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EPISODE 169 – Stop Underestimating Yourself

August 12, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Never underestimate what you can accomplish when you believe in yourself.” (Unknown)

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtLgo_ulBAw[/embedyt]

Growing up you may have heard sayings or phrases like, “Be humble.”, “Don’t brag.”, or “Don’t share your successes or accomplishments, you might make someone feel bad.” I do agree that being humble is an honorable trait. Remembering where you came from and being in awe of what you are capable of or how far you have come is important. Sharing your successes and accomplishments are important. You are only bragging when you are sharing with the intent to belittle someone or make someone feel inferior to you. Bragging is very different than celebrating. Celebrating others can share in the experience.

I am dedicating this podcast to my friend, Stephanie, who caught me in a moment of conversation and said, “Deb, you are underestimating yourself.” The comment made me pause and ask, “Was I underestimating yourself?” With some self-reflection, I decided to create this podcast as I know I am more capable and step into a higher potential and, so can you? Let’s do this together! You will no longer play small.

Here are some signs that you may be underestimating yourself:

Compare Yourself to Others. You are constantly checking out Facebook or Instagram comparing people’s outside lives to yours. You may feel that your life is not as exciting or you’re stuck. You must remember people only post the good stuff. They are not going to post themselves all snotty nosed sick with a head cold…wait a minute I know some do – but rarely. You are at a different place on your journey and have had past experiences and learning that others have not. Every person is unique so there can be no comparison. When you see someone’s joyous moment or celebration. You see one moment in time, not the hours of sacrifice or the challenges they faced to get there.

TAKE-AWAY: Focus on your story and your journey. You are the storyteller of your life. Don’t like what you are currently writing – change the story.

Value Other People’s Opinions Over Your Own. You want everyone to like you. You may have been told growing up you needed to act, behave, or do certain things to gain approval from your parents or teachers. You wanted to please them so much that you made what they think more important than what you think. Eventually, you may have placed their opinions above your own.

TAKE-AWAY: Learn to trust yourself and value your opinions and ideas. At the end of the day, you are the one who lives with your choices, not anyone else.

Surrounding Yourself with the Wrong Influencers. You are hanging out with people who do not support or encourage you. They may judgmental and negative. They always seem to rant or vent about what has happened in their lives, “Can you believe it…?” Who you surround yourself with impacts how you think and what actions you will take. Are you taking stock of who you are hanging out with? Do they nudge you to become a better version of yourself or are they like a ball and chain attached to your leg?

TAKE-AWAY: Take stock of who is in your circle of influence. You become the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most.

Listening to Negative Self-Talk. There are 50,000 to 80,000 thoughts in a day with 80% of them being negative. When you put focus and attention on a negative thought, it can become a new belief impacting your perspective on things. Even if something does fail or you make a mistake, you must learn that it is necessary to make mistakes to learn from them. These lessons represent growth – the more you grow the better off you become in all areas of life.

When a new situation or challenge comes up, you may shy away from or prevent yourself from doing anything because you think it will fail. You tell yourself, “I can’t do that. I can’t do this.”, “I am not smart enough.”, or “I am not _______ enough.” First of all who said and who made them the authority of you. And if it was you? Rethink what you said. If you plan and prepare, you can make things happen. I am a big fan of Dwayne Johnson and love watching videos of him at the Iron Paradise, he talks about “being the hardest worker in the room”. When you put in the work, you will reap rewards.

TAKE-AWAY: Challenge your negative self-talk. Is it really true? Make a list of your positive qualities and ask trusted family and friends to add in a few more. Acknowledge your successes by writing them down. Stacking success on success!

Criticizing Yourself. We are our worst critics. We can find every flaw in a photo and identify all the reasons why something will not work out the way you want. Some of this criticism is harsh and you would never say those things to your best friend or neighbor. I recently did a photo shoot. I love to be in pictures however this time it was different. I invested in a photographer that I felt was high caliber and the people he worked with were too. I had all kinds of self-talk going through my head of all the reasons I could not be at that caliber. I push through this limit anyway. I was glad I did. I am of that caliber and continue to be a work in progress at the same time. I showed one person one of the photos and they said that is exactly how we see you. Wow! I thought…that was not what I had told myself. My perspective shifted. It’s amazing how what we see in ourselves is not always aligned with how other’s see us. I was reminded that you are the compass of how everyone around you views and treats you – lead by example.

