How to Tell Your Clients that You’ll be on Vacation with Them Feeling 100% Supported

How to Tell Your Clients that You’ll be on Vacation with Them Feeling 100% SupportedYou have two choices. Take a vacation that’s client-free and boss-free. This means no calls, emails, or texts. And, having everything planned in advance in the weeks leading up to the vacation.

Or it’s tempting to procrastinate and then think, well, I can just take a few calls and I’ll bring my laptop.

But what really happens if you decide not to tell your client or boss that you’ll be on vacation? It never fails! You don’t get cell service at the Grand Canyon so how mad will he/she be when you’re not able to get back to her until 10pm that night?

What if you decide to have a (well deserved) mimosa brunch with the gals and and you have, well…. a lot of fun. Then, your client or boss calls??

The upshot is that you don’t want to jeopardize your client or boss relationships by saying that you will be available when you won’t be. Hopefully your clients love to take vacations for themselves and will completely understand. I highly encourage you to give them as much notice as possible so together you can come up with a great plan for while you’re away.

Here’s a script that I hope you swipe and use for your next vacation this summer, whether it’s for a long weekend or an all-out month of beach time.

Hi Client/Boss,

I wanted to share with you that I’m going to be out of the office from this date to this date and wanted to let you know in advance so together we can  create a plan to make sure all of your needs are covered.

Below are the items I will make certain to complete and if you should notice any items that aren’t listed, please let me know.

[insert your list]

I will make sure to give immediate attention to any time sensitive matters once I return to the office.

Thank you,

Your name

Here’s the formula. You lay out what needs to be done and how you’ll get it done before you go. This will provide you with such a peace of mind and ability to enjoy your vacation even more! Make sure you ask if you’ve missed anything on your list—maybe your client or boss was planning a launch that week that they’ve not communicated with you? Include dates and times with your plan to get it all done so you can have a relaxing vacation.

Your client/boss will feel taken care of and happy for you to enjoy a some well deserved R&R.

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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Feeling Overwhelmed and Under Pressure?

FeelingOverwhelmedUnderPressureDo you ever feel like you’re putting so much pressure on yourself?

With many of the things I want to do in life and in helping my clients, I’ve noticed that I tend to put a lot of  pressure on myself. Only after looking at my calendar and my mile long to-do list (of my own making) do I realize that the pressure I put on myself turns into overwhelm.

The overwhelm then creates procrastination. Why is that? Because I expect too much for myself so I delay doing what I reeeealllly need to do. And, if I’m honest, it means that I’m not always using that precious resource called time in the best manner (you know, the one we can never get more of).

This gets to be tough to keep at bay but over time I’ve developed an approach to manage the overwhelm and not let it stop me from achieving my big goals.

It may surprise you what I recommend doing when that feeling of overwhelm starts creeping in on you.

One time when I was speaking with a colleague, I shared this cycle with her and she helped me to speak the process out loud and observe what I do to keep the stress of that long to-do list in check.

When there are a lot of things that I need to do, or one big thing, and I start to get that sensation of feeling overwhelmed, I know I need to stop and look at the situation.

This is the moment when I accept the reality that I’m asking too much of myself. No, I don’t cut my to-do list in half and call it day. Instead, I look for ways that I can make the to-do items smaller.

This is called  breaking things down into “turtle steps”. It takes me out of overwhelm because I can still get that sense of completion by 100% finishing individual items or steps in a project. And, it allows me to actually make progress toward my bigger goals whether they’re throwing a party for 50 people, developing a new opt-in for my clients or building a new office for my coaching practice. When you start to feel overwhelmed, just think…

Turtle steps. Slow, steady and doable.

Sound like a contradiction?

By using this process it may seem like more is being added to your to-do list but it actually allows you to see a path of what needs to be done instead of a giant goal where seeing the path to completion is foggy, unclear and has a lot of unknown pitfalls.

Still feeling overwhelmed?

Tell me, what is one thing on your to-do list that you haven’t been able to complete? How can you break that one task into three smaller “turtle steps” or tasks instead of one?

Now, go to your calendar and find three open times to add those steps that seems realistic.

How did that feel? If it didn’t feel doable, tweak the steps and the time it in your calendar until it does. You may need to break it down into even smaller steps.

Once you do that, do you feel more open? Are you breathing easier about it?  I’d love to know how this process works for you or if you have a method that works well for handling your overwhelm. Let me know in the comments!

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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Those Wise Words You Write While Day Dreaming

Those Wise Words You Write While Day DreamingWhile at the Equus training ranch in California for my second in-person training workshop, I created this doodle of words, well it’s more of a list, that resonated with me. I got to be there with my herd mates, all people who are also training to be certified in the Equus Coaching process.

