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How to accomplish all the things you want

Wow, sitting in the doctor’s office with my 92-year-old Dad has changed what I ask my clients to consider. I ask that they look ahead 30 years and create a plan, working backwards using 10 year increments. Everyone asks what are you going to do in 5 years and there is always a pat answer for that, but we disregard the changes that go on in life. What stage will your life be in 10 years from now: family, work, career and personal development and lifestyle.

Even working through this with experienced clients, no one ever believes they are going to reach 80 or 90. What would it be like to life the fullest life you can imagine? One of the most important parts of this planning is you (your skills and loves). Another part is thinking about lives of those around you: ages of children, stage of your careers, etc. Looking at things this way changes your sense of urgency about parts of your life and identifying your real priorities.

  1. Grab a notebook or open a document and look at your life in 10 year increments for the next 30 years.
  2. Ask yourself what you will have done over the previous 10 years. Often people tell me that they want to learn an instrument, double the size of their business, reduce stress, spend more time with family, have more friends, make a job change, etc.
  3. Ask yourself (and your partner or spouse) questions like:
    • Where do I/we want to live?
    • How old will my/our children be?
    • How old will I/we be at the juncture of those decades?
    • What life style do I/we want?
  4. Document the activities and events that are going to occur one decade at a time. This will show you how much you want to accomplish.
  5. Take a step back and sleep on it for a couple of weeks to see if you have included all of your goals for each decade.
  6. Your projections and goals might include subjects like family life, hobbies, profession, community, activities, etc.

If you would like to continue the conversation and design your ideal life, text or call 8048695403. Or request a consultation https://www.organicblueprints.com/contact-us/

Thank you for reading this and enjoy your day!

Design Your Life

Design Your Life: Getting Intentional

 

Creating changes so that you’re living your most authentic life.

Intentionally Designing Your Life

As we approach the end of February and head into March, getting further away from the New Year’s resolutions, now is a great time to reflect on personal, professional, and business goals, ensuring that you are remaining intentional about life choices and where you place your time and energy. Are you living the life you want? Is your family living a life that reflects your values and priorities? And if you want to make changes, how do you get from point A to point B? Get intentional and implement changes to design your life.

Throw Out Your Preconceived Notions!

In business, career, and life coaching, you are often asked to define your ideal day. What does your ideal life looks like? Often times answering these questions can mean throwing out preconceived notions of what your life “should” look like and digging deep to gain clarity about what you truly want. Designing your life is about identifying your values and priorities.

Doing this type of honest reflective work can mean tweaking every day habits or developing new behaviors and mindsets. Designing your life and gaining clarity on what you truly want can mean identifying steps to implement major changes like switching careers, moving to a new city, or restructuring your business. These changes may be personal changes that you implement on a individual level or it could involve implementing changes with your business partner, spouse, or family.

Designing your life is ultimately identifying what your best life looks like, what you value, and then making sure your choices lead you towards that life.

If you’re interested in working with me to guide you through designing your ideal life, text or call 804-869-5403  or request a consultation. I offer mapping and strategy sessions to individuals and couples who are looking to gain clarity and design their lives. I also offer business coaching, executive coaching, career coaching, and life coaching. As your intuitive guide, creative inquirer, and thought clarifier, I’m the coach most likely to “get you.” Fast.
Your referrals are always welcome.

Decision Making Strategies

Elon Musk. Bill Gates. Warren Buffet. What do these men and others like them have in common? Besides being very wealthy and brilliant businessmen, they all use strategies that help them make decisions and minimize risk. I don’t suggest that you try to design the next rocket or electric car, but I do have several suggestions for strategies that can help you make decisions in your daily life.

Make the most significant decisions early in the day when you have the energy, mental stamina and focus.

These are the decisions you subconsciously avoid. If you do not take the time to look at the decisions in the morning when your willpower is the strongest, you may not make them at all. As Mark Twain famously said, Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

Avoid allowing small nagging choices to surreptitiously drain your mental stamina.

For instance, breakfast, lunch or dinner choices and other trivial decisions that we make every day take away most of our time. Delegate these decisions or make them less important and time-consuming. Once these decisions are taken care of, you will discover that your reservoir of making great decisions will last longer throughout the day.

Widen your information base when faced with a critical decision.

Things get easier when you ask the right questions. Use all resources at your disposal to get more information — friends, the Internet, experts in your field, etc.

Research your presumptions.

You live in a world of information-overload. Go online or talk to people around you to see what worked for them in similar situations.

Acquire some distance to gain perspective.

It is the oldest trick out there – detach yourself from the emotions of the moment.  A great time to put it on the back burner is night and a wonderful time to think about the decisions or questions is first thing in the morning before anyone else is up!  Clarity will come!

Test, Test, Test.  

