One woman, in particular, shared that she’s ready to make the leap to do something different but she’s unsure how to move ahead or what the process would be to make a good decision. She feels the “tug of transition” but lacks clarity on how to navigate a potential new path. Fear and feelings of failure are on her mind as well. She’s certain that if she could take initial steps forward on how to explore and discover what’s next, fear and thoughts of failure could be overcome. Not having a plan or the equivalent of a roadmap that can be easily followed is what keeps her from moving ahead.

Have you ever felt this way? I know I have. Before I made the decision to begin my journey as an entrepreneur, I had sleepless nights and perplexing days wondering what could possibly be next for me.

If you are feeling that change is on the horizon, but you can’t clearly see the path ahead, here are some basic and easy steps you can take to feel more confident and clear about the possibilities:

1. Give Yourself Permission to Explore – The first step you need to take for all the others to work, is to give yourself permission that it’s ok for you to think about doing something new and different. Change can be both scary and exciting at the same time. Open your mind to what might be possible. Remember this is an exploration. You aren’t making a decision–yet.

2. Block Out Some Time – Pull out your calendar and block out time to do this exploration. At the party, the woman asked me, “What should I do with the time?” Online research, read books or publications on the subject, attend a class or workshop. For example, if you are interested in event planning, take some time to research online, read books or publications devoted to the industry. Before I made the decision to get my coaching certification, I researched the industry to learn more. If you don’t actually block the time and make an appointment with yourself, your “to-do” list will get in the way and before you know it, another 6 months will have gone by.

3. Reach Out – Make a point to connect with people who are doing what it is you’re considering. During my exploration, I connected with several coaches that I respect to learn more about their business, how they got started, what their business was like, etc.

4. Consider Hiring a Coach – Having a supportive person to walk with you through this exploratory phase can be extremely helpful. Having someone to ask the right questions to illuminate new possibilities or reframe your current situation is invaluable.

Summer is the perfect time to go exploring. I invite you to discover what might be next for you. The journey begins by taking the first step.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

 *****

© 2011 Joy Chudacoff 

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Profits With Passion.

Making a decision to do something new or different in your life can get really uncomfortable. It triggers all of your “stuff” down deep inside. You may start to question everything you do and sometimes you wonder if you should continue with your new Big Idea, Dream, or Goal. After all, you may not be overjoyed with your current life situation, job, or business but at least it’s familiar—right? I remember a time in my life when I felt out of sorts, stuck and trapped, but at the same time I wasn’t sure if I had the courage to make the changes that were needed in order to feel whole, passionate and purposeful.

For example, when I decided to give birth to Smart Women Smart Solutions, there were many reasons why it wasn’t the most “ideal” time to begin something new. For example, I had my son who was a toddler and was pregnant with my daughter. My “stuff” seemed to pop up everywhere and follow me around with all of the reasons why now might not be the “right” time to start a new business. “Who will take care of my son?” “Now isn’t the right time” “What if it doesn’t work?” “What if I fail?” Sound familiar?

I have fears just like everyone else. Confronting your “stuff” is not much fun. It means you have to take a look at what is and decide if you have the courage to change and do what it takes to breakthrough to the next level in your life.

Over the last 2 decades, I’ve had times where I was surviving and times where I was thriving, and I will share with you that in order to “thrive”, sometimes you have to go through that “survive” period. It’s essential that you learn about yourself and see what changes or shifts you need to make in order to realize your Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals. My grandfather used to say, “Joy, no matter where you go, there you are.” Well said Pops. Sometimes, we get in our own way and practice the art of self-sabotage without really even realizing it.

Here are a few solutions that have helped me with my “stuff” and I believe it can help you too:

1. Look for a “Thinking” Partner – Have someone on your side. Someone who can support you in a positive way when your “stuff” comes up. Having a “thinking” partner will help you to see how to move past your “stuff” and stay on the right course to accomplish your goals.

