"Clear Directions" Newsletter
February 2007  |  Volume 2  |  Issue 2

Time to belly laugh!

I am declaring February “Humour Month”!

We made it through January which in the northern hemisphere is the longest, darkest, coldest month of the year and there’s not a long weekend in sight until Easter, which this year is in April.

The Holidays were wonderful, but over, and spring seems only a far off dream. Perhaps you went shushing down a ski slope, on a vacation to a tropical location, walked in freshly fallen snow, or curled up with a cup of hot cocoa and a favourite book. Maybe even hibernated under the covers for an extra hour on the weekend. A great time of year for reflection and planning!

So now you need to shake off the winter slump, get that circulation firing on all cylinders, the brain cells trampoline-leaping and your focus clearly on those Re-Solutions we talked about last month. One of the best ways I know to accomplish this energy shift is through laughter.

And with that in mind, my Feature Article this month will take you on a giggle-fest as we compare today’s Family Woman in Business with her forerunner circa 1955.

In This Issue…

Welcoming Words
Coffee with a Coach
Feature Article
Your Coach
Closing Comment

Enjoy this month’s read and keep laughing!

Here’s to your Clear Sailing!

Remember to add lynn@ClearGoalsCoaching.com to your address book in your email program so you won't have a spam problem receiving an issue.

COFFEE WITH A COACH

“What’s the real value for me if I join the Business Woman’s Coaching Gym? What will I really get out of it?”

It is very valid question going through the minds of women considering joining the “Gym” and one commonly asked. The answer has to do with your core values and what your participation in the Coaching Gym can save you in time, money and effort. Let’s take some scenarios:

1. You are a working cyclone, caught up in the overwhelm of trying to balance work life and home life. It is costing you in your relationships in both home and work. Your partner/spouse and you are more distant, no time for each other, you worry about the kids, and your job/business, there seems to be no solution. What if you were able to find that solution? A real epiphany? And it’s much more simple and easy than you thought? What if you no longer felt alone, that you had a Coach and a team of compatriots to support and encourage you on a consistent basis? Suddenly things are so clear and you finally feel in control. How does that feel? How will it feel if you don’t do it? How much would that be worth to you? Worth the price of a cup of coffee?

2. Your environment is disorganized, seems chaotic and it is being reflected in your business and family life. What if you had help on a regular, consistent basis to guide you to fixing this challenge one step at a time until you have lasting results? Picture your surroundings at home and at work neat, tidy, clean and everything you need is right where it is supposed to be! How does that feel? How will it feel if you don’t do it? What is it worth to you?

“Business Woman’s Coaching Gym”

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Family Woman in Business circa 1955

I think I’m having a heart attack….. maybe not. Then it must be high blood pressure, my face is beet red. Could be a major allergy reaction…that’s it! I can’t breathe, my heart is pounding, my eyes are squeezed shut. Pass the EpiPen, I’m definitely very allergic to something I just read:

“The Good Wife’s Guide” from Housekeeping Monthly Magazine, May 1955 issue.

This was painful reading. And I’m not going to submit you to the agony of the entire article, just a few quotes, but what I will do is create an allergy shot of humour just in case you succumb.

Now, to demonstrate just how far we women have come during the past 52 years.

The article deals solely with how to greet and treat your husband when he arrives home from work for dinner and a relaxing evening.

1955
“Have dinner ready. Plan ahead to have a delicious meal ready in time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.”

2007
Upon leaving your place of work and on the drive home, cell phone your husband, who is picking up the kids from school and daycare, to say you are running late and that you will skid by the drive thru and grab something for dinner. If it’s still warm when you get home that’s a bonus.

1955
“Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people”.

2007
Prepare yourself. If you can’t quite achieve “fresh” looking, at least try to stay upright a bit longer. If you can manage a bathroom break before the herd comes stampeding through the door, consider yourself rested. Ribbons? Huh?

1955
“Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate the noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.”

2007
Prepare the children. Holler “Go wash up!” loud enough for them to hear over the TV. Try to ignore their hair and clothes. Don’t worry, the words “treasure” and “child” will never enter your brain together in the same hour. As you dish out fried chicken from the bucket ask your husband to transfer the load of clothes from the washer to the dryer and would he prefer to do the dishes or vacuum the house after dinner.

1955
“Your goal: try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit”.

2007
Don’t we have spas for that now?

1955
“Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.”

2007
If you listen carefully, you may hear more than a grunt as he walks in the door. Followed by some futile attempts to break up the kid’s squabbling.

1955
“Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.”

2007
While hubby leans back in a comfortable chair and promptly falls asleep in front of the TV, open a bottle of wine, take a good swig straight from the bottle then head for the bubble bath. A glass is optional.

1955
“Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.”

2007
Retrieve your pillow from the floor where it fell that morning when you got up after too little sleep. Offer to turn out the light, fall into bed and wish hubby a muffled “G’night”.

Okay, in which era would you choose to live? My parents were the 1955 version, but I have no recollection of any of the above “guide” lines present let alone being followed in our home. The closest we would come would be a glimpse of these fairy stories on “Father Knows Best”. If my Mum ever attempted to follow any of the advice in this article, Dad would have wondered what space creatures had invaded the bodies of his loved ones. Besides, she was much too busy working as a legal secretary, operating a household and helping raise three kids! But then she was in the minority and way ahead of her time.

Thanks for trailblazing for us, Mum!

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?

Find them at http://www.cleargoalscoaching.com/pure_inspiration.php

Want To Use This Article In Your Newsletter Or Website?

You can, as long as you include this complete info with it:

Lynn Moore is a Life Clarity Coach whose specialized niche is Family Women in Business. Lynn has a unique ability to see the bottom line and see it quickly helping you find your hidden solutions. She is an encouraging, straight talking coach, full of heart and humour with only the best outcome in mind for her clients. Lynn can be reached at lynn@cleargoalscoaching.com and you can visit her website at www.ClearGoalsCoaching.com

YOUR COACH

Visit www.ClearGoalsCoaching.com to learn more

RECOMMENDED

Should you decide to join, you can put my name on the application form as the person who referred you. Don’t you just love the Internet!

IN CLOSING