The Sentence That Can Change Your Life

Christi Hegstad November 30th, 2016

I’m always a bit skeptical when I hear about the “one word” or the “one action” that will change my life. How about you?

As you may have noticed, however, the title of this article suggests a similar claim. But mine is different (no, really!). 🙂

Purpose Statement of Sparkler Monica Harrison, shared with permission.

It’s different for one very important reason: YOU choose the sentence.

Let me explain.

No one else can decide what will impact you the most. Sure, the people closest to you may have wonderful ideas – but they are not you. I might offer you a book recommendation (or 20) saying it will change your life – but how could I possibly know? I am not you.

The things that change your life need to come from you.

They come from within.

So, I am not going to give you the words that will change your life, because only you can do that. I will, however, give you the sentence that – once you create it – can transform your work, leadership, and life:

Your Purpose Statement.

I first wrote my Purpose Statement about 18 years ago. Aside from a few tweaks here and there, it’s changed very little since that time – though it’s changed my life dramatically. I review it daily and it reminds me why I’m here, bolsters my energy, and provides an incredible sense of focus. Every morning when I scan it (a process that takes all of 5 seconds), I remember why I’m about to do what I’m about to do. It makes the hard work worthwhile and brings meaning and purpose to my actions and interactions.

Your Purpose Statement succinctly captures your values, passions, causes, and strengths in a single sentence. Among other things, knowing your purpose helps you:

Make decisions. When a request or opportunity presents itself, you can ask, “Does this help me fulfill my purpose?” Your ‘yes’ will be heartier and your ‘no’ will come easier.
Engage in meaningful work, no matter the job! Even mundane tasks become significant when viewed through the lens of purpose.
Build your ideal life. No joke: Once I uncovered my Purpose Statement I lost weight, started my business, clarified my vision, and many more positive ‘side effects’ from the process.

And so, so much more.

Purpose Statement of Sparkler Jodi Allan, shared with permission.

If you attended Spark, review your Purpose Statement and ask yourself how you are living and working in alignment with it. If you didn’t attendSpark and don’t have a written Purpose Statement yet, start with some reflection. Pull out a journal or open a new document and conduct some self-discovery. For example:

What activities light you up?
What makes you lose track of time and feel stronger afterwards?
What challenge, concern, or problem would you love to solve?
What do you most want people to remember about you?
When do you feel at your very best – like you’re doing exactly what you’re meant to do?

See where these questions take you. Ask more of them (check the Journaling Challenge on my Instagram for ideas). Then let your answers start guiding you to work with meaning and live with purpose.

** If you want to uncover your purpose and put it into action in your work, leadership, and life, feel free to contact my office about hosting Spark within your organization, or about coaching possibilities.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Daily

Christi Hegstad October 12th, 2016

Book-end your day with purpose! Ask yourself these 5 questions each day and notice the shift in everything from patience to productivity to your sense of peace.

I recently bumped into a coaching client I worked with several years ago. After some initial catching up, he said something that made me chuckle: “You’re still like a voice in my head who says, ‘What matters most here? What action will you take next? What’s a win you can share with me today?’ Even though we’re not coaching together anymore, I still feel like you’re cheering for me and keeping me on track.”

I have felt the same way about my coaches over the years. With “lack of recognition” repeatedly appearing as a top reason people leave their jobs, don’t you feel we could all use a personal coach/cheerleader/guide?!

Even with that person in our lives, however, we’re not with them 24/7 – there are times when we have to fill those roles ourselves. One excellent way to do that involves starting your morning with a few purposeful questions.

I’ve written before about my morning practice. I also like to review my Purpose Statement each morning to remind me who I am, how I want to be, and why I’m doing what I’m about to do that day. (If you’re coming to Spark, you’ll leave with your Purpose Statement as well!) In addition, here are a few questions to ask that will help you stay on course:

1. How do I want to be in the world today? Consider choosing a word or phrase that captures your intention.

2. What am I grateful for today? Research shows extensive benefits to practicing gratitude. Start your day with it!

3. How can I make a difference today? What opportunities do you have to positively impact others? Who needs you today? (Hint: The answer may be you.)

4. What are my top 3 priorities today? If the rest of the day goes haywire, what 3 things do you want to make sure you do?

5. How can I live out my purpose today? You can both decide this with intention and be open to possibility.

Whether you reflect on these in your journal or quickly ponder them before getting out of bed, you’ll start your day in a meaningful way and increase your likelihood for living and working with intention – a much better alternative to the autopilot / treadmill way of life to which many of us have grown accustomed.

