​ 
Ideas are great, but they are just ideas.  In order to make things happen action is essential. I always tell my Success Coaching clients that, “Ideas with out execution, are like seeds that were never planted in the soil.” Each idea is like a seed, which stores great potential.  Yet with out the initial action of planting the seed, it will never germinate, sprout or bare fruit.
 
Success Coaching is predicated on the idea that we must not only create an action plan but we must also follow through with that plan in a systematic way.  Clients don’t come to a Success Coach because they are failures, but rather because they want to be more successful. Many times the underlying issue for these folks is a lack of Routine and Systems that would help to facilitate their execution strategy.
 
Routine doesn’t sound sexy or exciting, at first. But, if I told you that you could enjoy your work with out feeling frantic or overwhelmed every two seconds, I bet you would be all ears. Success Coaching uses inquiry, feedback loops, and quantifiable measures to help you begin to craft a routine that both helps to facilitate execution and minimize overwhelm. A skilled Success Coach should be able to help craft a individualized, organic and sustainable routine for you to work with, while assisting in making adjustments as you determine what aspects work best for you.
 
Success is only possible with consistent follow through. If we think of our Routine as the car that is getting us to our goal, then Follow-Through is the gas in the tank that makes the car go.  Therefore, Routine without Follow –Through, is like planting the seed but not watering it at all.
 
As a Success Coach, I impress upon my clients the incredible importance of Follow-Through. This essential coaching principal is all about being accountable for taking action.  Therefore if you are committed to your follow through that means your are prepared to take prescribed action at the specified time, every time; and if for some reason you are unable or unwilling to take that action there is a logical & significant reason.
 
The reason why Routine and Follow Through go hand-in-hand is clear. However, there is a common pitfall that has claimed many dreams.   Impatience is like getting sand in the gas tank, the car will breakdown almost immediately as the gas becomes useless. However, it is your Success Coach that will help you to combat that impatience, stay accountable, get REAL and get it DONE!  Remember you have to plant the seed, water it and nurture it so that it will grown. Holding it in your hand does nothing, taking the initial action with out any additional follow through still won’t glean the result you desire. You have to have a plan, create a routine to facilitate your continued action, and follow-through! 
 
Need help? Contact me! www.AwildaRivera.com . Want more inspiration, and real talk? Listen to my podcast www.AwildaRivera.com/win-life-podcast
 
 
 

​In the last 10 years the coaching industry has exploded. You may even know someone who has hired a health, life, or business coach.  Despite this rise in the industry there are still a lot of questions about coaches actually do. While I can’t speak for the entire industry coaches, I can confidently give you glimpse of what I do.
 
Success can be defined in a myriad of ways depending on who you ask.  The challenge is figuring out whose idea of Success you are pursuing.  The answer to this question can be hard to arrive at, and even harder to process. 
 
In our modern age we are constantly bombarded by stimuli that is attempting to influence our thinking about a multitude of things at once.  As a result it is easy to lose track of what we want as individuals, and get pulled into what we feel we should do.  
 
It takes  a skilled Coach to be able to help a client respectfully and ethically drill down on their own definition of Success.  Since we can get caught up in our own narratives its important to have a professional on our side who is focused on helping us sort through the chatter.  True success is built on a foundation of self-knowledge that leads to self-actualization. An excellent Coach helps a client identify what they want from a place of understanding their passion and purpose; as well as the client’s individualized “Why”.
 
A Success Coach can be invaluable in the process of getting real, drilling down and creating an aligned organic action plan.  Anyone can unintentionally become oblivious to the personal narratives or behaviors that do not align with what they truly want.  Coaches can be powerful mirrors that close feedback loops and begin forward-looking, solution based conversations that help clients get unstuck and move towards the success they truly desire.
 
Once a person knows what they are passionate about, feels a sense of purpose in their actions moving forward, and knows Why they are taking these actions they become unstoppable.
 
The great news is that you can get a jump start on this.  It may not be obvious at first how you would define success differently from everyone else. However if you finish the three statements below you will at least start to get an idea of how your definition of success could vary from another persons, even someone in the same industry or career path.
 
 
 
What you’ll need:
 
A note book
Pencil or Pen
Some Tea or Water
A quiet safe space
Your phone on silent
 
When you get all your stuff together, and set up, take 3 deep breaths. Then with out judgment or editing finish the three statements below:
 

1. I am happiest when I am…..
2. My biggest Strength is….
3. My biggest dream is to…..

 
 
Consider it your first Success Coaching Assignment.  Be honest, be brave, and be open to what you write down, it may surprise you.
 
