5 Strategies to Stand Up For Yourself

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU This Week's Topic: 5 Strategies to Stand Up For Yourself! Links Margaret's Website More About Margaret Coaching Teleclasses Margaret's Writing Margaret in the News Join Our Mailing List Join LinkedIn Network of Friends Link to Margaret's Blog In the News & Upcoming Events Welcome to our new subscribers! You inspire me to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank you for sharing this column with your friends around the world. Article in College Connection Magzine a publication of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Navigating change: a roadmap to independence" Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge How is your eight week challenge going? You are two weeks in ... six weeks to go! Questions to Take Your Success to the Next Level What are your successes? What is working? What isn't working? What adjustments do you need to make? How are you and your buddy best supporting each other? Take time to answer these questions to take your success forward another week and to the next level! This Week's Topic: 5 Strategies to Stand Up For Yourself Dear Friend, "The soul that is within me no man can degrade." ~Fredrick Douglas~ Do you have a hard time standing up for yourself? Do you continue to say 'yes' when you really want to say 'no'? Do you tolerate condescending comments or forceful people because you fear conflict? Do you take things personally? Then keep reading...this week is for you! This week, we are focusing on an area where many of us struggle - at work, at home, with family, with friends, with colleagues - standing up for ourselves! Standing up for yourself isn't about being right, it isn't about soothing your ego, and it isn't about dominating. What is standing up for yourself about? According to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, standing up for yourself is righting a "grave injustice." If your first inclination is, grave injustice, this isn't what is happening to me, read on. I want to expand on this - a grave injustice occurs when your voice is quashed, when your being is minimized, or your existence marginalized. Your being and your voice is a true gift from God. A gem for this world, and no one ... yes, no one has the right to minimize you. When we fail to stand up for ourselves, we teach our bosses, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, colleagues and friends we don't deserve to be heard. And, what they learn is one of two things: they can continue to press down upon us or worse yet, that they, too, don't deserve a voice. Let's look at 5 strategies to help you reconnect with your voice and stand up for yourself: 1) Strengthen Your Backbone The foundation or sturdiest part of anything is the backbone. How is your backbone? In order to know your backbone, you must know yourself. And to know yourself, is to accept yourself and value yourself. 2) Learn to Say No! Often saying 'no' to others is saying 'yes' to yourself. We need to reframe what no means to us. As children we are taught that no is a bad word, as adults we must learn that often saying no means holding firm to that which we most believe. 3) Draw Boundaries We each need personal boundaries around important activities in our life. Think about what is important to you that has slipped from your life. What are you not able to do for yourself because of others demands? Where necessary, draw boundaries around your activities and your time. 4) Stop Saying "I'm Sorry" Often we can fall into the trap of saying, "I'm sorry" to keep the peace and defer conflict. If you are in the wrong, of course apologize, however, if you aren't in the wrong hold off the apology. Saying nothing and allowing things to just be can help others realize the impact of their words and actions. 5) Hold Up a Mirror When someone continues to push down on you and minimize you and it becomes apparent your silence has no impact,you must speak up! As you speak up, state the facts and remove the emotion. As you begin to speak up, feel the power of your own voice. Hold up a mirror to those around you; let them clearly see the impact of their words and actions. If you aren't able to get through bring in a mediator. Make It Happen This week pay careful attention to how you treat those around you and how you are treated. Be watchful if you begin to minimize people in your life, change course immediately. On the corollary, observe how you are treated. Do you run from confrontation? Employ the 5 Strategies above to Stand Up for Yourself! Be proud and be strong! Own your power! To ensure you receive our newsletter each week, add Margaret@MargaretPundmann.com to your address book or your approved list of senders. 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 of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved.www.MargaretPundmann.com.

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11 Time Management Tips!

