Re-Fueling Your Watered-Down Life

Christi Hegstad March 27th, 2015

“I spent the afternoon with my young daughter,” a new client recently shared. “I was so looking forward to that time together, but you know what happened? I spent the whole time worried about an upcoming deadline at work, checking my emails for a school update I was expecting, wondering what I’d make for dinner, and a bunch of other stuff.

“I was with my daughter, but I wasn’t really with her – and I was so sad about that at the end of the day.”

Can you relate?

This quarter, the ASPIRE Success Club has delved deep into topics of purpose, priorities, and how we spend our time. For many, focus often seems a luxury we simply cannot attain due to distractions, multitasking, competing expectations, and never-ending, multi-page to-do list.

The result? Your body is here, your mind is there, and – as Kipling might say – never the twain shall meet.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Stephan Rechtschaffen, physician and co-founder of the Omega Institute in New York. He described this experience of being in one role (i.e., work) and thinking about another (i.e., the kids) as a leading cause of ‘time poverty’ – the feeling that we never have enough time, and we’re rarely fully present in any activity. Aside from feelings of frustration and overwhelm, time poverty can lead to health issues, relationship struggles, and more.

One of our ASPIRE members phrased it this way: “I don’t want to be multitasking and spreading myself so thin. I want to live at full-strength rather than being a watered-down version of myself!“

Brilliant!

Do you feel like you’re treading in a watered-down life? Here are a few questions to ask yourself in service of a full-strength version of you:

What could I do first thing in the morning to start my day off positively?
When do I feel “in the zone” and how could I feel that way more often?
How could I bring a stronger sense of purpose to my work each day?
Whom do I admire for her/his focus, strength, or priorities? (Hint: Invite that person out for coffee!)
How might I help someone else experience more focus or intention?
What matters most to me? How can I honor that this week?

COACH CHRISTI’S CHALLENGE: In the next few days, commit to 3 intentional moments of fully-engaged presence. Set up a meeting with your overwhelmed team member and focus 100% on the conversation. Take your child to the park, power down your phone, and hop on the swings with him. Wake up 10 minutes early and fully savor a quiet cup of coffee or tea before the bustle of the day begins.

After each intentional, mindful moment, make note of the experience. The more you can bring these moments into your workday and life, the more “filled up” you will feel.

And you might just find that your full-strength life isn’t just a dream, but a reality that you create – by design, with intention – moment by moment by meaningful moment.

How will you ensure you’re living a full-strength life and not some watered-down version? 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.

Focus, Purpose, Priorities: Keys To An Extraordinary Career and Life

Christi Hegstad March 13th, 2015

At age 18, after attending a seminar by personal development leader Jim Rohn, Don Hobbs felt his world open up. Transformed by this experience, Don dove into the field, absorbed every personal growth book he could find, and began working with Rohn himself – eventually becoming the President of Jim Rohn Productions.

Now the executive vice president of Empire Builders, Don tours the country leading seminars based on the book, The One Thing. The ASPIRE Success Club recently learned from Don firsthand about focus, purpose, priorities, and other keys to success. Just a few of his many tips:

1. Dedicate time to your top priority role.

Just like a master violinist must put in hours of practice or an elite runner sets aside time each day for exercise, so must each of us designate time to that which matters most to us. First, decide what matters most, then schedule focused time on your calendar for it.

Whether your top role is musician, CEO, teacher, mom, or something else entirely, decide and dedicate. “Focus on what’s going to move your ball forward in whatever court it’s in,” says Don.

2. Clarify your purpose.

“Why am I here?” – a question that can sometimes keep us up at night – is an important one. If we don’t know why we’re here, Don suggests, how do we know what activities to pursue or where to invest our precious time?

By understanding your purpose, you can use it as a guide in making decisions for your future as well as in your everyday life. To start, Don suggests searching within: What did you love to do as a child? What do you enjoy so much you’d do it for free? How can you become more childlike – curious, open, wild sense of possibility – in order to explore possibilities?

3. Create your bunker.

Reserving time for purposeful activity within your top priority role can be easy on paper, but honoring that time isn’t always as easy. Then again, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we make it.

A “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, turning off email and social media notifications for a period of time, and educating others of our boundaries can help us protect our focus time. And focus is the key: “Whenever we try to do more than one thing at a time, we are less effective,” says Don.

