What's Unique about Design your Life, On Purpose?

Unique is one of those loaded words to use to describe yourself or your course.  On the one hand you cannot say you are entirely unique, as you have built your material on the back of other people’s hard work, as these fine artists say.

Austin Kleon and many artists before him say – “Steal Like an Artist”

David Bowie – “The only art I study is stuff I can steal from” 

“Art is theft” Pablo Picasso

Then on the other hand your unique combination of genes, life experience, your upbringing and natural skills, means you and the DYLOP course will be unique.  Below are 3 reasons that will help add substance to this existential crisis.

What is indeed unique about Design Your Life on Purpose (DYLOP)?

• It combines Organisational Change Management (OCM) with Personal Coaching

• It is wholistic – treating you as a whole human being with responsibilities

• It has been developed over 7 years and way over $66,000 has been invested, so you do not need to 

It combines Organisational Change Management and Personal Coaching

DYLOP combines two areas of knowledge and expertise Organisational Change Management (OCM) and Personal Coaching.  

Organisational Change Management (OCM) is the ability to move an organisation from current situation to future desired situation.  It can be a sub part of the organisation or the whole organisation.  It is super fun and challenging at times, but you learn a lot about people and their reaction to change, which isn’t always bad btw.

There are skills, techniques and strategies that you use to help people move through change.  Often it is viewed at 50,000 feet that you are moving the whole organisation as one, when in fact each person needs to choose to change.  So, you need to appeal to the masses and to each individual at the same time.

From my bio, you will see that I have been doing OCM for some time.  What you might not appreciate is that my experience spans organisations, industries and different types of change, e.g system, cultural, process, compliance change.  Applying the same skills and techniques and strategies, but adapting them for each organisation and its unique needs.  That translates to an understanding of change as it applies to different industries, different work cultures, different demographics and basically every version of humans you can think of.  That is some deep knowledge right there and here are some stats to really drive it home.  I have loved working with:

• 16 Organisations

• 28 Projects/Programs

• 3,500 Workshop attendees

• 75,000 People impacted by the implemented changes

• Development of 99 OCM strategies

Personal Coaching is where you work with people one on one to help them create change in some aspect of their life, helping them towards a desired future state. (see the parallels).  Inevitably in every organisational change, you will also need to do personal coaching.  It could be with executives on how to sell the change and gain confidence of the organisation and their program teams working on getting the thing done.  It could be coaching team members that are melting down from the pressure of embarking on this change, or it could be coaching people, who are passively or actively resisting.

Apart from coaching in the organisational change perspective I love collaborating with individuals who want to do something different, whatever that different is.

Some of my techniques and strategies are different to Organisational Change Management and some the same.  Early on in my Org Change Career, I realised that coaching skills would help me be better and I would be a better coach, as a result of my organisational skills.

Both organisational and individual change draws on aspects of positive psychology, Neuroscience, personal productivity, strategy, human centred design, facilitation, project management and governance and a host of other fields and skills.  Pulling together the right combination for an organisation or this individual is what makes it super fun.

It is Wholistic

DYLOP is a wholistic approach to your life, treating you as whole human being.  Your family or personal circumstances will absolutely affect where you can place your energy and time.  So, it works with where you are and what you have right now. Once the course is complete, even 1 hour a week will continue to move you forward towards your dreams.  It does not matter if you are working full time, part time, just getting by or in your dream job, it suits all.  

I have invested – so you do not have to

I cannot remember a time when I was not looking at ways to improve.  It started to crystallise when I started working in organisations in 1992.  I now know that what I attributed to constructive discontent is actually an inherent talent called “maximiser” (see more about strengths at Clifton’s Strength Assessment).  I am always looking at ways to be a better human, and to get more from this life, a burning desire to leave a legacy.

I have calculated, over the last 7 years alone – when I started working on DYLOP in earnest – I have invested well over $9,500 per year in this space.  So, $66,000 over 7 years, at least.  

Why am I telling you this?  I am telling you this, so you do not have to invest as much.  I have distilled what is good and jettisoned what does not work.  I did not start this with you in mind, just selfishly for me.  What has dawned on me through my roles in Organisational Change Management and Coaching, is that this helps people, a lot.  

