Self Development Archives - Page 7 of 9

Tell me one thing, one small thing, I can do to be better.

Balance Is Out, Fulfillment Is In

February 5, 2015March 5, 2015 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Let’s face it. We’re all busy. Areas of our lives are pulled and twisted, leaving little room for much else. Instead of trying to strike a perfect balance, let’s discover the key of fulfillment.

“Would identifying the amount of time we allocated in our life’s various areas – like work, family, fitness, and the rest – help us figure out our individual happiness and success formula?” Shannon Cassidy, The 5 Degree Principle

Ask yourself:

Are you totally fulfilled at work?
Do your children and spouse see more of the back of your phone than your face?
When was the last time you felt the cold winter air briskly on your face from a pair of skis?
Are you only talking with friends now by liking their posts on Facebook instead of hearing their voice over a glass of wine?

Running the rat race. Spinning on the hamster wheel. Addicted to coffee to muddle through the day. Snapping at those we love most because we are just tapped out and cannot add one more item to the to-do list. Sound familiar?

As long as you continue the habits you have been carrying out daily, you will continue to reap the same results.

Relationships don’t grow without time investment. Careers don’t bloom without hustle and focus. You aren’t able to run in a 5K without lacing up your running shoes and choosing instead to eat potato chips and watch Celebrity Apprentice.

So how do we go from a mediocre life to one that’s fulfilled? Perfectionists beware: it takes time. Small amounts of change. Don’t become paralyzed with a vision of equal perfection in all areas of your life. It’s not going to happen. Let’s work on adjustments that will make an impact towards you feeling fulfilled in the areas of your life.

Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it’s inspiring.

Imagine your life as a pie. Let’s divide in to eight sections. Be honest with yourself here – there is no right or wrong answer. With zero being not fulfilled and ten meaning fulfilled, we’re going to put a 0 in the center and a 10 at the outer edge of each slice. Consider the time, energy, and focus you give to each area combined with the level of satisfaction when determining your number.

Formula for Fulfillment

If this were a wheel, would you find yourself on a bumpy ride? Until we stare the areas of our lives in the face, we often don’t even realize on how much of a deficit we are operating. Congratulations! You’ve done the tough part. Writing it out and acknowledging which areas deserve more attention is the hardest piece of the puzzle.

Now, time for action.

Seven ideas for small change when the slice is close to zero:

schedule a 15 minute Google Hangout or Skype call with a friend instead trying to plan a 2 hour coffee
surprise your children by playing a video game with them instead of barking orders to clean their room
turn the devices off thirty minutes prior to bedtime instead of claiming Pinterest as your downtime. You’ll sleep better.
take $50 from your next paycheck and put in a separate account for your investments / dream vacation / Jimmy Choos.
enjoy a 10 minute walk around the block instead of beating yourself up for not following through with your New Year’s resolution to exercise an hour every day at the gym.
schedule the babysitter for date night. Your spouse will thank you.
spend 10 minutes in each closet and anything not worn in 6 months, put in a bag to donate to charity. You’ll feel great and will be helping out others in your community.

Are you paralyzed into in-action thinking the change is too great? By modifying our behavior in small increments, we make a greater impact in the long run. Stop thinking each area of your life has to be perfectly figured out.

When you look at the areas in your life as ‘five degree events’ and manage them in small chunks, all of a sudden each blip on your radar doesn’t turn in to a catastrophic emergency. Your after-school babysitter quit? It’s not a life changing event. It falls into the category of childcare, and is manageable. {adapted from chapter 8 in The 5 Degree Principle}

We cannot continue operating in the same way day in and day out and expect life to change, or to find fulfillment. No matter how many books we read, how many Ted talks we listen to, how many lists we create…action is what creates change. Once you do a few small steps, you’ll see greater overall difference in your ability to be in control of you.

What’s one section in your Formula for Fulfillment that’s closer to a zero than a ten? Please tell us in the comments.

At Bridge Between we’re passionate about connecting potential to performance. Contact us to help steer you on to a smoother ride.

