Day 20: Yes To Chess. Again. And Again.

Christi Hegstad July 3rd, 2014

I failed to make the chess team because of my height.

Woody Allen

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 20: Yes To Chess. Again. And Again.

My 13-year-old son has been on summer vacation for approximately 36 days. Nearly every single one of those 36 days, I have said YES to a game of chess with him.

So far I have won exactly zero of these 36 games.

I’d like to write something helpful now about the power of persistence, or the growth that I’m surely experiencing with each game, or how each move is somehow bringing me closer to winning. But all I can think about is how I really just want to win a game of chess! 🙂

OK, truth be told, I am loving the time with him, watching his strategic thinking in action, and appreciating his good sportsmanship. For whatever reason, we either sing our entire conversation or talk smack good-naturedly during the whole game. This boy cracks me up.

One of my new goals for the summer: to win a game of chess! And in order to do that, and because this has become one of my favorite parts of the evening, I will continue to happily say YES to chess. 🙂

To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. And click here to join the community of Spark, where I will hopefully be able to report that I won at least one game of chess during these 42 Days Of Yes! 🙂

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 19: Declutter My (Tech) Space

Christi Hegstad July 2nd, 2014

Out of clutter, find simplicity.

Albert Einstein

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 19: Declutter My (Tech) Space

How much time would you guess you spend each week sifting through emails, social media, e-newsletters, blog feeds, and the like? I bet if we were to actually log the time, most of us would be surprised. After my Day 12 YES, I realized I wanted to streamline my tech time significantly.

I wouldn’t necessarily call today’s YES fun – but it was oddly refreshing! I invested a fair amount of time in decluttering my tech space, knowing that – in the long run – this task will save me oodles of time (not to mention frustration) in the future. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in your digital space, here’s where I started:

Unsubscribe to e-newsletters I never read. If you haven’t already, start by setting up a separate email account for newsletters, online orders, etc. so your business email isn’t clogged up with these announcements. I did this years ago and only check that email once a week or so but even still, it takes a fair amount of time to delete the messages that I never even bother to click open, let alone read. This email account is now almost eerily – but beautifully – quiet, occupied with only things that truly interest me.
Get my email in-box to zero. Yessss! It doesn’t last long, but it’s a sight to behold when it occurs! 🙂
Eliminate unused icons on my laptop. They take up space, use memory, and had become such a part of the backdrop that I didn’t even realize they existed. This could apply to unused apps on your phone, too.
Clean up Facebook messages. Did you know you have a couple of in-boxes with your Facebook account? I cleaned mine out so that hopefully I will now recognize when a new message appears!
Pare down my Twitter feed. When I first hopped on Twitter, I followed lots of people if they were even remotely related to coaching, leadership, or other topics of interest. Today I “unfollowed” some that don’t add value or that have gone in a different direction.

I appreciate technology for many reasons: ease of communication with my family members who live in other states, reconnecting with friends from high school and other phases of life via social media, and of course the numerous business purposes. But as several of my YESes have had me focusing more deeply on what matters most in my work and life, I realize more and more that I want technology to support my goals and dreams – not drive them. For example, I want to spend minutes in a group text setting up a meeting time with a few old friends – and then spend hours actually talking with them face to face. For me, that’s a much more meaningful investment of my time.

Decluttering my technology reaped many of the same benefits as decluttering physical space. A stress-reducing, time-saving YES!

To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. And click here to join the community of Spark – while Earlybird Rates still apply!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 17: Hold A Garden Party

Christi Hegstad July 1st, 2014

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy, for they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

Marcel Proust

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 17: Hold A Garden Party

What do you do the day after getting hit with 5 inches of rain? Hold a garden party, of course! 🙂

One of the groups I lead, the ASPIRE Success Club, is about 70 members strong. And when I say strong, I mean in every sense of the word: these professionals are leading businesses, advancing careers, running nonprofits, raising families, and contributing to their communities, while still devoting time each month for our ASPIRE meetings, Author-Expert Interview calls, book gatherings, teleclasses, and more. They are a hard-working, difference-making group!

So it was truly my pleasure to host a relaxing evening with little on the agenda but engaging conversation and delicious food and drinks. And since our retreat house had ample patio space, the previous day’s deluge of rain didn’t affect us in the least!

I could name so many highlights from this event: the fun conversations, the deepened relationships, hearing how they are supporting one another’s Bold Goals, businesses, and lives. Amazing things happen when you become part of a positive community focused on growth, success, and contribution! Listening to these outstanding leaders share how ASPIRE’s supportive community has increased their confidence, enhanced their goal achievement, and added to the fun in their lives was a gift of this YES.

