Ever noticed how the task expands to fill the time?   Even the most well-intentioned individuals who are organized and efficient need a strategically designed plan if we are to accomplish the tasks of the day.  Otherwise, the task at hand can begin to fill the unallocated time very rapidly and one task quickly consumes the entire day and we come away feeling discouraged rather than satisfied.  Likewise, if you allot a specific amount of time to a task and actually time yourself, you will be amazed at how quickly the task will get completed.   I recently applied this approach to my (dreaded) exercise routine and specifically designated 25 minutes per morning to ride my stationery bike because that was the amount of time that fit my daily schedule.  As a result, I have been able to exercise regularly for the first time in a LONG time without feeling pressured or guilty.  Now, instead of getting NO exercise because “I don’t have time to do it right.”  I get over 2 hrs. of exercise without much thought or effort.  This has motivated me to select another mini-time slot in the evenings and double my activity level.  Lesson #1 – Don’t place such high expectations on yourself that you will NOT do anything.  This is called “cutting your nose off to spite your face.”

While a “TO DO” list is a GREAT place to start, the next step to fulfilling your goals is to limit the number of tasks and prioritize them.   This step ensures that the most important tasks are likely to be completed EVEN if the entire list does not.  Secondly, determine an appropriate amount of time each task should take (or that you want to dedicate to the task at hand), then decide if there are any tasks you can quickly check off the list if you reprioritize the order, giving you an immediate sense of accomplishment.  Next, if you have a tendency to put off a dreaded task, choose it first so that you do not allow this trepidation to linger over into the tasks that you really want to get to.  This is called “eating the frog first.”  If you start the dreaded task and find your procrastination level rising, use your creativity and determination to make the task more fun by adding music, a friend, a video or some other enjoyable form of distraction.  In lieu of distractions, you can create a specific challenge including a reward to keep you going (i.e., one hour worth of task = one bubble bath, pedicure, latte, lunch w/friend, etc.).  If the task at hand seems to feel like it is multiplying, reevaluate the time alloted and reschedule the task allowing yourself more time to tackle the job with resolve.  Or, you may resign yourself to dedicate a reasonable amount of time per day and break the task down into more manageable pieces.  This is called “eating the elephant, one bite at a time.”   Lastly, always cross off completed tasks from your list and take time to savor your accomplishments.  Keeping a running “TO DO” list will not only provide a road map to success, but will also guard against the procrastination demon who lurks around trying to undermine our  sense of motivation!  Following these steps promises to bring energy to a task as you enter it with a plan and exit with a sense of accomplishment and avoid the time warp.

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I have a perpetual calendar that I’ve had for many years now that I never get tired of.  With the flip of the page, it loyally provides new inspiration and scripture for each day and starts my mindset going in a fresh and positive direction.  Granted you’d think I would have memorized some of the quotes or at least find them “familiar” after such a longstanding relationship with the same reliable calendar, but in the busyness of life, I find I can never get enough of a good thing, so it continues to serve its’ purpose faithfully.  However, today I flipped the page as always and realized that “January 4th” was missing.  Of course, I immediately flipped it back to ensure I wasn’t getting ahead of myself, only to find that the page for this day had vanished.  Suddenly, it struck me, what if life was like that.  We wake up in the morning, expecting to enjoy the next day on the calendar according to plan and we realize that “it is gone.”  It is quite different when we choose to waste away a day vs. having one removed from us, isn’t it?  I thought of the many leisure days wasted away in mindless, motionless and meaningless activity based on the  assumption there will be another one to enjoy after this one.  I wonder how differently I would approach my day and how the passion level would amp up if I wasn’t sure if I were going to have the chance to fully utilize this day as assumed?  Would it mean that I would try and pack more into one day or would I more carefully prioritize my agenda or be fully present during the events of the day?  Perhaps, I would edit out the tasks that don’t really matter and intentionally add the one’s that really do, like spending time with the people I love.  Would “missing out on a day” cause me to be more stressed or more relieved?  After all, how many of us wake up on Monday and start wishing for Friday?  Maybe as long as I wasn’t missing out on a Friday, it wouldn’t make any difference at all.  The bigger issue really becomes that I no longer have the option to waste away the “extra” day when it is “lost forever.”  So, when the choice is taken away, it seems like I’ve really missed out on something valuable vs. when I choose to do nothing worthwhile with the day that is otherwise gifted to me.  I’m not concerned about the productivity of the day being lost, as much as the purpose for it.  Ecclesiastes tells us our days are numbered already, so what if the ones that are allotted are being undervalued by being taken for granted.  Who knows?  We could be losing the best ones of all.  We’re a society that speaks casually about the difference between quality and quantity, but are we truly making the most of everyday we have?  It sure makes you think when the calendar tells you that life is perpetually passing you by and that if you’re not careful, you might miss the opportunity to fully enjoy it and make the most out of the time God has given you!   After all, “This is the day the Lord has made . . .” Psalm 118:24 what is He calling you to do with it?

Blessing Our Journey,

Pat Haney

Do you ever feel like people don’t really listen?  We’re so distracted by busyness and noise that it is really difficult to actually “hear” someone, let alone, REALLY listen to that someone intently.  I’ve been in restaurants where I felt like I needed the ability to read lips to understand the person I was dining with.  Even on the quieter front, when you think about an “average” conversation, most of us presume we understand the other person’s  ideas so well that we’re sometimes tempted to finish their sentence or butt in with our own idea that was prompted by something they’ve said.   It may have nothing to do with what they were talking about, but somehow it sparked a completely different thought and now we’re off on our own rabbit trail that has nothing to do with the previous conversation, which was incidentally initiated by the other person!  Have you ever come to the end of a conversation with someone where you thought, “Whew, they didn’t really listen to a word I said?”

