Synthesis Coaching

Interview Series: Debbie Johnson of Guided Abundance

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Debbie Johnson, a law of attraction coach at GuidedAbundance.com.

In today's 15-minute interview, Debbie helps us move forward on our own adventures by sharing her tips with us:

• How her daughter's drug addiction led her to becoming a law of attraction coach.
• Why mindset is so key for creating abundance and "goodies" in our lives, whether we want to create that in our personal life or work life.
• The routine she uses in her life every morning...and how she know shares that with others.

Don't miss our inspirational and upbeat talk, sure to start your weekend off right!

 

Adventures to Transformation™ Interview Series: Nina Kaufman of The Legal Edge

Today I'm chatting with Nina Kaufman of The Legal Edge, a law firm and information products company that as successfully navigated thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners through the legal issues they face in starting and running their companies.

Are you thinking of creating a business partnership? In our 15-minute interview, Nina talks about the highs and lows:

• How partnerships that started out great at first may not always work for the long term, much like a marriage.
• How not sleeping and having nightmares finally forced her to address what was really happening in her business partnership and to take action.
• What key questions to ask yourself when getting into a business partnership.

 Don't miss our inspirational talk, sure to start your weekend off right!

 

Go Ahead....Take a Chance on Change

I'm going to be one of the speakers in the Career Track for "Taking a Chance on Change" at the Reinvention Convention 2010, October 22nd at the Water's Edge Resort in Westbrook, CT.

You can grab a discount and attend the all-day event for $150.

How? Just dowload a copy of the registration form and MAIL (no online submissions) it with your check and my name on the check as a reference. All registrations must be postmarked by October 15th.

Here's the registration form: http://ideacircleforwomen.com/registration.html

Hope to see you there!

 

Synthesis Coaching Blog Turns 2!

It's my blogiversary today! I launched Synthesis Coaching Blog on August 18, 2008.

I'm celebrating — and because of that I'd like to offer my awesome readers a chance to take a mini-adventure with me.

Got an obstacle blocking you? Feeling unsure of what to do next? Tried everything you can think of but still stuck? Loosing your confidence that you really can make the change you've dreamed about?

Then I have just the thing for you, an adventure!

We set sail in early October and to make this an even easier decision for you to jump on board, I'm including a valuable bonus — a 15-minute coaching session with me so you can get clarity on what issue you'll focus on.

Listen to your heart — there IS a wanting to create your life to be even better than before.

Now is the time to act.

My blogiversary savings are only valid until midnight August 22nd so don't delay if you are really serious about "talking turkey" and getting results.

Contact me by either clicking the comments link or email KHodges@SynthesisCoaching.com. The first 3 responders get the journey FREE. 

The "Letting Go" Stage = Endings

How are you with endings?

if you find yourself in the "letting go" stage of a transition or change it means there's an ending that's either in sight or has already happened. Letting go ALWAYS means saying "goodbye" — goodbye to a town we've been living in, goodbye to a relationship, goodbye to a time period in our lives, etc.

Each of us has a typical way of handling situations when they inevitably end...so I ask you again:

How are you with endings?

Scan back to how you've handled these endings:

• leaving college to move into being a young professional
• shifting from a young newlywed to being a Mom
• ending a romantic relationship
• moving to a new city
• ending one job and moving to a new one

Now I invite you to not only look at the "big events" but also to scan over "everyday" endings. Usually we find great clues hiding in plain sight:

• Dinner Parties: Do you decide to leave quickly when you notice the evening is wrapping up? Do you delay the inevitable goodbye and stay until the bitter end?

• Work Situations: Do you have a hard time moving on to something different? Do you stay on at a job past the time when you've outgrown it and know you should have left?

• Classes or Workshops: Do you check out emotionally a few weeks before the end of a long-term class or workshop to spare yourself the uncomfortable feelings and possible pain of an ending?

Were you surprised by what you discovered? What's your style of handling endings?

Click the "comments" link below to post your feedback.

To your adventures to transformation ™ !

The "Hairy Scary" Adventure of Letting Go

I hung out with my friend Gina yesterday who I wrote about in last week's post. Gina is right in the middle of the "hairy scary" part of change — letting go.

Letting go asks us to release the old before we pick up the new — and not just outwardly but inwardly too. The old and familiar orients us by our connections to both the people and places that help us define who we are.

The familiar is like an anchor keeping you grounded and feeling secure — your favorite bakery, the best Chinese take-out place in town, the yoga class you go to every Wednesday night, the trusted pediatrician that you've built a relationship with after numerous visits. I'd wager a bet that this "circle of relationships" was the result of a process of elimination; the less than ideal Chinese meals, the pediatrician you never saw eye-to eye with, and the yoga teacher who talked too much hindering you from getting into "the zone".

Letting go IS an adventure and like any adventure there are "hairy scary" parts.