I am a sharer, cannot help myself.  Sharing works best when it is relevant and applicable to the person at that time.  When it is adapted to suit a person or an organisation, then it becomes a collaboration, creatively solving problems to create a desired future state.  That is why my company is called Incahoots – I work “in-cahoots” with you and/or your organisation.

My Word for 2020 was Forge – it was about making this work enduring, the 7 years and over $66,000 have culminated in DYLOP, so you can stop deferring your dreams, develop a strategic life map answering the question – now what? 

Bottom Line

Bottom Line is… I know CHANGE. I know how to plan for change, how to start change, how to adjust change in progress, how to track changes and how to embed change.

When you attend a DYLOP course you will be gaining the collective wisdom, that has been condensed and distilled from over 20 years of experience, from both Organisational Change Management and Personal Coaching.  You are getting the research, and investment to designing your desired future state.  You are getting a wholistic approach that is focused uniquely, on you, your personal Strategic Life Map that suits you and no one else.

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Take advantage of this uniqueness here

Design your Life on Purpose (DYLOP) workshop

DYLOP is designed to guide professionals who have deferred their dreams to unearth possibilities and to design a strategic life map to answer the question - now what?

DYLOP attracts 2 types:

1. Know Exactly - Peeps who know exactly what they want to do, but are unsure how or have some blocks to overcome

2. No Idea - Peeps who are unsure what they want to design their life around, or know what they do not want

All details about the one day are contained on this page.  It is packed to the gills with everything you can ever imagine asking, such as:

• How is the 1 day and the retreat different?

• What is different to other offerings?

• Bonuses for the first 6 registrations and if you bring a friend

What was the experience like again….

Here are the details about Designing your Life on Purpose experience of the attendees.

Design your Life, on Purpose workshop

 Saturday 20th March

9.30am to 4.30pm

(confirming the ideal location, shortly)

Investment: $495

READY TO GO!

If you are ready to create a 2021 Strategic Life Map that suits you personally, register right here

Once registered, an invoice and details about preparation will be provided.

Is this the year that you start designing a life that suits you perfectly?

I would love to see you at the workshop and see what amazing things you can achieve in 2021.

Yours collaboratively,

Christina MM

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Not quite ready for the 1day DYLOP workshop

Here are some other options to get you started on designing.

DREAM QUEST

As we start moving into adulting, we let go of the ability to dream, or it gets schooled out of us.  This is an absolute tragedy, and probably responsible for the deluge of sameness we get surrounded with.  

People that create amazing, desirable lives are the ones that never let go of dreaming and make those dreams come true.

Dream Quest is about kickstarting that process to unearth possibilities and expand your thinking beyond your now, developing the critical super habit of dreaming.  Without this super habit of dreaming it is hard to know what you are designing your life towards.  

More Info here

REFLECTION REVOLUTION

Our lives were already packed with loads of things, very important and valuable things, and then Global Pandemic!  The world literally stops…..  It then becomes even more important to take stock, and determine whether the life you were heading towards at break neck speed, is really the life that you truly desire.

Reflection is something that you do generally do periodically, rather than an everyday habit, therefore, Reflection Revolution will be offered as preparation for Design Your Life on Purpose workshops or retreats. It is important to note, that this can be done as a stand alone activity, still very valuable.

More Info here

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Incahoots exists

To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?

About CMM

Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is a coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (a Strategic Lifemap).

She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos. This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management.

Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano. If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.

It’s been a week, congrats you made it?

Wow you made it a whole week, or even 2 if you started last week!

Welcome to a new sparkly, fresh and clean New Year – 2021!  We have big expectations for you 2021, even if we need to deal with some 2020 remnants.

New Year’s resolutions aside (they rarely work and here is why?)  How do you ensure you get the best out of the coming year?

Before we begin…..

You do not have to do anything right now or this month or this year. Just because a new year rolls around does not mean you automatically need to do something different.  It is just one of those convenient markers of time and generally when we have a little more head space to think.

 So, you have a choice…..

1.     Continue enjoying summer and check in again later in the year, enjoy OR

2.     See what 2 things you can do in January to improve your chances of getting more out of the coming year.  Yes, I said just 2 things.

 THINKING TIME

So, you decided to read on. Yay you!

