Overscheduled Children: Stop The Madness!

Overscheduled and stressed kids are everywhere! Despite many credible reports that show how beneficial free time is good for a child’s development, a crazy amount weekend and after-school activities are the norm for most kids. Why?


Research shows that free, unstructured play such as creating pretend games allows children to explore the world around them and teaches children to express themselves, developing key skills for adulthood such as decision making skills and self-confidence.

Child playtime being scheduled by parents means that children are not encouraged to ‘make up their own games’, such as climbing trees, making mud pies or simply having an imaginary friend.

Anisha Abraham is the Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital says too much pressure can do harm to kids. Abraham told the Washington Post:

"Success is not about getting into the most elite school or college but about becoming a balanced, resilient and happy individual. Creating undue expectations and over scheduling can lead to anxiety and stress related problems in both adolescence and adulthood."

Parents Ask experts New York Times Lisa Belkin and authors Betsy Brown Braun and Eli Davidson discuss the perils of a generation of overscheduled kids and offer up strategies for finding the balance between too much and just enough. Check out the lively discussion over on ParentsAsk.com

Communication Skills To Help Win The Race to the Top

"State agencies were created as compliance agencies, not to be agents of transformative change," said Dane Linn, the education division director of the Washington-based National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said he wants innovative proposals that move states beyond the status quo. Unfortunately, state-level officials say capacity issues aren't just about having enough people to do the work. They also worry about having visionary people who can deliver on what Mr. Duncan wants.

As an expert in change management, I am in complete disagreement with Mr. Duncan and state officials. No group has a deeper commitment to quality public education. No group has a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing their students. Historically, School Boards have been tasked with compliance, not innovation. However, members of the Arizona School Board have the necessary qualities to create the transformative change. The key components of innovation are collaboration and communication. School Board Association members working as a team can conceptualize a project that is both innovative and effective. In order to have the best plan it is essential the effective communication skills are in place. Listening is an overlooked communication skill. However, it is one of the most effective skills to utilize in the process of innovation. It is essential to listen to other board members as they craft innovative plans.

This week I will provide you with tips to enhance the effective communication.

ABC's of Communication

Go for it!

As an executive coach and motivational speaker I love these ABC's of communicating Brought to you by my friend Anne Naylor! In my life coaching business communication skills are so important.

Dare to reach out and make new connections. Dare to deepen the connections you already have. Dare to be more fully your glorious self!

You are not an accident. You are here for good purpose. Allow yourself to be seen, to be known, to be enjoyed. Awaken yourself to living in a new world of wonder and fulfilment, while being in the same old one.

What is it that draws us together? What is the purpose? What can you learn from those drawn to you? Do you have any tips for making good connections with others?


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-naylor/the-abcs-of-good-communic_b_301591.html

5 Minutes To Fab

5 Minutes To Fab

Studies show that women have a harder time hanging up the phone than men. In order to keep calls shorter, I set a 5 minute timer. I let the person know that I have 5 minutes for the call. When the timer goes off I politely let them know that I need to get off the call.

How do you make the most of your day?

Contact Eli at info@elidavidson.comor go to http://www.elidavidson.com/

ABC's of Communication

Factor X

As delicate as the thread of a spider's web, and as strong, there is a powerful and unseen quality of connection we share that cannot be defined. You can awaken to it.

It is the connection of mother to child. The connection sometimes of romantic chemistry. The presence of a person who had devoted their life to a spiritual practice.

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow
men. Herman Melville

A Tip For Better Self Care

A few weeks ago I started Birkram Yoga... also known as “sweaty-sweat-box-killer-yoga.” (Yoga in a room that is 105 degrees.)As tough as it is, I sure feel great when I do it consistently. If self care is at the bottom of your list here is a tip that may help you.