2. Find Successful Role Models – It’s essential to find people who’ve been successful and continue to be growth-oriented. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make as entrepreneurs is they stay in a vacuum. They try to figure out how to accomplish their dreams on their own. Let successful people show you the way. They have paved a road that will be much easier for you to follow. Attend conferences, join Mastermind groups, or hire a Coach to help you stay the course.

3. Make sure your Desire is Heartfelt – When the desire is there, the how-to will come. No matter how much “stuff” you are dealing with around this change you are making in your life, desire will always win if it’s authentic and truly what you want in life. Get really clear and focused on what you want to happen.

Living a life that allows you to achieve and have what you want and deserve is not always easy but it’s certainly worth the effort. Facing your “stuff” along the way not only helps you, but it helps all of the people who come in contact with you now and in the future. You will become a beacon of light that they can look to for guidance when they confront their “stuff.” Remember, it’s not trespassing if you cross your own boundaries.

Anything is possible.  Everything is waiting for you.
*****
© 2011 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark .

I see many people struggle with decision-making. We live in the question in many areas of our lives—where to live, where to send our children to school, what kind of car to drive, who to vote for, should we go back to work or should we stay at home with our children, what to wear, where to eat. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Why do we have such a difficult time making decisions? One reason might be that we care a lot about what other people think of our decisions. There was a time in my 20′s and 30′s where others’ opinions really mattered to me. I wanted to make the “right” choice so I could be with the “right” crowd. Today, in my 40′s, I make my decisions based on my own passion and purpose and what’s most meaningful to me. I ask myself if this decision will move my journey forward and, if it will, then I take action on it.
 
When you avoid making decisions, it takes a much greater toll on your life than you might suspect. “Sitting on the fence” between decision and indecision zaps so much energy from our body and soul. Imagine the energy and concentration that it takes every minute of every day by not making a decision for or against an idea or an action. It’s important to become clear about what you want in your life. Many people “sit on the fence” of indecision and think about how things could be better or different, but they don’t actually take that leap off the fence and declare a decision or plan of action.
 
How about you? Are you “sitting on the fence”? Are you awake at night thinking about making a decision? It will be a challenge for you to step into your own truth, your authenticity, until you do. Until you fully jump off one side of the fence and declare yourself, you will always hesitate because you are unsure. This deprives the world of your unique gifts that you have to offer.
 
I invite you to create the space and time in your life as soon as possible to make a decision about what’s most meaningful to you right now. Grab a pen and a piece of paper. Look at yourself, family, career, community, and your friendships. Decide where and how you want to spend your time and who you want to spend it with. Design your life the way you want to live it. This is the core of my work with women–helping them to design and live the lives they choose to live. Decision-making becomes so simple. When a situation or possible opportunity comes up, you reflect on your values, your passion, and your purpose–all of your decision-making launches from this place, so it’s much easier to make decisions and not “sit on the fence.” It frees up your energy to enjoy all of the things that are most meaningful to you.
 
As I made the turn off Sunset Blvd. onto the winding road that leads to Will Rogers State Park, I began to see the long white fence that winds up the hill. My first thought was, “It’s a beautiful fence but I sure wouldn’t want to sit on it for very long! That would be really uncomfortable!” Autumn is a fantastic time to do this work. Mother Nature begins to bring about change in a slow but deliberate way. Take a look at what might need to change for you. And then make a decision to “get off the fence.”  

Anything is possible.  Everything is waiting for you.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.CreatingTheSpark.com.

If you think about the word “occasion”, what comes up for you? For me, an “occasion” means a special or important time, a celebration or ceremony. When I wake up on the day of an important occasion, I feel a quiet excitement inside—anticipation about how this special time in my life will unfold. Don’t get me wrong. If I’m in charge of the occasion like planning a family member’s birthday party or some other big event, there’s some anxiety that goes along with the “occasion.”

Do you ever wake up in the morning thinking of your life as a celebration or a day that’s special? I typically need a strong cup of black coffee before I can think about anything in the morning and with a busy family in tow and a vision for my business that seems to never stop, some days can be more of a challenge than a celebration! However, I’m working on adjusting my attitude to reflect more of a celebration in my life and making each day feel special.