Although not technically held in a garden, everyone went home with a carnation – to remind them not only of the party and our community, but also to continue living in full color. Definitely a joyful and inspiring YES!

To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. And click here to join the community of Spark – while Earlybird Rates still apply!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Clarity Kickstart: Don’t Wait For Your Dream Job

Christi Hegstad June 30th, 2014

CLARITY KICKSTART: June 30, 2014

I don’t think of work as work and play as play. It’s all living.

Richard Branson

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Does your work bring you joy?

Perhaps the more important question is, do you bring joy to your work?

One of my all-time favorite professional development sentiments comes from the Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran, who wrote “Work is love made visible.” I recently experienced this with a store clerk who was so kind, gracious, and above-and-beyond that I found myself walking out of the store better and more inspired than when I entered.

When employees truly care about what they do and whom they serve – when they work with love – the ripple effect extends far beyond what we can ever imagine. This doesn’t come with the “dream job;” it comes by bringing your best self to your work every day.

This week, whether you are in your ideal career or not, decide to bring joy and love to your work. Decide to inspire those you serve. Decide that your work matters.

When you bring the best of your whole self to your work, your family, and all of your roles, you realize – as Branson stated above – it’s all living.

How do you make a difference through your work? Inspire others by sharing below, on Facebook, or via Twitter!

Click here to transform your clarity, courage, and bold leadership this fall! Earlybird rates end soon!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 16: Create

Christi Hegstad June 28th, 2014

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.

Maya Angelou

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 16: Create

“Create” sums up today’s YES – as well as the entire day!

I was blessed to spend it with my Masterminders, a group of leaders who have been meeting throughout the year as each strives for bold (and I mean BOLD) goals and supports one another along the way. We held our Summer Retreat and had an incredibly productive morning creating ideas, plans, strategies and systems to keep their goals on track. Their results have been absolutely phenomenal!

A few of us then said YES to pottery painting in order to create in a different way. Even though stencils, stamps, and other tools were available, no one went near them. Everyone wanted to create her masterpiece from scratch or, as one put it, “Wild and free!”

The employee giving us instructions advised, “If your piece doesn’t turn out like you planned, don’t start over without talking to us first. We have lots of ideas for making ‘happy accidents’ turn out great!”

As a recovering perfectionist, I took this tip to heart. How many times in life do we want a do-over, or maybe even avoid something altogether if we’re not fully confident we can get it just right? Thinking of our imperfect results as ‘happy accidents,’ and knowing that we can work through them with the support of others (like a Mastermind group), gives us the freedom to move forward and take healthy risks without such a big weight to shoulder.

A very creative YES with a liberating lesson to boot! 🙂

To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. And click here for courage – via Spark!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 15: Expand A Vision

Christi Hegstad June 27th, 2014

If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.

Steve Jobs

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 15: Expand A Vision

Does your company have a vision statement? Could you recite it?

If not, you’re in the majority – more than 70% of employed adults cannot state their company’s vision when asked. Which is such a shame because, when well-crafted, a compelling vision ignites the passion, purpose, and productivity of a workforce in an intensely powerful way. This is true outside the workforce, too: Consider the vision Martin Luther King Jr. created with his “I have a dream” speech as an example.

Today I had the privilege of saying YES to one of my favorite activities: coaching a team to create their Vision, Mission, and Values statements. While I’ve facilitated this process for years, today’s was unique: the executive leadership team wanted all employees involved in the process. They wanted each voice to be heard and everyone to know their ideas matter. For a group this size, the request was quite extraordinary – and incredibly fun.

One of my favorite questions to ask in the visioning process is this:

What will the world look like once you’ve finished changing it?

When we applied the ripple effect to their vision, this exceptional group realized they could help eliminate poverty and unemployment, increase happiness and financial stability, and contribute to a positive, generous world. Their compelling vision expanded their sense of what is possible and transformed the way they think about their work.

If you don’t have a vision statement – either for yourself or for your organization – consider taking an afternoon to craft one. Place yourself 5 or 10 years in the future and imagine that everything has gone according to your greatest hopes and dreams. What will that look like? What will be different? How will you, your business, and the world have changed? Create as vivid a picture as possible and then, like a rowboat gently flowing down the river, let that vision pull you.

To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. Gain crystal clarity around your vision at Spark – click here!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 14: Nap

Christi Hegstad June 26th, 2014

Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.

