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How to succeed? Dream big, start small

A few months ago, I attended a speech contest in which one of the contestants spoke about dreaming small. She said early on that that’s what her parents always encouraged her to do. At first I thought it was a set-up for a punch line, or that she’d be talking about how she had to overcome a “think small” mindset in order to dream big and achieve great things. And since I teach, preach, and coach people about dreaming big and achieving their dreams, this [...]

By |August 1st, 2014|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Coaching, Columns, Success|Comments Off on How to succeed? Dream big, start small

What’s stopping you from reaching your goals? You are!

“Betty, I’m ready to get out of my own way.” The words were music to my ears, even though I got them by way of a Facebook post. They were from a former coaching client of mine, and she’s someone I’ve been urging for a long time now to visit Toastmasters. She’s written two children’s books, started her own company, and is eager to get out in the world to do readings and presentations, and to promote her books and her business. Anyone who is [...]

By |July 18th, 2014|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Coaching, Columns, Toastmasters|Comments Off on What’s stopping you from reaching your goals? You are!

A week in the chapel starts a journey for life

I just accomplished a goal I set for myself almost a year and a half ago, and I feel pretty good about it. The goal isn’t an end in itself, it’s more of a milestone. Still, it’s pretty significant, and I’m going to take a little time to simply enjoy and celebrate the fact that I did it. The goal was to spend a week in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at my church. Not all at once, of course, but an hour at a time. [...]

By |May 30th, 2014|Accountability, Columns, Faith|Comments Off on A week in the chapel starts a journey for life

No longer bound by an age-old tradition

It happened again last week. And, just as it has in the past, it caught me completely off-guard. I was at 5:15 Mass on Ash Wednesday, and hoping that my stomach wouldn’t start growling during the quiet parts of the Mass. This was a possibility not only because it was getting close to dinner time, but because I had followed the Lenten restrictions for Ash Wednesday, which are to abstain from eating meat, to refrain from eating between meals, and to have only one full [...]

List of projects leads to fulfilling goals and dreams

“I focus easily and naturally on what is important and rewarding to me, and let go gently and comfortably of what is not. I am accomplishing my goals and fulfilling my dreams.” Whether you would call that an affirmation, a mantra, positive thinking, or wishful thinking, it’s something I’ve been saying to myself several times a day for a few months now. And the reason I’m telling you about it is that it relates so strongly to what I wrote last week. My column last [...]

By |January 3rd, 2014|Accountability, Columns, Holidays, Organizing|Comments Off on List of projects leads to fulfilling goals and dreams

A project a week will lead to success

91.25 hours. Over the course of a year, that’s how much time you would spend on something if you devoted just 15 minutes a day to it. I mention this because my New Year’s Resolution last year was to spend 15 minutes a day decluttering. That might mean whittling down a stack of papers on the kitchen counter one day, cleaning out an overstuffed dresser drawer on another, and tackling an overloaded bookshelf in my office on a third. As I look back on the [...]

By |December 27th, 2013|Accountability, Columns, Holidays, Organizing|Comments Off on A project a week will lead to success

Making a game out of healthy habits has built-in rewards

I read an entertaining column in the weekend magazine of the StarTribune last Sunday, by a woman who was enjoying her new “toy:” a clip-on gadget that’s today’s version of a pedometer. Not only did it keep track of how many steps she took in a day, but it registered how many of those steps were going up and down stairs. She was excited about the fact that it was motivating her to do things she hadn’t been doing before, such as parking far away [...]

By |October 18th, 2013|Accountability, Columns, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on Making a game out of healthy habits has built-in rewards

The end of one chapter is the beginning of the next

Note: For ten weeks, I am using the Dream Coaching® program to work on my dream of finishing and publishing a book about my trip to Uganda, and I am reporting on my progress in my weekly column. As always, my column is posted on my blog every Friday. To read the series from the beginning, start with the introductory post, dated May 3, 2013. It’s hard for me to believe that it’s already Week 10 of the Dream Coaching program. Or that I’ve gotten [...]

By |July 12th, 2013|Accountability, Coaching, Columns, Uganda, Uncategorized, Writing|Comments Off on The end of one chapter is the beginning of the next

Build a Dream Team if you want to win

Note: For ten weeks, I am using the Dream Coaching® program to work on my dream of finishing and publishing a book about my trip to Uganda, and I am reporting on my progress in my weekly column. As always, my column is posted on my blog every Friday. To read the series from the beginning, start with the introductory post, dated May 3, 2013. I realize that my roots are showing as well as my age, but I have to admit that when I [...]

By |July 5th, 2013|Accountability, Coaching, Columns, Uganda, Writing|Comments Off on Build a Dream Team if you want to win

Serious steps bring you closer to your dream

Note: For ten weeks, I am using the Dream Coaching® program to work on my dream of finishing and publishing a book about my trip to Uganda, and I am reporting on my progress in my weekly column. As always, my column is posted on my blog every Friday. To read the series from the beginning, start with the introductory post, dated May 3, 2013. I have always found Session 8 of the Dream Coaching program to be a challenge – both when I am [...]

By |June 28th, 2013|Accountability, Coaching, Columns, Uganda, Writing|Comments Off on Serious steps bring you closer to your dream