How am I going to do that? I’ve been spending some quiet peaceful time over the last few days asking myself a few questions on how I can make my life more of an “occasion” each day. I want to live my life fully and with no regrets. I want to (hopefully!) teach my children and the people around me to do the same. Here are a few questions I’ve been asking myself lately:

1.  What do I want? That’s a big question isn’t it? So simple and yet so enormous. It’s a great question to ask yourself if you’re curious about your life, your future and your legacy. Your life is defined by the choices you make along the way. I invite you to get some paper, a favorite pen and the beverage of your choice and sit in a spot that’s peaceful and quiet where you can really get in touch with your internal voice—your soul. Take a deep breathe, ask the question and then write whatever pops into your mind. A word of caution; don’t censor your answers. Try and avoid judgments. 

After you finish this, you can go on with the n ext question which is:

2.  Is what I’m currently doing in alignment with what I want in my life? We can say we want something but if we don’t actually take the right action steps to make it happen, it will most likely never materialize or come to fruition. If I want to get in better physical shape or take my business to the next level, I have to ask myself if the current daily, weekly and monthly action steps will eventually get me to the place I want to be.

Take a look at your current life. Does it match up to what you want? If so, bravo! You are on your way. If not, then you need to ask yourself the next question:

3.  What are the changes I need to make to get what I want? This can sometimes be the most challenging part of the process. Why? If you’re willing to acknowledge that change needs to take place in order for you to have more of what you want in your life, then you must contemplate taking the next step which is actually making the desired changes to get you on course and moving in the right direction. A wise mentor once shared with me that “change does not always mean success, but success always means change.”

In the movie, Natalie Portman struggled a bit with this process but in the end, it was accessing her own internal voice and her belief that helped her to begin a new life journey toward achieving what she wanted in her life. I invite you to get in touch with your internal voice. Allow her to come out and into your life. It will surely be a special “occasion.”

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.CreatingTheSpark.com .

We all have passions and dreams inside of us.  There may be times in our life when those passions and dreams can take a “back seat” to other areas in our lives, but they are still there—they never disappear or go away.  They wait patiently for us to acknowledge them and take some sort of action—a leap toward them.  As we begin to fantasize about those unfulfilled passions and dreams, we can sometimes fall into a trap of believing that they may never come true.  Why?  Because these dreams usually require change that’s really “big.”  Change would need to occur in our lives.  Change brings about uncertainty and being “uncomfortable.”  Do you think I might be writing from experience?

Many of you know my story.  I founded and ran an international marketing company for 12 years.  It started as a part-time business because I needed to earn extra income.  Over time (and a lot of hard work!), it became an international company that was very successful.  This allowed me the opportunity to travel to wonderful places all over the world to do my work.  When I became a mom, I realized that this was no longer the right path for me.  After much s oul-searching, I felt a calling to work with women to help them realize their own passions and dreams.  Was it easy?  No way!  Was it challenging to make such a bold change in my life with two young children?  You bet. 

Every time I have taken the leap to my next Big Idea, Dream or Goal, it has never been easy.  One of my mentors said, “Change does not always mean success, but success always means change.”  If I think about each “leap” that I have taken, change was always present once I made the decision to do something new or different.  I became a little uncomfortable each time and then after awhile, the “uncomfortable” became comfortable.  It became my new way of being in the world.  I did not always like being “uncomfortable” or taking the leap initially, but I knew if I didn’t take the leap, it meant staying exactly where I was and that was not an acceptable place for me. 

How about you?  Are you thinking that you need to make a change in some area of you life?  Do you want to do something different?  Are you ready to take the leap?  I know that I am at the edge of something and I’m getting ready to take the leap into new areas of my life.  For me, it’s about believing in myself and having faith in my decision.  It’s about connecting with my passion and then making a solid plan to support it.

