Navigating the Mountaintops and Valleys of Work, Leadership, and Life

Christi Hegstad May 24th, 2016

“Mountaintops inspire leaders but valleys mature them.”

Winston Churchill

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Where have you felt lately: Singing from the mountaintops? Or stuck in the valleys?

This past weekend, I posted on Instagram my resolve to turn over a new leaf in an area that has been in the valley. It’s going to require discipline and focus. I need to replace some less-than-stellar habits with new ones that fuel me body, mind, and spirit. I’ll be out of my comfort zone in several ways.

But I made the decision to change – then promptly began taking action in favor of that decision. I brainstormed actions, created the framework of a plan, and consulted an expert to help me set it in motion.

I am ready! But I wouldn’t succeed without that first step: Making the decision.

This week, consider an area of your work, leadership, or life that isn’t where you want it to be, and make the decision to change.

I encourage you to adopt one of my Guiding Principles: Decide And Take Action. Once you’ve made the decision, immediately take an action in favor of it.

Don’t just think about it. Move on it.

Set it in motion this week! No excuses, no regrets.

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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.

The Simple Habit That Can Change Your Work, Leadership, & Life

Christi Hegstad May 23rd, 2016

Do you ever question if you’re doing anything right?

Recently, one of my coaching clients – an educator – was beginning to doubt his career path. “I got into this work to make a difference,” he shared, “but so many days now, I wonder if I’m doing that at all.” What began as a passion and a calling had become a source of constant second-guessing.

Do you sometimes go to bed wondering if you’ve made any type of positive contribution that day?

We all experience doubt, uncertainty, less-than-remarkable days, and “funks.” One of my favorite ways to lessen the frequency of these, as well as to pull yourself out of them more quickly, is an action that takes less than two minutes per day:

The Success Journal.

I’ve been teaching my coaching clients the value of keeping a Success Journal for over 15 years and the results have been astounding. The process is simple, enlightening, and can shift your entire mindset – even if the thought of journaling makes you cringe a bit.

Essentially, the Success Journal involves jotting down one win per day. A quick triumph in a bullet point. Right before you leave the office or just before you go to bed, writing a few words that capture something you consider a success from the day.

That’s it.

Simple, right? But profound and, in many cases, life-changing. So impactful, in fact, that we’ve designed and sold various journals* just for this purpose over the years.

Myriad benefits stem from keeping a Success Journal, such as:

Shifting your perspective to focus on wins rather than failures.
Reinforcing your positive actions.
Providing a track record of your success – something very helpful to review prior to an event requiring an extra dose of confidence.
Expanding your mindset.
Creating a visual anchor of daily details you might otherwise overlook and/or forget.

Once they’ve stockpiled a series of wins in their Success Journals, I encourage my clients to review them often – especially if they need to boost themselves up for a difficult conversation, important presentation, or job interview. The educator I mentioned earlier found the process so valuable, he began suggesting the practice to other educators as well as students.

Want to start your own Success Journal? No time like the present! A few helpful hints:

Secure a journal, notebook, or computer document distinctly for this purpose. (Our signature Success Journals have two bookmark ribbons – one for regular journaling and one for the stand-alone Success Journal portion.)
Place it prominently so you see it daily – a visual cue. Or, set a reminder on your phone to write in your Success Journal.
Keep it simple. Just a brief bullet-point entry is fine! The simpler it is, the more likely you are to continue it.
Record a general win from the day, or if you are working toward a specific Bold Goal, you can focus your Success Journal entries to that goal.
Commit to daily entries for three weeks. After that short time, you’ll already have a list of over 20 wins to buoy your confidence and mindset!

If you miss a day, just pick up where you left off, or reflect on a win in hindsight. Consider tracking – in your calendar, planner, or habit-tracking chart – each day that you enter a success in order to reinforce the habit. Several of my clients will put a little “X” in their planner every day when they write in their Success Journal.

John Irving, the author of one of my favorite novels, once wrote,”Good habits are worth being fanatical about.” Let the Success Journal become such a habit. Your mindset will begin shifting to one of success, triumph, and positivity, which will carry over into other areas of your work, leadership, and life. Definitely worth 2 minutes of your time!

* MAP Inc. Success Journals will be available for sale at Spark this fall. Join our mailing list for details!

Let me know how your Success Journal goes! Share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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.

3 Quick Ideas for a Purposeful Weekend

Christi Hegstad May 20th, 2016

“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.” ~ Bill Watterson

What are your plans for the weekend?

I coach and speak often on the topics of time, priorities, and what matters most. Though much of this typically begins in the realm of the workday, we can’t talk about making the most of our time and living a centered and fulfilling life without looking at time outside of work, too – including the weekend.

