In this special Reflections on Leadership, Your Thanksgiving Survival Guide and "Happy Yet?" A new online coaching program

The Gratitude Issue

The week of Thanksgiving should be filled with gratitude. Sometimes, after long flights (or long fights) once we are with family and friends, we take the things we hold most dear for granted. Think of this as a quick survival guide. Below are links to five blog posts that will provide you with an a-ha.

Give Thanks Freely: Includes a link to "132 Ways to say, Well Done." CLICK HERE

Find What's Right Day: Use your R.A.S to have a better day. CLICK HERE

Toasts, Blessings and Proverbs to Help Celebrate: Free eBook CLICK HERE

40 Things I'm Grateful For: A template you can use to lift your spirits CLICK HERE

Make It A Perfect Day: How to get three 10s CLICK HERE



Happy Yet? - Online Coaching
In addition to the five articles above I'm pleased to share a new program for people who want to engage in life coaching but have been unsure of the time commitments or expense.

"Your Introduction to Online Coaching with Karl Bimshas Consulting"

The perfect way to get a head start on your New Year goals. CLICK HERE



Gifts
And remember the online store, Write Advice. It's got the perfect garb for leaders and artists. CLICK HERE

I appreciate your continual support and I'm thankful that you continue to find value in the words I share.

Keep smiling,

-Karl

Happy Yet? - New Online Coaching Program

If you’re active and get regular exercise, eat healthy food, are extremely satisfied with your personal relationships, are optimistic and enthusiastic about what’s next ...

have done a lot of the things you’ve wanted to do in life, feel like you manage yourself well and are in control of your future, are well organized ...

feel you have the amount of money you should; and are paid what you think you’re worth, good for you!

Your with the top 2% of people who are happy and feel successful. Hopefully you’re sharing your gifts of achievement with others.

However, you might be feeling like your floundering in the pool with the other 98% of people. Maybe you want to improve some of the stuff from above or maybe there’s something else you’ve wanted to accomplish.

All you know for sure is that something’s not quite right. You’ve been feeling disillusioned and discouraged, confused and frustrated, maybe overwhelmed because you’ve been deferring your important goals.

• What would it feel like to know you’re actively working on fulfilling your dreams?


• Imagine being able to wake up in the morning and feel sure of yourself, your decisions and your direction.


• What would it feel like to no longer defer your dreams?


• How long have you been promising yourself you will work on your personal goals, yet continue to have trouble getting started?


• How different would your life be if you suddenly had a great goal you were committed to working on each day?


• What kind of new experiences would come into your life if you could use the power of vision, passion and action to achieve the things you want and need?

The right accountability partner can help you do that and more.

Some people spend thousands of dollars on personal development programs that are heavy on storytelling but light on tangible actions you can do right away.

Don’t get me wrong, I gladly accept thousands of dollars from people in return for helping them to live the life they want, but that’s not what this is about. This is about introducing you to my method of Life Coaching Services through extremely affordable online coaching.

Many people consider working with a coach but are unsure of commitment requirements or the investment of time and money. Here’s a low risk solution. A new online program egotistically called “Your Introduction to Online Coaching with Karl Bimshas Consulting.” (Register Here)

I’m the founder of Karl Bimshas Consulting, a results driven personal and professional consulting firm for talented Leaders and Artists who want to achieve more. I’ve authored several personal development books and programs including:

• "Pushing Back the Ocean: Tide Turning Leadership Lessons"


• "How to Stay When You Want to Quit: Re-scripting your life from whiner to winner"


• "Write Advice; Inspirations, tips and thoughts for Leaders and Artists”


• “The Disposable Journal; Write it out and let it go”


• “The Write Goal” and "The Reflections on Leadership Memo"

With an M.S. in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego and a B.A. in Mass Communication from Emerson College in Boston, I’ve previously held several operational and sales leadership positions in public and private corporations.

I’m driven to lead and inspire leaders and artists to maximize their unique strengths and continuously improve themselves, their organization and society, by bringing the powers of vision, passion and action to each endeavor.

Does this sound familiar to you?

“I had been feeling rather lost with regards too my life and what I wanted the future to look like. I didn't have a plan nor did I know were to start. Karl listened to my thoughts, aspirations and helped me direct t hat into real action.”

- Donnie Staples (Read more testimonials here)



Too many people live life without a plan, or even the knowledge of where to start. That’s why I’m excited about this online coaching program.

Online Coaching is for people who want to improve their focus, make the best use of their time and grow their personal and professional development.