I invite you to think about what you want to take a leap towards.  Sit down in a quiet place with some paper and colorful pens and begin to write down what it looks like.  Sometimes, it’s just a matter of giving yourself permission to look at your life in a different way.  You will need a good support system when you take the leap.  Who will that be?  Can you visualize those people?  What resources or new information wi ll you need to make it happen?  Spring is the perfect time for you to “leap” into creating the life and business you want and deserve.

Sometimes the only feasible method of transportation is to take the leap.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
 
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your coaching business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and  FREE MP3 now at http://www.SmartWomenSmartSolutionsCoaching.com.

Making a decision to do something new or different in your life can get really uncomfortable.  It triggers all of your “stuff” down deep inside.  You may start to question everything you do and sometimes you wonder if you should continue with your new Big Idea, Dream, or Goal.  After all, you may not be overjoyed with your current life situation, job, or business but at least it’s familiar—right?  I remember a time in my life when I felt out of sorts, stuck and trapped, but at the same time I wasn’t sure if I had the courage to make the changes that were needed in order to feel whole, passionate and purposeful.

For example, when I decided to give birth to Smart Women Smart Solutions, there were many reasons why it wasn’t the most “ideal” time to begin something new.  For example, I had my son who was a toddler and was pregnant with my daughter.  My “stuff” seemed to pop up everywhere and follow me around with all of the reasons why now might not be the “right” time to start a new business.  “Who will take care of my son?”  “Now isn’t the right time”  “What if it doesn’t work?”  “What if I fail?”  Sound familiar?

I have fears just like everyone else.  Confronting your “stuff” is not much fun.  It means you have to take a look at what is and decide if you have the courage to change and do what it takes to breakthrough to the next level in your life.

Over the last 2 decades, I’ve had times where I was surviving and times where I was thriving, and I will share with you that in order to “thrive”, sometimes you have to go through that “survive” period.  It’s essential that you learn about yourself and see what changes or shifts you need to make in order to realize your Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals.  My grandfather used to say, “Joy, no matter where you go, there you are.”  Well said Pops.  Sometimes, we get in our own way and practice the art of self-sabotage without really even realizing it.

Here are a few solutions that have helped me with my “stuff” and I believe it can help you too:

1.  Look for a “Thinking” Partner – Have someone on your side.  Someone who can support you in a positive way when your “stuff” comes up.  Having a “thinking” partner will help you to see how to move past your “stuff” and stay on the right course to accomplish your goals.

2.  Find Successful Role Models – It’s essential to find people who’ve been successful and continue to be growth-oriented.  One of the biggest mistakes I see people make as entrepreneurs is they stay in a vacuum.  They try to figure out how to accomplish their dreams on their own.  Let successful people show you the way.  They have paved a road that will be much easier for you to follow.  Attend conferences, join Mastermind groups, or hire a Coach to help you stay the course.

3.  Make sure your Desire is Heartfelt – When the desire is there, the how-to will come.  No matter how much “stuff” you are dealing with around this change you are making in your life, desire will always win, if it’s authentic and truly what you want in life.  Get really clear and focused on what you want to happen.

Living a life that allows you to achieve and have what you want and deserve is not always easy but it’s certainly worth the effort.  Facing your “stuff” along the way not only helps you, but it helps all of the people who come in contact with you now and in the future.  You will become a beacon of light that they can look to for guidance when they confront their “stuff.”  Remember, it’s not trespassing if you cross your own boundaries.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

****

Copyright 2009 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.CreatingTheSpark.com.

Do you have any idea what that ring tone sounds like? You may be reading this and saying to yourself, “What is Joy talking about?” “I don’t hear anything like that.” Well, I’m not surprised. With phones ringing everywhere, music playing, family members and clients calling out for attention, how could you possibly hear your own unique call? And maybe you don’t even think you have one. You do have one.

Do you ever get irritated or unsettled by all of the noise going on around you? Do you just want to go somewhere and be quiet and peaceful? Do you sometimes feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster? Everything is fine in your life but you still feel stuck? You feel so lucky to be alive and healthy but at the same time you know that something has changed. This is the beginning of a calling.

