Ember Seminars

Tagged with:

Change – good or bad

May 13, 2013

Metathesiophobia is the fear of changes. You might not suffer from this fear and you still might find yourself unsure of what to do when change is upon you.

Most people do not seek out change. These people will go out of their way to avoid change. They like having their routine in place. The unknown is something they wish to leave unknown.

There are a handful of people that are always looking for change. They are never happy with the status quo and are always looking to bring change and revolution to those around them.

Then there are people who don’t think twice when faced with change. They understand the lessons that come from change. These are the people that understand that change is inevitable and when a detour is placed before them instead of expressing their frustration they make the needed turn and enjoy the new path.

Those that have the most success dealing with change are those that learn from mistakes, find the lessons in everything and always have their eyes open before deciding too soon if it is a good change or a bad change.

There are many types of change that we will experience in our lives. Some of the change we can control such as moving to a new home or city, getting a new job, or starting a new relationship or maybe even ending a relationship.

Some of these same changes we have no control over such as having to move to a new home or a new city, getting a new job, or the ending of a relationship.

Some change we almost all can enjoy. Such as when we get a new vehicle or new gadget and run around showing it off happy for the change that we brought upon ourselves.

The biggest challenge with change is when it is change that is out of our control. Our company makes a change that we have to adopt. We lose a family member and changes are needed. Sometimes change could just be a favorite store closing a location.

The main thing to remember when you are facing change is that change is neither good nor is it bad.

We are unable to look at change and figure if it is good or bad for many years if ever.

Was that move to a new city good? Think of the people you met because of the move. Think of the people you didn’t meet?

A new job, whether it was your choice or your past employers choice, was it a good change? Maybe your old job you would have been dead-ended in and stuck doing the same thing and your new job has opened doors to you and excited you about opportunities again.

Was it a good change or a bad change that a relationship ended? Who knows. Were you being held back from growth and what opportunities might you be missing out. What growth has come from your next relationship?

Just take a moment and when change is placed in front of us. Just breathe and we won’t overreact. We don’t know if it is a good change or a bad change for many days, weeks, months, years or we might never know. We will just get used to the new status quo until the next change occurs.

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?

Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Take a moment and reflect on a change that happened that you were concerned with and find all of the positive events that have come from that moment.

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Tagged with:

Cell Phone Etiquette

April 23, 2013

Can you hear me now? How about now? Now? Is this better? Forget it I will call you later!!!

Sound like words you have said before? Everyone has at one point or another and we are here to help you understand some cell phone etiquette. After you master these, share them with others so we can all show a little more respect to people around us, people on the other end of the phone and to our phones themselves!

Here are the Top 10 tips we can share with you…

1)Yelling at the phone doesn’t make it easier for the other party to hear you. Actually it probably makes it more difficult to understand what the heck you are yelling into my ear. The only people who will hear you better when you do this are all of the people around you that don’t want anything to do with your conversation! Keep it down PLEASE!

2)There are just some moments that the phone should not be answered and while you are in the bathroom is one of them. See number #8 for another opportunity to leave the phone alone. If you are in the bathroom, be in the bathroom. If you insist on having your phone in there with you, check email, check Facebook, play a game of Temple Run, just don’t answer the phone. The person on the other end will appreciate this as will all of the other people in the bathroom if this is a public bathroom. Want to communicate with someone while in the john, well that is what text messaging is for!

3)Just as we don’t drink and drive, we shouldn’t cell phone and drive. That means talking or texting. If you are going to use your phone in the car make sure your car has bluetooth, or you have an ear piece and you are able to be hands free. Wait until a red light or a stop to start dialing please.

4)Now and then we all have a moment when we pull out our phone to play a game to pass the time. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor once again and get headphones so we don’t have to listen to the annoying background music from Subway Surfers or whatever you are playing at this time.

5)We know that you think they aren’t talking to you although when you are at the movies and they ask you to turn your phone off, that doesn’t just mean so it doesn’t ring. Turn your phone off! There are few things more aggravating then right as the killer is about to be revealed that someone checks their email and the dark atmosphere of the theater is now completely filled with the light of your screen.

