Lamisha Serf-Walls

Intention is Everything

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INTENTION

Can I tell you a secret that’s not so secret?

Intention is Everything!

At the beginning of the year I told you I was working on the lovely Leonie Dawson’s Create Your Amazing Year 2014 planner.  I completed most of the it for both business and personal life and one of the exercises included making a list of 100 things you want to do for the year.  To be honest the task seemed a bit difficult at first because I allowed my logical mind to get in the way, but once I got started I had lots of fun things added.  Things like getting a facial, hiking, reading 100 books, writing an e-book, and dancing in the rain.  I’m not even sure if I have made it quite to 100 yet as I am still adding to it, but you get the idea.

So, after really focusing on what I wanted to create for 2014 and allowing myself the flow as far as ‘how’ it would show up, I put the planner away and kept moving through every day life.  Every now and again I will pick it up and read through it to see if there are any exercises that I still need to complete that call to me.  Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t, but one day in January I did this and took a look at my 100 things list.

I was astonished!!!

I realized that within the first month of the year without even trying, I had accomplished two things on my list.  They weren’t big things like going to Hawaii (which requires a bit of forethought and planning).  They were small things that simply happened.

What were they?

One was ice skating with my family and another was to have a game night with the neighbors.  Small, but super-fun things that I loved!

Now those two things might seem inconsequential as far as setting an intention, but I must tell you I haven’t been ice-skating in years! And the idea to have a game night with the neighbors came from left field considering we have never done that in the 3 years we have lived here.

All I did was think “hey that would be fun”, and I wrote it down.  I set the intention that these were things I wanted to do and by not planning, scheming or figuring out how it was going to happen, I did both of them within a month!

Even with all the evidence I have had over the years, I know better than to question the magical ways of the Universe.  But, there was a part of me that thought it was just a small occurrence.  That is, until a few weeks later.

I had been putting a lot of time and energy into my business.  I booked some new clients and was participating in an e-course and got the idea to create a group coaching model for my clients.  This would provide tons of information and insight for people interested in coaching at a much cheaper rate overall in a group setting.  Full of inspiration, I reached out to a lovely group of women I met online and asked for volunteers to test my model.  The Your Flying Leap test group has been going great and you guessed it the next time I checked in with my planner, I had an entry that read ‘create a group coaching offer’.

Now you could argue that as a business woman I would know all of the things I wanted to do and you would be right to some degree.  But, the sheer ease with which it came together based entirely on my inspired thoughts is amazing.  I didn’t think about it.  I didn’t create the program for 2-3 months before trying it with a test group for free.  Nope, I just asked who would be interested and I jumped in.  Since then, the pieces have been coming together quite easily.  (Note: I will be sharing more information on how you can join this program that begins again in May.  Join my VIP list to get the scoop first if you are interested.)

And you know the amazing program I am taking part of called Unleash Your Personal Power?  That happened as easily and effortlessly as the others and it too was on my list of 100 things to do.  The kicker is I didn’t even reach out to these amazing professionals.  I was asked to join this venture seemingly out of the blue and I can’t tell you how much fun it has been to create and what a great time we are having. If you haven’t checked it out, please do!  This program is valued at $1000 and we are offering it at a mere $85.  And while you can’t really put a price on the life changing tips, tools and information you will learn, this is an incredible offer.  unleashvaluepic

The takeaway from all of this is that when you sent your intention to do something and you just ride the wave of allowing, amazing things happen for you.  If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to whip out a piece of paper and write your own list of 100 things you want to do this year.  Big, small, or medium it doesn’t matter, I assure you that by writing it down and letting it go, the pieces will fall into place in seemingly miraculous ways.

Try it! What do you have to lose?

I hope you have a bit of fun this weekend and find some time to just relax.  Self-care is such an important part of life and many of us don’t do it enough!  Until next week, thank you for reading and have a lovely weekend.