TAKE AWAY: When you start criticizing yourself, STOP and ask yourself, could I repeat or share these thoughts with another person? What do you think they would say to you? Would they be your friend? Accept compliments and offer them.

Neglecting personal self-care. You can not serve others when you do not care for yourself. It is easy to get caught up in saying yes to everything. It is important that you are fueling your body, getting enough sleep, and ensuring you get enough exercise.

TAKE-AWAY: Schedule in self-care time. Start treating yourself with the same respect and commitment you offer others.

It is time to step up and step into your game. Deep down you know you can do whatever you put your mind to and believe. People around us need a renewed sense of hope. The only limits there are is the person staring back at them in the mirror. Dig deep and through the criticism, judgment, and negativity – trust yourself you know you can do it. Bet on Yourself – You already are winning!

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Episode 154 – Refuse to Make Excuses

March 25, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO9DYUten_Q[/embedyt]

Have you ever noticed that there are people who are committed to their goals and then there are people interested? The people who are committed are super focused on what they need to do and who they need to connect with. You can always pick out the people who are interested because they are the ones who find excuses or “reasons” that prevent them from reaching their goals.

Do you recognize some of these excuses for not being able to take action?

The weather (hot, cold, windy, snowy)
No money
Don’t know enough.
Not __________ enough.
No time
The Economy is bad. (or good)
No education.
No one values me.
Self-taught.
I don’t have the right outfit.
Bad Childhood.
Good childhood.
They were there first.
Today is not a good day…and neither is tomorrow.

I know you may be laughing to yourself because I am certain you have heard some of these excuses. You will always find excuses or rationale to support your decisions if you look for them.

“When you master the power of self-discipline, you will NEVER make excuses for making progress.” – Brian Tracy

You need to get started by taking action steps toward your goals. Self-discipline comes with putting habits in place that serve you in reaching your goals. Habits become routines. Some people get bored or frustrated with repetition but repetition is what creates consistency. Consistency leads to mastery. Mastery leads to results. What happens is people are short-sighted, they want results now. Early gratification is NOT sustainable; however, small wins along the way builds momentum.

Self-discipline and strong success habits assist you in resisting excuses. Excuses often show up because you may realize that what you wanted requires effort and determination. You get focused on the penalties or pain of doing something versus the rewards or pleasure of gaining what you say you want and more. If you put the energy you put into making excuses into putting in the effort into what you need to get done, you would be farther ahead than you are now.

Excuses tell the world – you do NOT care about your goals as much as you say you do. Drop the excuses. They are NOT serving you. Excuses prevent you from getting ahead.

What are you afraid of? Dig deeper.

Challenge your excuses…challenge the important of your goals.

What does it mean to you NOT to achieve your goal?

What will it mean to achieve it?

Remember everyone who has succeeded before you started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. The fact they can do it means you can do it too.

They didn’t let the weather stop them. They tapped into resources and found money or earned it. They learned new skills and developed them. They committed to continuous learning. They blocked time off in their schedule to work on their goals. They learned that they did not need validation from others they needed to value themselves. Their childhood was in the past and they have control of the present and they can create their future with developing a new story. And, the best day to go after your goals is TODAY!

Stop holding out on yourself!

Make your goals a reality!

NO EXCUSES! YOUR COMMITMENT NEEDS TO BE STRONGER THAN YOUR EXCUSES.

Debra Kasowski, the charismatic host of the positively, thought-provoking podcast, The Millionaire Woman Show, is committed to enriching the leadership potential of her countless, devoted clients, essentially, guiding them to go within to uncover their vast inner resources, so then, capitalizing on their true personal power, they can achieve the measurable success they desire in business, and in life.