6)Did you know that there is a delay in conversation over cell phones? Stop cutting the other person off and let them finish their thought before you jump in and are both speaking at the same time. Come to think of it this is a lesson in life etiquette as well!!!

7)If you find yourself without your phone or the battery on your phone has died and you must make a call, be considerate when you borrow someone else’s phone. Our phones become a personal extension of us and even our secret keepers. If you can actually remember the phone number you are calling (since most of us don’t remember phone numbers anymore thanks to our phone doing it for us) stay out of their messages while on their phone.

8)We mentioned in tip #2 that there are times to not answer your phone. It is sad that we even have to add this one to our list. PLEASE do not answer during intimate moments with another person.First it will be considered rude to the person you are talking to at that time. And probably more importantly it will be considered very rude to your partner.

9)Another life lesson that we will share with you in regards to our cell phones is this. If you are with someone in person be with that person in person! Stay off the phone when you are supposed to be at a meal with someone, out for the day with someone or otherwise engaging in some personal face to face time. If it is too difficult for you to resist the vibration or the ring of your phone, flip it off. At least set it to airplane mode so you can use your camera if needed and not worry about the call you really didn’t need to answer.

10)The last tip we want to share with you about cell phone etiquette would be to control your ringtones. It might be cute to have “your song” play when your spouse calls you or your school song play when you college friends ring you. Control your ringtones and choose wisely so we don’t have the foul language coming from your phone, the annoying dogs barking or other unneeded sounds that you let ring longer than needed because they entertain you.

If you can remember just half of these tips, the people around you and the people you are communicating with on the phone will all appreciate you just a little bit more. And what more could we ask for?

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?

Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Change your ringtone if needed before you even share this blog with others you know need it!

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

culture, Mindset, technology

Tagged with:

Time to make a mountain out of a molehill

March 27, 2013

One of dad’s favorite sayings was that I was making a mountain out of a molehill. While I loved dad, he did have a lot of strange or cliché sayings. I am wondering if there is a book on cliché’s for parenting.

What is usually meant by this saying is that you are turning a little issue into a big problem.This is a great lesson to learn in all areas of life.

mole

Are you blowing something out of proportion?
Are you taking things to an extreme for no reason?
Are you over reacting?

While it is a powerful lesson it is not what we are here to cover.

Today we want to look at taking that little molehill and seeing if we can turn it into our own mountain with a little focus and effort.

Why would we want to take something small and make it into something big? Because that is how success works. This is how change happens in our lives, like it or not.

This is a lesson we have heard many times from many different experts in many different ways. Hopefully today is the day that the message finally hits home with you.

Darren Hardy calls it the Compound Effect
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan call it The ONE Thing
Dr Leo Marvin (played by Richard Dreyfuss in What About Bob) called it Baby Steps

You can call it whatever you want just as long as you are doing it.

Through my most recent coaching opportunities it was clear that people understand how to look at the big picture.

We have our vision boards (I bet yours has a car, a house, a few trips and something about being out of debt on it)
We have our screen saver set with images (if you are seeing the photo of the beach on your computer it means it is idle, meaning you are not working on getting closer to that trip to the beach)
We have the letter we have written to our future self about what we know will happen.

All of these things are great. They are powerful. They are wonderful tools to use in your growth.

I could look at a photo of the United States and know to get from Seattle, Washington to Orlando, Florida I must go east and south. If I want to get from Seattle to Orlando I wouldn’t just look at a picture, I would look at a map (remember those things before we had GPS.)

Your pictures are great. Our question is where is your road map to get to your target?

Start taking each of those molehills and stack them together day after day and you will have your mountain.

Save 10% of each paycheck and put it in something that earns you money and watch it grow
Take 5 extra minutes each day and put away your distractions and spend it with your spouse or children
Work out just a little more (or work out just a little for those doing nothing yet) and see growth happen
Take one less bite at each meal and watch the pounds add up and fall off over time.

