Spring has appeared to have sprung in the Midwest - the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the Polar plunge has taken place in Lake Calhoun, runners are out in large numbers (wearing less clothing), snow is melting every day and there are more smiling faces.  The end is near.  Even though the official start of Spring (March 21st) has not started, the very fact that the days are getting longer has caused much more optimism and added a certain “spring” of everyone’s step - including mine.

Spring in the Midwest reminds us that summer is right around the corner and we have endured another winter - leaving that behind us, making it several months before another thought of winter enters the mind.

I must admit that that is exactly one of the reasons I love winter so much - and even moved back just before our winter season began.  It is such a great metaphor for life.

A lot of times I have found that I’ve got to go through a rough “winter” of sorts to get to really enjoy the “spring/summer” times.

I remember how I felt after being injured with foot pain for four years, not sure if I would ever really be able to compete as a high level athlete again.  I was disappointed, almost gave up hope several times and yet didn’t give up.  I was not to be deterred by that “winter” experience.  Then I found my cure after a lot of hard work and searching. 

And after that, the “springtime” experience was becoming an Ironman Triathlete - strong, injury free and fully transformed in mind/body/Spirit.

I remember how I felt after my friend died of leukemia and what a long time it took me to really accept his death and move on.  My “winter” of grieving, loss and missing my friend seemed long.

And after that, I trained for a marathon in his memory, raised money to help find a cure/save lives and crossed many finish lines in his honor.  My “Spring” was about making a difference and carrying his Spirit with me through many events.

I remember my “winter” of having a rough pregnancy and not ever feeling like it would end - the nausea, anxiety/panic attacks, the nightmares, the throwing up, not having much energy .  Then came the ”Spring” (literally) when my son was born on March 31st, 2009.  Life changed forever and seeing his beautiful face made the “winter” was so worth it.

My family is still experiencing a bit of a “winter” with my husband out of work for several months - having no income can cause a strain on everyone.  Yet, as in past experiences, and as Mother Earth has taught us, there will be a “spring” season coming - although not as predictable as the Vernal Equinox, there is not a date we can look forward in knowing when the transition will take place and he will no longer be unemployed.  Winter can’t last forever.

That is why we have hope. 

That is why I love winter.

What “winter” of life may you be experiencing right now?  Has it seemed to last forever?  No matter what the weather may hold - we all have our own seasons of life to grow through - winter, spring, summer, fall. 

I hope you can hold on to this message and know now that your winter will pass and sometime soon the birds will be singing, the sun will shine and the snow will melt (maybe not soon enough in your mind now - trust me, I know how that feels).  We all can use winter as a time to hold tight to that hope that the days will grow longer and soon we might be able to say, “That winter wasn’t as bad as I thought.”  If nothing else, we can be glad it is gone and we may have several months before we get to experience another winter.

Here’s to you and your perseverance through the winters of life. 
May you find encouragement and strength through that journey.

With the Olympic games upon us and a lot of inspiration with every event, as well as sorrow at the loss of the Luge athlete who left this earth very early in his young life, I am reminded of how important it is to really just go for the gold - go for everything - as often as I can in life.  I just never know when my opportunity to give my all may be lost - just as an Olympian who didn’t do their best to win the Gold medal (or any medal) and has to wait another four years (or another lifetime) to experience the true excitement of accomplishing a great feat.  Or, in the matter of the man who lost his life during practicing his sport, I just don’t know when I may be going for gold that last time in my life - that is humbling to think about.

What about you?  What is present when you are at your best? 

What does that even mean?

To me, and to my good friend and fellow success coach, Jeff St. Laurent, it means to “Go For Everything”. 

Jeff is a cyclist, dad, husband, coach (not necessarily in that order) and is one person that I truly respect.  He has shared with me his triumph (and near defeat) he had recently in a cycling race that really meant a lot for him - almost as if going for the Gold himself. 

Check it out at www.GoForEverything.com

Going for everything doesn’t always mean winning the gold and it doesn’t mean accepting defeat.  It means getting up when you have been knocked down and finishing just as strong as you started - whether that be after a financial fall, a physical fall, an emotional fall or any type of “fall”.

Thanks, Jeff, for sharing us your Spirit of continued success.

