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Author Archive for Carolyn

Woman holding stones in her hand at beach.

Mindfully, I AM Evolution Coaching

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 8, 2023
  ·  No Comments

Four Steps to Productivity and Organization

With close to twenty years working as a professional organizer and then productivity coach, I saw that the road to success for my clients could be simplified into four steps. Mindfully, I AM Evolution is a four step coaching system. The four steps are simple to learn and easy for clients to coach themselves.

Step 1: Mindful Awareness

Developing mindful awareness of successes and failures is the beginning of the process. I call this becoming aware of the two “T’s”, tripping habits and thriving habits. Tripping habits take us away from our success.  Thriving habits help us get to our success.

We can’t change what we aren’t aware of it. Noticing the habits that cause us to trip, can sometimes lead to self judgement and shame. That’s where Mindfulness comes in.  Mindfulness is defined as being aware, on purpose, in the present moment without judgement. Being aware without judgement is more helpful to simply notice the tripping habit.

Equally important is developing awareness around thriving habits. These are the habits we can use, and rely on, to support our efforts to change those tripping habits and turn them into behaviour that points in the direction of our Intention.

2: Intention – Clarity

Most people think of intention as setting a goal.  In Mindfully, I AM Evolution, the I refers to Intention as who you want to be when your are your very best self.  Not only who you want to be, but who do you need to become. Intention is about becoming the very best version of ourselves when we lead a life as our truest self.

I hear from my clients “I want to show up on time.  I am so tired of always being late.” Another common intention is “I want to actually get to the gym and eat better and look after myself to be healthier.” If this is you, who do you need to become in order  to actually be that person you want to be? Identifying your Intention give you Clarity.

Step 3: Attention – Strategy

Once you have identified your intention, the third step is recognizing where you would have to put your Attention, in order to become that person. Notice I didn’t say focus or discipline.  In my experience these two words are triggering for many people.  People who struggle to manage chronic disorganization or time challenges become immune to the constant direction to be “more focussed” or “more disciplined”.

Attention is about energy.  It’s much easier to determine where to put the energy of your attention, once you know how you want to show up. The real you that you are striving to be.  The you that show’s up on time, develops healthy lifestyle habits or produces reports on time. Where do you need to direct you energy to ensure your business success? Knowing where to put you Attention identifies your Strategy.

Step 4: Mindset – Action

The fourth and final step in the process is Mindset. What do you need to understand, know and believe in order to successfully take the Action.

Action is the antidote to fear and the generator of energy.  Action moves us closer to accomplishment and success with our dreams and goals.  Without it, nothing happens.

With a can do Mindset, there isn’t any action. With a Mindset that there is no failure, just as many attempts as necessary to create success, accomplishment is guaranteed.

This is often the hardest of the four steps for clients and for all of us. It’s hard to get past fear of failure or being ridiculed. However, moving beyond your comfort zone is where all the magic happens.

Your Turn

Try using these four steps to move yourself forward on something you’d like to accomplish. Let me know in the comments about your success.

Clarity I AM Evolution Coaching Productivity

Book Review:Two Weeks Notice, Amy Porterfield

Posted by Carolyn on
 January 1, 2023
Book cover of Two Weeks Notice, soon to be published book by Amy Porterfield.

Two Weeks Notice, Amy Porterfield, release date Feb. 25, 2023

When given the chance to provide a book review of Two Weeks Notice, by Amy Porterfield, I jumped at the opportunity. Have you have ever considered leaving a full or part time J-O-B to start your own digitally based business?  Then this book is for you. Amy Porterfield, course creator master and podcaster (Online Marketing Made Easy) has finally put her knowledge, talent and story-telling to paper.

I’ve been following Porterfield for years. The chance to provide a book review of Two Weeks Notice before it is released was an easy yes for me. Porterfield has used her own entrepreneurial journey to guide the reader through the dos, don’ts and “watch our fors” of creating a digitally based business.

Easy to Read

The book is an easy read. It feels like Porterfield is sitting right in your living room talking to you. And she’s giving you the straight goods including her own flops, failures, trials, tribulations and recipe for success. Porterfield has writes like she presents in person and the format is engaging and authentic.

Full of Wisdom and Resources

Don’t be fooled into thinking it isn’t also packed full of wisdom, lists, resources and step by step guidance. Porterfield has a habit of delivering exceptional value to her audience, students and social followers. This book is no different. She has also included reference notes and follow up resources. Each chapter finishes with an action item list.

