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5 Ways to Get Unstuck from the Quicksand of Life

June 17, 2014 By Paige

Do you feel like you’re not just stuck but being sucked down?

As busy adults, we’re often involved in a variety of projects at home and work. Our To-Do list ranges from simple tasks like paying bills to more difficult ones, such as replacing the ceiling fan.  If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you enjoy the satisfaction of managing these tasks on your own. After all, how difficult can it be to buy and replace a ceiling fan?

Well, as you probably know from experience, some of those ten minute easy To-Do tasks can take ten hours.  That’s ten hours away from your business and family. Why do we reach a point where we feel the world is sucking us in?

Often it’s fear that holds us back. We’re afraid of letting go of a task or commitment in order to work on something else. Yes, we could get to that ceiling fan, but it means juggling our schedule. We know how to bill a client, but that also means taking time away from business or family.  It’s often easier to put off a task than to take the time to figure out how to complete the task.

How to Lift Yourself Out of Quicksand

  • First, write down all your strengths. And I say all, because I know there are many. Our strengths often come so naturally that we don’t recognize them as strengths. If you excel at making contacts for your business, write it down. Maybe your office is extremely organized or you love keeping updated with the latest online marketing. Write it down. Take a good look at your list. Notice how your life and business are better because you have these strengths.
  • Now, write down what feels heavy on your mind. Take a few minutes to jot down the tasks that are pulling you down. Is it bookkeeping? Returning sales calls? Keeping up with networking?
  • Next to each item, jot down the aspects that are pulling you down. Is it that the tasks are tedious and time consuming? Is it that you hate doing the math work involved in the project? Do you get anxious doing the task, such as taxes? Are you worried your spouse will complain about you being away from the family.
  • Now search for solutions. Often, there are people close by who can help pull you out of the sandpit. If you’re involved in a networking group, use services offered from other group members. You can also search for referrals from friends and neighbors. You might find a bookkeeper’s not as expensive as you thought. You might meet a contractor who can replace that ceiling fan in less than an hour. A coach or an informative webinar can also help you maneuver around your obstacles so you can move forward.
  • Finally, bring those people and resources into your world. Allowing others to use their strengths to help you is like having a rope thrown to you to keep you from not only sinking, but possibly avoiding quicksand altogether.

By combining your strengths with those of others, you’ll be amazed how quickly you can pull yourself out of quicksand and return to moving forward on solid ground.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE?
Great! Just include this entire blurb along with it:
Paige Ritchie is an Advocate and Mentor to Women and Men who are Embracing the Possibilities of their Lives. She helps people find the courage and confidence to clarify ambitions and accelerate personal growth through personal life coaching, tele-group coaching and life coaching workshops and retreats. She lives in North Carolina and works with people, nationally. If you are ready to “Embrace the Possibilities” of your life, you can contact Paige at
https://paigeritchie.com.

Filed Under: Coaching, Inspiration

What Were You Wearing?

December 30, 2013 By Paige

Ever so often we pause to look ahead, plan for the next few months or year to come and begin setting things in motion to make our goals our reality.  Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved looking ahead and setting my sights on exhilarating adventures for the future. It was always refreshing to let go of the old and embrace the possibilities of something new.

Today though, is different.  As I sit here at the end of one year and the beginning of another in my comfy oversized sweater, favorite jeans, and fuzzy socks, with my computer in my lap, having carved out “me time” from the family, I find myself not at all focused on the possibilities of a new year. Instead my thoughts are on the past year , the toughest year of my life.

In the spring my husband and I decided to put our house on the market and move our whole family (2 kids and a golden retriever) back to my home state of North Carolina. Then, just three weeks after our house went on the market, I was diagnosed with an extremely rare and potentially life-threatening adrenal tumor. At that moment many things in my life came to a screeching halt. I, now, needed to focus my energy and attention on my health. Except for my current coaching clients, I knew I would need to take a step back from my professional work while I addressed this daunting, personal obstacle.

That was hard for me as I thoroughly enjoy being connected to the coaching world and I had several projects I was passionately and intensely working on. Yet, in a matter of weeks I was in my red pajamas at Mass General Hospital preparing for surgery that only a handful of surgeons are trained to perform.  And as if that wasn’t enough, our house went under contract during all this and we had no idea where we were moving.

My surgery went very well and for two weeks into my recovery all was going smoothly. I was returning to my normal self.   Then one week before moving to N.C. my doctor notified me that a test came back that was very “concerning.” Eight more tests were needed and I wouldn’t get the results for 2 months.

