I’m so excited I have so much on my plate.  I mean, I’m really thankful for the work and the opportunities ahead in this last quarter of the year.

But, And, it’s so easy to spin ’round and ’round trying to figure out what’s next.

I know you super organized, focused and driven people don’t even get what I’m saying.  So just skip this post and go get yourself a nice Pumpkin Spice Latte.  But for the rest of us, here’s what helped me today.

As I thought about how to focus in, I combined a strategy I just learned from my friend and fellow professional speaker, Pegine, with one of my favorite action steps taken from Gary Keller’s awesome book, The One Thing, and came up with 3 quick steps to help get me back on track.

1.  Ask Yourself…“What is the one thing I can work on for a concentrated amount of time today that will really move my business forward?”  (Gary Keller’s idea.) This is such a great question because it really helps center your thinking on things that matter.  There is so much busywork that can jump up and grab our time – but when you ask this question, the busywork fades and the best emerges.
2. List the top 3-4 things that come to mind.  I’m sure you have a lot of GOOD things you could do today.  But without a doubt, there are most likely 3-4 things that could be classified as GREAT.  Put a big circle around the one that stands out above the rest. Create a sentence of intention around this one thing.
3. Write it down 10 times.  Yup.  Just like back when you got in trouble (I mean, some other kid got in trouble) and had to write something 100 times.  (Pegine’s idea.)  Just 10 times. It’s amazing how powerful it is to set your intention and then write that intention down multiple times.  I’ve found as I write, I usually fine tune the goal/intention as well.

I’m off to Periscope on this very topic, so if you haven’t tried Periscope yet, be sure to hop over to my Periscope page today, or click over to Katch to see a replay of all my Scopes. (Including Graham’s piano concert last night!)  Once I figure out the technical, I’ll get the scopes posted here on my website as well.  It’s baby steps, right?

Did this exercise help you?  What was your 1-thing today? Give me a quick tweet or you can comment below and let me know! I’d love to cheer you on!

Love ya,

Christy

The post 3 Tips to Go From Overwhelmed to Intention appeared first on Christy Largent.

So here are the 5 big takeaways…

1. Discover your Assets
2. Broaden your perspective
3. Find ways to connect
4. Surround yourself with people who care
5. Pay attention to your heart

Encouraging Word for the Week:  Proverbs 19:20-21 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.  Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

The post #046: 5 Key Life Skills to Enjoy Life More (Podcast) appeared first on Christy Largent.

Key Ideas:

Part 1 – Interview Highlights

• A funny Alec Baldwin story and her podcast “You’ve Got This”
• Finding your direction
• The role mentors can play in your life
• The true cost of clutter

Part 2 – Decluttering Our Lives

• Making hard choices
• Being realistic
• Staying focused
• Perspective Reset – Tim Challies article

Website Links

www.kathilipp.com

www.clutterfreebook.com

canva.com

Kathi’s Recommended Reading

Clutter Free, Quick and Easy Steps to Amplifying Your Space, by Kathi Lipp.

Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication (North Point Resources), by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones.

The Power of a Positive No: Save The Deal Save The Relationship and Still Say No, by William Ury.

StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath.

Connect with Kathi

On Facebook

On Twitter

Encouraging Word of the Week:  Ecclesiastes 5:10  “Whoever loves money will never have enough money. Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance. This also is pointless.”         – I know this is not very encouraging, but seriously, doesn’t it just fit perfectly with our discussion today!  It’s about relationships, not about stuff!

Question:  Are you a cluttery person?  How do you manage to keep it down?  I’d love your ideas too!  Just leave a comment below, or on FB or Twitter.

The post #044: Kathi Lipp – A Clutter Free Life (Podcast) appeared first on Christy Largent.

