"Be Your Own Coach: 7 Tips to Be More Successful Personally and Professionally"
By Dr. Cindy Brown
Many of you struggle with balancing the daily tasks and responsibilities of your career, personal & social needs and relationship and family needs. As a Behavior and Relationship Specialist, I work with 100’s of people each month to help them manage their lives better and have happier, healthier relationships as well.
 In order to be more productive and successful you must learn and practice some new skills and systems. REMEMBER, INSANITY IS: Doing The Same things and expecting different results! I learned the tips I will share with you here in two ways, by the traditional way of schooling, books and continuing education workshops, as many of us did. However the most important skills I learned, I acquired as a child, needing to survive in my family environment. My family prepared me well for a very successful career as an executive/ results coach and psychotherapist and behavior specialist.
Here are the 7 ways you can coach yourself towards success and keep your business and personal life on track as I do every day.
1. Begin and End Each Day with a Plan:
There’s a famous quote that says “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I always remind myself of this each day to motivate me to create my daily trail map so I can better navigate my day and accomplish my goals.
 I like to plan on paper, some people plan on mind maps and using computer programs. I like paper, I like to touch it and use a pen to write out my tasks each evening and morning.
I recommend preparing a separate plan each day. I use a yellow colored plan form, which stimulates my mind and catches my eyes if it gets buried under my work. I first look over my previous day’s form and transfer any incomplete tasks. Second, I write a number next to each task to indicate priority (some people use letters-ABC). Third, I look at my project binder and see what tasks need to be completed for each project according to due dates and again priority (I also put a number next to these). Fourth, I jot down time slots next to each task.
At the end of the day I look over what I have accomplished, observing my check marks and those tasks I did not finish. I also look at my calendar schedule for the next day so I can see what time I have available between clients, appointments etc. I start a new form for the next day transferring the incomplete tasks. I have a little committee meeting with myself,* celebrating my successes and coaching myself to be more productive the next day…always with love and acceptance, *more about this in tip #6.
2. Create Daily Rituals:
There’s a great saying “Successful people do what unsuccessful people won’t and don’t do.” It is known that successful athletes and wealthy business people have particular daily habits and/or rituals they practice to make sure they perform the very best they can.
I have a certain number of daily habits I perform and in a particular order each day that creates for me a certain healthy foundation and a feeling of safety for my life and myself. I find that when I alter these drastically, I feel out-of-balance and less creative and productive. For instance, I like to exercise almost every morning- it helps me wake-up, energize and cleans-out the bugs of the previous day. It leaves me feeling clear and ready to help myself and my clients. I also like to spend time in the morning reflecting on my upcoming day, tuning into myself and reading something inspirational. When I miss this ritual, I find my day is just a bit off.
What do you need to do each day to allow you to perform at your best?
 3. Keep Yourself on Task with a Timer:
How many of you have sat down to quickly check your email, only to glance at the clock much later and realize it’s been over 2 hours and you have missed that important call you needed to have and wasted important business time?
This is why I recommend people use time slots in their daily planning and additional support from the timer. It’s hard to ignore the loud ring (make sure you get a ring timer not an egg-timer).
I have learned recently that men are single focused and women are multi-taskers. What does this mean? Men are more likely to finish a project all the way through, where woman will try to accomplish 8 things at once, going from one part of one project to another part of another project, only to realize the other project… have I confused you already? Does this sound like you? It was me awhile back, but now I make myself stay on track with my lists and timer. It really works, try it! It works great with kids too!
4. Make Sure Your Basic Needs are Met:
You may have heard of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He was a psychologist who examined people’s behaviors and the possibility of higher functioning. He found when our basic survival needs are not met we don’t perform as well with the higher functioning needs and tasks.
Have you ever experienced moodiness, fatigue, lack of clarity or creativity and headaches when you haven’t slept enough or eaten often enough? Well, Maslow says these needs must be met sufficiently in order for you to function at your very best. You need air, hydration, nutrition, elimination, sleep, sex, shelter, and safety.**Make sure you are getting these met first before you try to serve others, this way you can be personally and professionally more successful.
 5. Take Breaks To Rejuvenate:
Throughout your day get up and move your body and change positions and locations. Research has shown that your brain and mind need new physical activity and new environments to stimulate new ideas and to be more productive.
I make it a point to get up out of my chair at least once an hour to breathe the air outside, stretch my legs and refocus, this helps me handle my day more effectively. I arrange my timeslots on my daily plan to support this. Some computer programs have alarms and reminders to remind you as well.
6. Talk yourself In or Out of Anything:
Did you know you have a very smart and proficient coach inside of you? You actually have a few coaches some productive, some destructive. Do you recognize these? No! Contact me, I will show you! I teach people like you about their own unique committee and how to use this committee to help you become more successful and less destructive.
 7. Always Keep Learning:
As we talked about earlier, successful people keep on learning and growing. My other favorite quote:
“Every time I learn something new it pushes some old stuff out of my brain.” -Homer Simpson
When you keep on learning, you keep on growing. And when you keep on growing you make your life richer and the world a better place by sharing your wisdom.
How do you keep on learning? By reading, listening to CDs, radio, tele-seminars, attend live events, hiring a coach like me. Just do it!
Remember: In order to be the person you have never been, In order to have the life and relationships you have never had, You must do what you have never done before: Give me a call at 310-202-1610 or Contact me so I can support you in having the best life you’ve ever had!
© 2006-2009 Dr. Cindy Brown
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I feel happy that I was able to accomplish many of my goals so far- I have been publishing my newsletter, posting lots of articles, blogging and social networking each week to get more marketing exposure, launched my first Cinderella System SOLD-OUT “live” event this past spring and will launch my home study and on-demand product this holiday season. I also have been focusing a lot on my health and well being; spending lots of time in relaxation (rather than stress), meditation, writing and in nature to balance out my life. Business is booming because I am happier with this less hectic pace and less demanding expectations and goals I 
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If you liked today’s issue, you’ll love Dr. Cindy’s ”