Issue #70 - February, 24  2001 <<A Perfect Life!>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
brought to you by Laurie Riddell Geary, M.Ed., PCC.
Coaching you to get your life IN GEAR by making shifts, getting
unstuck, finding balance, accelerating your growth, and mapping
the best route to your chosen destination: a life filled with
passion and purpose.

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In this issue:
        1. Welcome!
        2. Reader Feedback
         3. Weekly Article:  <<A Perfect Life>>
                and <13 Steps to having A Perfect Life>
        4. Resources for A Perfect Life
                5. Recommended Tasks
        6. Upcoming Teleclasses: <Finding Your Passion> and <Taking Risks to Grow>
                7. Upcoming  local Workshops
                8. Subscription information
 

1. WELCOME!

Welcome to <Gear Up for Success!> and a warm welcome to all my new subscribers!  I really appreciate your forwarding my newsletter to all your friends and colleagues.  Your recommendations help me grow and develop as a coach. Anyone can subscribe by going to my website @ www.ingearcoaching.com. Thank you for your support!
 
 

2. READER FEEDBACK: (on Valentine Thoughts: issue #69>

<Dear Laurie,
 ...you struck a chord in me (with this newsletter issue). I too, am divorced, but I never thought of doing anything for myself on Valentine's Day. Yes, I sent my mother and happily-married-with-kids sister a card, but as for me...I didn't do anything nor had I ever thought of such a thing. I know I rarely "give" myself anything, but it seemed like such a great idea. After all, even though one doesn't have someone in their life, they can still be good and kind to themself. Why didn't I ever think of it that way?? As a matter of fact, I think I'll do it a little more often, and then do something very special on Valentine's Day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sincerely, Dawn Jabari

<you don't have to be single to buy yourself flowers, especially when you're married to someone who doesn't believe in cut flowers. I was going to get myself some flowers this year, but I made a date to have
lunch with my husband and he noticed the flowers downstairs and asked if I'd like some. I said,
"Of course," and picked out some red tulips. If I had not met him for lunch, I assure you I would
not have gotten the flowers. In return, I bought him a potted hyacinth>
Clare Harlow-LaLiberte

<Here's another suggestion to add to your list of resources for singles from Ivy League colleges:  www.ivyplus.com>  LMP

<Your newsletter is excellent. The fact that you put out such a quality newsletter weekly is a
testament to the work you do. I look forward to it every week. Keep up the good work>
 Dixie Bowerman

FEEDBACK on my new Booklet (see below)

<Dear Ms. Geary,
I am Catherine G. Espinosa from the Philippines. You might be surprised
how I came to know about you. Allow me to tell you the story. I attended
a Trainer's Jungle workshop, which was actually a Games Trainers Play
workshop.I have known the group facilitating the workshop and up to now,
they still amaze me with their techniques and experiential learning they
provide. Then I saw one of the reading a book and I asked what the book
is all about. He said it's a workbook that they bought from the US.
Then he showed it to me and saw you name, your web address and of
course, the title of the book.
So, I became so interested that is why I am writing to you wondering how
can I get hold of a copy of your wonderful book.  Is this available in the market?
Do you think it is available here in our bookstores in the Philippines?
By the way, why am I sooooooo interested? I am actually the Training
Manager of the largest convenience store company here in the country.
That's it!  So I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks and always have a nice day>.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
3.  WEEKLY ARTICLE: <A PERFECT LIFE>

        Is your life perfect?  What would you have in your perfect life? How would you live? Who would you be? Who would be with you? How would you spend your time?

        What does perfect mean?  What is a perfect life?
The definition of A Perfect Life is up to you, and your definition of perfection will change as your start working toward your goals. Anyone can have A Perfect Life, if they want one.  You can start by focusing on a single area of your life and making it perfect, or you can focus on your entire life.  Each person decides what elements would be in their perfect life; these elements create focus and intentions which lead to taking action.  Just by thinking about A Perfect Life, most people find that they start going for it.

        Do you believe you can have a perfect life?  Is it possible to have a perfect life?  YES!  thanks to three elements: increased personal awareness, high degrees of individual selfishness (a good thing), and adequate financial reserves. We want to be happy NOW and not wait for some vague promise of future fulfillment.  Many people are turning to coaches to support them in their belief of creating a perfect life for themselves in the present
They believe that having A Perfect Life is a valid, exciting, and doable target...and it is!

        I recently participated in the Perfect Life Program, conceived and developed by Coach University founder Thomas Leonard in 1998.  Leonard believes <we are at the stage of human development where one can decide to have - and then create - A Perfect Life>  He goes on to say: <A Perfect Life might be regarded as 'on the edge' today, but it's simply progressive.  This notion - as a standard - will hit the mainstream in a couple of years.  At some point, A Perfect Life will become the floor, not the ceiling it is now>

        The Perfect Life Program encourages you to focus on every aspect of your life until it is perfect for you; it is the ultimate personal development program.  A Perfect Life program challenges you to raise the bar in every area of your life. There are specific action steps you can take to create A Perfect Life, which is unique to each of us.

        You've already experienced perfection in your life... and the point of The Perfect Life Program is to experience perfection more often.  You can become more purposeful about how you create your perfect life.  Paradoxically, your life is perfect the way it is now AND you can perfect your life as well. This concept may sound contradictory, but it's not.

And, Perfectionism is not the same as Perfect - Perfectionism is UNattainable; Perfect IS attainable.

<13 STEPS to HAVING a PERFECT LIFE> by Thomas Leonard:  www.aperfectlife.com

1. Come to accept that having a perfect life is possible.

2. Get very clear on how you measure success.
eg. <Success is living a full and balanced life in partnership with others to create a joyful feeling of love, contribution, appreciation, and abundance, despite how our endeavors turn out>
by Susan Jeffers, author of <Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway>

3. Come to be comfortable with the paradox of perfect.
i.e. your life is perfect now even if it's not what you want; you can be perfect while you are perfecting.

