BECOMING INSPIRED
Who or what inspires you?
For some it’s their work, career. For others, it’s their family of origin, husband or wife, siblings or extended family. There are those for whom their children motivate them. And those who are moved by pets. Still others are inspired by education. And those for whom fun, play, time off and events make them happy. For some, vacations or leisure time or retirement are what keep them most alive and alert.
Do you know what makes you feel at your best? Is it something to do, something you feel? Or something you listen to or read about? For historians the past informs and awakens them, as well as biographies and different cultures. For entrepreneurs, their vision and ideas and possibilities may move them.
For some, color makes them feel enlivened. And still others are motivated by music. And those that feel revitalized and renewed by nature. Athletes may feel their most vital, well and energized by exercise, movement, competition and teamwork. Spirituality brings out the best in some. A natural and healthy lifestyle calms and creates peace and harmony for others. Meditation can bring a person to their deepest self and awareness of who they are and what their purpose in the world is.
“Just don’t give up on trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
-Ella Fitzgerald
Volunteering and helping others makes some people shine and glow with pleasure as they see situations improve and others benefit from their hard work, words and deeds in the world. Does a beautiful photo inspire you? A gallery of stunning artwork? A museum of ancient artifacts? Looking up at a sky full of stars?
When people are at their most awakened they can create, they can function at peak performance. They can also be the most content, and experience bliss, heightened awareness as well as deeper love and romance.
“Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
What Inspires You?
Play
Work
Sports
Sharing
A Smile
Singing
Reading
Self Growth
Acts of Kindness
Achieving Goals
Laughter
Moonlight
Romance
Dancing
The Rain
The Sun
Walks
Snow
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
631-567-0008
BEING ON THE CUTTING EDGE
What does it take to be on the cutting edge? Are you up to date, aware of the latest trends, ready for action?
In some areas possibly you are and others maybe not.
While we can’t ask for perfection from ourselves, certainly we can give forth our very best effort to do things at peak
performance.
At work do you give 100%, or are you often distracted by personal issues? In your business do you take extra time to get yourself, staff and your business functioning at optimal efficiency? Do you know what that would be like in your business or personal life or do you know how to determine it?
Do you research better ways to do things? Do you just put up with things that don’t work in your work or private life?
“The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.”
–Diane Arbus
What are people like who are at the top of their game? Who are leaders in their community, families, and work environment?
Do you put the care, time, respect and devotion into the areas of life that matter most to you? Have you prioritized your goals so you know which are the most important ones you need to focus your energy on and have a mastery of?
Do you take pride in all areas of your life?
Recognizing the growth potential in your business and your private life is the first step to becoming cutting edge. The second is having the courage to try something thing new!
“It is dangerously destabilizing to have half the world on the cutting edge of technology while the other half struggles on the bare edge of survival.”
-Bill Clinton
How To Work On Being Cutting Edge
- Be up on the latest technology and what it can do to help your business and/or personal life.
- Practice giving your undivided attention to the project at hand.
- Try new foods, new restaurants, new clubs, new vacations—expand your horizons!
- Read current authors and current best sellers. Know who is relevant in your field of work or areas of interest.
- Try new activities, get out of your comfort zone. Camping, whitewater rafting, snorkeling , gardening….
- Try a new hobby, learn a new skill. Woodworking, needlecraft, dancing, singing, tennis…
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
WWW.SUCCESSFULLIFECOACHNG.COM
631-567-0008
Getting Unstuck
We have the areas in life that are easier and those that are more difficult. Some of us have a natural talent for athletics, art, finance, organization or business. Others are poor in these areas and abilities are elsewhere.
It is typical to excel in the areas that are simpler for us to accomplish and we may struggle at the projects that are hard to figure out.
Sometimes people don’t finish a goal because they are bored, tired or uninspired. What or who gets you motivated?
Others may not feel they deserve to get the rewards associated with accomplishing their goals. Some may not know how to determine, plan or finish their goals. And sometimes people are too busy to finish everything. Or they have taken on too many projects and it is unrealistic for them to think they can do them all. When a person has perfectionist tendencies they may try to do more in a day then they actually are capable of doing only to leave them always feeling like they are failing and keeping them unmotivated to complete any task.
“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.” -George Lucas
Do you know your good areas; where you excel? Do you get help for the areas you are poor in? Do you get stopped when you are trying to accomplish something and you hit a roadblock?
Obstacles are generally a part of any goal. It is the part where you get stuck. Then the issue is whether you are going to continue or just stop.
It can be a tough call. If the goal is very important to you, it can be worth it to hang in there, get support if you need to and reach the desired outcome.
What category are you in?
Like to begin something new
Enjoy the process and the middle
Love the end and the end result
“You cannot be wimpy out there on the dream-seeking trail. Dare to break through barriers, to find your own path.” -Les Brown
“I have always grown from my problems and chal-lenges, from the things that don’t work out, that’s when I’ve really learned.”
-Carol Burnett
“The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain — he is inspired by it. The persistent winner is not discouraged by a problem — he is chal-lenged by it. Mountains are created to be conquered; adversities are designed to be defeated; problems are sent to be solved. It is better to master one mountain than a thousand foothills .”