6 Small Changes to Becoming Your Best Self

December 31, 2014December 31, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Need a change? Lacking inspiration? Not living to your full potential? Drastic changes may not be necessary for this to happen. Being a more awesome version of yourself is entirely within reach. Simply make these few, small changes and watch your perspective change, your personal contentment increase, and your self-satisfaction grow.

Start each day with gratitude.

It is easy to wake up and start the day’s rush and worry from the second we roll out of bed. Too often we begin our days brushing our teeth to the noise of discouraging morning newscasts, and showering as we mentally list the conflicts, meetings, or “same-ole, same-ole’” we are about to face. We begin focusing on what is wrong, rather than what is really, really good. This is the first change we need to make. Before even allowing negativity to enter your mind, begin each morning by filling your head with one new thing that you are thankful for. Write it down and reflect on it throughout the day. Considering one new blessing each day causes a shift in mood and attitude, as well as a happier and better you.

Accomplish something small.

No matter how small, choose to accomplish something each day. Be it making your bed, taking a jog, or adding vegetables to a meal, set a small goal that will fuel your sense of making a change for the better. Once you begin to develop this new habit, it will become a part of your lifestyle and encourage more small accomplishments. Putting this into practice makes you begin to radiate accomplishment because conquering even the smallest of tasks reminds you that you have more control over your life than you tend to give yourself credit.

Let it go.

Everyone, at some point, has that nagging conflict, that relationship mishap, or that irritating client that eats up their thoughts and energy. Ironically, however, the person who is the cause of the frustrating thoughts (the frustrater) doesn’t spend a fraction of time giving energy to that which consumes the frustrated. If you have conflict that is consuming you, LET IT GO! Don’t waste your energy on what can’t be fixed, nor on what won’t make you a better you. Flush it out of your system and put that energy into being a more awesome version of yourself.

4. Talk … and listen.

Go out of your way to make more positive human interaction happen. Stop and talk to people – ask the Starbucks barista or the bank teller about her life. Make lunch conversation with the co-worker you haven’t reached out to. Take a few minutes out of each day to make meaningful conversation and remind people in the universe that they matter. And listen to them! You will be surprised at how good it feels to make others smile when someone takes time to care for them. You’ll also find that you learn a lot by listening. Even more, your burdens will lighten as you begin to by habitually consider others… and you might even make a connection that will change your life because of it.

Take responsibility.

If you are unhappy with something in your life, refuse to play the blame-game. Look at what you can do in your power to change what you can. Each day, take a few minutes to consider what you don’t like, what you’ve messed up, what is mediocre, as well as what you’ve done really, really well – and own it. People will trust you more, and you will empower yourself when you recognize what you have done to put yourself where are. You’ll also, again, realize that you are much more in control of your life than you have given yourself credit, and you’ll uncover motivation to become a more powerful version of yourself.

Try something new.

Nothing will inspire more change and betterment than when you actually take a step outside of your normal. Make a list of both small and huge aspirations that you might want to try. It could be eating at a new restaurant, it could be taking a French class, it could be mentoring a kid, or it could be signing up for a triathlon. You might find yourself in uncomfortable or awkward situations at times, or you might even find that you have discovered a new thrill. Nonetheless, by challenging yourself, you will experience personal growth, and you will discover more personal strengths than you imagined you had.

Life is too short to be less than awesome. You have the power to be the best you there is, and the road to your best can start with small changes today. What small changes will you make? How can we help? Contact us today and let’s make this next year your best ever.

3 Tips on Letting Your Inner Leader Emerge

December 15, 2014December 31, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Do you dream of being a leader? If you’ve never held a leadership role in your life, you might have come to believe that you’re a follower or, at best, a good team member. However, everyone has depths they’re not aware of and can contribute to their teams and the people around them. You have what it takes to be a leader if only you put your mind to it. Consider the following tips: D.I.S.C. personality assissment

