Word-Of-the-Week #1067: Planning
January 30, 2025 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #1067: Planning
Planning – the process of deciding in detail how to do something before actually starting to do it.
How often do you think about your future? How easy is it for you to make plans?
This just in from, Steve Straus, author of STEVE’S 3-MINUTE COACHING, is a perfect follow-up to last week’s WOW.
Quote: Planning
(Quotes are capsules of information, reinforcement, or enlightenment.)
“Thinking seriously about the future can be a worthwhile exercise, not because the future is knowable but because the process is likely to make us wiser.”
Tim Harford – Economist
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower – General
“Plan beats no plan almost every time.”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin
Coaching Point: The process of planning is more important than the plan it produces.
Thinking about what we may want for a future outcome. Trying the future on to see how it fits. And how it attracts us.
Considering alternatives and options that could expand the future beyond our original thoughts. Attracting us even more.
The energy and clarity of purpose you radiate on your journey attract others to assist you.
Follow the advice of the above folks. You will have better, richer, and more satisfying outcomes.
“Plan beats no plan…”
“…not because the future is knowable…”
“…planning is indispensable.”
Do you know how easy it is to plan?
See all past issues and subscribe here Steve’s 3-Minute Coaching
Copyright © 2025 Steve Straus, All rights reserved.
This week’s focus is on planning. Have you ever failed or ran into problems because you didn’t have a plan? Would you like to have better, richer and more satisfying outcomes?
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Word-Of-the-Week #1066: Amaze
January 23, 2025 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #1066: Amaze
Amaze – to cause great wonder or astonishment.
When was the last time you felt great wonder or astonishment?
I am traveling this week and re-running this from, Steve Straus, author of STEVE’S 3-MINUTE COACHING, since I plan on being amazed!
Great Question: Amazes?
(Great questions lead to great answers; weak questions, weak ones.)
“What amazes me?”
Coaching Point: Children spend much of their time amazed. That’s because each day can be an introduction to something new, interesting, wonderful. For them there is a continual unfoldment of something they haven’t seen before, had no idea existed, and, well, amazes them.
And then they grow up. Adults busy in the routine of the routine.
Ah, but the delight of being amazed lies dormant in the heart of all adults, just waiting to blossom anew.
Why doesn’t it blossom? We forget to look. We’re busy on ‘more important things.’ We don’t remember the juice being amazed brings.
This is not to say we adults are never amazed, just that we’re amazed a whole lot less than when we were young, when the wide world was new to us.
What has recently amazed you?
See all past issues and subscribe here Steve’s 3-Minute Coaching
Copyright © 2025 Steve Straus, All rights reserved.
This week’s focus is amazement. How long has it been since you spent time in nature? Have you ever experienced the amazement of seeing migrating whales? Or flocks of migrating birds as they arrive at their destination?
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Word-Of-the-Week #1065: Acceptance
January 16, 2025 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #1065: Acceptance
Acceptance – approval or agreement with the situation.
Are you able to accept things you have no control over? Has worrying or fretting about a situation ever made it any better? Are you able to move through a problem situation quickly and find a solution if possible?
The word Acceptance is my mantra for 2025 and ironically last week I received this from Amy saying, “Your emails are always on point! Thank you for your wonderful insight. This is speaking to my plan for the year. I went to a networking event this week and they asked everyone to pick a word for the year. Mine was “Explore”! Time to put off making vacation plans for “the right time”. Just do it. As you perfectly stated there is no Someday in the week.
Thank you for continuing to be inspiring and thought provoking.”
The key to acceptance is taking responsibility and being accountable when it warrants it. It is not about passing the blame to someone else and/or playing the victim. Some things are out of our control. Like aging! It is just part of life, and I am accepting that there are things I can no long do…and just don’t want to do!
And on a sadder note, the wildfires in LA are beyond devastating! We had one very near our home on Halloween that was vey scary. My heart goes out to all who have been affected.
This week I am going to share my favorite lines that have helped get me through and make me laugh instead of getting upset.
#1. “It is what it is.” – The phrase is not new. Although the origin is uncertain, it has been around for years. “It is what it is” has become the all-purpose alternative to the long-winded explanation.
