by Erin Owen | Apr 7, 2015 | Ezine
I did it! I completed my Quantum CoachingTM certification!
When I celebrate, I feel generous. And I want to share some of the powerful new coaching techniques and approaches with you!
For one day only in April, one day only in May, and one day only in June, I’m going to make my coaching services available to you for half price. So, I guess you could call this a Celebration SALE!
If you’re interested, don’t delay – only 2 spots are available each day.
CELEBRATION DATES: Thursday, April 23 * Thursday, May 21 * Tuesday, June 16
50% off 90-minute in-depth assessment and coaching calls (normally $297; sale price $148.50)
PERFECT FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO:
- Shift from feeling stuck in a draining situation (work/business situation, relationship challenge, same ol’ health issue, etc)… to a place of empowerment so you can positively move forward
- Identify and eliminate the internal barriers that are preventing you from making an important decision or change in your life (or business)
- Get your arms around what has been draining your energy so you can plug your leaks and begin to rebuild and re-energize your vitality and positive outlook
PERFECT FOR YOU IF YOU ARE:
- A new client (you’ve never received coaching support from me before)
- A returning client (we partnered together years ago but not in the past year)
Again, if you’re interested, don’t delay – only 2 spots are available each day.
HOW TO GRAB YOUR SPOT?
Click here and choose “Celebration Coaching Session” to put yourself in my schedule – choose the date that works best for you:
April 23
May 21
June 16
That’s all! After you put yourself in my online schedule, I’ll email you with more details regarding preparation for the 90-minute session and how to make the $148.50 payment.
Let’s celebrate! I can’t wait to partner with you and share these powerful new coaching techniques to enable you to make positive change in your life!
by Erin Owen | Mar 19, 2015 | Ezine
Hang on to your hat and stand strong in your personal power.
“Why?”
These next few days are going to be powerful.
“Powerful in what way?”
We will experience an extremely rare seasonal shift and cosmic event all wrapped up in one. And it may impact your mood and the trajectory of your life. No joke!
“Huh? What?”
Here’s what’s up:
At the same time as the new moon of the spring equinox, “a very rare supermoon eclipse of the sun is happening … that won’t take place again until 2034.” Learn more in this detailed article here.
“Why should I care? How will this affect me?”
Whether or not you’re consciously aware of the connections in your daily life, you’ve probably already been experiencing the discomfort and opening that comes from shedding the winter heaviness and bursting through into Springtime.
“Tell me more. What do you mean?”
You are irritated or just plain aware of what is not working for you anymore. You are making changes in your life and in your work to make the way you live & work more suitable for your needs and your direction. This is consistent with what’s happening with the actual soil and plants in the earth: rocks and old roots and weeds are being pushed out of the way for new seeds to take root, to sprout and to push up through the surface of the ground and yield beautiful green tenderlings that will bloom and produce fruit.
I’ve definitely been experiencing this in my life. (You may have read about it in my recent blog post “Have you hit the wall?“) I’ve been supporting my clients in moving through this process too. Is this happening for you?
But the fact is that these winter-into-spring shifts are not only happening now in the immediacy of your life and this year’s seasonal shift, but are happening to all of us in a massive ‘once-in-an-era’ kind of way.
“Okay, so what might be the impact of this weekend’s spring equinox & total eclipse and this bigger shift mean for me?”
I’m definitely not an expert in these things, so I look for others who can provide greater insight. One source I go to is an Australian woman named Dana Mrkich.
Dana wrote in her blog post this week: “You may find that something quite specific started to play out mid 2012, that has gone through several metamorphosis’s and shifts. You may also feel, or will soon, that whatever was playing out has come to a final conclusion, a final resolution or realization. Perhaps a full circle moment has happened. Something that was out of balance is now balanced or coming into balance in a clearer way. Something that needed addressing has been acknowledged. A healing or outcome that perhaps wasn’t possible before is now possible. A particular story of your life is now being put to bed, and you can move forward in a new way: transformed, with a new feeling of power in some way. All of these things are examples of how we may feel in this ‘After’ phase of this series of alignments.”
Let me be honest: I used to think this stuff was mumbo jumbo, hocus pocus. That is, I used to… until I observed the shifts happening everywhere: in the media, in my community, in the lives of family and friends and clients, and in my own life. I couldn’t ignore the fact that we are all moving through a period of tremendous upheaval that is enabling a powerful and positive shift in our world. You may only experience this on the micro level of your daily life, or you too may be seeing and experiencing the bigger movement that we are all apart of.
“Okay. You have my attention. So, now what do I do?”