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU This Week's Topic: 11 Time Management Tips Links Margaret's Website More About Margaret Coaching Teleclasses Margaret's Writing Margaret in the News Join Our Mailing List Join LinkedIn Network of Friends Link to Margaret's Blog In the News & Upcoming Events Welcome to our new subscribers! You inspire me to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank you for sharing this column with your friends around the world. Article in College Connection Magzine a publication of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Navigating change: a roadmap to independence" Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge How is your eight week challenge going? What is working...what isn't? Make readjustments today! If you haven't started...Here is how you join in the challenge: Step 1: Decide what you are going to change, reshape, get rid of, or add to your life (This must be a specific, measurable goal. For example, increase sales by 20% vs. increase sales or increase GPA from 2.9 to 3.5 vs. increase GPA.) Step 2: Pick a coach who wants to support you. This can be a friend, family member or co-worker. Or if you would like, I would be honored to be your coach and partner - just email me at mp@margaretpundmann.com. Step 3: Pick a celebration of any type to reward yourself at the end. Step 4: Chunk it down. Break your goal into 8 pieces - for the 8 weeks of the challenge. Each Sunday/Monday you will put together a plan for that week. If you can't make the plan yourself - get a 'SME' - subject matter expert - who can advise you and help you develop a plan. Step 5: Go for it! Believe in yourself! Step 6: Share your journey with friends, family and your coach! This Week's Topic: 11 Time Management Tips Dear Friend, "Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life." ~Alan Lakein Time is a finite resource. Each day we have a limited number of hours and once they pass they are gone - regardless of how we used them. How we use our time and how we allocate our energy is a choice. Some days we get it right and other days we find that the day has passed, but we didn't accomplish all that we set out to do. This week I want to focus on eleven tips to help "get it right!" When we properly manage our time we actually achieve more while we have more free time. In so doing we have better control of our lives, meet deadlines and lead a more balanced, less stressful life. Use these 11 tips to help you master your time and therefore master your life. The Pareto Principle - the 80/20 Rule The 80/20 rule states that 80% of the effects come from just 20% of the causes. As it relates to time management, 80% of your measurable results and progress come from just 20% of the items on your daily to do list. Spend time where you get results! The problem is that we are all so busy fighting fires that we never get around to the most important few activities that lead to the greatest results. Take Time to Plan and Organize Set aside time each week and each month to get organized. Each year reevaluate your systems and see if they still support the most effective and efficient results. For example, are your files set up properly at work, do you have a place for your car keys at home ... critically reexamine your life and see what needs to be updated. Set and Review Goals Goals help us find direction and maintain focus. Set specific goals. Use the SMART method, developed by world renowned management consultant, Peter Drucker to 'stress' test your goals. Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Tough Consider Your Biological Prime Time Is it morning, afternoon evening when you are at your peak? As you schedule activities do the most important, most challenging tasks when you are at your best. Create a To-Do List Schedule daily tasks on your calendar so that you plan both the activity and the timing appropriately given your daily schedule. Allow time for interruptions in your schedule. Prioritize As you schedule your daily tasks consider what is the most important and when are you at your best. Think Effectiveness and Efficiency Effectiveness = identifying the right thing to do Efficiency = doing it right Practice Intelligent Neglect Learn what can wait. Identify those tasks that will not have long term consequences if you don't complete them. Use the Swiss Cheese Method The Swiss cheese method, developed by famous time management specialist Alan Lakein, is based upon the premise that you can begin important tasks even if you have only five minutes. When you are avoiding something, try to break the task into smaller pieces, set a time to complete each piece, and work on putting together all the pieces to complete the task. Review Your Progress - Use the "5 minute Rule" At the beginning of each day take 5 minutes to ease into your day. Take time to plan your day and create a priortized to-do list. At the end of each day recap and review your day this will help you to make necessary adjustments to your schedule immediately. Be Flexible Plan for interruptions and distractions. Time management experts often suggest planning for just 50 percent or less of our time. With only 50 percent of your time planned, we have time to handle interruptions and the unplanned "emergency." When you expect to be interrupted, schedule routine tasks. Save (or make) larger blocks of time for your priorities. Remember life is about juggling so everying won't always work out perfectly, but as my favorite saying goes..."proper preparation prevents poor performance!" Make It Happen This week pick one of the 11 Time Management Tips and weave it into your life! To ensure you receive our newsletter each week, add Margaret@MargaretPundmann.com to your address book or your approved list of senders. 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 of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved. www.MargaretPundmann.com.