I personally love this time of the year.  I get to spend extended time with my family and friends.  More than that, I get to put the final touches on my next year’s plan, with space to dream and design.  I have been doing this for ages (between the last 7-10 years).  I am a planner and love designing my life map, it brings me great joy!  (wow, I sound like so much fun!)

To help you get the most out of this brand spanking new year, here are the 2 actions for you to take to design a better year, both of which are opt in.

STRENGTHS COACHING SESSION - Do you know your natural talents and are you applying them?

Do you know who you are?  Really know who you are?  If you do know who you are, then are your applying your strengths every day?  It is much easier to be more like you if you know more about what you are exceptional at and start focusing more deliberately on your fabulousness.  

Gallup (analytics and advisory company – that measure everything that moves) has determined that people who understand and apply their strengths are “3 times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life and 6 times as likely to be engaged in their jobs”.  

Don Clifton created an assessment, that will help you identify your talents - natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving.  Once you understand your talents with investment - time spent practicing, developing your skills and building your knowledge base – you turn them into a strength - the ability to consistently provide near perfect performance.

The approach is designed to concentrate on what is right with people, rather than what is wrong – revolutionary much?

A simple example is my skills in Excel vs PowerPoint.  I am pretty mediocre at Excel, but a gun in PowerPoint.  I could spend ages at getting good at Excel, whereas a small amount of time on PowerPoint hacks will mean I am exceptionally better.  There will be people in my network or work place that will be able to do pivot tables in their sleep, I can ask them to help me, in exchange for making their slides fabo.

The session will help you understand your strengths better and how to apply them.

What’s next?

You can access the strengths assessment via the following link (https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253850/cliftonstrengths-for-individuals.aspx)  

I would recommend getting the CS34 Report (Or the CliftonsStregnths34).

The value comes when you debrief the results and determine what you will do with them – that is where I come in.

How to access?

The best way is to email me your CS34 report and schedule a mutually agreeable debrief of the results, allow 1.5 hours - $75

DREAM QUEST 

Dream Quest is designed to kick start the critical super habit of dreaming.  Without this super habit of dreaming it is hard to know what you are designing your life towards.  Even if you are unsure about whether you will complete any other Design your Life activities, reinstating this childhood habit will help you reawaken the dreamer in you.  Once the dreamer is ignited you will be surprised about how creative and innovative you can be.  Doesn't every organisation in the world want innovators, so it's a good career move regardless.

Perfect for:

This will be perfect for someone who is unsure whether they have any dreams at all or who is keen to start designing their life.

How it works?

As dreaming is a perpetual habit, something you can contribute to every day, Dream Quest can be accessed at any time.  Dream Questers will receive drip fed templates in the post, to allow them to think, percolate and document their dreams, with the full Incahoots experience.

How to access?

Dream Quest can be accessed at any time, but markers of time, like the beginning of a New Year are good times to help support the habit of dreaming.  All the information and sign up for Dream Quest is here at a cost of $75. 

So, choose whether this is for you or not and embark on 2 small things that will make a massive difference for you to Design your Life, that suits you perfectly.

I have also included what is coming up and details about last year’s retreat to give you a sense of what we are driving towards.

Yours Collaboratively,

 Christina

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What happened at the Retreat?

If you missed this last year, here are all the details of what happens at the retreat last year. 

Coming up…..

REFLECTION REVOLUTION Starting in Feb

Reflection Revolution is about developing the other super habit of reflection.  

Perfect for:

This will be perfect for someone who wants to check-in on where they are now.  This can sometimes mean they are not 100% happy with today, but unsure about what aspects are not working.  It can be done as pre-requisite for the Design Your Life on Purpose workshop or retreat or as a stand-alone activity.

Reflection is something that you do generally do periodically, therefore, Reflection Revolution will be offered as preparation for Design Your Life on Purpose workshops or retreats.

Reflection revolution is supported with live webinars to explain the process, set people up, and answer the ‘what now?” question, as well as receive templates via the post.

More information and sign up for Reflection Revolution are here at a cost of $100, starting in the first week in February 2021.

1 DAY DESIGN YOUR LIFE WORKSHOP Starting in March

Sydney based 1-day workshop with optional one on one coaching session.  

This workshop is a mini version of the retreat.  It will include all the elements of the 4-step methodology, reflect, dream, design and act in enough detail to get you underway with your Strategic Life Map, including support mechanisms.