In today’s world of impersonal electronic communication, this award-winning speaker, two-time bestselling author, and Certified Executive Coach wisely places the emphasis back on effective people skills; posing questions that promote insight and interaction, and the productive channeling of emotional energy towards problem-solving, all key to promoting superlative workplace performance, and enhanced productivity.

After graduating with distinction, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta, Debra spent many years as a clinical manager excelling in leadership development, before founding Debra Kasowski International, a world-class training, and consulting venture focused on helping aspiring business owners and solopreneurs develop the winning “success habits” that transform human potential into sustainable profits.

Passionate, herself, about continually expanding beyond the boundaries of her comfort zone, Debra, a dedicated wife, mother and avid philanthropist, has successfully finished two Olympic distance triathlons, while adding to her already impressive credentials with certifications in Emotional Intelligence, Appreciative Inquiry, and Coaching with LEADS program.

Clearly, if you’re a business owner motivated to move beyond the mediocre, an entrepreneur inspired to forge on to the forefront with a proven plan of action, there’s no doubt that the indomitable Debra Kasowski is your solution.

EPISODE 151 – Fears and Failures

February 27, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsnVBQMypWg[/embedyt]

“Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure.”

Paulo Coelho

The achievement of a dream or goal can put a smile on the face of the person who longs for it. The face of satisfaction knowing that you gave your all and you saw the vision even if no one else did. There are people who hold back on taking efforts on their dreams and goals because it seems that achieving it is so far off in the distance. Some might even say they get paralyzed with fear from taking action.

My colleague Audrey and I were working on vision boards and she shared with me that she believes some people do not take action toward their dreams and goals because then the dream is over. They would rather think about than truly live it. To me, these are the “talkers”. They do not take actions; they talk about how when the stars align that they may think about it. Someday…and someday is not actioned on the calendar.

Fear is not uncommon. Many people have fears to different degrees. There are fears of embarrassment, success, failure, rejection, criticism, uncertainty, and death. Most fears evoke worry. Worry is nothing more than wasted energy. It blocks you from being open to ideas and strategies to take action. Emotions run high and imagination runs wild. Rationale thought is not possible. Take a deep breathe. Most of what you allow you imagination to conjure up will not happen. I believe that the reason become fearful is that they feel they have a loss of control.

It is important to ask: “What am I afraid of?

Am I afraid of being rejected? Someone will disapprove of me or my behavior?

Am I afraid to fail? How will I face others?

Am I afraid of being criticized? What will people say about me?

It takes courage to do the uncomfortable. It takes courage to express your feelings. It takes courage to stand tall when people are laughing at you. It takes courage to say, “Who cares! I believe in me!”

You can handle all these things and you are IN control of how you respond or react in any situation.

People will criticize and tell you it can’t be possible. What other people think of you is NONE of your business…so what? Another person’s opinion is dependent on their lens of the world, knowledge, and experience. Most people who criticize have not done what you have done or plan to do. They hide behind their own fears.

A question you can reflect on is: “Why do you need the approval or validation?”

Rejection is one stop on the path to success. You need to keep going until the right timing and the right person align. Until then, practice…you are developing your expertise and letting people know about what you do.

Failure is nothing more than a learning opportunity. If something did not go as well as you hoped, the next question should be, “Now what?”

“What worked?”

“What didn’t work that needs to be stopped?”

“What can I do differently the next time?”

Failure is the best teacher. Leverage it!

You never swam laps the first time you jumped in the water to swim. You may have even swallowed a few mouthfuls of water. You never rode a bike to the playground the first time you got on it. You never rode off into the sunset in your family beater car the first time you pressed the gas.

We all learn…I remember when I first started in business and I was doing an interview with a well-known speaker…I forgot to press play on the recording and had to ask to start the interview again…boy was I embarrassed. She was amazingly gracious.

We get closer to achieving our goals by challenging ourselves and stepping out of our comfort zones. Facing our fears and leaning into our faith in ourselves.

