Michele Woodward

Powerful Coaching. Powerful Results.

doing what you love

Drive For Show

By Leave a Comment

 

If you hang around a golf course or a golfer, you’re bound to hear the phrase:

“Drive for show, putt for dough.”

The drive – the big swing a the start of the hole – takes a lot of muscle.Your core is engaged, your legs need to work, your arms and shoulders rotate fully. It’s a really big movement. Watch this video of golf great Ben Hogan discussing the basics of a swing.

It’s big. It’s muscular. It’s showy.

A lot of people spend a ton of time practicing their drive. Hey, there might be people watching that shot. There might be a chance the audience will applaud, or at least say, “wow” under their breath at that magnificent, powerful, arcing ball flight.

Ah, the prospect of adulation. Extremely compelling for so many of us.

Yet, a big, muscular, showy drive has very little to do with a great golf score.

Because the real place to score is on the green, when you putt.

In a typical par four hole, the idea is that you hit a good drive, make a decent approach shot, and then you have two putts on the green to get in the hole.  If you’re a good putter, you might sink it in one stroke, giving you a birdie – which is a great score. A series of birdies and you win the tournament, or at least a couple of bucks from your buddies.

That’s the reason people say, “Drive for show, putt for dough.”

A putt is the opposite of a drive. Rather than big movements, a great putt is minimal movement, controlled, small. Repeatable.  Watch Tiger Woods putt and you’ll see what I mean.

So, it’s big and showy vs. smaller and purposeful.

And now you know why I’m writing this blog, even if you don’t play golf.

The big, showy effort is so fulfilling, yet it’s often the small, focused, repetitive stuff that pays off.

You know this.

So, if you’re burned out, you may want to do the big swing by quitting in a huff, but you might just want to putt it. Do some small, repetitive steps – like leaving on time. Like tending to your self care. Like having a life outside the office. Like saying no sometimes. Like making time to connect with people who can help you find a new job.

If you’re stuck, putt it.  Test and try in tiny chunks, and see what feels better than whatever you’ve got right now.

If you want to grow, putt it.  Read a book. Take a class. Get a mentor.

Practice, practice, practice.

Think small.

Because if you really want to win the dough, you become a great putter.

 

The Unstuck Process

By Leave a Comment

 

 

I’d say there’s a process.

Maybe the first step is realizing something’s not working.

Some folks stop right there, thinking that they don’t have enough power, energy and oomph to change things.

These are my people.

The second step is entertaining ideas that just might solve the problem.

And folks stop here, too, mostly thinking of ways to eliminate options rather than grow them.

These are my people.

The third step is implementing the idea or ideas that have a chance of working.

Believe me – folks stop here.  Dead stop. Terrified.

Because sometimes it’s a slog and it’s hard and the odds of success look like 125,000,000 to 1, and why not stop already?

I love these people.

And then there’s the fourth step.

Boy, this step is great.

It’s where people look up in wide-eyed wonder and say, “Wow.  It worked.”

That’s the kind of people you can be.

I have a new process to help people get through the first three steps.  The fourth step?  Kinda takes care of itself.

From everything I’ve learned over the years, plus some new research and ideas, I’ve developed 20 powerful questions which take 30 minutes to answer.

Yes, it’s an extremely efficient process.

And you end up identifying one thing – one – that is keeping you stuck.  One thing you can do just a little bit differently, and unlock your time and energy so you can move on to the place you want to be.

Will it work?

Well, what if I told you that if you keep going the way you’re going now, that in two years all you’d have to show for your effort is more of the same?

More stuck.

More misery.

More pain.

More bleah.

If that sounds fantastic to you, then this process is not for you.

But, if the prospect of two more years of what you’ve got right now makes you feel nauseous, then let me give you hope.

I’ve tested this process on myself and on several clients.  One said, “I felt refreshed and uplifted. It’s like this tool shifted my perception to a different part of my brain.”  Another said, “And up until our call yesterday, and that beautiful question about what would it be like if you were in the same place two years from now…  I don’t know that I would have been able to put the puzzle pieces together.  I don’t know that I would have been able to consider other possibilities other than the brick wall that I seem to keep running into when I think about the topic.”