Enjoy your own journey and, as often as possible, please do “go for everything”.

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

612-721-0907

After watching the Saints win their frst ever Superbowl Championship tonight, I am reminded of one certainty that keeps showing up for me over the past few years.

As a running coach and business woman, I have often heard (and been quoted to say) that everything (ie sports, sales) is 80-90% mental.  That success and achievement is all in the mind. 

I now completely disagree with my previous perception of that and the Saints’ win is a great metaphor/evidence of that.

There are three components of any one Being.  They are the mind, the body and the Spirit.  These three are all very important, however, the mind is not the true “builder” of success - nor, I feel, the main reason, that the Saints are now one for one in achieving the most coveted win in the sports world.  Definitely not 80% the reason.  Not even close.

I now believe that anything worth achieving, and achieving as well as the Saints did in overcoming all they have in the past five years to get there, has everything to do with a person’s Spirit - their passion - their enthusiasm - their belief in their hearts that they could do it.   With that Spirit, they trained their bodies and used their minds, without a doubt, but it was the Spirit that led them there and their Spirit that helped them finish.

Have you ever wondered what drives you in all things?  Is it your mind?  Your body?  Your Spirit?  I think any one of these can win out in any given day to day routine.  Your mind can guide you based up on a book you read with information that taught you something.  Your body can be guided by the auto pilot routine you have trained yourself to do, like the route you take to work every day.  Your Spirit can be guided from within (ideally), as well as without (from a Source higher than yourself) - a team effort.  It is the Spirit that can’t be brainwashed or manipulated.

However, your mind can so easily be influenced or swayed by so many other outside forces (including, but not limited to, religion, media, family/friends, seminars, self created fears).  The true test of a champion is not to follow the crowd or do things just because you were taught a certain way.  The true test of a champion is to pursue your own passions, beliefs, commitments no matter what others are doing, saying or believing and being committed to something, even when everyone else believes you aren’t going to cross that finish line or you are pursuing something trivial.  

Lead with your Spirit - lead with your passion - and let the mind and body follow and support your goals/dreams/pursuits. 

The City of New Orleans and their Saints found the sweet spot combination of utilizing their mind/body connection with their Spirits and, to me, that is a beautiful thing.  I now believe everything worth experiencing is 75% Spirit, 15% mind and 10% body.  That’s my formula.  What is yours?  What is guiding your success?

“Some say this world of trouble,
Is the only one we need,
But I’m waiting for that morning,
When the new world is revealed.

Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Lord, how I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in”

This weekend the New Orleans Saints are going to their first Superbowl.

Whether you are a fan of this team or not (and I am not), the fact that this great city not only has never been to the Superbowl, it is what they have gone through to get there that, to me, makes their trip to the NFL’s championship game so amazing. 

Not to mention, inspiring anyone to look any obstacle in the face and not give up.

Four and a half years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept through this city famed for Mardi Gras, southern cousine and hospitality (not necessarily football being the first thing that tops the mind for many when they hear about this city on the Mississippi).

N’awlins (as it is lovingly called) experienced a form of devastation from Mother Nature that made itself known and left its mark - one that killed, pillaged and plundered the lives of thousands - leaving the city, and our nation, uncertain about whether or not this great city/area would ever recover and be the same.

(Click on this link for a refresher of what happened that fated weekend of August 28th, 2005)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Katrina_in_New_Orleans

While over one million people had fled the city, the Superdome (home of the New Orleans Saints) became home to over 20,000 homeless people just in the first 24 hours, as it was a safe place that had floors/levels above the flood zone that was destroying every other part of the city.

I can’t even fathom the loss that those that lived there at that time experienced.  Lost homes flooded with water, lost investments, lost dreams, lost hope, having to flee everything they owned, lost family members, lost jobs.  This event came at a time just before our own country started to experience its own devastation.  How could this city rebuild?  Would the Superdome ever have another NFL game in it?

It makes one think, doesn’t it?  What would you do had you been there?  Would you give up?  Throw in the towel?  Reach out for support?  Rise to greet each day with hope? 

I know a little what its like to have lost money, possession, business, homes, etc., through this economy.  I remember the feeling of shame while being homeless and unable to pay for gas for my car at a very low stretch.  I know what it feels like to want to throw in the towel and just give up.  You can hear more about my story by clicking here - http://bit.ly/cPrZU0.

