Author: Christine Seager

How do you feel about your time?

Do you think:
I have way too much to do; there is never enough time.
I’m always behind.
I get one thing done & then there are six more to do.
I’m not good at managing my time.
I could get stuff done if people would stop interrupting me.
Or my personal favorite: I’m running out of time.

You feel pressured, stressed, frustrated, annoyed, overwhelmed & worried.

You’re jealous of others who seem to get it all done.

You wonder how.

But everything is figureoutable.

And you have all of the rest of forever to figure it out.

You can start with some small steps, evaluate & correct course as you go.

Do a time assessment. Similar to how you would start a budget, see where you’re spending your time.

With this accurate data, create a plan. (We’re notorious for underestimating how long things will take and overestimating how much we can get done in a day.)

Define what a successful day is for you and do that; stick to the plan.

Then evaluate how did your plan work for you? Are there any changes you’d like to make for the next day or week? If so, cool– just correct course.

When you have a plan & stick to it, making it work for you, you will be more empowered, build self-trust, feel more accomplished & end each day with success instead of running around like a crazy lady!

Who doesn’t want some of that?

If managing your time is something you struggle with, imagine spending 30 minutes doing whatever YOU want– reading, working out, laying in the sun… what would it be for you? Can you even picture it?

If not, I can help you!! Let’s talk. Give me an hour & I’ll give you your life back!

Click here to book a complimentary consultation.

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P.S. On another note, you don’t need others to opt in, co-sign, or agree with what you are doing. You only need to believe in yourself, recognizing your own enoughness, just as you are. 

If you’d like to learn how to do this, join me Wednesday, June 21, at 11 AM MT, for my next free Masterclass, Finding Your Enoughness. 

Registration is required; you can do so here.

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PPS. Don’t forget coaching is always free if you are a Logan Health Whitefish employee! What a fantastic benefit!! Click here to book a session.

Recently, I taught & coached a fantastic group of women. 

I didn’t have much drama about giving this talk, despite previously being quite anxious about talking in front of an audience.

I’ve learned how to dial down my fear & worry. 

I also didn’t waste a lot of time doing superfluous research. 

I did a little research & then used my smarts to assemble the presentation. 

I wanted to give my audience a gift, something to take with them, so I figured out how to create a workbook for them. 

I felt calm & confident, competent & prepared, helpful & inspiring. 

I gave a killer presentation that was clear & well-received by my audience. 

And it felt amazing!

And I was even invited back!

I’m able to do this because I have invested in getting coached. 

Yes, not only do I coach, but I have a coach.

I believe everyone should get coached! Even (especially?) coaches.

My coach is amazing. 

She helps me dial down my negative emotions and get things done. 

She helps me feel confident in my knowledge and create my processes. 

She shows me that I am helpful and that I inspire my audience. 

And this barely scratches the surface. 

I cannot tell you how much easier my life is, how much less drama I have, and how amazing my life is.

I have grown and changed a lot in our time together. 

And this is just the beginning.

Would you like a life coach, too? If so, I’m your girl! Click here to book a complimentary consultation.

(PS. Don’t forget coaching is always free if you are a Logan Health Whitefish employee! What a fantastic benefit!! Click here to book a session.)

Guess what? Your car is looking absolutely stunning with that fresh, detailed shine!

But let’s pause for a moment and explore why it ended up so sparkling clean.

Believe it or not, it all started with a touch of procrastination.

Here’s the story: You had a morning meeting followed by a five-hour gap before your next appointment.

Thinking you’d make good use of the time, you decided to head to the coffee shop to get organized before diving into your day.

After leaving the coffee shop, you had the idea to do some shopping. However, on your way, you realized your car was quite dirty and needed a wash.

You thought it would be convenient to stop at the car wash, but to your dismay, a long line of cars had formed ahead of you, causing a significant delay.

Feeling a bit frustrated, you abandoned the idea of the car wash and headed home. However, upon arriving, you noticed how dirty the garage floor was, prompting you to grab the broom and sweep it clean before even thinking about washing the car.

Finally, the moment arrived when you could wash the car. You diligently washed, dried, vacuumed, cleaned the windows, and even applied a protectant to the dashboard – going above and beyond the call of car washing duties.

But wait, what were you supposed to be working on again? Ah yes, the speech.

Reflect for a moment on how long it took for you to recognize that you were unintentionally procrastinating.

Now, ask yourself: What emotion were you avoiding by not working on your speech as planned?

Perhaps you felt confused, unsure about the next steps to take. But what if you allowed yourself to feel confused and still took action?

Consider this: If you weren’t confused, what would be the first step to tackle in your speech preparation?

Maybe it’s as simple as taking it out, reading through it, and determining if it’s complete or if something is missing.

The next time you catch yourself avoiding or procrastinating on a task, take a moment to ask yourself: What is the emotion I’m avoiding by not doing this particular thing?

Identify the emotion that arises and then decide how you want to proceed from there.

If you would like support in recognizing your procrastination patterns, understanding what you’re avoiding, and learning effective strategies to work through it, this is precisely what I help my clients with. If you’re interested in learning more, I’d be thrilled to chat; book a complimentary call using this link in my bio.