I only wish I’d had the opportunity to review Two Weeks Notice, and had Porterfield’s recipe for success, when I started my entrepreneurial journey 17 years ago. Would have saved me alot of heartache. If leaving the paid-for-time world to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams is tugging at your heart, get a copy of this book and read it cover to cover.

Good Reads review

Book Reviews Business Organizing

Mastering Clutterfree Living Step 3: Take Action

Posted by Carolyn on
 May 31, 2022

Step Three: Take Action

Take action is Step Three in mastering clutter free living.  It is also the most important and often the hardest.  Taking action is often where we stumble.

Background: Steps One and Two

Let’s start by reviewing Steps One and Two.  Step One is to Get Clarity.  Without a clear idea of what you want to do or where you want to go, it is hard to figure out how to get there. In fact, it could be impossible. Imagine trying to find a book in a room that you’ve never been in before, with no light.  Yup, darn near impossible.

Step Two, is Create a Strategy.  When you know where you are going or what you want to accomplish, it is much easier to create a strategy that will get you there.  Create a plan including the stepping stones or steps that you will take to get to your accomplishment.

The Challenge

Why is it that so many of us stumble when it comes to taking action? I have seen this time and time again with clients.  And let’s be real: I am my best client in this area.  I too have often struggled and stumbled when it comes to taking action.  What’s the big deal?  Why do we have so much trouble.

Often the answer lies in our Mindset. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t — you are right”, Henry Ford. This oft-quoted phrase holds the secret to our challenge. If you believe you will not be successful, it may be almost impossible to tackle even the simplest of first steps. Conversely, if you think you will be successful, you may be jumping into action as soon as possible.

Toy red train with 3 blue cars chugging up a hill saying "I know I can, I know I can".

Mindset can make the difference.

If you think your Mindset is holding you back from taking action, here are some self-coaching questions that may be helpful in getting from frustrated to fantastically successful.

  1. What is the conversation in your mind when you think about taking action on your goal or desired achievement?
  2.  What would need to be the different conversation in order to be successful?
  3. How do you need to show up in your life, or in your project, in order to take action?
  4. Who do you need to be in order to take action?
  5. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
  6. What would be different if you considered this challenge simply an experiment? No wins or losses, just an experiment to see what happens. If you don’t like the outcome, you can always change to another experiment or change a variable.

Setting yourself up with an I will be successful mindset can often fend off the stumbles and ensure that your desired achievement, becomes a reality.

 

Action I AM Evolution Coaching Productivity
Stepping stones illustrating a pathway

Mastering Clutterfree Living Step 2: Create a Strategy

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 1, 2022

Create a Strategy and Find your Stepping Stones

After getting really clear on your goals, mastering clutterfree living step 2 is to create a strategy.  A strategy gives you a set of stepping stones to success.  It’s like using a map; once you know where you want to end up, finding the road to take is easier. The Waze app can’t find you a route until to say where you are going.

Here are some simple guidelines to creating the strategy for your clutterfree living goals:

  1. Break it down, break it down, break it down.  And then break it down again.  The most common reason clients don’t succeed at their decluttering projects is that they make the steps too big.  They end up frustrated and discourage.  Want to declutter the garage?  Start with getting the clutter out of your car.  Want to declutter your kitchen? Take it one shelf, one drawer or one utensil tray at a time.  Success is more likely and you will feel better.
  2. Look for the next best step.  Make it easy. Starting the kitchen with the pantry? Take it one shelf at a time.  With that complete, try using that dry-goods success to tackle another cupboard.
  3. Stick with each step until its complete.  Starting with the pantry? Finish each shelf before you move to the food container drawer. That way you can enjoy your accomplishment as each section is complete.
  4. dishesPurge before you splurge!Before you head to the basket/bin/box store to buy the best container to replace open bags of pasta, clear out the old pasta hiding at the back of that pantry shelf.  Find out exactly how many containers you need based on the END of the purging exercise.  That way you will know the size, shape, volume, type and number of containers you need for only the items you are keeping.

 

Declutter Organizing Strategies
question mark on pick background

Getting Clarity on What to Do

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 17, 2022

What you do is infinitely more important than how you do it. Efficiency is still important, but it is useless unless applied to the right things.

Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Work Week

People affected by disorganization often complain they don’t know what to do. This breaks down into what I call the BIG WHAT and the LITTLE WHAT. Big or little, if you don’t know where you are going, it is almost impossible to get there.