-William Arthur Ward
Katrina Greene, MSW
Successful Life Coaching
www.successfullifecoaching.com
631-567-0008
GETTING ORGANIZED
The “old” way of being organized in the books on the topic had a person start at the beginning and organize their entire home, career, spouse, children, etc! The “new” idea on organizing, given that most people are short on time, is to do the priority or most necessary organizing in order that you have what you need.
In other words, in the past if you were to organize your car, you might take everything out of each compartment, flap, holder and trunk. In this new way, if you only have a few minutes to designate to the task, you might just buy a visor for the driver’s side and house your ez-pass, or toll money, directions and a pen and memo pad. That way you would be ready for anything you need while driving, and an emergency kit and car fire extinguisher, of course.
Or if you wanted to organize your office and couldn’t do the entire area, you could clear your desk, put the priority papers in order there, make a “to do” folder, and store the rest to file later. You can have a “to read” and a “to delegate” folder as well if you have others to delegate to.
If procrastination is a problem, you need to get motivated to do the tasks at hand knowing that even a small time invested in getting organized should pay off in feeling more in control, cen-tered, and confident with less lost time looking for things and increased revenue resulting from the time you can reinvest in your work.
Many people feel that being organized adds to peace of mind, tranquility and a calmer outlook. It can make you more prepared for the day and the tasks at hand. Organization can help your productivity as well.
“You will never “find” time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” -Charles Bruxton
“I recommend you take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.” -Earl of Chesterfield
“Don’t agonize— Organize!” -Florynce Kennedy
Being Organized Can Help:
The day go more smoothly
You look better and more put together
Promote inner calm
Prepare you for sudden events (You know you are ready)
Enable you to help others
Prevent mistakes
Troubleshoot future events
Plan ahead
After your efforts to take care of things, remember to:
Enjoy yourself
Have more fun
Reward yourself
Give yourself a present
Pat yourself on the back 
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
www.successfullifecoaching.com
631-567-0008
GETTING SUPPORT
Some people seem to have a lot of support in life. Most people don’t. You would think that it would be people in need who seek support and sometimes that is true. And yet some of the most successful people have the most support: having agents, managers, hired help and family. Do you have much support in your life?
Then there becomes the question of whether or not the people who are “supposed” to be helping you really are? Can you count on your spouse, family and children to be there for you when you need them?
Many problems can be prevented or averted if you request assistance while they are small before they get too bad.
A plan of action can give you direction, confidence and assurance that you are heading in the right direction and achieving your goals. It can help you choose the best path when you are faced with choices.
When you have someone to bounce ideas off of or to discuss things with your decisions can be much better and stronger.
Support Can Help You:
Become inspired
Feel more alive
Get motivated
Try harder
Remember your goals
Revitalize your dreams
Be hopeful
Do you ask for help when you need it or do you wait until things are headed
toward or in a crisis?
Do you admit to yourself when you are incapable of dealing with the tasks at hand?
Do you know who would be best to ask for help based on the nature of the specific task? A family member, a friend, a coworker or perhaps a professional?
“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?”
| -George Eliot
“I also believe that it’s almost impossible for people to change alone. We need to join with others who will push us in our thinking and challenge us to do things we didn’t believe ourselves capable of.” -Frances Moore Lappe |
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
WWW.SUCCESSFULLIFECOACHING.COM
631-567-0008
ASKING FOR HELP
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place. ” -Nora Roberts
For some people, asking for help is easy; they do so all the time and the practice makes it go even better.
For others, it is difficult to ask for any-thing. These people may have trouble asking for even a glass of water in a restaurant.
Do you know where you fit in?
It is most likely a necessary skill these days to be able to ask for assistance. We are so highly technological and busy there are things we may need to learn. Also, we have so much expected of us we may need others to guide us.
Besides that, we may be accountable in highly specialized fields that require the most up to date skill sets or information.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. ” -Mahatma Gandhi
Some of the most successful people have a strong support system. Or if they don’t have one, they create one. This gives them feedback, knowledge, and hopefully compassion, empathy and direction.
Are men and women different about how much support they will allow? What do you think?
“You create your opportunities by asking for them. ” -Shakti Gawain
For some, assertiveness is required to pipe up and get their needs met; they don’t want to feel like they are bother-ing anyone. Others have been raised since a child to be independent and “pick oneself up by their own boot-straps” so to speak. Even though we all know that’s not possible.
For people with a military upbringing or background or overly strict parents, they were made to feel poor or inferior if they couldn’t do everything perfectly by themselves.
Which category of these do you fit in? Were you able to make a mistake growing up or was there a severe punishment? Did this give you fear of asking for support, guidance, wisdom, information? Did it feel bad to ask for help of any kind; like you were admitting failure or defeat?
Asking for help will benefit my:
Health
Parenting Skills
Financial Security
Employment Opportunities
Personal Well Being
Personal Relationships
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
WWW.SUCCESSFULLIFECOACHING.COM
631-567-0008
Coping with Stress
There are a lot of challenges in the world today. There is a lot of negative news or sensationalism. We can, even accidentally, get caught up in the negativity of it all. How does one handle the stress, or cope with the problems we face?