Need help? Ready to take the next step? Visit www.AwildaRivera.com to connect with me.
 
 
 
 
 

I had the absolute pleasure of talking about what it means to embody Yoga, Teach Kids and lead Successful Retreats with the amazing Amanda Kingsmith.

Her podcast M.B.Om offers Yoga professionals a real look behind the scenes into the business aspect of the Yoga industry.

Click here to listen to the interview

 I had a wonderful time discussing Business, Niches, Following your passion, entrepreneurship and so much more with the fantastic David Ralph on the "Join up the Dots" Podcast. Take a listen below:

You can't manifest something if you believe in nothing....

The two podcast I share below help you to better understand the relationship between Spirituality & Success.

The first interview is with Victoria Lynn Weston of AYRIAL TALK TIME. We cover my personal Spirituality Story. Listen to me discuss what it was like to grow up in a household of Shaman, Healers and Psychics, AND how that shaped my business today.

The Second Interview, with Alison Beierlein of LICENSE TO RECIEVE, we discuss Setting yourself up for Success by following your Intuition, the phases of Success & the behind the scenes of  overnight success. Listen HERE.

There is so much to do when thinking about taking your professional career to the next level. At times the challenges can be numerous and it can feel like we are never going to accomplish our desired outcome.

HOWEVER - the truth is that every single Successful person you see has at one time been a beginner,  taken on incredible odds, and faced self doubt.  I had the pleasure of tackling this topics as a guest on a few podcasts over the last year.

First up --

Check out my interview with Bryan Teare on his podcast - The Quarterlife Comeback. Listen to us discuss ---
Becoming you own Boss, Using small tasks to accomplish big Goals, Healthy Boundaries & Avoidable Pitfalls:

NEXT UP....

When we face incredibly challenging obstacles - like in my case failing the Bar by a few points after working towards being a lawyer  my entire life.... "HOW DO WE KEEP GOING & NEVER EVER GIVE UP???"

Listen to Carol Graham & I discuss just that on her amazing podcast:
NEVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE Podcast

Finally....

What are the Key Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs & Career Professionals? What are some things that set them apart from the rest?

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Diana Gladney of the Passion 2 Business Podcast to answer those questions in detail.

Whats does “Success” mean to you? Are you already successful?  Are there things you still wish to achieve? More importantly, are you clear on your Vision of Success – not only long-term but in the immediate future?

The thought of all the work associated with getting clear on your vision may scare you, it may even make you uncomfortable. However, having Clarity of Vision is essential to your success.
 
Let me be clear. I don’t mean that your vision is static or etched in stone. Your Vision can be flexible, it will change and evolve over time. The clarity I am referring to relates to your definition, direction, desire & intent.
 
Success is a big idea. It is very easy to confuse success with the practice of relentlessly striving for more.  In order for you to strive for success you must define success for yourself.  However, you must be willingly to bravely ask yourself the hard questions:

• what makes my heart sing?
• what are the things I want to accomplish as a part of my legacy?
• what impact do I want to make on my friend, family? on the world?
• When do I feel happiest?
• What proceeds my happy moments?  Sad moment?
• What scares me?
• What Stresses you me?
• What do I love to do?

 
The answers you get to these questions will help to inform your definition of Success.  Once you have an idea of what Success means to you, you can then start to clarify what the reality of Success would look like for you in the short & long term.
 
It may be easier for you to envision the longterm Success – a reality comfortably divorced from your present because so much must be done before you can get there.  While it is good to dream big, you must also ground yourself in what the reality of now.  The Big Dream (long term vision) helps you get clear on your intention:
 
           Ex 1:  I want to run a 7 figure business with international distribution and 5-7 employees by 2019.  
 
In the example above, the intent to is run a profitable business that reaches 7 figures by 2019, and concurrently expand the company to 5-7 employees in an effort to meet the potential growing needs of that business.
 
The short term vision of Success is critically important. It helps you to begin to identify the little wins that are necessary to achieve your Big Dream.  Understanding the Little Wins (short term vision) help you to find the direction that will lead you more easily to your BIG DREAM (long term vision) :
 
         Ex. 2: I want to become a trusted expert in my industry, building relationships with influences and brands   
         that can grow my exposure. As I build credibility, I want to release content that support my expert status    
         and draws more people to my brand who wish to engage with brand at a high level through product and   
         services purchases.  
 