The Big WhatList of things to do on white paper with black pen.

The Big What refers to life purpose, larger goals, or one’s mission in life. Each of us has various domains of interest, activity and priority in our lives.  For example, career/vocation, family, relationships, spirituality, health/fitness and financial are all domains or components of our lives.  Different authors identify and separate these life components differently, however the basic premise is the same. How important each domain is to an individual, how much time, energy, and other resources they will commit, varies according to the season of our life. When the components are imbalanced, an individual may feel unproductive. When someone says “I don’t know what to do”, and they mean they don’t know how to prioritize their limited free time, they are talking about the Big What.

Clarifying the Big What requires having a vision for your life. Do you have a sense of who you are are what your values are?  Do you know what your priorities are?  How do you want to show up in this world?

Behind the Big What is why we do what we do; our values determine our Why. The Japanese call this the Ikigai, the reason to get out of bed in the morning. Gay Hendricks calls it working in our Zone of Genius.   Do you exercise because health is important? Did you buy a bike to spend time with your children and get some exercise?  Do you work in a book store because reading is your passion?

Having a clear understanding of your Why will help you get to your vision, or life goals, even when the going gets tough. Creating a vision board or mind movie are tools may people use to help clients clarify and remember their goals and values. If you are really struggling with some existential questions (get married or not) you may need the support from a professional such as a minister, rabbi, life coach or similar individual trained in guiding clients through the larger existential issues of life.

The Little What

The Little What refers to either a process or daily tasks. It more often has to do with technical competence in a task or project or sequencing the steps. The output will be concrete.

Have you set clear goals? Are the goals written down? Written goals are more likely to become a reality. Are the goals meaningful and relating to the overall vision for their life or, at least one domain of it? Can you identify exactly what the output of your project looks like? SMART goals, (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Limited) are still one of the best ways to identify one’s Little What.

If you really struggle with disorganization, you may require additional support to identify clearly, succinctly, and specifically what you want the result of a process to look like. This clarity often makes the steps to get there also more visible. With a clear destination, choosing a path becomes more tangible and therefore, more attainable. Creative visualization or employing a theme might also clarify lower and higher priorities.

 

Clarity I AM Evolution Coaching Productivity
scrabble pieces spell order and chaos

Mastering Clutter-Free Living: Step 1 – Achieve Clarity

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 9, 2022

Following up last week’s blog post on Mastering Clutter-Free Living, today we are going to look a little deeper at how to achieve clarity.  You may be thinking “what does it mean to be clear on clutter-free?” or “why do I need clarity to just get rid of stuff?”

What does it mean to Achieve Clarity?

orderly clothes closet

chastity-cortijo-oOfuQYniREA-unsplash

Getting rid of stuff and staying clutter-free can be a real challenge for some people.  For those affected by chronic disorganization, getting rid of stuff can be a huge block to moving forward with the personal or professional goals. Achieving clarity includes identifying what you want to do and why you want to do it.

  • What it is exactly you mean by clutter-free? For some people this is an almost empty closet with homogenous hangers.  Others are happy if the closet has nothing on the floor.  Some people would feel they had a clutter-free home if they are able to open the closet door because the floor around the closet is finally clear. Get a clear picture in your mind. Get committed to the outcome you want. This will be helpful when you are trying to figure out what to do next.
  • Why is being clutter-free important to you?  Why now?  What could you do if you could achieve this goal? Getting clear on your why will help when the going is tougher.  When you are faced with your favourite sweater that is now 2 sized too big, remember you wanted a clutter-free closet to make room for the new clothes.

Why is Achieving Clarity important?

woman looking at map

nick-seagrave-1tpLdmxki-c-unsplash

  1. With clarity creating a strategy is easy. Get clear on your goals and what you want to achieve so you can create a pathway for yourself.  When you have a clear destination in mind, finding the map to get there is easy.  It is very hard to find a pathway to someone when you don’t know where or what that somewhere is.
  2. Achieving clarity also sets intention and helps you develop a “can do” mindset. When you have a clear vision of what you want the outcome of decluttering, or a lifestyle of clutter-free living, to look like, you are telling your brain to head in the direction of that outcome.  You are setting the intention for yourself to make that outcome a reality. Give your brain the direction and cheerleading it needs to believe you can accomplish clutter-free living. You can.
  3. Clarity will keep you stay focussed. When other obligations and distractions start to get in the way, being clear on the lifestyle and outcome you want for your clutter-free living will help you stay on task and on track. Having a really clear pathway increase the chances you will succeed.
Clarity Organizing Challenges Organizing Strategies

3 Steps to Mastering Clutter-Free Living

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 2, 2022

3 Steps to Mastering Clutter-Free Living

In my experience, there are only 3 steps to mastering clutter-free living.  With the consistent application of these three steps, applied to any decluttering project on a regular basis, clutter-free living can easily be achieved.

