Summer is NOT Over Yet. What You Do With These Days Matters.

If you're in the USA, this weekend is Labor Day and Labor Day is the official end of summer and the return to well….labor.

And, it is still summer. You have 4 and a half glorious days of summer left. You have a long weekend. The pool is still open. The sun is shining.

Here's why this matters for you and your work:

1. Be present. Fall will come on its own whether you enjoy a trip to the lake or you worry about the rocket ship that launches in a few days. You may as well enjoy yourself. The practice of being present will serve you at work as well as in your leisure time by offering you less stress and more attention to opportunities.

2. Joy. Relish the joy of your time off. Laugh. Hang out with your family and friends. Eat. Play. A little joy will let your creativity soar over the weekend and will spill over to work on Tuesday.

3. Rest. Giving yourself time to rest and rejuvenate ensures that your best self will show up at the office on Tuesday (and incidentally, every day). You'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed next week.

And, next week is a short week for those in the USA! That's pretty great, too.

Enjoy your last gasp of summer. I'll be at the state fair with my family and hosting BBQs in the backyard.

Hit reply to this email and tell me your plans. Or pop into the Corporate Rebel HQ Facebook Community and tell us all about it.

With rebel love,
Christina

P.S. Even better than enjoying all this rebelicious insight yourself is to share it with your friends and colleagues. Forward this email  and they can sign up to receive all the juicy content right here.

Is a Lack of Clarity Getting You Down? You May Be Clearer Than You Think!

I talk to lots of people. As a coach, I get hit up at parties like a doctor for free insight, I coach my seat mates on airplanes, and friends and colleagues call me regularly to walk through decisions or tough situations. It's part of the joy of my job.

I tell you this, << Test First Name >>, because I hope it lends credibility to what I'm about to say next. Here we go...

One of the #1 things people tell me is that they lack clarity. This is what being unclear sounds like:

• "I have a big decision to make and don't know what to do." 
• Should I settle down or travel for a while?
• Do I stay in a job that is making me miserable because of my 401K?
• Do I take that promotion even if it means an upset to my work/life balance?
• What's my next step in my career?
• Do I tell my boss what I really want even if I'm not sure what will happen?

A lack of clarity is like looking at the future through fog.

• It's frustrating;
• you can't see the path;
• it invites over-thinking,
• and for many of you, a lack of clarity sticks you in analysis paralysis which makes it impossible to make decisions or move forward.
• It's exhausting.

The good news: there is usually something else going on that you can resolve is (relatively) easily.

You don't lack clarity. Most people are crystal clear about what they want even if they don't see it themselves. (Doesn't that make you feel instantly better - or maybe still foggy?)

What you lack is permission. You know what you want and fear of making a change is keeping you "unclear." What you crave is courage, choice, and a plan to move forward with full permission. 

Here's a little exercise:
Choose a place in your life where you feel unclear. Describe it to a friend and ask them to tell you what is obviously clear to them. Then jot down what you would do if you had full permission. Then take the first step on the full permission path!

Insto-clarity and forward movement!

I hope this helps!

With Rebel Love!

Christina

P.S. If you crave clarity and permission and want a sounding board who is an expert at seeing what you can't, let's talk. You can schedule a free Ideas and Insights session here. We'll chat, and I'll share my…well...ideas and insights with you. Can't wait to connect live!

Do You Worry About the Future?

G'day! (I learned that from my Aussie friends this summer).

Fear of the future is as common as the vanilla ice-cream that I hope you slurped up this summer (or this winter for all you southern hemisphere folks). 

You get to see your past in vivid technicolor, and the future is a hazy path with elusive, invisible twists and curves. No matter how much you lay awake at night running scenarios in your head or how many legal pads you fill with detailed plans, your future is coming, and it is unknown.

Just the word "unknown" is enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the most experienced vice president or analytical engineer. 

Can you relate to any of these experiences?

• Feeling that it's time to shake things up, do something different, pump some new creativity and inspiration into your work and uncertain how to do that?
• Realizing that you spent a fortune getting trained in a field where you don't want to spend the next 25-40 years and lying awake worrying about what to do next?
• Feeling shaky about the process of becoming an adult (even if you technically already are one) and resisting the sacrifices to your freedom and happiness that you assume come with adulting?
• Forcing yourself out of bed each morning to fake your way through a job that is sucking your soul because you're afraid you won't be able to afford your mortgage?

Each of these examples is about fear — that you might make a seismic mistake that will haunt you forever — worry that you'll end up sitting at your kitchen table in a few years wishing you had chosen something else. Or worried that pursuing what makes you happy means no house, no college for your kids, and no financial security. 

I am here to tell you one simple truth. Life doesn't have to be hard. Work doesn't have to be hard. You are in the driver's seat. You make the choices. You get one go-around in this life, wouldn't you like to be happy and fulfilled?

Because you follow The Corporate Rebel, here is what I know about you:

• You are committed to making bold moves in your career and life;
• You want to align your work with your values; 
• You strive to choose courage and consciousness in your decisions;
• You want to create happiness and success on YOUR TERMS.

Even so, do you sometimes feel uneasy, fuzzy, uncomfortable, or stuck?

Maybe you are missing a sense of clarity or permission to take the next step toward your future. Whatever you are out to accomplish and whatever is holding you back,the fastest and easiest way to get clear is to sort it out with someone who gets your world and is committed to your success. (Otherwise, it is all just rattling around in your fuzzy and overfull mind!) 

If having a conversation with someone who gets you will help, let's talk! We'll unpack your personal situation, and I'll share my best ideas and insights about what might be possible. I'll help you get clear about where you're heading and together we'll create a plan for your next move. Whew. All of that in one free call!

I've opened a few spots in my personal calendar to talk to YOU. Choose a time that works for you right here. 

I look forward to connecting!

Christina

P.S. Now is a great time to start a plan for your next move. Wouldn't you love some clarity and access to my best ideas and insights? You can get all kinds of ideas and insights by hopping on the phone for a free phone call. Choose a time that works for you here.

If you don't see a time that works, email me at christina@boydsmithcoaching.com and we'll find one!