Michele Woodward

Powerful Coaching. Powerful Results.

planning

I Was Just Going To Ask You The Same Question

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You probably know that I’m not about making New Year’s Resolutions. They can be forced and unsticky and, therefore, fall by the wayside before February even starts.

I am, as you also probably know, more of a planner. So last week I sat myself down with my Personal Planning Tool – yes, I created it and I actually use it! – and the stuff that came up for me was really helpful.

The Tool is designed to get to a few action steps which you can easily do. For me, they were :

  • Look at client list for 2018 and chronicle successes
  • Create a spreadsheet tracking business revenues for the last four years
  • Create a revenue forecast for the first six months of 2019
  • Create three workouts I can use at the gym; schedule gym time

I’m proud to say that I knocked these things out in the lull week between holidays and I’m feeling rather smug about myself.

The Tool also gave me the ability to clearly see my priorities for 2019, and that’s where you come in. It’s clear that I want to step it up in the coming year. I want to be in the position a year from now to say that my work made a difference. So let me tell you about what I have planned.

I have executive coaching programs for individuals as well as organizations. One of the happiest things I’ve done in my coaching career is to partner with organizationswho want to really support their leaders. I coach people, facilitate learning and change – and it’s the thing I love doing.

With individuals, you can work with me in three, six or twelve month programs. I have space for one person in my unlimited coaching program, so let me know if that person is you.

In 2018, folks in my unlimited program negotiated better deals, dealt with office politics and stress, learned new skills and basically had more fun in their work. It was also pretty fulfilling for me to fully partner with them and not worry how many hours we were using.

That was wonderful. I love these people and look forward to working with them again in 2019.

My lower-cost program, The Club, is terrific but full at the moment. You can email to get on the waiting list if you’d like.

I have some groups this year, too. For men, I’m doing a new program this year. Did you know that the number one thing which gets people promoted and creates more success is social/emotional intelligence? I work with a lot of men clients and this is an area which – once guys get a sense of the rules and how it all works – gets results quickly. You can find more information here: Emotional Intelligence for Men

For coaches, I have my Circle of 12 mentored mastermind program starting up on January 8th. There are eleven people committed, so if you’re looking for a close community of like-minded peers who have good practices that need to move to great practices – think about joining us.

Also for coaches, I have my Executive Coach Mentoring program beginning in March. This one is designed for people focusing on working with organizational clients. We’ll learn about best practices, client acquisition and tools to support your business. It’s great, if I do say so myself.

And, for coaches who are on Facebook, I continue to moderate The Business of Coaching group which has been serving the coaching community since 2012. We have 1200 coaches from all around the world who participate in thoughtful and supportive conversations about our work. If you’d like to join this “secret group”, please let me know.

Finally, I recently was on a panel with an executive recruiter and an executive communicator, talking with a group about personal branding, career progression, leadership, mentoring, speaking and a host of other matters. We took questions, so, believe me – we ran the gamut! It was a delight, and I am looking forward to working with these two in other venues. Maybe your venue?

So, yeah, maybe this year will be ambitious. But I am planning for it to be the right kind of hustle – you know what I mean. Engaging, fun, feeding my curiosity, connected and connecting. I get sort of giddy thinking about it.

How about you? What’s on your dancecard for the coming year? Where are you going to have the impact only you can have?

I am all ears, sugar. 

Who’d Like A Little Homework?

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It’s that time of year. That time when we draw one year to a close and prepare for a new one.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I get to December 10th and ask myself whether I accomplished anything at all in the entire year. I’m so focused on the here and now that I’ve forgotten what, oh, February of last year was really like. (I think it was cold. And I think I got my knee replaced…?) But real accomplishments? They are all distant, fuzzy memories at best.

Have you ever noticed that we tend to discount the things that come easiest to us? As if some measure of struggle is required to make anything we’ve done “worth it”.

Last week I did a little exercise with myself and I invite you to join me in this wee bit of homework –  just 10 steps – because once I completed this process myself, I felt a lot more accomplished. And also rather awesome, in a total Ron Burgundy kinda way.

