Now Go Out There and Get Yourself a Raise! Quoted in CNN Money

http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/05/magazines/moneymag/105914381.moneymag/

Fresh off the press, I was interviewed for this piece featured in CNN Money on how to get a raise in a tough economy.

Enjoy it and let me know if you have specific questions.

"Why are there Socks in Your Purse?"

Throughout the year I take stock in all that I have. Doing so allows me to limit the “I want…” language and increase the “I have …” Usually at the top of my list is some reference to my mental faculties. I’m sure that being a psychologist has given me the special gift of appreciation for mental stability that most people take for granted. Waking each day and being able to make choices about my life, with some sense of clarity I hope, gives me joy. Its part of why I coach others. Some lose sight of their choices or they feel overwhelmed by them. I help remedy those situations.

Along those lines is the wonderful ability to learn. So many of us stop learning or at least actively doing it or practicing it. We get into routines that direct our lives without much thought or creativity. Think about it…. What is the last thing you learned? What have you changed about your habits or routine?

The socks… I’m getting there.

So, the other week I was preparing for a doctors visit, the OB-GYN to be specific. (I can hear the groans now. Don’t stop reading. The story is clean I assure you.) I am always cold at the doctor’s office- no matter which office, no matter which city I’ve lived. I’m always cold. Yet, it was warm outside, warranting light clothing, sandals, no hose or socks. It was as though the “aha” light bulb went off. I could take socks with me! It was like a best girlfriend was yelling it from the heavens. What a novel idea! Take what you’ll need to comfort yourself later. Brilliant.

I’ve been going to the doctor and shivering, much of my life. Why now, at 36, did it dawn on me to take socks? Who cares! It did. The fact is that I identified a problem and then figured it out! Who cares that I was a little late in doing so. You know what they say…. Better late than…

I suggest you try to find solutions to the pains that exist in your life and your activities. Think beyond the routine. The solutions may be simple, as mine was, or it could be wildly creative and complex. Use your brain. Be thankful for it and its abilities. It’s a beautiful thing.

What’s Wasting Your Time?

Imagine I told you that you could go on your “dream vacation” but you had to leave in 1 hour. Aside from wanting your bags packed appropriately, what would you spend your hour doing?

You wouldn’t believe the things you can get done in a crunch. And, each one has to be weighed by how high a priority it is. The lower ones, they fall of the face of the earth in that next hour. (Fantastic!)

When you are about to do a task I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I really need to do this? If yes, what purpose does it serve?
• Does it need to be done today or can it go on the schedule next week?
• How does doing this task make me look GREAT? (Hint, if it doesn’t you may not need to do it)
• Can someone else do it? Better? Cheaper?
• What have I done in the last hour for myself?
• What have I done in the last hour towards achieving my goals?

You’d be amazed at how many things can drop off your “to do” list and never have an impact! Let them go! Feel relieved and rewarded with some extra time on your hands to do important or worth-while things.

Bonus challenge: Make a list of worth-while activities and why they are worth-while. When confronting a task, check to see if it’s on your list. Ask yourself the questions above and drop it if you can. Then, do a worth-while activity to celebrate your “harnessing your time!”

Find and Support Your Passion/s

I recently posted a video on YouTube and my Facebook account on Passion. I was prompted to post the video based on two articles in the New York Times. I highly encourage you to watch the video and then identify and support your own passions.

You can see the video by going to my Facebook account or click on the title bar of this blog and it will take you to YouTube (if anything fails, you can also search “lisa spahr” on YouTube).

Thanks.

Another Stress Buster!

I’ve been researching cognitive enhancement lately for a project I’m working on. I, like many people, assumed that cognitive decline was a fact of life and would naturally occur as we age. But, the fact of the matter is, that cognitive decline doesn’t have to happen. You can do things daily and today that will impact your risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other disabilities that seem to come with age.

The science is clear, some stronger than others, that diet, exercise, socialization and cognitive training can decrease your risk of cognitive impairment. Some studies even show that taking anti-inflammatories can be a deterrent.

Where does stress come in? Well, it seems that if we thought stress was damaging enough, it just got worse. Your PERCEPTION of stressors in your life (being overwhelmed, believing its worse than it might be, etc...) contributes to your risk of cognitive decline. If you are a “downer” you may be setting your own fate in cognitive damage as you age. I heard one speaker mention a client of his with dementia in his 50’s! I’m not suggesting that was due to stress or his perceived stress but I am saying that the time is TODAY to take your health and mental wellbeing seriously, no matter what age you are.

So, Lisa, what do I do?

Ø Reduce your stress TODAY, NOW by removing stressful people, discussions, memories, events, etc... from your life (stop being a victim and saying that you have to be in this situation, you don’t)
Ø Enroll in daily exercise of some sort. Yoga is a good one. Dedicate one hour a day to stretching, walking, hiking, running, volleyball… what ever you are willing to do.
Ø Eat right. Yes, eat right. Start with your next meal. Make better choices today.
Ø Put the remote down. Stop watching TV. Pick up a book or better yet play a game of cards or a board game with another person.
Ø Visit someone each day for 30 minutes or talk to them on the phone.
Ø See your doctor to assess your risk factors. Your health won’t get better without your intervention.
Ø Learn to love yourself. Find positive things in your life to enjoy and share with others. If you have baggage or pain from the past see a professional. You don’t need to live that way.
Ø Research cognitive exercises. Your brain wants to learn and grow, at any age. Let it.

In health.
Lisa
PS- I’ll be celebrating my nuptials for the next 2 weeks. Enjoy this blog until then. Plus, you may need an extra week to chew on this one- and get your homework done!