I have pages of notes from Don, both from our interview and from his seminar I attended a few months ago with several ASPIRE members, and one line continues to stand out for me: “We are much bigger than we live.” We are designed for greatness, to make a powerful difference in the world, to speak our truth and to act boldly. As Marianne Williamson beautifully wrote, “We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”

How can you live, work, and lead bigger this week? What action will you take to enhance your focus, honor your priorities, and work with purpose?

Learn more about Don Hobbs here – and explore the site for more resources from The One Thing (Gary Keller with Jay Papasan, Bard Press, 2013).

Share your thoughts on Facebook or 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 Do Your Values Impact Your Leadership?

Christi Hegstad March 11th, 2015

This article was published by the Des Moines Business Record.

General Norman Schwarzkopf once famously described leadership as a “potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”

Strategy is often clear-cut: you inspire a vision, create goals, and execute the necessary tasks. You have a clear measuring stick and, while life and leadership are rarely black-and-white, you have a map with guideposts along the way.

Character, however, isn’t always so well-defined. Our values play a huge role and, if unidentified, you may often find yourself waffling, spinning your wheels, and making inconsistent decisions. On the flip side, clear values lead to clear actions – and powerful leadership.

Zhena Muzyka, founder of Zhena’s Gypsy Tea, seemed to know this early. As she vividly shares in her 2014 book Life By The Cup, she began her business out of necessity: a single mother to an infant son with medical issues, she needed a way to pay for his healthcare. She blended her passion for tea, her desire to care for her family, and her core values to form an enterprise.

Zhena experienced lean days familiar to many entrepreneurs. During those times, opportunities arose that perhaps would have significantly increased her revenue and business stature, but would also prove a slippery slope with regard to her values. Time and time again Zhena chose in favor of her values, and now her business – as well as her integrity – thrive.

This book holds many insightful tips for the purposeful professional, including:

Reach out. So many of us “go it alone” or feel that as smart, capable people we should be able to figure everything out. I love that Zhena never pretended to have all the answers, or even most of the answers, but she held her vision high and reached out to others who did. “When we learn to ask for help,” she reminds us, “we allow others to participate in our life and invest in the relationship.” Rather than thinking of asking for help as a burden, we can actually view it as a gift.

Work with purpose. Zhena’s work is an obvious extension of her values and an expression of her purpose. She never waffled on those values, even when it would have been lucrative to do so. She also didn’t get “lost in the weeds” of the day-to-day tasks: “There is no higher purpose or honor in anyone’s life,” Muzyka writes, “than to serve and nourish others. May your days be filled with this knowing.”

Show up. As somewhat of an accidental entrepreneur myself, I can second Zhena’s suggestion that a big percentage of success is just showing up. Planning plays an important role, but at some point we need to dive in. Attend the meeting. Write the draft. Do the work rather than ruminate and overthink. One of my favorite lines in the entire book: “I was moving so fast that fear couldn’t catch me.”

This book unexpectedly snuck into my pile late last year and turned out to be one of my favorites of 2014. I am a full-fledged coffee lover but was even inspired in the beverage arena: I consumed more tea while reading Life By The Cup than the entire year prior! For a heartfelt glimpse into purposeful entrepreneurship, values-based leadership, and succeeding in meaningful work, grab a cup of tea and this book. You won’t be disappointed.

COACH’S CHALLENGE:

What are your 3 core values? If you cannot easily answer this question, conduct a values clarification. One route: Review a large list of values, highlighting those that matter most to you. Continue paring down until you’ve identified the three that resonate deeply with your core and that imbue your decisions, actions, and choices. Values clarification isn’t necessarily easy, but knowing those values makes decision-making (and nearly everything else) much easier.

Share your thoughts on Facebook or 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.

Life By The Cup: Ingredients for a Purpose-Filled Life of Bottomless Happiness and Limitless Success by Zhena Muzyka (Atria Books, 2014)

Why I Always Have A Coach

Christi Hegstad March 5th, 2015

I have hired countless coaches over the years.

I’ve worked with business coaches, marketing coaches, life coaches, writing coaches, and personal development coaches. I’ve hired coaches for the sole purpose of enhancing my own coaching skills. I have written checks for coaching that have made me gasp – and have always yielded an extraordinary return on my investment.

Coaching has been a significant part of my path for a long time.

(This photo shows me with my current coach, Nancy, when we were able to meet in person after nearly a year of working together.)

