Lessons & Insights from 2019 — Blog — Melody Woolford Coaching

Three Steps to Cultivating Self-Confidence (Day 30 of 30)

Self-confidence the ability to be secure in yourself and your abilities without any evidence. It is the unshakeable faith in your ability to learn, try and not give up! It is the emotion you want to conjure up to fuel your actions when you are trying something new, like relaunching your career after taking time off to care for our kids or transitioning to a new job. (See my blog that highlights the difference between confidence and self-confidence). Thankfully, it is not a gene that some of us are predisposed to but a skill we can develop. Self-confidence is the emotion of growth that will propel you towards your dreams if you are willing to cultivate it. Below are three steps to cultivating self-confidence.

Self-Confidence is the Emotion of Growth (Day 29 of 30)

How many of you have big dreams you’d love to accomplish, if only you had the self-confidence to go after them?!

Many of you think self-confidence is an innate gift that some lucky few are born with or that you gain through lots of experience over time. The truth is self-confidence is accessible to everyone. It is a state of being that is created in your mind and you can start cultivating it right away!

Self-Doubt Is A Sign We Are Growing (Day 28 of 30)

Many of us think that there is something wrong with us when self-doubt rears its ugly head in our lives. It makes us question our capabilities, doubt our value and robs us of our dreams.

New flash: nothing could be further from the truth. Even the most successful people in the world struggle with self-doubt! (Take Serena Williams for instance! She is a world class tennis player but she still experiences self-doubt too.) It is a normal part of the human experience. The difference between those of us who move through it successfully and those who don’t is what we make it mean.

Constraint: Focusing On What Is Important (Day 27 of 30)

Constraint: a limitation or restriction we put on ourselves to simplify our lives and focus on what is most important!

It sounds easy but it can be seriously challenging to reign in our interests. FOMO anyone?!?

Many of us cringe at hearing the word constraint because we have a phobia of missing out. We have so many things we want to do (or feel like we must do). But following that calling can send many of us into overwhelm pretty quickly - a complaint I hear often from my clients.

Three Tips for Working from Home (Day 26 of 30)

Three tips for successfully working from home:

1) Get the tidying out of the way ASAP.

2) Keep refrigerator and kitchen cabinets junk food free.

3) Get out of the house at least once a day.

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Work Productivity, Time ManagementMelody WoolfordJanuary 26, 2020

Mental Noting Is Useful in Meditation And Everyday Life (Day 25 of 30)

The simple act of mental noting, gently acknowledging what’s going on in my mind in very simple terms without any judgement, has been influential in reducing the mental chatter in my brain in the wee hours of the morning!

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Mental HealthMelody WoolfordJanuary 25, 2020Feelings, Thoughts

Therapy Versus Coaching (Day 24 of 30)

What is the difference between coaching and therapy? I get this question often. In a nutshell, here are the main distinctions I see. This is not an exhaustive list. There are MANY types of coaches and therapists out there, so this is just a broad outline. Therapy tends to be more about uncovering your past, diagnosing a disorder or mental illness, and healing. It is about taking the patient from non-functioning to functioning in the world. Life coaching on the other hand helps clients gain perspective on their life and mind, and identify areas for change and improvement. It is about growth, mind management, and designing a future they love! Often times, therapy and coaching compliment each other. Many clients work with therapist to heal their past, while also working with a coach to plan their future and take action towards their goals. A win-win combo for those who need it.

Lessons & Insights from 2019Melody WoolfordJanuary 24, 2020

Turtle Steps Add Up (Day 23 of 30)

Ever feel stuck on a project and unable to move forward? A feeling of overwhelm kicks in and you don’t know how to get unstuck?

It turns out what I needed to do was break down my actions into smaller more digestible steps than originally envisioned. I was trying to take on too much at once, and freezing as a result.

Once I chunked the projects into smaller steps, put them on the calendar and stopped looking at the overall grand goal, I was able to start take action. These “turtle steps” added up and created momentum that eventually led to the completion of my goals.

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Time Management, Work ProductivityMelody WoolfordJanuary 23, 2020

Are You Getting 8 Hours of Sleep? (Day 22 of 30)

Want to improve your productivity, concentration, and overall health with just one magic bullet? 😉

It’s called 8 hours of quality sleep on a regular basis!