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Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU This Week's Topic: Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge Links Margaret's Website More About Margaret Coaching Teleclasses Margaret's Writing Margaret in the News Join Our Mailing List Join LinkedIn Network of Friends Link to Margaret's Blog In the News & Upcoming Events Welcome to our new subscribers! You inspire me to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank you for sharing this column with your friends around the world. Article in College Connection Magzine a publication of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Navigating change: a roadmap to independence" This Week's Topic: Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge Dear Friend, "You are not who you used to be, and you are not yet who you will become" ~Unknown We are just about eight weeks away from the end of the 2009. Between now and the end of the year we have a season filled with joy and celebration. This week, as your coach, I am issuing you a challenge! The challenge is this take the next 8 weeks to knock out one thing that is bugging you, nagging at you or just plain driving you crazy! Use the Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge to finish 2009 with a bang ... and kick start 2010! The question is...are you up for the challenge? I know, you have it in you, but are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and commit to taking specific actions in your life? The only rule of this game is you need to be able to produce - specific measurable results. In other words tonight or tomorrow morning you need to decide exactly what it is you want to commit to ... what are you willing to change in your life in order to achieve your goal? Here are three questions to help you decide what to work during the Ignite Your Fire - 8 Week Challenge: 1) What one thing if you could wave a magic wand and eliminate would make you feel better? 2) When you think of your life, what stands out as your "sore thumb"? 3) What in your life, if others knew, would you be embarrassed of? If you are struggling here are some suggestions ... take on what feels right for you: · Eliminate Gossiping · Get on an Exercise Program · Minimize - Television, Video Games, Internet, Texting, etc · Stop Wasting Resources - Time, Energy, Gas, Plastic, etc · Clean Your Clutter · Remove the Garbage from your Diet · Drink Less Alcohol · Smile More · Organize Your - Home, Desk, Car, etc · Give More Make It Happen Here is how you play... Step 1: Decide what you are going to change, reshape, get rid of, or add to your life (This must be a specific, measurable goal. For example, increase sales by 20% vs. increase sales or increase GPA from 2.9 to 3.5 vs. increase GPA.) Step 2: Pick a coach who wants to support you. This can be a friend, family member or co-worker. Or if you would like, I would be honored to be your coach and partner - just email me at mp@margaretpundmann.com. Step 3: Pick a celebration of any type to reward yourself at the end. Step 4: Chunk it down. Break your goal into 8 pieces - for the 8 weeks of the challenge. Each Sunday/Monday you will put together a plan for that week. If you can't make the plan yourself - get a 'SME' - subject matter expert - who can advise you and help you develop a plan. Step 5: Go for it! Believe in yourself! Step 6: Share your journey with friends, family and your coach! To ensure you receive our newsletter each week, add Margaret@MargaretPundmann.com to your address book or your approved list of senders. 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 of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved. www.MargaretPundmann.com.

Do You Live from Abundance?

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU This Week's Topic: Do You live from Abundance? Links Margaret's Website More About Margaret Coaching Teleclasses Margaret's Writing Margaret in the News Join Our Mailing List Join LinkedIn Network of Friends Link to Margaret's Blog In the News & Upcoming Events Welcome to our new subscribers! You inspire me to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank you for sharing this column with your friends around the world. Article College Connection Magzine a publication of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Navigating change: a roadmap to independence" This Week's Topic: Do You Live from Abundance? Dear Friend, "It is not only my right and my privilege to walk in the abundance God has for me, it is my responsibility ... just as it is my responsibility to live the rest of my truth." ~Jan Denise A dear friend of mine and his wife lost their newborn son earlier this week. In telling friends and family who were not with them, they wrote the following of their son, "He was an amazing miracle; a true gift from God." And to their friends and family they wrote, "Thank you so much for keeping us in your hearts over the past week. It has been challenging, rewarding, heartbreaking, and joyful...all at once." These are words in the middle of pain and sorrow, but they are filled with joy and love. Why, you might ask? I'll tell you. From my perspective, there are two reasons: 1) They believe in that which is greater than themselves. 2) They live from abundance. This week what I really what you to consider is, "Do you live from abundance or scarcity?" In those few words above my dear friends were focused on the joy of their son. The precious time they had with him. The blessing that he was to them. I suspect we all could benefit from a shift in focus this week - from scarcity to abundance. As you focus on your abundance - notice that the competiton ends, the superiority fades, and the need to be more, better, different is replaced with acceptance. Acceptance, first of yourself and acceptance for others follows. Make It Happen This week focus on your abundance - focus on your full, over-flowing glass of love and abundance. When negative thoughts creep in...drift past them and shift focus to your bounty of blessings! Maybe you'll even want to write them down ... writing them down will help to reinforce your view point. To ensure you receive our newsletter each week, add Margaret@MargaretPundmann.com to your address book or your approved list of senders. 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 of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved. www.MargaretPundmann.com.

What is Love?

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU This Week's Topic: What is Love?
Links Margaret's Website More About Margaret Coaching Teleclasses Margaret's Writing Margaret in the News Join Our Mailing List Join LinkedIn Network of Friends Link to Margaret's Blog	In the News & Upcoming Events Welcome to our new subscribers! You inspire me to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank you for sharing this column with your friends around the world. Article College Connection Magzine a publication of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Navigating change: a roadmap to independence"
This Week's Topic: What is Love? Dear Friend, In these last few days before our marriage I been considering what love really is. I believe, whatever your faith, these verses from first Corinthians are profound and rather fitting descriptors of love. The last line .. "love never fails" pretty much sums it up. Love is always present, love is always available, and love does not waiver. Make It Happen This week consider the love in your life. Is it patient? Is it kind? Does it protect? Does it trust? Does your love hope? Does your love persevere? Does your love fail? We know the Lord's love never fails ... this week let us all be a mirror of his love for us to the world around us. To ensure you receive our newsletter each week, add Margaret@MargaretPundmann.com to your address book or your approved list of senders. 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 of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved.www.MargaretPundmann.com.