One way is prevention. If we look ahead to see what normally creates stress or drama in our life we can take actions and adopt behaviors that will mitigate these potential problems. For example, if we get stressed when we are disorganized or behind we can try hard to have a plan to catch up, or get on a routine that sup-ports us.
“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose.”
-Maureen Kiloran
We can also keep ourselves physically healthy so we can cope with the challenges efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, we can keep our minds strong, calm and happy so we can make the best possible decisions with the in-formation we have at hand, and keep positive and strong during times of trouble.
We can also use communication as a tool to calm a bad situation or fix or re-solve problems at home, work or with friends. We can teach prevention and safety to our children so they know how to stay safe in the world, how to take care of their mental and physical health. In that vein, they can also learn to do homework on a regular schedule, learn the discipline of chores.
Overburdened, overbusy people might greatly benefit by learning how to ask for help, how to delegate to other family members and how to maximize effective-ness and productivity.
“Stress is the trash of modern life—we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.”
-Danzae Pace
“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” -Hans Selye
Katrina Greene, MSW
Successful Life Coaching
www.successfullifecoaching.com
631-567-0008
REACHING YOUR GOALS
Why is it so difficult to finish a project? Are we afraid of failure? Success? A little bit of each?
How many tasks do you begin and not complete? Do you put them down somewhere close to the beginning, the middle or the end when you are about to achieve the goal?
Why do you stop?
Perhaps the task loses it’s excitement. There are people who can have a vision and think of a multitude of potential projects or dreams. And they can’t begin any. Or those who begin but then quit.
Possibly it feels easier to quit than to go through the difficult part of any process. Yes, the beginning is exciting and new. But what about when you are in the middle and it could begin to feel mundane, boring, lackluster. Maybe you should try Vitameatavegemin– Just kidding! That was from an old “Lucy” rerun.
How you do it is not nearly as important as getting it done. Reaching your goals and sitting back and reaping the benefits of your hard work should always be what you strive for. This will reveal the importance of the process for the present project and also for future plans.
“Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful service in small matters. This is the person most likely to achieve what is good and lasting.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
www.successfullifecoaching.com
631-567-0008
TIME MANAGEMENT
Time. We all seem to want more. Can we have more? Why is it that some people seem to get everything done and others are always behind? Is it their level of expectation in life or possibly they are trying to take on too much? Some people are caretakers and this requires extra time in their schedule. Do people manage their time effec-tively? If we don’t consciously stop and think about how we are going to get all of our needs and the needs of the other’s in our lives met, we might not have an effective plan how to do so.
What would make you more conscious and have more mastery in these areas? What would life be like if you had facility with these domains? Do you need help in learning your blocks and overcoming them? Maybe you need a new structure and plan.
Time Saving Tips
1. Carry a calendar! Either electronic or traditional, you can plan on the spot.
2. Write it down! This insures you don’t double book, are reminded and can be on time.
3. Plan each day! Start the day by going over what is written down and/or in your calendar.
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
SUCCESSFUL LIFE COACHING
WWW.SUCCESSFULLIFECOACHING.COM
631-567-0008
STATE OF MIND
“Your world is a living expression of how you are using and have used your mind.”
-Earl Nightingale
Some people believe all things come from the mind. If this is true a lot of attention should be paid to the state of our mind and it’s upkeep. We have a lot of information to process each day and more as the information ex-plosion continues online. We have a lot of things to do that our mind has to coordinate and plan.
We have a lot of thinking to do about what we need and possibly the needs of our family and loved ones.
“This is where you will win the battle — in the playhouse of your mind.” -Maxell Maltz
Our mind can be made happy by some still time each day to contemplate and relax. Meditation can pro-vide focus on our breathing, a mantra, or a peaceful place that can bring us calm, peace and joy. It can help us find our center or core. A place where we can feel self love and inner peace. And celebrate ourselves.
Our body houses our mind so when we take care of it, we feel better. We need a certain amount of sleep to feel well. And we need time to plan and take stock of who we are and what we need. We can eat foods that promote healthy brain function. And we can sit in the sun and feel it’s healing energy; good for calming down and relaxing after a busy week.
Discussing our challenges and venting them can help. And sharing our concerns and possible
solutions can also. So the mind has a lot of work to do to stay clear. Many Eastern philosophies believe in training the mind through meditation, prayer and mindfulness. The idea being to focus on and try to live with more of an awareness of the present moment. It is in the present where we have the power to act and change things.
“If you don’t control your mind, someone else will.” -John Allston
THINGS TO REMEMBER
Relax your mind if even only a few minutes each day
Engage your mind in word games and puzzles to stay sharp
Eat well and learn about supplements that help to strengthen the mind. Consult a physician to determine their safety
Exercise is as good for the mind as the rest of the body
KATRINA GREENE, MSW
Successful Life Coaching
www.successfullifecoaching.com
631-567-0008
