Me and my BOY

Tonight my son and I are home alone. My 15 year old is on a camping trip with her school and my youngest is with her father. Both are ecstatic to have something exciting to do. Me  and my son are going to watch a movie of his choice. Something very intellectual I am sure because he is much more sophisticated when it comes to choosing movies than I am. I am happy with action, karate movies of thrillers.

I am looking forward to some quality time with him because he is almost 17 and our time together is limited by homework, school, work and activities with his friends. I know that it is only a matter of time before he goes off to University and I wont have to chance to see him more than a visit during summer or a Skype call

. I can deal with that but I hope that I can get the most of the time together that we have before he leaves. These days getting the chance to drive him to school is quality time. When children are little we can control what they do and where they are. it can be really difficult to let go of that but as they grow older that is exactly what we must do.

Tonight I am going to enjoy my son because he matters to me. I am going to be in the moment watching whatever he picks. I believe in him, I trust him and I know that he is someone I am immensely proud of.

What a life well lived looks like

I watched a TED.com video and have to say this guy Nigel Marsh is extremely inspiring.

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

I love Ted.com talks because they are always informative and inspiring not to mention entertaining. Work Life Balance is a tricky subject. Who really has enough of it? Not me!

The ideal work life balance for me would be very similar to Nigels take on it with a few changes. I would rather work at home for instance. I dont think I would like to play sports at lunch rather finish my workout while he walks his dog. LOL

What is your idea of work life balance?

7 Tips and tricks to boost your self confidence. Why Wait?

It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to. W.C. Fields

You can boost your self confidence if you follow a few easy to do tips and tricks. They will help you to boost the confidence you have in yourself helping you to make decisions, to feel good about how others look at you as well as boost your ability to interact with others.

WHEN YOU ARE SELF CONFIDENT IT SHOWS.

When you are self confident others will automatically be drawn to you because you exude the charisma that they themselves would like to have. Self confidence is incredibly attractive when seeking the opposite sex and it is one of the top traits that people are looking for when they are looking for a mate.

When we are in situations that are getting out of control it is reassuring when someone else has the confidence to take control and make decisions for you. Being around self confident people can put you at ease in social situations. Have you ever given your power away because you were not self confident enough to take control of a situation?

Self confidence is something that has eluded seekers for centuries and yet they continue to search untiringly for the key to feeling confident. Many people go their whole lives without having self confidence mainly because they just don’t have the self confidence to go out there and be confident. This vicious circle can be extremely frustrating but you can turn it around.

Read the full article HERE to find out what tips and tricks will boost your self confidence, I will give you a hint…

1. FEEL GRATEFUL

2. CELEBRATE

3.STOP THE PROCRASTINATION

4. DRESS FOR SUCCESS

5. CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION

6. GIVE TO OTHERS

7. CLEAN UP

Drifa Ulfarsdottir is a Certified Professional Coach specializing in Work Life Balance for executive and entrepreneurial parents. She is the author of The Self Confidence Report. To find out more visit http://findworkbalance.com

Work Life Balance Coaching focuses on empowering you to take control of your life, gain focus, increase your productivity and  feel powerful  again without sacrificing whats really important to you.

Who gets life coaching?

Do you know anyone who rocks at work, excels at presentations and seems to flow through tough meetings effortlessly yet feel frustrated at home because they cannot focus on the family because their job is always on their mind. Do you know anyone who is so focused on providing for their family that they spend all of their time between their blackberry and their career? Do you know anyone who juggles dinner parties, driving kids, school events and kids lessons as if it were nothing but struggles to cope at work, constantly feeling guilty about missing time with their families?

Through Work Life Balance Coaching, you will discover how to focus create a rewarding career that your kids can be proud of, to leave the blackberry on the counter while you enjoy family time and to balance your time between your growing business and those you are growing the business for. You will gain the tools and resources you need to lead a full, balanced and fulfilling life.

An executive client of mine that had soared up the corporate ladder with ease was struggling at home with her young children. She had all but given her power to them and felt helpless against them. The kids were unhappy, didn’t listen and did whatever they wanted. Within a few sessions the client had taken back control of her life, the kids were calmer and more confident and the family was happy balanced and content. To her surprise she was less frustrated and tired at work so she began to see even more gains in the workplace. It is amazing what changes can occur when you hire a coach.

The benefits of coaching are only limited by what you want to change.

 

Sign in to Coaching Cognition and schedule a free consultation today.

The Self Confidence Report IS HERE!!!

