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April 4, 2011
It's About Time.....
 
Welcome to my 'Not-So-Monthly' newsletter! Thank you for being part of my community. If you enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to share it with others. Simply hit the 'forward' link at the very bottom of this newsletter or you can also do that 'social' thing and hit any of the buttons at the top (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin). And as always, please feel free to reach out and get in touch with me. 
  
Ahh, spring has sprung. I hear the birds, see bits of tree buds poking their way into the world and I'm starting to feel a sense of renewal after a pretty long winter. I love this season!
  
A few weeks ago, we changed our clocks by an hour ("spring ahead"). Just days into the first week, my friend exclaimed on her facebook page: "I want my hour back!" She felt cheated of an hour sleep. I get that. But on the flip side, I loved getting that extra hour of light at the end of day.
  
So I wonder.....Did we lose an hour or gain an hour? I guess it's up to each of us to decide. That's a funny thing about time:  It's got both a concrete, finite quality to it and it's got a subjective element too. We all get the same allotment: 24 hours in a day; 7 times a week, etc,. But how we perceive and 'be' in our time is unique to each individual. Most people I know feel time-pressed, because of all that we do and the myriad of demands on our time. As I've said before in at least one blog post - we have become 'human-doings' in the busy-ness of our lives.
  
I coach a lot of clients on issues related to time management. But  we don't really manage time do we? We manage ourselves. Our choices, our attitudes and how we navigate the myriad of opportunities, challenges, wants and needs within the bucket of time we have. We want it to work for us. To be meaningful. To be productive. And to leave us energized vs. depleted at the end of the day. Ahh...this is some of the stuff of TGIM (thank goodness it's Monday-Sunday) work + life coaching that I engage in -- both with my clients and for myself. And it involves a whole lot more than a simple accounting of hours. 
  
Since it has been awhile since my last newsletter sent in January - I knew it was about time to touch base again. In reflecting on this issue's theme, it was clear to me:
  
It is about time. Let's make it count.  
  
  

Warmly,

Eileen Chadnick, PCC, ACPC, ABC
Big Cheese Coaching and Chadnick Communications

10 "Timely" Questions For You:  

 

Here are a few questions to reflect on:

 

1) How much clarity do you have on where your time goes?

 

2) To what extent do you value your own time?

 

3) In what tangible ways do you demonstrate your respect of time to yourself? How about to others? 

 

4) How much clarity do you have on what your highest priorities are when it comes to spending your time and living your best life? Consider your obligations - as well as those wants & needs that would add meaning and fulfillment to your life.

 

5) How much 'time' are you giving those priorities? What is one small thing you can do to free up more time for these?

 

6) How do you plan your time? Where can you improve upon your planning?

 

7) To what extent do your organizational skills impact your time? How can you better manage yourself to give yourself 'more time' for things you want to do? 

 

8) Where do/can you say 'no' to protect your time? TIP! If you have difficulty saying 'no' - you can listen to my free Webinar (Are you Addicted to the Yes Habit).

 

9) If you had an extra hour a day - what would you do with it? How easy or hard was it for you to come up with the answer to this question?

 

10) Ask yourself (and be ruthlessly honest): How fulfilled am I with how I am spending my time? Choose a time-frame (e.g. this past year, months - or other). How do you feel and what might you want differently? How committed are you to make that change (even if you don't yet know how)?
 

Did any of these questions prompt any 'ahh hahs' for you? Or perhaps they invited more inquiry and personal reflection? Do you feel you could use more clarity on how you spend your time - and how you would like it to be different?  Perhaps crystalize your priorities and goals further? Explore strategies to actualize them? Find solutions to those 'time' challenges? Clarity is very empowering -- because with clarity (and commitment) you can plan/work towards more meaningful goals. Feel free to get in touch if you would like to explore how coaching can help you through this process. In the meantime, check out the article below -it's very inspiring! 

   

Worth a Read: One Daily Question That Will Keep Your Life From Stagnating.

I know a woman,Nora Dunn, who is a freelance writer/traveller and self described  "Professional Hobo". She used to be a Certified Financial Planner but decided she wasn't spending her 'time' (aka: Life) the way she wanted to. So she did what many people dream of. She packed up her bags, sold her belongings and for the last couple of years has been traveling and working around the world. In her blog, she writes about "One Daily Question That Will Keep Your Life From Stagnating." It's powerful stuff. You may not want to pack up your bags, sell your stuff  and travel the world - but the question can be applied to each and every one of us in our own daily lives. Check it out! 

  

 

Oh The Places You Will Go....

 

"Oh The Places You Will Go" is one of my favorite Dr Seuss books! I often get asked what I've been doing lately in my business -- aka, how do I spend my time? In addition to my coaching work and communications work, I have been spending quite some time lately doing a whole bunch of speaking/workshop/presentations. I post updates regularly on my TGIMworklife blog (see here). Here's a glimpse of a few of those places I have been as well as some upcoming workshops. 

  

 

COMING UP! ProjectWorld/BusinessAnalystWorld Conference (May 18-19): Coaching Skills for Leaders. See more detail here

Webinar - Giving Feedback that Fuels Success (still available!)  I received a ton of great feedback on my feedback webinar (s'cuse the pun!) hosted by CICA. No worries if you missed it - you can still register and listen to the recording (free). Click here for the Feedback Webinar. You can also listen to past Webinars - click here for the archived recordings.

IPAC Leadership Conference (Feb 2011): Emotional Intelligence for Leaders in the Public Sector. See program details here.    
  
 
AFOA National Conference (Feb 2011): Emotional Intelligence for First Nation Leaders. See program details here.

Schulich Alumni Program (Feb 2011):
Guest on Executive Coach Rountable for alumni and MBA students. See details here.  

IFCA Annual Conference (October 2010): TGIM Work-life!
Plenary speech for communications and marketing professionals in the insurance and financial services sector

Ontario-based Community College: Coaching Skills For Managers (Sept/Nov 2010, April 2011):
A half day workshop as part of a "Performance Development" full day focus for leaders at a local community college. Call for further detail.

Got a Question? Have Some Feedback? Want to Learn More?


I hope you found this newsletter a valuable use of your precious time. I welcome feedback and comments and would also like to hear about the topics you are interested in. If you are new to this newsletter - please visit my blog where you can see past issues (click here for past issues) -- and other articles.

 

I hope you enjoy your Spring - and take the opportunity to reflect and ensure you are spending your time meaningfully, productively and unique to your TGIMworklife!

 

Best,

Eileen Chadnick, PCC, ACPC, ABC

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Also In This Issue...
10 Timely Questions For You
Oh The Places You Will Go!
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TGIM Woklife Blog
Unretired Life Blog

 

READ PAST ISSUES OF TGIM WORK-LIFE NEWS 

 

 

eileen


 

 


 

 

 

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