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How To Properly Clean The Toilet

by Walt | Nov 21, 2013 | Success | 1 Comment

“You need to clean out the stream,” Barry said.Barry is our ‘man.’ He takes care of our little cottage in Ireland.Clean out the stream? Who cleans out streams, I thought. Streams take care of themselves!So I ignored Barry.And then the rains came. And the yard flooded.When the rain finally stopped (which, by the way, isn’t often in Ireland), I went out and walked along the stream that crosses our property. Sure enough, it was in pretty bad shape. Years of neglect had left it full of debris: rocks and trees and logs and clumps of leaves; brambles and branches choking it off.

It definitely wasn’t flowing very well. (Perhaps you can see where I’m going with this?)So out I went with by bow saw and shears (when it wasn’t raining… which, did I mention, isn’t very often in Ireland?). For days, I cut and cleared, and standing in the midst of the stream with my (brand new) Wellingtons, I pulled all sorts of junk out of the steam.And the stream flowed again. It was beautiful to look at. I could hear the sound of it from the house trickling through the property. And when it rained, the water ran deep and swift.It was clear.We allow out lives to get choked off too, just like the stream. With projects and tasks and to-dos and worries. And pretty soon, things aren’t flowing very well.It would be a good idea (says Barry) to clean out the stream.There are some really great ways to do this that don’t require a bow saw… or Wellingtons.

Journaling: I don’t think that there is any more powerful way to unclog one’s head than the practice of journaling. Julia Cameron, who wrote The Artist’s Way, prescribes what she calls morning pages: Three stream of consciousness journal pages the very first thing in the morning. Like flushing the toilet of the mind, she says. But whether you journal first thing in the morning or at some other time of the day, a regular journal practice allows you to take all of those swirly things that make your mind feel cloudy and mushy and move them out onto the page. It’s an amazingly freeing experience.

Meditation: This used to be thought of as some ‘fringe’ thing that only whackadoos, new agers or Elizabeth Gilbert on a field trip did. But the science is pretty compelling. Meditation calms and clears the mind. Think about one of those old winter snow globe things that you had as a kid: You’d turn it upside down and shake it up; all the ‘flakes’ would swirl around; and then when you set it down, all the flakes would settle. And the globe would be clear again. That’s what meditation does: it settles and clears the mind. And the practice over time will have a profoundly grounding impact on your life.

Aerobic Exercise: Being actually in your body, whether through walking, running, biking or swimming, moves you quickly out of the madness of your mind and connects you again with the earth. And even if you find yourself back in your head as you move over the ground, thoughts and feelings flow more smoothly. Aerobic exercise is, of course, wonderful for your health and physical wellness. But the oxygen that you feed yourself and the hormones that you stimulate will refresh and renew your spirit as well.

With all of the pressures that daily life serves up to us, it is easy to forget that, in order to bring our highest and best selves to the world, we need to nurture ourselves first. So that we can flow.Take some time: clean out the stream.

It’s Just A Bad Hair Day

by Walt | Nov 14, 2013 | Success | 0 Comments

I’m old; I’m fat; I’m out of shape; I’ve lost my edge.

At least those were the stories I began to tell myself.

I pushed on. Turned out it was just an off day.

Some days are like that: Some days, it feels as if someone has poured cement into my running shoes. On other days, I flow like the wind.

All of us have days when it flows; and days when it doesn’t.

The problem is that, when it doesn’t flow, we tend to think that it “means” something; that something’s wrong; that’s something’s broken; that the magic has vanished. We get dark and despondent. We think it will last forever. We get discouraged. We want to quit.

The truth is: Some days it just doesn’t flow.

And it doesn’t mean a damn thing.

This is true in writing, in business, in finance, in relationships, in art, in music. Shit, I’m fairly certain it’s true in everything.

Some days, it’s just a bad hair day.

Thankfully, there’s a remedy: Show up the next day; and the next. Pretty soon it will flow again. Just as long as you haven’t given up.

I recently heard an audience member ask best selling author Theresa Ragan what the secret to her success was, what her secret was for being so prolific. She said that she showed up every day, “put her butt in the chair,” and wrote.

Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way said that our only job as creatives is to “show up on the page;” to be present on the canvas.

George Leonard who wrote the book Mastery using the metaphor of his Aikido practice said that our only job on the path to mastery (in anything) is just “to show up on the mat.”

This means showing up in the practice room, the board room, the laundry room, the bedroom; this means showing up in the classroom, on the track, in the studio, no matter what happened yesterday; or the day before; or the day before that.

Whether it flowed brilliantly; or not.

The judging, the evaluating, the questioning, the hand wringing, the self-deprecation: they’re all just distractions; they’re all just a waste of time and energy.

Our job – our only job – is to show up and do the work.

The rest will take care of itself.

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This is an encore of a post first published on November 29, 2012.

How To Get To Where You Want To Go

by Walt | Nov 7, 2013 | Success | 0 Comments

Rarely would you jump into your car or book a flight without knowing exactly where you were going. You wouldn’t expect your GPS to guide you to your destination without first having entered the exact address. And yet, day after day, so many folks allow their lives to unfold in just that way.

When we run around in multiple directions without any clue as to where we really want to end up, we tend to end up nowhere in particular.

Having a clear vision of exactly where you want to go, knowing exactly what you want to accomplish: This is the key component of all of our success. And when you get that clarity of vision… that’s when the magic really begins to happen.

