Tag Archives: change

Blazing a Trail in Leadership and Life

Posted on September 24, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Linda Cureton, (her blog is here) CIO for NASA, was one of the wonderful speakers at Womensphere. Her subject was change and, being a self-described info-geek, she went to Wikihow to find out how to blaze a trail. Her comments were based on the following WikiHow article:

1. Assess the density and type of foliage the area has growing and equip yourself with the stuff from the “Things You’ll Need” accordingly.
2. Plan the width of the trail.
If it’s a private trail, it only has to be about a foot (30 cm) to a foot and a half (46 cm) wide, just enough for a single file line of people to go through.
If It’s going to be a public trail, make it wide enough for four hikers abreast.
3. Plan the direction of the trail. Check to see if any unmovable obstacles, such as fences, boulders, large trees, or streams will disrupt things.
4. Cut down or flatten all trees and bushes to make the path. Leave some plants growing at the entrances if you want to make it a hidden trail.
5. Clean up the dead bushes. Remove and rocks that could trip people.

Warnings

Watch out for poisonous plants and animals and thorny bushes.
Trails disrupt nature.
Nature preserves are government property.

Things You’ll Need

Hedge Clippers (for smaller bush)
Ax or Saw (for trees)
Shovel (to remove medium sized rocks and roots)

It was a wonderful presentation. Anyone who leads in an organization or carries out a change in their own life can succeed by following these simple steps. How? Stay tuned for my take on this over the next few posts here and on Expanding Your Comfort Zone.

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Facing Your Inner Demons

Posted on September 27, 2009 by | Leave a comment

This caught my eye this morning:
funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

How are your inner demons doing today? I’ve been busy grappling with mine over the past few months. It’s not easy, is it?

I was thinking about Rick Carson’s Taming Your Gremlin this morning and have just taken it off the shelf to re-read. The concepts are simple and clear to understand. Implementation is a lifetime process; Carson helps me understand that it can be fun. Simply Notice … Choose and Play with Options … Be in Process. Buy the book! I’m off to play with the “You Can’t Do This”  Gremlin.

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Posted in change, Reframing

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Goals – Out of Fashion?

Posted on September 7, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Robert K. Cooper wrote about goals in a book called Getting Out of Your Own Way. I worked my way through this book slowly, taking time to think about the content and practice what I’d read. I’m once again thinking about goals and Cooper’s notion of Open Space Goals.

Goals can be tricky things. Some experts say that the only way to get ahead is to have specific, measurable goals. Another advocates ditching goals altogether. Yet another focuses on intentions. Cooper does a nice job of resolving this issue by setting up a continuum.

Most people don’t get very far, he says, because their goals are too narrow. He calls the first level of goals “stop goals.” You’re familiar with these — I’m going to stop spending and zero out my credit card balances; I’m going to stop eating. These are limiting because there’s no new state. Once you’ve accomplished the goal, what’s Next?

Usual goals have outcomes, but are still very limiting. If your goal is to save $1,000, what comes next? The solution? Think of some sort of stretch goals — often called Big Hairy Audacious Goals — that leaves you plenty of room to grow. Cooper contends that this is not enough either and can still be limiting. Get thin … win the marathon … become a multimillionaire …. These all sound good, don’t they? These are BHAGs that could take a lot of time and energy.

Go even further, Cooper urges. Set what he calls Open Space Goals. Open Space Goals allow room for creativity and growth in many directions. Open Space Goals allow us to create whole new ways of being. What if your goal moved from becoming a multimillionaire to financial freedom? This would mean that you wouldn’t be limited to the pursuit of money; your goal would also include lifestyle choices. You might decide that riches are less important than quality of life. Or you might want both. Helping the victims of Katrina might grow into finding ways to sustain residents in safe housing in storm-prone areas throughout the world.

Cooper’s model makes me think harder about how far I can stretch. What if we all thought and worked as if there were no limits?

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Posted in change, Reframing

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Changing Yourself – Oy Vey! It Hurts!

Posted on September 6, 2009 by | 1 comment

Things hurt this morning. I decided that I really needed to do something good for myself and get out there and walk. And things hurt this morning. Many things. There’s a cramp in my left calf that keeps coming back and is tender in between cramps. My back is not happy. My left shoulder and arm turned against me weeks ago and they don’t seem interested in reversing the position that every wrong move of my arm and/or too much time at the computer shall equal pain. Yes, things hurt.

