Complete Overhaul or One Daily Change?

Christi Hegstad July 6th, 2015

“It’s not what we do every once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”

Tony Robbins

Coaching Tip for the Week:

I don’t know about you, but for years, whenever things would start feeling not-quite-right in my world, my first inclination was, “I need an overhaul.” Not changing one small thing, but instead drastically changing pretty much everything…

…and then getting completely overwhelmed and falling back into all my same old routines.

The all-or-nothing personality can be exhausting at times. 🙂

I’ve learned, however, that our greatest shifts and accomplishments typically arise not from massive overhauls, but from small, consistent changes over time. Change something you do daily, and you change the entire course of your work and life.

This week, commit to *one* small shift – and do it every day this week. Decide to wake up 10 minutes earlier and spend that time reading something uplifting.

Choose to write one page every day of that book that’s been swirling around in your mind for years.

Resolve to sincerely compliment an employee or colleague every single day this week rather than just thinking about it.

To what small shift will you commit this week? Share your thoughts with me below, on Facebook, or via Twitter for added accountability!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

3 Authors Who Helped Shape My Business

Christi Hegstad July 2nd, 2015

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

About 13 years ago when I made the decision to start a business, I knew I needed to reach out to experts, small business resources, and other entrepreneurs. Before making those important connections, however, I turned to books. Not so much for business expertise, but to help me refine what exactly I intended to do and for whom.

Several of my executive coaching clients have asked what books helped shape my business in those early years and beyond. Three authors quickly come to mind and, along with them, a one-word summary of what I took away from their work:

Stephen Covey

While most known for The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it was his later book, First Things First, that proved an even bigger game-changer for me. With this book’s guidance, I wrote my personal mission statement, clearly defined my values and priorities, and made the conscious decision to design my business – and my life – around what matters most. Covey’s approach to personal leadership and time management have truly stood the test of time.

One-Word Summary: Values

Favorite Line: “Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic.”

Also Recommended: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, Principle-Centered Leadership.

Marcus Buckingham

When marketing experts talk about raving fans, I would qualify as one of Marcus Buckingham’s. I’ve led book club discussions around his work, purchased his Strengths Essentials Kits and other products, and invested in coaching from his company. Now, Discover Your Strengths reiterates that when we focus on strengths, we become more productive, heighten our engagement, and are able to flourish with meaning and purpose.

One-Word Summary: Strengths

Favorite Line: “Look inside yourself, try to identify your strongest threads, reinforce them with practice and learning, and then either find or carve out a role that draws on those strengths every day. When you do, you will be more productive, more fulfilled, and more successful.”

Also Recommended: First, Break All The Rules; Go Put Your Strengths To Work; Find Your Strongest Life.

Mary Kay Ash

My first introduction to Mary Kay came at a young age when my mom sold the products; I can still picture Mom’s pink notepad with “The 6 Most Important Things I Must Do” at the top of each page. What I appreciate most about Mary Kay – and what she lays out beautifully inThe Mary Kay Way – is her clarity and focus on priorities, not only for herself but for her entire company. Personally and in her business, she defined her top three priorities as 1) God, 2) Family, and 3) Career – in that order, without question.

One-Word Summary: Priorities

Favorite Line: “Whenever I meet someone, I try to imagine him or her wearing an invisible sign that says, ‘Make me feel important.’”

Also Recommended: More Than A Pink Cadillac by Jim Underwood; any of Mary Kay’s early material.

COACH’S CHALLENGE:

Choose your leadership legacy. If you wrote a book, what would the “one-word summary” be? What word or phrase do you want to come to mind when people think of you?

Decide how you want to be remembered as a leader – what I call your leadership legacy. Then, intentionally start living, working, and leading in alignment with your legacy.

Remember: You choose your leadership legacy by how you choose to lead each and every day.

What’s your leadership legacy word or one-word summary? Share in the comments below!

Dr. Christi Hegstad develops strong, confident leaders who make a meaningful difference. Learn more about her coaching work at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MAPIncFan, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/DrChristiCoach.

