I still plan to keep the Focused Fool website … it will be now known as the Focused Fool Community.

In alignment with the vision to serve the Focused Fool Community I’ve decided to provide the advertising of coaching services for FREE.

If you’re a coach, trainer or somehow serve the personal and professional growth community you can have …

• An expanded personal profile detailing everything about your business
• Your success service in front of people interested in self-improvement
• Post your events (seminars, workshops, etc …) within the Event Calendar
• A personal weblog for you to post your daily thoughts and musings
• All articles and weblog postings will contain a link to your customized profile
• Have your services / profile featured within the Focused Fool E-Zine

I’ve decided to do this for a limited time so act now!

Visit coaches offer page to find out more.

Change … why does it cause us so much stress?

Changing our routines … changing our patterns.

Making positive changes … implementing change … changing our habits.

Changes forced upon us … can you be forced to change?

Life event changes … life passing us by?

Change happens … we adapt … we make changes … we grow.

When we adapt and grow … these changes … causes even more change to happen.

This cycle of change … put stress on our bodies and our minds … we either change or break!

Is their another choice … is there another way to view change?

What if we were able take the stress that we place upon ourselves … and place it back on the change?

Can change be stressed out?

Can we put stress on the change so that we are able to shape it the way we want?

A way that is fun, challenging and enjoyable.

A way that we feel in control yet there is enough variety to keep us challenged.

A way that we can look forward to change … and are able to reap the benefits of the world that is ever changing.

That way is within us … you know where it is … yes … it’s right there.

Because if we are not experiencing stress or change … then we are dead.

It seems a much better option to live … and I mean really live … knowing that change happens … and that we are able to … stress it and shape it … so that it serves us.

My last official day at the bank was yesterday.

I am no longer employed.

It feels funny … sorting through all the thoughts and feelings.

It’s a weird feeling … balanced between excitement and uncertainty.

It’s exciting … to blaze a new trail … to discover new and exciting things.

Then there’s the uncertainty … filled with all those “what if’s”.

What if … I stayed with the bank?

What if … I made a mistake?

What if … my new business fails?

What if … what I’m doing doesn’t work out?

What if … I fail?

What if? … What if? … What if?

It’s going to take some time … for me to sort through this … to transition to my new role as entrepreneur.

I need to work through the established patterns and habits … and build new ones … leveraging what works … and removing or changing the ones that don’t.

I need create a new set of routines that will allow me to function within this new world.

Instead of … get up … go to work … deal with stuff … go home … spend time with family … go bed.

I need to create a new set of routines involving:

• Writing Book (and Blog)
• Serving Clients
• Developing Website
• Reading and Learning
• Networking
• Exercising / Playing Golf
• Spending time with Family (even more)

Once these new routines are up and running … once I get past the internal resistance … and get off my but … these new patterns and habits will take me to the next level … and I will wonder why I didn’t do this sooner.

Seth Godin captures the essence of moving from the ordinary to the extraordinary in a recent blog entry.

Make sure you check out Seth Godin’s Blog.

Is it possible to be too intense … too focused?

Two weeks ago I talked about the importance of confidence … being congruent.

This was about maintaining my confidence when dealing with others … maintaining my congruence … not letting the negativity … doubt … from others to bring me down.

What I realized last night is that I have gotten two intense.

I’ve been too focused … too serious.

It’s like I built this wall … to keep out the negativity … preventing me from feeling anxiety.

Unfortunately … this wall also started to keep out the fun … I became too serious for my own good.

I realized … actually someone pointed it out (thanks Linda) … that I seemed really intense.

It was then that I understood that for me … congruence is about focus … which has a certain intensity … that allows me to be at the top of my game.

But what I also realized … is that there is a greater level of congruence available to me … pushing the edge of my current congruence … all by adding one simple element.

What is this missing element?

Playfulness … yes playfulness.

By adding a simple dash of playfulness … everything lightens up … and you can bring yourself up to that next level.

It’s amazing how … just by being a focused fool … that the whole world opens up to you.

And what an amazing element to bring along … when you push past that edge … when you make that leap … and begin that freefall to freedom.

This week I told my boss and my team that I did not apply for any of the new internal positions … that I will be taking the package … that I will be leaving.

It caused quite of spin.

It’s interesting to watch how people react to the changes going on around them.

Most people were quite excited for me … way to go!

Others were worried about me … had I thought everything through?

Some were more focused on how this affects them.

I find it fascinating to watch the group dynamics … the ebb and flow … the emotional energy … that moves around a group of people.

There is so must power within this energy.

It’s too bad that most people don’t even see this energy

They don’t even realize that they are caught up in it.

It’s this energy that good leaders will harness.

They see how their actions impact this energy … they know how to mold it … to shape it … to bring the best out of people.

I wish more people would just notice it … that would be a good first step.

As part of the job elimination process … I have access to a company that provides career transition services.

Yesterday, I meet with my coach for our first one-on-one session.

I must say that I it did not go well.

It was not my support coach.

It was me.

I went into the meeting unclear … unfocused.

I began by giving a high level … a vague picture really … of what my future plans were.

He asked me who my target market was … I couldn’t answer.

He asked me how I was going to market to them … I made up some feeble response.

It was not a good start.

I quickly began to spiral down into a wallowing pool of anxiety and self-doubt.

My expectation was that my coach would be able to help me piece together my plan … help me clarify my direction … provide suggestions for improvement.

Instead … It felt like I was selling my idea … making my pitch … having to show that I could make the entrepreneurial leap.

I expected support … I wanted reassurance that I was doing the right thing … instead I got judgment.

I was caught off guard … unprepared … and it really threw me off.

It’s as if my confidence in myself is dependent on how other people view me.

Well this is not going to work if I keep this up.

So … I’ve decided that I will never be thrown off again … meaning … I will maintain my confidence … even if I’m caught of guard.

This confidence will appear in my walk … in my appearance.

You will be able to see it when I’m standing or sitting.

This will be a confidence in my ability … confidence in my services … confidence in my belief that what I have to say has value … and will benefit others.

A confidence that … at its core … maintains the belief … that what I do matters … that what I bring … has value … and that people will pay me … yes actual dollars … for me to deliver … to give them the results that they are expecting … even exceeding those expectations … on a regular basis.

My confidence will come from within … not from without.

I will not waver … I believe … I know … that I am on the path … doing what I was meant to do.

I have taken that first step … I have taken it with confidence … a belief that will be fed from within.

My belief is that … without a doubt … I will succeed.