During the training, while I was observing another herd mate who was in the round pen with a horse being coached, I was reflecting on what I was learning and honestly, what we we’re all learning. This doodle list is what came to me in a very profound way.

I could tell that I had learned a lot because I was able to really, keenly observe that not only had I learned in these areas, but I could feel the feels in these areas. I also found that many of the same themes came up for the other coaches-in-training. It got me thinking that maybe these are also areas that might come up for you.

Those Wise Words Your Write While Day DreamingA big part of training is to not only learn the Equus coaching process but to also participate and be coached using the tools that are given. It’s amazing to learn a craft through the very tools and techniques of that craft. In the software industry, this is called eating your own dog food but everywhere else, it’s more commonly known as practicing what your preach. 🙂

Months later these words still resonate for me since it was September when I created this doodle. It’s a constant practice to observe when I feel these feels and it’s been a very valuable one. These words and themes keep me on track and feeling balanced.

The words in parentheses are what each of the main words mean to me personally. They are all words I use often and I went deeper within myself to define what those mean and feel like to me.

It’s a great reminder of what to reflect on and believe in.

Do any of these words or themes resonate with you? Do you have your own words that you come back to time and time again?

I invite you to share 1-2 words or themes that have come up for you and how you personally define or add meaning to them. -Let me know in the comments.

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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Overwhelmed By Budgeting? 3 Ways to Feel at Ease With It

Overwhelmed By Budgeting? 3 Ways to Feel at Ease With It Have you ever felt totally scattered when it came time to do your bills?

Maybe you’ve felt panicked that your card might be declined because you didn’t know for sure if you had enough money to cover a purchase.

If your money’s a mess, it translates into stress for you and your family, and can make you feel worried about every last penny you spend.

Since I don’t want you to be unnecessarily penny-pinching, I was wondering if you you’d like to know how I keep my monthly costs straight? I’ve got three tools that make it easier to get all my monthly bills paid and to know if I can afford a new StitchFix.

If you’re curious to see my secret system for monthly budgeting and the three totally free tools that I use to save time and tons of hassle, read on. I’m even sharing a bonus tool that you can use right away to get your bank balance and bills under control.

I wouldn’t consider myself a numbers guru, however, I’ve created a system that works well for my household and allows for me to be on top of my numbers all the time. My process is deceivingly simple for the amount of stress that it alleviates and it’s something you can use, too.

I start with a spreadsheet. You can use Excel or Google Sheets but know that you don’t have to pay a monthly subscription for accounting software to figure out your budget.

Sample BudgetTo understand the system I’m using, I’m giving you this free budgeting spreadsheet as an extra bonus. Click through to download it now (no email required). It’ll make the system I’m about to share with you understandable.

Now that you’ve downloaded the Monthly Budget Spreadsheet, take a look at the tracking categories:

  1. Columns on the left show what I pay monthly, the amount due and date due.
    1. I list them based on the due dates from the beginning to the end of the month.
  2. If there are promotions (say for credit cards) I’ll note their expiration date.
  3. On the right said I break the month down into weeks. This way I know what’s coming in and what’s going out and the timing of it all.
  4. I make sure my monthly total matches my weekly total breakdown.

Tool 1: Calendar Reminders

So I don’t incur extra fees or miss payments, I add all of my payments to my Google calendar so I know when they’re due and the amount that needs to be paid. If they come out automatically, I always list those the Friday before the week it’s due so I’m sure not to miss a payment.

Tool 2: Spreadsheet Calculating the Numbers

I’m harnessing that neat-o ability my spreadsheet has to automatically calculate my numbers so I’m tracking them and making sure I’m adding correctly. Having the spreadsheet automatically calculate and total numbers avoids mis-calculations that easily can happen when you add by hand. And, with it all in ONE place on my spreadsheet, it acts like a “dashboard” so I can jump in and see things at-a-glance.

Tool 3: Regular Check In

I add a recurring reminder to my calendar to check in and to look at the numbers once a week. This means I never feel overwhelmed and I’m never too far behind. It helps me to feel more in control of my finances and like an organized super woman.

In fact, the spreadsheet is designed so I’m always ahead of things. This allows me to move from being reactive if a surprise bill happens (you say I have to fix what on my car?!?) to being proactive.

This system makes me FEEL better about my finances, it helps me to know what I can spend and where. It’s great to be able to help others when the need is there. And, if a mega sale on something comes up (flight to Puerto Rico??), I know right away if I can take advantage of it.

