Lisa McDonald

Empowering Women And Men To Get Unstuck, Walk Their Own Path, And Have A Great Life

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22/04/2018 by Lisa McDonald Leave a Comment

Habits That Hold Your Development Back

Habits That Hold Back Your DevelopmentHabits are something that affect all of us.  They can support our development or they can hold us back.  And that’s the focus of today’s blog post “Habits That Hold Back Your Development”

Lessons From A Dummy

Recently we’ve gone through the process of weaning Charlie from his “dummy” (or “pacifier”) habit.  In the early days it was used as an occasional strategy, when he was in a heightened state of upset.

Concerned about the frequency some family members popped it into his mouth, I spoke to the pediatrician about it at a consultation on another matter.  He said it was better for Charlie to use the dummy than his finger as that habit created dental problems.  He also pointed out that fingers are always there and instantly accessible, while a dummy is much easier to remove at some point.

After weaning him off breast feeding he wanted it more.  I saw that it was a partial replacement for what was no longer available to him.  Then a few months later I was travelling with a friend and Charlie was in unfamiliar territory, so I let Charlie have it more as a form of comfort and familiarity.  On returning home he started asking for it more and more and some family members obliged.

We then started making conscious effort to reduce access to the dummy because he was getting too attached to the habit.  When we went out we’d get him to leave it in the car (he liked having it in the car).  But at home he was insistent about having it a lot of the time.  We then started putting it out of reach (he was able to get it himself off lower surfaces) periodically during the day.

New Awareness

Recently I took him to the dentist for his first checkup.  I was told that his bite had become crooked because of his dummy habit, particularly on one side(because he sucked the dummy more on that side).  She said that it was still developing, and that it would take around 12 months to correct.  Or longer, if he continued using the dummy.  She encouraged me to get him off  the habit as soon as possible.  And, reinforced the message by saying that, if it wasn’t done before his next lot of teeth came through, that jaw surgery would be the only way to correct it.  Yikes! OK so that was a big incentive, and became the catalyst for speeding up the process!

Accelerating Withdrawal

The first step was to withdraw it during the day, and only for sleeping. Of course he didn’t take to kindly to the change. It took a full on 3 days of howling for him to settle down. He oscillated between being cross and pulling back from me and being really clingy. It was wearing but giving in would have made the problem worse.

The next week I withdrew it for his day sleep. He asked for it but only made a small amount of fuss.
One night, about a week later before heading away for a week, I encouraged him to try going to sleep without it in the evening. He obliged without much fuss at all.  I repeated it for the next few nights including while away. Yay!

He still asks for it most days somewhere along the way. More often when he’s tired or feeling unsettled – naturally, it had been a form of comfort to him.

If a two year old, with a relatively short habit takes that amount of time to adjust, you can understand why it takes us adults so long to adapt to change and ween off our addictions. We’ve usually had our habit, addiction or pattern for a lengthy period of time …

Attachments Become Habit Forming

Reflecting on this story of weaning my son off his dummy habit, got me thinking about how we attach comfort to people, things and situations.  And the more we repeat our use and reliance on them, the more the attachment and habit forming they become.

Habits Shape Your World

Whether you’re aware of it or not, your habits are shaping your world.  They are creating everything that’s in your life and the results you are experiencing.  

To change the shape of your world and to achieve more of your goals, you need to work on your habits.  You need to identify the habits which are limiting your capacity to achieve results, and replace them with habits that will will assist you in being successful.

Habits Hold Back Your Development

Over time the costs and benefits of continuing a habit may change.  A habit that starts out as a reasonable solution, may turn out to be detrimental down the track.

We may be oblivious to the changes.  Or we might be aware because symptoms are starting to appear or get worse.  For example in you may start seeing changes in your health, relationships, business or finances.  It may be simply that you’ve hit a ceiling and are struggling to make in inroads or progress with your goals.  Or it could be that someone has pointed it out to you – like the dentist pointed out Charlie’s crooked bite problem.

Take a few moments now to reflect on your important goals and your habits.

What habits do you have that are :

  • Interfering with your growth and development – whether that be physical, mental spiritual or emotional?
  • Diminishing your confidence and courage?
  • Reducing your progress and goal success?

Reshaping Your Habits for Success

Having reflected on the habits which are holding you back (see above), take some time now to create a plan for how you will reshape your habits.  Then empower yourself by starting to implement your plan.

Reshaping your habits is an essential part of achieving your goals.  So take at least one action step today to start reshaping your habits for success

Warm regards
Lisa

PS Want some help to reshape your habits so you can achieve more of your goals and dreams?  If so, please contact me and we’ll chat about the next step –  I’d love to support you. 

Filed Under: Goals, Health & Wellbeing, The Whole Baby Thing, Transformation Tagged With: achieving goals, Empowerment, goal achievement, goals, habits, self empowerment, success

25/03/2018 by Lisa McDonald 2 Comments

5 Influential Women Who Changed The Face of History For Other Women

5 Influential Women Who Changed the Face of HistoryToday I’m continuing the theme of celebrating women – influential women.  In particular, women who have been influential in changing the face of history.

