I just returned from the annual meeting of the International Coach Federation. It’s a great time to connect with my colleagues from around the world and spend time with friends who I respect so much that I’m always pleasantly amazed and grateful that I can contribute to them! more»

What secret would you most like to free yourself of?

Imagine opening a book and discovering that a postcard had been slipped between the pages with a stamp, an address, and an invitation to send in your secret. What would you write? Would you trust your secret to the post office, even anonymously? more»

Pre-traumatic stress disorder is a term I invented once on a coaching call. I was working with a client who was in absolute anguish over something she had convinced herself was going to happen. Even though my term is about as pop-psychology as it gets, in the years since that call, I’ve seen many clients consumed with pre-living disastrous scenarios that they misperceive as being real. more»

Most everything I ever needed to know about focus I learned one summer at the pool. I was about ten when I took my first diving class. The instructor was a pretty high school student who told us not to look down at the water, or we would fall into the pool without meaning to. I didn’t believe her; I mean who had so little coordination they would just fall in by looking? more»

Warning: Reading this (at the wrong time) can impair your ability!

A fascinating clinical study found that the IQ of workers who juggled phone calls, e-mails, text messages and their work fell by 10 points during the course of the day. 10 points are the equivalent of a whole night’s sleep. more»

If patience is a virtue and we’re living and working at breakneck speed, do we have to give up our virtue in the name of profitability? The surprising answer is probably not. If you and your employees have a healthy impatience, you will refuse to remain stuck because when people put their ego aside and don’t have to be the one with the answers, they can reach out for help and get unstuck quickly. more»

I love beginning a new year -the lull at the end of the year; quiet, thoughtful preparations; and the promise of new and rekindled hopes, dreams and intentions. Most of the time when we look into a new year, we focus on doing. What we will do, achievements we are striving for and milestones we are after. more»

Each year June brings with it a whole new brand of crazy-making busyness. Listening to my clients, now seems to be even more intense than usual. So with the year practically half over, it’s time to take a breath and revisit your vision for the year. more»

This is an excerpt from an essay Michelle contributed to the book, Winning Without Compromising Yourself – find out more about the book at www.nocompromising.com

Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, George Bush, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey – people who have power are subject to more»

Happy second half!

It’s July 1st – the start of the second half of the year, and an opportunity to take stock, pat yourself on the back and make any mid-course corrections. Some food for thought…

* What in your life looks different on July 1st than on January 1st?

* What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in the first half of this year? How have you been showing up beautifully, and what have you created? more»