CHRISTI HEGSTAD PH.D.

Author Archives: Christi Hegstad

When My Confidence Takes A Hit

Christi Hegstad November 11th, 2021

You might be surprised how often my confidence becomes shaky.

I frequently speak publicly. I run a coaching firm. I ‘put myself out there’ all the time. I coach others to enhance their confidence.

Most, if not all, of what I do requires a healthy level of confidence.

And yet.

I receive a critical email, I don’t get the gig, or my manuscript is rejected.

Does my confidence take a hit?

You bet.

With one important word attached:

Temporarily.

I get knocked down just like the rest of the world. I start to question and doubt and second-guess myself. Just last weekend I burst into tears when sharing a recent confidence-crusher with a friend.

But at the same time, I have done – and continue to do – the work to raise my baseline level of confidence. When it dips, it typically doesn’t dip as far as it used to. And generally, it doesn’t stay there for long.

Here are a few of the components I have found helpful in my confidence-building, in case you want to give them a try:

Review Your Celebration of Triumphs.

A Celebration of Triumphs, which you can read more about here, consists of wins and highlight moments from your own life that make you feel happy / proud / fulfilled. Pull out your list (or start one now), review it, add to it. Remind yourself that you’ve done many great things and will continue to do so.

Talk With Your Coach.

While family and friends can provide incredible support, we also benefit from speaking with objective partners who have no involvement or agenda other than wanting us to succeed. Hearing my coach point out something I’m not seeing for myself, or somehow remind me of my capability, tends to bring me back swiftly from a confidence dip.

Engage In A Daily Mindset Practice.

What exactly a daily mindset practice involves will vary from person to person. A few of my tried-and-true practices include: journaling, affirmations, clarity walks, devotional + prayer, gratitude logs (and, more recently, Daily Delights), and setting a daily intention. I often pick and choose as the day warrants.

I love the days where everything goes smoothly, I receive praise instead of criticism, my plans all work out, and it feels like all is right in the world. But, since that’s not the case every day, I also love knowing I have some tools in my toolkit to help raise my confidence when it takes a dip.

What do you find helpful when your confidence takes a hit?

We discuss confidence in the ASPIRE Success Club – learn more here!

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, and more!

 

 

Clarity, Community, + Coaching To Help You FLOURISH!

Christi Hegstad November 10th, 2021
Do you wish you could regularly bounce ideas off of others who truly want you to succeed – and perhaps have even been where you are?
Have you wondered what it would be like to set a bold + meaningful goal, then have a caring community regularly checking in with you on your progress?
Can you imagine how comforting it would feel to turn the calendar to January knowing you have your personal + professional development lined up for the entire year?
If this intrigues you, then the ASPIRE Success Club is ready for you!
As an ASPIRE member, you can enjoy:

* Monthly GUIDED MEETINGS with inspiring peers! Facilitated by multi-certified coach Dr. Christi Hegstad, these impactful sessions are offered multiple times each month (including an evening option in 2022!) and held online so you can participate from anywhere!

* TRAINING + ACCOUNTABILITY throughout the year, including a goal-setting session at the start of each quarter (new in 2022!) to keep you on track and moving forward!

* Deep exploration into QUARTERLY THEMES such as habits, decluttering (space, mind, + life!), mental strength, and more!

* Tools, worksheets, Q&A sessions, + ABUNDANT RESOURCES to build your personal development library and help you flourish!

* CELEBRATIONS throughout the year to honor how far you’ve come and to cheer on / get inspired by everyone else’s progress, too!

* Add-on WORKSHOPS + MASTERMIND SESSIONS at special members-only rates!

Plus book recommendations + reading guides, members-only newsletters, discussion forums, activities scheduled online + in person, a special gift for the first 50 enrollees, and more!
Visit the ASPIRE website for testimonials, program details, photo galleries, and to enroll!
Join this outstanding group of positive, supportive achievers for our 12th year of aspiring higher together! We’re excited for an entire year of clarity, community, + coaching with YOU!
Questions? Contact us  – we’re happy to help!
To your meaningful, purposeful, well-supported success!
P.S. You can learn more + enroll here!

