What I Learned on My Summer Vacation

My child starts kindergarten next week. Earlier in the year I made a conscious decision to cut back on client hours during the summer months and spend the bulk of my time with her (although I have some neat business developments coming) and just go with the flow – a huge challenge for me! It has been great fun and I wouldn’t change any of it. In these few short months I learned some valuable life lessons, not necessarily in any order:

· I would go on vacation once a month if we could work it out. But schedules and commitments don’t allow for that, so instead we find creative ways to make some fun each day!

· I don’t enjoy eating in restaurants nearly as often as I once did. In June my husband and I decided to try Suze Orman’s suggestion to eat in for an entire month in order to eat healthier and to see what impact it had on our wallets. We made it most of the month (we did go out for Father’s Day and then got a little lazy during the last week) and discovered that we really prefer to eat at home. It is less complicated and we don’t have to wait for a table. Financially we saved some but spent more on groceries. The amount saved would add up over time though, and if you’re a habitual dine-out type and want to save some money I would definitely recommend it. The experiment period is past and we have eaten at home a lot more since.

· I don’t have to be such a creature of habit. As I said, I have spent the better part of the summer going with the flow, which is a big challenge because I work best with daily structure. But I learned to adapt by seizing opportunities to work at odd times and have still managed to complete some business projects. I’ve relearned that each day is a new day and shaking up your routine can actually make you more productive and creative!

· Romantic ideas are sometimes just that. Who hasn’t daydreamed of that fabulous career that marries fresh air and immeasurable success? Two years ago I started gardening in my back yard and did so well that I began fantasizing about supplying fresh produce to local restaurants. The first year we had a great crop of tomatoes; last year I grew so many cucumbers that I made 20 pints of pickles! This year? It has been hot and dry, we’ve had more pests than ever devouring everything and nothing has done well. How DID my grandparents make a living at this? Back indoors for me…

· I really, really like working. This is a good thing. I enjoy clients, I like structure, and I like developing products and services to help make peoples’ lives a little easier. So maybe it’s o.k. that my hobby farm didn’t work!

· Tweeting, Facebooking, blogging, LinkedIn-ing, You-Tubing, etc. can simply take over your life. I have done it all, and I strongly recommend being very, very focused about how and when you use any of it!

· Recession is a drag. Almost everyone has been negatively affected in some way, and no one likes feeling out of control. My greatest hope, though, is that there will be positive outcomes of learning what is really important to us; that we identify our core values and learn how to let some of the other “stuff” go.

To that effect, if you or someone you know would like to schedule a free consultation, I would love to get it on the calendar! My goal is to deliver 25 free consultations (yes, really)during the month of September, so either call or text me, 972-333-5932, or send an e-mail message to consultation@pilotcoaching.com.

I also offer some a la carte services to provide cost-effective alternatives to one-on-one coaching and still provide a kick start to help you move ahead more quickly and strategically. In addition to the e-courses, “Life in Focus” and “Career in Focus” I now offer resume critique and cover letter development, and an individual one-time goal-setting/strategy session. Again, contact me via e-mail, or phone or text me at 972-333-5932. Let’s schedule a consultation to see what might work for you within your financial and time budgets.