As a Stephen Minister and Life Coach, I have truly enjoyed developing a trained ear that allows me to listen to my clients intentionally — without preconceived ideas, answers or judgments leaping off my tongue before they can  complete their thought.  I love pausing to allow a client to delicately and artfully form a verbal picture of what they’re trying to envision.  It is like watching a piece of art form on a canvas.  Communication is such an integral part of our relationships and though some of us are critically challenged by the verbal side of that process, most of us are far more challenged by the listening dynamic.  It takes much more effort to genuinely “listen”  to the desires of a person’s heart than to “hear” their words.  It is so challenging that it actually requires a conscious effort not to interrupt someone.   The next time you’re having dialogue with someone, notice how many times you interrupt or are tempted to interrupt, finish a sentence or interject a thought or idea.  Next, turn your thoughts away from your own interpretation, feelings or ideas TOWARD the other person’s meaning and intentions.  You will quickly realize a new level of connecting that gives much richer meaning and more depth to your relationships.  Initially, you will probably notice you’re friends and family members (including teenagers) enjoying having conversations with you much more.  Then, with some practice, you may even reap the richest reward imaginable from learning to listen attentively.   That is, to hear God’s voice.  Isaiah 28:23 tells us, “Listen and hear my voice, pay attention and hear what I say.”    Wow!  That could be a rewarding new experience!  But, guess what else?  The conversation definitely goes BOTH ways, as David expresses in Psalm 27:7, “Hear my voice when I call, O Lord, be merciful to me and answer me.” Remember the old saying?, “God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason.”  Can you hear me (Him)  now . . .

Blessing Our Journey,

Pat Haney

Another rainy Monday has passed.  Gray, wet, cloudy, cool and dreary.  Some people act like their life is one long series of wet Mondays, never allowing themselves to dance in the rain, only drown in their sorrows.   Don’t you just love seeing individuals who don’t let the weather forecast dictate their attitude or the outcome of their day?  You know, those souls who take Psalm 118:24 to heart, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  We all know some “one” like that , but they are very rare characters who set the rainbow high for all of us, aren’t they?  Don’t we secretly want to be like them?  Imagine what life would be like if you had a mindset to “rejoice” and “be glad,”  no matter what was happening “around” you.  Picture this — you’re walking in sunshine, despite the challenges of life BECAUSE you’re not defined or confined by your circumstances.  Not only that, but you are refined by your circumstances and your character is shaped through your experiences depending on how you choose to respond vs. react to life’s stormy weather.  Why not redesign your rainy Monday outlook from partly cloudy with 100% chance of gloom and little or no chance of change to completely clear skies, glistening sunshine, whispering breezes and 100% chance of possibility?  The first step toward achieving that forecast is to be “aware” and “exercise” your power of choice.  Paul put it this way, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances . . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Phil. 4:11-13.  In East Tennessee we have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around, it will change.”  As Christians, we know we can count on Christ who is unchangeable, but through whom we can be transformed!  That being said — Step one in changing our mindset  is to choose to fix our eyes on Christ, not the weather.  Have a Christ-filled day!!

Blessing Our Journey,

Pat Haney

Most of you know by now that I have found my calling as a Christian Life Coach –  A life journey that is still actively and passionately in pursuit!  I know first-hand what an exciting, life-changing experience it can be to find purpose and serve others in the process!  What a blessing it has been!!  I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell you what that could possibly mean to you by sharing the 5 – W’s of Christian Life Coaching and please feel free to pass along this information to anyone you know that would benefit.

Who ?: YOU — I know we’re all busy!  Sometimes we’re especially too busy to do EVEN the things that matter most to us, right?  Well, I’m offering you the opportunity to “stop the insanity, chaos, confusion, cycle, habit, madness, frustration, overwhelm,” whatever that may look like for you and pursue some “clarity, balance, intention, purpose, meaning, vision” in your life instead.

What ?:   TRANSFORMATION — Christian Life Coaching IS an AMAZING venue that facilitates the process that RESULTS in the Holy Spirit having His Way in your life and allowing you to live and experience His freedom in every area of your life by concentrating on the present and the future to create CHANGE and FORWARD movement.

Where ?:  PRIVACY — Coaching happens 90% of the time via telephone at your convenience.  You don’t have to leave the comfort and security of your own home, much less get dressed up for an appointment.

When ?: CONVENIENCE — CALL ME (865) 585-9675 TODAY TO SCHEDULE A FREE (NO OBLIGATION) 30 MINUTE DISCOVERY SESSION THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF CHRISTIAN LIFE COACHING AND GAIN ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

Why ?:  WHY NOT? — Because it could be the BEST thing you’ve ever done for yourself!  IMAGINE . . . living out YOUR DREAMS; becoming EXACTLY who God created you to be; finding complete peace and CONTENTMENT with yourself AND your circumstances; gaining the COURAGE to explore; being able to GIVE yourself completely to the things that MATTER MOST; being free to live life with FULL INTENTION; experiencing the DESIRES of your HEART and gaining the tools to SUSTAIN CHANGE in your life!!

I hope this information will create a clearer picture of how Life Coaching can serve you and those you know and love!  Please let me know if I can serve you in discovering your goals, dreams, purpose, gifts, mission, and more!

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Blessing Our Journey,

Pat Haney