6 Career and Business To-Do’s For The 1st Of The Month

Christi Hegstad May 1st, 2013

Today we flip the calendar and greet a fresh, new month. How do you kick off this milestone every 30 or so days to ensure it’s fruitful, enjoyable, and intentional? Here are 6 actions you can take at the start of each month to up-level your career or business and stay on course with your goals:

1. Review.

Briefly look over your past month: wins, lessons learned, successes, out-of-the-ordinary activities. Celebrate your victories and take note of actions you won’t repeat.

2. Assess Your Bold Goals.

Check in with those longer-term goals and determine if you need a new, bolder, or restructured course of action. Set your milestones for the month.

3. Establish Sub-Goals and Intentions.

Plan to finish the workbook you’re writing? Make 60 sales calls? Connect with a dozen collaboration partners? Set your sub-goals, keeping them to a reasonable number.

4. Schedule Professional Development.

Each month brings oodles of networking opportunities, classes, webinars, and so forth. Choose which will serve you best then schedule them into your calendar.

5. Update Your Content Calendar.

If you write a blog, publish an e-zine, schedule tweets, or connect with colleagues and clients in other ways, you’ll find the greatest results (and ease) by designing a content calendar to guide you through the year. Review this month’s topics and ideas, then frontload any content you can.

6. Block Time For Treats.

I’m a firm believer in having something on the calendar to look forward to. Block the time now for a massage, an afternoon getaway, or an event that will bring a smile to your face every time you see it on your schedule!

What other first-of-the-month actions do you take? Please share your ideas below!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach Bold Goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

How To Find Balance and Purpose Every Day

Christi Hegstad April 29th, 2013

CLARITY KICKSTART: April 29, 2013

“Life is a constant balancing act, and the bottom line is that I want to walk away from today and every other day with the sense that I knew and fulfilled my purpose.”

~ Angie Smith

Coaching Tip For The Week:

Did you close out yesterday feeling balanced and fulfilled? How about the day before that?

We’ve been given a lot of misconceptions about balance. The fact is, we each need to define “a balanced life” for ourselves. What I consider balance in my life may look like extreme imbalance to you.

But a common denominator for us all is a sense of purpose, of significance, of knowing that what we do each day matters. The fear of insignificance is one of the most rampant fears of our time.

This week, decide each morning one word that you want to describe you throughout that day. Set your intention to be “positive,” “joyful,” “centered,” or whatever word resonates for you that day.

Each evening, review your day and look for examples where you lived that word. You can then celebrate fulfilling your sense of purpose each day, which will bring with it a sense of balance – and significance.

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches professionals to get unstuck and reach Bold Goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to receive your Clarity Kickstart in your in-box every Monday morning? Click here to sign up for free!

5 Books To Shape Your Career or Business

Christi Hegstad April 25th, 2013

Since I’m in the business of professional development, I constantly strive to grow myself and my company in myriad ways: I hire coaches, attend events and speakers, listen to podcasts, consult experts.

And I read. Every day, I read. I am proud that both my librarian and my local independent bookseller call me by name when I enter!

If you want to grow professionally, consider adding one or more of these books to your queue:

The Freedom Formula by Christine Kloser

A beautifully written guide for bringing more consciousness and true wealth into your business. “Know that as you get more clarity about where your time and energy are being spent,” Kloser writes, “you can begin to take control of how you want to purposefully invest your time and energy to achieve your dreams.”

Being Strategic by Erika Andersen

One of the best strategic planning resources I’ve come across, filled with practical strategies and an analogy that carries through the entire book. Andersen’s definition of being strategic: “Consistently making core directional choices that will best move you toward your hoped-for future.”

Quiet by Susan Cain

Whether you crave group work and time in the spotlight or thrive when given time alone in a lab, Quiet will empower you to serve yourself – and, as a leader, your team – much more effectively. To identify your career path or core personal projects, Cain suggests these three steps: “Think back to what you loved to do when you were a child, pay attention to the work you gravitate to, and pay attention to what you envy – you mostly envy those who have what you desire.”

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

I love it when someone in a completely different field can share wisdom that applies to other realms, and Tharp’s desire for excellence in choreography fits the bill. Tharp’s no-nonsense attitude shines through: “Remember this the next time you moan about the hand you’re dealt: No matter how limited your resources, they’re enough to get you started.”

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

This book is filled with strategies, ideas, and cautionary hints that can help both women and men powerfully lead – in their own lives, at work, and with their teams. Rather than assuming one definition of happiness or success, Sandberg encourages us to each decide for ourselves what will lead us to fulfillment: “We each have to chart our own unique course and define which goals fit our lives, values, and dreams.”

