Lately the current of my mind has been terribly engaged. The feeling is like being pulled under and dragged out to sea in a riptide of psychological activity. I seem to be rolling with big ideas, spilling over with tiny tasks and overflowing with unfocused creativity.

All of this mental activity leads to feeling scattered. The gears in my brain spin and then lock up.  The more I check in with how I am feeling and what I need, the more I realize the lack of focus has everything to to do with the Autumnal transition and my new, not yet comfortable routine for Fall.

It’s time to get clear, get focused and re energize. It time to swim away from the tumultuous surface current that has a hold of me.

The plan is to revise my daily schedule. The trick to living a balanced life is understanding we are always in a state of change. Recalibrating daily habits and swimming away from the rip current will help me slow down, focus my energy and get back to shore.

Here is my plan for nourishing my hijacked spirit whilst participating in the new pace of my life.  I hope you can use this life ring of ideas to quiet your mind and rescue you from your own undercurrent of unfocused madness.  : -)

Getting Quiet

Making time to sit quietly each morning is lovely way to begin each day. Even 5 minutes will make a difference.  Enjoying a fresh cup of coffee in silence or creating time to sit and reflect. Writing your thoughts in a journal may be your choice for quiet time.  I like to mix things up.  How about you?  What do you do to get quiet?

Sharing time with positive people

Sharing time with positive uplifting people is key to increasing your energy and lifting your spirit. Anybody who brings you down is not part of the solution. Take inventory of the people and personalities in your life.  Your energy will mirror the people you surround yourself with.

Infuse your life with nature

As I write this I am looking out the window at a huge maple tree just beginning to share her new fall colors with me. I have a pickle jar filled with Petoskey stones on my desk and small red and yellow sunflower that is on the ready to retire.  I bring the natural world into my environment to keep me grounded.

As important as it is to bring nature inside, it’s also a good idea to get out in the natural world. Walk along a woodland path, skip some flat stones across the lake, tack a sack lunch to a nearby park and breathe in the beauty of nature.  How do you infuse your life with nature?

Daily yoga practice

As a student of yoga and yoga instructor I realize the importance of honoring my body with a regular yoga practice. When I became a teacher I stopped being a student. It’s time to balance my love for yoga by making room in my life to be a yoga student.  Do you have a daily yoga practice?  Do you want to learn more about what that might look like?

Cultivating mindfulness

Unconscious behavior is easy to step back into when you feel overwhelmed and out of sorts. Practicing mindfulness will improve your outlook on life and teach you a lot about the way you are, the way you roll.  What does it mean to be mindful?  To me it is thoughtful consideration as well as witnessing your own behavior.  Minfulness is a  gift that can be internally mined at any time.  How do you cultivate mindfulness?

“Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind”

- Alice Meynell

Shann Vander Leek is the Founder of True Balance Life Coaching and Co-founder of Seize True Success. She is a Coach Training Alliance certified professional coach, and certified yoga instructor. Shann is a prolific blogger, published writer and co-author of the Best Selling Book – Wake Up Women BE Happy Healthy & Wealthy. Shann’s personal style and direct approach have guided and inspired many in overcoming personal and professional challenges. Her background in sales, marketing and client development, along with leading a talented sales force for many years prepared her for the business of professional coaching. Shann inspires women in transition to create balance in their lives through personal coaching, yoga and creative expression. Telephone and email consultations make her accessible to clients all over the world. To find out about her Coaching Programs for Women, call Shann at 231.668.111 or visit www.truebalancelifecoaching.com

Most of us start the New Year with the best of intentions to make positive changes in our lives. But more often than not, most resolutions end up falling by the wayside before February 1st. Which begs the questions, “How are you doing so far?” and ”How do plan on staying committed to your 2009 goals?”

So in the spirit of staying on track, let’s recap some of the concepts we’ve touched on in the last month that can really help you to go for it 100% in 2009 –and beyond:

Decide what you want. This sounds self-evident, but it’s really important. If you have no idea what the target is, it will be REALLY difficult to know if you’ve hit it. Spend some time thinking about what’s currently bugging you about your life. What is it that is holding you back? Not satisfying you? What areas do you want to see measurable improvement in by the end of this year?