1. Through this weekend’s big events: be compassionate with yourself and others, and be observant. Maybe even write down what you are experiencing and observing in yourself, including what clarity and realizations are coming to you about what’s working in your life and what needs to change. Notice the behavior of those around you, and the events that are taking place on the world stage at large.
2. These next several Springtime weeks: consider what you can do to productively promote positive changes in your life.
- What decisions have you been waiting on for awhile? Make a decision now and move on. Or, take it off your list and let it go.
- What projects are inviting your attention? Make the commitment to yourself to get them done.
- What or who has been draining your energy? Take compassionate and positive action to shift your attention to what energizes you and supports you in being your best and enjoying life and work.
And if you need to talk more about how to do any of this, email me and we’ll put 15 minutes on the calendar. On the call, we’ll give our combined and focused attention to what is top of mind for you so you can get some clarity to move forward in a positive, productive way!
In Summary…
Hold tight! Shift is happening! But, that doesn’t mean you need to get knocked off your center. Take advantage of this opportunity to stand solidly in your power and grow personally and professionally in a way that benefits you and all the key people in your life!
by Erin Owen | Feb 24, 2015 | Ezine
Have you HIT THE WALL?
- Exhausted by all you have to do?
- Fed up with the never-ending winter weather?
- Feeling unable to get out of bed?
- Struggling to be your usual chipper, go-getter self?
You are not alone!
Let’s look at the facts:
- It’s the dead of winter (if you live somewhere cold).
- You’re not getting as much Vitamin D from limited and indirect sunlight.
- You are not moving your body as much as when it’s nice outside.
- There is less fresh food available so you are getting less vibrant life energy on your plate.
- You already had a lot (or too much) on your plate (the other kind of plate—your list of responsibilities).
- You’re waking up to what is no longer working for you, but it’s not yet corrected.
- Everyone around you is feeling the same way, and so not as able to step up and help out.
- You also may not be asking for what you need at all or as regularly as usual.
I completely get it.
I hit the wall last week.
I just completely stopped opening emails.
It was too much.
I had no reserve to tap.
My normal sources of renewable energy were not being cultivated as much (not as much yoga, fewer meditation sits, less time in nature, not breathing as mindfully, not eating as many veggies and fruits, etc, etc).
So, I paused and did the following:
Made a list of EVERYTHING I am responsible for.
I allowed myself to feel the weight of the burdens.
And I cried.
I cried on my own and I cried during my pilates class.
I had to acknowledge it and release the tension around it first.
Then, I made the conscious choice to:
Appreciate myself for all that I do.- Look at what I could let go of for the moment AND forever.
- Reach out and let those people in my life know that I was struggling, that I wasn’t asking them to take care of it, but that I just needed to have them listen to me.
- And considered what small steps I could take to give myself a bit more love.
- It is, after all, Heart Health month.
Consider for yourself: Do any of these ideas resonate with you? What is the teeniest tiniest smallest wee little baby step you could take to move in one of these directions?
If you could use a bit more love and nurturing in your life, a bit more self-care, then consider joining us for this Saturday’s Winter Retreat day in Philadelphia. There is only 1 more spot left and registration closes TOMORROW (Wednesday) at midnight.
At a minimum, give yourself a break by practicing one of the strategies I share in the 2nd lesson of my Boost Your Performance foundational course: Lower Your Expectations.
Or email me and we can schedule 15 minutes to talk more about what’s going on with you and explore how we can partner together to get your life more in alignment with what you really want for yourself.
Here’s to giving yourself a much-needed break from all the internal pressure you put on yourself and the external pressures from others!
by Erin Owen | Feb 14, 2015 | Ezine
- Catching any negative thoughts or comments you make about yourself and saying: “No! Not today! Today is all about loving myself!”
Looking yourself in the mirror (yes, do this!) and saying: “I know you are doing your best and I love you for all that you are and all that you do!”
- Writing down 3 things you love about yourself (even if one of the items on the list is “the size of my little toe nail”)
- Asking someone you know to give you a compliment. Don’t be embarrassed! Do this and bask in the glow of having someone else shine their light on you!
- Putting your feet up and do nothing (or something you love) for 30 minutes today. Enjoy!
Making a date with yourself to do something nice for yourself: go ahead and put it on your calendar and make it a super special treat. You deserve it!
by Erin Owen | Feb 10, 2015 | Ezine
Recently, I’ve been using a practice I call the “Focus 30” to dramatically increase my focus, productivity, responsiveness, and success. It is the single most important practice I’ve adopted in the past year and you must know about it!
