Personal Growth Princess » Recommended Resources

11 Great Words for 2011

Nina East — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:12:34 +0000

If you’re looking for a little jazzy inspiration to help you think about how 2011 might be a different year for you, then watch this video from Box of Crayons.

Michael Bungay Stanier always has great words of wisdom – and great videos. Plus, he was one of our featured authors in 2010 (Do More Great Work).

Take a look and tell me what you think in the comments below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Checklist Manifesto – how to get things right [book review]

Nina East — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:35:39 +0000

Are you a list maker? If so, you already know how helpful – as well as how distracting – they can be. If you aren’t a list maker, chances are you think they are a waste of time at best, and the sign of an empty life at worst.

I admit it – I’m a list maker. I’ve even been known to add something to my list that I just completed, just for the pleasure I get from marking it off. That’s a perfect example of how lists can become distracting.

Of course, that’s not the kind of list Atul Gawande is talking about in The Checklist Manifesto – How To Get Things Right. A “checklist” is not the same thing as a “to do” list. A checklist is used for routine or repetitive tasks, where getting it right makes a difference.

The Checklist Manifesto is a scientific examination of how checklists can help. Gawande is a surgeon, so he was looking specifically at how using checklists for medical procedures or processes could make a difference in terms of accuracy and care. He shares some rather remarkable statistics – such as how implementing a checklist for one routine procedure in one hospital reduced infection rates from 11% to 0%, saving 8 lives and $2 million in costs.

OK, so it makes sense to use checklists in order to get things right when you’re talking about people’s lives, right? You can see how it would be helpful to use them in medicine, fire prevention, airline pre-flight checks, etc.

But what about for regular people living regular lives? Can using checklists actually make enough of a difference to matter? Are there really noticeable benefits to using checklists?

Think about how much you have to keep track of every day – from your personal life to work (or even running a business). “Know-how is often unmanageable,” Gawande says. We know so much, have so much information, that even if we have a great deal of practice with something, things can slip.

“The volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability
to deliver its benefits correctly, safely or reliably.”

Gawande doesn’t state this outright in the book, but using checklists can reduce stress. If you don’t have to keep track of something in your mind, how much brain power or mental “bandwidth” does that free up for focusing on what really matters? In this world of more information, more overwhelm, it’s helpful to use tools that can let you breathe more easily.

Honestly, some things are too complex, or too important, to be left to the memory of one person. Sure, you may have done the “task” a hundred times yourself, but does that mean you always remember every step? What if someone had to step in and do it for you? Would they know how? Would they get it right the first time, or end up using extra time because they have to do it over?

I started using checklists when I was a university administrator. We used them for events, hiring speakers, hiring staff, running an entire Freshman Orientation program, etc. Using the checklist meant we didn’t have to worry about whether someone did what they were supposed to. Not only did using them save untold amounts of stress, having a high quality checklist for the Freshman Orientation program meant the entire program went off without a hitch even when the key staff member left right before hand. That saved time and stress, as well as many thousands of dollars.

We use checklists everyday at PersonalGrowthPrincess.com. We have checklists for steps to follow when contacting and following up with authors, preparing for interviews, crafting book summaries, welcoming new members, renewing members, etc.

For example, when a new annual member joins Personal Growth Princess, they receive a welcome basket. The basket consists of a number of delightful gifts, and is prepared in a very specific way. Why? Because I want members to know they matter to us, and I want to be able to focus on the delight and joy included in each gift, not stress over whether it is being sent out on time or if everything was included.

The welcome basket checklist helps us make sure the baskets go out on time with everything included. We even get as specific as indicating the length of ribbon that is used in wrapping the gifts. While that may sound a bit over the top, consider how much simpler it is to just cut 24 inches of ribbon each time and know it will come out perfectly, rather than guessing and estimating and ending up with either not enough ribbon to make it work, or wasting tons of extra ribbon. Both of those outcomes ultimately driving up the expenses, which frankly, is something I don’t even want to be thinking about when I’m sending something for the purpose of delighting you! If I don’t have to think about how long the ribbon should be, I can put my focus on other things that do matter – such as the personal note that is enclosed with each gift. By using the checklists, I have confidence it is getting done correctly, and I can focus on creating more meaning.

