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© Copyright 2006 Susan Henderson Coaching
360-265-2838
coach@susanhenderson.com
coach@susanhenderson.com
The Successful Dilettante
January 5, 2007 Issue 13
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit my website at: http://www.susanhenderson.com
The Successful Dilettante, published on the 5th and 20th of each month, is sent only to those who have subscribed to it - or was forwarded to you by someone you know. I value your privacy and never share my mailing list with anyone. If a copy has been sent to you by a friend or colleague and you wish to receive your own copies, you may subscribe by visiting: http://www.susanhenderson.com/newsletter.html.
=====================================================
Greetings!
I hope this finds you warm and well. Happy New Year to both old and new subscribers. Again, I thank you for sharing this ezine with your friends, family. and colleagues. Our wonderful multi-faceted community is growing. I love hearing from you. My invitation is always open to you to contact me with questions, suggestions, or to share your challenges and successes. I am lining up featured guests for this new year and now is your chance to share your story or let me know of someone you feel fits the profile of a
"successful dilettante." Email me: coach@susanhenderson.com
=====================================================
B.H.A.G.
Big - Hairy - Audacious - Goal. Not the loveliest acronym, I know. But it does get me excited and ready to rock-n-roll into this brand-spanking new year. Especially the audacious part. According to my Webster's dictionary, it means bold, daring, and with courage. It also means impudent and brazen which both mean to act boldly in a shameless way. I like that.
What would a BHAG look like? Sometimes it means launching a project such as a new business or adding services/products to your existing business. Or it may be a major lifestyle change such as downsizing to a simpler, less expensive way of living in order to do what you love. Or it may mean completing a project such as your book or dissertation. Or it may mean finally taking six months to a year for travel and adventure.
Whatever the goal, brazenly make it uniquely yours and from the heart. Boldly set your intention first to yourself and then to the world. Do not concern yourself with the "how" right now, but trust, with impudence, that the what will happen. Courageously make a commitment to a timeline and stick to it. If you need help and accountability, dare to form a mastermind group or join a support team, or hire a coach.
I am starting out this new year with three BHAGs of my own in my coaching business, which I will be launching (with audacity, of course!) and announcing this month. Hint: they are all aimed at helping you to attain your Big - Hairy - Audacious - Goals!
Hugs,
Susan
=====================================================
Featured Guest: Robin Lehman
I have been acquainted with today's featured guest all my life. She is not only my best friend and soul-sister, but we share the same parents. We were born and raised in Juneau, Alaska where she met and married her charming husband who whisked her off to his home state of Kansas 30 odd years ago. When I started my coach training with Coach U in 1998, we were encouraged to start coaching clients immediately. Robin agreed to be one of my first clients. We were able to pull this off successfully because any sibling issues had been well resolved years before and our relationship had grown to one of mutual admiration and respect. Our coaching sessions were strictly for coaching only. Like so many of you reading this, she is a wonderfully multi-faceted jewel of a person who has gone through her own processes and struggles to get where she is today. I include my sister's story here because I believe it will truly inspire you on your path
.
Q: Robin, how did you come to live the life you enjoy today?
In 1990, after 18 years of marriage, two kids, and too many years of a depressed farm economy, I made a pivotal decision: I would return to school to finish my journalism degree, which meant moving from our rural Kansas community to an urban university town on the opposite side of the state. It meant being a fulltime student, a part-time employee at the university, and a most-of-the-time single parent to our daughters--then 9 and 11. My husband stayed behind to continue farming, and for several years, we took turns making the six-hour drive each way to get together as a family every two or three weeks. Though inconvenient and costly, it was well worth it because I learned an important lesson: how to prioritize myself, set goals, and do what it takes to achieve them. I could not have given a more powerful message to my daughters. I completed my degree and established a lobbying and corporate communications company, and my husband decided to get out of farming and join the firm. He couldn't be happier.
Just a few months ago, I made a life-changing shift. I decided to step back from providing corporate communications services for clients and focus fulltime on writing a mystery novel, a dream since childhood. The fear of letting go of the "familiar writing" and moving out over the abyss of pure creativity was far greater than I ever imagined. But so is the joy. For many years, I had been setting my intention to become a fulltime novelist, and yet I never took the steps to make it happen--I always said I couldn't "afford" it. Then one day, I gave myself permission. Now, for the first time in my life, I understand what it means to "live authentically."
Q: When did you realize you would be happiest doing a multitude of things?
I had developed a habit of throwing myself into jobs and hobbies whole-heartedly and then getting bored and moving on to something else. My resumé was starting to look a little schizophrenic--bookkeeper, retail store owner, calligraphy instructor, college writing lab supervisor, financial aid director, freelance writer.
About twenty years ago, after one of those shifts, my mother-in-law said, "It seems like you're never happy at anything." She couldn't have been more wrong! I was happy at all of those jobs--but I knew I wouldn't be if I had to do them forever. I was always up for learning something new and exploring a different work environment. The sad thing is, for too many years I believed my mother-in-law's assessment instead of my own. Now I realize that I've always been an entrepreneur at heart, from the time I bought that gift store when I was 29. Owning your own business is hard work, but I love the freedom and flexibility, and yes, even the risk. It's exhilarating!