During March I will explore all three of these steps in more detail.  I’ll give you an understanding of how easy they can be attained and tips to apply right away.

Clutter-Free Living, A Modern Issue

books

Dear Books, What am I going to do with you…?

Mastering clutter-free living is the subject of much literature.  A quick scan at the local newspaper stand, revealed multiple publications with the words declutter, clutter free or organizer on the title page.  With the Covid 19 pandemic keeping many of us very close to home the last two years, we have become even more aware of the clutter and many have become more bothered by it.

Sure, you can spend the weekend decluttering the garage, the family room or your home office.  But then what happens the next week? Does the office become cluttered and full of papers yet again?

Step 1: Achieve ClarityLooking for focus and productivity?

If you want to know how to get somewhere, you have to know where you are going.  Get really clear on what you want to achieve with your clutter-free project.  This is probably the most important step of the three. Here are some tips to help:

  • Get clear with yourself on what you mean by declutter. What are your expectations of yourself? An empty closet or just nothing on the floor? Not everyone has the same understanding.
  • Create a picture in your mind of the decluttered space. Have a vision for what you actually want to achieve.  What does your decluttered kitchen look like?
  • Find some pictures (digital to avoid more paper clutter) of what you want your clutter-free space to look like.

Step 2. Create a Strategy

Coaching can support productivity

Coaching can support get clear on priorities, goals and increasing productivity.

With a clear vision of where you want to end up, finding a path is much easier.  Keep that vision in mind and identify the steps you need to get there. Make a plan. It does not have to be complicated.

  • Break your project into bite size pieces that you can manage in the time you have available. Is this something that you can only give a few hours? Pick a series of decluttering tasks that will fit into that time frame and end with the vision you have in mind. Here are some 10 minute ideas.
  • Think of clutter-free living as a process and include in your project daily tasks that will keep the area/room or space clutter-free moving forward.
  • Keep the plan simple. Think, one step at a time e.g one box, one drawer, one closet.

Step 3. Take Action

Figure out the first step to take that will start you toward you vision.  Is it a box to empty a table to clear or a cupboard to sort.  Do you need to start just with one drawer in the kitchen in the 30 minutes you have available.  Find the first step.

Here’s the thing about taking action, it creates energy.  Once you start on your path, you will find it easier to keep going.  Once you have achieve a little success, even one old box worth, you can celebrate the achievement and use that energy to get to the next box.  Or the next drawer.

Clarity, strategy and action, together, form a simple 3 step process for mastering clutter-free living.  It doesn’t have to be complicated.  The simpler the better.

Organizing Strategies
Tags : Clearing Clutter, clutter-free, declutter, organizing strategies

Gratitude: November Book Reviews

Posted by Carolyn on
 November 1, 2021

Nov. 8, 2020

The Gratitude Diaries, Janice Kaplan

2015, Dutton

Kaplan wrote her “year in the life” account after a particularly miserable New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, experience that left her questioning her attitude towards life. Her resolution to be more grateful for life expanded to a year of practice, experiment and research on the value and impact of gratitude.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a copy, after originally listening to an audio version, and I look forward to reading it again. Kaplan is a journalist by training and trade and brings her journalism skills to her work. She has divided the book into four seasons and attached aspects  of our lives, for which we can be grateful, to each season. Winter includes the impact of gratitude on Marriage, Love and Family. Spring is Money, Career and The Stuff We Own. Summer includes Gratitude and Health and, finally, Autumn is Coping, Caring and Connecting.

As a journalist, Kaplan brings a commitment to research to her book. This was, in fact, the reason I ended up buying a copy. Given my work, I was particularly interested in the impact of gratitude on The Stuff We Own. Kaplan appears to have a fascinating, never-ending resource of friends, colleagues and professional connections that contribute to her research on the impact of gratitude. If for no other reason, the richness these interviews bring to Kaplan’s story makes it  worthy of the read.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.  It’s uplifting, informative and fun. It’s not hard to read. And, by the way, it’s equally easy to listen to in the audio version.