Perfect for:

This workshop is ideal for people who are ready to Design their Life on Purpose.  It will help people who either:

1.     Know exactly what they want to do, but are unsure how or have some blocks to overcome

2.     Unsure what they want to design their life around, or know what they do not want

The one-day workshop would be held late March, in a Sydney location at a cost of $750.  

 Expressions of interest can be made here.

Register your interest in the FULLY IMMERSIVE RETREAT PACKAGE – Planned for November

The retreat package will include all costs associated with the retreat weekend (including accommodation and meals), as well as all pre and post work.  This is a full year of guidance and support post the retreat, with preparation prior to the retreat.  This package also includes the opportunity to step away from the day to day and go deep, really take the time to set yourself up for the year ahead.  Set in country NSW, it additionally supports local communities.

Perfect for:

This immersive retreat is for people who want to be removed from the day to day and really have the opportunity to reflect, ponder and go deep.  It will help people who either:

1.     Know exactly what they want to do, but are unsure how or have some blocks to overcome

2.     Unsure what they want to design their life around, or know what they do not want

If you are after one package, to rule them all, with one all-inclusive cost, this is it.  

Pre-work activities includes a process to ensure the attendees are comfortable being in an open, transparent, confidential and vulnerable environment.

Expressions of interest can be made here.

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Incahoots exists

To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?

About CMM

Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is a coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (a Strategic Lifemap).

She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos. This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management.

Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano. If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.

What happens on retreat, stays on retreat!

What happens on retreat – stays on retreat!  

Absolutely, but here are some trends you might be interested in, especially if you are thinking it might be for you.  Plus, I know you people and you are super curious 

So, who attended?

I reckon this will be the most asked question of all.  I will not tell you, as this is definitely one of the things that stays on retreat.

The design your life on purpose method attracts 2 types of people:

1.     Know Exactly - Peeps who know exactly what they want to do, but are unsure how or have some blocks to overcome

2.     No Idea - Peeps who are unsure what they want to design their life around, or know what they do not want

Interestingly, this retreat had exactly 50/50 split of the two camps.

The Experience….

Everything was designed to create light filled calmness and a dream like atmosphere to allow people to go deep, and we did go deep.  Yes, tears were shed, and not just by the participants.  When you are working through creating the life that suits you perfectly, and not everyone else in your circle, it can be liberating and your eyes tend to leak a little.

The room was set up, with Covid Safe spacing and to allow everyone to spread right out.  No boring board room set up here. 

The Hive

Orange, NSW

Throughout the 2 days the participants were supported with template and reminders to help them anchor and support the new strategic life plan they were creating. 

As early adopters also received some one-off items to remind them of the experience. 

It’s all about the Merch

How was it for the participants?

Even if you knew exactly what you wanted to design your life around, the day 1 activities dislodged some other thoughts, which morphed their approach.

When you give yourself permission and are supported, you find that things emerge you were not expecting.  You have the space and permission (which you gave yourself by investing the time) to play around with them and explore them from all angles, without having to make a decision by 5pm.

THEMES….

 Banned words

 Because there was a little bit of leakage in the eye area (tears) there started to emerge a theme of apologising for emotions.  So as a group we decided to ban the words:

 Sorry and Just

 We wanted people to be able to feel what they felt and say what they needed to say, without any qualifications.  

 The right path

All of the participants reflected on the need to have some time to “Invest in something that will get me on the right path”.

2020 was tough right

The participants also needed the time and space to process everything that 2020 uncovered, they needed time to “reflect on the chaos” and it was what their “soul needs”.

Choosing

There was a lot of feedback about choosing to do something, or not do something.  Life is series of choices, are you choosing you and your future?

Yes, health was there

Every new year’s resolution ever includes something about health.  In the design your life context it is more about being healthy to give you the energy to achieve all the wonderful dreams on your strategic life map, and not about losing weight.

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So, what next?

Convinced you need to design your life on purpose.  The following are four options to get you on the path, at whatever stage you are at.

 Option 1: DREAM QUEST 

Dream Quest is designed to kick start the critical super habit of dreaming.  Without this super habit of dreaming it is hard to know what you are designing your life towards.  

Perfect for:

This will be perfect for someone who is unsure whether they have any dreams at all or who is keen to start designing their life.

