recharge

Give Yourself the Gift of a Timeout

We see it in sports all the time. The coach needs to strategize and motivate the team, so they call a timeout. Why can’t we do that for our own self-care? Well, guess what? We have the power to grant a timeout to ourselves 24/7!

Take a timeout to recharge, regroup, and refocus.

What can a timeout do for you? That little old timeout can help you:

Take a look at where you’re focusing your energy. Are you moving forward or spinning your wheels?

Confirm that you’re paying attention to the tasks that will move you closer to achieving your goal(s).

Enjoy and appreciate the present moment.

Be joyful.

Have the energy for playtime, or to finish a project or workout.

Avoid the temptation to multitask.

Stay in the present moment, which keeps you from being stuck in the past or thinking about what might (or might not) happen in the future.

What might you do during your self-imposed timeout?

Meditate

Breathing exercises

Go for a walk

Listen to a podcast

Chat with a friend

Have a refreshing glass of water

Relax

Ten quick jumping jacks

Read a chapter in a book or an article in a magazine

You get the idea.

A timeout is an opportunity to do whatever it is that will help you stay on top of your game: whether that game is work, play, or family life. Self-granted timeouts are a gift to yourself.

How will you use your timeout today?

Give Yourself the Gift of a Timeout was last modified: June 28th, 2021 by Deb Nelson

Reach Your Health Goals On A Rainy Day

What a gift it is to wake up to a beautiful, rainy day.

Use today to celebrate the progress you’ve made toward reaching your health goals. Do that happy dance and then reflect, reset, and recharge.

Celebrate

Identify your victories and acknowledge your success to date on approaching your health goals. Have a celebratory glass of water at your desk today. Share your successes with a colleague, friend, or member of your family.

Reflect

What are your health goals? Do they need to be adjusted? Are you keeping them front and center? Are you on track to meet them?

Why did you set these health goals? What will reaching these health goals allow you to achieve in other areas of your life?

Reset

Put a plan together for this final quarter of 2019 that will help your reach your goals by the end of the year. Write each health goal on a separate note card and post the cards in places you’ll see them every day. What we schedule and measure is what we focus on.

And you’re off – healthy living starts now. Let me know how you do!

Reach Your Health Goals On A Rainy Day was last modified: October 1st, 2019 by Deb Nelson

January’s Clean Slate: Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Recharge, Restart, and Reboot

Thanks to the Your Turn Blog Challenge, I’m on a roll. This is day four of the seven-day challenge. I’ve completed four blog posts, joined two blogging communities, and put an end to my drought in the blog-o-sphere.

Like many people, I’m using the start of the new year as an opportunity to set some goals, reassess what’s important to me, and get down to work. How lucky am I that Winnie Kao and Seth Godin are using the new year to motivate bloggers to put their thoughts in print. Brilliant for them; inspiring for me.

Creating quite a buzz online, this group of hundreds is burning up the interwebs with thoughts that otherwise would not have been shared. I’ve read some amazing posts; take a look at this post by Heather Parady. It by far my favorite: Intense. Real. Thought-Provoking. Head on over to twitter and search #YourTurnChallenge. Set your timer; this is a seemingly endless rabbit hole – all good stuff that will keep you here past your bedtime.

Now take a look at your plans for 2015. Use this challenge to move the needle on your goals. What small steps can you take today to move forward? And then tomorrow? Remember, you’ve got that clean slate. No labels. No negative self-talk. No excuses.

2015 appears to be the year for shipping. I’d love to know what you’re shipping.

January’s Clean Slate: Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Recharge, Restart, and Reboot was last modified: January 22nd, 2015 by Deb Nelson

The Sky’s the Limit When Your Board Has the Tools to Give You the Help You Need

Entering the new year is the perfect opportunity to press the reset button and recharge your nonprofit’s board of directors. By letting each member of your board know exactly what action they can take to help you reach your goals in 2014, you can put your plan into motion and make this year a successful one for your nonprofit.