4.  Identify 10 elements* about yourself or about people or elements of your life that are already perfect.
It is important to identify what you already consider perfect as the starting point.

5. Identify 15 elements* that would make your entire life perfect.
Selecting the 'right' elements is the key to your success.

=================================================
*Tips for crafting your perfect life elements:
-Use 6 words or less for each element: eg. <Exercising aerobically 5 times a week>.
-Don't use more than one adjective
eg.<Living near loving friends and family> <Loving husband sharing fun adventures>
-Describe the element as a resulting condition or outcome.
eg.< 5 sources of passive income occurring> <Weighing 140 pounds; feeling fit>
-Achievable in two years or less!
====================================================

6. Work with a coach or a friend to take action on your elements: creating your Perfect Life.

7. Slip a couple of nearly-impossibles into your elements.
eg. <city apartment - beach house - ski condo> <three adventure trips yearly>

8. Involve others in the process.
Get the support of people in your life.  Tell them what you are doing and ask for their help/ideas.  Better yet, teach others about A Perfect Life because we learn best what we teach!

9. Reduce the demands you place on life and others.
Get your needs met, build your reserves (of time, money, strength, support...) so that you expend less energy on creating your perfect life.

10. Enjoy an absence of personal and life problems.
Make a list of 10 recurring problems.
Find ways to reduce your problems: delegate responsibilities, hire assistance, create systems/positive habits, say NO more often, establish boundaries, reduce your Tolerations (see issue #39)..

11. Upgrade your personal and professional network.
Be around people who GROW YOU...people who bring out the best in you, people who inspire and challenge and support you in your path towards A Perfect Life.

12. Raise your standards; reduce your expectations.
A paradox? NO! Learn to set high standards for yourself but not expect much from others.  You only have control of yourself.  As you perfect your life, you have the opportunity to perfect your tolerance of everyone's humanity - including your own.

13. Seriously invest in a rewarding capability until you flourish personally and financially.
Determine what brings you passion (see newsletter issue #62) and GO FOR IT!
 

4. RESOURCES:

1. Check out the following websites: for lots more information: www.aperfectlife.com,
 www.thomasleonard.com  and  www.theportablecoach.com.

2. Read another great newsletter: <The Road to Success> by Alvah Parker- email: asparker@asparker.com
for articles on  <What Makes you Happy?>  Defining Success and more.

3. ASSESSMENTS:  Contact me for your choice of assessment tools to help you take stock of your life and determine action steps to create the life you want.
eg. Take the Self Esteem Inventory, Clean Sweep, Wheel of Life, Personal Foundation...
(see complete list of available assessments at my website: www.ingearcoaching.com)
 

5. RECOMMENDED TASKS:

1. Craft your 25 Perfect Life elements....and start creating...and living YOUR Perfect Life today.

2.  Identify...reduce or eliminate... your BLOCKS to having a Perfect Life. (see newsletter issues #64 & 65)

3. Call or email me for a complimentary half-hour COACHING session to help you craft your 25 Perfect Life elements and then to begin creating your Perfect Life.   I am now a Certified Perfect Life Coach!
Voice:617-494-1422;  email: laurie@ingearcoaching.com

4. Come to my upcoming teleclasses in March on <Finding your Passion> or <Taking Risks for Personal Growth>
Register @www.teleclass.com or www.womensu.som or email me: laurie@ingearcoaching.com

5. Go to my Website www.ingearcoaching.com for back issues of my newsletter to read
 more articles on taking risks, building self esteem, finding your passion...and much more
 
 

6.  UPCOMING FREE TELECLASSES:

<FINDING YOUR PASSION & PURPOSE> Wednesday, March 14 @ 9pmEST

<RISK TO GROW> Wednesday, March 21 @ 9pmEST

 Register @ www.teleclass.com or www.womensu.com  or email me: laurie@ingearcoaching.com
 
 

7. UPCOMING LOCAL WORKSHOPS:

ATTRACTING WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE
...Learn the 28 Principles of Attraction...
*Middlesex Community College -
Saturday, February 24th, 9 to 4 pm

RISK-TAKING: THE PATH to PERSONAL GROWTH
*Boston Center for Adult Education - 6:30-9:30 pm.
Tuesday, April 10, 2001 and Thursday, June 7th,2001

BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM WITH THE 8-A SYSTEM
*North Shore Community College (NSCC)
 Wednesday, April 4, 2001, 9-3pm

ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING: Get Your Needs Met!
Homebased BusinessWomen's Network
Thursday, April 12 @ 7:30 pm
Village Green, Danvers, MA

BE A PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COACH
*Boston Center for Adult Education
 Tuesday, April 3, 2001, 6:30-9:30 pm
 and Tuesday, June 5, 2001
also *NSCC: Wednesday, February 28th, 9-3 p.m.

MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) Staff Training
Watertown Free Library; Thursday, March 16, 2001
and
Beverly Hospital: Thursday, March 22, 2001
 
 

**Check out my new booklet on experiential activities for trainers: 75 of my favorite activities
learned from years of working as an instructor for Outward Bound Professional Development Programs.
GAMES & INITIATIVES for NETWORKING, ENERGIZING, & TEAM-BUILDING...now available...hard copy ($20) or pdf. file ($15)
Send check to Laurie Geary, 4 Canal Park, PH9, Cambridge, MA 02141; email request to: laurie@ingearcoaching.com or order at my website: www.ingearcoaching.com

and look for my upcoming workbook on <Risk to Grow>
 

8. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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including subscription information and my contact and copyright information. Thankyou
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