So how can checklists help you?

Think about the activities you do that are repetitive but that you have to think about. For example, washing the dishes probably doesn’t require a checklist – unless you are teaching your teenage kids how to do it, of course. In which case, a checklist would be super handy, and possibly a mother-child relationship saver!

Do you travel? If so, are there certain things you know you need to take every time? I used to travel every weekend to lead seminars for a college planning seminar. While I traveled every weekend, invariably I would end up forgetting something critical – such as the extra pair of pantyhose I forgot to replace after using the spare pair on the last trip. (When I was growing up my family went camping a lot. My parents had a camping checklist posted on the refrigerator – a strategy that was developed after numerous episodes of getting a couple of miles down the road only to realize we had forgotten some critical item.)

Are there places in your life where having a checklist would be a good strategy? Where having a checklist would allow you to catch errors, be more efficient, be more effective, help people feel more cared for because you remembered to connect with them?

Party planning? Volunteer work? Your own personal growth?

If you want the ultimate in checklists that help you show people you care, take a look at PersonalGrowthCards.com. This is a very cool service that allows you to send a heartfelt greeting card, written in your own handwriting – yet all handled online - to someone anytime you get the prompting. You know what I mean…you’re driving down the road and someone pops in your mind and you think “I should get in touch with that person.” Or you hear someone was having a bad day and you want to do something sweet to brighten their day. It’s easy to send a gift or a card that can touch someone deeply, without requiring all the effort (and expense) of driving to the card store, picking out the card, buying the stamp, then writing it and getting it to the post office.

What’s the checklist part of it? The fact that you have an immediately accessible way to go from idea to card sent without having to drive anywhere…specific steps that are super easy to understand. The other checklist part of it? You can create triggers in the system to prompt you to send cards to certain people on certain dates. It’s a way of making sure you do what matters, even when your inclination is to forget about it.

So I’m curious. How do you use checklists in your life or your business? Where are they most effective? Have you ever changed a checklist? If so, how and why? Leave a comment below and share!

Earning Compound Interest on Personal Growth

Nina East — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:42:55 +0000

You already know about earning compound interest on your money, right? The earlier you start putting money away, and the more consistently you do it, the more you will have when you retire. Exponentially more.

Have you considered that the same may be true for your approach to personal growth and the payoffs it can have for you?

I came across this concept reading an old post about earning compound interest on your knowledge, by Colin Wright. Here’s what he said:

Consider this: making connections between a new concepts and tidbits of knowledge that you already posses increases recall (that is, you are more likely to store it in your long-term memory if you have some context to put it in). The chances that you will know something that relates to a new concept are increased with every new bit of knowledge you already posses. It would seem, then, that it is in your best interest to learn as much as possible about as many topics as possible in order to achieve an optimal learning situation.

– Colin Wright

Extrapolating from that, it makes sense that the more you connect what you learn about yourself with new personal growth information, the more likely you are to retain it. As you do more and more of this, consistently and over time, the greater the awareness and personal insights grow, and theoretically at least, the more likely you are to apply what you know. This, in turn, produces more self-learning, followed by deeper insights, etc. As this compounds, and you know yourself better and better, the more you will come to appreciate yourself, acknowledging the gifts and talents you have, as well as the inherent greatness within you.

What suggestions does Colin make for compounding your knowledge?

He gives three:

Be Reading
Be Referencing
Be Studying

Since one of the characteristics of personal growth princesses is that we are a bit on the book-junkie end of the spectrum, this fits right in with our natural tendencies.

In other words, it ought to be easy for us to do this.

But it’s not always easy, right? Life is busy. We have a lot on our plates. We might still buy the books, with all the best intentions of reading them, or at least skimming them, but if we’re honest, we’ve spent thousands of dollars over our lifetime on un-read and un-helpful self-help books.

That’s actually why I have such a passion for providing the self-help book summaries via PersonalGrowthPrincess.com. I just had not thought of it in terms of “compounding knowledge” before.

