Know Your Mission

Clarifying the "Why" in What You Do

Life Coaches will tell you one of the most powerful questions in the world is “why?”  From the “why” comes an emotional response that can help a person go from frustrated and fatigued, to productive and focused.

Your “why” is your mission.

Corporations pay thousands of dollars to have consulting firms help them generate a mission.  Companies thrive on mission statements; why wouldn’t you?  Luckily, knowing why you want to achieve something is free for most individuals; it’s just a matter of being intentional.

An undefined mission prevents us from achieving our goals well.  It’s one thing to accomplish something, it’s another thing to enjoy the process that brought you to that accomplishment. That’s where the real gratification takes place.  

Most people though, are focusing so much on the end game, that they find themselves unable to get their head clear enough to know what to do next.  It’s really difficult to achieve your goal without asking yourself why you want to get there.  Getting back to the root of why you started on your path is what will help you enjoy the ride.

Let's look at a case study: I have a client named Ms. Amazing (name protected for anonymity's sake). Ms. Amazing is a business owner who sells women's clothing. When I asked her what her "why" is she said, "to encourage women." She stated that she desires not to have a business that is only about sales, but that fosters genuine relationships with her customers. I spoke with her today and she mentioned that she had some great success this week reaching out to a new customer, and that quickly, a great bond was formed.  She said the conversation centered around her "why," and that if she had focused on the upcoming sale of fancy pants, the meeting would not have been nearly as fulfilling. Ms. Amazing's "why" was the motivation behind her courage to reach out, and her ability to connect on a human level with her customer.

Why are you wanting to graduate from your nursing program?

Why are you deciding to be a vegan?

Why are you committing to bringing your wife flowers every Friday?

Only you can answer your why, but how powerful it will be when you do. Your “why” is your mission, and your mission will not only lead you to your vision, but it will refocus you along the way. 

Will you lose sight of your mission? Absolutely.  That’s okay. This is why we have to practice the art of revisiting our “why” throughout the course of our endeavors.

Next time you get “stuck,” ask yourself one simple, yet profound question “why am I doing this?”

Even if this gives you momentary clarity that helps you move forward a little bit, you are still more likely to achieve your goal than you were before you reminded yourself of your mission. 

A clear mission and attainable actions step are going to be your keys to success.

Are you feeling stuck? It’s okay, you’re not alone!  If you’re in need of someone to help you clarify, or revisit your mission, life coaching would be for you.  Contact me and we will talk about how to set up a plan to help you get where you want to be.

You're a Middle School Parent, Now What?

Middle School…the three years of a child’s life when everything seems a little out of whack.  First thing of importance here is: this is perfectly normal, your child is normal, and you will make it out alive. So, take a breath, hang with me for a few minutes and let’s talk Middle School.

Researchers at Arizona State University found that mothers of middle schoolers experience more stress and less wellbeing than parents of younger or older children. Below are a few ways to stay sane and not only enjoy your child during their middle school years, but help them thrive and succeed:

Dealing with Your Tween’s Growing Independence

 Your child stays locked away for hours at time doing who knows what in their bedroom, they can’t share the same air with a sibling without copious amounts of eye rolling, and all of a sudden they are more affectionate with the screen attached to their face than they are with you.  How do we navigate this new season?

 1.     Be the Boss: Yes, newfound independence is good, but guided independence is better.  Your child is growing physically and seems ready to take on the world, but cognitively, they just aren’t there, yet.  Let your child feel out the newness of Middle School, maybe adjust some rules to fit their new academic lifestyle, but let them know in a kind, loving, controlled way that you are there to keep them safe and help them be productive, and you’re still the boss. Deep down inside, they will appreciate the feeling of not having to be the one in charge.

2.     Leave room for learning organization. Holy moly if there is ever a time where you have felt thrown to the wolves – it’s middle school. You go from 1 teacher, with one teaching style, to 7….one desk with all of your things in the same place to having to switch materials every hour at your locker…and having a significantly more intense homework and test load.  If I could tell you anything, it would be: be patient.  Then, be patient some more.  It will take some time for your child to learn the way they organize best. Help them discover different ways to organize their lockers, their binders, and their planner.  One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to organization.  Give your child opportunities and time to find their organization style.

3.    Encourage extracurricular activities. Your child is coming home with loads of homework. Regardless of where you land on the homework is good/homework is pointless spectrum, it’s a part of our current culture and probably will be for a while.  The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that students who participated in extracurricular activities had much better rankings in reading and math assessments, higher overall Grade Point Averages and were found to have fewer absences. Middle School is a prime time to help our children learn how to balance work and play.  Signing them up for the soccer team, or Chess club might end up making them more academically productive in the end.

 4.     Love their faces off. We often talk about love languages in regards to our spouses.  Have you ever considered what your child’s love language is? Are you having a hard time communicating with them? Are they constantly argumentative? Do they refuse to do their homework?  While consequences are natural and necessary at appropriate times, try to be preventative by finding out what makes your child tick. Your child might respond better if they have a little more quality time with you, or if you leave an encouraging note on their pillow at night, or if you praise them in front of other people.  It’s amazing what an effective tool genuine, purposeful encouragement can be.

 Middle School is a daunting, yet opportunistic time for your family. Communicate, communicate, communicate and love, love, love your kid.  Keep in mind that they have their own styles and they are just now learning how to identify and sharpen them – be their biggest cheerleader while they are at it. You’re a great parent and you have a great kid.  Use the (totally normal) stressors of this season to find opportunities to show your child how capable you both are of working with a world of new things. 

 Do you feel like you already know most of this but have hard time implementing it? Or maybe this is completely new way of thinking for you. If you’d like someone to help you navigate the best ways to help your kiddo, I’d love to work with you, or your child, for a free 30 minutes session.  If you feel after that like coaching will be helpful for you and your family we can partner to make that happen!

Juicin It Up

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At the end of days involving multiple bad life choices in regards to what we chose to eat, our go-to dinner to make us feel a touch better about ourselves is a delicious and oh so healthy fruit and veggie juice.  This was our dinner tonight and it was glorious.  Why I love fresh juices:

Sneak in those veggies for the kids

They include an impressive amount of antioxidants, not too mention tons of other immune system builders.

They are great for weight loss.

They give me TONS of energy.  One of these juices for breakfast and my to-do list quickly becomes a thing of the past - I have energy for a to-do book.

Did I mention sneaking in veggies for the kids?

This particular one tastes a lot like a Creamsicle - if you close your eyes and think real hard.

My ridiculous finished product picture 

Juicing is so beneficial because our cells require so much energy to break down solid food.  When we drink fresh juices, our cells can reserve that energy and use it to prevent and repair damages. 

You will need a juicer.  We use the Breville (thanks to an amazing friend who gifted us hers).  Don't try this in a blender - it will be all kinds of funky.  But it's awesome, you just wash your produce and throw it all in there.

Want to eat (or, eh, drink) healthier?  Green juices sound good, but freak you out a little bit? Make this fresh juice a part of your week.  Happy Juicing!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 carrots
• 2 oranges
• 1 or 2 apples
• 2 bananas
• 1 lemon (optional - this is a matter of preference)