In my latest video, I compare life coaching to personal training. While life coaching can still seem a bit abstract to some people, personal training is more familiar and concrete. Like personal trainers, life coaches offer three major services:

1. Goal Setting
2. Tools and Resources
3. Accountability

Goals can be large or small.  They can range from an improved sense of well-being to a specific work or health goal. To help you reach those goals, I mention a few resources in my video, but as a life coach, I am learning about new strategies almost every day. Here are just a few to give you an idea:

• Value Sort: In this activity, you sort through a wide range of values to narrow down to your top 5. This activity can be invaluable (pun intended) for helping you to align your decisions with your true desires. I've done this, and it's a very enlightening activity (and more challenging than you'd think!)
• Mindfulness Exercises: Mindfulness isn't just for yogis! I have found that taking even a few minutes a day to focus on mindfulness can have big benefits, and I have many tools for helping you find a strategy that works for you.
• Mindset Realignment: All your actions stem from your thoughts, and you could have some embedded patterns of thought that are affecting you in ways you don't even realize! Do you know the difference between a Growth vs a Fixed mindset? What about a Judger vs a Learner mindset? I have tools that can help you improve awareness of your mindset and make positive changes when needed.

Finally, one quick note on the accountability piece that didn't make it into my video. Obviously, a personal trainer cannot do the workout FOR you. They might work out with you, but they will be getting the benefits of their hard work. Your results are completely up to you. Life coaching is similar. As a life coach, I can support you and offer ideas and resources, but I cannot do the work for you. The magic of coaching comes in between the coaching conversations, when you, as the client, start to apply the strategies we've discussed and see real sustainable and positive change in your life. Watch my video and contact me if you want to set up a complimentary session.

Fun behind the scenes fact: At the beginning of the video when you hear a popping noise and see me reach down, I am shooing away my cat who was trying to scratch on the chair...a prelude to jumping into my lap...which happened a few times before as I attempted to complete my video.

Over the last few weeks, I've learned some lessons about fixed vs growth mindset and the power of coaching from my dog. Check out the following video:

If you'd like to schedule a complimentary session, contact me or use the scheduler feature on my "For Clients" page. I look forward to hearing from you.

     This short animated film is a touching portrayal of getting a change in perspective. Can you think of a time when you made a judgment about a person but then got some insight into her life that made you realize your original impression was wrong? I certainly have. It is human nature to judge based on limited information; this is how we make sense of the world and notice patterns around us. However, as we grow and mature, we can hopefully learn to consider the complexities of people's lives and personalities and therefore, judge less. 
      In addition to being more openminded about people we encounter in our daily lives, I have found that practicing "active non-judgment" (a term I just made up-haha) can help me stay calm and avoid negativity as I go about my day. For example, when I get cut off in traffic, my snap judgment might be "What a jerk!" This reaction makes me tense and frustrated. Sometimes, I honk or shake a fist or yell NSFW words that only I can hear. While the physical manifestation of that emotion might feel justified, it usually only leaves me more agitated. And if the rude driver then reacts by flipping me off, I get even more angry, with no logical outlet for that anger. Can anyone relate?
      If so, I encourage you to try this. When a stranger cuts you off in traffic or treats you rudely in line at the grocery store, try to create a story for that person that sparks empathy. For example, maybe the person who cut you off is trying to get to the hospital to witness the birth of his first child. Maybe unforeseen circumstances made him late for an interview that just might be the job opportunity of a lifetime. Perhaps the rude woman in line just learned that her sister has cancer and is going through the day in a fog of worry.  When I take the time to create a story for a rude stranger, I end up extrapolating on that story and those musings are much more pleasant than thinking of all the insults I would've hurled at that crazy driver if he had just had his window rolled down to hear it.
     Ultimately, negative thoughts about others don't affect anyone more than the person thinking them. Your time, your energy, and your mind space are precious. Try not to use them up on negative emotions.