And here’s a bonus: Before you go to bed at night, ask the same five questions in reflection, too. How were you in the world today? What occurred today for which you are grateful? How did you make a difference? What 3 things did you accomplish? How did you live out your purpose?

This is what I call book-ending your day with purpose, and it works wonders – in everything from your patience to productivity to sense of peace. Give it a try for a week or two and take note of changes you experience. Let me know if it works wonders for you, too!

How Many Rejections Can You Stand?

Christi Hegstad October 9th, 2016

How close are you to giving up? Could you be on the verge of a breakthrough?

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”

Jim Watkins

Coaching Tip of the Week:

Have you ever heard of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series?

Guess how many rejection letters the authors of that series, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, received before one publisher was willing to give them a try?

5? 10? 20?

Try 150. 150 no’s before one yes. Imagine if they had given up with rejection #149? Your local Barnes & Noble would not have an entire wall dedicated to this popular series. Many would-be authors would not have their first chance at publishing their work. And most importantly, millions of readers who have been comforted, inspired, or changed by the books would not have had that experience!

What meaningful goal or purposeful dream do you feel about ready to give up on? Is it possible that you might be *thisclose* to a breakthrough?

This week, practice your power of persistence. Decide what goal or dream is worthy of your time, attention, and extra effort, then go the extra mile. Be like the river – persistent, forward-moving, and always in flow!

Why Not Achieving Your Goals Is Also Amazing

Christi Hegstad October 2nd, 2016

Achieving goals is amazing. But can *not* achieving your goals be just as amazing?

“She was afraid of heights, but she was much more afraid of never flying.”

Atticus

Coaching Tip of the Week:

Do you refrain from setting goals, especially bold ones, because…what if you don’t reach them?

I’ve been an avid goal-setter since childhood. I’ve set and achieved a lot of goals in those years. And you know what else? I’ve set and NOT achieved a lot of goals in those years, too.

Sometimes not achieving the goal felt like, “Oh well. There’s always next time.” Other times, the disappointment lodged so deep I wondered if I’d ever recover.

So far, I have always recovered. And so have you.

And we are richer for putting ourselves out there, for having tried.

This week, as we embark on the 4th quarter of the year, do one of two things: Either recommit to a goal you set earlier in the year that is meaningful and important to you, or set a new goal to achieve by year-end.

Then, go for it. Let your faith, passion, and sense of purpose be greater than your fear!

Starting Your “Success Journal”

Christi Hegstad September 26th, 2016

Whether or not you enjoy writing, a Success Journal offers a fun way to record your wins while boosting your confidence!

“If I can write things out I can see them, and they are not trapped within my own subjectivity.”
— Madeline L’Engle

Coaching Tip of the Week:

Do you record your wins, successes, happy moments, gratitudes?

How about your challenges, frustrations, problems?

I’ve kept a journal since age 8, and I’m actually not sure how I would figure anything out without it! 🙂 My journals are filled with solutioning, mind-mapping, processing, recording wins and challenges, vacation ideas, gratitude, and so much more.

This week, start what I call a Success Journal: Simply jot down one win per day.

Commit to doing this before you leave the office each day or before you go to bed at night. Next week at this time, you’ll have 7 wins documented. Keep it going a bit longer and you’ll have a great track record of success to buoy you on days when you’re questioning yourself!

For added journaling support, see my previous blog announcing the 10-Day Journaling Challenge, which starts Wednesday. I’ve supported so many coaching clients in beginning a journaling practice – now I’m helping anyone interested!

Join My 10-Day Journaling Challenge!

Christi Hegstad September 25th, 2016

Ever wanted to start journaling but don’t know what to write? Want to expand your current journaling practice? Join me for a 10-day kickstart and experience the personal and professional benefits of journaling!

Have you ever tried to start a journal but stared at the blank page, not knowing what to write?

Many of my coaching clients over the years have shared this frustration. Maybe you want to journal, knowing it would be a helpful way to organize your thoughts, process situations, solve problems, and celebrate work and life accomplishments. Perhaps journaling was recommended to you by a friend, colleague, or health care provider. I know many people who have purchased a beautiful journal (or dozens of them), lined up sleek pens, created a cozy journaling space…but still the blank page proves daunting.

As an avid journaler since age 8, I’m not sure I’d ever figure *anything* out if it weren’t for my journal! 🙂 I’ve coached many clients to incorporate journaling into their personal and professional growth, have taught journaling classes, wrote a journaling guidebook, and have designed several journals, including our signature Success Journal (available for purchase at our events like Spark). You could say I’m a bit of a fan!

Now I want to help YOU kickstart your journaling practice! And if not knowing what to write has held you back, I’ve got the cure.

