Do This Tiny Thing #5

Time To Read: 26 seconds

The days are short. It's dark at 5:00 where I live. The holidays are coming. The tiny thing #5 is perfect for this time of year.

Mindfulness.

You might also call it focus.

The point is to bring yourself into the present moment. Pause. Rest your brain. Clear your thoughts. Tap into energy and awareness that is bigger than your day-to-day. From that place, you gain surprising insights, clarity, calm and sometimes even clear direction forward.

Add a tiny mindfulness practice into your day without any expectations. Here are some ways to do this:

• Start your day with a pause. Even if it's only 5 minutes.
• Stop a few times during your work day and simply sit quietly.
• Try out a meditation app. Deepak Chopra has a good one. I use 10% Happier. Others like Calm or Headspace.
• When you do things (cook dinner, write an email, talk to your parents on the phone), do only that thing. Give it your full attention.

This tiny thing is like a balm for your brain.

Share your creative ideas in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

Do This Tiny Thing #4

Time to read: 26 seconds

Hiking in the snow

This week's tiny thing is really fun.

Novelty.

Your brain thrives when you do new things. That doesn't mean that everything in your daily life needs to be new. It simply means give your brain new challenges.

Here are some ideas to jog your thinking:

• Play a game.
• Drive a new route home from work.
• Explore an unfamiliar area of town.
• Cook something you've never made.
• Read a book in a genre you don't usually choose.
• Rearrange your furniture.

Novelty exposes you to new ideas. It helps you make connections you might not otherwise make. It keeps your brain stimulated, fresh and creative.

Share your creative ideas in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

Have a great weekend.

Do This Tiny Thing #3

Time to read: 26 seconds

Have fun moving

Today's tiny thing is move your body. I find when you use the "e" word (shhh….exercise), many people get all gummed up with joining a gym or how many years it has been since they did or how out of shape they are. A blanket of self-judgment gets layered on the lack of movement, and you have a recipe for doing nothing.

Lift the judgment, find the fun and simply choose a tiny way to move your body.

Here are some easy ways to get started:

• Take the stairs. This one is so easy it's a cliche. Because it works.
• Go for a walk at lunch.
• Clean your house.
• Get out in your garden.
• Dance around the living room to your favorite song.

When you feel the physical and mental benefits of moving your body, you'll want to do it more. When that happens, keep going!

Share your creative ideas in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

Have a great weekend.

Do One Tiny Thing #2

Time to read: so short. Time to do the thing: 7-9 hours

My favorite!

Welcome to tiny change #2. Sleep.

Sleep is a crowd pleaser. You love it, right? Research shows that we are chronically sleep-deprived as you squeeze one more hour of productivity out of the day or stress keeps you awake at night.

You can easily make one tiny change to your sleep routine to promote longer and more satisfying sleep. You already know how much better you feel after a good night's rest so the ROI on sleep is obvious.

Here are some ideas:

• Go to bed one hour earlier. Or 30-minutes earlier. Or 15 if that's all you can manage.
• Try a sleep meditation. I like the 10% Happier App. Calm is another good one.
• Spray your pillow with lavender oil.
• Try a weighted blanket.
• Experiment with time to wind down in the evening. Put down your phone an hour before bed. Read. Do quiet things.

In terms of bang for your buck, getting enough sleep does wonders for your mood, focus and ability to get things done.

Tell us all about your tiny sleep action in the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook group. Comment or join here.

You know what you'll be doing this weekend! Have fun.

Do You Lack Clarity?

Time to read: the best 5 seconds

You think you lack clarity.

Try this on: You're clear. What you don't have is permission.

Love to you,

Christina

Tools For Your Daily Life

Time to read: 45 seconds

Time to choose a spot: 30 seconds

Actual time to chat: 30 minutes (You can choose a time to talk here).

Hello Rebels!

A participant of last year's Clarity U group coaching program lives in a part of the country that has been especially hard hit by recent events. I called her a few weeks ago to check on her and her family. In the course of our conversation (she is doing fine), I asked if she uses her Clarity U strategies.

She laughed and was like, "Yeah. Everyday. I'll send you a picture." Then she sent me the above photo of her desk, covered in tools from Clarity U.

She said she uses the lessons she learned in Clarity U to calm herself when she feels stress. She uses her tools to de-escalate tension and conflict at work. She's even a calmer mother, laughing when she explained that the desk in the photo was soon going to be returned to a deer processing table for the hunters in her family. She's calmer, happier, and more productive. In her words,

"When I need to re-center, I look down, take a breath and feel like I’m safe."

That's the point of Clarity U - to fill your toolbox with actionable strategies that will make a difference every.single.day. In Clarity U, you will clean out the junk (old beliefs and habits) that hold you back and clear the path to design your future. You will be challenged and uplifted.