What have you read lately that has shaped your business or career? Feel free to share your suggestions below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach Bold Goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

From Desk Jockey to Life Saver: The Power Of Meaningful Work

Christi Hegstad April 23rd, 2013

Last year, before facilitating a workshop, I asked the leader about desired outcomes – what she’d most like participants to walk away with. She paused a bit before responding.

“It seems like everyone is just punching a clock,” she shared. “Regulations keep changing, leadership keeps shifting, and we’re all just floating along.

“If people could leave this session feeling a bit of passion or purpose about their work, I’d consider it a success.”

Meaningful work is what we stand for, and I’ve seen the benefits enough to know that helping people connect with how their work matters makes a HUGE difference – in morale, productivity, engagement, revenue, even overall life satisfaction. It’s a worthwhile pursuit.

While our training day was filled with stories, one in particular stands out. My hope is that by sharing it, you can begin to see the purpose in your own work and connect with something greater than your desk, department, or even organization.

“I’m a desk jockey,” stated a participant (we’ll call him Jim) at the beginning of the session. “I sit at a computer all day, deal with unhappy customers (because the happy ones never call in to say so!), and push papers. Not much purpose in that.”

Heads nodded in agreement; a sense of disengagement pervaded the room.

So, in true coaching form, I began to ask questions, some of which you can ask yourself:

Who benefits from what you do?

Think “ripple effect” here. Your department and organization of course benefit, but how about beyond that? How does your family benefit from what you do? How about your customers? Your customers’ families? Your community? State? World? How about you, personally? Answer in all of those realms, seeking feedback from others if you get stuck.

How does your work make a positive difference?

Consider the aforementioned realms when answering this question, too. If you struggle to answer, this is the perfect place to begin your research. It’s important to connect with a greater sense of purpose in order to find the meaning within your daily tasks.

I once had a stay-at-home parent coaching client who moved her mindset from “cooking = drudgery” to “cooking = helping my family – who I am so blessed to have in my life – stay healthy, nourished, and happy.” Her tasks didn’t change, but her approach and sense of fulfillment certainly did.

What would happen if you didn’t do your work?

Maybe for a short while business would operate as usual, but think beyond that. What if the roles and responsibilities you serve were completely ignored? You are not just a “cog in the wheel,” you are part of the body of your organization. Each of the different parts – including yours – is required for the body to function.

Jim, our paper-pushing friend, started the session frustrated with how little his work made a difference, describing himself as a desk jockey doing work a trained monkey could do. But moving through these questions and our various exercises, his transformation was visible to all of us in the room.

He came to realize that his organization helps keep people safe. By doing his job and doing it well, the trickle-down effect is positive, and leads to healthier, safer conditions for many.

Jim ended the session saying, “My job saves lives!”

YOUR WORK MATTERS. In some way, you are helping people live higher quality lives, or contributing to a sense of security, or building confidence, or relieving stress by handling tasks that would frustrate others.

Know this – and truly connect with this – to heighten your fulfillment and success.

The next steps, then, revolve around identifying your unique passions, strengths, and purpose, and creating ways for these (and you) to flourish in the workplace, which is at the heart of my coaching practice. But start with those questions above and find that point of connection.

Once you discover that your work is meaningful – that you can and do make a difference through your work – you’ll unlock the inspiration to carry it through with purpose, intention, and joy.

What other questions might you ask yourself to connect more fully with your work?

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a certified business and career coach, she helps leaders get unstuck and reach high-level goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

What’s Better Than Perfect?

Christi Hegstad April 22nd, 2013

CLARITY KICKSTART: Week of April 22, 2013

“Done Is Better Than Perfect.”

~ Poster at Facebook headquarters

Coaching Tip For The Week:

How does perfectionism impact your goals?

As professionals and leaders, we strive for excellence – sometimes to our own detriment.

By desiring perfect results, we can become masters of procrastination (“I don’t want to start until I can do it well”) or find ourselves swamped in half-finished projects.

Both are exhausting ways to work and live!

This week, choose one area – either at work or home – where perfection isn’t necessary. Where you can practice imperfection.

Adopt the mantra “Done Is Better Than Perfect” in this area, and let yourself live with the results.

By being a “selective perfectionist,” you’ll focus on what matters most, be kinder to yourself, and start to find delegation – an important leadership skill – much easier as well!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach Bold Goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to receive Clarity Kickstarts in your in-box every Monday morning for free? Click here!

