by Erin Owen | Jan 14, 2013 | Ezine
Recently I’ve been reading how New Year’s Resolutions are a waste of time. Nonsense!
Riding the fresh wave of energy that comes out of the turn of the new calendar year is a super smart way to re-energize your most important goals.
Read on for 3 Quick Tips to help you Show Up the Naysayers and Create a New Year’s Resolution worth Shouting to the World…
1 – Line it up!
Make sure the wording of your New Year’s Resolution AND its supportive actions directly support what you want most in life.
If you don’t really like to eat vegetables, then find another way to get healthier. If you don’t really want to work harder, then resolve to find a way to work smarter. If you’re craving more time with good friends, then don’t create a resolution that has you working out 4 times a week by yourself.
When your thoughts, words, and actions support your vision, you are more likely to get the results you want.
2- Make it ZING!
The words “get in shape” sound so flat and boring. Much different from “Feel sexy, fit, and fabulous everyday so I can boost my energy, attract my perfect mate, and invite into my life even more prosperity.”
“Find more meaning in life” sounds like a great intention, but what exactly does that mean? Try something more specific and inspiring like “Spend two fun hours with good friends at least twice a month and watch at least one inspiring TED talk at least once a week.”
3 – Join a Band!
I don’t actually mean pick up an instrument and join a band, unless that is actually your desire. I mean, don’t go it alone! You’re more likely to be successful if you have someone encouraging you and ideally even doing “it” with you.
Being a member of a band, rather than playing solo, helps build in (1) accountability – so you actually show up at the gym, (2) creative inspiration – you have someone else to bounce ideas off of and also suggest alternatives when you feel stuck, and (3) shared rewards – celebrate by giving virtual and actual high fives and pats on the back.
One woman who I met with by phone for a New Year’s Resolution Strategy Session commented that I really “nailed it” when I helped her clarify and move forward with her goals, and another man commented how “motivating and inspiring” it was to receive my support during this special one-hour coaching session.
I can’t wait to give you my undivided attention and support you with my warm and wise guidance!
There are only two full weeks left in January to schedule your New Year’s Resolution Strategy Session with me. More details here.
by Erin Owen | Dec 31, 2012 | Ezine
One of the best things I’m going to be celebrating tonight for New Year’s Eve, is just how awesome my clients are!
I raise my glass to the following clients* and their accomplishments in 2012:
JANET
She wrote this to me in her holiday card:
“Thanks for all your support over the year and especially this past year that was so difficult for me. You helped me figure out how to deal with my new life situation with my aging mother and you helped me make my dream come true; to be a professor at Penn. It’s going great and I just love it!”
DAN
In spite of an incredibly challenging schedule, he successfully integrated several mindset, breathing, yoga, and meditation practices, resulting in a lower average golf score, finishing his work projects ahead of schedule and under budget, and generally enjoying life more.
MIMI
During our work together, she realized she wanted to sell her business earlier than planned so she could pursue a new career path in her 60s. She identified and groomed a successor, and in her holiday card she shared “I am moving closer to my goals each day and am halfway through my [certification] program.”
KATHERINE
Prior to working with me, Katherine had no new business revenue and was doubting her decision to leave the corporate world and start her own business. Now she is in discussions with one of the largest television networks in the U.S. about doing her own show! An amazing shift in less than a year.
ALAN
On the verge of shutting down the business he had spent 6 years building, he worked with me to clarify the overall vision he had for his life and realized he neither wanted to continue in his business “as is” or go work for someone else. After laying out the terms for what he wanted, and letting go of his fears, he successfully secured a large investor in his business, along with an equity partner to handle all the operational details that caused him stress.
MARVA
Marva had dedicated 25 years of her life to her children’s healthy growth and development, and began working with me to turn much of that energy inward to her own personal evolution. In just 6 months, she cultivated and consistently practiced an inspiring set of platinum practices that resulted in her losing 25 lbs, boosting her mental & physical energy, negotiating a better equity deal in her business partnership and shifting her role to focus more on her passions and strengths, traveling domestically and internationally to places she’d always wanted to visit, and more.
