As I watched the 1962 classic “The Music Man” this weekend, I was reminded of Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today” when Professor Harold Hill (Robert Preston) told the Librarian, Marian (Shirley Jones), “If  you pile up enough tomorrows, all you will have is a bunch of empty yesterdays”.

Achieving “full” yesterdays that are aligned with your goals (avoiding the “woulda, coulda, shoulda”) may require you to make new habits or change old ones - something that cannot be put off until tomorrow.  Whether your resolution is to read more, eat less, work smarter, add a practice of meditation, exercise more patience, get to bed earlier, have a more positive outlook, be more organized, get fit - or any other goal - achieve it by starting now and by taking one small step at a time as you become aware of your opportunities to change. Ask yourself what is holding you back?  It is in the very moment when you notice what you
could or should be doing that you have a choice and the power to make or break habits.  Don’t expect change will automatically happen because you made a resolution.  It will take multiple starts, a lot of awareness, successful repetition - and time - to adjust your thoughts and behaviors.

As you start your new year, make a point to notice your opportunities each day, hour and minute to choose the action that will make your yesterdays full.

Wishing you a prosperous, full and “woulda- coulda- shoulda-free” Happy New Year!

Shirley M. Clark, CLC

In her book, “My Stroke of Insight”, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, referring to her  eight-year recovery from a massive stroke, tells us that if the boundary between  what you can do and what you cannot do is not clearly defined, then you don’t  know what to try next.  Her key message: “recovery can be derailed by  hopelessness.”

Both of these amazing women, when faced with life-altering challenges - even  while recognizing their lives would never be the same - spoke of hope.  We can  learn from them and recognize that no matter what we are going through as a  nation, a family, or are experiencing in our careers - it is when we remain  hopeful that we can define and find the resources within to get us to the next  step.

It is the hope that you can manage through the challenge of change to live a  secure life… a healthy life… a fulfilled life… that will push you to focus your  thoughts and invest your time in the work required to move you closer to your  goals.  When we have hope, we can imagine a better life and we can choose to  lead our life in a way that will have a positive impact on our tomorrow. We  don’t need to be stuck when we have hope as a beacon.

Ken Blanchard once said, “Leadership is the capacity to influence others by  unleashing their power and potential to impact the greater good”.   This is a  time for the leader within us to emerge stronger and more resilient. With the  current trials we all face, it is sometimes difficult to be an optimist, but  with hope, we have the power to influence and impact the greater good - for  ourselves, our families and our communities.

Let hope be the seed that inspires you to work through any challenges you may  face and look past fear to imagine a life filled with new opportunities.

So what is it that generally causes this energy to wane as the year goes on?  Many resolutions are set aside within a few months and we fall back into old patterns and habits.  Conversely, what is behind our ability to succeed in keeping a New Year’s Resolution?  Can you think of a time when you did?  What was at the core of your success?

When things have been a certain way for a long period of time, we often accept them as they are and don’t think about what will be or what can be.  We get caught in a pattern of behavior and expectations that can often lead us on a path we don’t want to be on or land us in a situation that is uncomfortable or painful.  Changing those patterns cannot be done by simply writing a list.  The good news is, however, they can be changed!  When you think back on times you have accomplished something memorable – perhaps losing weight, quitting smoking, taking on a challenging new role – what did you do to achieve your success?  It all started with a thought and a goal.

Just take a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breath.  What is it that you would like to accomplish?  How would you like to be in 2009?  How do you want to be perceived by those around you?  Take another breath and contemplate what needs to be on your mind each day in order to be the person you want to be.  What do you need to be thinking to accomplish new things?  What actions do you need to take to achieve the results you desire?

On this day, as we make our lists – no matter what our employment situations are or what the economy is doing – for that moment in time we feel like we have some control over what lies ahead.  Make that feeling of control a reality.  Make everyday a New Year’s Eve and recognize that we can keep our Resolutions when we think about what we need to do and we choose to make those powerful choices to change.

May your mind be filled with thoughts that lead you to grand and glorious things – or simply things that make your life a little bit better!  Happy New Year!

With the single-wage-earning family a thing of the past for most families, the ‘who’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ we work is part personal choice and part necessity.  There can be no rules, there are no “norms”.  Each family - each woman must consider their circumstance and determine what is best for them.  That might mean a nanny, a neighbor or a grandmother enter the scene.  It might mean a stay-at-home dad or a stay-at-home mom.  Whatever the choice is - it is a personal one.  You can find studies that say kids with a parent at home do better than kids with two working parents.  That may be true in some families and false in others.  I know parents who work and are raising perfectly fine young citizens.  I have also met children of a stay-at-home parent who are consistently in some type of trouble.  Does that allow me to make a judgment on their behalf? Statistics are only that - numbers with a margin for error.

This has been an interesting year to observe the women running for public office.  It has been even more interesting observing those who are doing the observing … and the judging.  We have a country filled with strong women leaders.  We have a country where women represent 54% of the vote.  Yet somehow, many feel it necessary to bash the Vice-Presidential nominee because she is a mother outside of any “norm” they are used to dealing with.

We (Choose 2 Lead Women’s Foundation) recently released a study done for the U.S. Department of Labor on why highly skilled and educated women leave the traditional workplace. While the specific reasons were as unique as the individuals themselves, the findings of the study (HYPERLINK) include the challenges women face in a workplace that still has a 1940’s mentality. Don’t let our country follow the same trajectory as those workplaces. It is time that we come together to express the value in our distinct differences and our right to be individuals.

This is a complicated time we live in. Recognize and embrace our differences and help this country be a better place to work and live. We each have a role that is uniquely our own. Stand up for the working woman!! Stand up for the stay-at-home mom (also working, by the way). Stand up for the freedom to choose when it is right for you to be both, either or neither!

Choose 2 Lead Women’s Foundation is a non profit organization that is a catalyst for changing the paradigm of the 21st century workplace, bringing together facts, economics, and social needs to support informed choices by women, employers and policymakers.

Here are the facts…The demographics of the worker are changing. Women are earning bachelor’s degrees at a higher rate than men. There are more women in the workforce than ever before: many are working mothers, and Generation X and Y women possess a new work ethos, wanting to have more balance between work, family and community, carving out a different path of their baby boomer mothers who had to fight for quality in the workplace. Still other women have taken sabbaticals to raise families, or have found a “family-friendly” employer. As baby boomers age and contemplate traditional retirement, there won’t be enough  young people entering the workforce to replace them, and they won’t have comparable experience.

As the needs of workers shift, employers face challenges in retaining valuable intellectual capital. Employers need to develop innovative strategies and adapt their cultures to attract and retain high quality employees. Why? This will help boost productivity, profitability and competitiveness, and instill loyalty.

The bottom line is…We need to figure out a better way to use 21st century technologies and innovative methods to support the working people of today and tomorrow. Traditional one-size-fits-all employment approaches need to be replaced with win-win strategies that benefit both the individual and the organization.

We invite your to explore our site, and contact us to get involved. Thank you.