Achievements and Accomplishments

I have kept an Accomplishment Journal for close to thirty years. This is a small notebook that contains a running list of my life’s accomplishments and achievements. This is a very personal but powerful tool.  Think of it like a running “to do list” but one that has been done.

Accomplishments are personal goals I have achieved (Distinguished Toastmaster Award), business developments (designed initial NSGCD/ICD Certificate and Certification program), new skills I have learned (begin blog – Transition Your Life) , developing my website www.terryprince.com, books I have read and finally finished (Bleak House), big or special trips I have made (Sweden/Italy).

Sometimes the accomplishments I list and record are private acknowledgments I have received (emails, letters, small tokens).   These accomplishments however, are not all tangible awards, promotions or credentials. Instead the accomplishments I list are often conversations I have had, times when I have been fully present or times when I supported my family members, business partners or friends with certain activities, ideas, actions or inaction’s.

The accomplishment journal provides me a sense of my life’s history, patterns and of stretch. When I want to venture into something new, I often spend a short period of time reflecting on my achievements and accomplishments. This gives me the strength and courage to proceed and go forward toward new projects or goals.

Consider taking the time to locate a small attractive book to become your accomplishment journal. Make your first entry –

• 12-17 Purchased an Accomplishment Journal

Eking it out

When we reach the near end of a project or activity, distractions seem to find us. In our eagerness to move on to the next thing, we may lose focus on the current assignment and spend too much time concentrating on the next thing. Staying focused is often hard towards the end.

The reasons we have difficulty are: 

1) We want to move to the next project, adventure or assignment. In some fields, this is called "short timers syndrome". 

2) We know moving on means changing our daily routine or work patterns. We may like our current day and this new upcoming day or life may be hard to imagine.

3) We know moving on will mean new or different relationships with people, places or things.  


Some strategies for moving on at the end of a project or assignment are:

Strategy 1 - Stay focused. Think about the present, not the future. 

Strategy 2 - Enjoy your last days or weeks with your present situation and acknowledge and appreciate the familiar routines and daily patterns.

Strategy 3 - Avoid procrastination activities and bring the best you can to the current work or assignment.

Strategy 4 - Take care of your physical self. Get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and maintain a healthy diet. 

If you have just finished eking it out, what advice or strategies do you have to offer?

See also: Muddled in the Middle

You might also enjoy reading Sluggish Starts - How to Get Going.

Say No Now to Move Forward

Do you have looming deadlines? Now is the time to say No! You don't have to be mean, you just have to be firm. Say no to the unnecessary and the unneeded. You can also say no to the much later and not required now.

Focus on what is needed now. Don't look for new projects or let them find you. When you have looming deadlines it is just the nature of the beast that exciting shiny projects will come charging in. This is always the time they will come looking for you, they really will. Be prepared.  Don't let them in your head. Don't put them on your desk or desktop to distract you from your deadline.

Are you about to finish up the school year? Are you almost three weeks away from deadline? This is truly the time to take the words above in the top two paragraphs to heart. Say No now to move forward.

This is a best of post from 2014

Making Time For Fun

Let's talk about having fun. Fun is something we all need to take seriously. After all, all work and no play is what makes a day dull and us boring.

How can you have fun Today? How can you make fun everyday a priority? Having fun is different for each of us. For some it may be reading a book, watching a favorite TV show or movie, using Pinterest or Facebook, playing solitaire, going for a walk or spending time talking on the phone to a friend or family member. 

It is especially important to set some time for fun when we are overloaded with a long "to do list" or complex project. Fun needs to be incorporated into our day when we are in the middle of a life transition or living through a stress filled period in our life such as when serving as a primary caregiver for an acutely ill person or child.  It may seem like a misuse of our time but the "fun break" or "Fun out" will make us more productive and effective in the long run.

When we schedule in fun, we maintain a good balance in our life. 

So what fun are you planning today?