ELLEN
Over the course of our work together, Ellen has consistently impressed me with her ability to fully embrace the ideas of “letting go of the shoulds” and “feel the fear and do it anyway.” Within 10 months, she quit her day job and started her own company, moved her primary residence from the suburbs into the heart of the city, started a new romantic relationship, and started challenging herself in amateur martial arts competitions.
To my dear readers:
Not all of my clients experience such awesome results. There are no guarantees. And there have been some spectacular duds over the past 9 years of coaching private clients. But, this past 18 month stretch has seen some pretty extraordinary shifts among the clients in my practice. I sincerely hope it continues for everyone in my tribe!
Dearest clients:
It is my honor to witness your transformations and to be a part of your path. When you breakthrough to perform at a higher level, I know the benefits you experience have a ripple effect that positively influence us all. Thank you for your trust, your willingness to experiment and try new practices, and for believing in yourself!
And don’t miss out on my New Year’s Resolution Strategy Session special. This is your opportunity to receive my warm & wise guidance and undivided attention for a full hour for just $66. During our time together on the phone, you will create and successfully move forward with your New Year’s Resolution. Sign up now and get started on the right foot in 2013, focused and with a clear path to bring your dream to life.
Only $66 if you Sign-up and Pay by Friday, January 4, 2013
(A savings of more than $70!)
NOTE: All strategy sessions must be scheduled between January 1 and January 31, 2013.
Happy New Year to All!
Erin Owen
Performance Breakthrough Coach
*Note: Some of the names and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect my clients’ privacy – that is, until they decide to shout their excitement to the world and toot their own horn!
by Erin Owen | Dec 3, 2012 | Events, Ezine
Are you living your life more like an Incandescent light bulb?
You know, able to keep up your intense pace, running around the clock, for a month or more before you collapse or burn out and need to call-in sick for a mental health day – or worse, take a stretch of real sick days to recover from the latest bug that’s tackled you to the ground.
Or, are you operating more like a LED bulb?
Moving forward at a steady pace, taking breaks and vacations on a regular basis, nurturing your mind, body, and spirit at work and at home, with need for a longer sabbatical only once every five years or so.
A small group of students who attended The Sustainability Workshop last year designed a business plan to replace traditional incandescent bulbs in the homes of consumers with longer lasting LEDs, at no cost to the homeowner.
This was one of many sustainable/green projects intended to have a positive impact on the community and environment, as well as serve as phenomenal learning experiences for the students.
And in this case, the intended result was to save the homeowner lots of moolah in energy costs and bulb replacement expense, while using less energy and thereby lowering carbon emissions.
(Now, before you all blast me with emails asking for how you can sign up, here’s the update: they just completed a pilot program and are currently analyzing the data from their findings. If you want more details about the Bright Ideas project, click here.)
For the pilot, the students used a sensor on each floor of the homes that replaced old bulbs with the LEDs to assess how many hours a day, and at what times of day, the lights were on.
I have to admit something quite geeky. I’ve been fantasizing about how to create a similar (but slightly more complex) energy-monitoring device that I could wear around.
Ideally, it would measure when I expend energy and in what areas of my life it is used, as well as what gives me energy. Then, I could determine if there’s a balance between “output” and “input” overall, and allow me to determine if the areas of my “output” are in alignment with my vision for how I want to be living and working.
With my private clients, I use a different approach to assessing how their energy aligns with their vision. And I also guide them through a visualization to observe and alter the output of energy into relationships, activities, and more. This work can be quite empowering and I’m always amazed at how quickly my clients experience a positive shift in their energy output, back to a place of more balance.
But, if we had a personal energy-ometer to help with the process, it would be less biased and perhaps even more illuminating. (Pun intended!)
What if You Want to Switch from Incandescent to LED bulbs?
If you plan to actually switch out the lightbulbs in your home from Incandescent to LED, it honestly can be quite expensive. Even though the LED bulbs last up to 60 times longer than Incandescent bulbs and use less than 20% as much energy, the initial cost can be around $30 per bulb. But, combine the long-term cost savings and energy savings, and it’s an investment that makes sense.
What if You Want to Switch Your Lifestyle and Workstyle from Incandescent-like to LED-like?
