Lisa McDonald

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

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12/09/2019 by Lisa McDonald

Are You Operating In Protection or Creation Mode?

Operating in protection mode is vastly different from operating in creation mode. One mode delivers very different results to the other.

Did you know that that the same part of your brain that you use to create your life, is the same part you use to protect yourself? That’s right.

But your brain can’t perform both functions at the same time. So you are either operating in creation mode OR you are operating in protection mode.

Why the brain moves into protection mode

The brain moves into protection mode when it perceives stress. This happens when there is a perceived threat to your existence. That includes any physical threat eg a wild tiger, or someone with a gun. It also includes any threat to your sense of identity or self-image (who you think you are, and are not). Because the mind perceives a threat, the body immediately creates a stress response in the body. It’s preparing for fight or flight.

These stress responses are also elicited when you are faced with making or implementing a big decision, goal or other outcome. For example contemplating how to rebuild your life after divorce. Or deciding on whether having a baby or not is the right path for you. Or setting a goal to earn a million dollars when you’ve only earned $10,000. Each of these situations stirs up our fears, beliefs and sense of self. They strike at the heart of our past, present and future identity.

How humans experience stress differently to animals

Protection - Why humans experience stress differently to animals

In animals, once they are removed from the threat, their body systems return to normal in about 20 minutes. However, humans often accumulate stress. They have the ability to replay the stressful event over and over in the mind. Each time they replay the event, the same stress response is experienced in the body, mind and emotions.

If not addressed or released, that same story will sit within them. It becomes part of where the edge is to their protection and comfort zone. When someone or something causes the old memory to pop up, that same stress response will be triggered. The same pattern can be triggered over and over again – unless addressed and released. Stress affects decision-making and action-taking, and if prolonged, can affect health.

The cost of continuing to avoid stress

Protection - The cost of continuing to avoid stress

If you keep resisting and dodging important decision-making or action-taking, you will create a void within you. Continuing to resist what you know you need to do or want to do will drain your energy, focus, enjoyment and well-being. You’ll also beat yourself up for not living or achieving the things that are most important to you. All of this resistance and self-criticism will prolong the stress cycle, perpetuate operating in protection mode and reduce your ability to actually create the life you want.

If you’re tired of wasting all that time and energy, make a commitment to address your stress and to resolve the issues. Otherwise your brain will keep you stuck in protection mode, which will prevent you from making important decisions, taking action and creating the life that you desire.

If you’d like some help to shift out of protection and into creation mode, so you can make an important decision, achieve a goal or create some other outcome, click here to contact me.

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Filed Under: Goals, Health & Wellbeing, The Whole Baby Thing, Transformation Tagged With: achieving goals, business goals, health and wellbeing, important decisions, life goals, protection, strategic living, strategic planning, stress, The Whole Baby Thing

06/06/2019 by Lisa McDonald

Life Has Many Crossroads

Life Has Many Crossroads

In life there any many crossroads.  A point at which we must consider which pathway to take.

That crossroad might be about having a baby or not, our health, a relationship, a job/business or any other area of your life.  It might be in relation to a decision, an action or an outcome.  Or any significant event.

How Will I Deal With It?

It’s a time where we have to pause and consider which path we will take.  Will I:  ignore it and keep doing the same thing? Run away and avoid it? Or, confront and deal with it?

sometimes the answer is clear to us.  Other times we can get really stuck in  indecision and inaction.  Each pathway has it’s benefits and drawbacks.   So it can become  confusing, confronting and uncomfortable.

Ultimately, each of these crossroads is an opportunity.  Either to clarify our intentions, to solve the underlying problems and to move on with our life.  Or, to stay in our safe familiar comfort zone (even if it’s uncomfortable) and not solve the problem.   Either way, it’s our choice.

But nothing will change unless we make a clear decision and commitment that we will choose a path.  Have you decided that you will decide?

Making A Decision and Taking Action

If you’re facing a life crossroad take a few moments to stop and check in.

  • What is the key decision I am facing right now?
  • What is the purpose of making this decision or taking this action?   Want will it help me to do or achieve?
  • Am I really committed to doing what’s required to achieve this outcome?

It can take a lot of courage to step forward, confront and make decisions about which path to take in life.  That’s why it can be really beneficial to have someone by your side who knows what it’s like, because they have been there.  Someone who can provide a safe space and sounding board for you to work through the issues.  Someone who also has the experience and skills to guide you through the process of figuring out what is right for you.

If you’d like some support to navigate through this important crossroad in your life, please connect with me and let me know how I can help.  Or, click here to book a chat. I’d love to support you in figuring out the next steps

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27/02/2018 by Lisa McDonald Leave a Comment

6 Tips For Developing Your Own Success Genius

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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…]

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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?

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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…]

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01/01/2018 by Lisa McDonald

The Ancient God Janis and The New Year

New Year - Roman God Janis

The Ancient God Janis

Did you know that January is named after the Roman God “Janis”?

​In ancient Roman religion and myth Janis is the god of the beginning and the ending; gates and transitions; passages and endings.  He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past.

Janis presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace.  The doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace.  As a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth and to journeys and exchange.

January – The Transition Into The New Year

The 1st of January represents the ending of one year and the beginning of a new one.  It provides a pocket of time to:

  • Be grateful
  • Reflect and learn from the past,
  • Reset our focus on the future.

This transition into the new year makes it a great time to set goals, which is where the culture of new year resolutions comes from.

Resolutions which are made with careful consideration can help reinforce permanent changes.  However, most New Years resolutions are made in a heightened or inebriated state, which often lacks a degree of commitment.  And, as a result then often never gets started or falls away within a short space of time.

Goals are more outcome focused, giving you attainable milestones and time frames.  When they are set in a more conscious and committed way, your goals can keep you motivated.  Especially if they’re aligned with your highest values and aspirations.  January is a great time to reflect on the outcomes you want for 2018, to write your goals and to start taking action.

2018 Special Goal Setting Program

With the arrival of my son December 2015, it’s been a busy couple of years since I’ve run a Strategic Life Review And Goals Setting Workshop.  It was a full day where you had to travel to participate.  This year I’ve decided to create a different program, something extra special to assist you in reviewing, goal setting and taking action on your goals in 2018.

And … because of this new format it will cost you a fraction of previous workshops held in Melbourne and still have the personal connection that made those workshops so special.  Click here to find out more ...

I look forward to inspiring, empowering and educating you to achieve more of your goals in 2018.

Warm regards

Lisa McDonald

PS If you haven’t had a look yet at my program Click here and find out more

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