As I write this, the tail lights of Christmas are dimming and the bright splash of New Years is calming down and I have to ask myself, “If we were having coffee at the local Starbucks right now, and you asked how my year went, what would I say?”  The first thing that comes to mind is that I want you to know how thankful I am to have you in my life.  YOU, our friends and family, are the best part of our lives. Your friendship means so much to us.  That’s the key take-away from this holiday letter – so if that’s all you needed to hear, go ahead and toss this right now.  If, on the other hand, you are curious about what has filled our lives since we last talked, then read on…

You didn’t get a card last year because…oh bother, I guess I was just too disorganized!  We celebrated my 50th birthday in October with a long vacation in Hawaii and it threw everything into a tailspin.  What was I thinking?  The kids missed school so we took their work with us.  Big mistake.  Note to self.  Don’t do that again. But the sun was hot, the resort was cool and all that made turning 50 just nifty. (Where are my hair color and tweezers?!?)

The kids are still enjoying school at Redding School of the Arts.  Graham is in 2nd grade and Amelia is in 5th grade.  They are both in the full Mandarin Immersion program which means they have half the day in English and half in Mandarin.  They also have a full plate of music, art, and all the rest of the regularly scheduled programming, so they’re stretched.  They are also taking piano lessons and that makes for a fun time of chasing them around the house hollering for them to practice magical music at all hours in our house.  Soccer in the spring and swim team all summer keep us in tip-top-shape…as supporters.  The kids love it and we love watching.

On the extended family front, my Mother and Dad are well and doing as much traveling as they can.  My Mother took a few cruises and my Dad took trips to Dubai, Australia, and London. I can’t wait until the kids are big enough to go with them.  We all celebrated together as my brother Craig (who lost his wife to cancer almost 3 years ago) got married in June to a darling woman, Diana.  After such loss before, the celebration was all the sweeter.

When our local Veteran’s Home opened their skilled nursing facility in July, we moved Tom’s Dad up here from his long-time home of Moraga.  It has made for an interesting year as Tom figures out how to juggle the responsibilities of primary care giver for his Dad with those of being husband and dad to his own family.  He’s doing his usual exceptional job with it all. (In my humble opinion.)

Tom celebrated his 30th! year with his company this fall.  He still loves his job and looks forward to going to work.  The forestry and natural resources world is full of exciting challenges – so it’s pretty neat to see all the opportunities unfold.  He has also managed to fit in finding an occasional geocache – one of his favorite long-time hobbies.

2014 was my big, huge, major, changing year.  I decided that I was going to get back to my first love of public speaking.  Wowzer! Had things ever changed in the 8 years I had been away.  So, rather than just get out and speak, I spent my year starting a blog/website, a podcast, which you can find on iTunes, while continuing to host a local TV Show, The Forum, (episodes available on You Tube), writing a book (check my website and Amazon after January 15th), and filling in with speaking as much as I could, including a terrific Spring Women’s Renewal Retreat at my church.

Oh, and I also ran the San Jose Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon and was chosen to be one of Michael Hyatt’s testimonials for his goal setting program 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever.  I think a highlight was having Michael’s film crew come from Canada to film for the day.  When they filmed me running down our street, it was too much for our hyper-vigilant cautious neighbor and he almost ran us off the road with his dually truck – insistently questioning us what we were doing filming on the street!  Excitement all around. Ha.

We wrapped up the year with a Christmas cruise to Mexico and a few days in San Diego.  It was a relief to let Princess Cruises do the decorating and cooking.

So with all of this we are thankful.  Thankful for the December rains, thankful for healthy kids and family, thankful for you!  We love hearing your updates and seeing you when you pass through.  Please don’t be a stranger!

Our homebase for all social media platforms and to stay connected is www.christylargent.com  Be sure to sign up for my email list to keep up with all our happenings!

Much love and hugs from all of us!

Tom, Christy, Amelia and Graham

The post New Year’s Greetings! appeared first on Christy Largent.

Key Ideas:

Part 1:  Interview

• Best practices for how to start (and run) a business with a friend
• The importance of transparency and forgiveness
• How to tap into the power of mentorship
• Strategies for handling conflicts when they arise

Part 2:  Forgiveness

• Is a choice
• Requires action (and it’s HARD!)
• Must be practiced
• Will reach it’s conclusion

Website Links:

www.strongbodywholeheart.com

www.facebook.com/strongbodywholeheart

www.twitter.com/sbwheart

http://instagram.com/sbsheart_kelly,     http://instagram.com/sbwheart_maggie

Recommended Reading:
Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go, by Adam Hamilton

Courage: Igniting Self-Confidence, by Debbie Ford

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brene Brown

Encouraging Word of the Week: Matthew 6:9-13 – The Lord’s Prayer     “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Question:  Have you ever thought of starting a business with a friend?  Did you do it?  Why or Why not?  What about the transparency section of this show?  Is that something you struggle with or is it more natural for you?  Finally, how have you experienced forgiveness in your life?  I’d love to read your thoughts and answers below!

