Pay it forward: Donate today to A Hand Up Coaching and win a nano!

A Hand Up Coaching

Please Help Us Reach Our Goal of $100K by December 5!

Make a donation, follow us on our Twitter, join our Facebook or LinkedIn page and be entered to win a 16GB

 

nano!

 

A Hand UP Coaching

is a National 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing volunteer Coaching Services to women moving from unfavorable situations and environments to gain greater self-confidence, independence, and economic status. Our volunteers are Coaches who are involved in Accredited International Coach Federation Training Programs and provide the best Coaching available in the world.

Every little bit helps.  No donation is too small.  Thank you.

www.ahuc.org

Donate today!



Calling all coaches, please send this out to your networks and help us reach our goal!

Remember to spend some quality time on you.


www.lynnzettler.com

Ann Taylor, Really?!

I'm an Ann Taylor girl.  I love their clothes, they fit me great, they're resonably priced and I usually hit them once or twice a year for some really great sales.  I can't say how disappointed I am in this advertisement where they felt the need to make the model's body look unrealistically out of proportion.  What's wrong with the picture on the left?  She looks great!

How did we get to the point where we are saying that 'real' people are not good enough, even for modeling our clothes.  It's one thing to have a mannequin, it's quite another to re-model a real person to make them look fake.  Women in particular have been well trained to think that they are not good enough.....better yet......they are never good enough.

This is a common theme that I run into with coaching clients.  People who think they are never good enough run themselves ragged trying to achieve more and more in order to feel some significance.  They typically have trouble saying 'no' to anything, and end up being exhausted all of the time.  They never feel that they can do enough or be enough.

What does enough look like?  The answer is different for everyone, but most likely it is unattainable because the definition is always changing.  As soon as you get to the magic place called 'enough',  you replace it with yet another level of 'enough' to chase.

The truth is that we are all good enough no matter our size, shape, beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, profession, how much we do or any other criteria you want to use.  Just focus on doing the best you can in any moment and you will always be enough.

www.lynnzettler.com

Getting Over My Own Big BUTs

I love giving my presentation on "Eliminating Your Big BUT", and if you haven't seen it before you are missing out on encountering my dancing expertise to 'Baby Got Back' by Sir Mix A Lot...you know the rap/hip hop song...."I like big butts and I cannot lie..."...etc....OK, you may want to eliminate that visual....

I am frequently asked about my own big BUTS. What were they, and what are they currently?  This is a great question, because I believe that we continuously have big BUTS, even after eliminating one.  There's always another to replace it.  The trick is to get faster at eliminating them!  I thought I'd share a few of mine:

1.  I would leave my job and start my own business, BUT I'm afraid I won't make enough money.

I willingly and enthusiastically left a secure corporate job after 20 years to venture out on my own in the middle of the current recession.  Crazy right?  Believe me, this did not come without months and months of planning, self analysis, coaching and spousal support. It is probably one of the most liberating things I've ever done in my life, and I'm still loving every minute of it.

2.  I want to write a book, BUT I have no idea how to go about it, get it published, or if anyone would want to read it.

About three years ago I just decided to go for it.  I told people I was writing a book to make it more real and to force me to live up to the expectation.  I went to a free writers workshop, read every book I could on the 'how to's' and just put one step in front of the other until it was published this month with an official release in November.

3.  OK, now for a current one that I'm working on....

I would call (fill in the blank with a persons name of significance, like France A. Cordova, the President of Purdue University) BUT what would I say, what would I offer her and would she even talk to me?

For those of you that don't know, France was recently named in the list of 2010 Who's Who in Indiana by one of Indiana's business magazines.  So my first step was to send her a congratulatory, hand written note.  I'll let you know what my next step is as soon as I get over the BUT.

www.lynnzettler.com

Pros and Cons of Hiring a Personal Coach

You’ve reached a crossroads in your life.  You’ve been going to and from a job that has kept the bills paid, allowed you to take vacations with your family, and provided you with a lifestyle that is, by and large, comfortable.  But something’s missing.  You know in the core of your being that there is something more for you out there. 

Maybe you own a decent sized company… you have a contingency of employees… you turn a profit every month.  You’ve had your ups and downs, and now you’re on an upswing.  You know your company has what it takes to take your widgets to the next level.  There is no reason, which you can readily see, that you aren’t providing widgeting as a service to every company that can use it… but something isn’t allowing your team to come together as a cohesive unit. 

What do you do?  You ask around.  You get some advice.  Someone says in a conversation, “While I was at the Head 2 Toe Women’s Expo in September, I saw this table for a personal coach.  She specializes in helping folks and companies excel… AND she got up on stage and danced in front of everyone.  She’s not a coward. Maybe you should call her.” You think to yourself…’A personal coach? What is that? How can they help me?’

Well, let me help… here are some Pros & Cons of hiring a personal coach: 

Cons

1. Cost.  You’ve got a level of comfort, but personal coaching can be expensive, or so you think. 
2. There is NEVER enough time to complete the “to do” list set up at the beginning of the day.  How can you POSSIBLY add one more item? 
3. Fear: you may have to face some things within you that you’ve kept hidden for some time. 
4. What in the world will others think? 
5. Change is uncomfortable, sometimes downright miserable. 

OK, but if you’re at a crossroads in your life, how do you choose the path you need to take?  The path that will make you happiest?  The path that will allow you to make your dreams a reality?  What are the reasons you SHOULD hire a personal coach? 

1. You’ve lost site of what is important to you.  You need help finding those things again. 
2. You may have a great support group around you, but maybe you don’t want to mix business and personal or maybe you aren’t sure they will understand your situation and can offer concrete advice. Maybe you need help to look within and find out what’s holding you back from your potential. Maybe you’re embarrassed or afraid to ask for help. A personal coach can offer you another position, one with knowledge and training, that can understand and identify.
3. Friends are friends; sometimes you need an outside perspective.  When’s the last time your friend told you those jeans really didn’t look good?  C’mon… they don’t want to hurt your feelings.  You know you put on an extra five pounds or so. A third party can be objective, they can tell you what you NEED to hear, not what you WANT to hear.  
4. Certified Personal Coaches have been trained to help you face your fears, ambitions, desires and find common ground to allow you to face each head on.  If you hire one, make sure the have International Coaches Federation credentials. 
5. Certified Personal Coaches are trained to help you tap into what motivates you:  money, recognition, just knowing you’ve done well for someone/something.  We’re all different.  Often, we’ve lost sight of our own motivators.   
6. Life has gotten in the way for all of us.  Obstacles are everywhere.  Sometimes you need a rope to help you across the ravine.  Personal coaching is a support net of sorts. 
7. Not many people can work out towards a specific physical goal without having a personal trainer.  Think of a personal coach as a mental and motivation trainer, a personal trainer for your life and business. 
8. A personal coach can assist you in tapping into the child you left behind when life got serious.  They help you find your joys and how to incorporate them into your job or company. 
9. When you fall and scuff your knee, a personal coach will help you stand up and dust yourself off.  When you cross the finish line, we’ll also be the first one there to cheer you on for finishing your marathon. 
10. With a personal coach, you always have someone on your side…you may not like the hard truth they offer you, but you know you’ll be better off in the long run.

Even after you’ve weighed the good and bad, you may still have some voice holding you back.  That’s normal.  Sometimes it’s just easier to keep doing the same things we’ve always done…getting the same things we’ve always gotten. Are you satisfied with your life and business? Are you ready to do something about it? Do you think your competitors will be the first to hire a personal coach and see their business grow?

www.lynnzettler.com