Wednesday, September 28, will kickstart my 10-Day Journaling Challenge, and I invite you to join in! Participation is simple:

1. Secure a journal, notebook, or place to capture your journaling.

2. Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter (all @ChristiHegstad).

3. Check my profile each day for a new journaling prompt. (Feel free to “like”/share it to inspire others, too.)

4. Record the prompt at the top of your page, then write whatever comes to mind.

That’s it!

You can spend 5 minutes each day, or set aside an hour if you’d like – it’s up to you. I’ll also share additional journaling insights and ideas as we go. If you post a photo of your journal, your journaling space, or anything related to the 10-Day Journaling Challenge, be sure to tag me and I’ll try to share some for added inspiration!

The start of a new season is always a great time to start a new habit. And if you long for more clarity, focus, growth, or positivity in your work and life, then journaling is a wonderful habit to start!

See you on social media starting Wednesday, September 28 for our 10-Day Journaling Challenge!

Flipping Burgers as a Path to Purpose

Christi Hegstad September 21st, 2016

What causes a profession to light one person up while making another cringe? Can you still fulfill your purpose even if you’re not in your dream job? Can you love what you do, regardless of the job?

In college, I worked for a few years as a resident advisor in the dorms. Throughout the year this meant everything from organizing floor social events to disciplining rule-breakers to serving as counselor, friend, pseudo-parent, and sounding board. The first order of business, however, involved helping my residents get to know one another.

At our first floor meeting, I asked everyone to share a bit about themselves. We heard about hometowns, sports involvement, vacations, and hobbies. When we reached Mandy, she spoke of the small town she was from and how she’d worked at a big-name fast food restaurant throughout high school. “Ugh – what a bummer! Good thing you’re in college now!” came some of the responses.

But Mandy’s smile never faded. “You guys, I love it there – it’s a great job! I’ll still work there over breaks and, in fact, I’m hoping to work at the branch here in town once I get settled, too.” Her joy for what several others considered drudge work was palpable.

And, in many ways, surprising.

What causes a profession to light one person up while making another cringe? You may even hear certain jobs used as a threat: “Do well in school or you’ll be flipping burgers for the rest of your life!” But is it possible that even the jobs you may be quick to discount can still be purposeful?

Absolutely.

Meaningful work doesn’t miraculously appear with a certain title or role. It comes from the spirit we bring to the work, the meaning we ascribe to it and create through it. Meaning and purpose come from within.

Mandy knew this at a much younger age than most. When I talked with her about her work later in the week, she simply beamed. She spoke of the opportunity every day to make someone smile. She described the leadership and responsibility she was granted, despite being younger than most of her coworkers. She talked about the relationships she built, the changes she initiated, and the lessons she learned that she’ll carry into her future. She was passionate about the role and organization and, although we may not have used these words at the time, she was clearly fulfilling her purpose through her work.

Through her minimum wage, often unglamorous, burger-flipping work.

Maybe you’re not in your dream job right now. Maybe you can see your ideal work on the horizon, or maybe you feel nowhere near it yet.

Wherever you find yourself on that spectrum, it isn’t as important as knowing that your work matters. What you do right now, day in and day out, makes a difference. You have the power to change lives through your work, whether you’re a parking attendant or a physician or a fast food worker or any of the countless other professions on the planet.

Certainly, employers and leaders have a responsibility to create safe, positive work environments, and hopefully strive to create cultures in which everyone can thrive. But each one of us has the opportunity to bring meaning to our work. I challenge you this week to view your work as a chance to fulfill your purpose. Ask yourself a few questions: Who benefits from what you do? In what ways, small or large, might you make a positive difference? How could you brighten someone’s day through your role?

Whether or not you love your job right now, let your love for life, for humanity, for the greater good shine through your work. After all, as the poet Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Work is love made visible.”

How To Focus In The Age of Distraction

Christi Hegstad September 18th, 2016

This article was originally published by Des Moines Business Record.

If I handed you a project file and a quiet space, how long would you focus on it before you checked your phone or your mind began to wander?

If you’re like the vast majority, probably not long. In his latest book,Deep Work, Cal Newport makes the case that our ability to focus on singular pursuits for any length is becoming more rare — and increasingly valuable. With technological advances, changing workplace structures, and a host of other factors, we must make a conscious effort to create periods of full-concentration, distraction-free focus if we are to perform at our peak and make the contribution we’re here to make.

So, who’s thinking, “I crave that — but can you show this research to my employer / co-workers / team, please?”