Okay, I’ll just say, up to that point, with the amazing support of my family and friends and some serious positive psychology “self talk,” I had been a rock star in dealing with everything that had come my way.  However, after hearing “concerning” and my potential prognosis, in about 2 seconds I went from wearing my rock star pants to being enveloped in a cocoon of both fear and sadness, thinking of how to prepare my children for a life without their mom.

A week later and the last morning in our now-empty house, we were frantically cleaning. My favorite shorts and tank top were covered in dirt and sweat. We had about 20 minutes before meeting the buyers — a young, “showered,” professionally-dressed couple — the realtors and the closing attorneys to sign the papers. Yet, right before we walked out of our house for the last time, instead of freshening up and changing our clothes, my husband and I and our 2 kids walked through each room, holding hands and sharing memories of the past 7 years.  Slowing down to reflect on our past before we stepped out of the door into our highly unknown future allowed us to package those 7 years of our life, the good and the bad, and take them with us with acknowledgement of what we have experienced and appreciation for being at the point we were that day.

After 2 months emotionally snuggled up in my cocoon, helping my kids adjust to a new life in North Carolina, absorbing every moment I had with them and my husband, and with fear pulsating through my body of not seeing my kids grow up, I had finally gotten to a place that I knew my family would be strong enough to thrive without me.

And then I got the call with the best news possible. More in depth testing indicated that I am in the clear. I could finally be that person I was at the beginning of 2013.  I could finally put my rock star pants back on!

But it was hard to find them.

It took awhile to totally absorb and recover from those long months of physical ailments, rollercoaster emotions, making tough decisions, and being a mother when I was feeling more like a child. With each new day, I started to see glimpses of my old self bubble back up.  I could think of the future beyond the next few months.  I could hear myself laugh again. But strangely, I continued to really need the things in my life that made me feel secure, cozy and comfortable like refreshing walks on the beach, snuggling with my kids, hugs from my husband, more baths than I could count, long talks with family and friends and of course my  favorite pair of jeans, baggy sweater and fuzzy socks.

This year, unlike any other year, I have spent a lot of time thinking back on 2013. How I started off strong, how I was reaching my personal, business and health goals, how everything stopped dead in its tracks, how weak and vulnerable I felt at times, how fearful I felt for my future and the future of my family, how hard it was at times to keep my head up, and how I learned that I could handle the worst year of my life.

Before opening the door and stepping into your future, take some time to reflect back on your past year. Allow yourself to acknowledge your strength in making tough decisions in difficult situations, your courage in standing up for what you believed in even though you felt alone, your compassion in hugging yourself when you needed hugs, your sense of humor in laughing at yourself when you tripped, your bravery in stepping into the unknown even though you were scared, your humbleness in allowing yourself to lean on your family and friends when you needed support, and your perseverance in continuing to push forward in what it is that makes your life worth living.  Whether things have gone the way you planned or not, think about what it took for you to make it to this day.

And suddenly we realize, through it all, our rock star pants were on the entire time.

New Adventures, here we come!

Paige

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE?
Great! Just include this entire blurb along with it:
Paige Ritchie is an Advocate and Mentor to Women and Men who are Embracing the Possibilities of their Lives. She helps people find the courage and confidence to clarify ambitions and accelerate personal growth through individual business coaching, life coaching, tele-group coaching, workshops and retreats. She lives in North Carolina and works with people, nationally. If you are ready to “Embrace the Possibilities” of your life, you can contact Paige at https://paigeritchie.com.

Filed Under: Coaching, Gratitude, Inspiration, Life Purpose, Life-Coach, Mindfulness, Wellness Coach Tagged With: 2013, 2014, Courage, Inspiration, Knowing your strengths, Personal Growth, Positive Psychology, Reflecting on 2013, Reflections, Strengths

Throw out the funk…..let’s go on vacation!

March 20, 2013 By Paige

So many of my clients are telling me they are in a funk.

Sitting between winter and spring, ready to warm the bones and see the sun again can start to change our mindset.

Welcome to what I call Tunnel Time.

Tunnel Time is when we hunker down, underground….waiting for the end of the darkness….aka: “in a funk.”

Often in Tunnel Time we get stuck in traffic jams, drive in only one lane and can start feeling anxious and frustrated and ready to get the hell out.

