#117  Often easy solutions are right in front of us but we don't see it.  Meeting and connecting with others has just that, a simple opening that costs nothing yet can yield so much.  

Do you see yourself in any of the following . . .

• You pack events and to-do's in your calendar so tightly that you feel late to every single entry?
• You think "oh, I have a minute or two more before I have to leave" and then you are late to the event?
• You don't remember to check traffic, start time, or allow for the unforeseen, and then you are late?

Odds are high that you've felt one of the above at one time or another.  Most of us have.  

And we think . . . 

• I'll get it better next time.
• I didn't miss much.

But is that true?  In reality, you'll never really know for sure, but odds are high that you did miss much more than you think.  

In this quick podcast I'll cover:

• 3 things you are highly likely to miss if you are...

  Podcast:     

#115  Do you ever want to convey a negative concept to someone?  There is a one-word verbal switch you can make to avoid escalating bad feelings. 

Conversations can be tricky.

Conversations can be rewarding either for friendships, business, or just to expand your knowledge through others.

But occasionally frustrations arise.  You might be tempted to say something you'll regret.  Just turn on the tv/computer and from a reality shows to political shows you'll see a plethora of examples of conversations elevating into what you and I would call "a bridge too far".

Most of us want to avoid words that escalate bad feelings.   We just don't know how.  If you watch those tv shows a bit more closely, you'll see their mistakes.  

But there is 1-word you can add to your sentence that can change it's direction and still say something you feel needs to get said.

  In this...

  Podcast:   Parenting Your "Nearly Grown"   JUST.   GOT.   EASIER. 

# 102 Your child has done amazing things in their short life already.   Do they recognize it?  Is it documented for later use?

Every day your child is building a list of accomplishments.  Every day.  Do they realize it?  And even more importantly, can they prove it or use it when they need to?  

Monthly, weekly, and maybe even daily your child builds skills that can be used for crucial life-moments.  From interviews, to talking points, to building self-confidence, they can learn to capture these accomplishments. 

In today's podcast, you'll learn of a way they can easily capture some of these needed life nuggets.  It's a skill they'll need and use for a lifetime.  

You Can Have Success in the Middle of it ALL

P.S. Want a deeper dive on finding and documenting accomplishments?  Read on . ....

We've all learned how to teach 2 + 2, that Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and the Gettysburg Address, and how to ride a bike.  

But teaching them emotional tools?  Why haven't we taught them more of this?  Can it be done?  In short, YES.

Your child (and mine) need as many...

What skill would help your child the most in the next 12 months?  

We teach our teens how to drive a car, how to wash clothes, how to handle high school, and so much more, right? 

But often we overlook teaching how to tackle new things. 

Which skills will they need next yr, 5 years from now or 20 years from now?  Who knows.  We can predict a few skills, but what about the ones we can't predict?

What can we teach now that can apply to their known and their unknown skill needs?

What CAN we teach them?  Answer:  an approach, a system, a method in which to view mastering new skills or even improve old ones.  

• learn a 5-step framework to skill learning or improvement
• ...

 Podcast:   Parenting Your "Nearly Grown"   JUST.  GOT.   EASIER.   

 What does your child do when a new opportunity or challenge occurs?

• avoids it
• takes 3x longer to tackle it
• feels inadequate
• doesn't know where to start?

Odds are high you picked at least one of the above.

None of those responses are surprising.  Your "nearly grown" child still has some growing to do on the "rational/language" side of the equation while their "emotional" growth is practically complete.  

But, of course, tackling new things?   You and I know it is an absolute must in their becoming the very best they can be.    Of course, learning how to do this sooner rather than later?  It helps them get where they are heading faster and wiser.

How can you teach them to look at those opportunities and challenges?

AND

How can they master the steps to keep moving forward and avoiding the fear,...

You probably don't realize it.  I didn't either.    Since the upheaval of our time structure this season, we have lost crucial time anchors. 

We've relied on those "anchors" for years.  Our "nearly grown" kids?  Many of them basically have only known these types of time anchors. 

But there is a way to focus in on how to right your ship (and your "nearly grown" child's as well.  

In this podcast: (see at the top)

• learn an EASY time hack I have used for 30 years 
• learn how you answer "Where did the time go?" and "I put so much time into this, what happened?" 
• learn how...

With graduation day JUST around the corner, you ask yourself this question all the time-

Is my "almost grown child" ready for life after me? They CAN be more ready than you think.

Here are 3 habit/educational moves they need to learn now - while in HS for success after the big "cross the stage for that diploma" moment.  

By the end of this podcast (link near top) you will be able to tuck these 3 solid success habits into their every day life. BONUS: at the end you will learn an easy method to avoid the graduation day panic of "what haven't I taught them"!

Podcast Episode Summary:

[3:08] "Talking Tall vs. Talking Small"
            - teach them to handle conflict
[7:25] "Sublime Time"
           - control and minimize their environment
[12:40] "Two Million Dollars"
           - the buck stops here
[16:04] Make a List and Check it Twice - the Practical Way"
     ...

Does achieving “big things” seem daunting? Admit it, our “little small voice” can often be heard shouting “Who do you think you are? That’s way too big a dream for you!”

Imagine being a young adult and being told to dream big dreams. Great advice, but it often puts the cart before the horse. Surviving ACT/SAT, college applications, internships, a first job, or high school graduation can easily fall in the “fear” category, and the “huge” category to most. Huge & Fear quickly translate into a perception of “hard”.

“Missed Kicks Makes Brain See Smaller Goal Posts”

Hadley Leggett thru the Wired website writes of a fascinating study on perception vs. accomplishment:

“In a study of 23 non-football athletes who each kicked 10 field goals, researchers found that players’ performance directly affected their perception of the size of the goal: After a series of missed kicks, athletes...