Many people ask me why, as a certified and experienced coach myself, I always have a coach. I could write a book in response to this question! But I will sum it up with three key words:

1. PERSPECTIVE. Sports give us great examples of how coaching can benefit everyone, even the best of the best. Michael Jordan, for instance, was an extraordinary basketball player. Most people would not claim that his coach for many years, Phil Jackson, was a better player; however, Jackson deftly pointed out Jordan’s areas for improvement and offered the objectivity and support that allowed Jordan to continually raise his game. We all need someone outside of our own heads to help us fulfill our potential.

2. INTEGRITY. Picture yourself visiting a dentist who admitted that he never saw a dentist himself. “I don’t believe in them enough to invest my time and money in them,” he might say, while expecting you to pay your bill and schedule your next appointment. What would you think? I can’t imagine encouraging others to invest in themselves through coaching if I’m not willing to make that same investment in myself. I believe in the power of coaching so much that I make it a priority for my own development, and I would question a coach that does not.

3. GROWTH. One thing about work and life: there is always room for improvement. You can probably recall a college professor who had all but checked out, using 30-year-old mimeographed handouts and teaching outdated information. Compare that to your favorite professor who always incorporated new research and current events into the lesson and made class come to life through stories. Growth is one of my core values, and coaching is one of the very best tools for expansive growth – both professionally and personally.

When you blend these benefits with the ongoing accountability a coach provides, you are limitless. Yes, at times I am scrambling the day before a session with my coach to fulfill the commitments I made during our previous meeting! 🙂 But the fact of the matter is, the accountability in that coaching partnership can mean the difference between “I am doing what I said I would do – it’s important” and “Eh, that can wait until next week/month/year.”

Corny but absolutely true: Coaching has changed my life. I am very self-motivated, but I can honestly say I have gone farther in my business with the support of coaches than I ever would have without them.

And that, in a nutshell, is why I always have a coach.

Do you have a coach? Share your thoughts on Facebook or 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.

Be A Leader = Keeper Of The Vision

Christi Hegstad March 2nd, 2015

“I discovered that the more I tried to exert power directly, the less powerful I became.”

Phil Jackson

Coaching Tip for the Week:

In his book Eleven Rings, legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson shares his top lessons for creating a championship team. The more he learned to scale back his ego and delegate to his team, the stronger they became.

“Paradoxically,” he writes, “this approach strengthened my [leadership] effectiveness because it freed me to focus on my job as keeper of the team’s vision.”

Consider your group environments: your work team, volunteer staff, family. Where are you pushing a “my way or the highway” mentality? What if you encouraged others to generate and act on ideas, create solutions, and propose new strategies?

This week, focus on developing the leaders around you. Practice coaching rather than telling. Truly lead rather than exert power. Be the keeper of the vision rather than the manager of detail.

You’ll strengthen the group, prompt innovation, and likely free up time and decrease stress in the process!

Share your thoughts on Facebook or 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.

12 Years In Business, 12 Things I Know Now That I Didn’t Know Then!

Christi Hegstad February 13th, 2015

If you had asked me 13 years ago if I’d ever become an entrepreneur, I would have laughed and admitted that I didn’t really know what that word meant. One year later – 12 years ago this week, in fact – MAP Inc. became an official business. Sometimes you just don’t know where your path will lead!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this meaningful work for a dozen years now and am thankful beyond measure to make a difference doing what I love. And while I definitely love celebrating the wins, the years haven’t been all “puppies and rainbows”! 🙂

Today I offer 12 of the approximately zillion lessons I have learned along the way. I am embarrassed by some of them, but if I help shorten your learning curve – or at least make you feel less alone in your own career path – sharing will be worth it!

12 Things I Know Now That I Didn’t Know Then!

1. Reach out for help. I carried the mindset of, “I am capable; I should be able to figure this out for myself” for far too long. Now I reach out much more quickly for help, advice, or even just a shoulder to lean on.

2. Let go of “shoulds.” I held back in several areas because of what I thought a professional, PhD, business owner “should” (or should not) do. Now I have basically removed the word “should” from my vocabulary and listen to my authenticity instead.

3. Attend inspiring events. I waited to attend big, motivating events because I felt I couldn’t afford them – or perhaps didn’t yet deserve them. When I finally attended one, with a significant price tag and that took me out of state for several days, it changed my entire business model and resulted in a breakthrough leap in revenue that year, too. Now I know the difference between investment and expense.

4. Hire a coach. This one act has transformed my business more than words can express. Coaching is definitely another example of an investment – sometimes so steep it makes me gasp when I write the check – but it’s my #1 professional development support and now I always have a coach!