How about you?  How are you doing during your own “hurricane” in life right now? 

What I see from the city of New Orleans, what I have seen for myself and many other Americans during these times, is faith and hope.  Hope for tomorrow and faith that something higher than ourselves will help us to see another day and time of prosperity.  We may not know how long it will take to get there, but we know (and will be reminded this weekend - win or lose) that it can be done.

For as the Saints go marching into Miami this weekend to take on the Indianapolis Colts, I think the game may very well carry with it a slightly prophetic symbol of our very own transition as a nation into “better” times of recovery, continued rebuilding and hope for a tomorrow where we won’t take things for granted, where financial crisis or natural disasters will not shake us or hold us down for very long.  When we will be stronger than ever, ready to take on that next “challenge” that will make us better/stronger.

If you aren’t already humming the tune to yourself, here is Mr. Louis Armstrong to remind you of a great song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLjbMBpGDA

Enjoy the game!  No matter what the outcome, the game already is a winner in my books.  Even if my Cowboys didn’t make it……

How has 20-10 gone for you so far?

Everything you hoped it would be?  And, perhaps, more?

Well….it is all in the eye of the beholder, eh?

My first weekend of 20-10 started like this.

Our car was overheating….in negative degree wind chill weather in Minnesota on a Sunday morning, heading north to visit my sister and her husband to watch some football.  We opted out of continuing our journey and chose to go to the car mechanic the next day to see what was going on.

$1,000 and several “wasted” hours (and a week) later, I had to let out a chuckle.  20-10 was supposed to start out “great”, was going to be the year/decade to lift the curse of all those crazy quirks in our life that were inadvertantly “unexpected”. 

Yet, this year started out like any other day, weekend, month, year should, right? 

The thing that brought me out of my new year’s “funk”, with the newly purchased $1K worth of car expenditures, was the fact that we had to get our car fixed, in order to get down to Iowa to see my Dad and celebrate a benchmark moment in his life.

My father, a proud German farmer of most of his lifetime, had just turned 75-years-old and my siblings and I were going to honor his life altogether as a family.  I didn’t want to miss it for the world.

As I paid my lovely $1K bill, somewhat begrudgingly, the attendant behind the desk, obviously intune with my doldrums, silently said:

“Not that I want to compete with you or anything” he consoled as I pondered where my money was going to, “but my dad just died yesterday.”

Silence.

My heart sunk.

Here I was complaining about spending an unexpected chunk of change and this young man didn’t have a father to go see to celebrate his birthday….rather, another type of occasion.

Amazing what perspective can do to you, isn’t it?

Just like this past week, with the earthquake in Haiti….no matter what “storm” comes my way, I can be thankful that I am not stuck underneath a pile of rubble, unable to breathe, eat or drink clean water.  

I am blessed….even if it means I get to lay down a bunch of cash in order to go see my Dad a few hundred miles away.  At least I have that change and at least I have my Dad.

Whatever you may find as your latest “storm” or obstacle, I hope you can find that gentle reminder that keeps your perspective on the bigger picture and the equilibration of certainty:  There will always be someone with a bigger jet and always someone with a deeper hole of pain/hurt/sorrow. 

That, my friend, you can count on no matter what. 
That is something you can’t put a price on.

Henry and Grandpa at his 75th birthday

A special thanks to Ross Levin, for his indirect contribution to this article.  You can view his article HERE.

Do you want to write your first book this week, to kick off the new year?

That’s my challenge for you this year, actually today!  By the end of this email, I want you to become an author.

Hold that thought, now that I’ve got your attention, I’ll get to my point shortly.

Now that we have not only started a new year, but also a new decade, I have felt even a bit more intentional about making some changes/shifts into my life this year.  I realized that I can choose to make changes at any time in my life, however, there is something about starting a new decade that makes this year a bit more exceptional when I think about not only making changes, but actually doing them in a big way and impacting the next 10 years, let alone next 365 days!

Normally when I write my vision (a.k.a. intentions) for the next year (or decade), I write a whole page with a very specific description and tuck it away for a later review to stay on track with what it is that I envision for my life.

