January
2008 Update:
Living a Life That You Love
"When our life is oriented around our
true values, that is when we live a life
of passion and fulfillment; when we live
a life aligned with our values we truly
live the life we desire."
~ Teresia LaRocque, MCC
Fireside Chat - a personal
note from Teresia & Sonia
Hello, Sassy &
Savvy Woman!
Welcome to the New Year! January is a time
when most people decide to reassess the
way they've been living life and make some
changes. For entrepreneurs, this can be
especially important. We're not only reassessing
our lifestyle, we're evaluating our work-style
too.
Setting goals and evaluating strategies
is a critical process for the entrepreneur,
so we encourage you to take all the time
to need this month - be thorough. Set yourself
up to win big this year!
Now, before you start, we're going to let
you in on a little secret... a critical
component to this process that you've probably
never heard before.
So many people start the New Year with a
heart full of good intentions and a list
full of resolutions, but the sad truth is
that fewer than half of those resolutions
will ever be met. Why is that?
We know the reason. It's not because the
goals are too high to achieve. It's not
due to a lack of discipline. And it's not
about the execution. Want to know the secret?
Then read on, and we'll give you exactly
what you need to make sure you reach your
goals, and enjoy the process of getting
there.
Don't miss this month's "Savvy
Conversation", a *fre'e* conference
call that will help you learn and utilize
the powerful tool of setting boundaries!
JOIN
US and other like-minded business women
on Thursday, January 17th at 9 AM PST (please
note time change to 9am!) to dig into the
details of how to build a thriving business
with the standards and boundaries that let
you soar. Click here for more details, and
to register!
Your Sassy Catalysts
Teresia LaRocque & Sonia Stringer
SassyandSavvyWomen.com
In this issue:
Feature Article - Set goals
that inspire you!
Savvy Steps - Hitch Up Your
Pantyhose and Get Moving!
Sassy Breakthroughs - Success
Stories of Women Like You
Feature Tools & Resources
Savvy Conversations - Join
Us for A Live Coaching Call
feature
article
Set goals that inspire
you!
Over the past 12 years, our work as life
and business coaches has given us a front-row
seat to watch the ways that people set goals
and respond to them, and how they create
lasting results in their lives. In the process,
we stumbled onto an interesting insight:
most people set uninspiring goals and spend
more time struggling through life then truly
enjoying it.
Nine times out of 10, people set goals
that are based on what they "have to"
get done or what they "should"
do: lose weight, organize the files, finally
get the website up and running. They take
all the unpleasant things they've been avoiding,
and make an agreement with themselves to
push through and finally get them done.
"Push through" is key phrase here
- it's the feeling behind most goals. No
wonder we don't tend to keep our resolutions!
If you're ready to generate results in
the easiest, most engaging way possible,
it's time to take a fresh look at the entire
concept of goals and resolutions. Instead
of resolving to get the dirty work done,
how about resolving to live a more enjoyable
and fulfilling life?
What if you set goals that naturally inspired
you? What if the very idea of your resolutions
made you want to take action on them? What
if you chose goals that excited you, ones
that lit you up on the inside?
The key is to set goals that correspond
with your personal values - the things are
most important to you. Goals based on your
values are the easiest and most rewarding
ones to achieve. Why? Because you don't
have to "push through" them. You
want to do them. They make you reach higher,
move faster, and engage more of yourself
- and they feel good!
So, how do you determine which goals align
with your values? First you have to get
clear on what your values are.
Your values are the intangible aspects
of life that make you feel in alignment,
complete, on track, and functioning at a
high level. Some examples include adventure,
fun, service, creativity, connection...
there are hundreds out there. A life (or
goal) that aligns with one's core values
will feel satisfying, even in difficult
times.
Because this topic of values can be a little
confusing, let's make a distinction between
"means values" and "end values."
Means values are a way to get to end values.
For example, I often have clients tell me
they value family; but with a little further
exploration, we discover that the underlying
value (which extends beyond family) is really
connection, belonging, or community. Family
is one way to experience what they truly
value in life (means to an end).
When you set goals to experience more of
what you value most, life gets immeasurably
richer - and easier! If you value adventure,
and you want to lose 10 pounds, don't vow
to be at the gym every morning - get out
and do something adventurous! If you value
connection, and you want to make more money
this year, find a job that pays more when
you develop relationships. Let your values
lead you forward toward the life you really
want, and make this year your best one yet.
Savvy
Steps: Hitch up your pantyhose and get moving!
1. As you go through the month, think about
how you would complete this sentence:
If I had plenty of free time and all
the money I could ever want, then I would
be free to (action) and that would let
me experience more (value).