Among my executive and leadership coaching clients, this lack of focused time is one of their greatest frustrations. They long for quiet time to devote to strategizing, visioning and high-level work, but they often spend their days in meetings and “putting out fires.” What to do?

Some changes need to occur at the organizational level, but there is much you can do as an individual, too. I recently shared five tips on my blog (click here to read); in addition, you might:

Corral your email.

Consider an autoresponder that tells senders you’ll reply within 24 hours. Batch email checks to certain times each day. Remove email from your phone, checking it only when you’re at your computer instead.

Turn in your Busy-ness Badge.

If your response to “How are you?” is consistently, “Busy!”, let it go. Busy-ness is not a badge of honor nor an aspirational state. Choose to be intentional, purposeful and prioritized.

Schedule deep work.

In The One Thing, authors Keller and Papasan encourage spending four hours per day — ideally first thing in the morning — on your most important goal. Every day. My clients who embrace this practice see a marked difference in purposeful productivity for sure, but not everyone can structure their work accordingly. A few shorter pockets of time per week for this same purpose can be nearly as valuable, especially if you currently have about zero such time scheduled. Newport offers four different scheduling techniques to match your personality and workplace reality, too.

Make a major change.

“Sometimes to go deep, you must first go big.” Newport shares how J.K. Rowling, on deadline with her final book in the Harry Potter series, checked into the luxurious 5-star Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Making a grand gesture — i.e., shelling out $1,000/day for the quiet space to write — can work wonders for your focus, motivation and productivity.

I had the pleasure of hearing Newport speak at a coaching leadership conference earlier this year. His line that sticks with me the most? “A deep life is a good life.” We all have the ability to bring more depth, meaning and purpose into our work and lives, regardless of the distractions surrounding us.

COACH CHRISTI’S CHALLENGE:

What’s your biggest distraction? Perhaps social media, poorly run meetings, staying up too late, TV, or any number of things that keep you from devoting focused time to your priorities and joys.

Pinpoint the greatest one, then take an action to minimize its effect on you. You might choose from those I’ve offered, or perhaps you know exactly what you need to do — you just need to do it. Commit to the action for a week and see what changes in your sense of purposeful focus in just a short time!

How do you maintain focus in this distracted world? Share your best practices below!

Deep Work by Cal Newport (Grand Central Publishing, 2016).

Dr. Christi Hegstad is a certified and award-winning executive and leadership coach who helps people work, live and lead with meaning and purpose. Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Flipping Burgers as a Path to Purpose

Christi Hegstad September 16th, 2016

I asked everyone to share a bit about themselves to start. We heard about hometowns, sports involvement, vacations, and hobbies. When we reached Julie, she spoke of the small town she’s from and how she’d worked at a big-name fast food restaurant throughout high school. “Ugh – sorry! What a bummer! Good thing you’re in college now!” came some of the responses.

But Julie’s smile never faded. “You guys, I love it there! It’s a great job! I’ll still work there over breaks and, in fact, I’m hoping to work at the branch here in town once I get settled, too.” Her joy for what so many of us consider drudge work was palpable. And, in many ways, surprising.

What causes a profession to light one person up while making another cringe? You’ll often hear certain jobs used as a threat: “Do well in school or you’ll be flipping burgers for the rest of your life!” But is it possible that even what one might consider an undesirable job can still be purposeful?

Absolutely.

Julie knew this at a much younger age than most. When I talked with her about her work later in the week, she simply beamed. She spoke of opportunities every day to make someone smile. She described the leadership and responsibility she was granted, despite being younger than most of her coworkers. She talked about the relationships she built, the changes she made, and the lessons she learned that she’ll carry into her future. She was passionate about the role and organization and, although we may not have used these words at the time, she was clearly fulfilling her purpose through her work.

Through her minimum wage, often unglamorous, burger-flipping work.

Maybe you’re not in your dream job right now. Maybe you can see your ideal work on the horizon, or maybe you’re nowhere near it.

That doesn’t matter as much as knowing that your work matters. What you do right now, day in and day out, makes a difference. You have the power to change lives through your work, whether you’re a physician or a parking attendant or a fast food worker or any of the countless other professions on the planet.

Certainly, employers and leaders have a responsibility to create safe, positive work environments. And each of us has an opportunity to bring meaning and purpose to work. I challenge you this week to view your work as an opportunity to fulfill your purpose. Ask yourself a few questions: Who benefits from what you do? In what ways, small or large, might you make a positive difference? How could you brighten someone’s day through your role?

Whether or not you love your job, let your love for life, for humanity, for the greater good shine through your work. After all, as the poet Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Work is love made visible.”