What do you think about that idea? How do you compound your personal growth knowledge and experiences? Or do you?
Leave a comment below and let us know!

The Law of Exposure – use your mind to achieve your goals [video]

Nina East — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:05:58 +0000

Your mind thinks about what it is most exposed to.

If you are exposing your mind to things that are noble, beautiful, full of integrity, generous and innovative, your mind will take on the shape of those characteristics – your CHARACTER will take on those characteristics.

But what if you consistently exposure your mind to worry, anger, frustration, feelings of unworthiness….

You guessed it – your mind takes on that shape instead.

The key, obviously, is to consciously think about what you exposure your mind to.

EVERY DAY.

EVERY WEEK.

EVERY MONTH.

EVERY YEAR.

This video gives a quick explanation of how this works…plus shares a cool idea called the 100-day challenge.

As of today there are 99 days left in the year. What will you exposure your mind to over the next 99 days?

Watch the video, then click directly on the video to join me in the 100 day challenge! [superemotions file="icon_exclaim.gif" title="Exclaimaition Mark"]

Start Fast – Finish Strong: The 100 Day Challenge

Nina East — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:13:44 +0000

If you like moving quickly toward your goals, and expanding great, positive feelings at the same time, a program like The 100 Day Challenge with Gary Ryan Blair may be your speed.

This video is a quick intro to the program to help you decide if it’s for you. It doesn’t require Herculean effort, but it’s also not for the faint of heart…so watch the video and make the right decision for you.

100 days may seem like a long time…but it’s actually all we’ve got left in 2010.

What is your plan for making the most of the final days of 2010?

We’re a whole decade into the new millennium. Does your life reflect the wonder of that?

Or are things a wee bit slumpish?

For me…if I’m honest…there’s been a little slumping going on. I’m psyched about really focusing and enjoying the last 100 days of 2010. I hope you’ll join me in the 100 Day Challenge.

Watch the video, then click right on the video to go to the signup page. See you there!! Woo-Hoo!!

Here we come!!

Turning disappointment into joy [video]

Nina East — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:34:59 +0000

How many times have you been disappointed about something and had a hard time “letting it go”?

You might have been disappointed about the way something turned out…or disappointed in something about yourself…or disappointed that all your efforts didn’t pay off the way you were expecting.

One of the places disappointment shows up is when we haven’t achieved the success we wanted, or we aren’t “being” the person we want to be. That no matter how hard we try at something, we just can’t make it happen.

In the world of personal growth it often shows up as trying to be something you are not. This leads to all sort of issues – low self-esteem, frustration, lack of faith, depression, feeling like an imposter and fearing what will happen if people find out the ‘truth” about you.

Remember, though, that one of our mottoes at Personal Growth Princess is:

To be someone you are not is to waste the person you are.

Honoring who you really are – your talents, your skills, the things that make you happy, the areas you aren’t so strong in…all of it – is part of the process of turning disappointment into Joy.

And that, of course, is one of the keys to resilience and overcoming adversity.

I found this video that tells a perfect story of turning disappointment into joy – into truly overwhelming joy.
As you know, I’m an animal lover and donate a portion of all proceeds to animal rescue organizations, so it should be no surprise when you see the role a dog plays in this video.

What may surprise you is how moved you are by what you see.

As you watch…ask yourself, “Where am I trying to make myself something I’m not? What am I truly great at? What really brings me joy?”

I have no doubt you’ll find a remarkable and beautiful point of intersection between the skills you’ve gained by trying to be something, and the thing that really brings you JOY.

It’s only 5 minutes long. Trust me, you WILL want to watch all the way through.

Enjoy – and share your thoughts below in the comments section.

What would happen if you let go of who you think you “ought” to be, and instead reveled in knowing you are perfect just the way you are?

Princess Ring…a royal gift from Alicia Smith [video]

Nina East — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:50:19 +0000

I just received the most delightful gift from Alicia Smith – a long-time colleague and lovely supporter of PersonalGrowthPrincess.com.

It is a ring shaped like a crown. I made a short video of it so you could actually see it in action, as it were.

