysportzrichmond.com/

We, at The Growth Coach, have concept called the FUDS which is an acronym for Fears, Uncertainties, Doubts and Suspicions.

The FUDS is that little nagging feeling of self-doubt that holds us back from doing what we need or want to do.  For example, its the FUDS that keeps us from making those phone calls on our to-do list because "I'm just not very good on the phone".  Or, limits our growth with larger clients because "I don't think we're ready to handle that large of a project".

Don't get me wrong - everyone suffers from the FUDS on occasion, after all, we are human!  But often times we procrastinate on a project or task and don't even realize that it's the FUDS at work. 

So, next time you are hesitating to start a project or can't seem to get something important done, ask yourself:  Do I have the FUDS?  What am I unsure of?  And, then put a plan in place to get past it.  Sometimes just recognizing those dastardly FUDS is more than half the battle!  As a coach, I often help my client recognize their FUDS and identify ways to overcome them.  What are some of your FUDS?

If time management is an endless series of decisions then it is very important for us to make strong and appropriate decisions every minute of every day.

Inappropriate decisions produce frustration, low self-esteem and increased stress.  Often these poor decisions are symptoms of poor time management.  We can improve our time management skills by learning to:

• Establish priorities based upon our most important long term goals
• Realistically scheduling our time
• Eliminating low priority tasks
• Taking action on only those tasks that will drive us toward reaching our goals or, alternatively, give us pleasure
• Making timely decisions
• Make a decision to not procrastinate

What are your time management/priority mangement challenges?  No worries - We all have them?  Let's go about making baby step improvements this week!

I was driving through Washington DC the other day and listening to talk radio when I heard an ad for the Ready.gov website.  I think you should check this out:

 http://www.ready.gov/

This website outlines programs, plans and actions both families and businesses can take to prepare for a potential disaster whether it be natural or man-made.  Disaster planning takes on additional importance as we come into full hurricane season.  We also must consider our need for preparedness and constant vigilance as a nation to protect ourselves from terrorist attacks.  Visit the Ready America section which outlines the items needed for a Basic Emergency Supply Kit.

Then visit the Ready Business section especially if you work in an office, away from home and you have employees.  What would you do if you and your employees were trapped in your office for some period of time?  Do you have a store of non-perishable food and water to hold you for even a day?

http://www.ready.gov/business/_downloads/readybusiness-brochure.pdf

This is a thought-provoking and action-oriented website about a serious topic.  I recommend it highly.  Your Thoughts? 

Please pardon my indulgence as I include a picture of Mark, myself and our teens, Jessica and Matt in front of the Dublin Castle in Ireland.  We had a wonderful vacation full of special times with friends and lots of touring. 

I promise that my next blog entry will be back on-track!

We are getting ready to leave on a family vacation to Ireland tomorrow so you won't be hearing too much from The Growth Coach over the next 10 days.  Try not to miss us too much!

Going to Ireland is an especially wonderful way to vacation but there are many great ways to get away from the 'daily grind' that don't require nearly as much time, effort or expense.  A weekend trip to the beach or to an out-of-town friend's home, a day at Busch Gardens, or my personal favorite, Water Country, or even, an evening of steaks on the grill and chatting with neighbors on the back porch.  Any of these can be the perfect escape at just the right time.

Taking some time away from work is absolutely vital to success.  We are in this for the long term and need those times of respite to revive our spirits and renew our relationships - not to mention to catch up on some sleep.  Don't feel guilty for taking time off.  Do feel guilty if you don't!

How do you plan to get away this summer?  Please share some of your plans and then we can get some great ideas from one another.  Where are you heading off to - backyard or beach?  Your Thoughts? 

Taking time regularly to set your priorities can seem like a daunting task.  You might ask yourself, "How can I find the time each day and each week just to think about what I'm going to do?  I just need to get stuff done!"  I suggest that it really takes very little time at all - just 10 minutes a day.  Apply the "pay yourself" concept to your time each day and pay yourself with 10 minutes of dedicated time to intentionally decide what you will accomplish that day.  Be sure those tasks will move you closer to your longer term goals, assess how well you did the day before and set yourself with a productive and positive attitude.   And then close each week by reviewing your overall progress.  Just 10 minutes a day.  Your Thoughts?

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. "   - Lord Chesterfield  

No idleness, No laziness?

Never put off till tomorrow?

What do you think of Lord Chesterfield's quote? 

Thanks to those of you visiting us from our e-newsletter where we talked about procrastination.  As you know by now, procrastination is not a result of laziness, it is an active decision to postpone an action.  We all get caught by it at times but some of us tend to be chronic procrastinators which can have a huge impact on our productivity, self-esteem as well everyone around us.

So, what can we do to overcome procrastination?  First, if you don't feel like doing something, too bad, do it anyway!  At least start a small part of the activity because getting started is often half the battle.  Second, if you are having difficulty getting started, tell yourself that you will work for 10 minutes only.  Then, once you get started it will be much easier to continue.

So, what about Lord Chesterfield's famous quote?  Personally, I subscribe to the opposite theory, "Don't do today, what I can put off till tomorrow"!  I find that this keeps me focused on the very most important tasks that must be completed.  The other stuff falls off the list which is exactly where it belongs.

Your Thoughts?