If you are making involved life or business changing decisions, be sure to test them.  For example, if you are thinking of going with a new technology, spend several days working with it on a site that already uses it (if you pay them for that kind of time, it may save you many thousands of dollars).  Or if you are considering living in the country, rent a place and stay for two months.  It will save you lots of mistakes.  Using this over and over in both your business and personal life is a way to save time and money. Always prepare to be wrong. You have made mistakes (and you will continue to make mistakes). That is the only way to gain perspective.

Once you begin to use one or more of these strategies for better decision making and need help, please call me <<804-288-0099>> or email me <<carroll.schuller@organicblueprints.com>>. I’ll be glad to work with you for a more effective plan to accomplish your dreams or next step.  It may not be the next SpaceX, but we can try to get you heading in your next best direction.

Great Careers Are Grown

Building a great career goes beyond earning seven digits a month or achieving job satisfaction. A great career is not limited to specific industries or businesses. It is a product of various elements, including your satisfaction, success and motivation, fulfillment of needs and achieving of your dreams.

So, what creates a great career for someone? It’s passion! Larry Smith, economics professor at the University of Waterloo, compiled his 35-years of career counseling in a 15-minute TED Talk session, which was based on the idea of being passionate about your job. According to Professor Smith, passion is the driving force behind building great careers and the backbone of your inspiration, motivation and innovation.

One challenge that could potentially derail a career that is backed by passion is a lack of communication skills. Consider the president of a company, staring at a wall during an important business meeting because he/she lacks appropriate communication skills.

You need communication skills to:

  • Express yourself to others
  • Sell yourself in the competitive market

Finding Your Passion

While passion is your strongest driving force, it is also the hardest to find. The difference between passion and desire is similar to the difference between love and a crush. You may want to enter an already thriving industry, but the desire to outdo others can be lost after some time, while passion for something does not fade away as easily.

Passion is the energy that keeps you up and working on the weekend. You can be passionate about anything – from simply making money to building an empire and making a name for yourself.

Things You Must Know During Your Student Years

Today, many students may be more concerned about getting higher paying jobs as opposed to building a great career for themselves. Hence, it is important to note a few things:

  • No subject in your school is useless. Subjects that may seem to be useless during schools actually serve to enhance your critical thinking skills.
  • Work during vacations. Find internships. Hunt for jobs that offer exposure in your field and not just money.
  • Learn as much as you can from people around you.
  • If at any stage, you feel that you are losing interest in a specific job, then it is better to switch to another job.
  • Just like you cannot skip to advanced classes without learning the basics, you cannot reach the top in your selected career without starting from the bottom and working your way up slowly. Always remember that smooth transitions are essential for safer landings.
  • It is important to learn from your mistakes and keep moving.

Some people identify their passions and build great careers, even before finishing college. Take the example of Mark Zuckerberg, the great Facebook founder. He found a passion and stuck to it. It can take decades to build a great career.

 

Now that you have the roadmap to building a great career, all you need is to stay focused and motivated!  If you need help in developing one or do not know where to begin, please give me a call at (804) 288-0099 or email me at carroll.schuller@organicblueprints.com, and I will work with you to develop your roadmap and journey with you in accomplishing your goals.

 

 

family on vacation

We Are in the Middle of Summer and Renewal–Warm Up to It Before It Is Over!

The warmth of summer is all you need to rejuvenate your spirit, family bond and business activities. Without digging further into the reasons, let’s have a look at how you can actually warm up this summer!

Switch Off and Go for a Staycation

Often hard to think of what would change the way you feel about the day-to-day humdrum of life with very little to experience or learn beyond the obvious. You may have tried stargazing and ended up gazing at the screen of your phone?  Nothing new! All of us have become so attached to these screens that we may be spending less time with our family and friends. I often feel so guilty when I take a break from technology and feel like I am going to let someone down. I even feel as though I will not work hard enough. Consider a few ways you might spend more time with your loved ones this summer. I am sure you will be able to think of many more!

Switch off all your electronic devices and head to the nearest grassy plateau. Prepare grills and cook smoked pork ribs with corn. Dance or sing your heart out or play guitar, violin or any other musical instrument you like around a bonfire. Watch the starry night from your camp while sipping frothy coffee. Sleep early to wake up at sunrise without an alarm – don’t worry, the magic in the songs of birds is sure to wake you up.  (If you cannot hear enough birds, try one of the alarm sounds on your phone—birds!)

Readjust Your Routine

Adjust your routine to take out time for a long-awaited activity. Want to meditate? Start doing it! Want to go swimming? Buy a pool membership! Want to go for an evening jog? Want to visit a colleague or a good friend.  Get out of the office.  Just do it! Want to wash away toxins? Start detoxifying your body! Whatever it is you have been meaning to do, don’t wait any longer.