This is a revised post from 2014

Over and Done

For some graduation means one's life ticket is punched and the next stop is already planned and prepared. Not all of us are so lucky. When the ride of one's life gets derailed or comes off the tracks it's really a cause for frustration.

Not all journeys are straight lines. Fortunately we can learn lots of great things while being on a circuitous route. Remember straight lines are just straight lines. While they are steady they are generally boring.

This is the time to take advantage of your disadvantaged state.  First run over to your local library, yes, the local library, and get an up-to-date library card. Check out some actually books. Bored? Then it is time to read some current magazines or newspapers. You know, the print issues they still get delivered.  Check out any events or near free course offerings in the community. Someone who is reading current events or attending them is likely not a boring person and will have something to say upon meeting new people.

Next, start sharpening your networking skills. Contact a few people to practice some informational interview meetings. Remember you are in-between and searching. You are not yet "officially" looking so you are just collecting information, not seeking definitive employment. Take the pressure off yourself for just the meeting.

Now is the best time to keep healthy. Exercise daily and maintain a healthy diet. Go for a walk and find things that make you laugh and maintain your sense of humor. You have more free time now than you will likely ever have again until you officially retire.  Use your time wisely and enjoy it productively. Don't waste this time. It will be gone before you know it.

Make Time For Fun

Let's talk about having fun. Fun is something we all need to take seriously. After all, all work and no play is what makes a day dull and us boring.

How can you have fun Today? How can you make fun everyday a priority? Having fun is different for each of us. For some it may be reading a book, watching a favorite TV show or movie, using Pinterest or Facebook, playing solitaire, going for a walk or spending time talking on the phone to a friend or family member. 

It is especially important to set some time for fun when we are overloaded with a long "to do list" or complex project. Fun needs to be incorporated into our day when we are in the middle of a life transition or living through a stress filled period in our life such as when serving as a primary caregiver for an acutely ill person or child.  It may seem like a misuse of our time but the "fun break" or "Fun out" will make us more productive and effective in the long run.

When we schedule in fun, we maintain a good balance in our life. 

So what fun are you planning today?

This is a revised post from 2009

Done

Today I completed my 100 books challenge using Good Reads to record my progress. While I certainly enjoyed the variety of books, I think I will set my challenge for 2013 to be 75 books. I also want to add in about 5 more books from the BBC list.

What are your reading plans for 2013?

Get Ready To Change

Sometimes we want to make changes but we are not quite ready. A technique that can help you in this process is "noticing".

Notice when you are doing the habit or behavior that you want to change. By noticing we can gather all sorts of data and information that will help us make potential steps towards the change.

For instance: take the habit of oversleeping. Take note of the days you tend to do this? What type of activities do you have planned on that day? Does the planned anxiety of the day cause you stress and start the oversleeping process? Do you start sabotaging your sleep by staying up late, eating foods that cause you indigestion?

Noticing is a great tool for making changes. What can you notice?

Playing Catch Up

For the past few weeks, I have been busy with some extensive family responsibilities. This of course left little time to do some of the routine and day to day things in my schedule, let alone some of the other projects I had planned for this time period.

Playing catch up is never easy. But when it is the game of life, one has to work on moving forward to reach normality. The first step when in "catch up mode" is to admit where you are. Next have an inner conversation with yourself to plan how to get back on track. It helps to identify what needs to be done, and what can remain undone for a period of time. Finally practice saying no to extra activities and keep your life as simple as it can be for a period of time.

Being in constant "catch up mode" is exhausting. Sometimes working with a coach can help you maintain and move forward in your personal or professional accountability. You don't have to go it alone.

Muddled and Stuck?

Sometimes we are just stuck. Like stuck in the mire of things. We don't know which way to go. Just like in nature, it can happen within ourselves.

Being "muddled in the middle" is uncomfortable and irritating. It makes us cranky and confused. After all, being muddled, is not a nice place to be.

Getting unstuck takes time. Sometimes it takes getting a new attitude or perspective.

Here are some strategies:

Strategy 1 - Realize it takes time to get unstuck, time has to pass.