5. Outsource. A wise mentor told me early on, “Do what you do best and outsource the rest.” I did that immediately in a couple of areas (e.g., accounting and website development) but held on too long to some other less-than-shining areas. Letting go of (presumed) control is difficult, but so liberating!

6. Ask stupid questions. I know, there’s no such thing, right? I bit my tongue too often rather than admitting I felt clueless. Now I ask questions constantly and have discovered that, almost always, someone else has the same question. Or at least they make me feel better by telling me so. 🙂

7. Say No. If I had to do it over, I would say No sooner to un-purposeful requests on my time or opportunities that didn’t truly match my strengths, values, and gifts. Now, I often call to mind Kate Winslet’s sentiment: “I wouldn’t dream of working on something that didn’t make my gut rumble and my heart want to explode.”

8. Say Yes. On the flip side, I would say Yes sooner to scary but exciting (and healthy) opportunities, to my gut, and to delight. Fortunately I gained excellent schooling in this with last year’s 42 Days Of Yes project and have changed my ways considerably!

9. Join a Mastermind group. For a long time, I actually didn’t know these existed, but once I joined I wondered how I managed without for so long. People focused intently on solving my challenges and helping me and my business grow, and for whom I can do the same in return – what’s not to love?

10. Trust myself. I suppose much of this comes with experience, but I sure doubted myself waaaaaay too much. I still have overthinking and self-questioning tendencies but I catch myself more quickly and have strategies for moving past them (see #1, #4, and #9 specifically!).

11. Stop reinventing the wheel. Creativity is one of my values and strengths, so starting something from scratch excites me. I’ve learned the value in building on what works, however, and in how repurposing can serve more people and make a stronger impact.

12. Lighten up. In an effort to be taken seriously, I became…well, serious. In some cases, really serious. Once I let my authentic personality (which is often ridiculously nonsensical) into my work, everything became a lot more joyful – and led to better business results, too.

I definitely don’t know it all and have learned a ton by trial and error. (At times, I wish I could have learned a little less this way…) 😉 But I am all about growth, so if lessons from my 12 years of business ownership help you become a better business owner or professional, feel free to learn from my experience!

What professional development lessons have you learned along the way? Share your thoughts on Facebook or 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.

Share your thoughts on Facebook or 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 I Do When I Lose Focus

Christi Hegstad January 25th, 2015

About 12 years ago, focus became a huge part of my life when I claimed it as my annual theme. Through decluttering my home, clarifying my mission, and a host of other actions, this theme of focus really tuned me in to what matters most and allowed me to more easily clear away the unnecessary and excess.

This month 3 years ago, I received an abrupt and, to be honest, very unwelcome reminder of the importance of focusing on what matters most.

My Mom died.

My Mom was an amazing person, bubbly and energetic and filled with a colorful zest for life. She was also very clear on her priorities and taught me, not through lecture but rather her actions, what mattered most to her. Just one of many gifts she gave me, our family, and this world.

For many reasons, my thoughts shift to focus this time of year. What truly matters most? Where do I want to invest my time and energy? What legacy do I want to create? On what do I need to focus?

For me, the answer always comes back to meaning and purpose. How can I create and give the most meaning from my work, and how can I live my most purposeful life? And I continually return to the same 3 focal points. Similar to Mary Kay Ash, a business mentor-from-afar of mine, the top of my list includes Faith, Family, and Meaningful Work.

While I could write another Ph.D. dissertation on each of these areas, here is what they mean to me in a nutshell, and I encourage you to reflect on what these areas mean for you, too:

FAITH. In three words: Meaning And Purpose. It’s what I’ve built my business around and what I constantly strive for in life. The main point here? It’s not about me. I am here to serve, to help others grow, to make a positive difference. I am not perfect, but I am trying my darndest to be a role model and servant leader to all who cross my path.

FAMILY. Whenever I do anything, one of my first thoughts is, how will this impact my husband and kiddos? And family extends beyond that: friends, long-distance relatives, your furry family members, your community, your people. Life and work are about relationships, and they are worth every ounce of time, energy, and care we can offer.

MEANINGFUL WORK. Folks, let’s be honest here: You likely work more than the average 2,000 hours each year. That’s a lot of your time – a lot of your life. Do what’s necessary to engage your strengths, make your difference, and bring meaning to your work. Know, with 100% certainty, that what you do matters.