Take your molehill and make it a mountain!

If you aren’t doing this on purpose, it is happening anyway. Make sure your mountain is one you are standing on top of and not one you are at the bottom wondering how you will ever climb to the top!

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?

Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Call one more person for work right now and build that mountain. Get up and walk another 1000 steps right now. Put down that snack you are eating right now. Choose your focus and start moving up your mountain!

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Tagged with:

Squirrel!

March 12, 2013

It starts with a beep, a chirp, a bell tone and after that, you are finished!

SQUIRREL!

Now after you have seen what was so important to someone else it is time for you to get back to what you were doing.

Our good friend Dug, the dog in the movie UP, was the one to bring this our attention. We were all too busy being distracted to really even notice the problem.

Production numbers are down in companies in all industries and everyone is looking for the reason. The reason is right in front of us every single moment of every single day. We are too busy having to be “in the loop” all the time.

You sit at your desk getting into whatever project you have going on. Maybe you are writing a report, an email or creating a presentation for a meeting later that day. SQUIRREL! Just like that your focus is pulled to your smart phone that just beeped at you with a text, an email, a social media update and even if you don’t go to look at it your focus has been pulled.

We are even betting that your focus was pulled just by the word standing out as you were reading. Did your eyes jump ahead at the color and force you to then go back and catch up on reading?

Take a moment and turn off the notifications on your smart phone so that YOU can control when things happen. Before we had cell phones people waited to hear from us. Even with a pager people sent us a message and knew we would get back to them soon. Now with the technology advances instant gratification isn’t fast enough and people want you to reply as soon as they send the message (we are included in that)

Slow down a little. Believe it or not you will get more done if you finish one task before thinking about another one.

SQUIRREL!

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?

Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Change the settings on your smart phone right now…stop reading, don’t comment…change them!

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Tagged with:

Upgrade Everything

February 15, 2013

We are looking for upgrades everywhere we look.

We are always hoping to get that upgrade:

To first class on our flight
To the nicer hotel room
To the extra feature added to our car

While we are always looking for an upgrade to be handed to us, how often are we offering that upgrade to others?

When you meet someone for the first time are you just going through the motions of an introduction or are you upgrading that person’s life with your meeting?

When you are seeing someone who you haven’t seen in a long time are you paying attention to the answer after you ask the typical question or are you upgrading that person in some way?

When you ask a question, are you asking the simple question or are you upgrading that question to a high-class question to really spark conversation?

When you work with someone are you going through the motions or are you taking the time to upgrade your participation and focus on the task at hand?

We look for upgrades in material ways. We hope to bring an upgrade to others. Don’t forget the most important upgrade that we need to consider and that is upgrading ourselves.

Do you upgrade each day in some way?

Read a passage from a book to learn something
Excercise to improve our health
Make a better choice with our meals to help upgrade our health

Upgrading is a powerful term and if you take a moment to upgrade everything you do your results will become first class!

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?
Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Stop looking for someone to upgrade you and make the difference in their life by upgrading an encounter you have today.

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Tagged with:

Hashtags: Do and Don’t

January 30, 2013

What is this elusive hashtag that so many are hoping to capture, tame and train to bring success?

According to en.wiktionary.org, a hashtag is defined as a tag embedded in a message posted on the Twitter microblogging service, consisting of a word within the message prefixed with a hash sign.

A hashtag is easily recognized by its odd shape. It has been known as a tic-tac-toe board, a pound sign, the number symbol and other fun terms.

The purpose of a hashtag is to group messages together on social media. In other words, branding. By creating a hashtag (just put # in front of your word – it does not have to be a real word) you turn the term to a searchable term and an instant link to other messages containing the same term. Check out the hashtag #mindset to see what we are speaking about (we are not responsible for what you might find)

Before we get into the DO’s and DON’Ts of hashtags let’s be clear on this one thing. Hashtags are a language of social media. Keep hashtags to the social media sites that embrace them such as Twitter, Instagram and Google Plus and keep the hashtags off the social media sites they don’t belong on such as Facebook!

