May 2012
Vol 5, Issue 5
Creative Coaching Group
LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT
 the Creative Coaching Group newsletter

Dear ,

Jan CarleyWe get injected with spring clean-up fever around this time of year. The garage sales begin, our cars get a tuneup, we shake our rugs out, and declutter our closets. But what do we do about our mental clutter?  

 

Many of my clients have a huge amount of weighty stuff in their heads right now and consequently, they feel like their thinking processes have slowed down. They feel under the gun and yet for some reason are unable to think clearly. It is time for a mental "defrag"!  

 

Read my feature article below for some hints on how to mentally defrag and be sure to click here to register for my FREE teleseminar, DEFRAG YOUR LIFE IN 60 MINUTES, coming up on May 26th. Can't make the event live? Register anyway, and I will send you out the mp3 recording after the event.

 

To your brilliance! 

jan signature

Jan Carley  BA,CEC,PCC,

Your Possibility Coach 
 
Creative Coaching Group

604 873-1763  e: [email protected]   

Feature Article: Do you need some mental defragging?

defragging the brain Is there so much on your mind right now that you feel like your head might explode?

Have you noticed that your thinking is less sharp than it usually is? Does it feel like there is some dirt in your mental gas line? Are your mental processes not running at their optimum level? Sounds like it's time for a mental defrag!

 

We regularly defrag our computers to keep them running smoothly and to maintain optimum performance, so what about enhancing our minds? And no, I am not talking about some hallucinogenic mind-bending process here, simply a few easy steps to clear out some of the redundancies and other stuff that is exploding your head. You need to give yourself more RAM so you have space for the things that really matter, so you can move forward and create and live the life you want.

 

4 Easy Steps to Clearing and Creating some "Head Space"

 

1/ Recognize and Acknowledge when your mind is at full capacity

 

Recognize:

How do you know you need a mental "defrag"? There are usually lots of clues, although being the high achiever that I know you are, you are probably able to function at quite a high level even when mentally maxed out. The clues might be showing up in odd ways - perhaps you are forgetting things that you never normally would, maybe one of your closest friends or family members or staff member is prompted to ask you "Are you okay? That's not like you to miss that". You might be having trouble sleeping, OR, you might be having trouble staying awake. Perhaps there is a sense of internal panic that doesn't seem to be going away. Mental overload can cause a host of symptoms and behaviors. Think of a computer - when the memory gets full it immediately says "memory full"...and won't accept any more data. Unfortunately, we humans don't get that message quite so clearly. Usually it takes some out of character slip-up that flags our overloaded state - like perhaps driving out of your parking space with your cup of coffee still sitting on your car roof, or, leaving your teen waiting at the school for a ride 'cuz you completely forgot about the doctor appointment you were supposed to take her to. That's when you say, oh man, I think I am losing my mind! Okay, so now you know you need a defrag. Now what?

 

Acknowledge:

Once you have recognized your symptoms of mental overload it is time to simply acknowledge your state and say "that's ok". Don't try to resist the feelings, or ignore them. The first thing to understand is that you are not going crazy. You have simply run out of mental RAM. It is time to give yourself a break.

Grant yourself some perspective by writing a REALITY CHECK LIST. Take 5 minutes and write down all of the stuff that is on your mind. Everything that is happening in your life right now that might be taking up mental bandwidth. And I am talking here about the actual stuff you that is on your plate, not the things you would like to do. Things such as taking care of your ill Dad, helping your teen study for finals, getting your new business off the ground, supporting your friend through his chemo treatments, organizing your community fundraiser, project managing your house renos etc. Simply write the list. Calmly and dispassionately.

Then look at the list objectively.  Does it make sense, looking at the list you created of everything that is on your mind right now,  that you are on mental overload? Yes? I thought so.

Okay - now close your eyes and relax. Take three deep breaths right from the core of your belly. As you do that focus entirely on the Breath coming in and going out. Breathe in, Breathe out.

Repeat after me: I am fabulous. I am in control. I am simply out of mental RAM.

Time now to get offload, download, defrag.

 

 

2/ Get Defragging!

 

computer geekCall your Internal Geek Squad:

When my computer screen suddenly went "gray" the other day and odd symbols randomly danced all over the screen, I did what any smart gal of 2012 would do, I panicked and opened the yellow pages to find a computer geek to fix it. My pals at "Geeks on the Way" sped over and after an hour or 2 of mysterious punching of keys, managed to restore my computer to normal functionality. When you get into a state of mental overload, it is critical to make an appointment with your personal internal "geek squad". Believe it or not, you have experts within that you can access to easily "fix" your overloaded, tapped out mental state. Make the call! Until you decide you really have had enough and will go crazy if you continue as you are, then nothing will change.