In reality, there are MANY INFLUENTIAL WOMEN in history who have broken through old paradigms.  These women have helped to build strong foundations and serve as role models for what is possible for modern women.  Today I’ve chosen five influential women and given you some information about each one.   Read More …

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Goals, Health & Wellbeing, The Whole Baby Thing, Transformation Tagged With: achieving goals, breakthrough, Empowerment, goals, self empowerment

07/03/2018 by Lisa McDonald Leave a Comment

Celebrating International Women’s Day

International-Womens-Day

Today it’s International Women’s Day.  It’s been around now for over a hundred years, and held on the same day every year since 1914 – 8 March.  So:

Happy International Women’s Day to all we women out there,
and to all of us who have significant women in our lives 🙂 .

Today in celebration, and as a woman and a coach who empowers women, I thought I’d shine a light on this special day.  Read on for six key facts about its background which you may not know about this important day, this year’s theme and how you can take tangible action in 2018 to support women.

The Background to International Women’s Day

It’s purpose

It’s a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.  The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

The History – 6 Facts You May Not Be Aware Of

Here are some key background facts to the international Women’s Day I found on Wikipedia:

  1. The first observance of a “National Women’s Day” was held 29 February 1909 in New York, and was organised by the Socialist Party of America.
  2. The first International Women’s Conference was held in August 1910.  It was planned as a one time event to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark.  During the meeting it was proposed, and agreed by delegates (100 women from 47 different countries) that it become an annual event.  It was to be used as a strategy to promote equal rights including suffrage for women.  
  3. The first International Women’s Day took place on 19 March 1911,  and was marked for the first time by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
  4. During the first year, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations.  And in Russia a strike by women textile workers on March 8 became the start of the Russian Revolution.  In Vienna, women paraded  and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune. Women demanded that they be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against sex discrimination in employment.
  5. There were many more protests in a variety of countries over the first few years including on March 8 1914 when the famous suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested on her way to address a rally in London. International Women’s Day has been on March 8 ever since.
  6. In 1975 it was adopted and first celebrated by the United Nations.  Up until then it was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries.  In 1977, they proclaimed March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.

International Women’s Day Themes

Happy Women's Day

Each year the International Women’s Day has a theme.  Here’s four key topics they’ve focused on:

  1. Peace
  2. Violence against women
  3. Poverty and hunger
  4. Gender equity

The Theme for 2018:  #PressForProgress

The World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report findings revealed that gender parity is over 200 years away.  That’s why the theme for 2018 is #PressForProgress – which is focused on encouraging people to press for progress on gender parity.

 

How You Can Take Tangible Action To Support Women

As part of the 2018 #PressForProgress theme, they are calling for people to support women by committing to take tangible action in at least one key way.

5 Actions You Can Take To Support Women in 2018

Here are five areas the International Women’s Day organisers have nominated as examples for action:

  • Maintaining a gender parity mindset
  • Challenge stereotypes and bias
  • Forge positive visibility
  • Influence the beliefs and actions of others
  • Celebrate womens achievements

If you’d like to make a commitment to #PressForProgress, I encourage you to click below:

PressforProgress-takeaction

You can advance the empowerment of women by making a commitment to do so, and by taking at least one action step  today.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Warm regards

Lisa

 

Filed Under: Goals, Health & Wellbeing, The Whole Baby Thing Tagged With: achieving goals, Empowerment, goals, inspiration

27/02/2018 by Lisa McDonald Leave a Comment

6 Tips For Developing Your Own Success Genius

6 Tips For Developing Your Own Success Genius

Recently I came across a post on 6 Parenting Tricks That Children Into Geniuses, by David Wolfe. On reading the six tips, I starting thinking about how they were also great for adults to develop their own success genius.

After all adults are just big kids – there’s a child in all of us, and we need to nurture that child to develop our own success genius.  Doing so can help you to energise yourself for life and empower you to achieve your most important goals.

Developing Your Own Success Genius

Today’s blog lists Wolfe’s six tips, along with my ‘adult’ version for us big kids.  You can use them for developing your own success genius.  Read on for 6 Tips For Developing Your Own Success Genius: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Goals, Health & Wellbeing, The Whole Baby Thing, Transformation Tagged With: breakthrough, business goals, change, Empowerment, goals, goals achievement, life goals, success

07/02/2018 by Lisa McDonald Leave a Comment

Are You One of The 36% or 64% of People?

Are you one of the 36% OR one of the 64% of people?  That’ the question I want you to ask yourself today.

It’s February already! And to state the obvious – that’s one month gone of 2018.

That means there’s less than 11 months remaining to achieve any new years resolutions or goals you resolved to achieve in 2018.  Have you converted them into written goals that you’ve started implementing?

Are You One of 36% or 64% of People

Are You One Of The 36% OR One Of The 64%?If you’re still focused and taking action on your new year’s resolutions, then well done, because that means [Read more…]

Filed Under: Goals, Health & Wellbeing, The Whole Baby Thing, Transformation Tagged With: achieving goals, breakthrough, business goals, Empowerment, goal achievement, goals, inspiration, inspired life, life goals, strategic living, strategic planning

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