When Deadlines Are Stressing You Out

Defending your position

"A goal is a dream with a deadline." - Napoleon Hill

Deadlines are hard to avoid in your working life.

At best they can be stimulating challenges that stop you from falling asleep at your desk by keeping you on your toes.

At worst they can lead to burn-out, when realisation sets in that a target cannot be met.

When working for someone else, deadlines are usually set by someone other than you, unless you work for a kind manager, who asks you what time frame would be suitable for you.

If you work for yourself, you have the advantage to set deadlines according to your schedule and ability.

If you are running your own business, this can be a blessing but also a curse when you ignore careful planning.

Setting realistic deadlines that don't stress you out is important for your reputation as someone your clients can rely on.

"Crystallise your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence, determination and disregard for obstacles and other people's criticisms, carry out your plan." - Paul J. Meyer

Meeting your deadlines means that you take your business seriously and you have the tenacity to deliver on time, regardless of the little hiccups that could delay you behind the scenes.

I often notice with creative people and empaths that they struggle with this kind of pressure.

Don't be your own enemy

They apologise on social media or in newsletters for not delivering on their intentions. I've been there myself with my tarot deck, which in the end took five years to complete :).

Nothing is worse than sending a newsletter to your clients apologising for a delay, because somehow life got in the way.

Sometimes it really can't be helped, and that's okay. But sometimes it is also down to simple self-sabotage, which can be avoided, if you are aware of it.

Mindfulness is the key, and combined with the Tarot can offer straight-forward solutions. 

Daily check-ups are useful to keep on track and offer ideas to avoid delays. Ask questions such as

- What is blocking me from reaching my deadline?
- How can I remove these blocks?
- What step can I take today to make progress?

Let the tarot guide you into the right direction.

Remember you're in charge

In addition, here are a 3 simple tips to keep your nerves when an impending deadline is causing concern:

- Don't panic.
- Be determined and keep going.
- Believe in yourself that you can do it.

When setting your deadline, make sure you include additional time to cover for the unexpected little hiccups such as short-term illness, holiday, sufficient time to relax etc.

"Deadlines refine the mind. They remove variables like exotic materials and processes that take too long. The closer the deadline, the more likely you'll start thinking waaay outside the box." - Adam Savage

My current deadlines are the Tarot Moon Journal 2018 and the Cosmic Faery Tarot Guidebook. Yes, it's getting tight, but I'm still on target.

In the meantime, join my free Facebook group for additional tarot exercises, spreads, journaling prompts and mindful musings.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

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A Message From Strength for 2015

Strength is the global year card for 2015.

Embrace the energy of Strength by following your passion.

Be it in love, romance, work, career, education, personal growth, spirituality, life style, health, parenthood... anything that is important to you.

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.”
Simon Sinek

More wisdom for 2015 associated with Strength:

• You don't find time to do something, you make it. You are the source of time.
• Accept 100% responsibility. Don't blame it on the shitty economy, other people or bad luck. It's down to you and how you handle your inner demons that sabotage your success.
• Stop caring about what others think of you. Have the courage to be yourself and stand by your choices with confidence. If you keep living your life to please others, then you keep stifling your potential and happiness.
• Find pleasure in the challenge. Stretch yourself, push your comfort zone to expand your vision. The more you do it, the less you fear change and uncertainty. 
• Get in touch with yourself often. Ask questions like 'why' and 'how'. Explore your feelings, desires and experiences. Journal about them to help you grow and make your dreams come true. 
• Whatever you do, put your heart into it.
• Always remember to nurture and take care of yourself. 

“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.”

Richard Branson

Wishing you a prosperous and fulfilling 2015.

Christiane

Transform your life this year:

Tarot Readings - Insightful guidance when you need it
Learn Tarot - A magickal, inspirational tool for life
Tarot eBooks - Great value, innovative Tarot study material

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Learn How To SUMO

Eek! Beat those stressful situations with SUMO

Millions of people suffer from stress in the workplace.

The causes are diverse - from having to meet targets and deadlines to irritating co-workers and bosses, to name but two.

Often it is easy to blow small incidences out of proportion (who's taken my holepunch again? Grrr...), or we tend to succumb to victim mentality and become all bitter and resentful, for example when overlooked for promotion and a colleague is chosen instead. Ouch.

By the time someone goes off sick due to a stress-related illness, that person may well have experienced many little incidences that one day have led to the final straw, and BOOM - a Tower moment!

Nervous breakdown,
a good day to start again

Before you get to that point, I'd like to share with you a stress-busting technique, which I learned many years ago whilst still working my socks off in the corporate world.

I learned how to SUMO.

The person, who taught me, was Paul McGee.

S.U.M.O. stands for Shut Up and Move On.

It sounds harsh at first, but in order to avoid getting stressed about stuff, it is necessary not to get worked up so easily. Simply let go and move on.

How many people needed
to put up a f*cking tent?

It doesn't mean you have to take every crap they throw at you, but look at each incident that annoys or upsets you with more logic and reason.

How can you do that?

Here are the 7 questions to help you SUMO:

1. Where is this issue on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 = death)?

Compared to death, most people will rank their issue low and often feel much better as a result. They realise it's not that bad and move on.

