How To Combat the Post-Holiday Blues

istock_000007311880xsmall.jpgBy now, the preparation for Christmas Day has reached its absolute peak.  The last minute gifts are being bought and grocery lists are being prepared for the holiday feast.  While preparing for the more obvious aspects of Christmas, we can also prevent post holiday blues by preparing for the emotional aspects of the day itself.

What, exactly, causes post-holiday blues?  For many, the simple reason is that the day doesn’t fulfill expectations.  Disappointment leads to the big let-down that many of us feel the day after Christmas (or any big event), and the best way to avoid it is simple:  lower your expectations.

Unrealistic expectations can lead to repeated disappointment, but the good news is that “lowering the bar” can reduce, if not eliminate post holiday blues and help you achieve your goals of peace on earth and good will toward men.  Some examples may include: (more…)

Top 12 Posts of 2008

I know it isn’t year-end yet, but experience and observation have shown that not many people want to begin the heavy lifting of reflection and self-assessment near the Holidays.

So, after 700+ posts in 2008, I’m publishing the 12 Most Read Posts at Slow Down FAST so we can all get a jump on the new year.

Thank you all for your support throughout the year.

Here they are:

  1. The Causes and Cures of Procrastination
  2. Mindhacks: 5 Ways to Increase Creativity, Productivity and Intelligence
  3. How to Overcome the #1 Fear: Public Speaking
  4. 8 Essential Ingredients to Master Your Time
  5. Do Not Wage Psychological Warfare
  6. Stuck in a Rut? Fire Up Your Creativity with These 7 Steps
  7. What Are You Passionate About?
  8. See How Easily You Can Handle Change
  9. How to Maintain Professional Boundaries
  10. 5 Simple Tricks To Make You Smarter
  11. 5 Signs You’re a Pleaser and What to Do About It
  12. From Greedy to Grateful – Appreciating What You Have

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Say YES to Personal Choice!

yes.jpgby David Bohl

Are you aware that you are at choice in every area of your life?

When I ask that question of my personal coaching clients they sometimes get very quiet, then say, “No. I don’t feel like I make all my own choices.” That’s a very common response. Many people feel like other people make choices for them, dictate what they “should” do, how they should do it, when they should do it, what they should eat, what they should wear, etc.

It begins, of course, with our parents. Until we’re at an age where they can trust us to make our own, correct decisions, they make our choices for us. If they were controlling, over-protective parents, they may not have instilled in us the opportunity to develop our ability to make our own wise decisions. Thus, we may have grown into adults still looking to others to choose our life situations. Or they may have taught us how to choose and take responsibility for our choices and we became confident, self-assured adults.

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Goal Setting Checkpoint: How Are You Doing With Those Plans You Made?

coaching1-300.jpgby David Bohl

Setting your goals on January 1 is a great way to start your new year with direction and motivation. Of course, you can set goals any time of year. However, after you set goals, your next step is to take action. And, then you need a goal setting checkpoint to monitor your results.

As you take action on your goals, you will most likely encounter obstacles, resistance, and detours, as well as small and large successes. The challenges will force you to make adjustments, and maybe even change the goal or take new actions. The successes need to be celebrated and new goals established to replace the ones achieved.

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6 Signs Your Perfectionism Might be Veering into Control Freak Territory

darklady.jpgAre you constantly redoing things to make sure they’re absolutely perfect? Do you find yourself noticing pictures on walls that are slightly crooked and straightening them, even if it’s not in your own home? Are you consistently late and always have a pat excuse? Do you criticize and find faults with others, but in your mind, you’re always right?

All of these behaviors are signs you might be a control freak! Yes, you! A control freak is someone with a need to control other people, situations, and environments to create a sense of security, false though it may be. This is ultimately to cover their own insecurities and fears. They become perfectionists because they can’t stand being wrong, inferior, or criticized. They have a need to be the best, and to avoid failure at all costs, again to cover up insecurity within themselves, which often they do not even recognize.

To keep from letting their anxieties overwhelm them, they control their life and keep their fears at bay. They’re often critical of themselves as well as others, because few can meet their expectations and high levels of performance. Needless to say, they are difficult to be around since there’s usually little room for compromise or communication. If you even suspect that you may have control issues, here are 6 signs you might be a control freak:

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Listen to Your Gut: Tips for Developing Your Inner Voice and Intuition

beach.jpgby David Bohl, Life Coach and Lifestyle Designer

Have you ever gotten an idea to do something, or go somewhere, and the idea seemed to appear out of the blue? Maybe it was a strong impulse that went against your typical style, but you felt it so deeply that you went ahead. Sometimes these gut urges just feel right, so although we have no idea where they come from, we trust and go ahead. Listening to your gut, or your instincts, can actually be honed to a skill. Intuition comes from an inner voice, one that lives inside all of us but one which few of us pay much attention to.

If you treat intuition as a part of you, it won’t seem so foreign or scary. If you see it as a part of you that is an invaluable assistant to help guide you through life, you’ll take the time to learn its language and understand its messages. For its messages can be quite useful. If you’re stumped on an answer to a challenge, if you’re brainstorming a problem, if you’re stuck making a decision–your intuition can be the perfect partner to help you out.

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Do You Need Help? Read This!

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“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

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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!

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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……..

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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.

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