Create a hashtag to keep conversations together on a set topic. This will be creating branding for you. Create your hashtag well for your business and your conversation topic.
Use hashtags often to keep them top of mind. If you create a hashtag and use it once or twice people will never catch on.
Promote your hashtag on marketing materials so people can find your conversations. People don’t randomly search for hashtags. This means you will need to get your hashtags out there in front of people
Follow some other hashtags to follow conversations on topics of interest. You do not need to reply or respond as you can be a lurker and just listen and learn – a great way to develop a hashtag is to watch how others are using them.

DON’T

Use them with the wrong platforms. Hashtags have a home, and Facebook is not one of those places. Keep the hashtags off Facebook and speak the right language.
Attempt to stuff too many hashtags into a social posting. Keep the total number of hashtags to three or less – if your postings are stuffed with hashtags there is no information of value and people will quickly stop listening to you.
Give up on a hashtag just because others aren’t using it in the first 24 hours. It will take time for you to develop a hashtag that is worth following – as mentioned in the DO section it will take time and marketing before people are using your hashtag as well. Have patience and it will come together.
Keep changing your hashtag. This is a way you brand a topic and conversation and if you use a different hashtag each time you have an event people will never know where to find you – We see too often that people have an event and use a hashtag and the same company will have another event the next month and change hashtags. This is usually done to standout with their hashtag and it works for the shelf life of the day before fading away and not followed up with. If the company had used a consistent hashtag they would have improved their branding and continued conversations

When we say Wednesday what do you think of? Hump day most likely.
When we say Friday what do you think of? TGIF and the start of the weekend probably.
When we then mention Sunday what do you think of? Football day possibly? Day at church? End of the weekend?

Whatever the answer to this you think the same thing each time. Sunday, Wednesday and Friday (as well as the other 4 days) have branded themselves with specific triggers for you. Imagine if each week the names were changed? Doesn’t make sense does it? Neither does changing your hashtags!

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?
Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Create a hashtag, post something on Twitter using a hashtag, listen to a hashtag to learn. Do it today!

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Tagged with:

6 Most Influential

January 24, 2013

The lists have been popping up all over the place.

Top influencers in business
Top influencers on Twitter
Top 5000 influencers

All of the influential lists are created with some sort of guidelines. The challenge is that someone who is influential to you might not be influential to me or anyone else.

The dictionary tells us that influence is defined as: the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions,etc…of others

Keeping all of that in mind, let’s now look at the people who should be influencers in your life. There is no scientific fact to this study at all. This is built from asking questions and listening closely to answers.

Remember as you work through this list, someone with influence, doesn’t mean they are a role model for you.

Here are the people who should in some way be on Your Most Influential list…

1) Your mom or dad (it is acceptable to have parents listed as one on your list or split them if you want)
Either one of your parents already made this list. They are either a person that you want to be like, or a person you don’t want to be like. Whichever it might be, they have influenced you every step of your life and shaped you to the person that you are today. One or both of your parents clearly have been a compelling force on you.

2) Your spouse/partner
Married or not married, there has been that partner along the way that influenced the way you looked at something. Did they open your mind to a different way of thinking? Did they have any effects on your actions, behavior or opinions?
Hopefully you are blessed that person became your spouse/partner and is still there doing this for you today.

3)A teacher
We all have had “that” teacher in our life that has been a huge influence leading you to where you are today. Maybe they pushed you harder than any other teacher because they saw something in you. Maybe they opened a door to an opportunity in your life. Maybe they introduced you to something that has become your passion.
Maybe you were lucky and it was your grade 1 teacher or maybe this came later in life and was a professor you had in university.

4)Best friend
You shouldn’t have to think too hard to figure this one out. This is the person that when you can’t call your spouse or your parents because you got in real trouble you will reach out to call. This person might actually have had the most influence on you and have changed your opinion on many different topics over the years.
We hope that you have this person in your life. Maybe it is also your spouse or one of your parents.