The Bold Goal Paradox: Moving Beyond Fear of Failure

Christi Hegstad April 16th, 2013

Over the years, I’ve developed a passion for Bold Goals. Not just the small, incremental milestones (although those are wonderful, too), but the “Wow, Did I Just Say That Goal Out Loud? (gasp!)” kinds of goals.

Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, in Built To Last, refer to these as your BHAGs: Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Stephen Covey called them WIGs: Wildly Important Goals. Whatever title you choose, you know they’re BOLD.

One of my favorite aspects of Bold Goals is the transformation that happens to the person setting the goal, and I’ve seen this with clients time and again. When you set a Bold Goal – the kind that stretches you, excites you, and may even seem out of reach at the time – magic starts to happen.

You start to become the person you need to be to reach that goal.

And with vision, support, and a crisp action plan, you’ll typically reach them.

But sometimes, you’ll set a Bold Goal – or any goal, for that matter – and not reach it.

Surely you’ve experienced that at some point in your life – we all have. In fact, in my Big Dreams, Bold Goals workshops, that’s typically the reason most of the room gives for not setting goals anymore: they’re tired of failing.

Today I want to offer a different perspective. Perhaps a scenario or two will help.

Imagine that your friend sets a goal to lose 100 pounds in a year. He begins exercising and hires a nutrition expert to help revamp his eating. At the end of the year, he has lost 95 pounds. Is he a failure?

Or let’s say another friend generated $50,000 in revenue in her small service business last year, and decides to set a goal this year to double that amount. She streamlines her systems, hires a coach, and at year-end shows a revenue of $90,000. Has she failed?

When I pose these scenarios in those aforementioned workshops, the response is a resounding “No. Of course they haven’t failed.”

But they didn’t reach the goal. Isn’t that failure?

Can you succeed even when you “fail”?

What response do you think you’d get from your 95-pound-lighter friend, or your $40k-stronger-business friend? Sure, maybe they’d express a bit of frustration (“I was this close!”). But in my experience, those individuals will focus more on the delight, excitement, and expansion they feel from nearly reaching those goals – and becoming stronger and bolder in the process.

I agree with Michelangelo’s famous sentiment: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”

Side note: I’ve encouraged you to imagine a friend in these scenarios. We tend to serve as our own harshest critics, so envision someone other than yourself in the situation instead. You’ll likely be more objective – and quite possibly, more kind. 😉

Have you ever come really close to achieving a goal – and still felt good about it? What did you gain from that experience?

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a certified business and career coach, she helps leaders get unstuck and reach high-level goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Plant Seeds For Your Own Growth

Christi Hegstad April 15th, 2013

CLARITY KICKSTART: Week of April 15, 2013

“I have never seen an outstanding organization that does not invest extensively in its people.”

~ Karen Martin

Coaching Tip For The Week:

How do you invest in your own development?

Success abounds when we take initiative and put ourselves in the driver’s seat of our own growth. I frequently tell my clients that, whether you own your business or are employed by someone else, you are the entrepreneur of your own career.

The best organizations invest in professional development. If you’re not in such an organization – or want to exponentially increase your success – you need to take your development into your own hands. Many experts state that at least 10% of our income should be invested in our own growth and development!

This week, recognize the value in your growth and invest in your development.

Enroll in a class, hire a coach, order a book, attend a lecture.

Take an action to show yourself – and your employer or employees – that professional development matters.

Your productivity, work ethic, and bank account will eventually thank you for it!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to receive Clarity Kickstarts in your in-box every Monday morning? Click here!

Which Super-Power Would YOU Choose?

Christi Hegstad April 11th, 2013

Earlier this week, my son asked me a question that I’m guessing every child (and adult, probably!) has pondered:

If you could have any super-power, which would you choose?

We talked about how fun it would be to fly and how sneaky we could be with invisibility. How much help we could offer if we could instantly transport ourselves to a particular place. I think my “super-power of super-kindness” was dubbed cheesy, but that’s kind of cool too, right? 😉

We also agreed we are glad not to possess some super-powers. I don’t think I’d want to read everyone’s mind or constantly know every single thing that will happen in the future.

But when I woke up this morning, a new super-power came to mind that’s really got me thinking:

The power of hindsight.

Like, in the moment.

We all hold the power of hindsight, of course. You can look back on an event that happened 5 years ago and likely glean a lesson from it or see how it helped you grow, evolve, or shift your lifestyle for the better.

But what if you knew the reason for an event while it was happening?

What if you could experience a job loss and know, in that moment, that it was exactly the push you needed to start the business you’ve been dreaming about for years?

Or if you could work for a difficult, demanding boss and know, at that time, that he was preparing you to be the exceptional leader you are today by demonstrating what not to do?

