The Big Debate of Work-Life Balance

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The Big Debate of Work-Life Balance

There is a big debate about whether someone really can achieve work- life balance. I think it’s all in your perspective. How about you?

Work-life balance is not a destination; it’s not something that you achieve and then you are done. Instead, life balance is a series of adjustments that you make all through the day everyday that either move you toward or away from balance.

The key is to increase your awareness when making these decisions. Instead of making them instinctively, determine in the moment if the decision will move you toward balance.

Something as simple as being aware of the decisions you make and actions you take will naturally cause you to move more toward a life of balance.

So how about you? Do you think you can create life balance with your choices and actions?

To your success and happiness
Corinne McElroy

What about our personal core values?

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Core values and our natural strengths, for the most part, may not be something that we are aware of or ever really think about. We may hear about the core values of the companies we work for and may have even written up some for our own businesses.

What about our personal core values? 

For whatever reason a lot of the messages we hear throughout our lives are NOT about how to claim our power. We hear messages like, “don’t let your head get too big, that is egotistical, who do you think you are, don’t brag and quit being a show off…”

I know for myself personally the first time my coach asked me what my core values and natural strengths were, I had no idea. In fact, I was so frustrated with this question it even seemed I was refusing to claim what my core values or strengths were.  It took me months before I was willing to acknowledge them. I remember yelling at my coach and on one call even hung up on him. I was a tough client.

It has been a journey over the last 9 years to learn and explore, down to the core, who I am. I am still exploring.

I truly believe that the foundation to happiness, growth and success is understanding and acknowledging what gives us energy and fulfillment in our personal and business life.

Which is why I am introducing you to this formula:
Natural Strengths + Core Values x Purpose = Passion

What are you naturally talented at? Things that come so easily to you that you might not even notice them. Maybe they are things that others say about you.

“You are a great listener, numbers come easy to you, you are creative; etc… “

What are the things that give you fulfillment in your life? What puts a smile on your face? What gives you energy?

A purpose can be the purpose in the moment, the purpose in a goal, and yes, even the purpose in your life.

Are you ready to start exploring? Check in with yourself right now. Do you feel excited, nervous or maybe even a little desire to avoid? All are very natural feelings. Just know that if you were not ready you would not have read through this whole email!

Your coach and partner,
Corinne McElroy

 

 

Most Told Me I Was Crazy

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Most Told Me I Was Crazy 

I had a friend call me a while back and say “You did what many of us wanted to and didn’t.” This person honored me with their call because many believe it is impossible to follow and achieve a dream.

I started my business, Edge Of Change, a little over 8 years ago in a time when the financial economy in the USA was very uncertain. I had a very good job that many people told me I was crazy to leave. But I still followed my dream to be a business owner that could create and make a difference. I believed in myself so I did it. Have there been ups and downs along the way .. OH HELL Yeah! And, it is still my dream.

One year ago my husband and I sold 98% of everything we owned, got an RV and hit the road. I remember being so excited. I told everybody. Many were excited for me, and there were many that again thought we were crazy. One young woman’s response to me was “WOW, how irresponsible.” I thought to myself “Really, am I being irresponsible?” I had not thought about it that way at all and then I smiled and thought “GREAT!! I am ok with that”.

I have learned… Sometimes when we step out of the norm it seems a bit crazy but it is what is needed to create and achieve the impossible; or at least what others see as impossible.

I also learned it is much easier to do the impossible when you surround yourself with positive support and community.

So how about you? What is your impossible dream? What must you do to achieve your dream that others most likely will think is crazy?

I am asking you to question the impossible so you can achieve what you really want. 

It most likely won’t be as scary as it seems. Everything you’re worried about happening, won’t.

It might seem intimidating—putting yourself out there, taking the chance, doing something new, going all in, showing up, asking for help, connecting with strangers, and, ultimately, gambling your ego and everything you know to be true. There will be a lot of resistance that pulls you in other directions to stay small, curl up and stay comfortable.

You may ask yourself “Why make the effort when I do not have to?”

The thing about comfort zones, however, is that they’re only comfortable for so long. The longer you stay in them, the more uncomfortable they become. And sometimes, the best form of comfort comes in knowing that you don’t need it anymore.

I encourage you to find relief through uncertainty.

Welcome to the edge!

Corinne McElroy CPCC, ORSC

Procrastination-One of your Biggest Time Stealers

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Procrastination

Do you find yourself delaying (and delaying and delaying…) tasks that you should be concentrating on until your stress level skyrockets as they move from ‘need to do’ to ‘urgent’ to ‘emergency’? With such intense, last minute pressure it’s often difficult to do our best work.

Most of us experience procrastination in some form or another. It’s tempting to put off unpleasant tasks so we can focus on more enjoyable ones.  When procrastination becomes your default it can interfere not only with the job at hand, also your job, relationships, finances and more.

Procrastination is about more than putting things off to a future date, it’s about spending time performing tasks that create nothing of value for you or others.

The Fix

Set a timer for 30 minutes for you to concentrate on the one task you know you need to get done. After that time, reward yourself with a 5-10 minute break. Have a snack, go for a walk, listen to some music or meditate. Then, when the break is over, set the timer for 30 minutes of work. Repeat.

If you do not trust yourself to stick to the timer method find an integrity buddy; someone who can offer some good old (positive) peer pressure by checking in with you for informal status updates.

Sometimes just getting started is the hardest part. Once begun, an initially unpleasant seeming task can take on a different light.

Share below:  What do you do to set yourself up for success when you feel that nasty procrastination monster creeping in?

To your success and happiness
Corinne McElroy

What Makes a Meaningful Relationship?

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Brian Tracy said…“Eighty percent of life’s satisfaction comes from meaningful relationships.

Is it true? Is 80% of our life satisfaction, which to me translates to happiness and fulfillment, depending upon our meaningful relationships? With the emphasis on meaningful…

The more I think about this, the undeniable answer is YES… We have many relationships in our lives; the relationship we have with ourselves, the relationships we have at work, in our businesses, and in our social and personal lives. The environment we create around us is not just in the amount of messy paperwork we have on our desks, it is also in the relationships we have, who we surround ourselves with.

Do those relationships energize us or deplete us? This is a great question to be asking ourselves repeatedly through-out our lives.

As I took myself through the list of relationships it created other questions like: Why is this person in my life? What is the lesson that wants to be learned? Is there an undeserving request wanting to be fulfilled? I will be pondering that one for a while.

This can be a tough question to ask. For when we dig deep into our relationships, decisions will need to be made.

I can remember as a child my mother telling me to be careful who I hung out with. I listened even if I did not always heed the words. Now that I am older I have a higher understanding of what she was working on teaching me, and still, I do not always heed the words.

This reminds me of the movie Jerry Maguire where Jerry tells Dorothy “You complete me”. As humans we want, and need, that connection and at times we look to others to help us feel complete. I believe the power in the “meaningful” part of relationships is in the understanding that all relationships start with the relationship we have with ourselves, and then stem out from there. This is the key.

Share your thoughts below in the comments. Your share will help others.

To your success and happiness,

Corinne McElroy