The post #022: Strong Body Whole Heart – Kelly & Maggie and Forgiveness (Podcast) appeared first on Christy Largent.

Key Ideas:

Part 1:

• A simple overview of the Paleo Lifestyle
• Thoughts on the power of meditation
• Learning when to shut it down
• The importance of play in a productive life

Part 2:

• How do you make decisions?
• Ways to discover what’s essential in your life
• Expectations and decision making

Website links:

www.everydaypaleo.com  – This is Sarah’s home base.  You can find TONS of great recipes here along with practical suggestions for feeding yourself and your family in a nourishing way.  She is VERY real and down to earth!

www.eplifefit.com – This is Sarah and Jason Seib’s nutrition and fitness online site.  They dispense tons of great advice and even have a membership site you can join.

Sarah’s Resources:

Everyday Paleo, by Sarah Fragoso – Her first (and I think, best) book on how to do this thing called Paleo.

Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook: Real Food for Real Life, by Sarah Fragoso – Filled with over 80 easy and yummy recipes.

Everyday Paleo Around the World: Italian Cuisine: Authentic Recipes Made Gluten-Free, by Sarah Fragoso – This is Sarah’s first of her series of foods from around the world.  All I can say is “I never knew cooking with mushrooms and wine would make me feel like a real cook.”  Thank you Sarah!

Everyday Paleo: Thai Cuisine: Authentic Recipes Made Gluten-free, by Sarah Fragoso – And she’s done it again.  This is the second installment of her Around the World series and she took the whole family to Thailand for “research” and we are really the ones who benefit.  Interesting and yummy both.

Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship, by Sarah Fragoso – This is a children’s book that actually inspires kids to eat whole, nutritious foods.  My children love this book and the recipes included have all been fully approved.  I like how she inspires the kids to get in the kitchen with me to prepare meals.  This is a huge part of Sarah’s philosophy, and this book entertains as it inspires.  You and your kids both will love it!

The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands, by Lysa TerKeurst – Saying yes, (or no) means making a decision.  Lysa unpacks some great suggestions for how to make decisions so that your yes’s are emphatic and your no’s are freeing. You’ll love this book.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown – An excellent resource for figuring out what is really essential in your life.  So that you make better decisions and live more of the life you really want.

Sarah’s Recommendations:

8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.  A primer on meditation

www.headspace.com – an easy, free App to download

Encouraging Word of the Week: Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”

Question:  What kind of food creates your best health?  Are you a junk foodie or a Paleo promoter?  Can you be both? (I am..hee-hee, don’t tell).  Also, how are you at making decisions?  Do you feel confident in your choices?  What keeps you from making a decision?  Is it fear, like it is for me?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The post #019: Sarah Fragoso – Founder of Everyday Paleo, Family and Decision Making (Podcast) appeared first on Christy Largent.

But a networking event is a perfect opportunity to meet people in a relaxed and fun environment. So whether you’re headed to back-to-school night or a Chamber of Commerce Mixer, these ideas will help you feel more comfortable, have more fun and might even afford you an opportunity you never expected. Let’s take a deep breath and here we go:

1.  Smile.  This is the most obvious, yet I am continually surprised at how few people actually do it.  Not only will it put others at ease when they look at you, but an open smile is a great way break the ice when you don’t know anyone.

2.  Pretend you are the host.  This mindset will help you be friendly to everyone.  Think what you would do if all these people were in your house. You would do your best to make sure each person had a good time – and that they were introduced to each other, right? Do the same at the event and your comfort level will rise dramatically.

3.  As you approach people, stick out your hand, smile again and say, “Hi, I’m (insert your first name here).”  That’s it.  Super easy.  And most of the time, the person you approach will respond with their name.  If they are in a group, even better. You can meet all of them.