Step 1: Grab yourself some paper and a pencil. Or pen. Or colorful marker. Really, don’t get hung up on what you’re writing with. It’s a distraction. What was I saying? Oh, yeah…

Step 2: Optional beverage of your choice.

Step 3: Flip your calendar to January 1, 2018.

NOTE: “Flip” may be a euphemism for clicking on a back arrow until you get to January 2018. Access your calendar however you keep a calendar. And if you don’t keep a calendar, then you have no homework. Have a lovely day!

Step 4: Look at that first week of January, 2018. Anything interesting or unusual? Stuff you forgot? Stuff you forgot you accomplished? Write it down on your paper.

Step 5: Go through every week of the year and make notes.

Step 6: Look at your paper. You got more done than you thought you did, right? Go ahead, say it: “Wow! Look at me!”

Step 7: Replenish your beverage.

Step 8: Look again at your paper. Look at all those things you got done. Now, ask yourself a question:

“What do those accomplishments say about my goals for 2018?”

(I never said this homework was going to be an easy A, y’all.)

Step 9: If you set goals before 2018 started, compare your actual results to the goals you set out to achieve. How did you do? If you had no goals for 2018, it’s likely that some sneaked up on their own when you take a look at your accomplishments. Capture those, and be amazed at the ability of your subconscious to make things happen on your behalf.

Step 10: Now, knowing what you know about 2018, what do you want to do more of in 2019? What do you want to never do again? What do you want more than anything? What’s your dream? What would feel great to accomplish in the coming months? Write that down. Then make a promise to yourself to do one thing each week in 2019 to make that thing happen.

Easy.

Bonus Question: If you fell short or didn’t accomplish what you wanted to accomplish in 2018, what’s one small action you can do today to at least get momentum going in your favor? Even an  eensy-weensy step in the right direction still gets you headed in the right direction. And if you actually accomplished what you set out to do in 2018 (virtual pat on the back to you!), how could you amplify that thing for the coming year? Or build on it? Or solidify it?

Or maybe choose something wholly new? Think about the possibilities!

You have this one life, this one moment in time. Don’t wait. Don’t put off your hopes and dreams and fondest desires.

You have the power to make things happen. You’ve done it, and you’re going to do it.

And it’s going to be so gratifying when you get to December 10, 2019, do this exercise again, and say to yourself, “Wow! Look at me!” because you moved – maybe slowly, sure, but you moved – closer and closer to the thing you’ve always wanted to do.

The Thing About Making A Plan

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The first business plan for my coaching practice was written on the back of a placemat while waiting for a lobster in an out-of-the-way shack in Maine. It was 2004, and I was on my way to visit some friends for a little R&R. I started thinking about my business and made a few notes:

– How much money I wanted to make in the next year

– How I would price my services to meet my income goals

– How many clients that meant I needed

– What kind of programs that meant I needed to offer

– What kind of additional training I would need

– How I would talk about my services

While I deconstructed a delicious lobster, I noodled on my plan. And when I removed the very attractive bib from around my neck and paid my check, I had a strong, workable direction for my business.

And I put that one-year plan in my purse and didn’t look at it again for six months.

Surprisingly, though, in that six months, I had done everything on my plan. Ahead of plan.

That’s right – I didn’t obsess, or over-think. I just executed.

Because the mere process of creating the plan – just putting my to-dos top of mind – catalyzed my action.

Now, there are those who detest plans. Maybe because they think plans are too rigid, don’t allow for creativity, aren’t that spontaneous, won’t accommodate serendipity.

[These people tend to – in Myers-Briggs talk – have a strong preference for “Perceiving”, the dear darlings. They value flexibility above all and will do anything in their power to preserve their ability to go with the flow. And I completely get it. That’s why I started this post of with the lobster story – just to show all those P people that planning can be easy. And tasty.]

A great plan, though, is not judged on how many tabs, tables and cross-references it includes.

A great plan is judged on how well it works.

With a plan, you know where to put your energy.

With a plan, you have a direction.

With a plan, you know what to say a whole-hearted “Yes!” to, and what to put in the “When There’s Time” file.

And planning can be easy. Easy-peasy.

Want to do one yourself? OK, take out a placemat-sized piece of paper. [lobster bib always optional.]