Together, we can overcome procrastination and create a path toward productivity and success.

(PS. Don’t forget coaching is always free if you are a Logan Health Whitefish employee! What a fantastic benefit!! Click here to book a session.)

The next time you catch yourself giving away your time, energy, or effort to someone else, take a moment to stop and reflect.

Ask yourself: What can I do right now to improve how I feel about the situation?

Remember, this is about you, not them.

Avoid getting caught up in thoughts like “They should do this” or “Why aren’t they doing that?”

Focus on what you can do for yourself in this moment.

Keep in mind that whatever is happening has already happened.

People have their own choices and free will.

You cannot control their actions, but you can control how you respond.

So, don’t rely on others changing their behavior for your happiness.

(Note: This doesn’t mean you have to accept or agree with what they’re doing.)

If you’re feeling unhappy, recognize that the only thing you can change is yourself – your actions, thoughts, and emotions.

They have the freedom to make their own choices, and you have the power to manage yourself.

For example, let’s say a neighbor’s dog keeps barking non-stop.

Instead of wasting time complaining and feeling upset, think about your options and take action.

You might put in earplugs, find a different workplace location, or devise a way to block out the noise.

It’s up to you to choose the best course of action.

Don’t waste your time, energy, and effort by dwelling on things you can’t control.

Focus on managing your own thoughts, feelings, and actions.

This is a learnable skill that requires awareness and practice.

And that’s exactly what I help my clients with.

If you’re tired of wasting your valuable resources and want to feel better while living a life you love, take the first step by booking a consultation using the link in my bio.

Together, we can empower you to control your happiness and create positive changes in your life.

(PS. Don’t forget coaching is always free if you are a Logan Health Whitefish employee! What an amazing benefit!! Click here to book a session.)

When you want to change your job, lose weight, drink less alcohol and more water, have a better relationship with your mother, and you feel like you need a compete life overhaul– you need to know you can 100% do all of that, just not all at once and not overnight.

The trick here is to practice constraint.

Start with one thing.

When you learn how to create good habits in one area and practice those habits seemingly automatically, add another area you want to change or improve.

Constraint eliminates overwhelm.

If you are trying to do everything everywhere all at once, start small then habit stack, adding little by little.

If you’d like help, the first step is to reach out.

I will help you prioritize where to start.

We’ll break down the specific steps for each goal.

I’ll support you when the discomfort, fear or worries come up,

And you will learn how to support yourself

As you grow and evolve into living a life you love.

Click here to book a consult and get started.

(PS. Don’t forget coaching is always free if you are a Logan Health Whitefish employee! Click here to book a session.)

Let’s talk about observation for a hot second. 

Observation is just saying, Oh, hi, hey hello there, Self. What’s up? 

And have no judgment. 

We’re just checking things out. 

Like when two chill (aka. balanced) dogs sniff each others’ butts. 

You’re just checking things out with yourself. 

It’s so helpful!! 

For example, if you’re following me on socials right now, you know we’re on a road trip. 

And I know, from experience (aka. past observations), that at some point, usually about halfway, I will start to get antsy. 

This isn’t pre-planned, pre-thought-out, or intentional. 

I don’t even math to find out when the halfway mark of the trip will be, 

But inevitably, I know. 

And right around then is the day I will melt down. 

I’m easily irritable. 

I want a break. 

I need a change. 

On this trip, it happened to be two days ago; I was simply over camping in the cold & wind. 

As always, I have choices: 

I could mitigate the circumstances by changing my thoughts & feelings about them, get to a better feeling place & take action from there. 

I could have a tantrum & ruin the day for myself & everyone around me. 

I could ask for what I wanted- a break from camping- a hotel room for the night.

So, that’s what I did, and we booked a room. (Tara was ready for a break, too, and Scott was happy that we were happy.)

Observation is helpful because I know there is a point & time when traveling when I will want a break. 

It is not a problem at all. 

I know it’s my pattern. 

I know it’s coming. 

I know I have options. 

I know how to have grace for myself. 

And I know to ask for what I need from others.

All from just observing. 

If you want to learn how to observe or to have grace for yourself and others, this is exactly what I teach my clients. The first step is to book a consult call. Use the link in my bio or go to christineseager.com/book.

On Thursday at 1 PM, it’s sunny & unseasonably warm out.

You’re antsy & want to go SUP on the lake.

With some quick math, you figure you could be on the water in an hour!

You know a little peace & sunshine out on the lake will rejuvenate your soul. 

But you’re a salaried employee & you’re worried about work, despite already being at 40 hours this week, usually averaging 45- 50 hours/week, and you will still work tomorrow.

You think: I should be at my desk. What if someone needs something? What if they think I’m not doing enough? 

You feel guilty for even considering it and anxious as you weigh your options. 

Let’s break it down: is it true that you are not doing enough at work? 

You average working 50 hours a week. 

You have a laundry list of projects completed. 

Your boss has consistently given you positive feedback on your performance reviews. 