Weekends can provide a terrific opportunity to replenish, relax, and – as Bill Watterson mentions in the opening quote – doing something completely pointless. Just as you might get to the end of a busy workday and wonder what you have to show for it, the same can happen when Sunday night rolls around. Without proactive and conscious attention, you might find yourself wondering, “Wait – I was looking forward to the weekend. Where did it go?”

Maybe you don’t want to be scheduled on the weekends, or maybe your kids’ sports activities set the schedule for you. No problem. Even a dab of purposeful attention can go a long way! Carry one of these daily practices into your weekend and see what happens:

1. Continue Your Morning Routine.

I still like to get up a bit early on the weekends for this purpose, but even if you sleep later, see if you can weave your purposeful routine into your morning. For ideas on creating a morning practice, click here.

2. Continue Your Daily Top 3.

Your top three priorities might look quite different on the weekend, but identifying them in advance increases your likelihood of honoring them. It’s also a great time to devote attention to some areas that might have been put on the back-burner during the week. For a quick tutorial on the Daily Top 3, click here.

3. Continue Your Success Journal.

Since this practice can take less than a minute, even the busiest of weekends can allow for it! Before you go to bed, jot down one quick win you experienced that day. It might be “Spent one-on-one time with son” or “Read for fun in the hammock” or “Reconnected with college friend over coffee” – you get to define success. Keep building that track record!

One of the biggest factors to feeling purposeful with your time is intention – giving advance thought to your actions rather than letting external circumstances make decisions for you. Any one of these strategies (or one of your own making) can help you focus on what matters most and provide a sense of self-honoring.

Then, on Sunday night, relax on your deck with a cool glass of lemonade and the sense of fulfillment that comes with living with meaning and purpose!

Share your thoughts with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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.

Spring Clean Your Leadership

Christi Hegstad May 19th, 2016

This article was originally published by the Des Moines Business Record.

What on earth does decluttering have to do with career, business, and leadership success?

Quite a lot, actually. Consider this scenario:

You wake up in the morning feeling uncharacteristically energized and alert. An exciting project awaits you – one that uses your strengths and passions and that will make a huge difference – and you’ve been anticipating the day when you’d have focused, quality time to work on it. Today’s the day!

You shower, grab your coffee or tea, walk into your workspace, and immediately feel swallowed up by all the papers, files, notes, lists, piles… You can hardly see your desk or chair for all the clutter.

How likely are you jump right into that project now?

Chances are, your energy and focus promptly take a nosedive. Just as physical “stuff” can drain us of precious motivation, so too can clutter in other, less obvious forms.

Good news, though! You can spring clean those less tangible areas, too – at any time of year. Here are five great places to begin clearing up your leadership:

1. Your schedule.

Is every moment of the day accounted for? The lack of breathing room can contribute significantly to stress and distraction. Build in some buffers throughout the day – even just ten minutes here and there – and use them for quick walks, meditation, or absolutely nothing.

2. Your meetings.

What do unproductive, aimless, never-ending meetings bring out in you? Probably not your best side. Send a (brief) agenda in advance, clarify and gain agreement on the desired meeting results, hold standing meetings, start and end on time. Side note: Start each meeting with everyone sharing a win. It’s quick, uplifting, and energizing!

3. Your to-do list.

How many items are on your to-do list today? Now, honestly, how many will you actually complete? Identify what I call your Daily Top 3 – your three most important priorities of the day – then focus on them intently. Practice delegating, outsourcing, re-ordering, or letting go of other tasks.

4. Your self-doubt.

Everyone questions their decisions and abilities from time to time, but don’t let your uncertainty derail you. “Decide & Take Action” has long been one of my guiding principles; seeking support, reviewing your successes, and surrounding yourself with positive people can all help.

5. Your message/brand.

What do you stand for? What is your authentic leadership brand? What do you want to be known and remembered for? Trying to please everyone means essentially you please no one, especially not yourself. Conduct a values clarification and revisit (or create) your purpose statement, using them as your filter and guide.

COACH CHRISTI’S CHALLENGE:

What’s your favorite spring cleaning tip? Consider how you might apply a variation of it to your work, leadership, or life. For added inspiration, check out a decluttering book for ideas.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, for example, promotes physical decluttering based in one underlying question: “Does the item spark joy?” If it does, keep it, says Kondo. If it doesn’t, it’s time to let it go.

Ask yourself similar questions with commitments, to-do items, activities, and the like: “Does it help me fulfill my purpose? Does it align with my values and goals? Does is serve the greater good? Am I the best person to do it?”

Pause. Open the proverbial window and let in some fresh spring air. Spring clean your work, leadership, and life – and move a little more lightly as a result!

How will you spring clean your work, leadership, and life? Share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter (@ChristiHegstad), and Instagram (@ChristiHegstad).

Clearing Up Your Tolerations

Christi Hegstad May 16th, 2016

“Your entire life changes the day that you decide you will no longer accept mediocrity for yourself.”