Want what you want.  Not to sound like Ayn Rand (although I adore her writings) but you have a right to want what you want.  It doesn’t matter if anyone else understands it, or agrees with it. It doesn’t even matter if you fully understand why you want it. Unless you are infringing on the rights of another, you have a right (and some philosophers would argue a moral obligation) to go out and get it.
See what you want.  Here’s the fun part…virtually all experts in the areas of self-improvement and human potential say the same thing. To have something in your life, you need to first see it in your mind. The poet, Carl Sandberg said, “nothing happens unless first a dream”. You need to use your imagination to see what the victory is. Imagine achieving your goal in all the detail you can muster. Who is around you as you celebrate that moment when you know you’ve made it? What do they say to you? What do you say to them? Where are you? Fill it in with enough rich detail as possible — and run that “movie” over and over in your mind. Not only will you have the joy of experiencing your dream in advance, but you will begin (on some level of your consciousness) to believe that this is real…and that it is coming to you even as you move forward toward it. Hold on to that image long enough and you’ll be living it before you know it.
Take steps towards your goal every day. Commit to doing something, at least one thing, however small — EVERY DAY. A phone call, a 15-minute yoga break, 10-minutes of research on the net — whatever it is. Every small action takes you one step closer to your goal AND reminds you that you are keeping your promises to yourself.
Commit to people who aren’t going to let you off the hook.  I have a few close pals who really keep my “feet to the fire” pushing and prodding me to follow-up on and do the things I say I want to do.  In fact, many times when I am feeling less than motivated, it is only the image of having to tell those friends that I didn’t do anything that gets me moving to do at least SOMETHING that I can report back.
Share your dream with someone you trust. There is something incredibly powerful about hearing yourself say what you REALLY want to another person — and knowing that they want it for you too! Better yet, if you really what to have some fun…have your friend(s) say what your dream is back to you…in the present tense as if it had already happened…It’s very exciting and it feels even more real!

Anthony Robbins, quite possibly the greatest living expert on goal setting and achieving, says that human beings need to be constantly challenging themselves in order to be happy. That in life you are either growing or dying in terms of your development. Staying stagnant is a slower death, but its a death just the same. Goal achievement expert, Bob Proctor, says that we are either in “a state of creation or a state of disintegration”.

The more I learn about this stuff the more that I agree with both of them. So Carpe Diem, everybody…hey, let’s ”carpe” the whole freakin’ year.  Get out there and make it happen!

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, author of Fit + Female:  The Complete Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women.  It’s a first of its kind program designed to fit into a busy women’s life.  Lose weight and look great — 90 Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!!

Upon reading my posts, you may have gathered that I am a highly motivated, goal-oriented person.  My friends and loved ones will attest to the contagiousness of my energy and enthusiastic spirit.  My positive attitude combined with strong ambition fuel my ability to accomplish my goals and dreams. 

This past weekend, my family and I went to my nephew’s 2^nd birthday party.  An old friend of my SIL’s also attended the party.  She has been training for triathlons some time and I was excited to pick her brain about our shared interest in the sport. 

I proudly told her about my latest endeavors and she snidely remarks, “Those aren’t real triathlons.  If you aren’t swimming 2 miles and feel like you are going to die, then you’ve not done a real tri.” 

Talk about crushing someone’s spirit!  That’s like telling someone who runs 5K, “You’re not a real runner unless you run a marathon.” 

Even in my shock, I scripted a pretty decent rebuttal.  “I believe a triathlon is defined by completing 3 physical activities: swim, bike and run.  If we went around the room and polled everyone, I think you would find everyone’s response to include those three things.  And, yes, technically it is only a sprint, but it feels like a REAL triathlon to me.  And despite what you may think, I do feel like I am going to die during and after, but I love it!  It’s not about the distance for me, but the challenge and trying to compete against my own time.” 

With a stunned expression, she replied “Well, I compete against myself as well, but I don’t event like triathlons.” 

“Then, why do you even do them?” 

“I do them because my friends convinced me to do it, but I don’t like them.” 

“So, you caved to peer pressure?  Interesting.” 

The longer I spoke with her, the more my blood began to boil.  I realize I am no Hollie Kenney, but I do best and I am damn proud of what I do!  The other athletes I have met at the various races have been so supportive and encouraging.  My friends and family applaud my achievements and in turn, I celebrate their hard-work too.  Where did this chick come off? 

To avoid an ugly scene turning even uglier, I took a few deep cleansing breaths and escaped to the patio to discuss politics with my BIL.  Discussing Obama over a beer would make me feel better.