Despite my best efforts, I lose focus from time to time. When that happens, I always come back to these 3 core life dimensions. Yes, I focus on my annual Bold Goals, my projects, and of course my ongoing attempt to be present in the moment. But I have created a life and career where, for the most part, all of those goals and projects and activities connect to my purpose, and to these 3 categories.

So, what needs your focus in 2015? Goals, projects, deadlines – yes. But underneath it all, at the core of who you are and everything you do, what do you need to focus on? What matters most?

I’m hooked on an Imagine Dragons song, I Bet My Life, and particularly this line: “Now I tell a single truth: There’s you in everything I do.” Wow, do I feel that way about my Mom. You can read more about her amazing legacy here.

May we all leave that kind of legacy and make that kind of impact. Live and work so that when others focus on the joys and highlights of their lives, YOU come to mind. I will strive to do the same.

Focus on what matters, my dear friends.

Live, work, and lead with no regrets.

Significance: Your Work Matters

Christi Hegstad January 19th, 2015

CLARITY KICKSTART: January 19, 2015

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Have you ever made a purchase from a cashier who obviously disliked his work?

On the flip side, have you ever purchased from a cashier who clearly loved what he was doing and went to extra measures to brighten your day?

Regardless of your title, role, pay level, or tasks, here is a universal truth: Your work matters. What you do – and the manner in which you do it – makes a difference.

This week, strive to be the best employee, business owner, volunteer, stay-at-home parent, or whatever your current profession. Conduct yourself as though your work matters, as though you have the power to brighten someone’s day or make a positive impact simply by the way you carry yourself today.

Because as Martin Luther King Jr. also wisely said, “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.”

Share your thoughts 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 develops strong, confident leaders, helping you flourish 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.

Making Work Meaningful

Christi Hegstad January 12th, 2015

CLARITY KICKSTART: January 12, 2015

“Although the enthusiasm, energy, and positive attitude of a good leader may not change the content of work, they certainly can make the context more meaningful.”

Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner

Coaching Tip for the Week:

How meaningful is your work?

“I enter data into a computer,” a burned-out workshop participant shared. “How can that possibly be meaningful?”

Here’s the deal, friends: Meaningful work isn’t something given to a designated few or awarded only with certain titles or roles.

You bring the meaning.

A great way to start: Bring your team together with the sole purpose of sharing stories of satisfied clients, values in action, ways they’ve experienced their work making a difference. Connect each person’s role to the “end user” to show how work matters.

I recently facilitated this type of discussion with a leadership team struggling with high turnover and even higher disengagement. As members started to share stories – making connections between what they do and how their clients’ lives improve as a result – the energy lift was palpable. They now begin staff meetings with someone sharing what I call a Meaningful Moment.

This week, bring meaning and purpose to work. Call to mind your own Meaningful Moments or, if you work with a team, do this as a group. Work is so much more enjoyable when you remember, vividly, that what you do matters.

Share your thoughts below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter!

LAST CHANCE to join the 2015 ASPIRE Success Club! Click here today!

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 develops strong, confident leaders, helping you flourish 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.

Intentional Imbalance: Your New Quest

Christi Hegstad January 5th, 2015

What does a “balanced life” mean to you?

What if I suggested you forget about balance and strive for imbalance instead?

Several years ago, around the time I started setting an annual theme, I listed my various life roles and was astounded by the sheer number of them. Seeing them on paper, I realized not all of those roles held the same level of importance to me. Mom and business owner were (and still are) among the top; others carried less weight.

I experienced a defining moment then:

What legacy do I want to leave?

What if, instead of spending time and energy in all of these roles all the time, I focused on the ones that matter most?

What if I intentionally imbalance my life in favor of meaning, purpose, and significance?

This week, as we embark on a new year, I encourage you to engage in a similar exercise. What matters most to you? What purpose are you here to fulfill? What legacy do you want to leave?

Then, intentionally imbalance your work and life in favor of meaning and purpose. Be o.k. with letting go of the trivial to focus on the important. Define your legacy, then bring it to life – and work.

Keller & Papasan’s book is the first we’ll study in the ASPIRE Success Club, starting next week! Click here today to join us!

Share your thoughts 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 develops strong, confident leaders, helping you flourish 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.

Then, intentionally imbalance your work and life in favor of meaning and purpose. Be o.k. with letting go of the trivial to focus on the important. Define your legacy, then bring it to life – and work.

Keller & Papasan’s book is the first we’ll study in the ASPIRE Success Club, starting next week! Click here today to join us!

Tag Archives: meaningful work