Take Employees on a Boating Trip

Why boating? You will be surprised to know the benefits of taking time out for your employees and business for something as simple as a boating trip! You might have employees who fear venturing into deep waters. Boating might offer them a new experience, bring out their creativity, and boost their morale. Hence, they will be more productive once they are back in the office. For others, the trip will increase employee loyalty as such a trip can make them feel valued. Boating trip is just an example. You can also take your employees on a more adventurous trip, such as skydiving. However, the expense would be definitely bigger and we don’t want to cool down your savings while warming up your business.

Go for a Walk into the Wooded Park

Forests have their own charm! Birds chirping in the trees, walking or running within the woods, reading a book on a bench. Notice the fun the children are having and write one of your siblings or friends a note, text or email about that kind of fun.  It will bring a smile to his/her face.

Clean Up

Yes! Clean up the clutter. Clean your bedroom, lounge, closet, basement, workstation, office library – clean up all the clutter from your life in general. Pick up trash when you are out walking. Sell the pre-loved items in good condition to the thrift store and throw away unusable ones. Reorganize everything and re-paint the walls and doors if needed. Add a bit of creative design in rooms and fix the lights or any malfunctioning taps/leaky pipes. Nothing renews your energy and spirit more than a clean space and organized space.  Take one category at a time!

Volunteer—Either Voluntary Helping or Organized Volunteer Work

Donate rolling carts to churches for the homeless, as they walk many miles a day.  Or just take protein drinks when you are out for the homeless.  Find a neighbor or a friend that needs some help.  Gain a taste of what people need, everyone could use some help.  It helps to understand what people need, that is not an economic or emotional things, it is just a fact all of us need a reason to be helped and a reason to help.  It is what makes us human.

Finding organized places to volunteer is a great option and that is fairly easy to research on line.

With these tips, it’s time to warm up your spirit as well. Smile more, hug more and praise more. Above all, love yourself more!

Enjoy your summer!

 

If you need help with your career and moving to the next level, let me know. I’ll be glad to help you. Email me at carroll.schuller@organicblueprints. com.

 

 

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The Science of Meditation and What and How It Helps

Meditate: Focus one’s mind for a period of time in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation. – OXFORD DICTIONARY

Though meditation has been around for more than 5,000 years, it has only recently found itself under the microscope of intense scientific focus. Scientists have utilized all the tools at their disposal, from EEGs to fMRIs, to unearth the science behind this ancient practice. They have tried to establish how productive it truly is in relation to the human mind and body.

As per the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, meditation can reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and physical pain. Moreover, according to the meditation teacher Shinzen Young, if you devote a few minutes every day to meditation, you can double your lifespan. Other scientists have discovered links between meditation and strengthened memory, lowered blood pressure, improved focus, reduced fatigue and regulated emotions.

This is just the foundation. An eight-week-long Harvard Medical School study found transformations in the brain volume of a group of people who learned meditation. The study concluded that meditation could really transmute your brain.

Apparently, meditation looks like an easy-to-do activity. People think that all you have to do is to clear your mind to think about nothing at all. Meditation is not merely breathing in and out for a couple of minutes. To reach a meditative state, you need to do much more. Truly clearing your mind is far easier said than done.

        See the following resources:

    There’s A New Way to Use Meditation to Reshape Your Brain
    Sacred Acoustics
    Free Mindful Apps Worthy of Your Attention

PROPRIOCEPTIVE INPUT

Scientists believe that grounding your body through proprioceptive input when making an effort to attain a meditative state is helpful. The field study shows that this type of pressure assists in increasing the serotonin production, while reducing the cortisol levels, keeping a check on your heart rate and blood pressure.

Majority of occupational therapists accept that proprioceptive input is good for any and every individual as it can be very soothing and calming. The stress-free physical state resulting from proprioceptive input makes it convenient to reach a mental state that is ready to meditate, and one of the most tested ways to get this proprioceptive input is to use a gravity blanket. The end of following article mentions weighted blanket (gravity blanket) for meditation. See also https://futurism.com/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-reduces-stress-and-literally-changes-your-brain/.

A GRAVITY BLANKET IS GOOD FOR THE MIND AND BODY

The gravity blanket is stuffed with poly pellets in an equally spread grid pattern that is created to be about 10 percent of your body weight. This additional weight enables the gravity blanket to push targeted pressure to several pressure points across your body to minimize cortisol levels and intensify serotonin production. Furthermore, it improves your mood and stimulates healthy sleep patterns at the same time.
By helping you quickly attain a state of peaceful relaxation, gravity blankets make it convenient for you to take advantage of every moment of meditation before you go back to the hustle and bustle of life.

If you would be interested in being part of an online, meditation group from the comfort of your own home beginning in the fall, please let me know. Email me carroll.schuller@organicblueprints.com for more information.