Why Hire A Coach?

"Who exactly seeks out a Coach?....Winners who want even more out of life." -- Chicago Tribune 12/17/00

"Executives and HR managers know Coaching is the most potent tool for inducing positive personal change..."-- The Ivy Business Journal Sept-Oct 2000

"Once reserved for executives and professional athletes, personal coaches...are going mainstream." -- Christian Science Monitor 1/25/99

"Entrepreneurs...are hiring coaches to help guide them in everything from changing careers to starting a business to balancing work and family." -- Christian Science Monitor 1/25/99

"The hottest thing in management is the executive coach." -- Fortune 5/12/00

Are You Stressed Out?

Dear Friend,   "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ~Albert Einstein"   Have you ever been stressed out? I know for sure that I have been! Many of us suffer from some level of elevated stress in the course of our lives. Stress comes in many forms. It can be both positive and negative and can be one large issue or many smaller issues.    Stress is essentially a reaction to any change in our environment.   Let's break down the stress cycle: ·         An event occurs ·         We interpret the event ·         We generate feelings based upon our interpretation ·         We have behaviors based upon our feelings   When we are stressed what happens? When we are stressed we have physical, emotional and mental responses to this event or stressor.     Physically stress causes adrenalin to rushes through our body - which in the short term improves our vision and short term memory. Next, sugars and fat release into our bloodstream. Our heart jumps into action and pumps faster to provide more blood to our body. To allow more oxygen to enter our blood system our breathing increases. In preparation for action, our muscles tense and our sense of smell and hearing improve. In the short term stress can be good for us physically - providing us energy and increased awareness. Yet over the long term if we don't manage our stress our health (physical, mental and emotional) suffers.    Mentally and Emotionally The greatest source of stress is what we create for ourselves through patterns of negative thinking. Consider these six ways this manifests: 1.   Overgeneralization - seeing a specific event as a never ending pattern of defeat 2.   Hyper-focus - picking a specific detail and focusing on it exclusively 3.   Emotional Reasoning - assuming that your negative feelings reflect the way things really are 4.   Self-Blame - holding yourself responsible for something that isn't entirely in your control 5.   Helplessness - failing to see your choices 6.   Perfectionism - expecting too much from ourselves and others   While we may not be able to eliminate stress we must manage it for improvement of our physical, mental and emotional health. 10 Tips for Stress Management  1.  Exercise 2.  Deep Breathing 3.  Meditation 4.  Positive Thinking 5.  Yoga 6.  Sleep 7.  Laughter 8.  Talking with people who really listen to and understand you 9.  Recognizing your limits and accepting them 10. Mindfulness Make It Happen So now let's look at your life - can you identify some stressors in your life? What shows up on your list?   To give you a start: Some positive stressors might include: job promotion, marriage, birth of a child, move Some negative stressors might include: job loss, illness, move, This week take some time to identify stressors in your life and for each stressor see if you can create one way to manage it. Remember, that you may not be able to eliminate the stress, but you can manage it. Use the 10 Tips for Stress Management as a point of departure to create your own stress management plan. Next week we are going to talk more in-depth about the 10 Tips for Stress Management. If you have additional tips on reducing stress share them by sending an email to margaret@margaretpundmann.com and I'll include them (with your name if you desire) in next weeks article.

Blessings to you, Margaret.        P.S. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing this newsletter with them and invite them to subscribe! Direct them to www.MargaretPundmann.com where they can sign up.  Margaret Pundmann is a life and business coach, speaker, and author The Emerging Woman.

Do You Need to Amp Up Your Attitude?

Dear Friend,   No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the start, or sailed to an unchartered land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit. ~Helen Keller   Our attitude is the outer reflection of our inner life. Attitude is, largely, the lump sum of how and what we are feeling about the million things rumbling through our mind, body and spirit.   We get to choose what we feel. That's right - our feelings like our attitude are a choice. A decision we make repeatedly as we proceed through life.   Throughout our day, we face many situations which leave us with the ultimate question - how do I choose to feel about this person, place or circumstance? The decision we make in a snap second is what drives our attitude.   Appreciating the harmony of life without judgment is the hidden secret to a joyous attitude. The moment we step into a place of judgment or criticism we enter into defeating thoughts and feelings which ultimately crush our joy. When we wallow in what we do not have or what isn't working for us rather than focusing on our blessings (and we all have blessings) we again choose to be down rather than up!   Consider this story: A shoe factory sent two executives to a remote region of anunder-developed country to study the prospects for business expansion. One executive sent an email saying: "No opportunity for expansion - no one wears shoes." The other executive emails triumphantly: "They have no shoes - tremendous business opportunity."   Which executive are you?   Make It Happen   This week take time to choose your attitude. When faced with a difficult situation - make a decision to see the opportunity rather than the obstacle. When you are in the midst of adversity - consider the question, "What lesson am I to learn from this experience?" Remember your attitude is your choice! Amp it Up!

Blessings to you, Margaret.        P.S. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing this newsletter with them and invite them to subscribe! Direct them to www.MargaretPundmann.com where they can sign up.  Margaret Pundmann is a life and business coach, speaker, and author The Emerging Woman.

Happy Holidays!

Dear Friend,

In the past week we've had both Passover and Easter. My hope is that you

were able to take time away from the day-to-day and celebrate with loved

ones. The holidays provide such a wonderful opportunity to connect with

those who we love and cherish.

My heart is leaping for joy after a truly wonderful holiday. I'm sending you

blessings, love and peace.

All the best,

Margaret.

Are You a Motivator?

Dear Friend,   Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great. ~Mark Twain     Last week we discussed the notion of self - motivation. This week we are going to explore how to motivate those around us.   Motivation is extremely personalized. Therefore, what motivates one person is not guaranteed to motivate another. So as we seek to motivate others we need to explore what makes them tick. And perhaps the easiest way to find out is to ask your team directly what motivates them. Under your "Make It Happen" challenge for this week you will find four questions to help you tap into what motivates a particular individual.   While each individual is different there are some common tips that will lead you to strong and powerful leadership! Some strategies that will help you motivate those around you:   10 Tips To Be a Motivator Lead by example -When you talk the talk...make sure you walk the walk. Lead with a positive attitude - Remember Attitude is Everything! Consider the individual - Use the questions below to help you understand each individual on your team. Value your team - Show those around you that you care about and value them. Celebrate individual and team successes - Take time to celebrate together - it builds a sense of community. Be open to suggestions - Create an open environment where feedback is valued. Listen - Embrace open communication - ask questions and shut up! Explain the what and why of change - When change comes - take time to communicate with those on your team. Uncover new talents - Create an environment where people can try new things and showcase existing talents. Be authentic! - Who you are is why you became a manager - don't forget to be human and be yourself always!  Consider how you can use these 10 tips to be a leader for those around you. How can you integrate these tips into your leadership style? Make It Happen   Four questions to ask those you need to motivate: What would you like more of in your job? What would you like less of in your job? What motivates you to succeed? What can I do to help you succeed? Allow these questions to begin an open dialogue between you and your team members.   Over the next week focus on how you impact those around you. Take time to consciously be a motivator. If you are up for an extra challenge, select one of the 10 tips above to focus on over the next week!

Blessings to you!