In the video I also mentioned the place you can get it if you want one…or if you want to send it to another princess in your life. The site is Personal Growth Cards – it’s an innovative card and gift service. You really have to see it to believe it!
You can select a card that will then be printed, written in your own handwriting (if you want), have a real stamp applied, and then mailed through the regular postal service. It’s pretty amazing. And for less than you can buy a card anywhere else. Gifts, of course, cost more, but it makes it so so easy to send a special, delightful gift to that special someone.

Anyway, take a look at the video. You’ll see how delighted I am!

What do you think? Who would you like to delight today???

The Trophy Effect: You are not your mind – 55 minutes that will change your Life!

Nina East — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:15:11 +0000

Last month’s self-help book summary was on The Trophy Effect: Destroying Self-Doubt, Discovering Your True Self, & Taking Control of Your Life Forever by Michael Nitti.
(If you haven’t had a chance to read the book summary, it will be available for 2 more weeks in the members only area.)

Michael Nitti is making it easy for you to get the Trophy Effect experience first-hand. You may remember me talking about the individual Trophy Effect coaching session I had with Michael. It was powerful in that it provided such a simple reframe – that resulted in an overwhelming shift. I continue to use the lessons from the Trophy Effect – sometimes laughing at myself for the silly traps I get myself into.

Michael is offering a teleclass on The Trophy Effect – this time for free. He says this will likely be the last time it is free. My guess is that after hitting the best-seller list, and handling the swell of coaching clients at the Anthony Robbins Companies that have flowed in since the launch of the new television series, he isn’t going to have a lot of time in the future for doing a lot of “freebies”.

During this transformational teleseminar, Michael will be leading you on an extremely revealing (and entertaining) tour of your own mind, where you will not only observe first-hand the source of that “little voice” that seems to thwart your every intention, but will actually learn how to over-ride it every time! In less than an hour, you will discover how to break free of all your fears and to move toward your future with clarity and purpose. After the seminar, you will be provided with access to an amazing series of Exercises (also free), which will empower (and condition) you to live “intentionally” rather than “in reaction” to your circumstances; resulting in a greater sense of freedom, connectedness, and joy!

I highly recommend registering for the teleclass which will be held on Thursday, August 26th, 6pm Pacific time (7pm Mountain, 8pm Central, 9pm Eastern).

p.s. You can participate in this class whether you are a member of Personal Growth Princess or not, though I highly recommend reading the book summary prior to taking the class. You can become a member of Personal Growth Princess by going here.
(Remember, for a limited time, new members will receive a copy of The Think Big Manifesto by Michael Port as a special Founding Princess gift!)

Can a cookbook be a self-help book? [interview]

Nina East — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:27:50 +0000

Seriously. Has anyone ever suggested to you that a cookbook could actually be a self-help book, too?

I had not heard it…until I met Deborah Nelson, author of From Rainy Days to Sexy Nights Cookbook: Simple and Inspirational Recipes to Fit Your Mood.

Deborah is the spunky – fiery? – owner of SaucyWellness.com – with the tagline “healthy living one juicy bite at a time”. Her cookbook is really about living a juicy life – savoring all aspects of your life – with a healthy eating twist.

Food affects everything – from self-esteem to happiness to your level of confidence.

Food creates the environment in your body – an environment of stress or an environment of peace. There are many other factors affecting stress, of course, but food is one that many of us turn to. Deborah’s goal is to help people turn to it in a way that serves their goals and soothes their souls, rather than a short term relief that creates longer-term challenges.

The recipes are divided into 4 categories: Rainy Days, Summer Sensations, Heal Me, and Sexy Nights. In the interview below she explains what these categories mean and how to use the food we select to alter our mood. She says that “food creates who you are – you choose your mood in the moment by choosing your food.”

Below is an interview I conducted with Deborah a couple of weeks ago. She has also generously agreed to provide a set of 5 recipes to members of PersonalGrowthPrincess, as well as a free complimentary consultation session. If you want some support on how your eating habits affect your mood, energy levels, weight and also your libido, I encourage you to take her up on it right away! Info is available on the Members page. (Please note, this is an additional fabulous bonus – on top of your regular monthly bonus tools.)