So here’s your homework: Carve out a half hour. Pull out your journal or a blank sheet of paper. Make your list of 100 things that you want to do, be or have before you die. Then pick out one or two of them… the one’s that quicken your heart… the ones that really excite you. And then get busy. Find some images in magazines or catalogs that reflect your goal or vision – or create your own – to hang on your wall or next to your monitor. Let your imagination run. See yourself accomplishing what you set out to do. What will it be like to do, be or have those things? How will it feel to achieve these things? Visualize your life exactly the way you want it to be.

Then start taking steps toward your goals. Small steps. Consistent steps.

Stay at it. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

You get one shot at this wondrous thing you call our life. Joy is your birthright. Make it a masterpiece.

What’s Your Costume?

by Walt | Oct 31, 2013 | Success | 1 Comment

What are you gonna be for Halloween? Who are you going to dress up as?

Masks and costumes. Parties and planning. Fervor, festivities and fever pitch.

Bigger than Christmas is seems.

What is it about Halloween that so excites, that so sparks the imagination?

Yes, fun for sure. The chance to let loose, hide out, switch it up. The possibility of being someone new, something new, someone different from who we are in the hum-drum of each day.

And the truth is that a lot of folks are worn down by the hum-drum of each they. The want new, better, different. Just not the same. For god’s sake, not the same.

So, who do you want to be?

More important: Who are you already… really?

Are you your job? Your role in a relationship? Your hobby, pursuit, passion?

I am a an executive coach, high altitude mountaineer, blue-water sailor, adventure photographer, husband, father, business owner… .

But is that who I am… really?

If you have a job and lose that job… who are you?

If you have a marriage and the marriage unravels, who are you?

If you have kids and they grow up and move away, who are you?

If you’re an athlete and you’re injured, who are you?

Who are you when your friend betrays you? When your parent dies? When your business fails?

Who are you in the face of success, failure and change?

Who are you… really?

Our identity. The very core of who we are. What a struggle that can be. Especially for success and achievement junkies… I know a few… They’re the folks who come to coaching… (As for myself, on advice of counsel, I can neither admit nor deny any of the heretofore!)

When we’re not doing, achieving, accomplishing… who are we?

Ann and I have been at our home in Ireland for the past month… a completely different culture… a completely different pace… Some have characterized Ireland as the “Jamaica of the UK.” If stress and adrenaline are your fuel, you won’t find much here. And without that fuel, we ask, … who are we?

The Buddhists teach: Nothing to do, nothing to be, nothing to have.

Really. WTF? What then?

One of my very favorite stories from the Torah is when Moses comes upon the burning bush. God speaks to Moses from the bush, telling Moses what he needs to be about. Moses, looking for a bit of borrowed cred, asks God for God’s name. God says, “I am who I am.” Tell those Israelites that “I am” sent you.

Maybe there’s a clue here. Maybe when we define ourselves with a title, give ourselves a label, tie an object to who we think we are, we make ourselves small, we limit our (divine) potential.

Maybe, at the end of it all, one more billable hour booked, one more product sold, one more article published, one more email sent, one more race run, one more mountain climbed, won’t really matter.

Maybe it’s ok just to be.

And damn, what an interesting (and unusual) costume that is!

Happy Halloween.

Doing It On Purpose

by Walt | Oct 24, 2013 | Success | 3 Comments

We shall never cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
— T.S. Eliot

I spent years; decades even.

I conferred with priests and ministers.

I consulted with counselors and therapists.

I sought out spiritual directors and shamans and energy healers.

I even hired a high priced consultant.

I was looking for my “purpose.”

I’ve discovered that I wasn’t alone.

I’ve come across lots of folks in the course of my coaching practice lately who are searching for their “purpose.” Folks from all walks of life; between jobs; coming out of dissolving marriages (and in happy ones); looking for the next step (or the first one); weary of their professions (or just ready for a change); certain that there is something “more,” but without a clue as to what that “more” might be.

They’re searching for their purpose because, for many, finding it really does matter. Because living day to day with a sense of purpose is important. Because, ultimately, we all want to make a difference with our lives; we want to make an impact; we want to leave the world a better place.

Purpose is a sense of mission, a vocation, a calling; a grand arc. More than a job or a role, it’s a sense of wholeness that weaves the pieces of our lives together.

The act of searching, though, can become a distraction; an excuse; a reason not to get our hands dirty, to buckle down and do the work. Searching for our purpose sounds important. And if we’re doing something as important as searching for our purpose, like a Holy Grail, how could we possibly have time to find the job, get the degree, launch the product, write the book, paint the picture or compose the song? Those are things you do after you’ve found your purpose! I should know! I’ve engaged in my fair share of circle jerking purpose searching.

“So how do you find your purpose? people ask.

I’ve discovered that it doesn’t have to be rocket surgery.

What excites you? What lights you up? What quickens your heart? What draws you like a moth to a flame? Where do you lose yourself in time? What have you always wanted to do? What brings you joy? What would you do, even if you weren’t getting paid to do it?

Sometimes we think that “doing” our purpose has to be hard; or that working at our purpose will require toil and sacrifice. But just the opposite is true.

Ask yourself instead: what makes you happy, what’s fun? In fact, ask yourself what would be too much fun to do? That likely will point you in the right direction of your purpose.

But, ultimately, remember this. We really don’t have the time to search for yetis or lost cities. The clock is running. And every second counts.

Just get busy. Purpose has a way of finding you.

Purpose is about discovering what has been within you all along.

It’s about loving deeply and serving freely; it’s about sharing the gifts that only you can share with the world.

Likely, your purpose is close at hand; right here; right now; right where you are. Doing the work you are doing in this very moment.

Don’t miss it.

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This is an encore of a post first published on September 20, 2012. The search for purpose can be a daunting one. Coaching is an awesome way to cut through the noise and get clear. Email me today if you would like to explore one of our transformational coaching programs.