Nov. 15, 2020

The Gratitude Prescription, Will Pye

2019, Reveal Press

Pye’s autobiography outlines his use of gratitude to manage the symptoms, side effects and treatment of a brain tumour. He calls his unique approach “radical gratitude,” or thankfulness and appreciation for everything, without preference. Using radical gratitude, the author was able to overcome the symptoms, fears and concerns associated with his brain tumour. 

I found this book difficult to read. It did not hold my attention very well as I found that his stories rambled.  I also found myself forming opinions contrary to Pye’s, which made the book difficult to finish. While his style did not engage my interest, the book still provides a good resource for meditation, affirmations and gratitude exercises.

Nov. 23, 2020

A Simple Act of Gratitude, John Kralik

2011, Hachette Books

Originally published as 365 Thank Yous, Kralik’s book is the story of a year in which he committed to writing a daily personal thank you note. He made this commitment on New Year’s Day, while walking in the mountains above his town of Pasadena. After experiencing a particularly dismal previous year, and feeling significant despondence (enough that a dear friend was checking up on him), Kralik remembered that his grandfather had been devoted to writing thank you notes. He also remembered that he had never followed up on a particular commitment that his grandfather had asked of him, to write a thank you for a coin he had received. Thinking that it was one thing over which he had control, while the rest of his life felt out of control, Kralik committed to writing a letter every day of the year.

This was a wonderful story and a thoroughly enjoyable read.  

I highly recommend this book. It is interesting, entertaining, and easy to read. I blasted through it, completely curious to find out how he ever managed to become a judge when his life, including his law career, appeared to be in ruins. Along the way, as I followed his journey, I was reminded of the power of the Thank You and intrigued by the even greater power of a written Thank You.

Nov. 29, 2020

Thanks a Thousand, A.J. Jacombs

2018, Simon & Schuster, (TEDBooks)

Who knew that a commitment to a cup of coffee could lead to writing a book about gratitude? I suppose that when one is an author/journalist by trade, training and vocation, making unusual connections  is not uncommon. Jacombs’ book, originating from his TEDTalk, recounts his attempt to thank everyone who contributes to making his morning coffee available to him. Having found himself particularly cranky one morning while trying to get his cup of java, he realizes that perhaps a little more appreciation might help his mood. And so his journey, and his story, begins. Early on, Jacobs becomes aware of the magnitude of his project. With some help from his young son, he decides to stop at one thousand thank yous. 

This gratitude journey covers some serious geographic territory. While following along, I developed an appreciation for the commitment of authors to the depth of their research. Without question, the book would not have been as powerful without the travel details. There is a richness of authenticity that, for example, a trip to a coffee bean farm in Colombia brings to the read.

This is another selection that I highly recommend. Like some of the other books in this gratitude group, it is easy, enjoyable, and entertaining. Frankly, I started the book with curiosity along the lines of “Really? A cup of coffee? This ought to be interesting.” And it was; really interesting and frankly informative. I have a brand-new appreciation for my morning cup of coffee in addition to the value of gratitude.

Book Reviews Gratitude

3 Steps for Creating a To Do List That Works

Posted by Carolyn on
 July 27, 2021

Is your To Do List not getting things done for you? Are you struggling to create a To Do List that works? Many of my clients are frustrated that they have created many lists over and over and over again and none work. None of their lists help them get stuff done.

To Do Lists are not all equal. Some work better than others. Let’s get yours working for you. Here are 3 steps for creating one that works:


1. Write only 3 Items on your To Do List

While you may feel that you have dozens and dozens of items to accomplish for the time you are planning, the reality is the most people only get one or two items done. I recommend focussing on only three items: the top three priority items that will accomplish your goals for the day. Everything else can sit on a parking lot list. Focus your List with tasks; don’t distract it with wishes dreams and wishes.


2. “Verb Up” your To Do List

Start each of the three items on the To Do List with an action verb. An action verb is a clear direction to your brain; do something, action is required. Even the exact action is clear.  Many people make the mistake of writing their list with nouns. Your brain sees the noun and knows something needs to be done. But what? Your brain has to work harder to remember what desired “to do” actually is. Giving your brain a clear action verb makes it crystal clear what needs to be done. You and your brain can both focus the task.

For example, rather than writing “Cake”, write “bake Cathy’s birthday cake”. If you plan to ice the cake as well, “Ice Cathy’s birthday cake” would be a separate item.