5)Work mate
This might be your boss. This could be the person at the cubicle beside you. Someone that makes you want to make that extra call, send that extra email, and stay those few extra moments each day. This person is clearly a compelling force on you.

6)Author/Speaker/Coach/Athlete
One of these people has been influential to you. Something you have read or heard or watched them do has had an impact on your actions. Do you work out harder because you see an athlete do something you know you can do? Do you live your life by a message that you got from a book you read? Were you moved to action from a presentation by a fantastic speaker at a conference or event?

Now you have a list of who should be on Your Most Influential list and stop chasing the people who are on someone else’s list!

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?
Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - Take a moment and write your list. Who is the person that fits each one of these six categories? And who else still should be added to your list? Reach out and thank these people for the influence they have had on your life.

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Tagged with:

8 Ways to Make More of Life

January 17, 2013

Have you said to yourself that if you only knew then what you know now?

What would you have done differently?

We all have at one point and unless you are Doctor Emmett Brown and have a DeLorean that can travel through time, this could be a challenge for you.

Instead let’s take a look at a study that another doctor, Dr Gerald Bell, had done with a large group of executives. These matured veterans of life were all asked one simple question:
If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?

Let’s look at the answers he got quickly and then dive into what we could learn from these answers to make more of our own life.

Dr Bell’s top 8 responses…

I should have taken charge of my life and set my goals earlier. Life isn’t practice, it’s the real thing
I would have taken better care of my health
I would have managed my money better
I would have spent more time with my family
I would have spent more time on personal development
I would have had more fun
I would have planned my career better
I would have given more back

Let us find a simple Chadalyst for each of these lessons. For those of you wondering, a Chadalyst is a tip from Chad that precipitates a change in the lives of others.

1. I should have taken charge of my life and set my goals earlier. Life isn’t practice, it’s the real thing. The best time to plant a tree, make an investment or start anything was yesterday, the second best time is today! Sit down at the end of the day today and put 15 minutes aside to begin thinking about and writing out your goals. Do this for 15 minutes at the end of everyday and you will easily fine tune your goals to what really matters to you.

2. I would have taken better care of my health. This one is simple if you want to not say the same thing as you reach the twilight years of your life, start to eat better or exercise! Even better do BOTH, right now. Eating better does not mean you have to give up the stuff you love, just limit it. Exercising doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon or have abs of steel, just walk 10,000 steps in a day, everyday.

3. I would have managed my money better. Pay yourself first. Most people have little or no savings. You dream of a vacation and it might take a year or two for you to save for it. Start saving now. Open an account at a bank you don’t normally use. Tell the bank to only allow deposits with your bank card. Once a month go deposit a set amount in that account. You will have to be sure before you take the time to withdrawn any funds.

4. I would have spent more time with my family. If this is something you think you might one day be saying, pull out your calendar and put aside time once a week for family and family only. Have a game night, a date night or a family dinner night and stick to it and set the example for the rest of your family.

5. I would have spent more time on personal development. Personal development is an ongoing process that should never end. Just by reading this blog, and others that we share with you, you are taking part in this. If you want to add more personal development head to the book store, or visit Amazon.com, and order up 3 books that you will read this year – and then do it!

6. I would have had more fun. This is one that many of us will wish we had done. Everyone needs more fun in their lives. Start adding it. Take that trip you have talked about (if you have done #3 and have the funds) go on that date night (you can kill two birds with one stone on this and also cross off #4) Understand that life will never be perfect and you will never get everything done. Add some fun to your calendar

7. I would have planned my career better. Career planning is a tough one. What is it that you love to do? Now how can you make that a career? Sit down and start your planning on this right away so you can you start having the career you have always wanted

8. I would have given more back. Give back more is one that many feel they could have done better. This is something that many don’t know how to do. If you don’t want to go take a night and help at a shelter you could just drop off some food. How about cleaning out your closet as you know it is full of stuff you don’t wear anymore and donate it? If you travel often as we do, we bring the soaps and lotions home and give them to a women’s shelter. If none of that is for you, donate funds. There are so many ways you can give to your community.