Another?  “I also liked some of your questions about what we want to future to look like, in positive words, how would we feel if three years from now we were still in this same position; and what has to change/what is in the way of making this happen? Michele, thank you so much for helping me move forward with my business. I can’t tell you enough how you have helped me break through barriers and given me hope for a better future.”

So, step one – let’s take it on. You up for it?

You know, I rarely try to sell you anything.  But this process? It’s something else.  And I think you will really benefit.  Or I wouldn’t offer it to you.

I’m doing a special offer for November – give me 30 minutes and get unstuck.

Go here to schedule your phone appointment:  Calendar.

And pay $100 by clicking on this link:  PayPal.

Because you?  You’re my kind of people. And all I want for you is to be saying, “Wow.  Wow. Wow.”

 

Start Something New

By Leave a Comment

 

It’s time.

Today.

Right now.

It’s time to start something new.

If for no other reason than because it’s September.

And since your school days, September has always meant a fresh start.

A new box of pencils and a Big Chief tablet.  A killer pair of jeans and a fierce haircut.  The prospect of anything-could-happen adventures.

Oh, I just love me some September.

And how about you? I know you have that thing you’ve been thinking about.  You’ve been mulling it over all summer.  Ruminating, even. And you’ve been wondering how and when to get started.

Hey, there’s no more perfect time to start something new than September.

[You’ve known that to be true since you were six, haven’t you?]

So let’s get going.

Start by dreaming and visualizing what it’s going to be like when that thing you want is done, finished and in place. Feel that feeling. Claim it. Own it.

Then, break it down.  What needs doing until what you want is completely done?

What’s the first thing? Go ahead – do that little thing.

Then do the second thing you need to do to get it all done.

Do the next thing.  And the thing after that.

Feel what you’re doing as you’re doing it. Claim it. Own it.

And, thing by thing, you will welcome growth, learning and achievement into your life.

You can get that new job.

You can start walking more.

You can have that hard conversation.

You can choose vegetables more often.

You can finally decide.

You can be centered, calm and peaceful.

It’s totally doable.

How do I know?  Simple – it’s doable because it’s September.

The Month of Something New.

 

Get What You Want

By Leave a Comment

You should get what you want.

This is a fundamental belief of mine. Oh, I shared What I Believe with you last June, and What I Want For You in January, but I don’t think I was as clear and as simple as I want to be today.

You should get what you want.

But first, you’ve got to know what it is you really want.

Not what Aunt Tilly (as dear as she is) wants for you, or what your best friend Billy wants for you, or what your mama or your daddy or your wife or your husband or your kid or your therapist or your coach… none of what these people “want” for you is as important as what you want for you.

And that can take some uncovering. May I share some of my own work around this?

People have told me that I should be more famous. That I should do guest posts around the world wide web, and that I should speak at chichi, in-crowd venues, and that I should hire a publicist. And on its face, that’s an ego-boosting idea, isn’t it? I mean, to be so well-known that people stop me in the market for autographs? Eye me appreciatively as I enter the restaurant? Clamor for my attention? Buy so many of my books that I can loaf away the rest of my life on a desert island with a cabana boy named Curtis?

Oh, I tried. [never got to the Curtis part, honestly.] I tried to play the game the way well-meaning people suggested. Gave me the heebie-jeebies, to tell you the truth. Because what I really, really, really value is being able to do the work that I do. I’d rather be on the phone with you figuring out how to grow your career than stand in front of a thousand people delivering a speech. And if because of time and energy I can only do one of those things, I pick you.

And by picking you, I get what I want – the chance to do my work. And when I do my work, I am happy. And when I’m happy, I attract more clients which allows me to do more of my work, and make more money. Which makes me happy in a way intentional fame likely couldn’t.

See how neatly that works?