I had a client a few years ago who had interviewed for a position she viewed, at the time, as her dream job. Tears flowed when she received notification that they had hired someone else. Then, 18 months later, she learned that the work environment was hostile, leadership was horrendous, and the company was in turmoil, with a very shaky future at best. Now happily employed elsewhere, she emailed me saying, “I always believe there’s a reason for everything that happens, but that situation never quite made sense. Now it’s so clear, and I am so thankful!”

Wouldn’t that have been helpful to know at the time? Think of all the frustration, disappointment, and hurt we could save ourselves!

Then again, perhaps it’s that very frustration and pain that allows us to learn the lessons at all. Maybe if we had instant-hindsight super-powers, we’d never actually grow into the rich, fulfilling leaders we are meant to be.

We can, however, enhance our sense of “instant-hindsight” to help us through challenging times. Keeping a Success Journal or talking out a situation with others, for example, can provide perspective we wouldn’t otherwise see in the moment.

Even looking to our own past experiences – particularly times when we’ve entered difficult challenges and come out stronger – can build our resilience. A question frequently at the forefront of my mind is, “What might be the lesson here?” Not always easy to answer, but helpful to consider nonetheless.

What do you think? Would you like the super-power of instant hindsight? What other super-power would help you succeed at work and in life? Feel free to share your responses below, on Facebook, and via Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

3 Keys To Meaningful Work

Christi Hegstad April 10th, 2013

Employees typically don’t leave jobs for the reasons we think.

It isn’t due to compensation, benefits, or hours. Those might be symptoms, but the underlying cause typically runs much deeper.

One of the big reasons? Feeling unimportant, like their work doesn’t matter. As one client described it to me, “I’m basically a desk jockey – I get paid to sit and push papers all day.” (Learn more about his transformation in an upcoming blog post.)

Whether you feel this way yourself or you sense disengagement among those you lead, you can make a positive change. Three places to start:

1. Clarify your values.

What are your 3 core values – those that are as important to you as food, water, and shelter? One of the first exercises all of my coaching clients undertake is a Values Clarification to become crystal clear on what matters most.

When you know your values, you can lead and work from a place of integrity. (Bonus tip: Compare your core values to those of your organization. Misalignment here means change in some form is necessary.)

2. SHINE – and help others shine.

The best way to shine? Leverage your passions and strengths as much as possible. Like with #1 above, you must first clarify what these are for you, then engage them – at home, at work, and at all points in between – at every opportunity.

Similarly, help others shine, too. You’ve heard how a candle loses none of its own light by lighting another candle? Be that original candle.

3. Link to the ultimate-ultimate-outcome.

If you work in a department of a large organization, you may not even recognize how your work impacts the next department over. Seek out that connection.

Then, take it a step beyond and see how your contribution impacts the organization.

Then, go a step further and see how your customers, clients, vendors, and/or partners are impacted by what you do.

THEN – and don’t skip this step! – discover what impact your contribution has on your community, society, the world at large. How does your product or service improve life for others? How to the rest of us benefit from what you do? How does your work fulfill a need? This is what will lead you to your ultimate-ultimate-outcome.

Rabbi Kushner eloquently wrote, “Burnout results not from hard work – people are capable of working very hard – but from a sense of futility, the fear that all the hard work isn’t making a difference.”

Start by bringing meaning to work. When you infuse your daily actions with a sense of purpose and contribution, you’ll be less swayed by the bumps along the road, more energized and engaged, and deeply connected to how your work helps you make a living, a difference, and a life.

How could you make your work more meaningful? How would you advise others to create meaningful work?

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Your Best Solutions – In One Word

Christi Hegstad April 8th, 2013

CLARITY KICKSTART: Week Of April 8, 2013

“The simplest solution is usually the best.”

~ Matthew Kelly

Coaching Tip For The Week:

Do you ever make things more difficult than they need to be?

We live in a complex society, no doubt about it. But we also tend to add to this complexity in myriad ways: worrying, second-guessing, creating obstacles for ourselves, letting fear rule our decisions, and more.

In the book the opening quote comes from, Matthew Kelly later writes, “Peace in our hearts is born from simplicity in our lives.” Does this statement resonate for you?

If so, select a goal, project, or activity that is truly meaningful for you but feels hard. Ask yourself, “If nothing stood in my way, what’s the most simple route to achieve this goal?”

Create a simple, straightforward path – ideally just 3-5 steps. See if this helps clear away the excess and allow you to focus on the core elements, rather than all the complex “clutter” that currently blocks you.

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches business owners and leaders to get unstuck and reach meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to receive Clarity Kickstarts in your in-box every Monday morning? Click here!

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