 
In example 2, The Little Wins (short term)  direction would be to tackle projects that would increase exposure, build brand credibility and position you as an expert. Direction is critical because in order to be able to adjust you have to know where you were originally headed. One of the biggest challenges for Entrepreneurs and Professionals focused on growth is a lack of focused effort.  When you are trying so many different approaches at once, it will be difficult for any one approach to gain any meaningful traction.
 
Therefore having a long term vision is good, taking the time to develop your short term vision is essential. Each plays a necessary role in helping you to get clear on your intent & direction.
 
The final factor in establishing a clear Vision is your Desire. You have taken the time to define success, assess what will be required to achieve it , now its time for you to decide if you are willing to commit to it. DESIRE is everything! With out the desire to do whatever it takes, overcome the inevitable obstacles that await, remain enthusiastic, be disciplined and follow through Success will continuously elude you. YOU HAVE TO WANT TO TAKE ACTION! If Desire is missing then the probability of success is significantly decreased, if not completely cancelled out.  Think I am being dramatic? 
 
Consider this, when was the last time you succeeded at a task or project you had no desire to complete? You may have completed it because you had to for work or school, but was it a success? Did you do your best work? Was it a positive experience? I bet that the answer to at least 1 of these questions is NO.
 
Ultimately,  in order to set our selves up to experience Success in a way that satisfies your spirit one must:

1. Define Success for yourself – Forget about what others think it should look like and think about what you want it to look like in your life.
   
   
2. Identify your intent – Having a BIG Dream is good because it helps you figure out where you want to go in the long term.  Dare to be specific and be super honest with yourself.
   
   
3. Embrace a Direction – it is easy to do everything and hope something works. However taking some time to think about what little wins in the short term will help you get to your Big Dream is invaluable.
   
   
4. Desire Check – Do you want to do this? Can you be committed to this course of action?

Are ready to dive in & get clear? TAKE THE PLUNGE. You have everything to gain and only fear to lose. Feel like you need help with this? Contact me!

Yoga can be a mystical and enchanting love.  For some Yoga is an experience of love at first sight,  and yet others have to spend time cultivating their yoga love affair. What happens when you fall out of love? What happens when you no longer have the same zeal for the practice? When all of your favorite teachers bore you? When you no longer have the desire to practice on your own? Have you stopped loving Yoga?
 
Many Yogi’s suffer from the idea that Yoga is a panacea. I agree that Yoga produces a multitude of physical, medical and energetic benefits. However when all you do is Yoga, all the time, you can get too much of a good thing.  Yoga fatigue occurs when Yoga is your only physical practice, spiritual outlet and extra-curricular activity.
 
Space is key. In every relationship there must be space – between partners, between the creator and their art, the athlete and their sport, the professional and their craft. If there is no space then the relationship is out of balance.  When you take space form the activity, person, or behavior that you love then when you come back to it, you are able to approach it with a fresh perspective and renewed interest.
 
For 48 months I did Yoga, and only Yoga. I learned Yoga Asana, I taught Yoga, I studied Yoga text, I had Yoga meetings, I got involved with Yoga organizations – my life was consumed by Yoga.   About 5 months ago I started to lose some of my zeal for Yoga, I had too much of a good thing. I was of the strong opinion that if you practice Yoga regularly then you don’t need any other daily exercise.  Yet, I couldn’t deny that I was just not having as much fun practicing Yoga anymore. I knew I needed to take action, but the only action that came to mind was to – take a break from Yoga.
 
I sat with this deep, frightening truth.  It was beyond my comprehension that I could already be burned out.  After sitting with the reality that confronted me, I realized I needed to vary my daily physical activity; in short I needed to diversify my exercise.  Once I accepted what I was feeling, the resolution presented itself rather quickly: It was time for me to start running.  But, was I going to break up with Yoga?
 
Running is wildly different from Yoga.  I was attracted to the speed, quick satisfaction, jock culture and the challenge.  Running was like  a mistress I was cheating on Yoga with, all the time I spent running I thought about Yoga.  As I ran I would sequence my ideal Yoga class to compliment the trauma a runner’s body experiences. The more I was drawn to running the more I was called back to the mat. The space I allowed myself brought me back to the mat.
 
Allowing myself the space to be honest, take time away from yoga, and be open to other pursuits helped to reinvigorate my love of Yoga. I was able to look at the practice & its benefits through a new lens.  Yoga was no longer my only choice, but rather a foundation from which I could create an expansive, safe, varied psychical practice with avenues for spiritual exploration and energetic release.
 
Love Yoga, Love yourself, love your options.  Remember you can have too much of a good thing.  Until next month…..