Strategy 2 - Forgive yourself for being in the middle. Stop fussing and just be.

Strategy 3 - Watch out for procrastination distractions. Know what your usual procrastination activities are and limit them. Too much time spent procrastinating will prolong your muddled time.

Strategy 4 - Make time for fun. Muddled time requires "funouts" - a "funout" is like a timeout but instead of being a time of punishment it is time spent having fun.

Strategy 5 - Don't go it alone. Talk to a trusted friend or your coach about being in the middle. Just the act of talking about it may help you pass well though this stage of life.

If you are in the middle of the muddle, what advice do you have to share?

This is a best of post from 2009

Practice Year-end Productivity

Get a jump on 2012. Follow these December productivity techniques to wrap up the business year and be ready to roll in 2012. Most of these tasks will individually take less than twenty minutes. So invest the time and get set up to be a more productive you in 2012.

• Clear out your desk drawer
• Wipe down your bookshelves in the office
• Purge any unneeded reference material, seminar binders.
• Update your credentials to reflect the year
• Update your contact management system with new contact information or changed addresses
• Clear unused files and folders off your computer desktop 

Looking for more tips? Check out the free monthly tips on my website.

This is Transition Your Life's 150th post. I started this blog in August of 2007 with the goal to write about transition and change. I also started a second blog in 2009 - Terry's Thinking which is designed for coaches, professional organizers and consultants.

Being Your Own Best Friend

This is a post repeated from last September 27, 2007 - but is well worth rereading any time your life gets hectic.


You can be your own best friend by:

Taking care of your mental, emotional and basic physical needs

Taking time out for yourself when you need it

Removing and extracting yourself from stress and overload

Being able to say no when you have had enough

Treating yourself as well as you treat others

Work on improving who you are on a daily basis

Asking for help and support from other friends when you need it

Being patient with yourself

Getting Motivated when You Aren't

There are times when we are not motivated. So how does one reach into one's self and get motivated?


Decide whether it is a "must" do or "maybe I should" do.

Strong "musts" are usually easier, although the "shoulds" are usually minor tasks that weigh us down. Shoulds are sometimes precursors of "musts". In January, you may have a thought, Maybe I should start working on my taxes now. In a few months time, such as on March 31 (your accountants deadline) or on April 14, you will be saying I must work on my taxes, now!  

Start working on part of "a must" at the beginning of your day.  By fixing a time to start and getting on to doing it, the job then becomes doable.  We can often put off doing something if we don't plan for it. By setting a plan, we can then begin to get it done.

"Maybe I Should" items are often  guilt ridden or involve lots of smaller parts. If you can break down a should into it's parts, you may find it starts to seem easier.  Using the tax example, it might be "collect up all my receipts", "add up my total 1099 income", "locate the tax package from the accountant", "find the mortgage interest statement", "add up my business mileage".  With some small wins on a should, it often becomes an item on your to do list that eventually gets done.

Hitting the Wall

Every once in a while we hit a wall in our life. Hitting the wall means we have reached an impasse without a "door" or "window". This is when we have to backtrack, change our attitude or stay within the confines of our current situation. However, staying within the confines of our restricted space for a prolonged time may not be beneficial for our mental health.


We can hit the wall due to employment limitations, current circle of friends, relationship changes, or even environmental limitations. Think people places or things! All of these three categories can contribute to hitting the wall.

Acknowledging that you have hit the wall is the first step. Being patience with yourself is critical at this time. Looking for alternative solutions may take longer than you hoped for. It may also be not the choice you want to choose, but one that is the best for you in the long run. Most importantly remember change takes time and is a challenge.

Smile More

Smiles are contagious. They can help you maintain a sunny disposition and also have the effect of making people respond to you in a positive rather than negative way.


We may forget to smile when we are in a hurry or at the end of the day when we are tired. It is hard to smile when we are sad, but when dealing with strangers and other people, a smile may help brighten the day and provide us a friendlier environment in which to communicate or work in. 