As dreaming is a perpetual habit, something you can contribute to every day, Dream Quest can be accessed at any time.  Dream Questers will receive drip fed templates in the post, to allow them to think, percolate and document their dreams, with the full Incahoots experience.

More information and sign up for Dream Quest are here at a cost of $75

Option 2: REFLECTION REVOLUTION

Reflection Revolution is about developing the other super habit of reflection.  

Perfect for:

This will be perfect for someone who wants to check-in on where they are now.  This can sometimes mean they are not 100% happy with today, but unsure about what aspects are not working.

This is also helpful for someone who is keen to understand more about the designing your life process before committing to a retreat or a workshop.

Reflection is something that you do generally do periodically, rather than an everyday habit, therefore, Reflection Revolution will be offered as preparation for Design Your Life on Purpose workshops or retreats.

Reflection revolution will be supported with live webinars to explain the process, set people up, and answer the ‘what now?” question, as well as receive templates via the post.

More information and sign up for Reflection Revolution are here at a cost of $100, starting in the first week in February 2021.

 Option 3: 1 DAY DESIGN YOUR LIFE WORKSHOP

 Sydney based 1-day workshop with optional one on one coaching session.  

This workshop is a mini version of the retreat.  It will include all the elements of the 4-step methodology, reflect, dream, design and act in enough detail to get you underway with your Strategic Life Map, including support mechanisms.

Perfect for:

This workshop is ideal for people who are ready to Design their Life on Purpose.  It will help people who either:

1. Know exactly what they want to do, but are unsure how or have some blocks to overcome

2. Unsure what they want to design their life around, or know what they do not want

The workshop includes an optional one on one session, to help address any blocks or provide customised direction.

A pre-requisite for this workshop is to have completed reflection revolution.

The one-day workshop would be held late March, in a Sydney location at a cost of $750.  

 Expressions of interest can be made here.

Option 4: FULLY IMMERSIVE RETREAT PACKAGE

 The retreat package will include all costs associated with the retreat weekend (including accommodation and meals), as well as all pre and post work.  This is a full year of guidance and support post the retreat, with preparation prior to the retreat.  This package also includes the opportunity to step away from the day to day and go deep, really take the time to set yourself up for the year ahead.  Set in country NSW, it additionally supports local communities.

Perfect for:

This immersive retreat is for people who want to be removed from the day to day and really have the opportunity to reflect, ponder and go deep.  It will help people who either:

1. Know exactly what they want to do, but are unsure how or have some blocks to overcome

2. Unsure what they want to design their life around, or know what they do not want

If you are after one package, to rule them all, with one all-inclusive cost, this is it.  

Pre-work activities will ensure the right participants to enable open, transparent and vulnerable conversations throughout.  

Expressions of interest can be made here.

---

 Incahoots exists

To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?

About CMM

Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is a coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (a Strategic Lifemap).

Cultivating the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos. This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management.

Filling her time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano. If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.

Design your Life on Purpose – what happens exactly?

Squeal!

Only 4 days until we touring the town of Orange, before creating a Strategic Life Map, as part of the Design Your Life on Purpose retreat.

There are still a couple of places remaining, so if you have been thinking maybe this is for me, let me break it down for you.

What happens exactly?

Optional Town Tour:

If you are going to travel to Orange in regional NSW, you may as well experience some of what the location offers.  For those that can get away from early we have a half day town tour and winery visit.  A lovely way to orient you around the region and start the retreat on a relaxing note.

Day 1

Day 1 is about making sure you have a big long juicy list of items to work on for your Strategic Life Map, for 2021 and subsequent years.  To achieve this, we do 2 things:

Reflect: 

There is a need to review the last 12 months and determine what you want to change.  This is like a having a vent session with yourself, where you will purge the things you do not like about the last 12 months.  

I find that if people do not complete this, then it is harder for them to imagine a future life that they do desire.  It becomes a release.  

It is also important to acknowledge that the year wasn’t completely rubbish and reflect on the things that were great in 2020.  This creates a kind of “As Is” view of your life right now.

Dream:

Now we have released 2020, and reflected on what was good and not so good, we need to unearth possibilities.  Unearthing possibilities is around dreaming, capturing every dream you could possible think of.  We use a number of strategies to free your inner dreamer, including getting some hands-on creativity.  