The good news is making the switch to a LED way of working and living does not have to be so expensive.
In fact, learning how to slow down your body and mind to a more sustainable pace yields tremendous near-term AND long-term benefits in your health, happiness and productivity. And in most cases, the resulting boost in your outlook and performance translates directly into spiritual and financial prosperity.
Yes, there is usually some upfront investment of time, energy, and money, but the payoff begins immediately and builds over time.
If you’re ready to make the switch and know you’ll be more successful by working with me for accountability, knowledge, and guidance, please use the “BREAKTHROUGH” discount code when signing up for your initial phone coaching session with me. You can do the call from anywhere in the world so long as you can access a phone or a Skype connection.
Don’t hesitate if you’re seriously considering working with me: I currently have only 1 spot left for a day-long breakthrough retreat in 2012 and 3 private coaching slots left for my private coaching programs that begin in January– and these fill-up fast with folks starting to think about resolutions and starting off the New Year on the right foot.
Email me if you have any questions, need to schedule a special time to accommodate your schedule or time zone, OR… go ahead and sign-up now to receive my undivided attention in transitioning into the bright new world of LED living and working.
by Erin Owen | Oct 15, 2012 | Ezine, General
When was the last time you had your alignment checked?
No – not your car’s alignment. YOUR alignment.
You probably know when your car needs an alignment:
- The tires are wearing unevenly
- Your car pulls significantly to one side rather than driving relatively straight
- Perhaps the steering wheel even vibrates against your hand when driving
But, what are the 4 signs that YOU need an alignment?
Well, pretty similar.
- You’re feeling the wear and tear physically, emotionally—and often in more than one area of your life
- You feel exhausted from trying so hard—and not seeing the results you desire
- There’s a lot of push back in your life—those key people in your life are complaining about your lack of follow through, not being present enough (physically or emotionally), your poor performance (at work and, dare I say—ahem—maybe even in the bedroom)
- You generally feel as though you’re off-course—you took a wrong turn (or several) somewhere “back there” and you haven’t felt right since
Okay. If you’re still with me, then you have a pretty clear idea if I’m talking about you. So, stick with me and let’s go back to the car analogy for a moment…
What if you wait and see how long you can get away with taking your car in for an alignment?
When you ignore the signs, you end up needing to buy tires sooner—costing you hundreds of dollars. Rather than the $50 or $75 for the alignment itself.
You also put yourself at risk for running either off the road or into oncoming traffic.
And this affects not only you, but other drivers, cyclists who share the road, potentially even pedestrians, and property that you might crash into. Ouch!
No question that translates into a whole long list of physical, emotional, financial and legal troubles.
You and I both know you don’t want any of these pains or expenses in your life. You more than likely don’t have the time, let alone the resources to manage.
Back to YOU now.
What about you? What if you put off a personal and professional alignment?
When you ignore the signs of being out of alignment with what you truly want in your life, you:
- Put your health and well-being at risk from the stress and mental anguish you experience
- Risk losing the opportunity to make your dreams a reality
- You actually start to believe the naysayers and negative self-talk
The longer you wait, the worse things can get.
And this doesn’t just impact you. By you being out of alignment and not generating the kind of results you want in your life and in your work, the fact is you’re also hurting me and all the other people out here.
When you are a mission-driven, conscious individual, the work you do in the world has the potential to positively change the outcomes of peoples’ lives, the health of the planet, and more. Not to mention the colleagues, employees, customers, clients, and others in your network that depend on you.
We need you. The world needs you. The REAL you inside you. (Not the you that is out of alignment, sitting by the roadside, waiting for a tow truck and a lawyer.)
How to know for sure if you’re out of alignment?
Here are some important questions to ask yourself:
- Are you making choices that support what you truly want in your life?
- Are you directing your attention toward what you want more of?
- Are you only saying yes to what supports your vision?
- Are you investing in yourself and spending money in support of your dreams, values and principles?
- Are you spending time with those people who believe in you and support what you truly want for yourself and the world?
- Are you giving yourself permission to shift your priorities and dedicate some time to what makes you happy, rekindles that spark inside of you, and brings more joy to the world?
If you answered NO to two or more of the questions above, then it’s time for an alignment. A personal and professional alignment.
