Debra Kasowski

5 Lessons I Learned from TEDxEdmonton

by Leave a Comment

TEDxEdmonton was more than an opportunity to sharing ideas worth spreading. TedxEdmonton is a movement changing the landscape photoof assumptions, challenges, and life! There were so many lessons to share.

Some of the lessons we learn come from the most amazing places. There are some lessons we know and then there are some lessons that keep repeating themselves as a theme or pattern in our lives. Whatever that may be for you, know that the message is for you or one you must disseminate among the masses.

Lessons are gifts  that come in all shapes and sizes.

1. Everyone has a story. Each individual that you encounter in a day has a story that will inspire you or motivate you in some way. You have a story and people are waiting to hear it. Be bold and gather the courage to share your voice.

2. Do not judge a person based on their age, appearance, title or list of accomplishments. See each person for who they are and what they contribute to life. Come from a place of curiosity and learn what motivates people and seek to understand their perspective. You can learn more about their purpose and how you can help them reach some of their goals but also to be a form of encouragement along their journey. People need to be seen, heard, and understood for who they are.

3. The extraordinary is found in the ordinary. If you look at situations and circumstances, you might be led to believe some people have everything that they have because it was given to them. However, when you take time to listen and be present with someone’s story you can prevent yourself from following throughout and perhaps making the same mistakes, you can learn what it is you need to do, and you can develop a humanistic perspective and appreciate where people are coming from. Listening to the stories that were shared made me want to have a conversation with each one of them and ask them more about how they pulled through or what had brought them to the idea and where they are now.

3. Everyone faces challenges and uncertainties. Although some people present the picture perfect life, every person has faced challenges and obstacles that have made them who they are today. Without those challenges, a person does not gain insight and understanding to their own purpose. Challenges and reflections are what I refer to as those defining moments that help us step into who we have yet to become.

4. Take a chance and roll the dice of opportunity. I received an email about a TEDxEdmonton Speaker Dinner in my inbox and thought it would be cool to meet all the speakers and hear more about who they are. I kept thinking about what is it I could share that would be worth spreading and make an impact. I played around with the idea and then my mind had a different agenda that it played around with. Finally, I came to – why not and pressed SEND! I won.  TEDxEdmonton Speaker Dinner Winner

The theme For Certain: Uncertainty for TEDxEdmonton was so appropriate for what individuals are facing today. From the moment we wake up, uncertainty kicks in. I want to commend all the organizers and volunteers for working so hard and putting together a phenomenal event! You have made Edmonton proud!!! It was a pleasure to be surrounded by incredible minds and sharing ideas worth spreading.

What story would you share?

7 Secrets to Staying Motivated to Reach Your Goals

by Leave a Comment

Staying motivated can be tough. For some, the idea of setting goals can be simply overwhelming. The extra demand that would put them over the edge. Achieving your goals does not have to be a daunting task and it should not be.

Courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net

There are challenges that arise. The challenges should not stop you as the sweetness of success alone should propel you. Think about what is really stopping you: not getting enough sleep, the belief that you need to look and talk a certain way, or even the money in your bank account. Look around you – there are people sleeping more or less hours than you and achieving goals. There are people of all shapes and sizes creating the life of their dreams. There are people with more or even less money than you but they are unstoppable. What is your excuse for not rising to the challenge?

The secrets are out! The solution is a lot easier than you think.

Here is what you can to to stay motivated:

1.  Make IT a game- FUN! Bust out of the routines. Break patterns of boredom. Create strategies or even make a game board so you can have a visual representation of your goal or journey. Make it real! Consider blogging about your journey or sharing it on social media platforms.

2.  Create a compelling reward. What would make the challenge worth your while. Is a day at the spa or a day of golfing and dinner at the clubhouse? What would it be for you?

3.  Celebrate the”small” successes. As you acknowledge all the small tasks or steps you are taking you create a momentum to fuel you through any challenges.

4.  Take at least one action step every day. When you know you are taking action every day you know that in one month you have taken 30 action steps toward your goals. You may have even gotten excited and accomplished more. Do you think you could take one action every day? They do not have to be monumental steps or huge leaps of faith (they can but do not have to) to make an impact. Imagine what could be accomplished in the here and now!

5.  Ink your goals. Write them down on a 3 x 5 business card and keep them in your sight to remind you of what you want to accomplish. This action will help you keep focused and can be used as a tool to make decisions based on your priorities.