One thing is certain, the future is coming. (Winter is coming too, but that's a different reference.) There is no returning to the "normal" we had before. The national and international mood crackles with change. Now is the perfect time to do the work to be ready to embrace and create whatever happens next for you, your community, and the world.

Intrigued? Want to know more? Everyone who joins spends a little time with me sharing what's going on for you, strategizing solutions, and asking questions. Choose a time to talk on my personal calendar. Spots fill fast so I added a bunch more.

If you want to read about Clarity U, click here for a detailed information page. The early bird price ends on October 9 so let's talk before then.

Those of you who know me know that hopping on the phone won't land you in a weird sales vortex. These conversations are authentic and connected. My goal is to help you figure out your next step - Clarity U or not.

I look forward to connecting. Choose a time here.

In the words of another participant:

"Working with Clarity U gave me insights and tools that I use daily. This work has been more valuable than a lifetime of therapy. (And a lot more fun.) I wish I had done it 20 years ago. Christina and Anne are insightful and honest and two of the warmest and most encouraging people I have ever had the honor to know." E.G.

Take advantage of the early bird price by joining by or before October 9.

I can't wait to talk.

Christina

P.S. If you're sitting on the sidelines wondering if you should check out Clarity U, the answer is YES. Choose a time to talk here.

P.P.S. Know someone who is ready to take the leap? Please forward this email to them.

Feel Pressured By Ever-Increasing Demands?

Time to Read: 51 seconds to the middle. 1.5 minuets all the way down.

Hey Rebels,

A new client told me that she almost never leaves the office before 9:00 at night because it's the only time the fire drills and constant interruptions quiet down enough for her to work on strategic initiatives. One day she left at 6:00 and noticed with horror that it had been weeks since she had left the office in daylight.

Standing in the sunshine, she realized her strategies were not sustainable physically or mentally and that working "harder, faster and longer" is not yielding the results she wants for her work and life. She decided then and there to make a change.

You may not stay late at the office, but do you check your email as soon as your children are in bed? When was the last time you went to the gym? Or hung out with your friends? Are the hobbies that bring you joy a distant memory? Is Netflix all the energy you can manage in the evening? (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Game of Thrones. And for all you stickler's out there, I know it's on HBO.)

If you've been reading my emails lately, you know where I'm headed.

Life is too short to allow your job to burn through decades of your life.

I told my client that the secret to a calmer, saner, happier work life isn't in finding better strategies to organize your day. You'll find calm and fulfillment by shifting the foundation on which you work - your beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and structures that inform your day and your relationship to your job (and so much more).

If you're curious about how to completely change the way you work in order to be calm, productive, and wildly successful, consider chatting with me about the Corporate Rebel Clarity U coaching group. You can schedule a 30-minute spot here.

Why does this matter to you?

• You react instead of actively making decisions which leaves you feeling depleted and second-guessing your choices.
• Life and work feel chaotic and disjointed. You find yourself running from place to place, slamming out emails, and feeling like you're not actually accomplishing anything.
• You fall into the same ineffective patterns that have held you back for years.
• Every year you think, "This is the year things are going to be different." Then they are not different and you keep going with the same old, same old.

What's in it for you? Starting in October you will learn to...

• Shake off negative patterns of thinking and behaving so you can stop holding yourself back. Your life will be calmer and work more fulfilling.
• Gracefully navigate transitions so you feel confident in the unknown and able to handle the changes that work and life throw at you.
• Ground yourself physically and spiritually to allow radical transformation. You will look back and wonder why you didn't address this stuff sooner.
• Wield your new, portable Toolbox of Skills so you're ready to take action, make choices, and be in control of your career and life.
• Get clear about what you want and bravely take action toward making your goals real.

The Corporate Rebel Clarity U coaching group will help you put work and life on your terms. This link will take you to Christina's personal calendar to schedule a casual 30-minute chat. We'll talk about what's going on in your life, develop a solution or two, and determine whether our group program is the right next step.

You can also email me at christina@boydsmithcoaching.com to set up a time in the next few weeks or reach out to me privately with questions or inquiries.

Seriously, you spend more hours at work than anywhere else. Don't let those hours suck.

With Rebel Love,

Christina

P.S. Are you ready to change the way you work (and as an added bonus, thrive in all aspects of your life)? Let's talk! Click this link to choose a 30-minute spot on my calendar. We'll talk about what's going on and whether Corporate Rebel Clarity U is a good fit.

P.P.S. Wouldn't it be awesome to do this work with your friends? Invite them to explore the possibilities by forwarding this email to them. They can sign up to chat here.