GPS The Goodie Project System
Numerous studies show that it is important to reward yourself for completing tasks. My dear friend and Time Management Guru, David Allen, stresses this in all his work. I call it GPS The Goodie Project System Set a specific reward (goodie) for achieving a goal (project) and watch yourself get there faster. I told myself I got to buy my favorite perfume for being 100% on my low carb diet for a week. Not one molecule of bread touched my lips…and boy, do I smell good now!

Tips To Avoid Harassment

The David Letterman case is revealing the nasty face of sexual harassment. Here are unexpected tips to help avoid harassment.

You Teach People How To Treat You:

From the first day you walk in the door First, always what you say and how you behave. Don’t let the door be opened to disrespectful behavior.

Dress For Success:

Third, dress conservatively. Sure, they wear mini skirts on TV and magazines. So if you want to be taken seriously, then dress seriously.

Give Them What They Want:

Sexual harassers are insecure men. The best way to diffuse harassment is to... give them what they want: attention and praise.Complement them. If they had more self respect they would treat women with more respect. Acknowledge their work, the plant on their desk or best of all their hobby. It will distract them from harassing you.

Nip It In The Bud:

From the first smell of harassment be firm but confront the harasser. “It makes me uncomfortable when you _____. “ Short direct sentences and concrete examples work best.

Dear Diary:

Keep a very detailed diary of the incidents. Listen to yourself. If you are at all uncomfortable, then something is wrong. If the behavior persists tell a supervisor. Harassment is illegal and you will want a very clear paper trail and as many witnesses as possible.

As a life coach and motivational speaker I find that harassment can easily be avoided, My hope is that exposing the very ugly face of harassment will give the women and men the courage to stand up taller, and not allow this behavior to continue.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-davidson/give-them-what-they-want_b_314766.html

Todays ABC of Communication

E. Exercise a positive focus

A positive focus is part an attitude - of focusing on the positive, the good in any situation; and part holding an intention of a positive outcome, no matter how things look in the present. A positive focus makes good communication much easier.

ABC's of Communication

Decide to be friendly .....

A warm smile can say much without any words being expressed. Shared laughter and joy serve to connect us way beyond our differences.

Connecting silently can happen through a firm handshake, a hug, sharing the rhythm of a dance. To touch is to enrich, both giver and receiver.

Focus on one task at a time!

Still feeling stress? Here are a few more ways to calm your brain so you can focus on one task at a time.

Turn off the phones and instant messaging
If you can divert your phones to another number or turn them off altogether and make sure you have voicemail on so callers can leave a message. Again, intrusions like the phone can cause you to lose track of what you are doing and it takes time for you to re-focus on the task at hand. Constant interruptions like this will almost guarantee that the report you were trying to complete will not get done until tomorrow and by that time you will feel a lot more stressed.

Tell others your intentions
If you have a lot of work colleagues coming up to your desk, tell them in advance that you need to finish an important task and for them not to interrupt if possible. Make light of it but make sure they know you are serious. Better yet, hide yourself in a room where they won't usually look for you, this way you will get a lot more done.

Free your mind, feel less stress!

Our brains are wired to focus on one task at time. Professor Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, carried out a study whereby he scanned volunteers’ heads while they performed different tasks. He found that when there was a lot of visual objects in front of volunteers, only one or two objects tended to activate the brain. This means that the volunteers could only focus on one or two objects at any given time. As a life coach and motivational speaker I am asked "How can I free my mind, I always feel stressed?"

Todays tip to free your mind:

Don't open any programs that are not necessary
If you have to finish a report in Word make sure you only have Word open and no other program. The other programs, like your email client or browser, will distract you. Just have your main program open and reward yourself by checking your emails and web browser when you have completed the task at hand.

Easy Start Up Businesses

Here are a few more business that cost litttle if anything to start up!

Mystery shopping - Do not expect to get rich by secret shopping one location. The key to success is to register with multiple shopping companies and to check your email frequently.

Online teaching - Avoid paying astronomical fees to list your services on websites. Opt instead to choose places that allow you to post ads for free.