6. Find an accountability partner. Achieving your goals can even be more fun when you are helping someone reach their goals at the same time you are striving to meet yours. They can call you on your excuses and challenge you to step up to the plate and push through your fears. They can be there when you need someone just to listen to you as your mindset plays tricks on you (and we know it will).

7. Be aware of your emotions. Do not let how you feel hold you back from the action you know you must take. Sometimes you need to do the things you need to do even when you do not want to. Think about the trash in your home. You may not want to take out the trash but if you did not…what would happen over several weeks? I do not recommend you experiment with this. The point being – you need to do what must be done even when you so not necessarily feel like it.

Motivation is the key to pushing through to success. It helps you  challenge assumptions and dispel any myths you may have been telling yourself. The journey itself is where the greatest excitement occurs. When focusing on accomplishing your goals, reaching the destination just seals the deal! Whatever you do – do not quit!

What do you do to stay motivated when trying to reach your goals? I would love to hear what you do! Share this post with others.

5 Powerful Lessons in Giving a Great Presentation

by Leave a Comment

Have you ever woke up from a dream startled and upright imagining yourself in front of an audience and you did not know what to say? Whether you are in front of one person or many, I have learned that there are several things you can do to make a great presentation. Now wipe the sweat from your brow, what I have to share with you is not rocket science but very simple lessons that can help you take a good presentation and make it great!

  1. Know Your Audience. It is very important to know the 5 W’s and the How of presentations so you can best target your message and make it meaningful. Who? What? Why? When? Where? How?

Who are you presenting to is one of the most important because you want to tailor your content  to relate to your audience so that they can take away some information and implement it into their lives. What stories can you tell them that would resonate the most? Are the attendees there willingly or did someone else send them? What are their interests? What is important to them? What stage of life are they in? What do the need? What challenges may they be facing?Vintage microphone on stage

2. Prepare Your Delivery. Brainstorm your presentation by using a mind map. Create a powerful introduction and end to your presentation. Leave your audience with something to reflect on or make them feel empowered. Find powerful quotes or your own stories to support your key 3-5 points. Avoid telling your audience everything you know on the subject. Otherwise, they make feel that they are being blasted with a fire hose of information. They will not retain what you have said. What is the best method of sharing or supporting your message?

3.  Practice, Practice, Practice, and Practice again. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel about your content. You want to embody your message. Speak with conviction. If you do not believe in the message you are sharing, you will have a disconnect with your audience. They will not resonate with your message. Practice in front of others and get there feedback and adjust your talk as necessary. Practice in front of a mirror and watch you facial expressions and movement. Also pay attention to your tone and the rate at which you speak. It is all the little things that make an big impact in your talk. What are the key points you want to emphasize.?

4. Tell Stories. People love stories! Unless you are an performance analyst or an accountant, you may not fall in love with facts, figures, or stats. You can make facts, figures, and stats come alive through storytelling. Share testimonials of other’s experiences. Every person has a story or lesson in their life that they can share and make an impact. Let people know that they are not alone in their challenges and others face the same issues. How can you build up your audience?

5.  Speak in conversation. Speaking to one or many should be done in a conversation. There should be more “you’s” than “I’s” – the conversation is about them not you. There is also much power in engaging others when you speak of “we” versus “me”. When you speak as though you are conversing with your audience versus lecturing or telling them to do something, you will build trust, rapport, and credibility. People are more apt to listen to what you have to say. They may even start asking themselves questions. If you are talking with many, scan the audience a look at one person and speak to them for a moment or two and then move to the next section. People like to feel you were sharing a message directly to them.

There are books exploding with lessons, techniques, and tips that can help you build and create presentations with purpose and meaning, so that your message resonates beyond your audience.

What is your greatest presentation tip?

5 Reasons You Want to Create a Productive Office Space by Design

by 9 Comments

A potential client agrees to meet with you 3 Tuesdays away but you are scrambling to look through your calendar and realize you have not looked that far in advance. You think you may have a doctor’s appointment on that day but can not for the life of you remember what time. You tell your client you need to get back to them. All you can think of is – I wish I had more time or perhaps you starting thinking about all the others areas of your life where time has escaped you.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or executive, your physical environment plays a role in how you perform and the results you get. Imagine one of your most productive days, the phone was ringing and you were able to connect with clients and find everything you needed to deliver on your products and services. Take a look at your space now – what can be improved?