Knowing and understanding the number of clients or amount of monthly income I need to bring in to contribute to our monthly bills brings me peace of mind for sure. The system makes it easier to do my accounting as the automation of tasks saves time and keeps me on top of things with a very manageable process.

As one who loves knowing and understanding numbers, I believe that a budget is the best tool for removing a big layer of stress and fear so you can have more time to do the things you really enjoy.

You’re now equipped with three tools and a bonus tracking spreadsheet to help get control over your budget once and for all. Leave a note in the comments if you’ve got questions about the tools or system. Or let me know what helps to make your budgeting process easier.

With much gratitude,

Gretchen

 

 

P.S. Are you feeling nuts over your numbers because you don’t know what’s coming in and when money-wise? Do you feel like your money worries go beyond what my budgeting system can fully fix? Got questions about my budgeting system? This is the kind of thing I help people like you work through. I welcome you to schedule a free 20 minute call to talk about it.

 

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How One Woman Quit Doing What Everyone Else Expected

http://gretchenchristy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/HowOneWoman.pngWhen I decided to learn more about working with horses to do life coaching, it had a lot to do with how I felt after experiencing the the impressive Equus coaching skills of Koelle Simpson.

There are not many instances in life when you commit to something that really changes you for the better in such a surprisingly pleasant way. The feeling that “EVERYTHING is different now and that’s okay.  I CANNOT believe it happened so quickly like that” is one that stays with you.

So, I recommend that you give yourself ten minutes to experience a taste of that for yourself by reading this article from Oprah Magazine.

The story shows how one busy professional with a husband, two teenagers and her own demanding, full time job goes from being so easily angered that she was almost fired for an argument about which font to use (ack!) to the kind of woman whose teenagers start confiding in her (impressive!).

If you ever feel over-committed, stressed out by your financial situation or trapped by what you’re doing in life (or why you’re doing it), it’s a read that you’ll fully appreciate. And, you’ll probably pick up a few tips along the way.

After you read the article, leave a note in the comments or on the Facebook page to let me know how it moved you? What resonated for you?

I’d love to know if reading this article allowed you to see new paths that you might take and apply to your own life. Personally, I think it’s the next best thing to being in the round pen with a horse and life coach yourself.

With much gratitude,

Gretchen

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Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Start where you are.....Have you ever had something big about to happen but planning for it and making sure it was done to your expectations was sucking the life out of you? Even though it was something you reeeeeallly wanted to do, and had been in the making for years?

Recently it felt like my worries were everywhere. Seemingly a million things to do to get ready to coach clients in-person with my horses. It didn’t seem like there was enough time or resources to do it all the way I envisioned. Every solution I came up with fell short of my *ideal* way for my clients to have an amazing experience.

Is my barn perfect for coaching? Is my office-to-be too much of a wreck because it’s still under construction? Is the horse pen perfect? Will my horses behave properly with this coaching process? Is it too cold to do this kind of coaching in the winter months??

I was essentially only seeing one way that my coaching sessions could go.

The pressure I was putting on myself left me feeling stressed out and like I had mush brain by the end of the day. It started to make me feel like the log-jam related to my Equus Coaching was causing log-jams in other areas of my life, too.

Then the quote “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” by famous tennis player, Arthur Ashe got me thinking (I had posted it on my Facebook page a while back). I have a barn, a horse pen and horses of my very own. While they may not always be “perfect” in my coaching fantasy world, they are still great, and they’re the core components needed for my Equus Coaching.

Coming back to that quote made me realize that I hold high expectations for myself and I’m very attached to the outcome. Seeing this is a huge awareness for me and it’s a practice to let go of some of that and be in the moment so I’m not so attached to the outcome of the smaller things. I realized I could focus on the bigger things, like the things I do have in place to make my Equus Coaching possible and my clients having an amazing coaching experience.

I could see that I needed to start my Equus coaching following the ideas from that quote. -Starting where I am. Using what I have. And by doing what I can. I could throw out the other ideas of renting a potentially costly facility and horses at a stable for hire, or worrying about the weather. I found ways to work around my fears so that I could show up and give each client the best possible coaching experience with my horses that I can. Even if things weren’t as I had first envisioned them, it was going to be okay.

This is a sign of growth for me, and possibly for you, too. Every time a person starts to feel stuck or overwhelmed by something new or big in their life, it’s a sign of learning and that you’re probably doing exactly what you need to do to grow your business or your personal life.