Q: How do you balance your multiple interests into a meaningful career?
At the core of my career is writing, and over the years I've developed my skills and experience to do that in a broad range of ways--feature articles, strategic plans, marketing materials, comprehensive documents, and the like. It's been ideal for me because I believe strongly in the power of well-produced communication materials and I love learning about a multitude of topics. My new focus on fiction writing is, for me, the ultimate because of the creativity and discovery associated with the research, character development, and endless plot ideas.
Q: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
I update my strategic plan annually and outline my personal and professional goals for the year. Since so many things interest me, it helps me to focus, and I use the plan as a filter through which to make decisions. Not only do I include specific action steps, I also write a statement about what I want my life to feel like--what a typical day might look like (just one of the little tricks I learned through coaching sessions with Susan!). If what I'm doing isn't a close match to what I want to be doing, I know I need to make some changes. I've been primarily self-employed much of my adult life, and I've never had a problem with self-discipline. I manage my time based on my current projects, and I consider deadlines to be iron-clad. With a first novel, I don't have publication deadlines yet, so I establish other deadlines to keep me focused--for example, I'm participating in a workshop with a well-known literary agent in the spring, and I want to have my manuscript completed by then, just in case!
Q: Have you had any mentors?
My mentors have always been authors whose work I admire and experts that write the self-help books that have made a difference in my life. Recently I became friends with Nancy Pickard, a mystery author who has written nearly twenty novels, many of them bestsellers. The most important things I'm learning from her aren't about process--but rather grace, humility, self-confidence, and tenacity.
Q: What advice or tips would you share with our readers?
Take time for reflection and self-discovery. Listen to your intuition. Hire a coach. Do whatever it takes to live an authentic life. Your health, your peace of mind, and your joy depend on it.
********************************************
Robin Lehman is busy writing her mystery novel, enjoying her family, especially her baby grandson Spencer, and living the "good life" in Lawrence, KS. She will be launching her website within the next few months.
=====================================================
If you would like to learn more about if and how Susan Henderson Coaching might be able to help you achieve your desired results, please contact me to set up a time to talk. We will start with a complimentary phone conversation where I can learn more about you, your current situation and goals. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about me, how I work with clients, and the coaching process. If we both feel the coaching relationship is a good fit, we will move on from there.
=====================================================
© 2006 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
January 5, 2007 Issue 13
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit my website at: http://www.susanhenderson.com
The Successful Dilettante, published on the 5th and 20th of each month, is sent only to those who have subscribed to it - or was forwarded to you by someone you know. I value your privacy and never share my mailing list with anyone. If a copy has been sent to you by a friend or colleague and you wish to receive your own copies, you may subscribe by visiting: http://www.susanhenderson.com/newsletter.html.
=====================================================
Greetings!
I hope this finds you warm and well. Happy New Year to both old and new subscribers. Again, I thank you for sharing this ezine with your friends, family. and colleagues. Our wonderful multi-faceted community is growing. I love hearing from you. My invitation is always open to you to contact me with questions, suggestions, or to share your challenges and successes. I am lining up featured guests for this new year and now is your chance to share your story or let me know of someone you feel fits the profile of a
"successful dilettante." Email me: coach@susanhenderson.com
=====================================================
B.H.A.G.
Big - Hairy - Audacious - Goal. Not the loveliest acronym, I know. But it does get me excited and ready to rock-n-roll into this brand-spanking new year. Especially the audacious part. According to my Webster's dictionary, it means bold, daring, and with courage. It also means impudent and brazen which both mean to act boldly in a shameless way. I like that.
What would a BHAG look like? Sometimes it means launching a project such as a new business or adding services/products to your existing business. Or it may be a major lifestyle change such as downsizing to a simpler, less expensive way of living in order to do what you love. Or it may mean completing a project such as your book or dissertation. Or it may mean finally taking six months to a year for travel and adventure.
Whatever the goal, brazenly make it uniquely yours and from the heart. Boldly set your intention first to yourself and then to the world. Do not concern yourself with the "how" right now, but trust, with impudence, that the what will happen. Courageously make a commitment to a timeline and stick to it. If you need help and accountability, dare to form a mastermind group or join a support team, or hire a coach.
I am starting out this new year with three BHAGs of my own in my coaching business, which I will be launching (with audacity, of course!) and announcing this month. Hint: they are all aimed at helping you to attain your Big - Hairy - Audacious - Goals!