Hands on creativity we deploy is watercolour painting.  Watercolour is interesting in that you cannot always predict what will happen, water being water.  It allows you to free yourself from expectations.  This session is delivered by an amazing local artist, Helen Chegwidden. 

The dream portion, starts to build that “To Be” version of your life.

 Day 1 is completed by having dinner at one of the many very excellent local dining establishments.

 Day 2

 Day 2 we put all the hard work, from day 1 into an actual plan, a Strategic Life Map for 2021, again in 2 stages.

Design

This is where we take the dreams for 2021 and work out how we are going to achieve it, mapped against the year.  We need to take into considerations the BIG’s that are also happening in people’s lives, milestone events, finishing a course, big or little birthdays (all birthdays are important, the number that makes them big or little, but always significant).

This is where the bulk of the Strategic Life Map takes shape.

 Act

There are a number of anchoring activities and strategies that will increase the chances you are successful in achieve your dreams, via your strategic life map.  This part of the two days, is about making sure you have the tools and techniques to support you going forward.  It includes anchoring to your values, your why and setting a one-word contextual beacon for 2021.

We visit a local café for a lovely lunch, to celebrate all the good work completed over the 2 days.

So that is an outline of the 2 days to guide you to complete your very own Strategic Life Map for 2021.

Ready to come along

You can register directly here for November 21st and 22nd, this Saturday and Sunday.

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Incahoots exists 

To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?

About CMM

Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is a coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (aka Strategic Life map).

 She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos.  This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management.

Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano.  If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.

But, I don’t have any dreams?

This is one I hear a lot when I talk to people about deferring their dreams. They have nothing they want to Design a Life around, the list is empty.

That happens, as children we are encouraged to dream, dream a lot and dream big.  Progressively overtime, with pressures from society and “the system” we slowly stop dreaming, slowly stop looking at possibilities and options and start to “stick in our lane”.

This gets addressed in 3 ways in the Design your Life on Purpose. 

But before I go there, let me talk about what a dream could be.  Often, we think it is this crystal-clear goal all framed around SMART (Specific Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Timebound), become a World Champion Surfer, put a human on Mars.  These are compelling and fascinating to us, by comparison, our dreams seem lame, un-shaped and difficult to quantify.  The thing is, the above examples are rare, that is why we find them super inspirational.  Let me explain what we do to address this in the 3rd point.

Reflecting:

The first way to unearth more possibilities in your dream is Reflection.  The main outcome of the reflection piece is two fold:

1.  Recognising the good that has happened, that you want to include more of in the future.  It could be as simple and elegant as being more creative, as you had some time to explore that this year.

2. Defining the not.  Reflection is perfect for reflecting on what you want less of in the year to come.  I find that the anti is often more helpful for designing your life, as you are crystal on what you no longer want or need.

 Dreaming:

This is a little obvious that it will unearth possibilities and increase dreams.  It is not just a blank piece of paper, saying go document your dreams.  Guides and templates help draw out the dreams that you had previously or new dreams that you have not thought of before. Before you know if you have so many dreams you will be deciding which ones to focus on first

Curiosity:

Even though the first two phases on Designing your Life on Purpose will give you real clarity around some areas of your life, there might be massive dreams that you are still unsure about, but are curious about. We use that curiosity to go and explore it a bit more, talk to people we are doing what you would like to do, investigate, enrol in an introductory course, produce a sample of product and see if it sells.

Three ways to unearth possibilities and start dreaming again.

If that has peaked your interest, then you are in luck!  November 21st and 22nd November, we are running an immersive Design your Life, on Purpose retreat to really get your 2021 sorted with a Strategic Life Map.  There are still some places left, so all the details including registration are here.

This post was inspired by a question I got yesterday   If you have any questions or thoughts, please let me know.

Yours collaboratively

Christina MM

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Incahoots exists 

To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?

About CMM

 Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is a coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (a Strategic Life map).

She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos.  This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management.

Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano.  If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.

Who says? (My Favourite Things) Lanolips

As part of the series of My Favourite Things (homage to The Sound of Music)/ Who says?

Next we have Lanolips

Who says you cannot take a super boring product like Lanolin and not only turn it to a desirable product, but the one rated “world’s best lip balm”.  I use it religiously, especially the tinted lip balms and the 101 ointment.