Society tells us, frequently, that the key to success is to be skinny, sexy and, apparently, a heavy drinker with a fake tan. [But maybe I watch too much Snooki, and listen to too much pop music.]

But the key to success – really – is to be yourself. Fully. However it is you need to be.

And you owe it to yourself to figure out what that is.

So, take some time to ask:

– What does healthy look like, to me?

– What does happy look like, to me?

– What does fun look like, to me?

– What does financially solid look like, to me?

– Where am I most engaged and involved?

– How can I do the things that lift me up, every single day?

Then listen to the answers.

Because they’re yours. And very valuable. Priceless, even.

You can get what you want. It’s right here for you.

All you have to do is get yourself clear. And then? Go get what you know you really want.

[photo credit: Michele Woodward]

What I Want For You

By Leave a Comment

Life is all about the cupcakes.

I want you to maximize your potential.

You’re always at your best when you center in your strengths and focus on your true priorities.

When you know your values and serve them daily.

When you accept who you are and get to the place of self-respect and self-love.

When you live the life you were meant to live.

I want you to be able to make your career work for you, rather than the other way around.

You can be yourself and succeed.

There are no “shoulds”, only choices.

You are the best expert on you – not your boss, not your co-workers, not anyone else. You.

Stress can be a motivator, but too much of it saps your energy and makes you sick.  Workplace drama masquerading as “stress” is pointless.

You have the capacity to design a life that’s right for you.  On all counts.

I want you to be supremely clear.

So you can make the best possible decisions for yourself.

Without getting stuck.

Or hung up.

Because good decisions beget more good decisions. And I want more good in your life.

But most of all, I want you to be happy.  I want you to wake up ready to engage with the day.  To have that energetic kind of enthusiasm that makes work feel effortless.  To enjoy what you’re doing so much that you lose track of time. To go to bed feeling fulfilled, connected and satisfied.  To have fun.

I want all of this for you.

And that’s why I do what I do.

Thanks for letting me.

Go Ask Alice

By 3 Comments

Alice Sommer Herz

From time to time, it’s important to ask yourself why you do what it is you do. Why go to the office? Why practice medicine? Or law? Why teach? Why sell? Why provide that service you provide? Why construct an ad campaign or marketing strategy for your clients?

Do you know why you do it?

And how to explain what it is you do? [At one point of my corporate career, my child described my work as: “Mommy talks on the phone and has lunch with people.” Hey, it’s nice work if you can get it.]

I’ve been thinking about “Why” a lot recently as I revamp my website and create a business plan for the coming year. What is it I’m really trying to do with this coaching work of mine?

Then, on Saturday, I saw an amazing, astounding, powerful, touching, inspiring video on YouTube. It’s about Alice Sommer Herz who will turn 107 years old in November, 2010.  That’s amazing, isn’t it?

She’s also a musician – quite a good one, having performed as a concert pianist throughout her life.  At 106, she’s still playing everyday.  Astounding, right?

She’s also the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world.

Watch the video now.  I’ll be right here, waiting for you.

That was something, wasn’t it?

Her hope, her optimism, her sense of humor. Inspiring.

“Every day, life is beautiful,” says Alice. Even the day she was arrested. Even when she was in the camp. Even in the most challenging of times.

She not only survived – she thrived.

And for the six-plus decades since the camp, she’s lived. Fully. Well. Present in this moment. She greets each day as a delightful gift, “aware of the beauty of life.”

About the fourth time I watched this film, I realized why I do what I do. My work as a coach is designed to help you become like Alice.

Happy. Joyful. Clear. Present.

Even at work.

Even when you’re challenged.

Even when it things are so bad it seems like the world has stopped spinning.

I want to teach you how to recognize when you are at your best – your equivalent of Chopin’s Etudes – and help you center your life there.  And focus on doing that best thing every single day.

Because when you do, you can happily weather any storm. And live a life well-lived. Just like Alice.