First Things First by Stephen Covey, A. Roger Merrill, & Rebecca R. Merrill (Free Press, 1994); Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton (Free Press, 2001); The Mary Kay Way by Mary Kay Ash (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Surround Yourself With Greatness

Christi Hegstad June 29th, 2015

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Attributed to Mark Twain

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Last week, the ASPIRE Success Club held its annual Garden Party. As each member stood to address the group, a common theme emerged: through ASPIRE, they have found themselves enmeshed in a community of people who believe in, support, and encourage their Big Dreams and Bold Goals.

For some, this is the first experience they’ve ever had with such an unconditionally helpful community. It’s also one of the reasons many of them are achieving goals that they never have before, too.

This week, find and connect with great people. Intentionally seek out those who express positivity, kindness, and a desire to grow.

One of the best ways to do this? Be that person. Offer a supportive word, congratulate a colleague on a bold action she took, ask a new coworker how you might help him.

Like a magnet, you’ll find that great people are drawn to your positive, kind, encouraging persona, and you’ll place yourself in situations that attract like-minded souls.

If it’s true that we’re most like the people with whom we spend the most time, then we better choose wisely!

What do you think? Leave me a comment below or share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Tap Less, Yap More

Christi Hegstad June 22nd, 2015

“Stop tapping and start yapping.”

Simon T. Bailey

Coaching Tip for the Week:

I spent this past week at our annual coaching conference in Kansas City. During the opening keynote, Bailey shared the above line to highlight the fact that people spend waaaay too much time doing business by email and encouraged us to type less and talk more.

Being immersed in a conference was a ripe opportunity for me to do that. I set an intention to be fully present and engaged, and barely turned on my computer the entire time. As a result, the level of connection I experienced was extraordinary – and would not have occurred if I was continually checking email or scanning social media.

This week, truly connect – beyond via the internet. A client has a quick question? Step away from the keyboard and give her a call instead.

An employee is experiencing challenges? Take him out for coffee.

Your child has some free time? Turn off the computer and phone and savor the moment. 🙂

Email can serve as a great time-saver and documentation support, but it cannot replace real conversation. Focus on the power of true connection this week, and you might just find it actually saves you time while strengthening relationships more quickly than an email ever could.

What do you think – do we spend too much time on screens and not enough in real conversation? Leave me a comment below or share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

When You Hit The Wall

Christi Hegstad June 14th, 2015

“Adversity causes some people to break; others to break records.”

William A. Ward

Coaching Tip for the Week:

I’m working on a project this year that is near and dear to my heart, meaningful, and exciting. Even with all that, about a month ago I felt like I hit a wall. No matter what I did, it seemed I just could not progress.

I had moments of doubt: Is it not the right time for this project? Is it not the right project? Am I not the right person for it?

I decided to change my scenery and gain some focus, which I wrote about here. What a difference that day made! I glided past the wall and am now on the home stretch.

OK, maybe “awkwardly hurdled” is a more accurate description, but either way, that wall is behind me!

This week, change your scenery. If a work project has you stumped, take your laptop to a garden or coffee shop or beach.

If you’re perplexed by a goal that was going smoothly and now seems to have stalled, grab your journal and head for a park bench or a nature trail.

If a relationship needs a boost, invite that person for a walk by the ocean or near the corn fields or whatever beauty surrounds you.

Don’t let a sticking point keep you stuck. Sometimes a small step – like a little change of scenery – is all you need to unblock the flow!

How will you glide over (or awkwardly hurdle) your wall? Leave me a comment below or share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

3 Ways To Grow Your Career This Summer

Christi Hegstad June 11th, 2015

If someone comes to your house this time of year, are they likely to find you in the garden? We are beginning to enjoy some of the early vegetables from ours. I always anxiously await that first ripe tomato, fresh off the vine. Little compares to that naturally sweet treat!

While the hot summer sun often encourages a slower pace, don’t assume your career or business must lie dormant for the next three months. Last July – the month typically known for vacations – proved the most fruitful of the year for several of my clients! They approached the month with purpose and intention and yielded terrific results – while also having plenty of time to sip lemonade on the back porch.