Hal Elrod

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Two years ago, one of my coaching clients focused on becoming a stronger, more confident leader. “I don’t want to just be a good leader,” she shared. “Ten years from now, I want people to say, ‘She was the best leader I ever had.'”

What was getting in her way? Tolerations. Status quo. Doing what was expected rather than stepping out of the box and exploring new paths. All of this drew her to coaching.

Interestingly, she started seeing how she was ‘tolerating’ and accepting status quo in other areas of her life, too. From her ragged kitchen towels to a file cabinet that was always jammed to not speaking up when she needed to, she started to see how mediocrity was impacting her work, leadership, and life.

This week, make note of your tolerations. What are you allowing in your work and life that bothers you? It could be as small as a loose button on a favorite coat or chipped paint on the bathroom wall; or it could be a detrimental habit or a difficult relationship.

Pull out a clipboard, grab a pen and some paper, and start making a list. Walk through your home or workspace, mentally walk through your day, and jot down everything you are currently tolerating but would like to improve or upgrade.

Then, starting with the easy ones, begin taking action.

It’s been said we average 60 or more tolerations. Start cleaning them up and strive for excellence, beauty, and joy in all areas of your work, leadership, and life!

Share your thoughts with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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 writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

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

Use This Tool For Clarity and Focus

Christi Hegstad May 15th, 2016

Recently while engaging in my morning routine, it dawned on me that we are approaching mid-year. Surely we all know this – the graduation announcements alone are a good clue! – but as I looked at the milestones I hope to reach by the middle of 2016, it really hit me: that’s mere weeks away. I’ve got some work to do between now and then!

Overall, I feel good about my goals, but one is really falling short. I knew it was time to make some decisions, so I conducted what I call a Success Stoplight. It’s a simple but profound activity that I’d like to share with you.

First, take any goal you’ve set and write it at the top of your page.

Then, ask yourself 3 questions:

1. What do I need to START doing in order to achieve this goal?

2. What unhelpful habits or actions do I need to STOP doing?

3. What strong practices do I want to make sure I CONTINUE doing to ensure my success?

Brainstorm and jot down whatever comes to mind.

My list ended up quite long (read: overwhelming). Rather than unrealistically tell myself I could do it all, I thought honestly about what actions would make the greatest impact. I then chose just a few to implement, and made the commitment. I’ll share them with my coach for added accountability.

Not only do I now feel more in control and confident about achieving this goal, my energy and motivation have been re-invigorated, too.

Give this a try! You can write your lists out on paper or in your journal like I did, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive these types of tools in your in-box.

Select a meaningful goal, walk through the three questions, then choose just a few actions to implement. You’ll be more focused, clear, and confident as a result. Be sure to let me know how it goes!

What’s one of your stop/start/continue actions? Share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad is a certified and award-winning coach, author, and speaker.

A recognized leadership and professional development expert, Christi helps people live, work, and lead with meaning and purpose. 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 writes regularly for Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

Connect with Christi social media (see above) or by email.

Your YES List: What Matters Most

Christi Hegstad May 9th, 2016

“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”

Cal Newport

Coaching Tip for the Week:

What matters most to you?

When I work with coaching clients in areas like time and leadership, I often find them most challenged by prioritization. Perhaps you experience this, too: You look at your to-do list and everything is important.

Maybe so, but it’s not all equally important. You have to be able to weight things or you’ll live in a constant state of pressure and pull.

When it comes to big-picture life priorities, becoming clear on your top ones helps you realize you don’t need to worry about balance. As certain things take precedence, others can move down the list a bit, if only temporarily. You can decide with greater ease what to say ‘yes’ to and, naturally, what to say ‘no’ to as well.

Not only that, you can say that ‘no’ guilt-free, because you know you’re saying a greater yes as a result. (Raise your hand if that guilt-free part sounds appealing!) 😉

This week, determine your top five life priorities. Consider the major dimensions like health, career, family, spirituality, and so on. Ask yourself, given the place you’re at in life, what matters most right now? What truly needs your highest attention?

Consider those priorities your YES list.

And give yourself permission to focus more heavily on those areas for the moment. Eventually, you can transfer this strategy to your daily actions and to-do list (let me know if you need help), but for now, get your life priorities clear. Your calendar, mind, and sense of purpose will thank you!

Share your thoughts with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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 writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

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

5 Ways To Curb Overthinking

Christi Hegstad May 5th, 2016

This article was first published by the Des Moines Business Record.

Raise your hand if one of these sounds like you:

You type an email, edit and revise endlessly, debate for hours whether to click “send,” then end up storing it in your drafts folder for later.
You receive an exciting invitation but debate the pros and cons for so long that the opportunity passes.
You hear good news, and your mind immediately goes to the questions: What does this mean for your future? Your family? Your job? Every other possible contingency?
You leave a conversation unsettled, then for the next week think of dozens of things you could have said instead.