3. Complete Item 1 Before Moving to the Next Item.

Focus on the top priority until it is finished.  Keep working on the top priority item on your list until it is actually completed. Then, and only then, move onto the second item.  Use this key ingredient and make sure your To Do’s are finished and your List is working.  If the item is too big to finish in the time allotted, break it into smaller task and schedule the tasks for when there is time.

Using these three steps will strengthen your list’s ability to work for you. And hey, you want it working hard for you right? Finish your priorities; your To Do List is working for you.

Productivity
Tags : productivity, To Do List
notebook on desk with clover leaf

Planning and Luck Meet Each Other

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 17, 2021

notebook on desk with clover leafI had a feeling this would be quite a week. Last week was National Procrastination Week. The daylight savings switcheroo always creates a hiccup. St. Patrick’s Day and Small Business Development Day are both March 17. March 20 brings in the first day of spring. Meanwhile, Twitter Day is March 21 and Passover and Easter are right behind. So naturally, it was time to write about planning and luck and their relationship.

Struggling with this blog post, I headed out for a mind-clearing, fat-burning, sunshine-worshipping walk. Then I saw the hawk. He soared high overhead then swooped in so close that I thought I might be breakfast. His graceful dive was awe-inspiring. He reminded me of Lori, my university residence door-mate. We would dress up in white coveralls and she would swoop around, arms spread wide in wing formation, reminding me to soar, to be as free as an eagle. Suddenly, I was transposed to those heady university days and I knew exactly how to write this blog.

In early August 1985, Lori offered me a trip to Vancouver. I was just three months home from living more than two years in Papua New Guinea—and floundering. I said that I would accompany her as far as Edmonton, then called the Director of the Master’s Program to which I had just applied and told him I needed an interview with him. He thought I was crazy to TELL him I wanted an interview, so he agreed. Five days later, I was sitting in his office following an adventure that only Lori could have arranged: station wagon arranged; sleeping in tents in fields; cassette tape playlist created specially for the trip; seeds, sprouts and bagels in the cooler.

I was sitting in his office having announced that I needed to be in his program. He asked me if I planned to hang around until he decided to accept me, IF he decided to accept me. Then he announced that I was completely crazy when I said that I was bussing back to Toronto and needed just 24 hours of banking time and I would be on a flight back for the first day of school. I only had two hours between that interview and the bus departure in which to check out two potential places to live that were miraculously still available two weeks before school started in the busy university/government town.

Within a week, I had received his phone call telling me to book my flight. I landed at 6 am for class at 8:30 and rolled in with my suitcase in tow. As Director, he was first on the agenda of the first day of first year. And he told the entire class how crazy I was. The program was on the 13th floor of the building. I had sat in seat 13 on the flight. I’d committed to renting a room in a house with 13 in the address. Planning and luck?

Even St. Patrick might have applauded my crazy luck.

Before you, too, jump to the conclusion that “She’s just plain lucky,” consider another option—one you can use so that when your own call comes in, people will claim you are just as lucky. Only you will know the planning and action that you put in place behind that luck.

You see, when I got wind of the fact that there might be a spot in that Master’s Program, from an astute and very clever Admin Assistant, Sarah, who answered my first phone call, I made sure that I would be ready. If there was going to be a lottery draw for who got it, I would have a ticket. I hustled around the province (this was before the internet, cell phones and Zoom remember) and arranged my transcripts, wrote the GMAT test hundreds of miles away, and assembled letters of recommendation and all the other items the school required. All the requirement were sent off to the Director within two weeks of my phone call to super helpful Sarah.

I worked hard, but mostly I stayed on top of implementation. Focussed on action, I created a task list and I knew that I just had to tick off every item on the list. If I could get the package to him within two  weeks, it would be on his desk when the intake committee had to decide how to handle a slightly higher than average decline of admission rate. That’s when Lori called. So off I went to Edmonton.

I completed my Master’s in Health Services Administration and convocated in November 1987.  Only a handful of us did. Perhaps there was an element of luck, but I maintain that the secret of my success was that I stayed focussed on implementation and action. Ruminating on problems wasn’t going to get me that spot on the dais in front of the Dean as he held my hood and my certificate of completion in his hand.

I offer you the same strategy. Where planning meets opportunity is where luck shows up.

I AM Evolution Coaching Organizing Strategies Organizing Time
Tags : organizing strategies, Planning
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