Regardless of the seasonal cycles of your line of work, summer is an ideal time to grow your career. Here are three ways to plant the seeds for meaning, purpose, and inspiration:

1. Watch TED Talks.

The best ideas from some of the best minds in less than 20 minutes! I often flip these on while making dinner, folding laundry, or when I arrive early to a meeting. Visit www.TED.com and search topics or thought leaders of interest. A few of my favorites:Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe by Simon Sinek, The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain, The Happy Secret To Better Work by Shawn Achor, and a recent find, How To Fix A Broken School by Linda Cliatt-Wayman.

2. Read books.

Many of my friends and colleagues like nothing better than lounging on a summer day with a powerful, thought-provoking book (or, periodically, a don’t-make-me-think one). Although asking me my favorite book will leave me flustered for days ;-), three have truly helped shape me and my business. You can read about them in my recent article for the Des Moines Business Record (click here).

3. Plan your growth.

Just like a well-cared-for garden will likely produce more than one that’s left to its own devices, an intentional career will flourish more quickly and seamlessly as well. Start by prioritizing your day and blocking time for that which matters most. If you want help with this (as well as access to the signature planning / tracking tools I have used for years), join us for our upcoming session, Run Your Day (So It Doesn’t Run You!). Click here for details and to enroll.

And I wasn’t kidding about that time on the back porch with a frosty lemonade. While the “lazy, hazy days of summer” might seem an enigma, you definitely need some downtime to replenish and refresh. Plant your seeds for growth, nurture as needed, and prepare to reap a bountiful harvest!

To your meaningful career and purposeful life!

~ Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator

How will you grow your career or business this summer? Leave me a comment below or share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

How To Set The Tone For Your Day

Christi Hegstad June 8th, 2015

“My life didn’t change, even though I wanted it to, until I made changes to how I approached my day.”

Jennifer Remling & Joe Remling

Coaching Tip for the Week:

In workshops, I often ask how many people arrive to work and check email first thing. Usually about 95% of hands go up.

Lately, more people share that they check email before even getting out of bed.

How you start your day sets the tone for your day. If you begin it in ways (like email) that allow others to dictate what fills your mind first, you kick off the day in reactive mode.

Essentially, you are letting others a) decide what matters most and b) set the tone of your day for you.

My life and work changed dramatically when I began my mornings intentionally, which I’ve written about before (see here and here, for example). How do you approach your day? Do you start the day feeling behind, or do you decide who and how you will be before letting other voices or demands influence you?

This week, start your day purposefully. Decide today what you will do first thing upon waking – and/or upon entering your office – tomorrow.

Some of my clients write in a journal, exercise, read something inspirational or spiritual, practice gratitude, or review their Vision and Mission Statements. What sounds intriguing to you?

Commit to your new routine for the rest of the week and see how it changes your perspective, mood, and productivity.

Be sure to let me know what you discover – share your thoughts with me on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Taking A Personal Focus Day

Christi Hegstad June 4th, 2015

In coaching calls lately, the topic of “permission” has come up rather frequently. Many times my clients are very clear on what they most need or want to do, they simply need to give themselves permission to actually do it. This is especially the case if their idea goes against the grain.

I am not immune to this need. For a while, I’ve felt the need for a day free of engagements and responsibilities in order to re-clarify my vision, re-focus on my goals, and invite a fresh burst of energy into my work and life. One day last month, I gave myself permission to take this Focus Day. The photos accompanying this post highlight just a few of the ways I spent this time.

You might be thinking, “An entire day off? I wish! I just don’t have time for that.” Believe me, I hear you. But I decided to make time for it, and set the intention that it would yield benefits that outweighed the challenge of stepping away from my business for the day.

My Focus Day more than rewarded me for this effort. A few of the many benefits I experienced:

Breakthrough. I had been tackling a challenge for quite some time but, despite my best efforts, not making much headway. I began my day with journaling in a new setting, and this change of scenery prompted a massive unlocking: I realized why I was struggling and also generated several solutions to move forward. That in and of itself made Focus Day worth it!

Rejuvenation. We all work hard and have many demands placed on us each and every day. One of my Focus Day requirements was completely unplugging: no laptop, no social media, and abundant time in places that feed my soul. I found myself simultaneously soothed and energized.

