The Holidays Are Coming!

Time to read: 21 seconds

Swarovski Christmas dogs. Yup, I love crystal animals.

In the USA, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and then it's the holidays!

This time of year is accelerated…year end at work, prepping for celebrations, time with family (and the complexities that can bring), and all the feelings and busyness that come with November and December. My clients already report feeling slammed.

So, until January, I'm going to make these newsletters short….a quote, a piece of advice I share often, a thought. The idea is you can dive in and in a few seconds, leave with just what you need. Easy. Effortless. You need your time elsewhere right now.

If you love the quote or thought, share it with your friends and colleagues. They can sign up to receive this newsletter here. It may be the best gift you give this year. It's free and takes up no space in your closet.

Here is today's: Pay attention to what you think about, talk about and do. If you don't like those things, change them. Talk about something else. Find something interesting to think about. Make a new choice. Even a small one.

Love to all of you! Please email anytime. I love to hear from you.

Observations On An Important Day

Time to read: 35 seconds

Our democracy at work

As I thought about writing to you this week, I wasn't sure how I would feel or what I'd want to say. None of us in the US knew what would happen in our election, and clients and friends have been on pins and needles for the past few weeks.

I work as an election judge, and I want to tell you about it. I have no profound revelations or grand conclusions, and I do have a few observations and thoughts, in no particular order:

• 5:15 am sucks. And walking to the polling place so early in the morning is quiet, lovely and yesterday, foggy.
• We live near a small college. Students came out in droves to register and vote. They were nervous. Some even shook when they held their ballot for the first time. It was inspiring to see the next generation stepping in to take ownership of their future.
• In Minnesota, polling places must be staffed by people from all parties. We have no idea who is who, and we aren't allowed to and don't talk politics. We work side-by-side for 16 hours, following the precise rules to run an election and create a welcoming environment for every voter. We talk about our kids and share recipes. We share a commitment to the integrity of the process and respect for all voters.
• It's inspiring to see people's commitment to having their voice heard - coming back multiple times with the proper documentation, running in soaking wet from the rain, an autistic woman pushing past her fears to express what she needed to cast her ballot, elderly people with walkers.

We live in a complicated and flawed world. Spending all day looking at our nation from the small window of this polling place shows us at our best.

I hope this helps.

Reach out anytime. I always love to hear from you. Email me here

What happens when you do less?

Time to read:

Hydroponic herbs. A perfect example of more with less.

An amazing thing happened this week. I did less and got more.

Before you scream, "Not the phrase 'do more with less," read on. This isn't a ploy to cut your resources.

Here's the story: I do strategic planning sessions for each person in my Clarity U group program. To prepare for the session, participants answer a set of reflection questions, send me their answers, and I prepare before we talk. My preparation involves reading their reflections multiple times and crafting a series of questions to draw out the core of their goals. The prep takes 30 minutes to more than an hour.

I had two strategic sessions today, and both clients submitted their materials a minute before our call. So, I arrived unprepared. Both sessions were deep, meaningful, and revealed exactly what the clients needed in order to establish their purpose for a year in Clarity U.

Upon reflection later, the truth is, "unprepared" is incorrect. I had believed I needed to work hard, put in the effort in order to bring value and be "ready" to help my clients. Instead, something more powerful happened.

• I entered the conversation with no preconceived notions about the person from reading their materials. Everything I learned was in the moment and brought up directly in the session.
• We trusted our relationship and our shared wisdom.
• Because I didn't have any planned questions, the clients led the call. They started where they wanted and determined the course of the conversation.
• We got to the purpose of their reason for Clarity U swiftly and efficiently, and they left with exactly what they needed.

I'm a recovering over-performer and thought I had mitigated most, if not all, of my over-performing tendencies. Then here it was today, by necessity, I did less. And the end result was so much more.

I leave you with a challenge: Find a place in your life where you can do/prepare/perform/plan less and instead, trust/relate/listen/connect more.

I hope this helps.

Reach out anytime. I always love to hear from you. Email me here