By the time we actually make it to the light at the end of the tunnel we have to spend our time in recovery from the tunnel rather than enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

You may  find yourself  having to:

  • Catch up on lost sales in your business.
  • Revamp your workout to lose the extra 5 pounds you gained in the tunnel.
  • Work extra hours or cut back on expenses to pay off shopping sprees.

Playing catch up and having to recover isn’t where we want to spend our time, right?

The other day I heard Barbara Fredrickson speak about her research that she has written about in her book, Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become. She had so many interesting and scientifically proven things to say. One thing that really stuck in my head and inspired me to write today is something that her colleague, Steve Cole, said.

What you feel today will effect you at a cellular level for the next 3 months.

Wowa! 3 months from now is summer! We want to feel great! 3 months from now may be when you’re planning to reach a milestone in your business! 3 months from now may be when you’re planning to be at your ideal weight!

Who wants the funk we feel today to effect us 3 months from now!?!

What to do?…..

Change our mindset from Tunnel Time to Pre-Vacation-Time!

You’re mindset is already changing….I can feel it.

Pre-Vacation-Time is that uplifting and exciting time of anticipation, planning, and preparation that happens before you go on your dream vacation. It’s the time that you allow yourself to be excited while also getting the things done that need to be done before you leave.

The great thing about Pre-Vacation-Time is that things don’t bother us as much such as working a few extra hours at work to put systems in place for things to run smoothly while you are away,  adding extra workouts into your schedule to feel great in your vacation clothes (or no clothes!),  cutting back on expenses to save up for your trip. It can even mean staying focused on your health and wellness so that you aren’t sick when you reach your destination.

Are you feeling the mind-shift, yet?

Grab your journal, a sheet of paper, or your iPhone and make a few notes so you don’t forget….mind-shifts often need a little help in the beginning.

I’m going to give you a few helpful tips to get you out of your funk and start ensuring your future success at a cellular level.

1. First, write down  1 to 2 things you are working towards in the next 3 to 6 months along with the exact date you plan to arrive at your destination. This could be expanding your business with a new employee, reaching a financial milestone in your business, having a baby, or losing the weight you’ve wanted to lose for years.

2. Just as if you are planning for a vacation, right down every little detail that you want to do to prepare for it. Keep this light hearted. After-all your destination comes from what you’re passionate about.

3. Check off each detail on your list as you “pack” them. Add things as you think of them just as you would for a vacation.

4. Stay connected with your Pre-Vacation-Prep notes keeping your destination in mind. You may even want to place them like a beautiful brochure on your desk.

5. Enjoy yourself along the way! Ensuring your success at a cellular level!

When you reach your destination (and I know you will) take the time to enjoy all that it took to make it happen.

It won’t be long before you plan another vacation to look forward to!

Enjoy yourself!

Paige

Filed Under: Business Coach, Confidence, PowerUp Your Life

The Risk to Blossom

February 2, 2013 By Paige

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

– Anaïs Nin

Filed Under: Inspiration, Sharing Yourself

Happy New Year!

January 2, 2013 By Paige

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions yet? Are you entering the new year feeling refreshed and charged for a new beginning or are you rolling in like me feeling a bit frazzled and already 3 steps behind?

On New Year’s Day my 8 year old daughter came up to me and said, “Mom, I need to make my New Year’s Resolutions….let’s see…what am I not good at?”

So often we approach the New Year from a place of deficits. We set ourselves up from the start to fall short of our goals and intentions because of our mindset. Working from this place sets us up for failure, unable to maintain our intentions.

Out with the old! In with the new way of thinking! Here are a few quick steps to get you on the right track for success for 2013.

Grab a piece of paper and pen and quickly jot down your thoughts:

1. List 5 of your strengths. If your get stumped ask a loved one or friend what your strengths are and then choose to put them on your list or not.

2. List 3-5 things that are important to you. What do you value in your life?

3. Next, ask yourself, “What would you have needed to do and/or experienced in your life in order to have no regrets on your deathbed?”

4. Without hesitation, list everything that pops up.

5. Lastly, choose from your list in #4 to answer this question: “This year, what do I want to do and who do I want to be?”

Enjoy making 2013 happen!

Your personal advocate,

Paige

 

Filed Under: Inspiration

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Paige is founder of Paige Ritchie Coaching where she believes everyone has the right to do what they love. Through individual coaching, workshops and retreats Paige is committed to Empowering and Facilitating Growth in a significant way with each of her client’s. [Read More]

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