With online coaching you can expect a regular response from me, enabling you to clarify where you are now, where you want to get to, and practical actions you need to take to get you there. I’ll prompt you with additional questions, tools and customized suggestions which will give you insight and further impetus to succeed in your goals. You simply complete each session as guided by me as your “coach”.

Why is online coaching valuable?

• You have time to think before you answer questions, getting far better insight than when giving your gut response in a face to face exchange.


• The act of writing (or typing) your answers and committed actions helps you to clarify what you are really doing and thinking. You’re far more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down.


• You can complete your online coaching at a time that suits you. So if you get busy with family or work commitments, you can complete your coaching sessions when it’s convenient for you from the comfort of your own home or office.


• Online coaching is considerably more affordable than appointment driven telephone or face-to-face coaching.


• Your coaching notes are all kept on one secure website so you can return to previous sessions for reflection and review.

Here’s your chance to save 50%

I wasn’t joking about the savings available through this introductory program. Invest only $250 and still work directly with Karl Bimshas Consulting as your online accountability partner for six sessions set at your own pace.

• Gather and understand your initial goals.


• Dig deeper into your multidimensional life.


• Learn how to handle concerns as you make the time to work on your goals.


• Create SMART GOALS to keep you focused.


• Assess your strengths and weaknesses.


• Review your pace of accomplishment and decide your next step.

At half the price of regular face to face consulting

you should get started on your New Year’s goals before everyone else.

There are 20 slots available before December 31, 2010, so if you’re ready to take action, do so soon.

A-ha Guarantee

Act today and here’s my guarantee. Upon the completion of the six online sessions you will have greater clarity on your initial goal, a better understanding of your multidimensional life and a specific goal to work on. If none of these cause you to have an a-ha realization, I’ll refund your money.

Here’s how you get started.

• You can “Register Now” on this page.


• Once you click the link above you’ll be sent to a registration page where you create your Username, Password, Email, First and Last Name.


• Click the Sign Up button. This will open the PayPal webpage where you key in your information so you can easily buy, “Your Introduction to Online Coaching.”


• Once you complete the purchase you’ll see the Welcome Page to the online coaching program and you can then begin your online coaching.

Haven’t you deferred your dreams long enough?

Why wait until another New Year to start on your goals?

Think of it this way. If you invest in this six session program and use the tools to discover your real wants and needs, anticipate change and assess your strengths, you’ll have more clarity around your goals so you can plan for the future with confidence. Or, if you choose to do nothing but keep the status quo, you could still be in the same place you are today three, six, even twelve months from now. Why delay working on your great goal?

Take action now -- because the chances are too great that with the holiday hustle and bustle you’ll forget about all the immense potential this introductory offer can bring you. Greater success is waiting for you. Go get it!

Register Here

A Calendar, a Clock and Your Head

In college I spent a fair amount of time directing shows in the television studio. I loved nearly every aspect of it and took particular pride in ending my programs exactly on time which was an important skill.

In my professional life I manage business meetings tightly. Critics have accused me of being a slave to the agenda and sacrificing spontaneous communication and dialogue in favor of efficiency. On the other hand, participants frequently praise me for staying on topic and thank me for valuing them by starting and stopping on time.

Having lived in California for over 18 years, I'm far from a stickler on this stuff. I don't even wear a wristwatch any more. I’ve been repeatedly schooled that, “time is simply a man-made construct” and “mañana” doesn't mean tomorrow, it means, not today.

I've seen these behaviors devour less tolerant people from the Northeast who resent the suggestions to “just chill.” It drives the anal-retentive nuts when others are “fashionably late” or casual about missing deadlines.

Although it can still irritate me, when you are surrounded by a culture that doesn't like the rigidity of deadlines and feels too much pressure from the ticking clock, you have no choice but to adjust.

I won't argue the value of a zen-like peace that can occur when you have a life with no time constraints. However, I will argue in favor of leadership and living a productive life because eventually you are going to die. So no matter what your philosophy, that’s a looming time constraint. To me, it’s better to embrace the beauty of time.

There are three things you should begin to use in at least a cursory fashion; a calendar, a clock and your head.

A calendar gives you a better perspective on what's coming up. You know that Christmas is on December 25th, that taxes are due on April 15th and you know the date of important appointments. It might be a day in advance, or a month, a year, ten years, it doesn't matter. The point is you know what's coming.

(Full disclosure, I’m addressing a belated birthday card to my brother. For the 42 years that I've known him his birth date has never changed. Yes, I called him and did the Facebook and Skype thing, but why couldn't I get a simple card out to him in time for his birthday? Because I'm a dork. Just like everyone else who misses a fixed date on the calendar. You can try to celebrate your failure to plan by labeling it procrastination or some other sexy sounding affliction, but all it does is broadcast the fact that you are a dork.)