One Week, One Habit

Christi Hegstad November 7th, 2021
When you miss a day with one of your key habits, do you pick right up where you left off?
Or do you wait until Monday, or the first of the month, or the new year?
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear discusses the importance of habit recovery.
“Missing once is an accident,” he writes. “Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”
This week, choose and follow through with one daily habit.
I’ve noticed a couple common reasons we struggle with maintaining strong habits:
We try to establish too many at once, or we set them up with a ‘from now until the end of time’ expectation.
(Or both.)
Today I encourage you to choose one habit – a single one – that matters to you. Commit to it every day this week. Create a small one-week habit tracker to note your progress.
And don’t forget to celebrate your win at the end of the week!
We’ll explore habits (and much more!) in the 2022 ASPIRE Success Club – enrollment opens this Wednesday! 
Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, and more!

What Does ‘Self-Care’ Even Mean?

Christi Hegstad November 5th, 2021

The conversation around self-care sometimes perplexes me.

We often hear it discussed in terms of spa days and vacations.

On the other hand, we also view self-care as eating nutritiously and exercising regularly.

I agree with – and am a big fan of – all of the above. I have felt the need, however, to define some form of happy medium when it comes to caring for myself. Something that feels a bit beyond meeting my basic needs, but also that I can realistically incorporate on a routine basis.

Not in place of, but in addition to, those items referenced above.

So I’ve asked myself, ‘When do I feel I’ve cared for myself well? What tends to help me feel my best?’ Below are some of the answers I’ve generated.

I feel like I’ve cared for myself when I:

* Set up my day as a blend of productivity and peacefulness. Not necessarily in equal measure, but both at least making an appearance.

* Complete or let go of a lingering task, rather than transferring it to yet another to-do list. Making the phone call, hitting ‘send’ on the email, cleaning the bathroom – whatever it may be.

* Create with my hands. This could involve baking a batch of apple muffins, typing up a new blog, or writing a thank-you card and dropping it in the mail.

* Say what I need to say. It’s harder, but seems to work better than, bottling things up or secretly rolling my eyes.

* Keep first things first, such as honoring my values, respecting my priorities, and not letting the little things get in the way of the big things.

I don’t do all of these perfectly, every day. But examining self-care through my own lens has helped me become more intentional about it, more regularly.

When do you feel like you’ve cared for yourself well? Consider journaling around this question yourself, and feel free to share a response or two below!

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, earlybird enrollment to the 2022 ASPIRE Success Club, and more!

When Starting A New Chapter

Christi Hegstad November 3rd, 2021

A different role, relationship change, cross-country move … are you about to embark on something new?

How do you feel about that?

A new chapter can be both thrilling and scary. One minute you’re breathing in the fresh air of the fresh start; the next, you’re wondering if you ever knew anything about anything.

And all of it is natural.

While we often talk about the exciting aspects of a fresh start, we don’t always discuss the stickier parts. On that note, here are a few considerations as you begin your next chapter:

Give thanks for / make peace with the previous chapter(s).

This may sound a little woo-woo, but it’s important.

Your previous chapter was not wasted time. You learned, you grew, you developed skills that will serve you going forward.

Bless it for what it was, reflect (and perhaps document) what you learned, and know that it all serves a purpose in your bright future.

Acknowledge without dwelling.

This new chapter? It might be hard – really hard – at times. And that’s o.k.

We can acknowledge that something isn’t all rainbows and lollipops, even if it’s something we’ve worked hard for or dreamed of for years.

But we don’t need to linger in the difficulty, either.

Connect with your core values. Call on your mental strength, and continue building it. Trust in yourself and your ability to succeed.

Focus on your vision.

Yes, learn from the past. But let your vision of what you’re building take up more mental real estate going forward.

It may take a little while to get situated in your new chapter, and it can be helpful recognizing – but again, not dwelling on – that from the onset. Learn from your past, envision your future, and relish in the present moment. And don’t be afraid to reach out for help along the way!

What else helps you when embarking on a new chapter? Share your helpful hints below or on Instagram!

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, earlybird enrollment to the 2022 ASPIRE Success Club, and more!

 

Monthly Review – October Lessons Learned

Christi Hegstad November 2nd, 2021

Like every month, October offered its fair share of lessons – some arriving joyfully and some learned the hard way. Adventures (#3 below) included hiking new-to-me trails in the fall foliage and trying some unique business opportunities, pumpkin creamer (#4) has been added to my morning coffee and my evening tea, and I have been reminded that if I’m wondering about something it’s a) likely someone else is, too, and b) better to ask (#8) and get an answer than to make up a story about it in my mind.

