As a Master Action Learning Coach, I see new teams enter a new way of being all the time. The discoveries they make take them to a better way of processing together. Because these shifts are discovered by the team versus just being told what they are the team owns the new behavior. There is no sense of lost for the old behaviors, just a sense of power as they enter the new behavior.

A friend asked me yesterday, what was the most powerful session I had ever coached. Having coached hundreds of teams at this point it is hard to pick a most powerful; first because they are all powerful sessions; and second because they are powerful in different ways. From a transformational aspect, I told him, it was a team that the trust and ability to communicate was effectively non-existent. By the time we finished it was at 100%. Years later team members still talk about the discoveries they made during the Action Learning session. How the sessions opened their eyes and that the way they were was great to leave behind, and the way they are has made them more effective and productive in all aspects of their lives. There isn’t a sense of exiting for them, just the sense of entering a new way of being.

As you move through the transitions that are life, do you see the exits or the entrances? Reflecting back now, what’s a time that you now realize you entered something new without noticing that you had exited?

The dream is a goal and it needs to be specific if we are going to have a chance of achieving it. Many folks resolve to lose weight and stop with that. There is no real goal here, it’s just wishful thinking. Those that are going to have a chance of achieving the goal need to be specific about it. For me it’s to finally lose that last 20 pounds by March 15.

Having the goal is small, yet critical piece of the puzzle to achieve the dream. The biggest piece is having the determination to accomplish it. At this point I know I have the determination, given that during the second half of last year I was able to drop 45 pounds. Last year I started the year will the resolution to lose weight —- it took me 6 months to realize — lose weight is not a real goal. At that point I set the real goal to get all the excess weight off by Mar 15th. And that time I decided it was of the utmost importance to accomplish it.
With the goal and the determination firmly in place — it was time to lay out the plan. It’s a fairly simple plan. One that many folks ask me what my secret is. What is it I’ve been doing to get the weight off? No surprise here – diet and exercise. The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn.

To eat less I’ve been journaling and following the Weight Watchers point system. For exercise, I’ve made exercise my top priority of the day. I wake between 4 and 5 in the morning and workout 1 – 2 hours a day. It’s a huge commitment. It is that level of commitment that has allowed me to move closer to my goal.

What dream do you have the commitment to make it a reality?

The Rotary Club of Annapolis rings the bell for Salvation Army on the corner of Main St and City Dock every year from Thanksgiving until Christmas. It’s a profound experience. This year my daughters thrilled me by joining me for an hour of ringing on Christmas Eve.

As we stood on the corner ringing the bell – my daughters mentioned how great it felt – it really made it feel like Christmas. It brings out in us what the season is all about.

It’s wonderful the generosity of folks this time of the year. It warms my heart when parents have their kids donating – explaining to them the money goes to take care of folks that don’t have enough.

Of all the years that I’ve done this – the story that touched me deepest – was from a man. He told me – a number of years ago he was down on his luck and Salvation Army had gotten him back on his feet. Since then he has become a successful businessman. So know it’s his turn to give back and help someone else in need.

As leaders how often do we actually take the time to reflect. To sit back and think about what we have accomplished and who we have helped.

Reflection is an important part of my life. Likely what drew me to Action Learning. Action Learning uses reflection to slow down the problem solving process. It causes us to think differently about problems and how we work together.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!

For the last several months I’ve been focused on building the business, building relationships, following through, and making my presence known. With all these changes I’ve put in place – business is picking up. It’s exciting having the calls come my way. The hard work of following up and keeping on top of what I want is paying off.

I’ve changed the way I view myself. I’ve changed the way I’ve view opportunities. I’ve focused my energies on the opportunities that I care about, that I have energy around succeeding at. The ones that were just being done for the money – without any ambition to do a great job I’ve let go.

My client base is extraordinarily diverse. It’s one of the things I so enjoy about Action Learning Coaching. As a Master Action Learning Coach I can work with any organization. Simply because I don’t try to tell them how to do their business – I get them thinking differently – so they identify the powerful solutions that will work within their business.

This passion for Action Learning has allowed me to focus on what I want my business to be. It has become the brass ring that allows me to focus on making the changes that have made it a reality.

The changes weren’t easy. It’s so much easier just to procrastinate. It’s so much easier to make the excuses. But the rewards are not nearly so sweet.

As we approach the new year – what one thing are you willing to change? That you are willing to go after with gusto? That you are willing to keep trying until you are successful?

My to do list has gotten massive. I own my an independent consulting practice, I’m partners in to other businesses, tremendously active with our local Rotary club, and have other charitable work I do. And I’m working on writing two books. Plus I am determined to keep exercise the number one priority of each day. Each day the to do list seems to get longer instead of shorter – to the point where I started to doubt that it would ever get complete.

For the last week or so the list has felt overwhelming and procrastination tactics have slipped into everyday. I would rationalize why i was doing this, that, or the other thing instead of doing the big tasks on the list. Yesterday I ran up against some deadlines and was productive from 5 in the morning until late into the evening. I had switch my belief yesterday to the fact that i could get it all done – and low and behold I did.

My plan is to hold onto that motivation – that belief that it can all get done – just have to do it. I’ll treat each day like the to do list must get emptied today, hitting each item in priority order.

I’ve heard a number of tactics for being more productive in a day:
Eat the Frog – go after the most undesirable task first and the rest have to be better,
Make a List of things before you are going on vacation tomorrow – you don’t have to be going on vacation, just act as if,
Just Do It – yea if it were that easy we wouldn’t have such challenges,
and others.

What are your favorite tactics for getting ahead of the to-do list? What are your favorite tactics for getting that positive focus that makes it all happen?

Consider the worst that could possibly happen if you attempted something and did not achieve the goal you were aiming for. Or if you wanted something that required you asking – what would be the worst answer you could get. At worst the answer would be ‘no’. By not asking the answer already is ‘no’ – so by not asking you have guaranteed the worst – so what have you got to lose by asking?

Several year ago my now husband and I were discussing plans for our wedding reception. We decided it would be really cool if we could get my favorite country artist to perform for the wedding. We knew the possibility of that was slim to none. So many of you might ask – why bother. But bother I did. Much to everyone’s surprised – after a bit of negotiating – the answer was yes — simply because I asked.

Successes small and large all come because we decided to do something. We decided I want this bad enough to make it happen. I will do what it takes to succeed.

In the last few days I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what makes me decided this is worth the effort. Move often than not – I don’t know. Something just triggers in me that says I am going to do this come hell or high water. And when I get that mindset there is no stopping me.

As I write this – I realize it may have simply been – fake it until you make it. For years I have been trying to get the excess weight off. And for years I have not been successful. Nothing I did seemed to trigger the ability to get it off – to the point I contemplated resolving myself to be a large woman.

Several month ago I start a 30 day exercise challenge. Upon successfully completing that challenge – i signed up for a 6 week challenge. Upon successfully completing that I signed up for a 90 day challenge. The successful completion of each of these challenges has motivated me to complete the next one.

It was simply the determination to do something to complete the current challenge that lead to the ultimate success.