Greetings! January 2006 With every new year comes reflection on what works and what does not. This month's workout is about utilizing partnering and delegating to shift the way you may work and live so that you experience more ease and joy! If you are a small business owner or entreprenuer looking to gain focus, clarity and learn a new approach to business planning for the year, the Take Charge of Your Business in 2006! workshop is back again. Details below or at http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html. Stay tuned for a schedule of upcoming workshops for career transition, life balance and introduction to workshop design! Warmly, If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events Partner & Delegate - The Keys to Growth You know those times when you hear something, a piece of advice or words of wisdom and you think "Yeah, that is so true. I should do that." But, we don't. And, then years later, we hear it again, as if we've never heard it before, and suddenly, it rings so true that we actually take it on. It's not that we didn't hear it or understand it the first time, it's that we weren't really ready to hear it. Well, that's how the story goes with partnering and delegating, not only in my business and career, but in all areas of my life. I've known for years that it's really important to seek out support and partner with others. At the same time, it is important to delegate that which you either aren't good at or no longer want to do, but it hasn't really been until this year that i finally GOT IT!! Knowing it and doing it are two very separate things! It's not that I haven't been partnering and delegating in the past, but, i've only done it when I "had" to or "it felt right" and now I am clear that I cannot grow personally or in my business without asking for more support and truly delegating. Partnering and delegating are not always easy to do. If you were raised being independent, it can be challenging and unfamiliar to ask for help and delegate. Both require you to give up "control", but in reality, it's an illusion of control, because, in the end, the joke is on us! We think we can control things or people, but that is truly impossible. Imagine how much energy is depleted by trying to control the impossible. What does it mean to give up control? To truly ask for assistance or delegate a task over to someone else? Is it difficult or easy for you? So often, we think asking for help is a sign of weakness, yet, when you think of people who have asked you for help, it has probably never crossed your mind that they are weak. We create so much story in our minds about what it means to ask for help that it stops us from asking. Partnering with others is what it is to be truly connected as human beings. I ask you this year to take the leap and allow others to help you. Include others in the mix!! It's more fun, less stressful and provides incredible opportunities to learn more about yourself in the process. In terms of delegating, take a look at what you are up to and only take on the things you want because you enjoy it. Delegate the rest. By taking on only what you want, it frees you up to explore other opportunities and possibilities for fulfillment. You deserve that and the world needs it! Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Partnering & Delegating Explore the following process and questions below for this month's workout: Pick one area of your life that is especially stressful, overwhelming or feels out of control to you this year. This could be around work, family, relationship, money, home, fun & recreation, health & wellness... When you think of this area, what feels within your control? What feels out of your control? Is there anything you may be holding onto too tightly? What would it take to let go of the control? Think of at least one specific thing that could assist you within this area, whether it be receiving advice, an ear to listen, or physical or tangible help with something. Determine who could assist you, or someone who could refer you to someone who could. Ask for their assistance and see how it feels. Is there a specific task you may be able to delegate to someone else? Determine who might best fit with what you are delegating and ask them to take it on. Notice how it feels to delegate that task. As you move through this area of your life, continue to ask yourself, "What kind of assistance could I use?" and "What could I delegate to someone else?" and continue to partner and delegate. I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Partner & Delegate It may be familiar to do it on your own, but it is not always fun. It may be easy to do it yourself, but it may not always get done. When you feel overwhelmed, stressed or tired, Ask another for help, for you will feel inspired. Break down your tasks, only do what feels right, Delegate the rest to others so you can take flight.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements THINKPEOPLE's WORKSHOPS Take Charge of Your Business in 2006! Friday, February 24, 2006 11am - 5pm    Wellesley, MA For Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners who are looking for a new approach to business planning to set your priorities and align your business for unprecedented results in 2006. You will invent a core theme, a clear business intention, set of goals and a new perspective that will deliver powerful business results in 2006. Cost $95 early-bird before Feb 17th. $125 after Feb 17th. Lunch included. To register or for more info, see http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html EVENTS & OTHER WORKSHOPS Attracting Abundance Boston Women's Network - Tuesday, February 28, 2006 6pm - 8pm   Brookline Holiday Inn Come to network and listen to Johanna Lyman, an Abundance Coach, share the universal laws of abundance, and discover how to use them to bring more abundance into your life. To register or for more details, see http://www.bostonwomensnetwork.org Indigos & Highly Sensitive Children Sunday, February 5, 2006 10am - 5pm   Amethyst Wyldfyre, Nashua, NH Gain an understanding of who the “New Children” (Indigos & Crystals) are and their purpose. This full day, experiential workshop provides practical information, tools and resources to support today’s children. To register or for more details, see http://www.childrenlights.com or call 603-594-2744. Attracting Abundance - An Experiential Workshop Thursday, March 2, 2006 6pm - 9pm   Woburn, MA Learn about the universal laws of abundance and discover how to use them to bring more abundance into your life and uncover beliefs that are preventing you from accessing abundance and choose to replace those beliefs with ones which will allow you to receive abundance into your life. $50 before Feb 20th. $75 after Feb 20th. To register or for more details, call Johanna Lyman at 508-865-6899 or email johannalyman@yahoo.com. Managing the Multi-Generational Workforce--Appreciating and Motivating the Generations Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9am - noon  Holiday Inn, Worcester, MA This half-day interactive workshop will help HR professionals and managers recognize and understand the varying expectations and attributes of each generation in order to improve customer satisfaction, enhance employee selection and retention and increase employee productivity. Workshop sponsored by the Central Mass Employers Association. Led by HR Expert Roberta Chinsky Matuson of Human Resource Solutions (http://www.yourhrexperts.com) and Organizational Development Specialist Michael Shipman. $95 CMEA members, $110 Chamber members, $140 non-members. Enroll online by going to http://www.the-cmea.com/mar2006.html or contact Roberta Chinsky Matuson, 413-582-1840, e-mail Roberta@yourhrexperts.com PHR and SPHR recertification credits available. Curious about ThinkPeople's other services beyond Coaching? Check out Facilitation/Training/ Consulting" I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found it valuable! Feel free to forward to your friends, family and colleagues. To read past editions of ThinkPeople's Newsletters and to learn more about our services and products, visit us at http://www.thinkpeople.com/resources.html If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@thinkpeople.com Copyright Info: ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout for the mind, heart and soul is ©2005 Jean M. DiGiovanna. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. Jean M. DiGiovanna, Publisher Amy Rewakowski, Editor ThinkPeople ~ Bringing Individuals and Organizations Alive! jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494