Do this exercise over and over to help
you identify the aspects of life that
you value most. Keep track of your answers,
they're the roadmap to your ideal life!
2. Give yourself the gift of the self coaching
guide of a
New Approach to Goal Setting Ebook.
It will help you identify what's most important
to you, teach you how to design your life
according to your values. It just might
be the fastest, easiest way to boost your
life to a whole new level, and it will certainly
give you a fresh new perspective on your
New Year's Resolutions!
Sassy Breakthrough - Joanna Saunders
Another Sassy Breakthrough!
 Having
recently made the leap from accounting to
coaching, Joanna Saunders found herself
missing the team of colleagues that used
to be surrounded by. "I always had
someone around who I could bounce ideas
off and get insight from, someone who had
done it before." But as a new coach,
she found herself feeling isolated and stuck.
"I wasn't getting anywhere; I was struggling
with same things over and over."
So Joanna made the decision to cultivate
more support in her life. More specifically,
she went after strategic support. "Now
I'm asking others, 'What do you do? What's
worked for you?' After all, why should I
reinvent the wheel?"
Joanna joined a mastermind team, thinking
this would be exactly what she needed. But
it wasn't long before old patterns surfaced.
"I'm very good at hiding and getting
others to talk. Underneath, I figured my
problems were unique or not important enough
to ask for help. I didn't want to be vulnerable.
I think maybe I was just afraid that I wouldn't
measure up as a coach in the eyes of my
peers. So I coasted for a while, not asking
for much. Then I realized what I was doing.
So I sent an e-mail out to the group, admitting
my tendency to hide and encouraging others
to call me on it when I do." She literally
forced herself to accept more support, even
going so far as to ask that her business
challenges be addressed in the next mastermind
call.
"The time is now. If I don't get on
with it, I may as well go back to a 9-to-5
job and I don't want that! Like the saying
goes, 'If it's going to be, it's up to me.'
I have all the tools I need, now I just
need the support to take action on them."
The more Joanna asks for support from others,
the more she lets go of the internal dialogue
that has held her back before. "I don't
have to be perfect, and I'm ok where I am.
Whatever fears or concerns I have, others
in the group do too. Realizing this gave
me a stronger sense of self." She also
realized that when she comes from an open
heart instead of her head, it's much easier
to ask for help from someone else.
Big dreams need big support. Now that Joanna
is embracing this fact of life, she has
become much more willing to pursue support
in developing her business. Instead of hiding
and trying to figure it all out herself,
she proudly says, "2008 is my year
to get support!"
~ Joanna Saunders
Women empowering
women! Be an inspiration to other women
and share your own Sassy Breakthrough!
If you've experienced some inspiring successes
and you'd like to be profiled in the Sassy
and Savvy Newsletter, we want to talk to
you! Have you had a win in dealing with
your tolerations, raising your standards,
setting boundaries, or other key concepts?
We invite you to send an e-mail with a brief
description of your breakthrough to stories@sassyandsavvywomen.com,
and we'll be in touch!
Featured
Tools & Resources
Are
you ready to make your life easier? More
satisfying? More authentic?
Then take a moment to download A
New Approach to Goal Setting, a self-coaching
ebook that helps you identify what's most
important to you, and teaches you how to
design your life according to your values.
It just might be the fastest, easiest way
to boost your life to a whole new level,
and it will certainly give you a fresh new
perspective on your New Year's Resolutions!
Take a look. click here.
Click here
to purchase your copy today!
Savvy
Conversation - January 17th at 9am PST
If you'd like to explore this topic in
more depth, get coached, and experience
the momentum of other like-minded women
join
us on February 21st at 9 AM Pacific
/ 12 PM Eastern for the latest Savvy Conversations
Coaching Call.
In this *fre'e* teleconference, we'll be
exploring the challenges, secrets and shortcuts
to time blocking. In this candid discussion,
you learn about some of the most effective
ways to raise the bar, in both your business
and your personal life. We’ll "see"
you there!
Have you checked out our Savvy Mastermind
teams? Let go of the "Lone Ranger"
mentality and experience the magic of being
part of a mastermind. Join a Savvy Mastermind
team, click here.
Watch for more upcoming developments from
the Sassy and Savvy Women! We are building
one amazing community, full of top-notch
resources and high-caliber guidance for
the self-employed woman.
And we're hard at work on our powerful
new book: Sassy and Savvy Self-Employed
Women: The Ultimate Guide to Leverage Your
Business and Love Your Life. If you'd like
to preview a chapter, click here!
Your Sassy Catalysts
Teresia LaRocque & Sonia Stringer
SassyandSavvyWomen.com
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