4.  Ask questions and listen!  I can’t stress how important this is.  Most people are too busy thinking of how to impress the person they are talking with to bother really listening.  Listen for connections.  Connections between yourself, people you know and the person speaking.  Listen for ways you can connect people together.

5.  Have your business cards handy.  I usually put mine in a pocket so I’m not digging through my purse when it’s time to exchange cards.  If you want the card of the person you’re talking with, ask.  “Do you have a card?” Most people will be happy to give you their card, and then you can give them yours in exchange.  Then for an extra bonus, tweet them after the party with a mention of how nice it was to meet them at the event.  I find my tweets get a lot more response than emails these days.

Most of all…have fun.  Meeting new people can be a real blessing to your life. When you remember that everyone in the room feels pretty much as awkward as you do, just by adjusting your mindset to be one of service (how can I connect others?) you’ll set yourself up for a positive and successful networking experience. I’ll be trying these tips myself as I head to the the Podcast Movement Conference in Dallas this week. I’ll let you know how they work.

Question: How do you overcome nerves when you are in a new environment? What are your best strategies? I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions!

The post 5 Steps to Avoid Awkward appeared first on Christy Largent.

Key Ideas:

1. List all the things, projects, programs, trainings at work you have led OR had an integral part in accomplishing.  Include things that are volunteer as part of your work…chamber of commerce, rotary, soroptimists, community work
2. List and write down all the favorite things you do as a hobby.  For example:  cross-stitch, cross fit, restoring cars, music, travel, reading, VBS curriculum, VP of your kids swim team boosters.  I want you to think of all the ways you bring value to those activities.  What are the ACTIVITIES you are doing around these things. Think ACTION words…
3. Note all the things you like to think about and talk about.  What do you do extra reading or watching on?  Is there something you want to know more about?  Take a class or do an online training.
4. Highlight areas of crossover.
5. Offer.   Get the word out there that you are available.  Are there things you are doing with your kids swim team that you could do at work?  Just because you don’t have the job title doesn’t mean you can’t do cross over there.  Is there a project at work you would really like to work on but you’re not on that team?  Is there a way you could volunteer doing it? Tell you boss or supervisor what you would like to start doing.  Is there something that needs to be done but nobody has ever mentioned it?Look for opportunity to cross train.  If you company offers this, great!  If not, then look for natural openings and offer to learn someone else’s responsibilities.

Recognize your value and look for opportunities to add that value.  You are an expert in something.  You add value to your organization in ways that ONLY you can add value.  So today is the day to assesses and implement. 

Encouraging Word of the Week:  Eph 2:10  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do, that we should walk in, DO, them...” NIV

Question:  What are you an expert in?  Where can you add value to the world around you?   I can’t wait to read your comments below.

The post #015: You Are The Expert (Podcast) appeared first on Christy Largent.

Driving down the coast of California with a 7 and 10 year old in tow, making periodic stops at California Missions does NOT a fairytale make.  I’f you’d been with us, here’s a bit of what you might have heard…(see if you relate)

“Pay attention and  look at this view! People come from all over the world to see this beautiful landscape!”

“Stop hitting your brother!”

“There’s a statue of Father Serra – let’s get another a picture”

“Don’t you dare touch your sister again!”

“No, we’re not going to the beach until the end of the day”

“Write this down, this will be good for your report on the California Missions this fall.”  (You would hear muttering in response.)

“Please be quiet, we’re going to stop in just 2 hours a few minutes!”

Needless to say, as I sit here in the hotel room this morning (the pool is closed for maintenance, the beach has no beachside cafes and the one umbrella topped tables is full of HS girls in their pajamas playing on their i-phones). I figure there must be something good from all this I can share with you.  The must be a lesson here somewhere.

Because you see, I woke up early with my heart racing thinking of the things I left undone when we left for vacation.  Those items are still sitting on my computer in my inbox.  The phone calls still need to be made.  The emails still need to be returned.  The blog posts written.  The sheer volume of WORK!  It’s overwhelming.

This re-starting a business has been a lot harder and slower than I anticipated.  I envisioned a quick turnaround.  I pictured myself as a speedy jet boat, making a swift, powerful, unencumbered 180, then racing quickly in the other direction.

