‘Tis the Season to Slow Down

holidaysmile.jpgby David Bohl

When Halloween candy hits the shelves before Labor Day and animatronic Santas are ho-ho-ho-ing at you before you’ve even had a chance to carve your Thanksgiving turkey, it’s hard not to feel rushed through the holiday season. However, difficult as it may be to pause and reflect on the meaning of the holidays, it is certainly beneficial.

If you feel like the time between Halloween and Christmas is nothing more than a blur before your eyes, try a few of these tips to slow down and enjoy your holidays this year.

(more…)

6 Characteristics of People to Surround Yourself With

happygirls.jpgAre you somebody other people want to be around? If not, why not? And if so, what are those characteristics that you think make people want to be around you? Are those the same characteristics of people you want to surround yourself with?

Since I work closely with a lot of people in my coaching practice, I’m an astute observer of human behavior. I listen to my clients’ complaints about the people in their lives and find common traits of these “problem” people. I also listen to the traits my clients find admirable, ones they would like to aspire to in themselves. So, I advise them to surround themselves with more of these kinds of people, the ones who have characteristics that make them stand out, make them special, and make people want to be around them.

These are some of the essential qualities I and my clients admire in quality people! You may find different ones that work best for you. I call these characteristics the 6 H’s.

(more…)

How to Change “Why” into “Why Not?”

sky.jpg“With positive internal dialogue, we can create self-power.”

~ Deepak Chopra, The Spontaneous Fulfillment Of Desire

Unfortunately one of the most common phrases in our language is “I can’t.” People say, “I can’t be that,” “I can’t do that,” and “I can’t have that” more often than they realize. And more often than they would if they knew how it kept them from being open to the possibility for more in their lives.

The more you look for reasons WHY you “can’t” be, do, or have what you want, the more you limit your chances for WHY NOT? Why not be the way you want to be? Why not do what you want to do? Why not have what you want to have?

Do you really know the answer to those questions? The answer is: because YOU say so! Only you limit what you can be, do, and have. Only you and your limited thinking, your limited attitude, your limits on what you think is possible are holding you back.

(more…)

Do You Need Help? Read This!

istock_000007178358xsmall.jpg

“I finally learned that you cannot help people unless they really need help, are willing to be helped, want you to help them and ask you to help them. Even then, you can only help them to help themselves.” ~ Vincent Collins

Please subscribe to my RSS feed: feed_icon_28×28.png

Slow Down FAST Hits Top 5 of Personal Effectiveness Blogs

WHAKATE – Life Design Matters blog has picked Slow Down FAST as its #3 Personal Effectiveness blog.  Thank you!

Please subscribe to my RSS feed: feed_icon_28×28.png

6 Goals for Singles to Strive For

horse.jpgby David Bohl

Do single people really have goals that are different from married couples?

Certainly they do when it comes to relationships. Yet, their career goals may be similar, as are their personal and health goals.

However, because of their single status, unmarried folks have more time to focus on building a future that might indeed include not being single. Or on building a fulfilling lifestyle as a single person, whether or not they remain that way or change their status.

When I coach singles, I encourage them not to put any part of their life on hold, waiting for the day they are not single any more–if indeed that day ever comes. Since none of us is really in control of whether or not we get married, if you are single, set goals for what you want now and in the near future, being realistic about the unknown status of your relationship future.

Here are some realistic goals that make sense for happy, successful, single people to strive for……..

(more…)

Warning Signs: How to Know if it’s Time to Escape Your Life

exit.jpgLife is often a whirlwind of activity. Your work obligations, social life, and family activities often pile up, leaving you feeling buried beneath a never-ending list of to-do’s.

Left unchecked, this sense of being overwhelmed can run rampant and cause mental, emotional, and physical damage. Take a look at the following clues to determine whether it’s time to take a break from your busyness and escape your life while you still can.

Daily stressors usually take their first toll on your mental well-being. The reprimand at work, the parents’ meeting at school, and the leaky faucet whose “drip, drip, drip” is a constant reminder of the honey-do list you shoved in the bottom of your desk drawer may seem like small potatoes at first, but these simple nuisances can build up to become a monster.

When the pressures of mundane tasks affect you mentally, you may find yourself consumed by negative thoughts, worries, and anxieties. If you spend more time dwelling on the glass being half empty rather than half full, it may be time to plan your escape route.

(more…)

Apology Accepted

Are you sick of listening to the candidates dance around when confronted by a mistake they made in their pasts? It appears politics is the hotbed of verbal antics.

No one seems to realize the power of honesty. You are only as good as your word. No one will believe or trust you if you play verbal games. Honesty is morally right and efficient. And ultimately, always the best policy. (more…)

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Focusing on What People DO Instead of What They SAY

Don’t know what the Presidential candidates stand for? With all the rhetoric– and misrepresentations and omissions of fact that you’re hearing from both candidates, it’s tough to tell what their real beliefs are. Not to mention the fact that the press/media is being accused of being on Obama’s side. You can also see this in your daily life. The coworker filled with empty promises. The “friend” who is constantly cancelling lunch. Your local representative who did not vote the way they said when on the stump. (more…)

Does Market Collapse Mean the End of the World?

fearful.jpgNo WAY!

Though you might believe otherwise from the news coverage and mass hysteria, the world is not coming to an end. The Financial “Crisis” will make it more difficult for those with not so perfect credit to get loans, but it really shouldn’t affect your day to day life.

What it should do is make you realize that this will impact only a tiny fraction of your existence…and there are so many other areas of your life that you have complete control over. Why not work on them, and secure your future?

What’s the worst that could happen?

Ask any economist, and the only response you will get is their opinion or theory. The markets are responding to the hysteria and the uncertainty of our past mistakes and future fears. Do not be swayed! Stay strong! Eventually when the government allows our markets to stabilize (by stabilizing THEMSELVES) we will return to our bullish times. Until then, realize that this period will be over at some point. Just make sure that YOUR house is in order.

(more…)