Thoughts Become Things

Thoughts Become ThingsI don’t know where I originally heard this quote, “Thoughts become things” but it’s always stuck with me. And, I know it’s true.

I always try to focus on positive results since I’ve seen how it affects me in a negative way when I don’t. AND, because I’ve seen firsthand how it impacts me for the better when I maintain a positive mindset.

For example, this farm I live on wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t gotten on board with my husband’s proactive and positive thinking about it. He’s quite the visionary and big picture thinker. 😉

It was a big leap for us to try to buy the farm. Eight years ago, we didn’t know if we’d get approved loan-wise. Afterall, it was a huge investment and we currently already had a mortgage. And because we kept our thoughts focused in the right direction, our loan was approved and this place became our reality despite it not seeming logical or possible for that matter.

We’ve now got a modern barn, new Equus Coaching office, two horses, chickens, dogs and fields of produce on our dream property that has that beautiful tree-lined pond you see in the image (yes, that’s really my farm!).

I encourage you to hold this quote with you and have your thoughts say yes to some of the things you’ve been wanting. It allows for more, so many more possibilities to become real. Many that you wouldn’t even know are possible.

Let me know in the comments what thoughts of yours have become things.

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

Filed Under: Blog, General News, Tips & Tools ~ 2 Comments Tagged With: , , , , ,

Don’t Stop Until You’re Proud

Don't Stop Until You're Proud

This quote really reflects how I feel about my new office! I am SO PROUD to have this beautiful space as my new coaching HQ!

After a few months of planning, my amazingly talented husband, Shane, built this office space in our barn so I can be completely in my element when I’m doing Equus coaching sessions.

We’ve been working on it in our spare time since January and all that’s left is to put art on the walls. What do you think we should put up?

I do have a big open window that faces out into the round pen where Sunny is always patiently waiting for his next coachee. He’s quite the lover!

What’s a project that you worked on until you were proud of it? Let me know below in the comments.

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

Filed Under: Blog, General News ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

5 Ways to Structure Your Day to Stay Motivated

5WaysStuctureDayToStayMotivatedDo you feel like you lose steam every day?

Do you notice an unproductive lull that happens in the mornings or afternoon?

Does it drive you nuts when you realize that you’ve just lost another hour to Facebook when you went on there to find something work-related?

It can be SO frustrating when this happens, again and again. How does Facebook suck you in like that? How’d you lose track of your client’s big project?

You used to feel so motivated but it’s waning now and you don’t know why you just can’t push through the dull moments to reach the other *productive* side.

If this sounds a little (or a lot) like you, here five techniques you can use to structure your day to stay motivated:

Stake Out Your Day

First thing in the morning (or even the day before, if you can) decide on the one thing you MUST do and keep that at the forefront of your actions. Put that one thing first, wait, let me capitalize that for emphasis: FIRST.  You may get off track but you come back to that ONE thing (yep, capital letters again). This small dose of planning goes a long way and ensures your ship is sailing in the right direction.

Micro Celebrate

You take turtle steps like the ones I mentioned earlier to stay out of overwhelm. Every time you finish a step, you cross it off your list and then you do a micro celebration. This might look like a power fist bump raised high in the air, like a little happy dance, or like a verbalized “woot!” with a hand clap. You decide!

Any minor acknowledgment to you completing your task will work. You just have to give yourself that little boost of happiness when you finish a task so your brain starts to associate it with motivation.

Micro celebrations can really make a difference and help keep your motivation-mojo going all day long.

Ask for Accountability

You ask someone to check in on your project status. It could be a friend, colleague, family member or even someone far away. You can tell them exactly what to ask you about and on what day so they don’t need to spin their wheels on it at all.

Knowing that someone will help hold you accountable on that follow-up email that needs to be sent or ask if you got your about page updated is a big motivator to actually getting those things done because you don’t want to have to give a negative reply.

Pony-up for Childcare

If you’ve got kids, pony-up and get childcare in place! Do not feel badly about putting your sweet child in camps over the summer or lining up after school activities.

They’ll have a ton of fun and you will actually be able to get your work done without someone asking you to feed them, fix their bumps, take them somewhere or to watch that YouTube video you don’t really like them watching for the millionth time.

For example, if I’m doing an Equus coaching session, it only makes senses that my daughter will want to be there, fully in the mix. She loves the horses! Unfortunately, this would not only be distracting to me but also for my client so I don’t do it. I make sure she’s got another activity planned during my work time.

It’s not worth the stress and while you may feel like you’re saving on childcare, you’re not making room to earn more in your business.

Get Back Up On That Horse

When you get off track, notice it. Say, “Hello Off Track Mind, we’re heading back to the task at hand”. And then come back to that ONE thing that’s your task.