It can be painful, it can feel like an elephant is sitting on you, but know that when big changes are afoot, it brings up big mind-set issues, too. Know that it’s part of the growth process and that with awareness and observing you can get past the log-jam, whatever it might be. Know that the work on learning and mindsets never stops so you have to be able to see it and develop strategies to get past it.

Is there an area in your life where you’re trying something new or considering doing something big? Do you find yourself procrastinating on taking action when this happens? How do you get yourself unstuck? Do you recognize any patterns in what happens for you? If so, let me know in the comments.

With much gratitude,

Gretchen

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Private Complimentary Equus Coaching Session – You’re officially invited to try it!

Equus Coaching Horse PenYou know I’ve been working on my Equus coaching certification for over a year now. My goal is to share all of the amazing skills I’ve learned over the years to help people like you. If you’ve been a little curious about experiencing Equus Coaching, I’ve got an important question for you.

Would you be interested in meeting me at my barn to experience an Equus coaching session? I’m currently seeking a limited number of volunteers to fulfill my internship hours.

This session would be completely complimentary! I’m not sure what the fee will look like in the future but for now, I’m doing limited number of sessions at no cost.

Why?
You coming to visit would be a HUGE help for me to experiment with and refine my coaching abilities, and to reach my 25 certification-required hours. I’m flying to Arizona in February to finalize the certification and I’m working to get my practice hours in before then.

The Details…
It’ll take about one and a half hours and I promise it’ll be an experience you’ll never forget (hello hot cocoa, country, fun and beautifully smart, four-legged creatures)! Not to mention a great way to connect and meet in person if we haven’t done so before.

Most people walk away with a “light bulb moment” or an “aha moment”. And, most times it’ll help you to find clarity around a topic you’ve been thinking about or an issue that’s been concerning to you. Horses are magical at bringing things out like that!

You’ll have some brief pre-work to complete ahead of time so I’ll have a little bit of background information for us to start with. It all begins from there.

How it works:

  1. You send me a note through my contact form (or leave a comment below) letting me know if you’re interested. I’ll then share with you the dates and times that are currently still available.

  2. You show up here in Ohio dressed warm and for the outdoors—jeans, coat, tennis shoes or boots (close toed shoes are a must), etc.

  3. I show you around, give you a tour of the under-construction-office Shane’s building me (so excited about this!), and then the magic begins in the round pen.

  4. Some things to  know:

    1. All of the exercises will take place on the ground so there will be no riding on the horses.

    2. No horse experience is necessary.

    3. Everything we talk about is confidential and will not go outside of the barn.

    4. There’s no charge for this session. —You’re helping me work out my process so I won’t be charging you for that. 🙂

This is probably a new kind of coaching to you so if you’re feeling hesitant or have any questions about what we’d do or how it works, leave a comment below and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

See how it works…
This video does a great job of  describing what happens for people who give Equus coaching a try. Equus Coaches are being interviewed, talking about the results this kind of coaching brings to people. It’s worth the time to watch it.

As a side note, you can see me a few times in this video! Check out the 1:23 minute mark that shows ME! being coached with a horse during my Equus training in California!

With much gratitude,

Gretchen

P.S. Got questions? Leave them comments section below.

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Happy New Year!

IHappy New Year from Gretchen! know the subject is a little cliché, however, I’m really embracing this new year. At the end of 2015 I had a tarot card reading and the gal shared with me that 2016 was going to be a year of learning. Honestly, I just took it for what it’s worth but boy was she right! This past  year turned out to be A LOT of learning, and growing for me.

I started a year-long journey to become a certified Equus coach and I’ll complete that goal this February when I head off to Arizona to earn my certification!

This past year, I also started to transition the work I do from not only helping people manage their businesses to now adding Equus and life coaching to my offerings. Equus coaching will be in-person with horses while life coaching will be available by phone or video call. With my practice coaching sessions going so well, I’ll officially begin offering those in the first half this year!

I even have a new office in the works which will make it easier for my clients to get the most out of their coaching experience. It’ll be in my barn, close to the horses and the coaching arena. I’m so excited to have a space like this for learning and growing!

I’ve gained so much wisdom and knowledge that I can’t wait to begin sharing it with my clients.

I hope your holidays were blissful and that you’re feeling ready to take 2017 on by storm, to create the life YOU want to live. I know I’m excited to get this year going!

With much gratitude,
Gretchen

P.S. Tell me what’s on your mind for the New Year by leaving a comment below.