No soy una “Superwoman”

By Leave a Comment

Parece haber muchas mujeres que intentan convencerse a sí mismas y a los demás de que son perfectas. El pelo perfectamente peinado, teñido y rizado. El cuerpo atlético y en forma. La ropa a la última, sexy y con estilo. Los niños obedientes, con un correcto comportamiento y las mejores notas en todo. El marido atractivo, rico, atento.

Creen que necesitan ser Superwoman. Quieren de todo con tal de ser perfectas.

Pero yo sé lo que les pasa por dentro.

Mientras están luchando por ser perfectas, sienten algún pero. La vida es una serie de experiencias donde ellas no son bastante, y lo más posible es que no puedan hacer bastante. Miran a las mujeres a su alrededor y se sienten inferiores, y tratan de ocultar que están totalmente agobiadas tratando de estar al nivel. Aprietan los dientes y sonríen a través del estrés de las expectativas de una Superwoman.

Como soy orientadora personal, la gente suele creer que yo llevo esa vida perfecta. Ayer, estaba en una tienda donde venden mi libro “Pierde peso, encuentra el amor, reordena tu vida y ahorra dinero: Ensayos para vivir más feliz”, y el encargado me dijo, inclinando su nariz aquilina hacia mí:
– ¿Usted vive lo que escribe?

Yo le sonreí con dulzura y contesté:
– Absolutamente

Y lo hago. Pero deja que te diga unas cositas que harán que mañana sea un poco más fácil para todas las que quieren ser superwoman:

Yo no soy superwoman. Ni estoy cerca.

A veces, lo único que me preocupa de mi ropa es: ¿Llevo todo limpio?

Mi casa por lo general siempre necesita que se pase la aspiradora.

Se sabe que suelo sacar a los niños a comer fuera.

Me olvido muchas veces de devolver llamadas, y soy terrible para recordar cumpleaños.

Planifico mi calendario siempre de más.

Soy divorciada.

No, no soy superwoman. Y estoy realmente contenta de no serlo. Porque lo que soy es 100% Michele. Tengo cuatro prioridades, y si puedo lidiar con ellas todos los días, estoy haciendo un magnífico trabajo. ¿Queréis saber cuáles son? Estar en cuerpo y alma con mis hijos y con cualquiera con quien esté. Cuidar mi salud física, financiera, emocional y espiritual. Aprender. Orientar.

Y eso es todo. El pelo, las uñas, el maquillaje, los zapatos…. Si llego, bien.

O sea, soy una chica imperfecta, y me encanta 100% mi perfecta vida imperfecta.

Si estás luchando por hacer lo correcto, por ser perfecta, por tenerlo todo, deja que te haga una pregunta: ¿Puedes llegar al punto de dejar de intentar ser una mítica superwoman, y encontrar el punto donde seas una verdadera chica imperfecta, auténticamente tú, feliz con lo que tienes, sintiéndote bien en tu piel, atendiendo a tus propias prioridades? Vamos, inténtalo. Todo lo que puedes perder será estrés. Todo lo que puedes ganar es a ti misma. Y para mí estará perfectamente Ok si no lo haces a la perfección.

What I Believe

By 10 Comments


I believe work can be fulfilling.

I believe you can thrive in your career.

I believe now is the perfect time to start your own business.

I believe that risk of authenticity is worth it.

I believe that leaders who replicate their own dysfunctional family dynamic are the biggest threat to a workplace.

I believe in speaking up.

I believe that change is a constant.

I believe that fear is crippling.

I believe that there’s no such thing as “perfect”.

I believe that someone right out of jail without a high school diploma can be a great employee.

I believe that someone with an MBA can be a great employee.

I believe that all great employees need a mentor.

I believe that the simplest solution is the best solution.

I believe that people are generally good, and want to help others.

I believe you never really lose when you make a mistake – you get to learn.

I believe most companies don’t really know how to compensate or incentivize their employees.

I believe some great leaders are born, and some great leaders learn.

I believe that workplaces can become better places.

And that’s why I do what I do.

And you?  What do you believe?