Dr. Christi Hegstad is a certified and award-winning coach, speaker, and author. Learn more at <a href=”http://www.meaning-and-purpose.com” target=”_hplink”>www.meaning-and-purpose.com</a> or @ChristiHegstad on <a href=”http://www.facebook.com/ChristiHegstad” target=”_hplink”>Facebook</a>, <a href=”http://www.twitter.com/ChristiHegstad” target=”_hplink”>Twitter</a>, and <a href=”http://www.instagram.com/ChristiHegstad” target=”_hplink”>Instagram</a>.

Why I’ve Called It Quits

Christi Hegstad September 16th, 2016

Have you ever reached a point where you thought, “I can’t keep going like this”?

Maybe it was prompted by a disheartening job, a frustrating relationship, or a series of crises that wore you out. Or maybe it was all good stuff – activities you signed up for, exciting opportunities – but the pace became unsustainable.

Either way, you likely found yourself constantly spinning and wondering, “Is this just how it is now? How it will always be?”

I hear you.

Recently, I unexpectedly hit a wall that I couldn’t seem to climb over, walk around, or push through. I was endlessly busy but not yielding the results I desired; striving to be all things to all people but coming up short. It all began to feel complex, scattered, inconsistent. In a nutshell, I felt stuck.

The answer to getting unstuck will look different for each of us. For me, it meant calling it quits.

With the help of my coach, I realized I needed to step away from as much as possible – even what was going well – in order to gain clarity and perspective, recalibrate my way of being, and make sure my next chapter fully and intentionally honored my purpose.

So, in my typical all-or-nothing way, I let go of nearly everything I possibly could for a period of time, including:

Weekly Clarity Kickstarts
Blogging multiple times per week
New programs and offerings
Networking functions
My morning practice
Reading nonfiction
Many of my systems and routines
Email and social media, for days at a time

I enjoy almost all of these, so letting go was not easy. But sometimes we must let go of the great to make room for the exquisite, right?

And make room I did. Literally – I decluttered my entire office, computer, and house – as well as figuratively. With a clear mind and breathing room, everything transformed. I designed a new business model, new offerings and programs for you, new Bold Goals and a new annual theme, a new website (you’ll see it soon!), and more.

I even lost 10 pounds and cleaned up some health issues, so wins all around!

One of the most important parts of my retreat involved redefining my vision for the future. I realized that I am being called to some different, deeper actions, and that I need to let go of other things in order to create the necessary space.

How about you? Are you feeling overwhelmed – even by good stuff? Or maybe you’re feeling underwhelmed, like “Is this all there is?” What might you quit for a while in order to retreat and recalibrate? A few starting ideas:

1. Disconnect digitally. You don’t have to close your Facebook or Twitter account forever, but let them go for a period of time in order to get quiet, go within, journal, meditate, walk. Depending on your online habits, you might be surprised how much clarity this single act will bring.

2. Change your scenery. Spend an afternoon at the park, by the lake, in your local botanical gardens. Bring only a notebook and pen – or nothing at all. New surroundings spark new thoughts!

3. Reassess. Revisit your vision, theme, goals. Do they still apply? Do they need tweaking? Dream for the future, then selectively make sure everything supports where you’re headed – not just where you’ve been.

4. Check your habits. Which are serving you, and which are not? Make sure you’re still the alpha dog when it comes to your routines.

5. Conduct an energy audit. List everything you spend time on, rate your energy and enthusiasm for each, then delete/delegate/act accordingly.

6. Declutter. Seriously – even just a shelf! The physical clarity does wonders for your mental breathing room.

7. Return to purpose. Your purpose will guide you and will not lead you astray. If you don’t know your purpose, be sure to grab one of those final seats at Spark , as you will leave with your written Purpose Statement.

So I’ve called it quits on a lot: old ways of doing things, outdated models, non-serving habits, things that – though perhaps wonderful – have served their purpose and run their course. I am approaching this next chapter with more lightness and depth (they can coexist!) than I’ve felt in a long time. Over the course of the next several weeks you’ll be invited into the results of this transformation, and my hope is that these changes serve you profoundly, helping you work with meaning and live with purpose.

I used to have a small sign that said, “Quitters never win, winners never quit.” I’ve now replaced it with this line from Deepak Chopra:

“In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.”

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to work with meaning and live with purpose!

A certified and award-winning coach, author, and speaker, Christi is a recognized leadership and professional development expert. She has received such honors as NAWBO Iowa Business Owner of the Year, Forty Under 40, Forbes Coaches Council, and is current president of ICF Iowa. She is a frequently sought-after speaker and writer, contributing to Forbes, The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

Connect with Christi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or by email.

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