Have you thought about what you will focus on for the next 10 years?  Any big changes in you (and your life) that would like to see happen?
What habits have you fostered for yourself in focusing on what you want in any given year?

This past decade I wanted to move out of the Midwest, buy a house, get married, start a family, travel to New Zealand/Hawaii/Ireland and write a book.  Check, check, check, check and check!  Every single one of these items were things I had written down at some point in the last decade - definitely long before they became a reality.

Yet the older I get, I find that just checking things off the list or accomplishing a lot of stuff is not really my game plan anymore. 
This year/decade I want to do things differently.  Simpler.  Easier.  The older I get, the more simple I find that I want to live and experience life.

I was inspired by a recent article that a local financial wealth builder, Ross Levin, wrote in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, that speaks to this very idea of simplifying and keep it real for myself for the next ten years, starting in 20-TEN.

Levin shared that “Ernest Hemingway once was asked to write a book in six words. To some, it may be his best work. “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

The interesting thing about this work was that it could be read many different ways, as Levin shared.

“Is this about a failed pregnancy? Is it about people who wanted to conceive yet were unable to do so? Is it about a grandparent being kept away from their grandchild?”

To me, it doesn’t matter what Hemingway meant.  What inspired me about this book in six words is that I want to write my own “book” to describe my intentions (goals/purpose) for 2010.

After just a few moments of reflecting, I came up with my six words for my book.

Be fearless.  Live simply.  Love unconditionally. 

I like that.   The easiest book I have ever written.  I can remember it and hold it near and dear to my heart/mind/soul as this year, and the next, pass by.  No matter what happens, or doesn’t happen, as long as I stay true to my new “book”/mantra, I know that great things will happen.

What will you intend for the next 10 years?  Your next year?

I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to review your own last ten years, or even just 2009, and decide if you want the next ten yers to look the same or different.  It has been proven that 80% or more of what gets written down, and focused on, gets done, so choose wisely the words you want to commit to these next 10 years.

I can’t wait to read your book!  Whether you feel like Hemingway himself or are still a work in progress (aren’t we all), send your finished product my way if you want me to help you stay accountable and we’ll check back in again by 2019…..make this your best decade ever.

Koffi Family

As 2009 winds down to a close, I wanted to wish you a happy and amazing holiday season, hopefully filled with lots of fun, joy, family, friends and great celebration of whatever holiday you observe during this festive season. 

With the holiday week ahead, I am taking a much deserved break from my weekly e-newsletter, so I can enjoy my family/friends. 

From my family to yours, we wish you all the best as you enter into a new year in 2010 - may you already hold near and dear to you your best creations of 2009 and look forward to your most exciting things to look forward to in the new year.

Here’s to you!  Thanks for being a part of my life this year!

It’s that time of year again, where many folks either:

a. flirt with the idea of setting new year’s goals (a.k.a. resolutions),

b. actually set goals/resolutions OR

c. say, “to heck with resolutions, I never achieve them any way!”

Where do you sit in that spectrum?  A, B or C?

Over the years I myself have gone back and forth on this tradition.  I’ve studied and tested out the three extremes above.  I have thought about setting goals, I have set goals and either failed or found great success and I have listened to (and followed the approach of) different gurus that say that there is no point in setting resolutions/new year’s goals because a lot of people set themselves up for failure and, in the end, or worse off because they set goals and fell miserably short.

Yet, what is the best approach, if there is one, to starting the new year? 

What do you think?

Before I share my answer, you may want to CLICK HERE for some interesting statistics about new year’s resolutions (and, by the way, if you do your own google search about new year’s stats - you’ll find a whole lot more - as this is a fascinating human phenomenon).

These stats say that only 8% of all people that set some type of new year’s resolutions actually succeed.  Only 8%! 

I have to say, as a Success Coach, and as one who has found more success in setting some type of new year’s goal/resolution/intention than not setting one, I am a bit disturbed by that low number.  And even more concerned by those that are choosing NOT to set some new year’s resolutions/plans for their own success. 

When I think of all of the goals I have set, not even counting the new year ones, I must say that I have completed roughly over 75% of my own goals.  And when I look at all my coaching clients, in studying their own completion of what they set out to do - whether it be personal/professional/financial/fitness/relationship related - nearly every single one of them accomplished one, if not more, of their own goals in as little as 30 days.