The Self Confidence report is Finally here. Ok well it has been here for a while you just haven’t been able to purchase it because I did not have it set up on my site yet. I recently updated my website. It took me some time because I wasn´t sure how to incorporate downloads and Paypal into the site but with a little bit of luck and a LOT of patience ( some would call it being stubborn) I managed it in the end. I did all of this so that I could bring you The Self Confidence Report.

I wrote this report because I believe that without self confidence you are almost handicapped when it comes to life. Self confidence is really the cornerstone to balance, happiness and peace of mind. The report is one of three products that I have for sale on my new products page on my site. It is a comprehensive 30 page report with tonns of tips and tricks that help you to gain added self confidence making your life much easier.

Social gatherings, career changes, asking for a raise, participating in activities, joining conversations, these are all things that become easier when you have self confidence.

I am so excited about this report I am going to put an excerpt of it on the blog for you to get a sneak peek at.

 

Here it is:::::::

The Self Confidence Report

 

It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.  ~W.C. Fields

 

Are you self confident? Do you know what it means to be self confident? Self confidence can be the difference between doing the things you are excited about or declining and holding back. You can feel on top of the world and able to do anything you set out to do or you can feel extremely overwhelmed. What if you could affect your personal and professional success? Would you do it?

 

You can if you know how to boost your self confidence. It is the confidence you have in yourself to make decisions, and in how others look at you as well as your ability to interact with others that impacts your life. This is not the same as self esteem. Self esteem is the faith that you have in yourself and your abilities. It is how you look at yourself and how you believe others see you.

 

 

When you are self confident it shows.

True or false?

 

 

Others will automatically be drawn to you because you exude the type of self confidence and charisma that they themselves would like to have. Self confidence is incredibly attractive when seeking the opposite sex. In fact self confidence is one of the top traits that people are looking for when they are looking for a mate.

 

 

It is unbelievably reassuring when you yourself do not know what to do and  someone else has the confidence to take control, make decisions and can put you at ease in social situations. Have you ever given your power away because you were not self confident enough to take control of a situation?

 

 

Self confidence is something that has eluded seekers for centuries and yet they continue to search untiringly for the key to feeling confident. Yet many people go their whole lives without self confidence mainly because they just don’t have the self confidence to go out there and be confident. It is a vicious circle. It can be extremely frustrating when you want to be self confident but you do not know how to go about it.

 

Self confident people always have high self esteem.

True or false?

 We often view self confidence as a sign that someone feels great about themselves and have high self esteem. In reality that is not always the case. There are a lot of people that are extremely self confident yet their self esteem is lacking. They can go on a stage or be the center of attention in a room however deep down inside they fell less than they are. Having self confidence has many wonderful benefits that make your life a much more pleasurable experience.

 

Lack of self confidence can rob you of the opportunities that you could be enjoying in your life. That job interview that didn’t go as well as you hoped because you were so nervous in the interview. Do you feel awkward in large social gatherings because you just don’t have self confidence? How are your sales figures at work? Do you find that the confident guy always seems to reach the goal for the month while your numbers are less than satisfactory?

 

Self confidence can affect every aspect of your life but it doesn’t have to. There are things you can do to take back the control you have lost through the lack of self confidence. You can be self confident in any social situation; you just need to know the steps it will take to get you there.

 

Are you ready?

BUY NOW

Nanny troubles When even the best plans go out the window

I have been thinking about my sisters nanny troubles. My sister is a professional and works in a corporate environment. She travels a lot and since she is a single mother she needs to have reliable daycare all the time. Last year she gave up on the daycare system and found herself a nanny. The nanny was suppose to make life much easier. She was going to get the kids up for school, cook meals at night, clean the house, do their homework with them and get them to and from school. It wasn´t a very difficult job because the boys are in school  most of the time so her days were free 2-3 times a week.

The nanny arrived and seemed very nice. She was very easygoing, almost in slow motion. She was from the Barbados so that was no surprise. Because she was young and left her family my sister felt sorry for her thinking she was lonley. She began inviting her for all family dinners and outings. Thats when she discovered that the nanny had an insatiable appitite for wine. Yep the savings on wine are worth her getting rid of the nanny.

She also began to buy her shoes and small things treating her like a little sister.

There was a bit of a conflict that came up when my sister discovered that she was not only being paid a large wage but also room and board. That would not have been a problem if this woman did not eat like 3 huge truck drivers. 

So so far we have a nanny that eats way to much, and drinks while on the job on my sisters or my families bill if their is wine with dinner. ( they had to buy at least 1-2 bottles for the nanny)

She did have a strong suit. My sisters house was spotless but she couldn´t cook at all. The kids had to eat very simple not so healthy food and she was constantly texting. Not good when you have 2 rambunctiousness boys to take care of.