What would it take for you not have the fear?

Do you need to talk to someone who is doing what you want to do? Who do you know who knows someone? Ask who you know.

Do you need to gain more knowledge? The internet is at your finger tips…make sure it is a good source.

Do you need to practice? Put yourself out there. You do not get anywhere hiding at home. Get in front of the mirror, talk to yourself, talk to family and friends – as Nike’s tagline says – “Just Do It!”

Your fears will begin to minimize. The risk of failure will minimize. Keep taking consistent action toward your goals and soon enough your goals will be realized!

EPISODE 109 – Focus on Your Own Game

July 1, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” – Jack Canfield

Happy 1^st Anniversary Episode! Grateful for our listeners and listeners for tuning and sharing this podcast. You are people step into their potential into the skin they are meant to be in!

There are many opportunities to get sidetracked off your game. Your focus can be pulled in one direction by having one of your favorite songs come on the radio, a tragic news story, an invitation to the mall, or the latest gossip around the water cooler. You get distracted by economic times and the latest announcement in the office. It can get more challenging to stay focused and motivated when you get caught up in these distractions.

Internal and external barriers can be get the way too. The internal barriers are all the negative thoughts, past hurts, bad habits, and self-limiting beliefs that sabotage your success. The external barriers can be your social media and the news, environment, economical climate (to an extent), and influences such as family, friends, colleagues. When you learn to focus on your own game, you will push through any challenge or obstacle because you are not going to let it stop you from succeeding.

Get Clear on What It Is You are Wanting to Accomplish. The more focused you are, the clearer your path will be. You will start to make decisions with ease and conviction. There is no time for distractions to get you off your game plan.

Get Your Head in the Game. Your mindset is key. Pay attention to any of the negative thoughts or self-talk you are having – put them to an immediate stop! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel! Reframe! Napoleon Hill once something like you cannot afford a negative thought. You need to speak toward your success. I remember listening to a catchy song from High School Musical that was about getting your head in the game – FOCUS!!! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME! Play baroque tunes for quiet background or some upbeat music when you are decluttering. Visualize your results 2-3 times per day. Let the vision get stronger and stronger.

Eliminate Distractions and Barriers. Take time to identify what distractions and barriers that may be influencing you. Brainstorm ways to eliminate them. You may choose to declutter your office space, eat some prepared meals and wear simple outfits to eliminate time wasted on decision-making efforts. Consider using a Pomodoro method – using a timer to keep you on task with structured break times. Set boundaries of office hours to ensure you are getting work done.

Plan and Prepare for The Big Picture – The END GAME! Start with the end in mind as per the late Stephen Covey. When you can visualize or have a clear idea of your end game, you can work backward and uncover the milestones that need to be reached along the way. Break down each milestone into smaller sections. Make you goals manageable instead of being overwhelmed.

Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! Whenever possible delegate tasks and actions to people who excel in a specific area. You do not need to be spending 6 hours figuring out something that could take a person with the expertise – 20 minutes! Your time is valuable. I know in the beginning you may not be able to delegate much. Start small. By learning everything along the way, you know when things go wrong and you know what points to catch that need to be fixed.

Ask questions and gather new information. Stay up to date gathering the latest information on your subject matter.

Don’t Wait for Perfection. Perfection is an illusion. It is a form of procrastination holding you back from getting what you want. Start by taking action and adjust the course along the way. Continuously evaluate!

Keep you head in the game and don’t let what others say steer you away from your end game! What others share is based on their experience and their fears and successes.

“Stay focused and stay determined. Don’t look to anyone else to be your determination – have self-determination. It will take you very far.”
Justice Smith

Celebrate with us!!! Share, Rate, and Review this podcast on iTunes!

Reserve Your Copy of Let’s Be Curious at www. letsbecurious.ca

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

Keywords: focus, productivity, mindset, delegation, strategic planning, goal setting, motivation, personal development

EPISODE 17: Harness the Power of Momentum

August 11, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Episode 17 – Harness the Power of Momentum

There are no limits to what you can achieve if you stay focused on what you are trying to achieve. You need to believe the impossible is possible for you. Your results may be better than you expect. Success has no guarantees; each action you take starts creating a momentum. If you stop taking action, you stop the momentum.