Answer these prompts:

– What do you want right now, more than anything?

– What’s your life going to be like when you get what you want? What’s it going to look like?

– Who are you when you’re at your best? What elements are in place? Which of these things already support getting what you want?

– What’s the first thing you need to do?

– Whose help do you need to do it?

– When can you start?

Focus, and put your best effort into these questions. When you’re done, you’ll realize that you have a plan, sugar.

Then fold it up and put it in your pocket.

And I’ll bet you, in six months, you’ve accomplished everything that needs doing.

Bet you a lobster dinner.

 

 

Making A Plan (That Works)

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I woke up this morning in a planning mood. Rather than start from scratch, I decided to look back at a popular post I wrote earlier this year – 7 Questions I Asked Myself – and sit down with some paper and my favorite pen to answer the questions. I thought that you might enjoy taking a look at them, too, so here’s the post in its entirety:

Even coaches need coaching.Large collection of metal bowls full of herbs and spices

Maybe you find that amusing, or even startling. But the truth is: Growth never stops.

I will never, ever be finished understanding, knowing – and surprising – myself. It’s a life’s work.

And, to be honest, sometimes all the options available in our lives are a little overwhelming. How do we decide where to focus, and what to say no to?

To figure that out, a Friday ago I sat down and asked myself some questions which served to focus and streamline my energy. Maybe you can benefit from asking yourself the same questions, too.

1.  What do I no longer want to do? What no longer feels right?

Now, in my case, I made two columns – the left one was affirmative, and listed what I want to keep. The right column was a list of 14 things that no longer feel right, such as “stupid rules”, “my wardrobe” and “eating crap”. Your list might be a wee bit different. Or not.

2. What needs to be cleaned up? Literally, and figuratively?

Again, two columns: Literally and Figuratively. In “Literally”, I put down “hall closet” (tell me – how’s your hall closet, hmmn?), and “garden” – so feel free to identify those niggling areas of your world which physically could stand a good cleaning or de-cluttering. In the “Figurative” realm, I’ll bet you have a couple of areas to address. I know I certainly do.

3. What do I want that I don’t have?

Oh, boy. This is a rich area. Don’t edit yourself here – let your psyche run wild. Your inner knowing will tell you things that may suprise you – such as, “I want support” and suddenly you’ll find yourself looking for a new calendar, a cleaning crew, an assistant, and a pool boy named Paolo (even though you have no pool). It is amazing what comes up.

4. What are my beliefs around (work/love/money/life – whatever you feel is most troublesome in your day)?

This is a huge area that holds people back. We have hard and fast beliefs in the most stuck areas of our lives, and it’s really only those beliefs that hold us back. “Work must be hard”, for example. Or, “all the good ones are taken”. And, “people like us never get ahead”. Writing those beliefs down on paper is a great way to begin to examine them to see if they are at all true. And most of them…aren’t. They’re just in the way of our happiness and success, so collect them, examine them and drop ‘em like they’re hot – so you can get moving toward what you want.

5. How can I be more grateful every day?

Research shows that focusing on what is working and expressing gratitude about it creates a sense of well-being which powerfully impacts health, work and relationships. So I came up with five things I can do daily to be in the gratitude zone: set positive intentions; be mindful and notice good things; say it out loud to someone else or myself; smile; and, thank people. Easy peasy, huh? What will you come up with?

6.  How can I nurture myself better?

Sleep. Feed myself well. Stretch physically and mentally. Learn daily. See doctors as needed. Stand up straight.

That last one there sounds small, but when I stand up straight I feel better. Stronger. Like I’m ready for anything.

So I’m going to try to stand up straight more often, because I like feeling like Wonder Woman. [This is the sole reason I wear bracelets, sugar.]

I had a #7, too.

7. What books need writing?

Now, this may or may not be a question you ask yourself. But asking it in this way instead of “what book can I write that will make me a ton of money?” allows real ideas to come forward. Ideas that will serve people, have an impact and allow you to write a book that’s memorable. And might just make you some money. Of course, I came up with six ideas – you know me. And now it’s time for sifting and shifting, and something great will emerge (notice the positivity? Yay, me! I am already doing #6!).