These 8 things that are the top answers when people wish they had done something differently could all be crossed off your list with a few simple steps now.

Good luck and here’s to making more of life!

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?
Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst - You just read 8 of them above, do you really need a 9th?

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your thoughts.

Category:

Uncategorized

Play With a Full Deck

December 16, 2012

New Year’s resolutions…forget about them!
Instead we are here to help make this next year aces! There are 52 weeks in the year and 52 cards in a playing deck. Our goal is to make sure we are all playing with a full deck.

full deck

Often we start the year thinking about how to improve our business or how to improve our relationships or how to improve other external things. Our list gets long and overwhelming and we don’t accomplish what we set out to achieve. All of these things can be improved if we all start from the inside out.

Our goal has and always will be to help our readers grow. Thank you for being one of those readers and subscribers to this blog.

Each of our blogs ends with a Chadalyst, a thing that precipitates an event or change from Chad, and this blog is filled with them.

Let’s get to the challenge…There are 52 things on this list. We assigned a playing card to each one, randomly draw a card from a deck once a week and start working on the matching item. Challenge yourself to achieve as many of these as possible in the next year. These are in no specific order.

Hearts

Ace of Hearts Run a 5K
A short 3 mile run is something you can get up to speed for quickly. This isn’t a race, it is an experience. Donate some money to a good cause, get some great exercise and feel good inside and out.

2 of HeartsClean your closet
There are so many things in your closet that you don’t wear anymore and probably never will again. If you didn’t wear something over the past 12 months, clean it out of the closet and donate it. You will feel good inside and be able to get some new clothes to look good on the outside.

3 of Hearts Take a yoga class
Get your brain centered, get your body doing things you never thought possible. Yoga will help you get in shape and will help you find peace.

4 of Hearts Unplug for a weekend
We have become dependent upon technology. For a weekend, leave your phone behind. Don’t check in, don’t post, and don’t tweet. You deserve a weekend without the beeps and tweets.

5 of Hearts Help at a homeless shelter
There are others in need. Taking some time to donate time and help those less fortunate will help us all appreciate what we have and what we take for granted

6 of Hearts Read a self-help book
We all think we have it together and no matter how great things are, there are always other ways to look at anything. Take a moment and find a book to help us communicate better, help us understand each other better or whatever challenge you face.

7 of Hearts Read a fiction book and escape
Another way to unplug is to pick up a book and escape. There is nothing as powerful as our imagination and reading a fiction book lets us use that imagination. Who knows what new ideas you might find in a crime novel, a journey through time or a trip to another planet.

8 of Hearts Call someone
There is someone who you have wanted to talk to. There is someone who you haven’t spoken to in a while. There is someone you should pick up the phone and call.

9 of Hearts Send a hand written card
Emails and Facebook messages are great ways to stay in touch with people without much effort. Take a moment and show someone that they are important enough for you to hand write them a note or letter. Plus, isn’t it nice to get something in the mail other than a bill?

10 of Hearts Pay for the person behind you at the drive thru
We often go through the drive thru to start our day, on a busy lunch or to bring home dinner at the end of a long day with no time to cook. That means the person behind us is probably in the same boat. Start someone’s day on a high note, help someone else in a rush or make someone’s evening a little bit better.

Jack of Hearts Eat something new
Don’t ask what it is, just taste something that you have never eaten before. Open your mind and heart and in this case, your palate. You may never know what you enjoy once you get over what it is you are eating.

Queen of Hearts Attend a dance class
Even for those that are rhythmically challenged, this is a great way to connect with your life dance partner and have some laughs.

King of Hearts Learn a language
It is a challenge and will take more than a week to get this one done. Get started on something you have always wanted to do (we all do) and think of how it will make you a better person.

