What Procrastinating Cost Me

Last week I talked about learning to listen to your inner guidance system and not editing it out when it gives you guidance and direction.

This week I'd like to take it one step further and add, don't procrastinate when your inner knowing gives you an idea or direction. Joe Vitale has a saying, "The universe likes speed". In other words (at least what it means to me) when you are given an idea, or some kind of direction or wisdom from your inner knowing, you need to act on it. As soon as possible. It is there to guide you.

Earlier this year I procrastinated on an 'idea' I was given. Because I did, I missed out on what could possibly have been a wonderful opportunity.

As some of you know, I am a certified Centered Riding instructor (level 1). I was checking out the Centered Riding website looking for upcoming clinics that might be close to me that I might be able to assist at. I saw that Sue Harris and Peggy Brown were going to be holding a Centered Riding Clinic at Biltmore Estates. (Peggy was my instructor for my instructor training) My immediate thought was 'I need to get a hold of Peggy and see if I could assist at this clinic. That would be 2 highly qualified people I would love to assist. Plus getting to check out Biltmore Estates would be incredibly awesome as well"

Instead of acting and contacting Peggy, I procrastinated. I played around with the idea for awhile. Then I mentioned it to my friend who now lives in N.C., and is also a Centered Riding Instructor, that I was thinking about it, and was she going to attend that clinic, and maybe we could both assist or something.

I still was in procrastination mode and didn't contact Peggy right away, but my friend did. I waited another couple of weeks, and then finally emailed Peggy.

As it turns out, they really only need 1 assistant and my friend asked first.

I have no one to blame but myself. But I did learn yet another lesson about listening to my inner guidance system, my inner knowing.

There is no guarantee that if I would have contacted Peggy right away, that it would have worked out. By procrastinating though, I lost my opportunity.

What about you? Can you think of a time, or times, that you may have been given an idea and you procrastinated on it?

Don't beat yourself up about it. Recognize it is a lesson to learn from. Realize that you can learn to listen to your inner guidance, your inner knowing. And you can learn to act, when you are given those gifts of wisdom, guidance and direction.

I'm working on it. Will you?

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

Your Own GPS System

Do you listen to your inner guidance system? Everyone has one. Some might call it your higher self, your spirit, or your super-conscious. It is your inner voice, or that still small voice.
 
It is that inner knowing. Sadly it is often buried under so much programming and beliefs that often it is neglected and unheard. Often it is immediately edited out with all of the programming, beliefs and habits you have accumulated over the years.

The best way I know to describe it is, it is that 'knowing' you get when you open the refrigerator door and you 'know' you don't need anything to eat. But then immediately your other programming, beliefs and habits kick in and you edit out what you really 'know' and rationalize it with things like, 'but it's been a bad day', 'but I have the munchies'.

You 'know' a lot of things. The answers are inside you. It is learning to recognize it when it is speaking to you and 'catch' it before you immediately edited it out.

It can actually save you from some not so pleasant results.

One such incident for me was, a couple of year ago, I pulled up to a stop sign behind another car at the intersection of a busy highway. We both sat there for a bit waiting for an opening in traffic. The car ahead of me went. I 'heard' my inner knowing say 'Stop', immediately followed by a dialogue of 'if I stop I'll have to wait for another opening in traffic, and besides I was at a complete stop behind that first car'.

While I was still rationalizing to myself why I really didn't need to stop, the red and blue lights came on in my rear view mirror. And I got a lesson in listening to, or should I say ignoring, my inner guidance system, and I 'knew' it as soon as those lights came on.

Luckily for me, the state trooper got an emergency call before he could write me out a ticket. He'd even had his ticket book out and ready. But for me it was lesson learned anyway.

The trick is learn to listen to your 'inner knowing' and catch it before you edit it out and rationalize it.

Hopefully by being aware of it, you will start noticing more of your inner guidance system and 'catching it' before you have unpleasant results.

Even better, is hearing it, listening to it and allowing it to guide your life.  It's never too late to start!

Until next time, have an amazing week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

Are You Running on Empty?

I’m guessing you do a pretty good job of taking care of those around you and your other responsibilities. You make time for, and take care of, your family, your friends, your home, your work, your animals if have them, and your other commitments. Perhaps you are even ‘burning the candle at both ends’.

This week I’d like to remind you to take care of yourself as well.

You may have been taught to put everyone else first. Or that doing anything for your self was selfish. To give, give, give. Or to just keep on going.

But it’s hard to do that if you are running on empty.

Just like your car or truck needs fuel to keep going, so do you. If the gas tank on your vehicle is empty, it can’t keep running, it has nothing more to give you.

You are really no different. If you don’t somehow ‘refuel’, you really have nothing left to give. At least you aren’t giving your best anyway.

Do you get enough sleep?

I’ve been going through a couple of weeks where I wake up at 4:00 am and I can’t go back to sleep. (This to shall pass.) I can tell a big difference.

I know we are all different, but a few of the things I’ve noticed about not getting enough rest are: I have less patience, it is harder to keep a positive attitude and frame of mind, it is more difficult to stay focused on what I’m doing, plus I’m not enjoying what I’m doing like I would like to. Oh yeah, and when I’m tired I tend to snack more.

What do you notice when you are tired? If you aren’t getting enough rest, perhaps it is something to make a priority, at least for awhile.

Do you take time to ‘re-charge your batteries’? Do you take some time for yourself to do something you enjoy?

Maybe it’s spending time with your horse, or taking your dog for a walk, if you have one. Or maybe for you it is to sit down with a good book. Perhaps it is working on an art project, or doing some scrapbooking. It could be going out for dinner with a good friend.

I’m not talking about being selfish here, but making the time to do some things you enjoy can recharge and refuel you. It can give you an improved outlook.

What kind of ‘fuel’ do you feed yourself? Do you eat healthy? What you eat can make a difference in how you feel and your energy levels.

Just a few things to think about.

Take care of yourself and you will have a better you to give. Plus you might just enjoy it a lot more!

Until next time, have an awesome week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here

By default or by design?

A few weeks ago I attended a BNI (Business Network International) meeting as a guest in Wapakoneta, Ohio. At each meeting a different member is scheduled to give a 10 minute presentation about themselves and their business.

This particular day the young lady ( early 20's) who did the presentation was a beautician. I have to admit my first thoughts were along the lines of 'well this will probably be boring' since being a beautician is one of the last things I'd want to do. Well I was wrong.

This young lady told us how she became to be a beautician. And I could see she loved it.

Then she told us how she picked the salon to work at by how it felt, and she knew it was the right one for her.

She then went on to say how she specializes in hair coloring and gave us some good information about it. I was totally captivated by what she was saying because she was so passionate about it. I mean, this young lady just oozed enthusiasm about hair color.

A few days later I was at a Women In Business luncheon and I happened to be sitting with some ladies who were members of that BNI group and they asked me what I'd thought about the meeting.

I told the lady sitting next to me how impressed I'd been with the young ladies presentation. I said, "She was so passionate about her business. It's too bad everyone can not be that passionate about what they do, and have that much enthusiasm for their work."

The lady sitting next to me replied, "Well nobody has probably ever told them they could."

Wow! What an insight!

It made me wonder how many people live their lives, and make a living, by default, instead of by their choice and their design.

What about you? Is your work, and your life, by your own design?

It's never too late to start!

Until next time, have an awesome week!

Jane

www.TakeHoldOfTheReins.com

Free 30 minute Strategy Session - Click Here