Who says you cannot make an obscure by product of wool and make it into a cult beauty product?

If you have a dream that you have deferred, 2021 might the year to un-lease your brilliance to the world, by unearthing possibilities and designing your strategic life map at the Design your Life, On Purpose retreat.  Held on the 21st and 22nd November, details are here, including registration.

LanoLips video here

 Yours collaboratively

Christina

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Incahoots exists 

To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?

About CMM

Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is a coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (a Strategic Lifemap).

She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos.  This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management.

Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano.  If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.

The Huddle - Review + Feedback

I had the pleasure to attend a business conference for women in Orange NSW, called The Huddle (how cute! ) 

Let me tell you what I learnt, which shows MASSIVE kudos to the organisers. 

Flicked from my friend Helen, the invite in my in box was; 

1. Compressive 

2. Colourful

3. Had options

4. Celebrated Orange

5. Enticing

6. Uplifting

The branding that you sometimes see reflected in the brochure translated well into their brand on display at the various event activities. "More is more and less is boring" is the motto of the organisers and sponsors - a great little store in Orange called Jumbled (which includes another fab store called Iglou). The branding or more is more was evident at all aspects of the event. 

I attended the cocktail party the evening before and the day conference. I did not attend the yoga portion, as I am not very bendy. 

Cocktail Party debrief:

I was nervous wearing my very sparkly green dress to the cocktail party. I grew up in Bathurst (adjacent town) and was not very “normal”, small country towns don’t cope with that well with odd or different, hence the nervousness. I should not have been fearful as I was very welcomed, with Jess squealing as I entered “I love it” with a big juicy hug, Pip telling me to "never take it off" and random strangers telling me how much they loved my dress.  The guests were welcoming and we had some fabulous chats, in cocktail lines, with some lovely ladies from Narromine and a lovely family lawyer called (Alison). 

Plenty of snacks to partake, but as I travelled from Sydney and had no ‘real’ lunch, decided to get dinner at the Canobolas Hotel. Random strangers behaved the way I was used to when growing up.  I could feel myself trying to get smaller, shoulders hunching over, head bowed, feeling that old horrible feeling. With the support from my fabulous friends, I tapped deep into my personal strength and rationalised that it was their problem not mine and not to let it ruin my night.

The Main Game:

Translating the vibe of the marketing and also the cocktail party the day before was achieved seamlessly. Huddle up bags* on each seat loaded up with goodies. Free barista coffee, great lunch and decorated wonderfully thanks to “banging hangings". The positive and welcoming vibe continued throughout the event, with people helping others to get food/coffee or join the line with their friends.

The main event was fabulously hosted by Edwina Bartholomew, who was fun, engaging and super quick witted, such an exemplary host.  The panels were informative, with real practical tips, rather than trite comments.  I had many take aways and felt informed and entertained at the same time, tricky combination to achieve, but worked seamlessly.  

I was surprised by how humble the speakers were, including Jane Cay founder of Birdsnest.  I did not expect them to be boastful, but was pleased the conference created, a 'you can achieve anything' vibe, with practicality and without platitudes.  Maybe it was the contrast of having 450+ women in the room and only 2 men on video and mic patrol, rather than starkly seeing the other option, with tons of men and only a handful of women (my usual day gig).

Great day was had by all. When the Jumbled team decide to do another one, I will be there, with a posse of peeps in my car. I might go even crazier with my outfits, or be more environmentally responsible and repeat the sparkly green dress.

Ok my take aways:

1. Give it ALL away

2. Social = value + connection

3. “If the label fell off, would they know if was you"

4. Define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) both professionally and personally

5. Define exactly who you are talking to - create an avatar

6. What does your brand represent - make it visual?

Fabulous job, Jumbled team! Thanks Helen for the forward and for being my conference buddy!

*The bags were way bigger than this, but I washed it, as I got tea on it.

Incahoots exists to

Unearth possibilities to design a future that suits you perfectly

About CMM

Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is an author, speaker, curator, change professional and podcaster. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly  (Organisations call it a Strategic Roadmap).

She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos.  This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management (before it was even a thing).

Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, podcasting - Quirky & Chenille (Christina is Quirky), and learning the piano.  If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi or exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.