We are always making adjustments. Yours can be easier.

My decision to live in to Paris for a month was a big one, and I am happy to say that my adventure is off to a great start!

And, deciding to undertake something complex and new like this was not so easy. After the idea was sprung, I had to prepare for myriad details. And now that I am here, I’m adjusting to new routines, resources and patterns. 

What do you find yourself adjusting to now?

One of my clients just started a new job. It’s with a company she has done work with for a while, but now she’s there full time. She is adjusting to new demands on her time and attention, new deadlines, new dynamics with the team and new challenges.

Another client has recently been showing up in a bigger way in her role as a senior leader. She finds herself adjusting to this new way of being, as well as to the feedback she is getting — all of which is positive.

Because, even when things go well we are called on to adjust to changes.

And when you grow and expand, the first adjustment is to the new version of you!

How to make easier adjustments

Whether you are adjusting to small changes to your routine or bigger changes — that feel exciting or feel challenging — these 5 steps may help you move forward with ease.

1. Build awareness

Pay attention to the change that’s underway. Sometimes this will be obvious (like my temporary move to Paris and the client who started a new job). Sometimes the change will be more subtle.

My client who started to present her ideas in new ways, and also set better boundaries, did not immediately realize that she needed to fucus on how these changes called on her to make new adjustments.

And, sometimes we are in denial about matters that are imposing change or require adjustments.

It is helpful to do some daily check-ins with yourself to identify issues and gain perspective. 

You may want to briefly journal at the end of the day and take note of things that came up in your thoughts during the day, or things you can better observe when you reflect back over the way your day unfolded.

2. Focus on the positive

Whether you choose to write in a journal or not, be sure to note positive things that relate to matters that call for adjustment.

It’s second nature for many of us to focus on challenges more than opportunities, and we certainly do need to be aware of challenges and plan for overcoming them.

And, we benefit when we look for the opportunities we have in nearly every situation. Be sure to think about the upside and opportunities that are available when adjusting to any change.

3. Stay clear and calm

What practices support you to think clearly?

You may like to meditate, walk in nature, do yoga, or spend quiet time listening to inspiring music. You may turn to a trusted friend to be a sounding board, or have another way you like to quiet your mind and reduce tension.

Whether you create a daily practice to stay clear and centered, or have a go-to way of getting focused when troubling thoughts start to highjack you, it’s important to know your best ways to get back to clear thinking and feeling calm.

4. Be kind to yourself

Some adjustments tend to spawn self-doubt. It’s easy to slip into feeling concerned about your ability to navigate a matter.

This is a time to practice self-love, and to be compassionate and patient with yourself. Check out this post to learn more about the power of self-love.

And while fear is something that is likely to show up when you are making adjustments, you can learn to turn that limiting emotion around.

Check out this article I wrote on LinkedIn about ditching fear. This blog post on how to think positively may help you, too.

5. Get support

Everyone needs help now and then. Whether you choose to get help to figure out a fulfilling path forward in your life, or you want help to make it easier and faster to make an adjustment you are working through, its great to have support.

After decades of resisting help, I have experienced that seeking out and having support has been life-changing.

The support of great coaches and mentors has been key to me moving through many challenges more easily and quickly than back in the days when I was sure I could do just fine on my own.

And, I might never have made the bolder, truly significant moves in my life that my coaches and mentors helped me see as possible, and helped me to make my reality.

I am here if you want to talk

Whether you want to share an adjustment you are facing now or the future you yearn to create, I invite you to reach out and connect. Or, you can schedule a call with me directly if you wish. I have opened 3 new appointments for these calls.

Our half-hour call (with no cost or obligation) can help you make an adjustment now, and see what is possible in your life in ways you may never have considered.

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Something worth celebrating that you may be skipping

We just ended a weekend when we celebrated Father’s Day and Juneteenth.

While these are two distinct focal points of celebration, I think and talk a lot about the importance of celebration in our lives.

Why?

When we celebrate we take the time to pay attention.

We focus on people, events or things that are positive.

And as we honor or venerate the person, event, or other focal point of the celebration, we lift our own spirits.

This creates positive energy, and when filled with positive energy we are able to generate more of it.

Celebration is a multifaceted gift we can give to both others and ourselves!

Let’s explore some specific kinds of celebration

Father’s Day

Honoring a parent is sacred. While this day can bring on a range of emotions, the essence of the holiday is beautiful. For many it is a day of joy, as they bestow love on fathers, grandfathers, grown children who are now fathers, fathers now gone, and father-figures. When we bring our focus to them, we are often able to see them with new and clearer perspective.

Juneteenth

This holiday provides us with a markedly different experience of celebration. We commemorate the true story of freedom from enslavement, about which, sadly, many people have been unaware until recently. While it is special to celebrate this meaningful event, the sacred celebration also opens our hearts. It inspires us to learn more, and to work together for true freedom.

Life events — birthdays, anniversaries, graduations

These celebrations pop up throughout the year and sprinkle delight into our lives. Marking the passage of time and major life milestones is often moving. We sit back, reflect, gain perspective, and have special opportunities to have fun with people we love. While there can be bittersweet moments, these celebrations are often full of happiness — and who does not want more happiness in their lives?

Personal triumphs (even the small ones!)

This is the category that many of us fail to fully embrace. One of my missions is to teach people the importance of celebrating ourselves!

When you give yourself a “Yay Me” for something small (like reaching out to someone new or sticking with a positive habit), to something big (like getting a promotion), you show yourself love. These are expressions of self-love.

(Here’s a list of articles related to self-love that I have written. This one specifically talks about “Yay Me’s”.)

And when you practice self-love you give yourself a small hit of dopamine — a neurotransmitter that boosts the “reward center” in your brain. This chemical reaction is surprisingly potent and makes you feel wonderful.

So why don’t we give ourselves “Yay Me’s” more often?

Most of us minimize our accomplishments. We fail to acknowledge and celebrate ourselves, often looking for external validation. And even when others do praise us, many of us find it hard to receive the praise.

Let’s change that starting today!

Take the celebration challenge!

I have cultivated a “Yay Me“ practice, and I encourage my clients to build them. I invite you to join us.

Last week I was able to give myself a few important “Yay Me’s”.

I spoke live at a wonderful conference and I enrolled brilliant clients. Those are can’t miss events, and hard to minimize.

I am especially proud that I also celebrated myself for things I would have let slip by unacknowledged before I was so aware of their importance.

For instance, I skipped a gathering I was looking forward to attending to give myself extra rest after a few days of tiring travel and early starts. My body was so grateful I made that choice, and the “Yay Me” I gave myself was the icing on the cake.

How many “Yay Me’s” can you give yourself today?

Can you give yourself at least one “Yay Me” each day for the next week? The next month?

Maybe you’ll start keeping a “Yay Me” journal, or create a record on your phone to track them!

Please share your progress, and your specific “Yay Me’s” if you wish. I’d also love to know how it feels to declare them.

And if you want to share your vision for life filled with more “Yay Me’s” and your questions about how to create it, email me and we can make a date to talk.

Until next week, stay safe and well, and create your life with joy.