And you’ve already discussed a flexible schedule with her– you have carte blanche to work when you want to as long as your work gets done each week. 

With this peace of mind, you decide to go SUP for the afternoon. 

And, of- course, you return refreshed, rejuvenated & ready to tackle the next challenge at work on Friday. 

Breaking down options & making decisions easier is one of the things I help my clients with. If you’d like help with this, the first step is to book a complimentary consultation so we can talk about it, click here.

(PS. Don’t forget coaching is always free if you are a Logan Health Whitefish employee! What a fantastic benefit!! Click here to book a session.)

In the last post, we talked about how perfectionism is an indulgence keeping you in inaction and why you might want to stop.

Today, we’ll talk about how.

As always, we start with awareness. Notice when you feel tight, stressed, pressured, rushed, overwhelmed, worried, inadequate, disappointed, or frustrated.
What are you thinking that has you feeling this way?
What are you making that mean about you?
Is it true?
What is true at this moment?
What would you rather think, feel or do instead?
Do that.

Here are a few examples:
When you’re leaving your house for the day & feel like it needs to be picked up, you run around putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher, picking up socks off the living room couch, and putting shoes on the floor in the mudroom up on shelves.

What if someone else sees what a mess this place is? They will know I’m a hot mess, not a good wife or mom. But, of course, that’s not true. What is true is you’re a busy mom getting everyone out the door in the morning.

What about the “perfect” email at work?
You feel stressed about what to say & how to say it. You worry that everyone will think you’re dumb & don’t know what you’re doing.
What is true is you’re doing your best to communicate a request, and you want to do a good job.

Make sure your husband does it “right:”
You’re irritated and think he will break something irreparable or expensive to fix, but that is not necessarily true. What is true is he, too, is doing his best to fix it. You can choose to have faith in this.

Over-preparing for a meeting at work:
You’re spending so much time agonizing over what you will say, how you will say it, who you will delegate what to, and every bit & piece of the meeting. You’re worried they will think you don’t know what you’re doing, but that is untrue. You do know what you’re doing- at the very least, you’ve earned your position here in the first place.

If you’d like help noticing & then mitigating your perfectionism tendencies, I can help you. You can book a complimentary consult & let’s talk (LHW Employees book here).

P.S. Nature is the only thing that’s perfect anyway.

Perfectionism in an indulgence.

Defined as a refusal to accept any standard short of perfection, perfectionism in an indulgence because it keeps you in inaction.

I know you’re thinking- what does she mean inaction!? I’m doing all of the things!!

Bear with me.

When you spend your time:

Pouring over the perfect email at work– agonizing over what you say & how you say it.

Ensuring your house is clean & picked up before you leave (lest you should die during the day & someone sees what a mess your house is).

Monitoring, I mean watching, what your husband does to ensure he’s doing it “right.”

Over-preparing for a meeting with the board at work.

You waste your time, energy & effort on perfectionism.

Do your best & send the email.

No one will judge your messy, lived-in house if you’re dead.
No matter how much you think it’s true, there is no one “right way” to do things.

Again, prepare & then be okay with doing your best with the board at work.

It is okay to accept a standard just short of perfectionism.

When you stop indulging in perfectionism, you can complete your work in 40 hours/ week instead of the 50 you’ve been working.

You will have more energy to go for that bike ride or have an important conversation with your teenager.

You will feel more accomplished & successful & therefore be happier in life.

Try it. Just see where you might be spending time trying to make something perfect & then don’t. Get to a place where you decide it’s good enough & then send it.

If you’d like help identifying & then stopping your perfectionist tendencies, this is one of the things I help my clients with & I can help you too.

If you’d like to hear more about how I can help, book a complimentary consultation (right here. Logan Health Employees, click here) & let’s talk.

Also, if you’d like to learn how to Manage Your Schedule & Live a Better Life, please join me for this free masterclass on Friday, May, 26, 2023 at 12 noon MT. Advanced registration is required. You can do so here.

Do you have a direct report who talks only about personal things?

They seem to be a sh*t magnet.

When you ask how they’re doing, they start right in & go on & on & on about it-
the car breaking down,
the kids needing to get to school,
the cat who puked all over the kitchen table during breakfast,
the mother-in-law who calls only to nag & complain.
And all of this before 8 AM.

You want to be supportive but can’t get your work done.

You wonder how they get their work done, too, and frankly, as their supervisor, you know that they don’t really.

You wish they would stop, that somehow they would just… not.

But really, they won’t know unless you tell or show them.

You have to establish a boundary.

It can sound like this:

If you continue to talk to me about personal things, I will redirect you back to work-related things.
If our conversation progresses to non-work related things, I’m going to end the conversation.
If you talk for more than 3 minutes about non-work related things, I will walk away.

It can be that simple.

And then you can focus on your work. Having a boundary & leading by example may encourage them to return to their work, too.

You will feel better about your job, have more focus, productivity, energy, and less irritation, frustration, worry, and stress.

If you have employees to establish boundaries with, I will teach you how. Book a (free) call explore coaching with me. LHW employees, click here. Everyone else, click here. 🙂