All of that said - after years of coaching thousands of people and creating my own success in accomplishing goals - new year’s or otherwise - I want to share the top 3 tips on how YOU can succeed in 2010 - no matter what stats are out there that say otherwise.

Tip #1 - Create a plan - “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  This is paramount to your success.  Having a plan in writing and a plan on how to execute that plan and executing that plan EVERY DAY allows you to track your progress, reassess what is working and what is not, as well as serving as your compass on your trip in life.  Without a mapped out plan, how will you get to your finish line.  Even if you don’t necessarily have every mile marker in your site, as least you know which direction to go.  Your plan will do that for you.  A daily/weekly/monthly plan is ideal.

Tip #2 - Have supportive accountability.  No one succeeds alone.  That is my favorite mantra that I come back to time and time again.  One of the hardest things for most people is to ask for help.  That is one thing that I have had to learn to give up.  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, rather, it is a sign of humility and innate wisdom.  Without support/accountability, where would any of us be?  No man (or woman) is an island.  I know without accountability through coaches in my own life, I would not have doubled my income in real estate, I wouldn’t have coached thousands of people to cross their own finish line goals, I wouldn’t have become an Ironman Triathlete or a great mom for that matter. 

Tip #3 - Have a specific purpose for your goal/resolution/plan.  I firmly believe that if you don’t have a “why”, you can’t endure any “how” that might come your way to sabatoge your focus and commitment.  Whether it be your son/daughter that inspires you as your “why” every morning or your spouse or your favorite chairty, your dream vacation or time freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, I just want to make sure you define that purpose and add that to your plan.  Your purpose will be there always - in your heart and in your mind - to drive you to that finish. 

I realize this isn’t rocket science and I know you know all of this stuff, yet what are you going to do different now to make 2010 your best year ever?

For a limited time only, I am offering FREE coaching for your next 30 days to jump start your near year.  It takes 30 days to make something a habit and a year to make it a lifestyle.

For the first five of you decide that you want toask for help by Tuesday, December 15th at 6 p.m. CST, I want to reward you with a gift that could transform your life NOW. 

Why wait?  You don’t have to wait until the new year to start 2010 and can create that success now on paper.

Here’s to you and your success in 2010!  Whether you want to buy that first investment property, lose that weight, improve that relationship or start that new business, I hope I can be here for YOU!

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

612-721-0907

PS  Why wait?  Only the first five will receive the free coaching.

Here are some interesting new year’s stats, as found on www.steveshapiro.com

Early this week I received an email from a researcher at a major national TV talk show.  They are doing a show on New Year’s Resolutions and saw my article on the topic.

They wanted to know if I had more details on the statistics referenced in the article.

I went back to the research we did with the help of Opinion Corporation of Princeton, NJ, and found the following interesting tid bits.  The survey has a margin of error of 3%.

• 45% of Americans usually set New Year’s Resolutions; 17% infrequently set resolutions; 38% absolutely never set resolutions.

• Only 8% of people are always successful in achieving their resolutions. 19% achieve their resolutions every other year.  49% have infrequent success.  24% (one in four people) NEVER succeed and have failed on every resolution every year. That means that 3 out of 4 people almost never succeed.

• Of those who do set resolutions (these add to more than 100% because some people set multiple resolutions):
  • 34% set resolutions related to money
  • 38% set resolutions related to weight
  • 47% set resolutions related to self-improvement or education
  • 31% set resolutions related to relationships
• It appears that the younger you are, the more likely you are to achieve your resolutions
  • 39% of those in their twenties achieve their resolutions every year or every other year
  • Less than 15% of those over 50 achieve their resolutions every year or every other year
• The less happy you are, the more likely you are to set New Year’s Resolutions.  This is especially true for those who set money-related resolutions: 41% are not happy, 34% are moderately happy, and 25% are happy.
• And here’s the punchline – There is no correlation between happiness and resolution setting/success.  People who achieve their resolutions every year are NO happier than those who do not set resolutions or who are unsuccessful in achieving them.

What do you think about setting new year’s resolutions?

I would love to hear from you - feel free to write me your feedback