A clock serves the same function as the calendar but with greater immediacy. It’s a realtime planning tool. Just like you know things are coming at a particular date, you know some things are coming at a specific time. Airplane departures, Hotel check-outs, last call at the bar or what time Macy’s opens on Black Friday are a few examples. You can also use your clock to make note of the duration of things for future planning. Perpetually late? That’s a clue that you need to spend more time on your planning.

This brings us to your head. Each of us are blessed with a thinking mechanism. Maybe some people need to take it out of hibernation and exercise it a little bit. With it, you have the ability to deduce and decide. Things come up out of the blue ruining well laid plans. Don't become a victim of life’s whims. Incorporate them into your plans. Think a little, don't simply react. Instead, process information for a second longer and respond to situations, based on your values and purpose (discussed here) rather than something fickle like your current mood.

I know if you consider yourself a free-spirit this all sounds like a horrible constrictive burden. It's not, so, get over it. At least becoming aware of what's on the calendar, what time it is and your capacity to solve a problem can change your life. Want to change it dramatically? Invest more time into you're planning and what you'll do in the event your plans fall through.

Need help acting on any of these concepts? Karl Bimshas Consulting’s Life Coaching Services (link) can help you find the a-ha within.

Part 3 - Stop Whining Start Winning

In part three of the Reflections on Leadership Memo three part series “ways to combat mediocrity” you’ll learn how to stop whining and start winning again.


In Part One of this series we started with the importance of knowing your values and you  gained access to a powerful workbook, "Your Values Finder".

In Part Two you learned how to move "From Mission to Mantra".

In Part Three, let’s talk about whiners. Have you noticed that whiners tend not to be wealthier, healthier or more popular than non-whiners? Their complaining makes them less good looking and their poor attitude doesn’t provide them with much security, nor inner peace. Whiners never seem to have enough free time to pursue their passions, and let’s face it, they aren’t all that fun to be around.

Isn’t annoying to hear a whiner complain about their day, their boss, their job or even their life and not do anything about it except maybe complain some more? What’s more annoying than that? When you wake up one morning and realize that lately the biggest whiner in your life might be you.

How did THAT happen?

You used to be a winner, but something changed.  You started accepting mediocrity. It didn’t happen all at once and it won’t get fixed overnight, but you can dramatically improve your outlook in 21 days or less when you read the workbook, “Stop Whining Start Winning in 21 Days or Less” Available HERE.

Leaders and artists sometimes get themselves into a funk. They can gradually loose focus and passion for their projects and grow frustrated, demotivated and disillusioned.  We’ve all been there. I’ve lived through it. It sucks. The FREE workbook is designed to help you rescript part of your life.

The 50 page workbook also contains five popular and effective action oriented worksheets. If you make the time to go through the materials offered in this three part series I’m confident you’ll become proactive in managing your life, get into a happier frame of mind, understand why the victim mentality is so addictive, take responsibility for your emotions and behaviors, uncover what motivates you and how to positively deal with change. You’ll learn what simple question can help make a positive difference in the world and you’ll ask for help when you need it.

If you’re ready to ask for help you now know at least one person to reach out to.

Part 2 - From Mission to Mantra

In part two of this three part series the Reflections on Leadership Memo continues to help you find ways to combat mediocrity.

What Are You Doing?
In the last Reflections on Leadership you learned where you find your values. I hope you've downloaded the FREE workbook, (link) titled, "Your Values Finder" and have begun prioritizing your core values. Now it's time to figure out what you're doing, or at least begin to discover what you should be doing.

Many organizations invest significant time and energy in creating their mission statements. As well meaning as they are, most screw it up for a variety of reasons like internal and external pressure to say the "right" thing, the earnest determination to get it perfect but instead convolute it, and for many it's just another going through the motions exercise. Can you imagine a team of military covert ops guys taking that approach to their mission? A laissez-faire approach to accomplishing a mission doesn't inspire much confidence. Don't you want to be confident about your purpose?

In part two of this series designed to minimize mediocrity you'll learn how to draft a mission statement for your family, organization or personal use. Then you'll reduce it to a repeatable, credible mantra that will inspire confidence.

Get your FREE starters guide, "From Mission to Mantra" and learn to focus your vision, passion and action on purpose.

Not for? That's okay, you can still help reduce mediocrity by getting this starters guide it into the hands of others.

Learn more about Karl Bimshas Consulting by visiting www.karlbimshas.com and begin to discover the a-ha within.