Virtual assistant - Set up shop in a quiet part of your home that is free from noise and distractions. Invest in a good headset and pick a home phone plan with unlimited long distance calls.

Product demonstrations - Wear a comfortable pair of shoes because you will be standing on your feet the whole time that you are working.

Wise Bread also lists several issues to consider before you embark on a new money-making venture — issues like assessing your skills, knowing your competitors, and negotiating a price.

Our guess is that this tough economy has more and more people looking for ideas to earn a bit of money on the side.

Anyone out there with a small business or additional work commitment that's helping you earn a few extra bucks?

Small Businesses That Are Free or Cost Little to Start Up

Has the slumping economy got you looking for ideas to earn some extra money? If so, personal finance blog Wise Bread can help you out with their list of small businesses that are free or cost little to start up. Here are 3 along with their "advice to live by" for each suggestion:

Artwork or handcrafted items - In addition to the cost of materials, add in labor to the price of your artwork and handmade wares.

Tutoring - The more websites you sign up for, the greater your chances of tutoring full-time. If paying a percentage of your wages to a third party doesn't appeal to you, print out business cards and rely on word-of-mouth advertising to launch your business.

Caretaking - Do not give out contact information to a person until after you have done some research on them. A criminal background check on a client is a small price to pay in terms of your safety.

Are You Making The Most Of Your Career? (VIDEO)

I love Mr. Pink's work. Thank you for sharing this terrific video.



What a great column! One can't have career success without a level of personal success.

Here is my column.



Give The What They Want: 5 Tips To Avoid Sexual Harassment.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-davidson/give-them-what-they-want_b_314766.html



I would love to hear your thoughts!



Eli Davidson,

www.elidavidson.com



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-greene/lettermans-stupid-human-t_b_312838.html
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Today Motivational Speakers ABC of Communication!

C.... Create safety...
... and trust. Being frank and fair will let others know where they stand with you.

They will feel comfortable to be themselves and communicate what is true for them. This is such a profound service to offer, to any one at any age.

Loving, caring and an absence of threat will enable another person to connect with their heart and the resources it holds for them.

The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about teaching -
is that you can connect with an individual or a group,
and see that individual or
group exceed their limits.
Mike Krzyzewski

Stress and multitasking.

As a Life Coach and Motivationl Speaker I hear a lot of talk about multitasking and STRESS.....


Multitasking can literally cause stress. Due to the amount of time multitaskers take to flit between one job and another, they become less efficient and their brain literally slows down. So now we have a situation when all the tasks have not been completed, due to the brain slowing down, which causes stress levels to rise, which in turn leads to mistakes being made and stress levels rise even more. So it's no wonder that we feel frantic when we try to do too many things at once.

Tip to combat stress:

Clear your desktop
A great clearing exercise is to clean up your desktop. Get those pdf files in one folder, get the word documents in one folder or categorize them and put them in a folder. Be sure to give your files good memorable names so you can search for them in the future. Don't name a file '1' as you will never be able to find it again in a year's time, give it a proper name like 'stats for week beginning 24th august 2009' and name all subsequent, similar, files in the same way. Put all your downloads into one folder as well so you don't clutter up your desktop.

Free your mind so you can focus on one task at a time.

Our brains are wired to focus on one task at time. Professor Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, carried out a study whereby he scanned volunteers’ heads while they performed different tasks. He found that when there was a lot of visual objects in front of volunteers, only one or two objects tended to activate the brain. This means that the volunteers could only focus on one or two objects at any given time.

Todays tip to free your mind:

1. Clear your space
Tidy desk - tidy mind, that's my motto. It's a strange thing but when our work desks are cleared, our minds seem clearer and become more focused on the task at hand. If your desk is very untidy and has paper, reports, books, magazines, stats lying all over it, your brain momentarily picks this up when you are not working. So when you get to working you could be thinking 'I've got that report to finish, I need to finish those stats, I need to show Steve that article in the magazine'. We still have lots of information to contend with in our minds. Whereas if our desk is completely free from clutter we are much more likely to focus and get the task at hand completed. This is also true at home, tidy house - tidy mind.