Here is one of my favorite recipes from From Rainy Days to Sexy Nights – in fact, almost everyone in my family has asked for a copy!
Black Bean Salad With Pineapple! (muy delicioso!)

One of the funny and paradoxical things about Deborah is that she says she isn’t really a cook. She’s obviously does cook, and she is a certified health and wellness coach, but her mission expands far beyond the kitchen. Her passion is really about helping people live truly SAUCY lives…whether it be your personal or professional life. When people are living a saucy life, they are more relaxed, more passionate, and have less stress – the biggest element of disease (and the biggest impediment to losing weight – a subject we talked about quite a bit).

You can order the book directly from her website – Saucy Wellness.com.

Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the interview, the recipes, or the concept of a cookbook as a self-help book…

The Trophy Effect [Book Review]

Nina East — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:30:21 +0000

The Trophy Effect
Motivational Press, Inc. (2010)
216 pages (paperback)

NOTE: The book is being featured in a Best-Seller campaign on Wednesday, June 16th. When you purchase the book from Amazon.com during this campaign you will receive thousands of dollars worth of free gifts from some of Michael’s closest associates.
To participate, purchase the book at Amazon, then go to The Trophy Effect, enter your purchase code and you’ll be given access to all the bonuses.
Until you know what the trophy effect is, you might think the title is referring to how people are striving for more and more achievements, at the expense of fulfillment. At least that’s what I thought it would be about before I read it.The Trophy Effect, by Michael Nitti, actually gets the the heart of the reason people focus on their shortcomings rather than on their strengths and accomplishments.

The trophy effect is subconscious and innate, meaning that it originates in the mind, and you generally aren’t even aware of it. That’s what makes it so hazardous. It is a way of thinking and reacting that leads us to give up on things, magnifying feelings of doubt rather than hope.

The real clincher is that we usually don’t realize it is going on, which means we don’t realize it’s something we have control over. That’s because it is tied to our survival instinct, and it takes some serious effort – or at least consistent action – to override an instinct that is designed to help us survive the dangers in the world, whether they be real dangers – such as a speeding car jumping the curb coming right at us – or more imagined dangers – the fear of embarrassment, of not being good enough.

The Trophy Effect walks you through a process that helps you understand that your mind is not your self, and how the effect has been playing out in your life.

Not only did I read the book, I also had the privilege of a one-on-one “trophy effect” session with Michael Nitti.

I’ve obviously been around the personal growth block a time or two, so it’s hard to impress me. Most books are a new perspective on something else we’ve tried before (that’s why the book selections at Personal Growth Princess are so powerful – they are new and unique). And, of course, when I saw the title of the book, I thought I knew what I was going to learn.

I was wrong.

In his book, Michael Nitti leads you through, in clear, colorful detail, what kind of trophies you are really collecting, and why they simply serve to increase your self-doubt. What you learn seems counter-intuitive at first, but he aptly helps you see the logic behind it, and then you get to see and feel firsthand what the effect has been.

Of course, for the book to be fully effective, you need to be honest with yourself and be willing to try on a new perspective. And you will want to do the exercises. It’s like getting a blueprint for destroying self-doubt, but you actually have to use the blueprint as you build – otherwise you’re back to the same catty-whompas state of letting your mind rule your life.

I have to admiit, the work I did from the book and with Michael was so intriguingely powerful that I selected The Trophy Effect as the July feature book for members of Personal Growth Princess.
(Not a member? Read more about the benefits of membership.) Not only did I feel different immediately, the difference has stayed with me and continued to expand over the last several weeks. It’s not without effort, but the reasoning behind the trophy effect is so sound that your mind will be convinced.

I strongly recommend reading this book – or joining Personal Growth Princess to receive the summary and a special in-depth interview with the author on July 1.

Remember, The Trophy Effect is being featured in a Best-Seller campaign on Wednesday, June 16th. When you purchase the book from Amazon.com during this campaign you will receive thousands of dollars worth of free gifts from some of Michael’s closest associates.
To participate, purchase the book at Amazon, then go to The Trophy Effect, enter your purchase code and you’ll be given access to all the bonuses.