Welcome back to AwildaRivera.com for the third installment of the Time Ninja Series. In Part 2 we unpacked the difference between urgent & important. Part 2 also shared 3 questions you should always ask yourself when creating your task chronology.  Interested in Catching up? Click Here to check out the Infographic,  as well as Part 1 & Part 2 of this series.
 
                                                 -------------------------------------------------

PLAN – SCHEDULE - EXECUTE.
 
Now that you know how to Identify the important component tasks associated with your Goal, and how to attack them chronologically, it is IMPERATIVE that you understand how to get them DONE. The trick to becoming a Time Ninja is SCHEDULING.   I know some of you are out there thinking, “I heard of plan and execute, but how did schedule make it into the mix?”
 
Scheduling is your secret weapon! A plan that fails to be scheduled cannot be efficiently executed. An attempt to execute with out a schedule fails to maximize the plan.
 
The great news is that by this point in the series you have: (1) a plan, (2) you know the tasks you need to execute, and (3) and you know the order you need to execute them in. HOWEVER, you may have no idea how long a task will take to complete.  GUESS WHAT? That’s perfectly fine! As you become more familiar with the types of tasks you need to undertake in your business these activities will either become easier, you will outsource them, or you will develop another approach.
 
Here are 5 Tips to help you Schedule Your plan so that you can Successfully accomplish your Tasks:

1. Decide how long each task will take

• Give yourself a honest estimation of how much time it might take you to complete the task
• Once you have determined how long it will take you to complete the task, break the length of time into smaller chunks (i.e. 15 or 30 min blocks)

2. Plan you week in advance and look at the time you have available to work on your goal related activities

• Look at how many chunks of time you need to complete a specific tasks now that you have broken them up into 15 or 30 minute blocks
• Examine the time you have available in your week to attack the project chunks in a chronological and practical way
  
  

3. Schedule the time to work on these tasks into your electronic or paper planner with 5-10 minute buffers book-ending each period of time

• WRITE IT DOWN!! The point is to create a system that becomes second nature and maximizes your efficiency. DON’T TRY TO KEEP IT ALL IN YOUR HEAD.

4. Review your planner each night and review what you have in the day ahead

• You can not be prepared if you don’t have any idea what the next day holds.
• ALWAYS review your planner the night before for schedule changes and important meetings.

5. COMMIT TO EXECUTING WHILE BEING FLEXIBLE

• Focus on getting it done
• Be realistic about how much time you have allotted and allow yourself the room to lengthen or shorten the time
• Follow the plan you created with a little variation as possible.

In a Nut Shell --

Plan to be prepared or be prepared to fail. Things are always going to come up, you must have a strong  foundation with the systems and routines in place that will continue to encourage your growth.  If you are struggling with getting things done, give this new system a try. Remember that once you Identify what needs to be done, you can prioritize the tasks and create a chronology of activity. You can then use that chronology to Plan - Schedule - Execute on the completion of the tasks.


Until next time guys..... Keep your eyes peeled for Part 4 of this series! 

 
Missed Part ONE of the "How to Become  a Time Ninja" Series? Read it Here!  

Missed Part Two? Read it Here! 

 Ready to schedule your 100% FREE Success Coaching Consultation? Click here!
 

IMPORTANCE  IS THE KEY.
 
 
Welcome back to AwildaRivera.com!! I am super stocked to share Part 2 of the TIME NINJA series with you. In part one we covered how to create Goals and identify the relevant tasks or projects associated therewith. Part 2 will address how to prioritize those tasks in a strategic way so that their completion creates momentum.
 
----------------------------------------------------
 
We have all had the thought “I know what to do, but I have absolutely no idea where to start”, this thought can be paralyzing.  However, if the way to achieve Success is through constant intentional action, then one can not afford to become paralyzed and take no action. 
 
GOOD NEWS – I have a few questions you can ask yourself that can help you to not only prioritize your tasks, but also facilitate the completion of those tasks in a logically progressive manner.
 
BUT FIRST – You need to Understand the difference between Urgent & Important.
 
Putting out fires, thinking on your feet and getting things done in a bind are all apart of the cost of doing Business in 2017. The issue is that those things all fall into the urgent category. Humans are really good at understanding when things are urgent and taking corrective action, for example:
 

• going to the Doctor when you wake up with a Fever, 
• Getting Gas when the like is blinking in your car,
• Filing your taxes the day before the deadline to avoid a penalty,
• Fixing a Email Marketing glitch that just sent all your subscribers the same email 3 times.