I guess the reality is that I’m more of a cruise ship.  Loaded down with husband and kiddos and activities and responsibilities.  With that in mind, I’m taking a big breath and going to share with you a few ideas that helped me this morning.  Maybe they will help you navigate your circumstances too.  I’m writing this in first person, so please put your name in here and feel free to make it your own.

I’m me, not anyone else.  In the midst of my anxiety this morning I opened an email from a very well know and extremely successful female speaker.  She has started a world-wide ministry, written a bazillion books including 2 NY Times best sellers, has an enormous online and in-person following, adopted like 10 kids from Africa, has a bedazzling marriage….well, you get the picture.  What trap did I fall into again? That’s right.  Comparison.  I had to remind myself that I’m me.  The end. My story can only start when the comparison ends.

Work with what I’ve got.  So I’m not sitting by the beach being awed by the wonder of God’s creation as I type these words.  My kids are in and out of the room.  I’m sitting at a fake wood table by the wall AC that’s blowing fast and furious.  That’s ok.  This is all the time I have, so I’m going to make the most of it.  I have a feeling this is a message you might need to be reminded of too.

Break it down.  When I’m overwhelmed, it’s easy to let my mind run crazy with ALL the things that are not happening.  I find when I take the time to list down what these things are, it releases some chemical so I feel better.  It puts it in perspective. It gives me a chance to see what the gaps are and what the REAL (not imagined) needs are.  Breaking it down gives me the bigger picture.

Experience your moment.  I must admit my temptation is to fret and stew this vacation away trying to fit work in every bit of alone spare time I can grab.  Instead, I’m going to finish this post.  Shoot out a few fast emails that say I will get back with them after my vacation is over next Monday.  I’ll do a min-podcast tomorrow morning early before everyone is up and get it posted on Thursday, but other than that, I’m going to enjoy the rest of this vacation without regret.

There will always be more work.  But I will never, ever, have another week with my sweet little chickens (as I call them) like this week.  So I’m going to embrace it and enjoy it.

I have a feeling all the expectations I had for this week will be way blown away by the memories we actually make.  And when I get back to the work, my hunch is that it will be with fresh eyes and a renewed spirit.  Happy Summer!

Question:  What part of this post do you relate to?  Please let me know I’m not the only one!!

The post I’m So Overwhelmed! And I’m on VACATION! appeared first on Christy Largent.

For the past 9 years I have been focused at home.  Raising my long-awaited children.

and working a home business in the nooks and crannies.  My passion for speaking had not abated, I just put it put on the back burner.

Taking stock while vacationing this summer in the beautiful Oregon countryside

I realized I needed to get busy doing what God put me on earth to do.  With the help of some terrific books, Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It
and The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
I decided to relaunch my professional speaking business.

The Dream  This is the dream that emerged.   I’m committed to helping people all over the world Create Positive Connections and Cultivate Purposeful Living.

The Reality  I quickly discovered the business world has changed a lot in the 9 years I’ve been away from professional speaking.  Thankfully, I discovered Michael Hyatt at just the right time!  The former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers has the most extraordinary website www.michaelhyatt.com as well as book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.
The book is a step-by-step guide to launching whatever business you want to.  I memorized it immediately!

The Plan  I will be speaking, writing, and using social media to connect.   My plan is to blog 3 times a week with regular topics.

Mondays I’ll offer insight for dealing with the various personalities in your life.  When I speak on the personality styles, it’s always a favorite, so I think you will like too.

Wednesdays I’ll cover tips, tricks and strategies for successful communication.  By Wednesday you’re usually sick to death of those irritating people you have to work with, so I figure that’s a good time to help you strengthen your communications skills.

Fridays, in the interest of honest transparency, I’m going to write about my lifelong challenge interest in fitness, wellness and nutrition.

I have a lot of other exciting ideas, so in between the scheduled posts I’ll be adding videos and podcasts and tools to help you create positive connections and cultivate purposeful living. I’m so excited!

Question:  My theme is “Positive Connections. Purposeful Living.”  With that in mind, what topics would you like to see me cover this year?  What are you most interested in learning about? Please leave a comment below!

The post The Beginning – What’s this all about? appeared first on Christy Largent.