Archive for June 2007

Dealing with Disappointment

June 14, 2007 by jacquie.

The launch of Promise Power™ was disappointing. Elaine and I went to the eWomen Network Conference in Dallas with a wonderful product, the Promise Bracelet and a well-appointed booth at the Business Expo — and high hopes. What we learned was that Promise Power wasn’t ready for the big time — yet. Such challenges are always an opportunity to grow and learn. I think we are just beginning to learn from this experience, but I want to share what I already know.
The most important thing is how important it is to collaborate with integrity. Had we not trusted each other, this disappointment might have gotten to be an ugly blame game. Each of us identified the areas where we could have done better and acknowledged each other’s contribution to the scope and vision of what we were doing.
As I prepared for this launch, I learned many techie processes. My time was well spent and I have many resources available for whatever business directions we take, whether it’s Promise Power or my own business, Your Secret of Success.
I came home from the conference more subdued than usual. I needed to reassess what’s next. It seems impossible to know the best next choice, so I am letting it all percolate for awhile before deciding how I will proceed. What I do know is that I still love the coaching industry and I am still committed to helping people discover their own fantastic selves. Even though I technically could retire, I am not ready to stop what I love doing. I have many more words still in me and I am determined to share them with others with the commitment to being as inspired and inspiring as possible.
As much as I didn’t want to admit the truth in public, especially to you who have been reading my blog/articles so faithfully, I found that after only a few days, I no longer needed to hide. I’m ready to say, “OK. That didn’t work. What’s next?”
©2007, Jacqueline Hale

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Avoid Overwhelm

June 5, 2007 by jacquie.

My great friend and master proofreader is visiting for the weekend. As we were discussing our plans for today (Saturday), he asked if I was writing an article so he could proofread it before he leaves on his month-long trip to Italy. My first thought was, “I don’t write on Saturday, I write on Monday.”

Hmmm. Have I let routine take possession of me? My usual schedule is to write on Monday, send it off to be proofed on Tuesday, and publish on Thursday. I like the ebb and flow of my usual schedule because when I follow it, I feel grounded. It works unless I get sick or a Monday holiday interferes. Last week, both disruptions occurred.

Unfortunately, I’m still not totally recovered. For my juggling act, I can’t seem to keep more than one ball aloft at a time. Usually, I do many things at once. You could find me reading email, printing incoming information, installing and evaluating new software and, lately, attending teleseminars on the following topics:

·         Blogging

·         Podcasting

·         Virtual book tours

·         eBook marketing

·         Teleseminars

Not only am I learning about the technical aspects of these topics, I am figuring out how to incorporate them into my current business.

What happens when a multi-tasker dissolves into a uno-tasker? Mainly,  things don’t get done. I’m surprised that I’m not nagging myself about unfinished tasks or incomplete thoughts. One reason is that all of these classes are recorded so that I can just load them onto my iPod and voila! I have a portable class room.

That’s really the beauty of all these cutting-edge technologies I’ve been studying. The fallout from all these classes is that I’ve learned first-hand that it’s not a good idea to pile on too much information. Those five topics are being taught within the same time frame, often for many hours each week. They dovetail with each other, so I took them all because I felt that all five are important. However, I am overloaded, burdened down. All this new information coming at the same time is overwhelming and I often feel sucked into a whirlpool!

Here’s what I am taking away from this experience: when giving information, give it in small portions. Learning and change happen slowly. If I want my clients to incorporate new ideas and create new habits, I must consider how much time and energy they have to assimilate what I offer. I feel relieved by this awareness because I designed one of my latest books with consideration for the readers. Serenity Is an Inside Job takes about a half hour per week for a lesson and 10 to 20 minutes a day for reflection.

Want the $10 eBook or the $20 printed book (includes shipping)?
Go to www.serenitycoach.com/book_store.htm

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