What’s Your Style in Dealing with People? One of the most important aspects of leadership is working with others. You have to convince people that your suggestions are good. You have to get them to be enthusiastic about your ideas so that they put in the work required to execute the plan. When it comes to people, everyone has a different style. Some like to talk to others one-on-one while others like to speak in a group. Although you will feel most comfortable working in a style that best suits you, the most successful leaders learn about different personality types and how best to motivate and communicate with them. One assessment we use with clients to determine personality tendencies is the D.I.S.C. method. Understanding the four basic temperaments is key to working well with others. Although everyone has their strong suits, an effective leader benefits not only from bending their personality traits in communicating with others, but are better equipped to manage and motivate others when appealing to their hot points.
Do Certain Ideas Keep Occurring to You Over and Over? If you’re sitting in company meetings every week and you keep having the same thought about improving the product or increasing productivity, don’t ignore that thought. Run your idea by a colleague. Schedule time with your supervisor to bring it up or discuss in a meeting. If something keeps occurring to you, consider that a sign of your inner leader trying to speak up. Go with it.
Take Time Off. If you think back to how many famous innovators and creators have worked, you’ll find that they worked hard for long periods of time but they also took time off when necessary. Have you heard of Archimedes? He tirelessly worked on coming up with what’s now known as the Archimedes’ Principle. He wasn’t able to solve it. He took some time off and went to a public bath. He was lounging in a hot tub when the solution came to him and he ran out, half naked, shouting “Eureka!” (I found it!). Take time off yourself. You’ll find great ideas bubbling in your consciousness, which undoubtedly helps to refine your leadership abilities.

Three Simple Ways to Increase Productivity

December 9, 2014January 13, 2015 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

As individuals, it is our responsibility to do a good job at work. Productivity is a big factor in who is selected for certain assignments as well as who gets promoted up the chain of command. This matters because most of us are looking for new challenges and indeed for more money and benefits. There are some ways to increase your personal productivity at work in a big way.

Prepare The Night Before

A big struggle for many is getting to work in a mood that is conducive to being productive. In a world where there is so much expected of us, getting enough sleep often gets pushed to the back burner. People like to believe that they can push off sleep and that it won’t have an impact on them. Those people are mistaken. Getting a good night’s sleep is critical to work success.

Schedule Yourself Appropriately

Most workers have the misguided notion that they can avoid planning out their days. They think that they can simply tackle tasks as they come along. This is a bad idea to have. Apcevent.com suggests to make “appointments” with your work. Block out time on your calendar daily to work on specific projects or assignments. Start with the end in mind. Once you know how long a task will take, work backwards from the end of your day to see where to best allocate time for that particular task. Set a time every week to stay on top of your documents’ organization, to clean out files and emails before your storage gets unmanageable.

The better categorized your day is, the more that you accomplish throughout the day. digital distraction interruption work productivity bridge between

Lower The Amount Of Interruptions

The number of interruptions that can face a worker are at an all time high. There are the co-workers popping in to say something, the e-mails flying in at a rapid pace, and the websites that are just begging you to take a look at a quick video or article. Minimizing these distractions is a key way to accomplish the things that you have set out for yourself.

Contact us to learn more about how to accomplish tasks you have set out for yourself through the day and increase your productivity at work. We’re curious…which type of interruption at your work is hardest to avoid?

Why Development Based Training Is A Wise Investment

December 1, 2014December 2, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Success in business involves wise investments. Perhaps the wisest investment of all is the development of your employees. By considering the personal and professional goals of each individual, development based training will ensure that your people will thrive and your business will grow. Consider the following when choosing a training program:

Personal Development

Each person who works for your organization is unique and has different strengths. With the right guidance, each individual can set personal goals and identify the steps needed to achieve them. Personal development helps individuals better understand themselves and build on their inherent skills. This, in turn, creates and environment of enthusiasm that breeds success. When people have a vested interest in what they are doing, there is a natural shift from going through the motions to being truly motivated. Likewise, when people feel their employer is interested in them as a person, they are more likely to give their best.

Professional Development

Every organization has their particular values and mission statement. To realize these values and missions, ongoing professional development is a necessity. The most effective development programs motivate team performance and enhance leadership skills. Good leaders realize that communication is key. Knowledge is not used as power to hold down others, but rather as the power to mentor others and help them advance.

Success is a journey, not a destination. Continual education and development creates a culture where people want to succeed. When individuals take pride in their abilities and accomplishments, the whole team benefits.