The basic premise of the practice is not at all new. In fact, it’s been around thousands of years in the form of Buddhist-inspired mindfulness.
As I wrote about in the 4th lesson of my Boost Your Performance foundational course (first published in 2013), the strategy of doing just one thing at a time “is the antithesis of multi-tasking and goes against every technological development in our modern way of living and working.”
Yet, this simple practice results in you being “much more productive and effective and successful in your endeavors,” along with feeling “less scattered, more centered and calm, more joyful, and reconnected with your purpose and your passions.” Wow, that’s one powerful practice!
In 2014, when I discovered the blog Zen Habits, written by Leo Babauta, I became a huge fan of his complementary thinking and approach. At the time I also purchased his e-book Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction, which offers numerous behavioral technologies and suggestions on apps & software programs that can be used to help focus and be more productive amidst the myriad distractions in our modern work world.
More recently, I was reminded of the importance of time-bounding specific activities for better focus. If you’ve learned from me about using time blocks for creating a template schedule, you know I’m a huge fan of using blocks of time to your advantage. But, when my long-term friend and colleague Mela Stevens taught me her 30-minute approach in her DeJunking course (which I’m taking as part of the longer Quantum Coaching certification program), it radically improved my way of working on a project!
This practice, which I call the “Focus 30” practice, is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT NEW PRACTICE I’VE ADOPTED IN THE PAST YEAR. I’ve used it to clear out a kitchen junk drawer, eliminate distractions so I can truly enjoy playing with toys on the floor with my 4-year old, to finish writing pieces of my soon-to-be-released new book, type-up notes from my 1:1 client retreat days, write and send off a client proposal, blow through a stack of mail and bills, update financial information for my accountant, and much much more.
TANGIBLE, TIME-SAVING, STRESS-RELIEVING BENEFITS
I am not in any way exaggerating when I tell you that this “Focus 30” practice has:
- Increased my mental focus up to 400%
- Boosted my same-day productivity up to 1000%
- Improved my turn-around time on client deliverables up to 200%
- Eliminated 3-4 hours of less efficient distracted time each week
- Reduced my list of “loose ends” (items I’ve not yet finished) by 25%
- Improved my satisfaction with work activities
- Reduced my stress level
- Boosted my self-confidence
- Solidified the boundaries I’ve created between work and the rest of my life
- Supported me in feeling more centered and calm
And more! I’ve been sharing this practice with some of my private coaching clients and they too have been seeing incredible results.
The “FOCUS 30” Practice
The What
Set aside a block of 30 minutes of time to improve your focus, increase your productivity, save time, and increase your satisfaction.
The How – Follow these steps for greatest success.
- Identify what you will focus on for 30 minutes. If it is a larger project that you know will take more than 30 minutes, no problem: identify the first slice (or even sliver) of the piece of the project you will focus on for 30 minutes.
- Decide when you will begin your 30 minute period of time and block it in your calendar.
- If you know others may want to contact you during that time, let them know you will not be available no matter what until after the 30 minute period is complete.
- When your time period begins, turn off all electronic distractions. Turn your smart phone and tablet to “airplane mode.” Turn OFF or completely close your computer’s email program. Shut down any websites or social media that will send you alerts. Unplug your landline phone, if you have one. Put a sign on the door that you do not want to be disturbed by any interruptions, deliveries, etc. In essence, set yourself up for success by temporarily (it’s only 30 minutes!) creating a fortress of solitude for yourself.
- Set a timer for 30 minutes.
- Begin your work.
- No matter what unrelated ideas or thoughts or next steps or anything occur to you, ignore them and come back to the task at hand. Again, even if you think of the most brilliant idea that is going to make you billions, you ignore it, put it away, and come back to Focus 30 activity. Whatever it is, it can wait 30 minutes.
- When the 30 minutes is complete, acknowledge and celebrate what you’ve accomplished –even if you are not done.
- Then, make an important decision. Will you:
- Dive into another Focus period of time to continue? If yes, for how long? Another 30 minutes? Or, just 10? Or 20?
- Stop for now. If you stop after 30 minutes, document what (if any) next steps you have and when you will move them forward.
- CELEBRATE! You’ve just experienced a “Focus 30” breakthrough! Way to go!
If you feel you would be more likely to utilize this practice by committing to having a 1:1 call with me, send me an email with the subject line “Teach me the Focus 30 practice” and we’ll set-up a free 15-minute call. Think of this call as your own personal “Focus 15”!
Here’s to you getting more out of each minute of the work day so you can better enjoy the rest of your life!
