"Cadence" In Tandem Coaching's Newsletter

 Web:  http://www.intandemcoaching.com/
 Email: mailto:JoanneH@intandemcoaching.com

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 Note from Joanne

 Hello!

 I love hiking in the desert. I can move my body, enjoy
 the beauty of nature, and revel in the
 silence/serenity of the desert environment. The desert
 has a stark beauty all its own. For your enjoyment, a
 snapshot of some wildflowers (in my favorite color,
 purple) I saw while on my most recent hike at Organ
 Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona.

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 Feature Article

 When in Doubt, Have Fun with It

 I spend a lot of time making decisions. I suspect you
 do too. You know how it goes: you analyze the pros and
 cons (and you’re so good at seeing both sides of every
 argument, your pros and cons come out dead even). You
 ask yourself whether each choice is aligned with your
 values (you ARE aware of your values, aren’t you? See
 me if you need some help). You attempt to do a
 cost/benefit analysis, except there are one or more
 unknowns that prevent you from estimating the cost,
 the benefit, or both. You wonder if you have all the
 information you NEED (because you definitely don’t
 have all the information you WANT). You not only are
 concerned with making the RIGHT choice; you want to
 make the OPTIMAL choice. And, because you are an
 introvert, most likely all these thoughts are swirling
 in your head – you don’t like sharing your thought
 process until it is complete; that is, until the
 decision has been made.

 Now don’t get me wrong; I LOVE analyzing. As an INTJ,
 it is one of my greatest strengths. I do it
 automatically. But I have come to realize that
 sometimes I do a little too much analyzing and fall
 prey to analysis-paralysis. Again, I suspect I am not
 alone in this. Everyone with personal experience of
 analysis-paralysis please raise your virtual hands.

 So what can you do about this? Here’s what works for
 me:

 Honor your process. If you are hard-wired to analyze,
 process, deliberate, then don’t try to force yourself
 to NOT do what you are meant to do. You can put a time
 limit on it if you wish, but let yourself do what
 comes naturally. Get your thoughts out of your head.
 Write them down, record them, make a visual
 representation, talk it over with someone else (only
 if that is your style), mind-map, create an
 interpretative dance (don’t laugh, physical movement
 helps you tap into your intuition). Play with the
 choices, play with making a decision. Just play. This
 often brings clarity. Still stuck? Then ask yourself:
 “what would be the most fun?” If it’s a choice between
 several alternatives, then which choice would result
 in the most fun? If it’s a choice of action or no
 action then will the action be fun for you or not?

 I really like to have fun; pleasure/hedonism is one of
 my top values. So obviously this type of approach
 resonates with me. When I am having fun, I am more
 relaxed. When I am more relaxed and playful, I am more
 creative, have more ideas. When I am “playing,” my
 limiting beliefs don’t stop me, because “I’m just
 playing.” When I am having fun, it’s effortless to
 keep doing what I’m doing. This leads to consistency
 and persistence; major determinants of success.

 I’m not advocating that you only do what is fun or
 that you avoid anything that is not fun. I am also not
 advocating that you use fun as the only criterion when
 making a decision. After you have gone through your
 usual decision-making process; if you are stuck,
 paralyzed, confused or in doubt – give yourself
 permission to “just have fun with it” (and then do
 so). I’m thinking of making that my new mantra.

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 Inspiration/Motivation Corner

 "People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what
 they are doing." ~ Dale Carnegie

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 Ask the Coach

 No questions so far; here’s a repeat of last issue’s
 announcement:

 I’m excited to introduce the “Ask the Coach” column.
 Here’s how it works: you, my readers, can ask me a
 question via email (Tip: put “Ask the Coach” in the
 subject line to ensure it gets my attention). I will
 answer one question (provided I get some questions)
 each issue. I will reveal the question, but I will not
 reveal the identity of the questioner.

 I’m curious as to what YOU are curious about, so at
 this point I’m not going to define any boundaries; if
 the questions coming in are outside my scope; I’ll let
 you know and provide more guidance. I hope you
 participate; I want to interact with my readers (and
 show off my savvy research skills). Click Here to Ask
 the Coach

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 Joanne's Hype-Free Recommendation Zone

 Have you ever been advised to “get out of your own
 way?” If so, this book will help you do that.  Taming
 Your Gremlin (Revised Edition): A Surprisingly Simple
 Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way
 http://tinyurl.com/dfrq5n

 It’s a short, simple read with suggested exercises for
 overcoming those limiting beliefs and self-sabotage
 that hold you back. Warning – it’s written in a light,
 conversational, whimsical style, so if you are turned
 off by a non-academic writing style stay away from
 this one. I liked it and found it helpful. In fact,
 now that it’s on my mind I intend to reread it this
 week – I could use a refresher!

 Lee Ann Lambert’s Living Introverted blog
 http://livingintroverted.com/blog3/ is written by a
 freelance writer who describes herself as an
 “introvert activist.” She is also the author of the
 recently published Living Introverted: Learning to
 Embrace the Quiet Life Without Guilt I just ordered
 the Kindle version of her book and I will provide a
 book review in a future issue of Cadence. Stay tuned!
 http://tinyurl.com/c2mjrr

 Cadence grows by "word of email" so please feel free
 to forward this newsletter onto anyone who you think
 might enjoy it.
 http://www.yourtellafriend.com/page/1457/tellafriend

 Thanks so much!