Now comes the fun part. Having asked myself these questions, and answering them honestly and openly, I came up with a set of to-dos that feel focused, efficient and purposeful.

I have a vision.

A plan.

A purpose.

All from seven little questions.

How are you going to answer them?

 

 

Your 2014 Plan-A-Rama-Thingy

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bigstock-Empty-To-do-List-On-Year----41702308

Are you much of a planner?

Do you think ahead? Ponder? Strategize? Visualize?

Or just let things…flow?

I happen to naturally be more of the former yet over the years have learned to allow some of the latter.

Let me ‘splain.

Here’s what I do: I make a plan. Figure out the building blocks to bring that plan into reality. Get the building blocks in place. Step back and…let go.

Because the nature of the world is that sometimes stuff happens which is even better than my plan. And that’s exactly what I want to happen.

So, this past week I began planning for 2014, using my Personal Planning Tool. Hundreds of you have downloaded it in the last month or so, and I hope you’re having good results. For those who haven’t, now might be a good time to start.

Because – not to freak you out or anything – it’s almost 2014.

And while the Personal Planning Tool takes some time and reflection (it’s not a Cosmo quiz, people), it does yield the kind of action steps I’m particularly fond of.

You know, ones you can actually do.

If you remember my conversation with Harvard’s Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorsen (you can listen here) who wrote the Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, goals need to be specific and you need to be able to know just how far you’ve got to go to get where you want to be.

For me, the Personal Planning Tool did that. It yielded several things I am just not going to worry about next year, and sixteen “things” I do want to pay attention to in 2014. Some are mundane, as in “get an estimate on carpeting” but, boy, will I feel happy when the worn carpets in the bedrooms are finally replaced.

“Feel Happy.” Kind of the point, huh?

Once I get the estimate, I can start figuring out how to swing it financially. Replacing the carpet will stay top-of-mind, and once I accomplish it, I will have bona fide proof that I did something I set out to do.

Which is the kind of awareness that helps us feel capable and competent. And that sense of personal efficacy bleeds over to the rest of our lives.

Kinda like, “Look at me! I got the carpet replaced. Bet I can find a new job, too!”

Two building block tasks coming out of the Personal Planning Tool for me were to do a financial forecast for 2014, and make a list of every client I’ve worked with in 2013. I’m happy to report that both of these things are checked off the list.

<I feel rather smug about that.>

It was actually rather easy to do those two tasks. Once I knew why I wanted to do them, I knocked ’em right off the list. So, see? Your list of Stuff To Do doesn’t have to be a big, bad burden. You don’t have to reduce everything to scratch and start all over.

It can be one-and-done, darlings.

But, oh, done is so very good. “Done” sets you up in a million ways for a great 2014 – a great, flowing, happy, productive, enriching, new carpeting kind of year.

 

No Regrets

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Rearview mirror - edited

You can spend all of your time looking in the rearview mirror concentrating on what’s behind you, lamenting the white lines receding into the past, focused on the things you could have done or should have done or might have done differently.

You can absolutely make that choice.

But all drivers know that when you’re behind the wheel you need to spend most of your time looking forward, conscious of where you are and what might be coming next. Or else you’ll never get where you’re going.

Or, in that moment of over-attention to the past, you could crash.

It’s okay to glance at your mirrors from time to time to check your position relative to the road and to other vehicles. That’s a very important thing to do.

But focus most of your time and attention on moving forward. And let whatever you glimpse in the rearview mirror simply serve as a guidepost for the unfolding and rewarding path you’re taking in this sweet, precious life of yours.

 

 

 

(photo credit: Michele Woodward)

Who Plans For Anything?

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Writing-book

 

Back in October, I sat down with my Personal Planning Tool (yes, even though I wrote it, I do indeed use it).

And after I worked through the entire thing, reflecting on what worked and didn’t work in 2012 and what I’d like to do differently in 2013, I promptly put it in a pile of papers and didn’t look at it until this past week, when I re-discovered it as I was cleaning off my desk.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I reviewed the document and…

In four months, I had accomplished almost all of the things I hoped to do for the entire year.

I was pretty much gobsmacked. Could it really be possible?