My husband and I are fanatics about trying to get 8 hours of sleep every night for our mental and physical well being! 💤 The science is so compelling it will blow your mind! 🤯

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Mental Health, Work ProductivityMelody WoolfordJanuary 22, 2020Sleep

Discipline Is Freedom (Day 21 of 30)

We often think of discipline as being the antithesis of freedom, but in reality they are intimately connected.

If you really want something, you must move through discipline to get there.

Let’s take time as an example - the most valuable commodity of all. Many of us complain about not having enough time and say we are too busy to engage in self-care or look for our dream job. But what if I told you there is always enough time. Time never changes. It is simply what you make time mean and how you use it.

I Choose Love (Day 20 of 30)

Of all the emotions on the planet to choose from, which one would you choose to feel most often?

I choose love because it feels amazing!

It is interesting that so many of us choose hate in the world today given that love is available to us anytime we want. How? Because our thoughts create our feelings. It takes practice, but the choice is available to us.

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Thought ManagementMelody WoolfordJanuary 20, 2020Emotions

Let Our Loved Ones Be Who They Are (Day 19 of 30)

Do you have an “instruction guide” for how people in your life should behave so you can feel good and happy? Of course you don’t tell them about this guide. It is just assumed they should instinctively know how to treat you properly and will of course comply because they love you or at least care about you.

Many of us have beliefs that we would be happier if someone in our lives would just change. So we spend years trying to change them, causing suffering and exhaustion.

Manuals are a huge cause of suffering for many of us because we are handing over the power of how we feel to someone else. Other people’s behavior has no impact on us emotionally until we think about it, interpret it, and choose to make it mean something.

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Relationships, Thought ManagementMelody WoolfordJanuary 19, 2020Thoughts

A Little Rest Might Be All You Need to Recharge (Day 18 of 30)

Sometimes you need to take a nap…and that’s OKAY!

Give yourself permission. You deserve it.

In fact, I took one this afternoon and it was glorious. Walking my talk people! 😉

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Mental HealthMelody WoolfordJanuary 18, 2020

Set Yourself Free of Anger and Resentment by Choosing Forgiveness (Day 17 of 30)

How does your body feel when you’re holding anger and resentment towards someone in your life for an offense or mistake they’ve made?

Icky and terrible, right? Like dragging a ball and chain around with you all day.

Ever stop to wonder why?

It's because of the negative thoughts we have about the offender. Those thoughts create feelings in our body that only we can feel. The offender only experiences their interpretation of our behavior, because they have their own thoughts that create their own feelings. We have no control over them.

So if we want to be free of the ball and chain, we have to choose the path of genuine forgiveness. For OUR OWN SAKE. Continuing to think negative thoughts only hurts us.

Do You Have Your Own Back? (Day 16 of 30)

Imagine your friend comes to you upset and shares with you that she bombed her interview with xyz company and isn’t sure what to do next. It’s been six months of job hunting and she feels like a total loser. She can’t seem to get a break. Will you (A) tell her she's a total loser and you are embarrassed to be her friend? Or will you (B) listen, be compassionate, and offer support?

Most of us would answer B!

Now, the big question. How many of you show up for yourself with the same compassion when you fail? 😘

Do you follow through on your commitments to yourself? 💯

Do you show up for yourself with 100% energy and enthusiasm? 👊

Or are you your own worst critic? 😤

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Relationships, Thought ManagementMelody WoolfordJanuary 16, 2020

The Quality of Your Relationships Depend on Your Thoughts (Day 15 of 30)

Loved ones don’t create your feelings. You do, with your thoughts!

Our relationships are simply our thoughts about another person. So the quality of your relationship with your spouse or children depends on the quality of your thoughts about them!

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Thought ManagementMelody WoolfordJanuary 14, 2020Thoughts

Why didn't someone teach me this in high school!?! (Day 14 of 30)

Do you want to understand why you feel so crappy or amazing in any given moment? Take a look at your thoughts (not just your conscious thoughts, but also your unconscious ones). Why is this so important? Because your feelings are why you do or don’t do anything in life. They drive all your actions and inactions.

Nature Nurtures Your Soul (Day 13 of 30)

One of the best ways I’ve found to maintain my sanity as an urban dweller over the last 14 years living in NYC is to get out in nature as much as a I can. I try to plan at least four hikes a season with family and friends, and build in vacations that are nature-oriented.

Nature heals the beating that my urban soul takes on a weekly basis with its remedies of solitude, fresh air and sunshine.

Lessons & Insights from 2019, Mental HealthMelody WoolfordJanuary 13, 2020