Charles Schulz

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 14: Nap

I can hardly believe I am posting a blog about taking a nap!

While certainly not the most earth-shattering activity to ever take place, naps in my life are pretty much unheard of – especially in the middle of the workday, especially in the busiest week of summer. I actually cannot remember the last time I took a midday snooze.

I’m also greeted with a quote by J.M. Power every time I open my journal: “If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.”

But today I said YES to a nap, and it felt good!

Interestingly, earlier this week I met with a coaching client who has a sofa in her office and made the commitment to begin napping more frequently, as she knows it helps her mood and productivity. Around this same time, I read about several companies (Huffington Post, Google, and Procter & Gamble, to name a few) who have installed nap rooms for their employees to catch a few winks. These organizations are finding that, rather than laziness or slacking off, their employees emerge from their naps more creative, inspired, and productive!

While I don’t believe napping will become part of my routine, I definitely felt the value in this YES today. If you need justification for a catnap now and then, check out this article from the Sleep Foundation.

To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. And click here to join us for Spark!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 12: Take A Digital Detox

Christi Hegstad June 24th, 2014

When you’re not on your phone, you instantly notice: everyone else is. We returned from our [digital detox] slightly less informed but slightly more blissed out.

Cindi Leive, in Arianna Huffington’s Thrive

42 Days Of Yes!

Day 12: Take A Digital Detox

I recently read that the average person checks her smartphone every 6.5 minutes, or about 150 times a day. I decided to say YES to a day without screens: no email, social media, texting, TV. A digital detox, if you will.

I spent the day doing much of what I typically do – but did notice feeling a bit more productive and focused. I also baked, played games with my kids, went for a run, outlined (on paper) a presentation, and nearly finished the book I’m currently reading. Joy!

In the evening, I attended an event where one of the speakers serendipitously urged us to slow down. “We’re all busy,” he stated, “but make the extra effort. Take the time to focus on the people and events that matter.”

We all know this, right? But a vast difference can exist between knowing and doing. This YES has me reevaluating purposeful ways to make the most of my time, and I’m considering a week-long digital detox in the near future. Care to join me?

Have you ever taken a digital detox? What did you observe? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter – and in-person at Spark!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Day 11: Support The Team

Christi Hegstad June 23rd, 2014

It’s impossible to win the race unless you venture to run.

Richard M. DeVos

42 Days Of Yes!

Support The Team

Today my family said YES to hosting a potluck for my daughter’s cross country team. We were thrilled to spend a warm summer evening with about 70 amazing people, and I found myself, as I often do, marveling at this team.

They truly model the concept of work hard/play hard: they devote hours to training and give their all at meets, but have a great time goofing around with each other too. These strong young women are willing to stretch their limits and be the best they can be. They are led by dedicated coaches with the crucial – and often hard-to-find – leadership skill of being able to focus on the development of the team while also prompting the growth of each individual member.

While their athletic ability astounds me, what impresses me most about these young women is their heart. In a sport like cross country, each athlete runs her own race – but these girls are all about the team. I’ve watched my daughter and her friends run miles at a pace I can’t even fathom, cross the finish line, then immediately cheer on others. They display such character and positive leadership, and it is a joy to witness – and learn from.

We have extraordinary leaders coming up in the world, and today’s YES leaves me so hopeful and optimistic about the future! To what did you say YES today?

What lessons have you learned from your involvement in sports? Share your thoughts below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter. Be sure to join us for Spark to expand your clarity, courage, and bold leadership!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Clarity Kickstart: When Offered A Seat On A Rocket Ship…

Christi Hegstad June 23rd, 2014

CLARITY KICKSTART: June 23, 2014

“He told me, ‘If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don’t ask what seat. You just get on.'”

Sheryl Sandberg, referring to Eric Schmidt

Coaching Tip for the Week:

How good are you at overthinking?

And, to quote Dr. Phil, how’s that working for you?

Doing your homework is important. Personal leadership often requires us, however, to make decisions quickly and confidently. Thinking too long on an opportunity – especially one that lights you up – can lead to that opportunity disappearing while you spin in indecision.

This week, trust yourself. When an opportunity arises – whether a new level of responsibility, a chance to speak up in a meeting, or a seat on a rocket ship – make your decision with confidence.

Then, immediately take an action in favor of your decision. You’ll nip any overthinking tendencies in the bud and your follow-up action will help boost your confidence that you made the right choice.

How do you make strong, confident decisions? Inspire others by sharing below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.

Receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Click “Join Our Mailing List” above.

Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.

Author Archives: Christi Hegstad