#2. “Build a bridge and get over it.” – This quote came from Mary Ann, who was one of the Cookie Lee Consultants that I interviewed prior to speaking at their convention in 2004. This is particularly good for the whiners in your life!
#3. “Hakuna Matata” – If you saw Lion King then you know this one. It is a Swahili phrase that literally translated means, “there are no worries.” No problem. Or, as we say in California, “No problema.”
#4. “This too shall pass.” – Buddhist principle: Smile as abuse is hurled your way and this too shall pass.
#5. “Fagetaboutit” – pronounced FAH-get-about-it – This is a Mafia phrase and in English reads “Forget about it.” It is the ultimate line in every mafia movie or TV show that they all use which has multiple meanings. It can mean you will be forgiven. It can mean you won’t and will be killed. (Of course the person hearing it never knows which it means) It can mean whatever happened, happened. I covered for you. “You don’t owe me nothing.” It can mean you do owe me for the rest of your life, or you will be killed. (Of course the person hearing it never knows which it means)
This week focus on acceptance. How do you cope with situations out of your control? Do they cause you to worry, fret or lose sleep? Can you easily handle upsets and move through them?
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Word-Of-the-Week #1064: Someday
January 9, 2025 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #1064: Someday
Someday – at some unspecified time in the future.
Is there something you’ve wanted to do that you’ve been postponing? How would it feel to take action on what truly matters?
This week’s WOW from Sam Horn felt like a great start to the New Year!
ANECDOTE
Years ago, a woman came up to me at a conference and asked, “How did you come up with the title of your book ‘Someday is Not a Day in the Week?’”
I told her, “I’ve met so many people over the past few years who talked about what they were going to do… Someday.
Whether it was spend more time with family, take better care of themselves, or pursue a passion project… They told me they planned to do it when they’re not so busy, when their kids go off to college, when they retire, when they have more money, when things aren’t so crazy at work… Fill in the blank.
The problem? Someday often becomes never and the future isn’t guaranteed.
The longer we wait, the harder it becomes to take action on what truly matters.
Let’s stop waiting and start initiating! After all, you will never regret doing more of what puts the light on in your eyes, you will only regret not doing it sooner.
ACTION
- How about you? What is something you want to do that you’ve been postponing for “someday?”
- What is something – even something very small – that could fill your life with joy, purpose and meaning?
- You don’t have to quit your job or abandon your responsibilities, just pick one thing each week that gets you closer to a happier and healthier life.
This week’s focus is on someday. Are there any things that you’ve said you were going to do “someday?” How would it feel to make today the day you start initiating and stop waiting?
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Word-Of-the-Week #1063: Holidays
December 19, 2024 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #1063: Holidays
Holidays – that “special” time of year that brings joy and/or stress.
How do the holidays make you feel? Do you travel to be with your family? Do you spend time with family that lives out of town? Or do you leave town, so you don’t have to be around any of them?
Since we are “full on” in the Holiday Season, I am taking the liberty of running this past WOW. Long time subscriber John always makes me belly laugh when he replies to my WOW’s. This is what he wrote after my WOW on family.
“I recall a quote from an elderly Aunt of mine back in the 50′s that always stuck in my mind which occurred after a family “tiff” during the annual Thanksgiving family get-together many, many years ago.
Three members of the family were particularly known for getting on each others last nerve. During a particularly “animated discussion” my Aunt, who was known to enjoy her homemade Elderberry wine, stood up and proclaimed, “A toast to Thanksgiving, that special time of the year that we get together to remind us why we all moved apart.”
The saying goes, “You don’t get to pick your family, but you do get to pick your friends.” You may not be able to control their behavior, but you can control yours. You can either choose to not be reactive or to not be around them. My mother used to tell me to “ignore your brother” a lot. As I have gotten older, I am seriously questioning that statement. Is it in anyone’s best interest to ignore certain behavior? What message does that send?
This week’s focus is on the Holidays. Do they make you feel festive and/or joyous? Or do you feel stress? In a perfect world what could you do to make them more joyful? What behavior could you change to reduce your stress?
And just for a little FUN, stressed spelled backwards is desserts! Maybe you need more of those. Here’s to having a wonderful Holiday Season! And I am taking off the next two weeks, so I’ll catch next year.
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