Your board of directors should include your most powerful advocates; give them the tools to support your organization and you’ll all be better for it. Here are five easy-to-implement tactics to move your board to action early in 2014:

Give your board of directors a printed list of your organization’s goals for 2014. (You’ve set your goals, right?) While sharing goals with your board sounds obvious enough, it’s amazing how many board members are banging their heads against the wall in frustration as they try to figure out what they can do to move your nonprofit forward.
Keep board members updated as you move toward your goals and celebrate small victories. Monthly updates at a board meeting can cover this: a brief recap at the meeting itself and a visual in your board packet. Include a graphic element for those who need images to get the full meaning of progress toward goals. Continued focus on your goals will keep both board and staff energized throughout the year.
Help board members spread the news about your organization’s good work. Have a mission moment at every board meeting: bring in someone who’s benefited from your organization to share how his/her life has changed thanks to your organization. This is a powerful way to engage your board – making them proud to be associated with your organization AND providing them with a great story to share with friends, family, and colleagues.
Ask each board member to call four donors to say thank you. If they get voicemail, simply leave a message and this job is done. If they get to talk to the donor, make sure you’ve provided them with talking points so they can speak to how the donor’s funds will be / have been put to use (see points 1 and 3).
Ask five board members to visit with three donors to say thank you and to update them about your organization’s work. (What’s that, you don’t have five board members? That’s a whole other issue.) This will help strengthen the relationships with supportive donors and board members.

Bonus tip number 6: schedule a coffee meeting with any board member who isn’t able to make a board meeting to keep them current with board activities. If a board member doesn’t have time to chat about your organization’s goals, have that tough conversation to find out whether being on the board is a good fit for you both.

You can see that these tactics are certainly not rocket science – you’ve probably had these ideas in the past. The difference this year is that you’re going to make sure they actually happen. Put the plan in motion, follow up, and follow through. You’ll be amazed by the number 0f new stories these simple actions can generate. Enjoy the ride and share your successes below or connect with me directly!

The Sky’s the Limit When Your Board Has the Tools to Give You the Help You Need was last modified: January 6th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Staycation: Reflect, Recharge and Reconnect Close to Home

Southern Maine proved to be the perfect setting for an end-of-summer staycation for my husband and me. First up: beaches, of course, since we find nothing more relaxing than a multi-day beach tour. Mother Nature cooperated, providing beautiful sunny days for the entire week, as we visited old favorites and added one more to our list:

The week began with a couple of visits to Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth – a small, comfortable beach enjoyed primarily by families. Kettle Cove is a great spot to read, chat and reconnect with your inner child while
This sand castle is about to become a happy memory as the tide moves in at Kennebunk Beach.

watching kids squeal with delight at nature’s gifts: sand, waves, and tidal pools.
If you’re looking for a beach with more legroom, meander down the road a bit to Crescent Beach State Park. There’s plenty of room to spread out and take a long head-clearing walk at this beach.
Heading north, we made our first visit to Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg. Arriving mid-day, we avoided the waiting line we’ve heard greets early morning arrivals. Firmly planted in our beach chairs after a long walk along the shoreline, we witnessed a family of seven sharing their lunch with brazen seagulls. We’ve seen seagulls before, but not like this: these gulls are well-practiced in securing their next meal! And, yes, we were grateful they weren’t interested in the grapes we surreptitiously snacked on over the course of the afternoon.
Timing is everything when visiting Kennebunk Beach, as the sidewalk is the only place to park your chair or blanket at high tide. Arrive a few hours ahead of the tide, however, and you’ll be rewarded with a great beach experience as experts and novices surf the waves, sand sculptures take shape throughout the day, and peals of laughter erupt from every corner of the beach.
Last, but certainly not least on our tour, was Ogunquit Beach. One of our favorite beaches, there is always a lot of activity to take in here: suddenly everyone is a kid again! Good intentions of reading were quickly replaced by a walk on the beach, jumping into the waves, and a catnap.

While we were based out of our home for most of the week, we spent a couple of days at the Kennebunkport Inn, where the staff’s attention to service was top notch very day, all day. The recently renovated patio was the ideal spot to watch the sunset following a bike ride along the rocky coast. The staff also graciously found us outdoor seating at their restaurant, One Dock, when we were late to make a reservation. Our meals were stellar, and service once again exceeded our expectations. And, since Kennebunkport offers up so many great restaurants, we had to visit a couple of favorites: Bandaloop and Old Vines. We’ve always felt right at home upon entering both of these spots that are filled with good food, good wine, and good friends.

With a week of lounging on the beach and exploring the restaurant scene here and there, we found plenty of time to add some exercise to the mix: a few scenic bike rides, a couple of runs in Portland, and perhaps best of all, joining two 15-year-old girls for a standup paddle board lesson. During our staycation we slowed down the pace to appreciate what’s right in our own backyard and, like Dorothy, found there’s no place like home.

Staycation: Reflect, Recharge and Reconnect Close to Home was last modified: September 6th, 2012 by Deb Nelson