Be kind to yourself when this happens and gently re-direct yourself, knowing that it’s a part of the process. Expect it, see it and have a plan to move back to where you were.

Building habits like these will help you to tap into your motivation mojo and be able to structure your day to keep taking action to get ahead to support your bigger goals.

If you don’t do these things to stay motivated, you may lose focus, mess-up jobs which can lead to lost clients, and feeling pretty awful about yourself (never a good place to be).

Notice when you skip one of these practices.

How does it make you feel? How good is your end work product? Did you lose your mind because your day lost structure? Do you find yourself a bit more edgy or snappy towards the ones you love the most?

Observe how you feel when your day is planned, you know what you need to do, when you’re crossing things off your to-do list. Do you feel like you’re getting ahead and you’re more motivated?

Let me know in the comments what you notice when you get it right or when your day didn’t go as planned. Seeing and noticing what you learn is a huge part of keeping your motivation mojo going strong throughout your day.

Cheers to saddling up and motivating that motivation mojo!

With love and gratitude,

Gretchen

Filed Under: Blog, General News, Tips & Tools ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

You’ve Always Had the Power My Dear

You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself. -Wizard of OzI’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if I was qualified to do the Equus training program because I wasn’t sure if I could be a coach. However, I decided to take the plunge and as I went through the training, I realized I did have the courage to actually do it.

I’ve always had the willingness to say yes and do big things but I lacked the confidence. I went through the Equus Coach Training and I realized I had the confidence and power to do it all along.

Where have you felt this in your life?

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

Filed Under: Blog, General News ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

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

Filed Under: Blog, Tips & Tools ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , ,

How Do Other People See You?

How Do Other People See You?Do others see you differently than you see yourself?

Do they think you’re smart, organized, or successful? Are you likeable?

Or maybe they think you’re lazy, over confident or a complainer?

We’ve all got stories in our minds of how *we think* other people or the “everybody’s” perceive us. But in reality, those stories are a giant blind spot and we aren’t all that sure how we’re viewed.

Since we’re all inside our own minds and bodies, it’s hard to get a full, 360 degree view of ourselves. Sometimes this blind spot presents itself as a mysterious disconnect. “Why did they act that way towards me?? Or “How come I didn’t get that job?”

Sometimes the blind spot results in lack of trust in yourself or is the basis for patterns in your life that you hate to see pop up again and again.

What if you could know how others see you?

Body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice all play a part. They tell people right away how much they can trust us and how authentic we are.

Sometimes we carry ourselves and express ourselves in ways that we don’t even realize. From simple things such as how a person might not stand up straight all the time or how someone else might, out of habit, always ask questions that they already have the answer to. Both of these are things those people don’t know they’re doing and if they knew how it was shaping the way others see them and their potential, they might decide to adjust how they show up in that area.

So the question is, how do you figure this out? Do you survey your family and friends? Your co-workers (gah!)? Maybe take an online personality test but can you really trust that?

There’s an easier way and if you’ve been following my work for a while, you’ll be able to guess that yes, it involves horses.

Stepping into a round pen with a horse is one of the fastest ways to learn what’s hidden in your personal blindspot. It’s far better than surveying your friends or taking an online quiz because a horse never judges you and more importantly, it never lies. The horse will always mirror back to you how you are feeling internally while all being done nonverbally.

Most every time a client is in the round pen experiencing the Equus coaching process, they have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment.

This experience, without ever getting on a horse, amps up their confidence because of what they’ve learned from those ah-ha moments. These discoveries put those disquieting, I-know-things-could-be-better worries at bay.

They finally give them a glimpse into how others see and react to them every day. They’re able to understand patterns and behaviors that aren’t serving their needs. And, they’re able to take action to change them immediately.

One example is if a person has issues with boundaries. This helps them put themselves first, and finally create a life that they want instead of playing small, only pleasing others and never reaching their full potential.

It means having solid confidence, feeling empowered and taking charge of life.

Through the horse’s’ ability to validate actions, blind spots are reflected back to help each person see a better path to reaching their goals. Being able to see how others perceive them means they can change unhelpful habits to create and enjoy the life they’ve always wanted.

Have you ever worried how other people see you and how it might be shaping your life? Or do you feel like you have habits that are hard to put your finger on that are getting in your way? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear how this shows up for you.

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

Filed Under: Blog, General News ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , ,

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

Filed Under: Blog, General News ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

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.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Tips & Tools ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , ,

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

Filed Under: Blog, General News, Tips & Tools ~ Leave a Comment Tagged With: , , , , , ,

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.

Filed Under: Blog, General News ~ 1 Comment Tagged With: , , , ,
Next Page »