Clubs

Ace of ClubsTry a new recipe
We all get set in our ways and make the same 5-10 meals with very little change. Having broccoli instead of green beans is not a different meal. Grab a cookbook, ask a friend or even Google it. Find something new to make and surprise yourself.

2 of ClubsTake a 3 day weekend with someone important
One of the most valuable things you can give to someone is time. It is one of the things that we are limited on having and we never know when we have run out. Take a break and take a spouse, a family member or a friend and get out-of-town together.

3 of ClubsTake a nap
Who doesn’t want one of these? We all go go go and feel that a nap is something we don’t have the time for. Take the time and take a nap.

4 of ClubsBuild something
This could be something small like a(an) ______ all the way up to a new deck on the back of your home. Enjoy the feeling of creation and being able to appreciate your work for years to come.

5 of ClubsNo desserts
For some this is simple and for others a challenge. Go a week and have no desserts. That means no cookies at the office and no samples at the store. This might not be the best item to attempt to check off the list during the holiday season.

6 of ClubsReach 10,000 steps
Looking to improve your health in one of the easiest ways, walk 10,000 steps in a day. Pace back and forth while you are on the phone. Stretch your legs when you have a moment. Take a walk around the block. Reach 10,000 steps on a regular basis and your body will thank you.

7 of ClubsClean your garage
The first thing most people see when they get home is the garage. If you are not seeing yours, it is a good bet that it is too full and too much of a mess for you to use it. Start with one box at a time and after a box a day you will start to see changes in your garage and reclaim an area of your home.

8 of ClubsJournal
Clear your mind at the end of the day. Capture your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a private place for you or in a place that you can one day pass to someone else to know what it was that you were going through. Journaling will capture it all and help you sleep better.

9 of ClubsNo TV
Turn off the tube! Pull out a book (see items #__ and #___) play a board game, go for a walk. Whatever you do if you turn off the television you will quickly reclaim many hours of your week

10 of ClubsBe a kid again
Jump on a skate board. Go play in an arcade. Do something that reminds you of when you were a kid and having happy times. We all have our inner child waiting to come out and play.

Jack of ClubsSave an animal
Want to take a big leap on this one, go adopt an animal. You will wonder if you saved it or if it saved you. If you are not ready to take on the additional responsibility, take some time and volunteer at the local animal shelter. You will feel wonderful at the end of the day.

Queen of ClubsPlant a tree
A tree might be a little big for your space. If you can’t plant a tree, bring something green to your home and pot some flowers. Help nature grow and watch how it makes you feel better

King of ClubsNew hairstyle
Be daring. Got long hair, go cut it short. If you have always have had short hair, grow it out. Losing your hair (we know of what we speak) just take the plunge and shave it off.

Diamonds

Ace of DiamondsGet extreme
Jump from a plane (with a parachute please) Go Scuba diving. Compete in a marathon. Do something this next year that reminds you the thrill that life can share when you push yourself to something extreme.

2 of DiamondsInterview a role model
Want to grow in many ways this year? Take a moment and interview a role model. Find someone doing something that you want to do. Someone that will be happy to share with you what they know. Remember that you are also a role model to others and be ready to continue to share that information

3 of DiamondsTake a hike
Get outside and breathe in some fresh air while exploring nature and getting some exercise. Sounds like a perfect way to clear your head for a day

4 of DiamondsPerform a random act of kindness
Hopefully you do this often. Hold a door open, help someone with full hands from a store, and shovel a driveway of a neighbor. Whatever it is you do, be intentional about finding someone to help

5 of DiamondsShop local
Support your local stores. Big box stores might have larger selections and it is our local stores that add culture to our towns. Get your coffee someplace local. Buy your next book from a local bookstore. Shop local and help your town.

6 of DiamondsAttend a live sporting event
Support your local team in any professional sport or even at the college level. Get out there, unwind and take in competition at its finest.

7 of DiamondsTake the stairs and skip all elevators/escalators
Use an extra moment and climb the stairs and get your blood pumping that little bit extra. You never know, you might start a trend.