How do I know this? About 10 years ago, my internal telephone was ringing. It started with that soft ring tone—you know the one that’s not too annoying and you can ignore it? I, of course, chose to ignore it at the time. Why? Well, when you answer your call, it can sometimes mean that things and circumstances in your life may need to change. And you know how we all love change—right? A wise mentor once told me that “Change does not always mean success but success always means change.”

I also had very loud phones ringing in every area of my life to drown out the sound of my own unique call—family, friends, and clients. Eventually, my internal telephone set its ring tone to LOUD and it was determined to be heard. And once I truly gave myself the space to be quiet and really hear it, I answered it. And the voice at the other end came through loud and clear. When I answered my own unique call, I discovered that working with women to help them explore and discover their call, their passion, and their purpose was part of my journey.

Was it easy? No. A lot of changes had to take place not only within me but also with my family. Was it worth it? You bet! I love what I’m doing and I have unlimited energy for it. The process I went through to answer my call is the basis of my Women’s Success Circles today. I want to give every woman who wants to answer her call, the unique opportunity to have the space and environment to explore, discover, and make a plan to follow her own internal, unique voice.

How about you? Do you hear your own unique internal telephone ringing? Are you going to answer it now or will you send it right to voicemail? Remember, with most voicemail systems, messages not picked up in 30 days will expire and be deleted from the system. I can’t imagine what my life might be like if I had not had the courage to answer my call. I’m going to leave you with a quote that my friend and smart woman Kathy LaSalla shared with me a few days ago: “The great danger of most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” —-Michelangelo

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

Copyright 2009 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.CreatingTheSpark.com.

This got me thinking about how Smart Women take the leap into realizing their Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals.

We all have passions and dreams inside of us.  There may be times in our life when those passions and dreams can take a “back seat” to other areas in our lives, but they are still there—they never disappear or go away.  They wait patiently for us to acknowledge them and take some sort of action—a leap toward them.  As we begin to fantasize about those unfulfilled passions and dreams, we can sometimes fall into a trap of believing that they may never come true.  Why?  Because these dreams usually require change that’s really “big.”  Change would need to occur in our lives. 

Change brings about uncertainty and being “uncomfortable.” Do you think I might be writing from experience?

Many of you know my story.  I founded and ran an international marketing company for 12 years.  It started as a part-time business because I needed to earn extra income.  Over time (and a lot of hard work!), it became an international company that was very successful.  This allowed me the opportunity to travel to wonderful places all over the world to do my work.  When I became a mom, I realized that this was no longer the right path for me.  After much soul-searching, I felt a calling to work with women to help them realize their own passions and dreams.  Was it easy?  No way!  Was it challenging to make such a bold change in my life with two young children?  You bet.

Every time I have taken the leap to my next Big Idea, Dream or Goal, it has never been easy.  One of my mentors said, “Change does not always mean success, but success always means change.” If I think about each “leap” that I have taken, change was always present once I made the decision to do something new or different.  I became a little uncomfortable each time and then after awhile, the “uncomfortable” became comfortable.  It became my new way of being in the world.  I did not always like being “uncomfortable” or taking the leap initially, but I knew if I didn’t take the leap, it meant staying exactly where I was and that was not an acceptable place for me.

How about you?  Are you thinking that you need to make a change in some area of you life?  Do you want to do something different?  Are you ready to take the leap? I know that I am at the edge of something and I’m getting ready to take the leap into new areas of my life.  For me, it’s about believing in myself and having faith in my decision.  It’s about connecting with my passion and then making a solid plan to support it.

I invite you to think about what you want to take a leap towards.  Sit down in a quiet place with some paper and colorful pens and begin to write down what it looks like.  Sometimes, it’s just a matter of giving yourself permission to look at your life in a different way.  You will need a good support system when you take the leap.  Who will that be?  Can you visualize those people?  What resources or new information will you need to make it happen?  You are 41 days away from 2009.  Now is the ideal time for you to begin thinking about what you want to leap into in the New Year.