Here is a Lego smiley man to help you remember to smile more.

Waiting and Anticipating

Sometimes life means waiting and anticipating. Anticipation affects us within our head, body and heart at the time. We can have negative feelings in regards to upcoming changes and challenges or we can have a positive and motivated outlook. We can also have a blend of all these things.

I recall waiting for our brand new construction house to be completed. We would visit the building site almost daily to see what new components had been started or finished.  I was anticipating the move in process, setting up the house, and having life and living go back to "normal" instead of being in a temporary waiting phase of life.  Even now when I look back those three months (I know we were fortunate...others may have to wait years on home construction projects) seemed like the longest in my entire life.

Waiting takes it's toll, but it is our attitude that makes the difference. We can wait with patience, or wait in anger and frustration. Waiting isn't everything that is going on in our life. We can try to enjoy a portion of our day or time by refocusing on daily pleasures and activities.

Being Positive in a Negative World

It is hard to stay positive when we are filled with negativity. Recently I've noticed more negative conversations around the world's water coolers. How can we remain or become positive?

Choose Positive Media and Messages
Avoid watching too much daily television news. Look instead at situational comedies. Seek out positive television shows or series. Stop watching so much television and read an uplifting book instead.

Smile more
Individuals who smile are more likely to be received in a positive light. In others words, we get what we give.

Be Positive where you can
Say thank you, your welcome and really mean it . Work on your inflections.

Appreciate and Play with your Pets
Pet's are great stress relievers. Spend some time watching or hanging out with them.


Realize you can't necessarily change the world but you can change yourself and your attitude.

Listen to Grow

Change is hard, listening may be even harder. When we are changing we may find ourselves having to find more time to listen. Listening takes energy.

Finding the right people to listen to is not easy. Missteps are usually found along this path. The best method for selecting good "listening" is to go with your intuition. Listening to a person who is soothing might be good, yet they can lull us into a stasis, state of complacency or even a paralysis of indecision. Listening to someone who causes us major anxiety may not be a good choice either. However, sometimes the individual's who causes us minor anxiety and inner turmoil are helping us develop new thoughts, thinking patterns and helping us change.

Listen to learn, listen to grow. Change will come.

Who do you plan on listening to?

Transition Your Life - Middle Age

This is the third in the series of posts on transition times. Let's visit the transition periods that often occur in adulthood (age 40 - 60).

Transitioning to a moving to a new home or neighborhood
Transitioning to a smaller or larger home
Transitioning to grandchildren
Transitioning to loss of a loved one
Transitioning to approaching retirement
Transitioning to career change
Transitioning to job loss
Transitioning to evolving spiritual or religious beliefs
Transitioning to a new or chronic health condition
Transitioning to caretaker for parent(s)or grandchildren
Transitioning to empty nesters
Transitioning to having teenagers
Transitioning to having college age children
Transitioning to having married children and in-law relationships
Transitioning to changing relationships with your parents (adult to elderly parent)
Transitioning to financial gain/financial loss
Transitioning to changing relationships with your children (adult to adult)

See also
Transition Your Life - Adulthood
Transition Your Life - Early Adulthood

Transition Your Life - Adulthood

This is the second in the series of posts on transition times. Let's visit the transition periods that often occur in adulthood (age 30 - 40).

Transitioning to having a child
Transitioning to having a teenager
Transitioning to accepting infertility
Transitioning to a new skill or hobby
Transitioning to the loss of parent(s) or loved ones
Transitioning to the loss of a relationship
Transitioning to a career change
Transitioning to new neighbors
Transitioning to having a chronic health condition
Transitioning to new home
Transitioning to job loss
Transitioning to evolving spiritual or religious beliefs
Transitioning to financial losses/financial gains
Transitioning to changing relationships with your parents (adult to adult)


Life is a journey, you don't have to go it alone. Having a transition coach can be the best decision and investment you can make.

See also Transition Your Life - Early Adulthood