“Always work hard. Intensity clarifies. It creates not only momentum, but also the pressure you need to feel either friction, or fulfillment.”

— Marcus Buckingham

During my coaching program, we learned about Creative Tension – It moves us to take action. It helps us get out of our comfort zone and stretch us. Challenge us.

Why do we need it? What does it do?

Momentum helps us:

Push through and overcome obstacles. You may have heard about runners or even swimmer pushing through a certain distance to push forward what they may not have thought possible exclaiming, “What else can I do? What else can I do?” What else is possible for you?
Increase your motivation and confidence in your abilities. It helps you to try new things!

You are responsible for creating it through consistent actions. A rapid succession of successes and lessons drives momentum. Energy increases; it will be natural for others to want to follow you. You will become magnetic. You will start to inspire others around you.

Momentum is ignited when you have a clear vision – you know what you want to achieve, you are able to articulate and share your vision, and you can enroll others in your vision.

Do you want to get more clarity? Read my book GPS Your Best Life

Believe in your ability to make things happen. Your confidence, energy, and enthusiasm with excite others around you.

You are probably thinking to yourself – but how do I create a momentum – especially when times are tough or you are feeling challenged more than you think you can handle.

I want to share with you some of the ways that have worked for me and some of the clients I have worked with.

Challenge yourself – Be committed to continuous learning, stay curious and have a learner mindset. Try new things regularly.
Make a rule to quit complaining, blaming, and stop making excuses. You either get results or excuses.
Reduce your distractions. Declutter your space or your email. Clear whatever is in your way.
Be grateful for what you have; the more you will have to be grateful for.
Celebrate your successes – little things lead to big things! It will drive you to take more action. Breath in and acknowledge the successes before moving on to the next thing.
Deliver value and look for ways to exceed expectations. You will generate excitement in others and they will be grateful and share their experience with you – with others.
Do you least favorite activity first – EAT THAT FROG – Brain Tracy

Everything will move so much quicker with the momentum.

Set Milestones – You create anticipation. You may even meet goals quicker.
Measure your outcomes – what gets measured gets managed.
Fake it until you make it – take the actions you need to get to where you want to go. Who is a leader you admire? How can emulate some of the actions that they have taken to achieve success – do your homework. If you want to be a great leader, start being one now.
Make a plan – Work the plan. Otherwise, you will be chasing butterflies. Do you due diligence and your resources.
Don’t forget to dream – Sometimes when people are too realistic to the bone, it drags people down. Dreams can propel you further rather than looking at your current circumstances.
Follow up with people you have met at events or make inquiries – you will be surprised when you connect with others. They energy rises and people take an interest in what you are doing.

What happens when you stop running on a treadmill or riding a bike?

You stop moving – you fall off.

Worry and doubt can paralyze you from taking forward action. They drain your energy. Challenge yourself – test your theories. Ask questions. Gain knowledge – but don’t stop unless you know you are in danger.

No one is going to jail or getting hurt or killed in the process chances are whatever happens you can course correct.

We all start somewhere. There have been many successful people who did not start with any resources – no network of people, no money, no knowledge, did not know English or a language of the place they settled in. They built it and so can you.

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” — Og Mandino

Success is not about how many resources you have; it is about being resourceful and leveraging your resources in the most effective way. Focus on taking action and over time a compound effect with occur. If you are focused only on short-term activities to get immediate results, you will lose momentum quickly especially if you do not set a new target that stretched you.

Your efforts make a difference in how you feel about your progress and what you are going to achieve.

Let your efforts multiply!

Success comes from taking the initiative and following up…persisting…eloquently expressing the depth of your love. What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?

— Tony Robbins

You need to continually set new challenges to learn and grow. Acknowledge how far you have come. Reflect on what you can do better and work to improve.

Time: 16:31 min