P.S. If you haven’t signed up for the Creative Chaos call on 3/26 at 12pm EST there is still time to do so.  I will be sending out the materials with the call info next week so don’t miss out!  It’s totally free. 🙂

February Mini-theme: Authentic Connection

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I can hardly believe that we are at the end of January!  Did the month fly by for you as much as it did for me?

How are your 2014 intentions holding up?  This is usually around the time things start to turn south and people begin forgetting the reasons they started in the first place.  Missed goals, frustration, roadblocks, and sometimes just overwhelm can be enough to cause some people to fall back into old habits.  But, I am not going to let you do that.

Tomorrow is a new beginning (as is each day), but it is also a new month.  So, whatever ‘failures'(I hate that word) you feel like you had this month, wipe them clean and start fresh! Re-set yourself and keep moving forward.  Life happens and while we can’t stop it, we can flow with it, so here is your chance to FLOW.

With that said, it might be a good time to set a mini-theme for the month of February.

I was thinking about this a few days ago and decided that since my overall theme of the year is to “Show Up” and I had decided that December and January would be used to do as many introductory coaching sessions as possible (with a mini-theme of Service), it might be nice to set a mini-theme for February.

The purpose of setting a mini-theme is not to add one more thing to your to do list, but instead to help you focus on a specific area for the month.  You may decide you don’t want to change your theme every month and that’s ok.  Do whatever works and feels right for you.

The mini-theme I settled on is Authentic Connection.  Connection can mean so many things, but I want to take this month to really focus on connecting with my readers (you lovely dreamers), my Facebook and Twitter followers and other coaches/writers/blogs etc.  I want to support and connect with people from all over the world in a variety of ways.  This also applies to my ‘real life’ and not just my online life.  I want to chat with people in line at the grocery store and really see and hear people.  I don’t think we do enough of that overall, so that is my focus!

If you want to join me in selecting a theme for the month, I would love to hear what you choose!  Before you decide on a word, take a moment to tap into what you really need for the month.  Maybe it’s self-care, compassion, or kindness.  Maybe love for yourself, your clients, your neighbors, and strangers (February is the month for love).  Whatever you choose make sure it resonates with you and your path.

Feel free to share your mini-theme in the comments below and I would love to have you follow me on Twitter to post updates about your mini-theme.

Have a wonderful weekend and as always, thanks for reading!

Guest Post, Podcast Interview, and Announcements, Oh My!

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We are officially one week into 2014 and I don’t know about you, but I have hit the ground running and am so excited for how the rest of the month and year is going unfold.  

If you missed it yesterday, please check out the guest post that I did for Steadily Skipping Stones that provides 5 Tips To Give Your “Resolutions” A Fighting Chance.   

I am also so very excited to share with you the podcast interview I did for People I Almost Know.  A few months back, I stumbled upon a post with interest for new people to interview for an awesome podcast.  I had never done a podcast interview, but thought what the heck!  I had so much fun doing that interview!  If you are interested in knowing a bit more about me, the coaching process, and how to get out of your own way, hop on over and check it out!  

As you may know, I had set an intention to fill my calendar with free-coaching sessions for anyone who was interested in setting a plan for 2014.  I am still doing that, however this offer is only good through the end of January.  So, if you are interested please contact me to get your session scheduled BEFORE January 31st.  At that time, my “intro” session will go back to a brief introduction to coaching, how I work, and will help clients determine if we are a good fit.  

I want to help you make the rest of the year incredible, so please if you are interested in a free session, sign up soon!

2014 Planning In Pieces

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Happy New Year my beautiful Dreamers!

I had every intention of writing a post on the first day of January, however I ended up spending some time with family and worked a bit on a workshop I am co-hosting later this month.  I did, however want to share with you how I am implementing my “planning” for the year, but before I get into that, let’s talk a bit about why everyone gets so worked up over resolutions.

It seems logical that a shiny new year is the right time to make changes in life, but the reason so many people fail to keep their resolutions is because they can often be both overzealous and all-or-nothing.  For instance, wanting to get into shape doesn’t necessarily mean you have to run 50 miles a week right off the bat and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to cut out large food groups from your diet.  Other resolutions like wanting to stop smoking or drinking sodas tends to render the same effect.  People want immediate change and while it might last for a few days, it very rarely results in lasting change.

While I haven’t really been a bit resolution maker in the past, I tend to get excited about what a new year may bring.  There seems to be a special appeal about making big changes and goals beginning on the first day of the year.  It’s similar to the feeling I get when I purchase a new notebook or journal.  Crisp pages, with the promise of fresh ideas, creative pieces, and other amazing creations that may appear on the page.  The New Year is like that for many.

In the past two years I have found that I benefit best from planning for the year ahead in pieces.  I don’t get too serious about the big, bold steps in between, and am more concerned with the first one.  Knowing what I want to accomplish is a wonderfully creative process where I get to visualize and imagine the best year yet, while still making room for surprises and other magical moments.  I have also always wanted to try out a creative planning tool for the new year that takes a less “logical” approach to planning and this year I think I have found the one.

I am using Leonie Dawson’s 2014 Create Your Amazing Year planner for business and personal planning and boy is it a beautifully crafted, creative planner!  And while the shiny, New Year was quickly approaching, I thought I would have an opportunity to dig into it before January 1st, but with family etc. I didn’t get as far as I initially wanted and that’s ok, because this year I am planning 2014 in pieces.  January is going to be my month of brainstorming, dreaming, creating, and following my inspiration wherever it may lead.  I already have some things in mind for this year and I am really looking forward to what is left to be revealed throughout the year.  One thing is for sure, this year is going to be incredible.

The “logical” planner might wonder how I can be so sure of what the outcome will be if I don’t have a specific, step-by-step breakdown of how I am going to make this year epic.  My answer? I know it because I not only trust that each step will lead me to the next, but I have also set the expectation that it will be.

And so it is.
photo credit: thomasstache via photopin cc

2013 Reflection-Look How Far You’ve Come

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Hello my lovely dreamers!

I apologize for my sudden time off of the blog, but with Christmas and some pending deadlines just before the holiday, I found myself a bit scattered.  As I work to get back on track, I thought I would share with you a bit about what the next week and a half will be about here on the blog.

As the New Year approaches, many of us are looking to make some changes.  Some big and maybe a few small changes and as we plan to make 2014 the best year yet, I have a few things planned here on the blog.

Last year, I wrote a few posts about how I was going to plan for 2013 with a Letter to Myself, a vision board, and selecting a theme for the year.  This year, I have a few ideas for making changes for the new year along with some other inspiring posts to get us all started on the right foot.  I hope you will join me in this end of year reflection and planning as the new year approaches.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one for all of us.

The process of reflection is an important piece that many of us miss as we look to make changes.  We get so excited for what is to come, that we often forget to look back at all of our accomplishments and challenges.  This is meant to give you a clear picture of how far you have come as well as provide an opportunity to really celebrate the past year.  The lessons, challenges, and successes are all part of how you got to where you are today and reflecting on that can be invaluable for the future.  Michelle Ward keeps track of her “wins” throughout the year so she can reflect back on it at the end of the year in celebration.  You can read her 2013 re-cap here.

Even if you haven’t collected your wins throughout the year, this exercise is a great way to get started on your reflection.  Think back to all the things you started, made progress on, and completed in the past year.  Write them down, celebrate them and recognize your progress.  You might even take it one step further and take note of any challenges you overcame during the year that you are particularly proud of.

Every year is something to celebrate and before you begin to make plans for 2014, take a step back and review how far you have come.

My list of wins include:

  • Taking the leap to create my coaching framework (April)
  • Successfully working with my wonderful guinea pig client (May)
  • Reaching my 1 year mark of blogging (October)
  • Working with a total of 5 clients (from August to December)

While I am sure there are many others that I am missing, the biggest thing for me this year was taking the leap into my dream career and committing myself to helping clients live their dreams.  It is my gift, my calling, and my purpose and I love doing what I do.

Take some time this week to reflect on 2013.  What wins would you put on your list?