Continuation Of The World Turning. I say this somewhat facetiously, but the reminder is important. Along with all those aforementioned demands, don’t you feel like you must continually take care of them immediately? On Focus Day, I put nearly everything on hold and, lo and behold, the world kept on spinning just fine.

Increased Presence. Ram Dass wrote a book titled Be Here Now. Though I try, I’m not always here now: I’m often thinking about an upcoming meeting or who needs to be where and when or 5 million other thoughts. On this day, I consciously chose to be very in the moment and, though I’m far from perfect, I’ve found myself able to sustain that much better since Focus Day.

Energy yet calm. Rejuvenation yet stillness. Affirmation for where I am yet prompts for change for the future. Focus Day seemed to be an experience of opposites that balanced themselves beautifully.

Many thought leaders recommend taking a day like this every month. When I asked on my Facebook page how friends would spend such a day, they shared not only a number of fantastic ideas, but also the sentiment that they hadn’t had such a day for themselves in months – or even years. Which is why I feel the urge to blog about this experience.

Taking an entire day off was not easy: it required advance planning, handing over the reins of some important tasks to others, and a fair amount of preparation. But I can honestly say it was worth it, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

If you haven’t experienced such a day in a while, I strongly encourage you to do so. Spend some time in advance choosing how you want the day to look – in part so you don’t spend precious Focus Day time trying to decide, but also because the anticipation leading up to it will fuel you!

Reflect on your purpose for the day. Is it to clarify and re-focus your attention on what matters most, as mine was? To relax? To shift to a new mindset for the next chapter of your work or life?

If you, like me and so many others, feel you need permission to take a personal Focus Day, you can consider this article permission…but remember, the greatest permission comes from you.

Let me know what you experience from your day! We can chat about it on Facebook and Twitter.

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Your Moment-By-Moment Purpose

Christi Hegstad June 1st, 2015

“You can be a passenger or a driver, a victim or a participant, a pawn or a player. You choose. Not once and for all, but in each moment of your precious life.”

Rick Carson

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Years ago, when I first read this line in Carson’s book, Taming Your Gremlin, it kind of smacked me in the face. I was well aware by that point what I wanted my life to stand for, what my values were, and that I got to choose who and how I wanted to be in this world.

But it hadn’t dawned on me that I got to make that choice every single moment.

For example, you can’t just say, “I want to be a positive person” and leave it at that, assuming that big overarching statement will take care of itself. You need to choose the positive in every interaction, with every piece of writing, in every conversation.

This moment-by-moment opportunity actually makes living your purpose much easier.

This week, choose one and live it. What I mean by this is, look at your core values. Reflect on your purpose. Consider your leadership legacy, what you want people to think of you long after you’re gone.

Choose just one quality and make the conscious effort to live, work, and lead by it this week.

If that quality is strength, ask yourself, “How can I be strong in this moment?”

If the quality you choose is optimism, ask yourself, “What’s the most optimistic response to this situation?”

If your chosen quality is truth, ask yourself, “How can I speak my truth right now?”

Your purpose isn’t something “out there” that you strive for, it’s something you express with every moment.

If you choose.

Share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

“Not My Problem”: Time To Turn Away, Or Roll Up Your Sleeves?

Christi Hegstad May 25th, 2015

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

Fred Rogers

Coaching Tip for the Week:

How many times have you seen a story on the news or heard a colleague share an ongoing challenge and thought, “Someone should do something?”

How often do you remind yourself that you are someone?

We live in an amazing world, but not a perfect one. Opportunities for making a positive difference exist everywhere we turn.

This is a great responsibility, and also a great blessing. And, as I often need to remind the leaders I coach, you don’t need to go it alone. Other heroes may be just waiting for you to reach out to them to help you change the world.

This week, be someone that does something. If an issue comes up at work that you can help solve, take the initiative – even if it’s “not your job.”

If you see someone in need of help, offer your assistance.

If you hear about a charitable opportunity that tugs at your heartstrings, participate or spread the word or donate.

As Gandhi so sagely advised, be the change you wish to see in the world.

Share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Twitter!

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?

Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.

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

Connect with Christi on Facebook and Twitter.

Category Archives: Uncategorized