Thinking is good and, frankly, you can probably bring to mind a few people who would benefit from exercising a bit more thought. Overthinking, however, can undermine our self-confidence, diminish our decision-making ability and waste a lot of time.

As a former overthinker, I know this all too well.

Fortunately, you can curb overthinking and free up precious mental space for more productive things. Experiment with these five ideas for starters:

1. Take action.

Whenever I make a decision, I immediately take an action in favor of it – to show I’m serious, and to prevent the “buyer’s remorse” brand of overthinking. As Katty Kay and Claire Shipman write in “The Confidence Code,” action separates the timid from the bold. Be bold.

2. Set a timer.

You can do this both for the action — “I’ll give myself 15 minutes to compose and send this email” — and for overthinking itself — “I’ll let myself worry for the next 10 minutes, but then I’m done.” Sounds silly, but it works surprisingly well.

3. Dwell on success.

Conjure up a list, ideally on paper, of decisions you’ve made in the past that turned out well. Then, if you need to dwell, do so there rather than on the negatives and worries.

4. Practice improv.

If you’ve ever attended improvisational theater, you know that those performers are masters at not overthinking. What can you learn from them and adopt into your own processes? My personal favorite? The “Yes, and … ” principle. Google it or read an improv actor’s memoir. There are several terrific ones in bookstores right now.

5. Imagine all possible outcomes.

What’s the worst that could happen – and could you live with that? What’s the best that could happen – and how much do you want that? What will this action or decision mean to you next week, next month, five years from now?

Earlier, I referred to myself as a former overthinker, and most days that’s true. I also consider myself a recovering perfectionist, and those two things – overthinking and perfectionism – tend to go hand in hand. If you need professional support to curb your overthinking, don’t be afraid to reach out for it. But if it’s mostly just annoying and time-wasting, give a couple of these strategies a try.

Then spend all that extra time engaged in something meaningful, purposeful and difference-making – all great antidotes to overthinking as well!

Dr. Christi Hegstad is a certified executive and leadership coach, speaker, author and president of MAP Professional Development Inc. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Your New Definition Of Success

Christi Hegstad May 2nd, 2016

“It is she who listens to the rest of the world who fails, and it is she who has enough confidence to define success and failure for herself who succeeds.”

Sophia Amoruso

Coaching Tip for the Week:

On a scale from 1 to 10, how successful are you?

What’s your criteria for success?

If you define success by “society’s” standards, or by constantly comparing yourself to others, or by the endless streams of “shoulds” that are likely running through your head at any given moment, you probably ranked yourself fairly low on that scale.

On the other hand, if you have created a definition of success steeped in your values, purpose, and priorities, and if you’re doing what you can to honor them, you probably ranked quite a bit higher.

There is no one-size-fits-all definition of success, friends. What matters is what matters to YOU.

This week, create your own definition of success. Are you successful when your bank account reaches a certain number of digits or when you grace the cover of a popular magazine?

Or are you successful when you close out the day feeling like you made a positive difference? Or when you take a step in the direction of a goal that’s important to you? Or when you muster the courage to ask for the sale, ask for what you’re worth, or ask for help?

Decide what you consider successful, then strive for that. Your life, work, and leadership will feel much more meaningful as a result!

Share your thoughts with the MAP community on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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 writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

Connect with Christi on Facebook, Twitter (@DrChristiCoach), Instagram (@DrChristiCoach), or by email.

How Are You Practicing Self-Leadership?

Christi Hegstad April 25th, 2016

“Self-leadership always precedes team leadership.”

Michael Hyatt & Daniel Harkavy

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Have you ever heard the statement, “Do as I say, not as I do”?

How effective did you find it?

If we are to lead others – our teams, children, volunteer groups, and more – we must first be the leaders in our own lives. Another common statement, “Practice what you preach,” carries a lot of validity.

Our words don’t mean much if we’re not living them out.

This week, model leadership for others. Are you honoring your priorities? How could you model stronger leadership?

For example, consider the following:

Leaving the office at a reasonable hour to spend time with family, friends, or yourself.
Not responding to email during evening or weekend hours.
Closing your office door for periods of focused work.
Deciding what matters most, then giving it due attention.

No one expects perfection. By being the leader in your own work and life, however, you inspire those around you to do the same.

How will you model leadership this week?

Share your thoughts with the MAP community on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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 writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

Connect with Christi on Facebook, Twitter (@DrChristiCoach), Instagram (@DrChristiCoach), or by email.

Share your thoughts with the MAP community on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and 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 writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

Connect with Christi on Facebook, Twitter (@DrChristiCoach), Instagram (DrChristiHegstad), or by email.

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