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When Expectations Don’t Align

This is one of the Equus workshop horses who was a little distracted by the left over hay just outside of the pen but still within reach. Hey, who doesn't like to snack? :)

This is one of the Equus workshop horses who was a little distracted by the left over hay just outside of the pen but still within reach. Hey, who doesn’t like to snack? 🙂

From the moment I was asked, I knew that it would be amazing for me to volunteer to help another, more experienced coach, with her Equus workshop in Asheville, NC. I was honored to be asked. Even though I paid my own expenses and had to make arrangements to be away from caring for my family and my own horses, I could feel it in my gut that I had to say yes. So I did.

I’ve participated in a few workshops like this over the past year as part of my Equus Coach training so I went there feeling like I knew how the event would go. I was curious and excited to see firsthand how another coach would run this kind of team building workshop.

When I got to the ranch, after a drive up some seriously winding mountain roads (that made me a little car sick!), things started to look very different from what I envisioned. The horses were trained in a specific manner so that when you go into the pen, they come to you. This surprised me because most horses, being flighty animals, have a natural tendency to walk away.

I wondered how this would work with the Equus coaching process, and how we’d be able to create the experience for the group that I was familiar with. Usually a horse is sniffing, curious and will often come up to you while you’re talking with the coach because it’s a moment where you’re being your true self, where your actions are in alignment with your intentions. In this case, I worried it would be hard to get that experience because the horses were already in your space.

After I saw the coaching in action, those worries melted away. For this thirty-something entrepreneur who brought his team with him, they had no expectations about how the horses would be trained, or act. They had little to no horse experience so all this difference in what I was used to with horses never hit even their radar.

It was great because it allowed them to be very present, in the moment, and open to getting the most out the coaching experience. They really were able to learn more about themselves while also finding ways where they could work together as a better and more efficient team to reach their business goals.

So much so that three of the six found themselves tearing up during their individual coaching. Not from being scared about being in the pen with the horses or from the coach pushing them in any way, but from their discussions and the awareness that the coaching brought up. They’d discovered internal ah-ha moments that came from the process.

It was AMAZING.

New understandings came up around how they work together as a cohesive group, too. One example is of a non-verbal herding exercise where the owner of the company was paired with one of his employees. They had 12 minutes to work together to try to get the horse to go through some obstacles—all without talking. The goal was to work together.

After the exercise, they  noticed the owner took charge and the team member followed. It showed they weren’t working together as well as they could have. The takeaway for them was that he needed to check in with her so they could be working towards the same goals at the same time to help their sales. Had they connected more with one another, they would have accomplished more. This showed how they can work better together back at the office.

I had a few takeaways from this experience, too. I left with a new awareness of my own expectations for this kind of event, since I’ll be hosting my own soon, and how to check those expectations. I always try my best to be  in the moment and know now that I can trust that if I follow my process, even if it’s different from other coaches, I’ll get my private clients and group participants the results and experience that they were looking for.

Hiccups and distractions, like horses who are a wee bit distracted by eating leftover hay in the pen, happen no matter where you’re located. If you’re the host or the participant, unexpected things happen. Trusting in the Equus coaching process works, even if it might look a little different from what you expected at first.

How do you deal with a situation when things don’t go as expected? Does it make your mind spin? Do you begin to doubt the process and question your thoughts?  Leave a comment to let me know how this has worked for you in the past and if it was positive experience or a bit tougher.

With much gratitude,

Gretchen

P.S. Do you know someone else who would enjoy reading this? Please forward this post to them. I’d be forever grateful.

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Being Vulnerable….

Do you know what it means to be vulnerable? I thought I did, but boy oh boy was my perception wrong. After having recently read Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, I have a new understanding of what it means to be vulnerable. Brené defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. Not at all what I thought.

Vulnerability is not about weakness. It's about showing up and being seen. -Dr. Brene BrownBefore, I thought of vulnerability as a weakness (and I’m sure many others do, too.) It was something we never really talked about in my family.  I didn’t want to admit that I ever felt vulnerable, because I didn’t want to seem weak. From Brené I learned that actually being vulnerable is to FEEL. It’s learning how to own our vulnerability and engage with the emotions that come along with it. Deep, but so true!

Being vulnerable allows for many great things to happen to us in life. It’s a gift. My greatest vulnerability awareness right now is trust. Trust is a product for vulnerability. You have to be vulnerable to feel in order to trust.

I had a life-altering conversation yesterday with a woman who’s only been in my life for about 3 months. By being vulnerable and trusting her, she held the space for me to be raw and open. In a conversation that lasted a mere 60 minutes, she helped me in a way that will change my life forever for the greater good. I’m grateful I was vulnerable with her because the outcome was so rewarding.

I invite you to be vulnerable. As Brené says “The courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead.”

With love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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