Hugs,
Susan
=====================================================
Featured Guest: Robin Lehman
I have been acquainted with today's featured guest all my life. She is not only my best friend and soul-sister, but we share the same parents. We were born and raised in Juneau, Alaska where she met and married her charming husband who whisked her off to his home state of Kansas 30 odd years ago. When I started my coach training with Coach U in 1998, we were encouraged to start coaching clients immediately. Robin agreed to be one of my first clients. We were able to pull this off successfully because any sibling issues had been well resolved years before and our relationship had grown to one of mutual admiration and respect. Our coaching sessions were strictly for coaching only. Like so many of you reading this, she is a wonderfully multi-faceted jewel of a person who has gone through her own processes and struggles to get where she is today. I include my sister's story here because I believe it will truly inspire you on your path
.
Q: Robin, how did you come to live the life you enjoy today?
In 1990, after 18 years of marriage, two kids, and too many years of a depressed farm economy, I made a pivotal decision: I would return to school to finish my journalism degree, which meant moving from our rural Kansas community to an urban university town on the opposite side of the state. It meant being a fulltime student, a part-time employee at the university, and a most-of-the-time single parent to our daughters--then 9 and 11. My husband stayed behind to continue farming, and for several years, we took turns making the six-hour drive each way to get together as a family every two or three weeks. Though inconvenient and costly, it was well worth it because I learned an important lesson: how to prioritize myself, set goals, and do what it takes to achieve them. I could not have given a more powerful message to my daughters. I completed my degree and established a lobbying and corporate communications company, and my husband decided to get out of farming and join the firm. He couldn't be happier.
Just a few months ago, I made a life-changing shift. I decided to step back from providing corporate communications services for clients and focus fulltime on writing a mystery novel, a dream since childhood. The fear of letting go of the "familiar writing" and moving out over the abyss of pure creativity was far greater than I ever imagined. But so is the joy. For many years, I had been setting my intention to become a fulltime novelist, and yet I never took the steps to make it happen--I always said I couldn't "afford" it. Then one day, I gave myself permission. Now, for the first time in my life, I understand what it means to "live authentically."
Q: When did you realize you would be happiest doing a multitude of things?
I had developed a habit of throwing myself into jobs and hobbies whole-heartedly and then getting bored and moving on to something else. My resumé was starting to look a little schizophrenic--bookkeeper, retail store owner, calligraphy instructor, college writing lab supervisor, financial aid director, freelance writer.
About twenty years ago, after one of those shifts, my mother-in-law said, "It seems like you're never happy at anything." She couldn't have been more wrong! I was happy at all of those jobs--but I knew I wouldn't be if I had to do them forever. I was always up for learning something new and exploring a different work environment. The sad thing is, for too many years I believed my mother-in-law's assessment instead of my own. Now I realize that I've always been an entrepreneur at heart, from the time I bought that gift store when I was 29. Owning your own business is hard work, but I love the freedom and flexibility, and yes, even the risk. It's exhilarating!
Q: How do you balance your multiple interests into a meaningful career?
At the core of my career is writing, and over the years I've developed my skills and experience to do that in a broad range of ways--feature articles, strategic plans, marketing materials, comprehensive documents, and the like. It's been ideal for me because I believe strongly in the power of well-produced communication materials and I love learning about a multitude of topics. My new focus on fiction writing is, for me, the ultimate because of the creativity and discovery associated with the research, character development, and endless plot ideas.
Q: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
I update my strategic plan annually and outline my personal and professional goals for the year. Since so many things interest me, it helps me to focus, and I use the plan as a filter through which to make decisions. Not only do I include specific action steps, I also write a statement about what I want my life to feel like--what a typical day might look like (just one of the little tricks I learned through coaching sessions with Susan!). If what I'm doing isn't a close match to what I want to be doing, I know I need to make some changes. I've been primarily self-employed much of my adult life, and I've never had a problem with self-discipline. I manage my time based on my current projects, and I consider deadlines to be iron-clad. With a first novel, I don't have publication deadlines yet, so I establish other deadlines to keep me focused--for example, I'm participating in a workshop with a well-known literary agent in the spring, and I want to have my manuscript completed by then, just in case!
Q: Have you had any mentors?
My mentors have always been authors whose work I admire and experts that write the self-help books that have made a difference in my life. Recently I became friends with Nancy Pickard, a mystery author who has written nearly twenty novels, many of them bestsellers. The most important things I'm learning from her aren't about process--but rather grace, humility, self-confidence, and tenacity.
Q: What advice or tips would you share with our readers?
Take time for reflection and self-discovery. Listen to your intuition. Hire a coach. Do whatever it takes to live an authentic life. Your health, your peace of mind, and your joy depend on it.
********************************************
Robin Lehman is busy writing her mystery novel, enjoying her family, especially her baby grandson Spencer, and living the "good life" in Lawrence, KS. She will be launching her website within the next few months.
=====================================================
If you would like to learn more about if and how Susan Henderson Coaching might be able to help you achieve your desired results, please contact me to set up a time to talk. We will start with a complimentary phone conversation where I can learn more about you, your current situation and goals. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about me, how I work with clients, and the coaching process. If we both feel the coaching relationship is a good fit, we will move on from there.
=====================================================
© 2006 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
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