She frequently acted like she was a guest to be served not contributing to dinners or helping out when she was invited along with my sister to dinner parties. Instead she sat like a princess with her wine glass and got served.

This was all fine and dandy. The problem was she was house sitting last month and decided to play house owner inviting people over to my sisters house.

She had been specifically told not to have anyone over. She then lied about it. Of course she promised to be better.

Then last week my nefews and their step brothers show up at my fathers house unannounced supposadly in the care of the nanny. They play there for 3 hours without her inquiring if they can stay, if they are there or checking up on them. We are talking 4 boys between tha ages of 5-7.

At the end of 3 hours my father walks them home and tells my sister what happened. She immediately fires the nanny and evicts her on the spot. 

So what happens now? How do you get daycare ASAP in a society where there are waiting lists?

She cant just stay home from work, she has a very demanding job.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Learn more about work life balance for working parents

If you had one more year to live how would you want to live it?

What would you do differently? Who would you have around you? What would you stop doing? If you had unlimited resources and time how would that change your life? What would you spend your days doing? What would be important to you? If you had no responsibilities to anyone (kids, parents, society) how would that change things? Why? We need to allow ourselves to dream. Without a dream, hopes and goals how can we feel optimistic or excited about the future? Today I decieded to give you a little treat. I took an excerpt above and below from the self coach workbook. I have changed some of it like for instance this sentence but essentially it is the same. Excerpt; When you are pinpointing where you want to go remember that life is a journey, things change, people change. I don´t know anyone who has been able to actually pinpoint what they wanted 20 years into the future then did not change the plan somewhere along the way. You are the captain so if you need to adjust the sails and change direction then you can. It is still very important to have an idea of where you are heading. Imagine if you were an airline captain and you were flying a plane but had no idea of where you were heading. Crazy right? Well airline pilots know where they are going but are prepared to change course and adjust their altitude and course depending on weather. This is essential to success in life. Flexibility is a key component to being able to achieve what you set out for yourself. Visualization is a great tool to help you get there. Your mindset can change the path of your life, your perception and your reality, that is why you need to believe in what you dream, but most important is to have a dream. Without a dream, a goal and a destination you are dead in the water. Forget about flying by the seat of your pants, would you really head off into the Sahara desert without a compass and knowing which direction to take? I think not, neither would I it would be sheer insanity. I would however feel confidant if I had a plan, knew what direction I needed to go in, had a compass, knew what challenges I would face, had a few survival tricks up my sleeve and perhaps even had a guide with me. What a difference that would make. I would literally have set myself up to succeed! Even undertaking a seemingly impossible journey like crossing the Sahara desert is possible as long as you have the right tools resources, and tenacity to undertake the journey. So dare to create your future! Please comment!  Let me know what you think about this excerpt. I appreciate your opinion.

Drifa Ulfarsdottir CPC

Sign up for coaching at Coaching Cognition and sign up for a free consultation.

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your life plan

I created a product 2 years ago called your life plan. It is used to help my coaching clients find direction in their life. The Life Plan is a business plan for your life. It guides you through the steps to figure out what you want out of your life and where you want to go, then through detailed questions shows ytou how to get there. Recently I decided to rework it and once I had completed the revision to work the plan itself. I thought it would be a good indicator as to how it had changed.  I’ve gotten true about  half of it and I’m really finding out things about myself that I didn’t know before. I really didn’t think I would enjoy working through it this much and now I find that I’m excited to get back to it. I really like to read things that I have written because essentially I do not recognise myself in the words. My writing self is far more sophisticated and wise that my real self.

The self-analysis in The Life Plan is really making me look at my life as it is today. I do take inventory of my like regularly and know what I want but when it comes to finding clarity on exactly what to do to get there I tend to get overwhelmed even with all the best tools at my fingertips. I am really looking forward to getting to the end of the life plan and having a detailed plan of the next steps that will take me to the next level.

My baby has left the nest

My oldest child who is now 19 has left the nest. She moved to Canada in September of last year. I was pretty apprehensive before she left. I knew that children eventually leave but it didn´t seem to help to keep the emotional roller coaster at bay. She has been doing great at shool and lives with my mother so I know she is well taken care of.  She is going to Banff with her friend tomorrow and it is a 1400 km drive. I have been feeling a little apprehensive about it because I am so far away and she will be driving on the highway. I know it is ridiculous to be worried at this point but I am. It makes me think that when our kids are little we know where they are at all times but as adults they go their own way. We cant control where they go anymore,are at the mercy of fate. I will be very glad when she arrives safely in Banff, thrilled to hear that she is having a good time and then even happier when she gets home safe and sound. I cant wait until she is back home. Its a mothers job I suppose to be worried.

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