And it just so happens that I’m an alignment specialist. With expertise in change management, business, alternative health and nutrition, Eastern philosophy, and much more. The kinds of things you need for getting yourself on track—or back on track—toward living your life with zest and impact.
I assess your alignment during an initial breakthrough coaching session. (Or a tune-up session, if we’ve worked together in the past.)
And, deep down inside, you know it’s time. For you. And for the planet. We need you.
Here’s how I’ll help you get back in alignment.
You share your background and what’s been going on with you, while I give you my full and undivided attention for 45 minutes. I then share my observations and insights on what is out of alignment. Then, together we lay out the specific steps you need to take to get you back in alignment.
Those next steps might involve things you can do on your own—with or without the support of friends, family, colleagues. Those next steps might involve continuing to receive my support in one of my coaching programs.
Either way, you’ll have the CLARITY and the CONFIDENCE to begin taking SPECIFIC and POSITIVE steps forward to get back on track.
Doesn’t that sound good? If so, use the discount code word “Breakthrough” when you click on this link to make your payment. You’ll then get an email to your In Box with a link to scheduling our coaching session in my online calendar. It’s that simple.
And if you’re inspired to take action NOW, then I encourage you to do so right away. (I only have a few openings left this week before I leave next Tuesday the 23rd for my annual retreat in Bali.) Otherwise, we can do it after I get back.
Here’s a virtual toast to YOU performing at your OPTIMUM level, so you can make an incredibly POSITIVE mark on our world—all while enjoying your life and having a good time doing it. Amen!
by Erin Owen | Oct 9, 2012 | Ezine
First, let me extend a warm welcome to everyone I met at Bracket a few weeks ago and at this past Saturday’s Collingswood Book Festival! So glad to know you and have you as part of my community!
I’ve been hearing from you. Lots of you.
If I had to sum it up, I would say that you are…
- Excited about your future, but anxious about how it will all unfold
- Feeling rich in spirit, but desiring more cash flow
- Exhausted and feeling heavy, and eager to re-kindle your spark and have more energy
- Desiring support to “make it all better”
I want you to be successful, so you can make a positive impact on the world even sooner and in an even bigger way. And I want you to be able to do this with a sense of ease, joy, and steady focus. (Because they lead to better results!)
So, here are some free, portable tips that helped me this past week, easing back into “normal life” after my friend Pat’s funeral and my trip back home. Call them the 3 C’s for Ease, Joy, and Focus!
CLARITY
Sit down and write out what is most important to you in the big picture.
Write on an envelope, the back of a napkin, in a notebook, or journal, anywhere.
This will help you have some perspective, and make it easier to let go of the small stuff.
COMMUNITY
Get thee some support! Don’t go it alone.
Reach out to friends, colleagues, healers, therapists, etc.
More often than not, they too are experiencing similar challenges and welcome the opportunity to connect more deeply with you and support you.
CONNECT
If you’re not spiritual or religious, you probably have your own version of quieting your mind to connect to what’s deep inside you—that place where peace and steady calm reside.
Maybe you run. Maybe you golf.
Maybe you journal, or walk in nature, or play with your dog or kids or grandkids.
If you are spiritual or religious, get back on track with the practices that support your connection to spirit, Source, God, Universe, the Divine. Maybe it’s prayer.
Maybe you practice yoga or meditate. Maybe you do something in service to others.
Cultivate and nourish your connection to the source of your divine spark of life and creativity. Daily, if possible.
SPECIAL OFFER for GROUP INSPIRATION AND SUPPORT
If you’d like to invite me to lead a workshop or talk at your place of work— or even spend an evening with a group of friends in your home (call in a “girls night in” sort of thing!), I’ll share Eastern-inspired practices guaranteed to melt stress, refocus energy, and refuel spirit.
We can even incorporate a book signing for my new book, Recharge, Refuel, and Re-energize: Your Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Time and Energy, or perhaps Reiki attunements for those interested.
I’ll customize the event just for you.
Contact me by email for more details.
NOTE: I leave on October 23 to lead this Fall’s Bali Retreat, and would love to hear from you before then so we can schedule something for the months of November through February. 😎