So, today I’ll get back out there and walk some more, on the theory that I can walk out this pain. Maybe I’ll just have more pain – who knows? All I know is that I’m not giving up. I want to feel better – and if feeling worse for a while is the way to get there, I guess I’ll just do it.

I know that in a few days I’ll see different (lower) numbers on the scale, the blood pressure meter and the blood sugar level – three sets of numbers that are getting to be common among us “upper midlife” folks. I’ll be able to measure these changes and rejoice in the results. I’ll be able to walk faster and farther. My clothes will fit better. I’ll be stronger.

I’m working through a lot of other changes that probably aren’t going to be as obvious from the outside. I’m working on letting go of a couple of tons of old garbage, misconceptions, negative thinking, and limiting beliefs. And that hurts too. Breaking up is hard to do – especially, it turns out, when you’re breaking up with a way of thinking and being that no longer serves you.

I’ve been reading and journaling and writing forgiveness letters. I’ve been rereading Martha Beck and Abraham-Hicks. Wayne Dyer and Deepak Choprah echo in my ears as I commute. My Buddhist practice supports and frames all of this. Affirmations and reminders fill my workspace. Really, all these sources say the same thing, each in a slightly different way. They all show different ways to do a few things that look oh so simple on paper:

  1. Live in the present
  2. Know what you want and ask for it
  3. Be receptive
  4. Be mindful
  5. Love yourself

What a nice, short list.  How easy to read it. Harder to achieve it and live it, though.

So, I struggle. And get support from my two excellent coaches and my wonderful friends. And struggle. And cry. And keep at it.

It hurts. Change isn’t easy, whether it’s your body or your spirit. I measure this change too, although the measures are more subtle. I measure it in moments when I know exactly who I am, in days when I am at peace, in acts of kindness – given and accepted. I measure it in what I no longer need. I measure it in days when I see clearly what thinking does and does not serve me.

This is from an Osho Zen Tarot card that gives me hope:

The pain is not to make you sad, remember. That’s where people go on missing …. This pain is just to make you more alert – because people become alert only when the arrow goes deep into their heart and wounds them. Otherwise they don’t become alert. … The arrow is hurting: it can be used.

The pain is not to make you miserable, the pain is to make you more aware! And when you are aware, misery disappears.

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Thou Shalt Be Awesome and 9 More Commandments For Mid-career Woman Who Want to Get Noticed

Posted on January 16, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Feeling a little lost in the crowd? Need a little juice to revive your flagging career?  Here are ten commandments to jump-start your engine:

1. Be awesome! Remind yourself of how terrific you are. And while you’re at it, remind other people from time to time.  If you’re not feeling it, make a list of your accomplishments and read it every day. You’re proud of your accomplishments, aren’t you? You don’t need to boast, but from time to time, you can mention your achievements. Remember, what you project is what people believe and remember.

2. Smile. Often. Nod to strangers in the hallways. This projects confidence and well-being.

3. Help someone. There’s no better way to keep your skills sharp and get the added perk of building a band of loyal supporters. Go back and re-read Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time if you’ve forgotten the value of helping others and looking for nothing in return.

4. Learn something new. What’s going on in your industry? Are you keeping up with trends? Stay fresh.

5. Attend a seminar or workshop. You don’t even have to leave your desk to access a webinar. Training keeps your skills sharp and broadens your perspective.

6. Talk to strangers. Network. Find out what other people in your organization are doing. Find out what other people in your industry find exciting. Share what excites you, too.

7. Update your look. When was the last time you went through your wardrobe? Does everything fit properly? Is everything neat, clean, and in good repair? You can create a whole new image with a few inexpensive changes. Someone like Susan Sommers can teach you how to shop your own closet. You can even have a swap party with your friends to get a couple of fresh looks for nothing.

8. Get organized. Cleaning out your files not only creates more space but often leads to treasures that you’ve stashed away to read later.

9. Mentor someone. Helping someone else move up the career ladder has many benefits for you. It makes you more visible. It earns you yet another loyal follower. It also helps you revisit and renew your own skills. Finally, it helps build your reputation as a star maker. 

10. Speak up! Ask for what you want. Your boss isn’t a mind reader. If you want something more, or something different,  be sure someone knows!

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Posted in Mid- Career, Self-image, Workplace

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