Sometimes the only feasible method of transportation is to take the leap.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a
Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more
articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops,
teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website,
www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at
Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

Thankfully, women have a lot of choices in our society today. This can be both good and bad news. Why? Because we can do it all and we do it all very well. Sometimes I think we paint too many “magic circles.” We have the opportunity to fulfill many roles —wife, partner, mom, career, entrepreneur, daughter, volunteer, caregiver, friend—did I leave anything out? With so many responsibilities demanding our time and attention, we need to paint a magic circle called “magic circle for me.”

Given all that we do, we rarely take the time necessary for ourselves. It’s crucial that you paint a “magic circle” that is just for you, because you need a place where you can sit and reflect. A magic circle where you can sit and think about where you are right now and where you might want to go next. Sometimes we have “magic circles” where the paint is old, chipped and faded. It’s time to let go of that magic circle and create a new one. Remember, it’s magic, it’s imaginary—you can change it if you want to. Here’s the problem with this sometimes.

You become so comfortable in all of your “magic circles” that you don’t want to leave them or change them in any way. You become unable to think about picking a new color of paint or where you might want to paint the new circle. All sorts of uncomfortable things start to happen and what do you do? You stay in the old, chipped, faded magic circle. Why? It’s comfortable and you are used to it. Doing something new and different can be uncomfortable. However, it is the only way that real growth happens in our lives.

This is a big part of my work with women. I encourage women to create “the magic circle for me” so that they can have the space to reflect on what makes the most sense moving forward. Being a support to them while they decide what color their next “magic circle” will be is helpful. You need someone to be there to help you work through the uncomfortable part of leaving your old “magic circle” and painting a new one. It can be a challenge to truly decide which circles make sense for you moving forward in your life. Having a supportive, non-judgmental person is essential.

How about you? Are you running in too many directions right now? Are you having a hard time navigating your way? Is your circle old and in need of a new coat of paint? Or, maybe you want to discard that color all-together and paint something completely new in your life. I invite you to take some time and think about your circle. Summer is a great time to reflect, touch up or repaint.

The nice part about your magic circle is you can change it, leave it or create a new one any time you choose to.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

My work is designed to support women in their journey to living their own extraordinary life. Years ago, I knew that I wanted to make some big changes in my own life. I had to first decide what I wanted. Then I had to design my life how I wanted it to be. Lastly, but crucial, I had to give myself permission to create this new way of being. You have to believe it so you can ask for it.

This can be a challenging part for women in the process. Once they begin to visualize what they want, they may have trouble asking for it. Who do you need to ask? You have to communicate to those who matter most to you what you want in your life–what changes you desire. Your spouse, partner, children, co-workers, boss, employees, family, and friends. We become fearful in the asking process. We begin to question whether we “deserve” this. It’s very easy to make our needs secondary, to be comfortable and stay in the place where we are caring and nurturing others—helping others reach their goals. When I decided to begin my coaching work, my husband Greg needed to take on more of the activities with the children and this was a process for us.

There comes a time when you will begin to feel a calling to create more of what you prefer in your own life. It does not mean that you do not love and care for all of those people who mean so much to you. It’s a signal that the time has come for you to embrace more of who you uniquely are.

How about you? Do you feel like you know what you want but it’s not achievable based on your current situation? Do you have a dream or goal but you aren’t quite sure that you deserve to have the time to make it happen? This is where a good mentor or coach can support you in making a plan that fits into your current lifestyle.

There is a great book that compliments my work with women. It’s called “Ask For It” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. I met Linda a few years ago at the Harvard Women’s Leadership Conference and was very impressed with her work. You can go to www.askforit.org to learn more about the book. It’s a great resource that gives you a process and tools to use in learning how to ask for what you want in life once you determine what you want.

You really do deserve to have the life you want. All you have to do is decide what you want and how you want to design it and then give yourself permission to make it happen.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.