8 of DiamondsDiscover a new band
Get out of your comfort zone of listening to the same groups again and again. Ask friends for suggestions, check out what Pandora shows as similar or dive into iTunes and find something different and push your mind.

9 of DiamondsSubscribe to a magazine for someone
Magazines are great learning tools. They bring information right to your mailbox monthly. Find a magazine you think someone would enjoy and send a subscription to them. They will think of you monthly.

10 of DiamondsTake a vacation
You’ve earned it. OK, maybe you haven’t and you should still take one. Just before a vacation we get focused and busy at work and then on a vacation we can unplug, unwind and create a memory that we otherwise would have missed

Jack of DiamondsLeave a huge tip
Ever work in the service industry? If you have you know that you can change someone’s day with an unexpectedly large tip. Never worked in the service industry, you should and then you would understand.

Queen of DiamondsMake friends with someone new
Meet your children’s friend’s parents. Meet someone you see at the coffee shop each morning. Make a new friend and see what doors open for both of you.

King of DiamondsSay thank you
You do this all the time as second nature (we hope) Be intentional about saying thank you to someone (or a group of some ones) that have impacted your life. Gratitude goes a long way

Spades

Ace of SpadesSing karaoke
You might not be able to sing. You might have stage fright. Don’t worry most of the people who are there can’t sing either. Relax and enjoy a night of getting uncomfortable.

2 of SpadesSupport the arts
Every town has a local theatre. Take in a dance performance or a play that is going on. Encourage those that invest their time and talents and experience something magical

3 of SpadesCreate a work of art
Pull out those paints. Get some pencils and start sketching. You don’t have to make something to frame, just create and find amazing new answers to questions you have been stuck on.

4 of SpadesSpend a day with a child
Take your child for a day of just the two of you. Don’t have a child, borrow a niece or nephew. Children need role models and relationships. Take a day and work on developing yours.

5 of SpadesDownload a new app
Who knows what app. Open up the app store on your phone and download the top suggested or top free or go looking for an app that can help solve a problem you have. Technology is everywhere so embrace it.

6 of SpadesTake a friend out to dinner
Everyone eats. Take a friend and spend a meal together. Catch up, talk about life, and eat great food. You will be happy you did.

7 of SpadesGo on a road trip
Everywhere in the country has someplace close enough to make for a fun road trip. Jump in the car and off you go to create a memory and experience an adventure.

8 of SpadesLearn more about something you are interested in
With the growth of Google there is nothing out of reach anymore. Want to know more about Greek Mythology, Google it. Want to learn more about bridges, Google it. There is something you have wanted to know so take a moment and Google it.

9 of SpadesRepaint a room
Nothing will change a day more than a new color. Paint that bathroom, bedroom or office that you have been thinking about doing. It will give you a new lease on creativity.

10 of SpadesGive a gift to someone for no reason
We all feel better when we can make others feel better (believe it or not) Next time you see something that you know someone you know would enjoy, send it to them!

Jack of SpadesDrink water
Looking to improve your health and eat better, the first place to start is drinking those 8 cups of water a day. Get a bottle that holds 64oz and fill it. Drink it all before the day ends.

Queen of SpadesVisit an art gallery
Savor a moment surrounded by beautiful works of art and explore an art gallery. New thoughts will fill your mind and new solutions found

King of SpadesGo on a picnic
Nature is there for you to embrace and too often we enjoy nature out the window of our car or office. Grab your meal and grab a seat on the grass and enjoy a little time with Mother Nature. When was the last time you visited her?

Just draw one card from your deck a week and it will make for a wonderful year of growth and change. At the end of that year you will never be the same!

This challenge can be started at any time and does not have to start with a new year. Start today and good luck.

Do you enjoy the information found in these blogs?
Click on the top right of the screen to subscribe and you can be one of the first to receive these updates.

Chadalyst –Draw a card and get to it already!

Join Chad Hyams and Ember Seminars on Facebook and on Twitter and share your

Category: