While others might be lamenting the loss of their quick-fire problem-solving abilities, those who embrace their crystallized intelligence find themselves becoming increasingly valuable in different ways.

In order to best lead others, you must first learn to navigate the terrain of your own internal landscape. This principle is known as self-leadership. 

This post is a continuation of Part 1 and includes the final 5 reasons you deserve an executive coach. If you haven’t read Part 1, start here. As a refresher, executive coaching implements a holistic approach that goes beyond traditional coaching by helping executives and leaders achieve balance and synergy between their professional responsibilities and personal goals. 

The phrase “hustle and grind” has become synonymous with the relentless pursuit of goals and success. It’s a mindset of hard work, determination and a tireless work ethic. Although this phrase promotes a proactive approach to achieving our goals, it sparks controversy for how it disregards work-life balance. 

Thanksgiving can be a complicated holiday. On one hand it’s a beautiful and meaningful tradition, one that often succeeds in bringing family and friends together for a moment to share quality time and a meal. On the other hand…it’s not always that simple.

In today’s always-connected, perpetually-hurried life, rest can be elusive. It’s hard to stop when everything and everyone around you seems to want to go, go, go.

Could it be that it’s not actually imposter syndrome, but rather the world we live in and culture we work in that makes women feel like we do?

Many of us are operating in a state of disconnect. We’ve learned to psych ourselves up to deal with life’s mundane challenges; we’ve become experts at going through the motions even when our hearts and minds are elsewhere. We can cook a meal, keep in touch with friends and family, succeed in our work, all while mentally and emotionally feeling a little…meh.

"Meh" doesn't mean depressed or burned out; you still can have hope and energy and be surrounded by good people. The technical term for "meh," coined by sociologist Corey Keys and popularized by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, is languishing.

What matters most to me and my loved ones? What would be simple and beautiful? When I reflect back on the holidays, what memories and feelings would I like to take with me?

Bliss isn’t reserved for people who “have it all.” This expansive all encompassing feeling is available for you when you move forward with practice, dedication and a willingness to make choices for your own well-being.

When we take responsibility for our lives, we no longer allow our ego and mind to keep us in a perpetual victim loop. Liberation begins the day we realize we are not our thoughts.

Life is always presenting us with opportunities to let go and accept the reality of constant change. Maybe you have kids that are heading off to college and you find yourself holding on to them too tightly, unable to face the inevitable ‘goodbye.’ Maybe a voice in the back of your head is telling you to leave a job or a relationship that no longer serves you, but you choose to ignore it or focus on excuses because the prospect of your own freedom feels too daunting. Maybe you are trapped in your own head, ruminating on conversations from long ago, letting the present float by as you wonder “what if…”

There are two universal laws that have the power to change your entire life. They are the law of attraction and the law of vibration.

You may already have heard of the law of attraction: that you attract whatever you give your energy, focus, and attention to, good or bad. As much as we may want it to be, this isn’t some sort of magic process. You don’t just think “I want a more fulfilling career” one time and boom! There it is. As with many great things in life, the law of attraction isn’t a quick fix.

Think of it more like gravity.

You may or may not have the word “executive” in your job title, but your life and career can still improve dramatically from working with an executive coach. Executive coaching is an asset for all sorts of leaders. Just as great athletes don’t hesitate to call on coaches, trainers, hypnotists and spiritual advisors in order to maintain their dominance, it’s a mark of wisdom and strength for leaders from all walks of life to seek professional guidance and support.

Resilience is a psychological quality that allows some people to weather adversity and come back at least as strong as before, perhaps even stronger. Rather than letting challenges, disruptions or failures overcome them and drain their energy and resolve, highly resilient people find a way to pivot, emotionally heal and continue moving forward towards their goals and dreams.

The only people who get upset when you set boundaries are the ones who benefitted from you not having them.

Boundaries are important in every facet of life and they are especially important in business. While saying yes (or, not saying no) to an unaligned request might not hurt your business, in the long run, always saying yes--whether coming from a feeling of lack or fear of being disliked--runs a large chance of negatively impacting the health of your business in the long run. When you are running a business you are responsible for what gets done and what doesn’t. That includes what you say “yes” to and what you say “no” to. What you do always comes at the expense of something else.

Setting boundaries is not an option, it’s critical to running a successful business. It’s important to determine what’s most important, set boundaries accordingly and take the necessary actions to enforce those boundaries. Doing so sets up your business for success.

When your kids leave the nest it’s time for you to fly as well. Here are 29 tips for you to reconnect and reinvent yourself in this new stage of life!

If we are blessed as parents, one day our children will graduate from high school and leave for college, trade school, the military or start a job, move away from home and begin a new exciting chapter of their lives. But they are not the only ones facing new beginnings. Parents left with an empty nest must also start a new chapter in their lives. Ideally, the letting go process started way before the kid(s) moved out. But for a lot of us, it hits us like a ton of bricks when the day comes. Managing the transition mindfully will determine if it is one characterized by excitement, or one of great feelings of loss.

Here are a three tools that may help the transition to be more of a rite of passage versus a prolonged disruption to your well-being.

Imposter syndrome is a joy thief. It’s often worse than performance anxiety; it’s an internal dialog about whether you are worthy to be in the room at all despite evidence to the contrary. It doesn’t matter what expertise and credentials you have. In fact, you could have a wall full of degrees and still find yourself feeling like a phony.

Imposter syndrome is defined as the persistent inability to believe one’s success is deserved and has been achieved through skill and hard work. It is often accompanied with feelings of self-doubt, fear of success or failure and persistent self-sabotage. It’s also more common than one may think. In fact, according to the Journal of Behavioral Science approximately 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome in their lifetime.

If you’re one of that 70%, read on for eight tips to help combat imposter syndrome as well as a list of affirmations to lift yourself up when you need it most.

Affirmations are positive statements that help you to challenge self-limiting beliefs and negative thoughts. When you become intentional about incorporating affirmations as part of your routine, you can start to feel their power and begin to make positive changes.

Some people think that affirmations are too new age-y and unrealistic. I encourage you to shift your thinking and reframe affirmations this way: many of us do repetitive exercises to improve our physical well-being, and affirmations are no different. They are exercises for our mindset. Affirmations can reprogram our thinking patterns and as we practice we begin to think and act differently.

Here’s a quick and dirty list of how to use affirmations…

For many of us who are working from home right now, we’re suddenly forced to add household clutter to the “stuff I’ll deal with later” list. Even when tidying up is our last priority, this messiness can affect us!

As a leader, it's important to secure your own mask first. A healthy dose of positivity can help!

As a coach, you must ensure that you’re grounded in positivity in order to give our clients what they need. What a fantastic investment!

Is it possible to inherently know what is needed to best care for yourself? What are creative ways that you nourish your spirit? What gets in the way of your self-care? Let’s tackle these and many other questions that may come up when creating a personalized self-care plan.

Our current environment is triggering in various ways, impacting our health, finances, job security, racial tensions, pandemic fatigue, and loneliness. These challenges can shake even the most resilient individuals. To navigate this turbulent time, it's essential to adopt daily practices that help alleviate anxiety. Taking it one day at a time, implementing strategies to neutralize your anxiety can be crucial for coping with these stressors.