When you're in this scary part it's easy to get overwhelmed by fear — terrified actually. I'm here to assure you that the "hairy scary" feeling is normal, even if you been the one to made the decision to change!

Letting go is a lot like the grieving process and has the following 5 stages:

• Denial - Not really believing this is happening.
• Bargaining - Believing you can negotiate your way back to how things used to be.
• Anger - Feeling intensely angry about the unfairness of the situation. You may even start to project anger toward other people, believing it's their fault.
• Sadness - Feeling lost, alone or vulnerable.
• Acceptance - Accepting that things will not go back to the way they were.

Do NOT expect these stages to zip along in a 1-2-3 sequence. Most often they shift back and forth from one stage to the other. One day you're feeling great and accepting the changes when suddenly the rug is pulled out from under you and once again you feel incredibly angry. The next day the anger is gone but you're sad about all the things you're going to miss and leave behind.

Sound familiar? :).

The good news is "YES" eventually you stop cycling through the stages and the dust begins to settle.

Are you facing the adventure of "letting go?" Feeling "hairy scary" and alone?

Like any adventurous journey, it ALWAYS helps to meet up with fellow travelers — give me a shout by clicking the "comments" link below.

The Adventure of Moving to a New City

I opened my email this morning to find  Working Solo Minute from Terri Lornier. I've become a devoted reader of her newsletter and I'll miss getting her 60-minute tips twice a month. Terri is not only moving her base from Connecticut to Chicago, but she is also leaving her role as a solo business owner and joining the faculty at Columbia College Chicago.

Amidst the excitement and adventure of any big change there is also sadness. Moving from one place to another means that we leave behind friends and relationships in our present community.

We're closing a chapter in the book of our lives before we begin a new chapter. Beginnings are always preceded by endings — and it''s totally normal to have a tinge of sadness mixed in together with the excitement of moving into all that is fresh and new. Yet just like on New Year's when we say "goodbye" to the old year and "hello" to the new one, closure is an important step before moving forward.

So, how can you re-frame the act of closure from being just sad to an adventure?

Here are some fun ways to help you get started:

1). Host your own "bon voyage" block party: This is a great way to get the news out that you're leaving and an opportunity to say goodbye to many of your friends and colleagues at the same time. Remember to include not only neighbors but teachers, work friends, and relatives.

2). Pack Yourself a Care Package: Every area of the country has special foods known to that area. Here in Rhode Island during the summertime I would pack clam chowder, coffee syrup, local berries, sweet corn, frozen lemonade mix, as well as bread from my favorite bakery.

3). Drive Down Memory Lane: Round up your family and take a drive visiting spots that hold dear memories. Take photos to bring along with you or go to a favorite location and have a picnic.

And finally, make plans to visit your old city within the first year following your move.

Just knowing that you will be visiting friends and getting to reconnect with the people and places that you've loved will help you and your family bring closure to your move.

To your adventures to transformation ™

Overwhelmed Facing A Major Life Transition? Try Starting With This

In the fall, I wrote a blog post about my friend Gina who wanted to revamp her NYC apartment. Gina did begin this process — and due to some unexpected shifts in her life she's now ready to re-create her life to something even better.

If you know me at all, you know Gina's readiness is music to my ears — I'm all about re-creating

 

one's life to be even better than before.

What is one of the first tasks Gina should do to move toward her transition?

Organize !!

Here's how organizing will help Gina:

• Bring Clarity to What's Important: Moving toward a major life transition is a wonderful adventure...and like any adventure you need to decide what to bring along! Does she really need ALL of her college textbooks? Does she really need all the notes from a former work project? Gina has 16 flower vases!!! Does she really need all of them?

• Stay Calm and Focus: When a major transition hits we tend to get overwhelmed and our thoughts are scattered because we're usually thinking about many different things. The process of organizing and cleaning is a terrific way for Gina to get something accomplished while her subconscious mind is working behind the scene toward "the right" solution.

• Actively demonstrate to HERSELF that she IS moving forward: It's easy to get caught in the endless loop of not being sure what to do, or not being sure what the best solution is. Organizing will help Gina demonstrate to HERSELF that she IS taking charge and moving forward.

Got a change you're contemplating making?  I thought so :).

The adventures to transformation ™ challenge for today is to commit to getting organized. Let me know how it goes and how this helped get you ready to fly!

I invite you to click the Comment link below.

And The Adventure Begins....

Change and adventure have been on my mind quite a bit this week.

I found this great quote about the adventure of change:

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

Alan Cohen

Since it's summertime and a Friday with the weekend ahead, I'd like you to ponder the questions, "What change is wanting to unfold? How can I look at it with a fresh perspective to be an adventure?

I'd really love to hear what your experience is when you dig deep into this question for yourself — what is either holding you back or has given you the strength to embrace the new.

I invite you to click the "Comment" section below let me know.