 

Give yourself some head space:

Look at the Reality list you wrote in Step 1. Is there any piece on that list that is so urgent that if it is not attended to in the next 30 minutes, people will die? If there is, then stop reading this, and do that piece immediately! Nothing quite so life and death on your list? Great, you have now given yourself 30 minutes. That will be enough time to breathe, get centered, and do the Assess and Regrouping of Step 3. Set your timer now!

 

Before we get practical, we first need to clear some headspace and get back to centre. Because we are pressed for time here (lol) I recommend a few quick breathing techniques to bring you back to the present. Click here to download a free pdf with some quickie focusing techniques. 

 

3/ Assess and Park

 

When you look at that big list, what is the most important area on that list for you to attend to right now? Use your gut feel here, and look into your heart. For example, even though it is important to get your business in high gear, perhaps it feels more important to spend time at the hospital right now with your ailing dad and to be with your family. Having trouble deciding what's important? Enlist the support of a friend, to ask you questions around your choices. Decide on the main thing and put the rest in the parking lot. You will get to them, they have not gone away, however, you are choosing to stay focused on your most important stuff first. That is taking back control. Instantly you will be creating space in your mind. Stay present in this moment - the part you can control.

When you consciously CHOOSE to place your focus in a certain area, the frustration and angst of not being able to do everything else miraculously dissipates. The key word is "choose." You must actively, intentionally and consciously choose your focus and then stay present in that choice.

 

 

4/ Commit to Regular Maintenance

 

Remember the signs that indicated you were going down the road to mental overload. Tweak your world on an ongoing basis and create a new habit of downloading and offloading all things that are not absolutely necessary for you to take care of. Next time, before the oil light comes on, call your internal Geek Squad and start your mental defragging before your life's computer totally freezes up.  

 

Lightbulb of the Month

blue lightbulb

 "There were too many answers that needed to come from me. So I stopped. Everything. For one day, I just stopped. Didn't interview anybody. Or take any phone calls. Or return any emails. I stopped doing in order to return to the being of myself."  -  Oprah

Spring Coaching Special: A 90 minute "Mental Defrag" with Jan
Jan on a swing in the parkDo you need to gain some mental bandwidth and get some mental clarity? 
I am offering a super dooper Spring 90-minute Mental Defrag Coaching Special that'll blast open some space in your mind and focus you so you feel light, mentally sharp and totally set to swing high for the rest of 2012.   

  

SPRING SPECIAL 

 "MENTAL DEFRAG" COACHING INTENSIVE
WITH JAN CARLEY*

 90 min session  $159 (includes all taxes)   Value: $375 

*only 10 spots available for this special so make sure you book right away to avoid disappointment! 

email: [email protected] to book your defrag! 

  

About Jan Carley

Jan Carley is a Professional Certified Executive Coach credentialed with the International Coach Federation. Her com­pany, Creative Coaching Group, specializes in working with high-achieving individuals and teams to expand their possibilities, leverage their strengths, increase their capacity and focus their energies to leverage transformational success. Jan lives in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and is available for individual and team coaching, workshops, and speaking engagements worldwide. ICF logo

Contact Jan at 604 873-1763  email: [email protected]

    

Book cover 

Jan's popular book,
Harmony from the Inside Out - Creating and Living your Performance Potential is available for sale online at www.harmonyfromtheinsideout.com (Kindle format on sale through www.amazon.com
Also on sale in Vancouver, BC Canada: at Odin Books, W. Broadway at Spruce and Hager Books, West 41st in Kerrisdale.
Quick Links
Jan's Coaching Company Creative Coaching Group
Jan's work with BarbershoppersInner Coach of Barbershop
P.S.  Click here to register now for my free teleseminar, "DEFRAG YOUR LIFE IN 60 MINUTES"   Sat. May 26, 2012
If you would like to reprint any part of this ezine in your blog or newsletter, please feel free to do so as long as you include the following credit information: Jan Carley inspires possibilities by coaching from the "inside out." Sign up to receive the free 15 page report, 5 Ways to Instantly Focus for Harmony and Success, and receive a free subscription to Jan's monthly coaching e-newsletter, LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT.
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