JAK CHAT

The Never-Quite-Under-Control List – Are We All On This Page? Sponsored by Next Step Goals, LLC Written by Julie O'Keeffe Henzey Make appointment, replace florescent light, fertilize plants, activate credit card, return boxes, install new battery, buy present, call mom … there are so many things on my “to do” list. What about you? With my goal coaching background, I’ve got a pretty good handle on managing my time and tasks. And still, the loyal companion of my “to do” list is a low level anxiety.  Read More... Either anxiety settles in when I do something non-work related during work hours (even though I work for myself), when I feel like everything is urgent, or when I’m still chipping away at things at 10 o’clock at night and know I should just stop. When immersed in four to five different major volunteer, work, or home projects at one time, I can feel scattered and tense. I decided to reduce my stress by transferring both my “to do” list and the framework I use for it from paper...

Take It To The Edge Sponsored by Next Step Goals, LLC Written by Julie O'Keeffe Henzey We’ve all seen the movies where someone gets in a car and decides to see how fast it can go. Or you may recall Chuck Yeager boldly breaking the sound barrier by flying faster than the speed of sound. Some people with the need for speed even get their fix at the Bonneville Speedway on the salt flats of Utah during Speed Week, where world land speed records are made and broken. I’m not sure whether it’s the speed itself or the desire to go to the edge that captivates people. Many of us love to live vicariously through others as they risk life and limb to reach a goal. There’s simply a pure thrill in going to the limit. Just think Olympics. To win, you have to be on the razor-sharp edge of your ability. We love watching it all unfold. Normal people like you and me typically play it safe in most areas of our life. We don’t take unnecessary chances that could result in injury, physical or otherwise. W...

Let it Flow Sponsored by Next Step Goals, LLC Written by Julie O'Keeffe Henzey What a rainy few days we’ve had in the past week. I’ve been in our unfinished basement pulling up fabric runners and mopping up water that inevitably leaks in through the wall each time we experience heavy rains. Box fans have been going full blast and I’ve left the lights on to warm it up a bit. As of today, we’re all good again. Water is amazing because as much as we try to control it, we can’t. Sure, we can dam it up or redirect it here and there, but our planet is covered with rivers that choose their own path, with no human intervention. Funny thing is, it’s the same with stuff that happens in our life. There’s a lot we can’t control. We can’t control when our kids will get sick or when we’ll get a flat tire. We can’t control when our job is eliminated during downsizing or when our mother will do something about her weight . The writer Pema Chodron talks about life as a river and our problems as the...

Cave Dweller? Sponsored by Next Step Goals, LLC Written by Julie O'Keeffe Henzey It's Valentine's Day and I'm sorry, but behind all of those boxes of chocolates and bouquets of flowers are some really annoying people! For example, the guy at the check out counter just had a long conversation with the cashier as he paid for long-stemmed roses, even after glancing back to see that I was waiting with my hands full. Those people are so frustrating! This Valentine's Day, make it your goal to love and accept everyone (even those people ) around you "as is", even if it kills you. Which it won't! Read more.... We are wired to label people as either "in our group or "outside of our group" and to treat them accordingly.  To achieve this, we have to look for clues as to whether someone is worthy of membership in our group. Our caveman ancestor would watch a stranger approach his cave and want to know, Is this man going to offer us mastodon meat or...