Changing Direction to Achieve Goals

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Sheryl Checkman

Seen on the subway, this ad for FlatRate Moving got me thinking about change.

I was on the Lexington Avenue subway the other day when I saw this ad and couldn’t help snapping a photo of it. The Lao Tsu quote certainly resonated with me since I have been taking a deeper look at my life lately. So often we get stuck in the same routine, unable to move forward. Take me for instance. I’ve lived in the same apartment for longer than I care to acknowledge publicly. I’ve had the same career since I graduated college and I worked for a company for almost 12 years — until one day I got laid off.

This one event caused me to make my first change in direction. Instead of looking for another job, I decided to start my own business. I didn’t know if it would succeed, but I knew that if I didn’t try I would always have the unanswered question rattling around in my brain, “could I have done it?” I took the risk and, while it has not always been easy, I have never looked back. That was 18 years ago. Change is good.

I know that there are more things that I want to achieve in my life, both professionally and personally. I can envision them. In fact I even made my first vision board that shows quite clearly what some of those things are. There are some empty spaces on my vision board. It’s a work in progress, just as my life is. Changing direction is sometimes necessary to get you where you’re supposed to end up.

Vision Boards are a visualization tool to help turn goals & dreams into reality. Many life coaches recommend them. They are pretty simple to make. There are different types of vision boards and many creative ways of making them. I found an interesting blog article on how to make a vision board that you might find useful.

I recently started a new inspirational T-shirt business which, if all goes the way I envision, will steer me in an exciting new direction and lead me toward attaining some or all of the goals and dreams on my vision board. There may be detours along the way and I might stumble a bit, but I am looking forward to the ride.

How to balance work and life…a Valentine’s Day Example

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Sheryl Checkman

David and daughter Jolie who is wearing her favorite new Life is Balance® tee.

How do working parents balance their day to day life? Not being married, or having children myself, I have enough trouble balancing my own work and personal life. (Note: I am wring this on Sunday night at 10:30pm while listening to the Grammy Awards!) So I can only imagine how hard it must be for working parents to find time to spend quality time with their kids.

I was talking to my cousin Beth this weekend and she told me what her husband David did to spend time with his 5-year old daughter, Jolie. After a 3 day business trip to Miami, David rushed home last Friday night to take Jolie to a father-daughter Valentine’s Day dance. He brought his date a pretty pink rose and treated her to a dinner out before the dance. Now that’s what I call balance!

Single on Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Sheryl Checkman

There’s a lot of hype over Valentine’s Day. My inbox has been flooded with ads for all the things I can buy for my Valentine or he can buy for me. From dozens of roses to boxes of chocolate, diamonds and heart pendants galore! Then there are all the online dating sites trying to capitalize on all the single people out there still looking for love – a free weekend of online dating, and then just $35 a month to make sure that next Valentine’s Day you are not alone. And let’s not forget the singles parties…

It’s Saturday night and I am going to an anti-Valentine Day party. What exactly is an anti-Valentine’s Day party? Well, I’ll let you know at the end of this post when I return to finish it. What I think it will be is a way for single people to possibly connect, have a drink or two and still go home single, but maybe with a business card or two.

Feather duster worms make a beautiful underwater Valentine's Day bouquet

I’m about to save this draft and head off for the party but hold on – I just got another Valentine’s Day email. However this one is different from the rest. It is a Valentine’s Day request for me to show my love for the ocean by donating money to the Project AWARE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. I like this idea. It’s a way for me to give a Valentine to something that I love, the ocean. The ocean gives me gifts every time I visit it, whether scuba diving beneath its’ surface or looking out over its’ waves. It is one of the many things that makes me smile and adds balance to my life. Some of you might know that I recently launched a new line of inspirational sport and hobby-themed T-shirts, called Life is Balance®. Lately I have been thinking about donating some percentage of sales from my shop to an ocean conservation organization (when I start actually making money, that is). I haven’t decided which one yet – Sea Shepherd is another worthy possibility under consideration.

What a nice change it would be if instead of only thinking of Valentine’s Day as an over commercialized day for couples, it became a day to show your love for anything that you are passionate about, whether it be the sea or some other worthy cause. It doesn’t have to be a monetary donation. The gift of your time is ever so valuable as well. Well, enough procrastination, it’s time to go and search for my anti-Valentine…

…12:30am
I just got home from the party, remember that? I promised you an update. I did something that I don’t usually do. I went to this party by myself where I didn’t know anyone. Out of my comfort zone to say the least. It didn’t start out all that promising when waiting on line to get in the bouncer asked both the girls in front of and behind me for proof but didn’t ask me. Should I be insulted? Inside, the line to check coats was another 15 minute wait. This was not looking promising. However, in the end I met three nice guys who each asked for my card. I still came home single but hey, you never know…

Monday is Valentine’s Day and I’m not going to sit around wondering whether either of the three guys will call. I’m going to see Placido Domingo with one of my best friends and I’m going to think about how I can help save the oceans. Not a bad day to look forward to. Nothing anti about this Valentine’s Day.