With Life Coaching and Motivational Speaking I focus on teaching my clients how to organize and tidy their life so they can clear their minds. For some it is a simple task, for others not so much, the value of this exercise is underestimated!

Todays Motivational Speakers ABC of Communication!

B. ..Be open...
.... willing to be true to yourself, and towards those with whom you wish to communicate. Receive, without condition, what others have to express to you.

To be open is to be vulnerable. Vulnerability has the meaning both of being wounded, and blessed. Wounds can be transformed into your blessings. Every difficult experience you have can be used to develop your inner strength, such that you can stand forward more fully in the magnificent truth of who you are. Paradoxically, in that strength, you are less likely to be hurt.

In the business of Life Coaching it is crucial to be true to yourself and others.

"To grow mature is to separate more distinctly, to connect more
closely."
Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Motivational speaking and the ABC's of communication!

A. Accept yourself and others....
.... just as you and they are

When you judge or criticize, forgive. Judging breaks connections. Forgiving awakens the deeper part of your loving nature, which makes all communications easier.

ABC's of Communicating:

As an executive coach and motivational speaker I love these ABC's of communicating Brought to you by my friend Anne Naylor! In my life coaching business communication skills are so important.

Business that are free or cost little to start up.

As an executive coach, I see on a daily basis the impact these hard times have on everyone. As a motivational speaker it is my job to keep you upbeat and focused in the right direction. Has the slumping economy got you looking for ideas to earn some extra money? If so, personal finance blog Wise Bread can help you out with their list of small businesses that are free or cost little to start up. Here are some ideas along with their "advice to live by" for each suggestion:

1. Freelance writing - Keep a copy of all of your published articles in a digital portfolio that you can email to potential clients.


2. Stock photography - Make sure to watermark your photos before posting them online to share with friends and family members. Dishonest people will use your photography without permission if you don't take the time to do this simple act right away.


3. Web and graphic design - Do not cheapen the quality of your services by bidding too low on a project. Ask a fair price and forget about the gigs that are not willing to pay you what you're worth.

Burn Your Resume - 5 Tips for finding a job.

This morning I was on KSEE Sunrise and talked with Faith Sidlow. I was recognized as a Reinvention Expert for the Today Show and talked about reinventing ourselves while job searching.

Click here to go to KSEE and read the article and watch the video here!

Read the News Story below:

In 18 months Davidson lost her marriage, health and business leaving her with $88,000 in credit card debt. Davidson shares tools that she used to dig out of her own ‘meltdown’ a decade ago.
The tools she shares transforms lives. She is The Today Show’s “Reinvention Expert”. Davidson was named one of "America's Best Coaches" due to the consistent results her clients achieved. Her work was the cover story of Kiplinger’s Magazine, As a featured columnist with Deepak Chopra and The Huffington Post her coaching tips go to 21 million readers each month. Her book, Funky to Fabulous is an international bestseller.

Burn Your Resume!! 5 Tips for finding a job:

1. Don't Look for a Job- Look For A PersonStudies show that more than 50% of all new jobs from a personal connection.Instead of sending resumes spend time building your network. Your church, alumni association and social networks like Linked In and Twitter can help you broaden your horizons.

2. Don't Go It AloneMake sure you have a support system other than family members to check in with. Often job seekers isolate. They can help you with the magic formula for getting a job:Attitude + Action + Accountability

3. People FirstCreate a target list of 40 people that can assist you in getting a job.Look to those you admire and ask at least one of them to become a mentor.

4. Burn Your ResumeUsing a one page resume is like driving a horse and buggy. Sending a one page resume is a waste of your time.Take two hours to go through your work history to look more closely at all your accomplishments, and those tasks at which you excel. Revise your resume to reflect this.

5. CustomizeCustomize your resume directly for each job listing.