Oh, it’s not like I set easy goals for myself, sugar. I stretched. I aimed high. For instance, I threw out what felt like a big number on monthly income, and a big number for increased traffic to my blog.

And I got ’em.

In the Career area I set out five goals, and four of them have happened. I am astonished to say that the fifth one is halfway done. I did both my key action items, too.

Yep, in every area – Career, Finances, Relationships, Health – there’s been surprising progress.

And here’s the kicker – which I am going to admit to you, right here and right now: I haven’t really been paying attention.

I haven’t been obsessing, or checking, or even really focusing. In fact, I’d completely forgotten where I’d put the worksheet.

My goals were only in my consciousness because I had written them down, and given myself permission to go get them.

Which is probably the single most important thing I want you to know today:

The greatest gift you can give yourself is the courage to have goals.

Know your “why” around them.

Invite them into your life.

Write them down.

And then allow your better self to take the steps needed to get those things done.

Perhaps even while you are doing other things (or maybe just think you are), your intentions will be running like a background program, setting up real success in your life.

This week, as I looked over my plan, I was filled with a gratifying sense of accomplishment. I did what I said I would do – which feels like progress – and the reason I’m doing it feels entirely validated.

I’d like you to know that feeling, too.

Thoreau famously said “the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation”, and my guess is that those guys didn’t make a plan and put it away, only to realize later that they had achieved precisely what they set out to achieve.

Personal power, resilience and fulfillment trump desperation every time, darlings. Every time.

Go ahead. Give it a try. You can download the 2013 Personal Planning Tool PDF yourself. I wonder what you will get done in the next few months…while you aren’t even paying attention.

Oh, by the way, the Personal Planning Tool asks for a theme song for 2013. Mine? Steve Miller’s Fly Like An Eagle.

It’s fun to be soaring, baby. Wanna do it together?

 

 

“On My Way.”

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There is a lot of comfort in having a plan.

It’s like:

If I take this step,

Then that step,

And do this thing exactly next,

And if the wind blows right

And the Moon is in the seventh house

And Jupiter aligns with Mars

Then peace will guide the planets,

And I will get what I want.

But somewhere between taking the step and doing the thing, a bunch of stuff can happen.

Your spouse raises those eyebrows and rolls those eyes.

The stock market falls 400 points.

Your boss announces her departure.

The hospital sends you a mystery bill related to the surgery you had three years ago.

Your kid gets accepted into the college of his dreams – an out-of-state private college dream (so much for the in-state land grant university you were secretly hoping for).

And there’s that unopened letter from the IRS sitting on the hall table.

And your plan? You feel like shelving it, or burning it, because it all seems so silly and pointless now that all this other stuff has come up.

But, wait.

That thing you want?  You still want it, right? Or a slightly different version of it?

I bet you do.

Let me suggest that it’s not your vision that’s the problem, it’s the plan.

The plan no longer works, my friend, given the facts of your current circumstances.

Feels like a big deal to dump a plan, I know,  because you invested so much time and attention on it, but… not really. There’s a very simple solution.

Just shift the plan by taking the true facts of your situation into account and ask, “What does this mean for me? How can I be agile? What part of this can I still do?”

Well, here’s an idea: you can still network for that new job – with a goal of connecting with one person a week, rather than the four or five in your original plan.

You can still open a business banking account, get business cards and direct your accountant or lawyer to get your consulting business started.

Even if you are eating hospital cafeteria food rather than home-cooked local produce, you can still put fruits and vegetables on your tray and support your vision of a healthier diet.

There’s always something you can do to support your vision. Some one thing.

It may not look like the grand, sweeping all-in kind of thing you wrote about in your plan, but that’s understandable.

You’ve got a lot going on in your life right now.

And rather than allowing circumstances to swamp your boat and leave you stuck – look at you, Smartacus! – you choose action.

Stacking up step after step after step in the direction of your vision.

Never, ever losing sight that you’re getting there, despite the circumstances that might trip you up.

And when asked, “Hey, how’s that plan of yours going?”, instead of looking down at your shoes and mumbling something about Jupiter and Mars, you happily smile and reply, “I am on my way.”