You want to create a space that you feel empowered in. When you create an organized and inviting space, you will allow your best ideas to come forth. This environment with be a place where you get creative and start innovating new ideas. Sometimes, all you need is a punch of color on the walls, a picture or motivational quote in front of you, a filing cabinet for all of your papers covering your desk, or a calendar to keep you on track.2014-04-17 23.14.49 2014-04-17 23.14.21

By creating a productive office space you are able to:

Track Your Progress. You may have heard the saying, “What gets measured, gets done.” By tracking your progress with calendars, checklists, or charts, you create a visual. The visual representation of your work can help you with setting goals, targets, and stretch you a bit out of your comfort zone. You can also assess what is working, what is not working, and what you need to kick into high gear and start doing.

Brainstorm New Ideas. You cannot brainstorm ideas in a cluttered space. For many people, clutter zaps their creativity and energy. They get drained and avoid the space entirely. Organizing your time, money, and paper can help clean your desk and mind for a productive day.

Know Where Everything Is. How many times in the past 30 days have you looked for something that you could not find and a few hours or days later you found it. How much time and energy was wasted? Create a system for filing that will help you grab that key document at a moments notice or even help you keep track of your keys.

Delegate the Extras. By creating systems and processes for the ways you like to get things done, you will be able to delegate a number of items on your never ending to-do list so you can concentrate on what you do best. Not only will you be able to create more space for what you want to do, you can get more done and feel great about it. Focus on where you get your greatest return on invesment using your gifts and talents. What activities give you the greatest return on your investment of time, energy, and resources?

Boost Your Concentration. You can boost your concentration by creating a environment that makes you feel empowered. At the same time, you need to put that environment into action by setting time blocks or office hours so that you create consistent time to do what you need to do. You may need to set some boundaries with others who think that if you have flexible schedule that you can run errands for them or drop by for those unexpected visits.

Creating a office space that you feel amazing in makes you not only feel like a high performer but perform like a high performer. You will increase your productivity and boost your concentration and laser your focus while saving valuable time, money, and energy so that you can deliver your best. What would creating a office space like this do for you? What would happen to your workload or business if you focused on creating this space?

I would love to hear what your office space does for you. Why have you designed it the way you have?

Please share this post with others so they can be save time and produce the results they want – just like YOU!

 

 

3 Dream Stealing Excuses Keeping You from Living Your Best Life

by Leave a Comment

Everyone has a choice to create the happiness and the life of their dreams. Yet, few will take the initiative to actually make things happen. They come up with all the reasons they can not have what they want.

There are many excuses everything from: the dog to the kids, to my spouse or partner, to heap load of debt or no money, to I have a headache or I need to wash my hair. Think about your excuses.

How committed are you to your dream of creating a lifestyle of your dreams?

How committed are you to growing a booming well established business?

The top dream stealing excuses I have heard are:

  1. I have no money. You have gotten to where you are right now by the choices you have made. You also have the ability to make a new choice that will empower you to make even better choices. Can you make more money? Can you spend less in other places and invest what you can into your new priorities? Yes, there may be some sacrifices along the way. Here is the deal breaker. You may not like sacrifice. People tend to lower the standard of their dreams based on the amount of sacrifice they are willing to make. Are you willing to sacrifice for the short term to get the long term gain?

2.  It’s too much work or It’s too hard. It is great to share a pipe dream or look at someone and say “Wow, they just have all the luck.” I can guarantee in most cases, luck had nothing to do with it. The work did. Strong work ethic, discipline, and 18534824_mldetermination got them to where they are. No one has died from hard work. I am sure you can not only work hard but you can also work smarter than the next person. You need to create a plan. Get a mentor or hire a coach to help you. Any person who has faced great challenges knows that it takes work and a “never give up attitude” to make ideas happen. Don’t listen to the people who say you can or say “Do you really want to do that? This is your dream. This is your goal. When you decide that your commitment to your dream is stronger than your excuses, you will make your ideas and dream happen.

3. I have a spouse/partner and kids. Yes, so do I. So do many people. Does that mean you push aside your dreams and goals? Can you share your dream with your spouse/partner about your commitment and what you plan to do to make it happen? My guess is that you would probably support theirs – why not yours? Can you be a role model for your children as you chase your passions and teach them about making key decisions? It is an injustice to the world for you to hold back on your dreams. You need to show up in the world. You have a purpose and you are here to make an impact.

There can be many excuses that are holding you back from living the life of your dreams. Make a shift. Debunk the myths about what society implies you must do. Do what you know feels right. Make a decision – What is your why? What do you really want for your life or business? By making a choice to commit to what you feel you are here to do, the “how” often sorts itself out. Don’t steal your own dreams with your excuses. Choose to make the commitment to yourself. Choose to be happy and you will prosper!

How have you challenged your excuses? Please share to help others from stealing their dreams!