Below are a few of the many lessons October brought my way:

1. Run your own race.
2. Have the hard conversation.
3. Accept the adventure.
4. Add the pumpkin creamer.
5. Believe the best…
6. …And respect the facts.
7. Step away from the drama.
8. Ask the question.
9. Start fresh.
10. Keep it simple.
What comes to mind as you reflect on your past month? Consider documenting your lessons in a journal or document. And feel free to share some below as well!
Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, earlybird enrollment to the 2022 ASPIRE Success Club, and more!

A Truly Meaningful Life

Christi Hegstad November 1st, 2021
What does ‘a meaningful life’ mean to you?
As in, specifically?
I could offer a few examples from my own definition, but they might differ from yours.
You are the expert on you.
Quote Box - Adachi (1)
This week, define ‘a meaningful life’ for yourself.
Grab your journal and start a big list of anything that comes to mind.
Then, begin discerning which of those items matter most to you.
Once you become clear on your definition of a meaningful life, you can then focus your attention on living and working accordingly!
Earlybird enrollment to the 2022 ASPIRE Success Club opens November 10! Click here to sign up for the Earlybird details!
Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, tools, resources, and more!

How Can I Help You?

Christi Hegstad October 27th, 2021

As achievers, we like to accomplish (and let’s be honest, preferably exceed) our goals, check things off our lists, make our difference, get the ‘A’.

And while we’re changing the world – or at least our corner of it – we can sometimes be a bit hard on ourselves, veer towards burnout, or find ourselves returning to big questions like “Am I on the right path?” and “What am I doing this all for?”

Are you an achiever? I am, too.

I am also a Certified Executive + Life Coach with over 18 years of experience guiding achievers to clarify, decide, and accomplish what matters most. I can help you:

* Uncover your values, strengths, passions, and purpose – then create an actionable plan for your ‘next chapter.’

* Clarify, prioritize, and design your most meaningful goals – and provide the accountability and expertise to help you achieve them.

* Design your personal leadership brand, so you can carry out your role – or step into your next one – with clarity and confidence.

* Decide what matters most, then set up your days, weeks, work, and life to honor those priorities.

* Experience, celebrate, and savor a meaningful career and purposeful life.

I’m here to help you answer those big questions, and in the most practical + purposeful ways possible.

I am currently booking new coaching clients for the remainder of this year and the start of the next. Contact me today to set up your introductory coaching consultation!

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, tools, resources, and more!

Helpful Chatter

Christi Hegstad October 25th, 2021
How helpful is your inner dialogue?
In his new book, Chatter, psychologist and neuroscientist Ethan Kross shines a light on the differences between helpful self-talk and less-than-helpful mental chatter.
His findings are fascinating!
And many of the tools he offers involve ways to shift our perspective.
Quote Box - Kross
This week, practice bringing perspective into your inner dialogue.
For example, I might replace “Ack! Why do I never know what to do in this situation?” with, “Christi, what’s one thing you could do right now?”
This small action of replacing ‘I’ with ‘you’ or your name – what Kross calls distanced self-talk – can quickly change our focus and help us think through things more objectively.
And as we know, sometimes those small, simple actions can change everything!
P.S. Have you enjoyed my recent Mini Book Review videos on Instagram and Facebook? Be sure to watch for my upcoming one sharing my thoughts from Chatter!
Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, tools, resources, and more!

The Habits That Serve You

Christi Hegstad October 18th, 2021
What habits appear in your daily life that you are thankful for?
In our ASPIRE Success Club meetings last week, I shared a habit I began in January 2020 that is now one of my absolute favorites. I believe I’ve done it every day since then, and it has definitely made a difference in my life!
Quote Box - Rubin - Habits
This week, start – or rekindle – one habit that you know will serve you well.
My aforementioned habit? My Daily Delight.
Each evening, I record one thing that brought me delight that day. It could be enjoying lunch with one of my children, meeting with an incredible new coaching client, or taking a long clarifying walk in the woods. Anything goes.
I now have a massively long list of Daily Delights that, in and of itself, is a delight to review!
Feel free to adopt this habit or start a fresh one of your own. Your future self says, “Thank you!”

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC, is the Practical + Purposeful Coach for Achievers!  Join our email community for coaching tips, book recommendations, tools, resources, and more!

 

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