 
Unfortunately Humans are also really good at putting things off that are not Urgent. Now of course there are things that should be put off until later like catching up on House of Cards, Cleaning your Sneakers, or finishing that book your Father recommended because they are neither important nor relevant to accomplishing your Goal.  HOWEVER, when examining the importance of tasks related to the accomplishment of your Goal you should ask yourself these 3 questions:
 
1.  Does the completion of this activity help me make material progress towards
     my goal?

• Be honest with yourself here! You need to be clear about what is going to help you make the progress you desire. When you are clear about what you need to do then you are more likely to avoid wasting a ton of time on tasks that are not going to move the needle forward.  If the task is not going to help you move towards your Goal then table it for a later date.
  
  
• Your brain will also begin to narrow down the list of tasks you generated through the exercises in part one of this series to a leaner group of activities. The tasks that remain have been determined by you to be the most likely to help you make tangible & immediate progress towards your goal.

2.    Does this activity have the potential to become urgent?

• We have already established that when Things become Urgent Humans pay attention. However it’s the tasks that we have determined to be Important but have very little prospect of ever becoming Urgent that we have to make a special effort to prioritize. If  we fail to make the important items a priority then we run the risk of making very little to no progress towards our Goal  because we are focused on urgent or irrelevant matters.
  
  

3. Does this activity require that I complete other tasks prior to getting started?
 

• ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF THIS 3rd Question!! The answer you generate will help to start to create a logical order of operations for the narrowed list of tasks.
  
  
• Creating a task accomplishment order  will help you to build momentum from one task to the next, as the prior task is necessary for the execution of the present activity.
  
  

 
In a NUT SHELL --
Any task that causes you to answer “Yes” to question 1 is DEFINITELY IMPORTANT. You must be proactive!  Its imperative to address any tasks that have the potential to become Urgent in a timely fashion so that you can avoid having to spend time putting out unnecessary fires.  Lastly, having a clear understanding of the nature of the task is essential to creating an effective strategic plan for the chronology of activity. 

Until next time guys..... Keep your eyes peeled for Part 3 of this series! 

 
Missed Part ONE of the "How to Become  a Time Ninja" Series? Read it Here!    

Want to grow with the support of a Growth Squad? Check out the Professional Excellence Mastermind – Registration ends May 20th! Interested in signing up? Register Here.
 
Ready to schedule your 100% FREE Success Coaching Consultation? Click here!
 
 
 

You can’t control Time
 
There is always so much to do, especially if you are an Entrepreneur or Career Professional.  At one time or another we have all had the following thought, “there is just not enough time in the day.”  We are all guilty of trying to control time. Click here for Original InfoGrpahic.
 
News Flash:  TIME CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED.  
 
Scary thought? Take a deep breath… I am here to tell you that you never have to worry about trying to control time ever again!  The first step to becoming a Time Ninja is to understand one noble truth – Tasks can be managed, time can not.
 
Unfortunately most people utilize “to-do” list to manage their tasks. The main issue with ‘to-do’ lists is the absence of structure. The trouble with most humans is that we tend to lump personal, professional & life tasks together on the same ever expanding ‘to do’ list. Since Tasks are the activities that you assign to yourself on a daily basis we must have a checks & balance system through which we screen these tasks before they get added to the list.  Goals are great rubrics through which we can measure our tasks. We should be mostly focused on completing tasks that move us close to achieving our stated goals.
 
In order to become a Time Ninja you must be able to identify and categorize your tasks based on your current goals. Here are 4 tips that will help you with get a handle on your task list:

1. Establish one overall goal for the next week. Its focus can be personal or professional, it is important however that the week’s goals is in alignment with your overall vision for your professional development, financial growth and personal balance. If you are already working towards a particular goal this quarter then use that goal to generate a micro goal for the week ahead. (not sure how to establish one goal for the week? CLICK HERE FOR the WEEKLY GOAL WORKSHEET
   
   
2.  Place 3 minutes on a timer & list all the tasks you know would help you make tangible progress towards the goal. Allow the tasks to flow, don’t judge or censor them. Write the entire time, until the buzzer sounds. Once the brainstorm is complete separate the tasks you generate into the following categories: Personal, Professional & Other.
   
   
3.  Examine the Tasks in each list. Place 30 seconds on the clock & mark the 2
    tasks in each category that will result in the most progress towards your overall goal for the week.
   
   
4. Create short list of the 6 tasks that you identified. These are the tasks you should focus on completing this week.
   
   

Give your self 20 mins & get after it…the more you practice identifying and categorizing your tasks the easier it  will be for you to prioritize in strategize in  Part 2!!
 
 
[STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 ---  How to Prioritize & Strategize]