2. How important will this be in six months time?

Think: most issues are just water under the bridge six months later. If this is the case, then you may not need to answer the following questions, and skip along happily with a refreshed mindset.

3. Is my response appropriate and effective?

Or do you have a flair for drama? If yes, for God's sake, move on. And if you want to speak your mind, choose your words wisely.

4. How can I influence or improve the situation?

Yes, some issues are ongoing and linger in the background. They really need sorting out. You either address them appropriately or decide to accept them. Acceptance helps you reduce your stress level. Acceptance helps you to move on.

Defeat, hollow victory,
win at all cost, betrayal

5. What can I learn from this?

Sometimes we have to deal with big issues, such as change in the workplace, job losses, poor career prospects, disagreements and personality clashes that can be challenging. These situations always offer us a lesson to help us grow. Avoid self-pity and disillusion. Make sure, your answer to this question is empowering...and then move on.

6. What will I do differently next time?

Apply your lessons learned. This way you are moving on.

7. What can I find that's positive in this situation?

Losing your job or being overlooked for promotion aren't necessarily moments of joy in your life, but they can be opportunities in disguise. Every cloud has a silver lining. Time to move on.

Of course, you can use the Tarot to help you answer some of the questions above, if you are facing a stressful situation at work or, yes, even in your personal life. Any situation that irritates you, keeps simmering in the background or even makes your blood boil.

 Shuffle your deck and pick a card for each question:

1. How can I influence or improve the situation?
2. What can I learn from this?
3. What can I do differently next time?
4. What can I find that's positive in this situation?

I have been using the SUMO technique for many years, and learned to look at seemingly stressful situations from a new - more constructive - perspective. I hope it will serve you well, too. 

Let go of being a victim, learn to SUMO instead. 

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

PS: Make sure you visit the SUMO Guy and watch him in action. Funny and inspirational.



Transform your life this year:

Tarot Readings - Insightful guidance when you need it
Learn Tarot - A magickal, inspirational tool for life.

For more inspiring quotes and affirmations for each card, check out my ebook Empowering Messages from the Tarot

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Curse of Information Overload

Seven of Wands: challenge, stress,
overwhelm, struggle, perseverance

If you are building your own business, want to learn a specific skill or more about how to advance your career, then there is no shortage of free information and advice on the internet.

Have you noticed, how many teleseminars, telesummits, webinars and live recordings are out there in the virtual world?

I keep getting invitations to watch, listen and join loads of them, and if I did, I wouldn't have any time to actually run and develop my business.

Someone said to me recently: "Oh, I listen to the recordings while I drive to work in the morning."

But when I once tried to learn Italian whilst driving to and from work, I quickly realised that I was concentrating more on the traffic than the instructions on the tape.

And of course you cannot watch a video clip while you are driving.

My tip: get back to basics.

You don't need to listen to an hour long recording only to come away with "3 secrets to success" (and in return you had to sign up to that mailing list, too, which will clutter up your inbox).

You don't need to watch all those videos. (If a video doesn't grab you with some awesome stuff within the first 60 seconds, switch it off).

You don't need to join a tedious webinar to make a breakthrough.

Instead, keep it simple: read. Pick up a recommended book on your chosen subject. Visit a recommended website with good quality content that you can refer back to.

Yes, it is tempting to fall for anything that is offered for free, but all the fancy multimedia stuff is distracting and stops you from getting on with building your business or advancing your career.

Too much information isn't necessarily useful. It can make you feel inadequate. It stops you from focusing on what is important - getting things done.

You don't need all those fancy apps on your phone to get organised or become more productive.

What you need is the desire to create and share, an instinct to produce great work or be a shining light in your chosen career.

Sometimes you will have the urge to refresh your knowledge or learn something new, but don't get lost in it.

Perhaps you think that you have to stay up-to-date with the latest information in order to get your business or career where you want it to be.

But the truth is you don’t need any more information – all you need is DIRECTION – clear step-by-step guidance without the frills. Here are some ideas:

1. Make a plan / Set your goal

2. Find support to implement your plan and reach your goal. This can be a family member, a good friend or someone, who shares your aspirations.

3. Be prepared to work hard without immediate success. 

4. Figure out, who your ideal client /employer is, so you can target these people in your marketing  and networking. Be as specific as possible. 

5. What do your ideal clients / employers want? What products / services / skills are they looking for, and how can you give it to them? This also includes their hopes, dreams, fears and problems they need to resolve. How can you help them?

6. Craft your marketing / CV based on your ideal clients' / employers' wants and desires.

7. Get paid. Don't give your time away for free, consider a reduced fee trial session instead.

If you are looking at internships or work experience placements, you may not get paid in money, but make sure they will offer you a great learning experience, that will widen your horizon and generate new prospects and opportunities.

8. Keep on marketing / networking. Use social media strategically to focus on your goals.

As you can see, the "secret to success" is all about planning, taking action and staying focused. No need to enrol on numerous courses, webinars and telesummits to reach your goal.

Relax, make use of what you already know and just GET THINGS DONE.

Warmest wishes,

Christiane



Transform your life this year:

Tarot Readings - Insightful guidance when you need it
Learn Tarot - A magickal, inspirational tool for life.

For more inspiring quotes and affirmations for each card, check out my ebook Empowering Messages from the Tarot

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.