Design Yourself

This week's episode is a little like grabbing coffee with an old friend. Sharon shares her word of the year – simplify! – and all the ways she's holding this theme. How can she simplify her building/renovation project upstate? How can she simplify and slow down life at home? How can she help her clients simplify their approach to leadership? How can she simplify her own approach to scaling Point Road Studios. She also talks about why she stopped setting annual resolutions or intentions or words of the year in the past and why she felt called back to this practice in 2019. You'll also learn about how her Design Myself Experiment in 2018 has turned into a monthly intention setting practice. This is a great episode for anyone looking for simple structures to bring more joy and intention into the way you lead your life. It's also a good one for anyone wondering what Sharon's been up to lately. Enjoy!

As of publishing this episode, the US partial government shutdown is into its fifth week. If you or someone you know is expectedly out of work, this episode for you. While the inspiration for the 4 tips shared are the many individuals who are effected by the shutdown, these are lessons gleaned from coaching many individuals through various interruptions from work-as-planned. Sometimes the interruption is undesired, like a layoff or a furlough. Other times the interruption was sought after, like a sabbatical or a pause between jobs. No matter how you landed in a space without work, this episode walks you through 4 ideas for how to shape your time off.

In 2018, Sharon conducted a little experiment - Design Myself. The Design Yourself method that she'd honed through personal reflection and lessons learned through her executive coaching work had taught her how to support individuals and organizations to get really clear on what they want and then move towards making that vision come to life. She'd podcasted for nearly 100 episodes on the topic to boot. But it had been awhile since she went inward and really asked herself those same questions. Thus Design Myself was born. She took a simple approach with big, BIG results. Tune in to today's episode to hear what Sharon learned and to consider what might serve you as you move towards your own dream, wishes and ambitions.

1. Strike the balance for this season between structure and flexibility
2. Focus on self first and the rest will follow
3. Strengths Can Get In Our Way
4. Magic is real
5. Habits change with our assessments (e.g., beliefs, judgements, stories)

• January – Rituals
• February – Focus
• March – Center
• April – Magic
• May – Vision
• June – Truth
• July – Trust
• August – Move
• September – Listen
• October – Care
• November - Savor
• December - Slow

• Details and registration for Sharon's upcoming class Building A Sustainable Six-Figure Income As A Coach

It's the last day of 2018 and a perfect time to take stock. What has 2018 brought you and what are you really wishing for in the coming year. In this week's episode Sharon shares common new year strategies (e.g. word of the year, intention setting, resolution making) and pairs those ideas up with whimsical and dreamy approaches to unleashing your own inner wisdom and vision. What do you really want in 2019? Let's dive in!

December is a month filled with family traditions for so many of us. Hopefully these traditions are experiences that you enjoy and that are aligned with what matters most to you! But don't worry if that's not the case. For many of us our traditions carry with them a weight that can be downright burdensome. It's what we've always done and therefore we keep on doing it – without really thinking about it. In this week's episode, Sharon looks closely at family traditions. (And yes we mean family in whatever way YOU define that community of loved ones around you.) What's working for you? What's missing? What's getting in your way and how can you adapt or let go? Here's to embracing what you love about your traditions and changing what you don't. Life holds too much delight and wonder to carry anything less.

• Take stock of the traditions you are holding. What's working? What's missing? What's holding you back?
• Include all the important people in your traditions. How do you define family? Do you have traditions with all the important people in your life?
• Embrace JOMO when it comes to traditions. What's one thing you could let go of? What about traditions that involve doing less and being more?
• Choose What to Stop, Start and Continue. What will you stop doing? What will you start doing? What will you continue doing?

• Juliette Fradin photography
• Simply Leap's instagram post (repost actually) defining the Joy Of Missing Out

It's the end of the year and the holiday season is in full effect. Today Sharon shares 10 questions designed to help inspire you to move through the holidays with intention and choice. Explore your own answers and hear Sharon's personal reflections for each of these inquiries. Learn about everything from how slowing down is shifting Sharon's approach to the holidays to why she chose to post the podcast "late" this week. Get inspired to create happy new memories and celebrate old traditions! From Sharon and the whole team at Point Road Studios, we are wishing you a peaceful and joy-filled holiday season.

Point Road Studios is the business Sharon founded back in 2012. It is a coaching and leadership development business that focuses is on helping businesses and creatives bring intention and choice into their work and lives. As Point Road celebrates it's 6th birthday this month, Sharon reflects on the key business lessons she's learned over the last year. She also offers up simple questions for your own personal reflection as you crest over important milestones fo your own. This is a great episode for anyone curious about a behind the scenes look into running a business. It's also great for anyone looking for some inspiration to learn from your own leadership experiences.

December is here! It's both inevitable and always a little surprising. This week on the podcast Sharon introduces the final theme of her 2018 Design Myself challenge, Slow. This challenge has been all about finding a way to both achieve results AND feel good at the same time. You'll learn what appeals to Sharon about a slower pace of life, leadership and general way of being (pssst - it's because it's a good counter to her natural fast moving tendencies).

Sharon discusses the connection between living slowly and leading slowly - how slow leadership, zero waste and mindfulness all intersect. You'll hear the four ways that Sharon's embracing slow in an intentional way this month and prompts for you to reflect on what pace will serve you right now - and how you will choose it. This is a great episode for anyone looking to find some balance and joy this holiday season.

What's important to you in this season?

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don't miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work.

• Blocking time to work out
• Read More (Screen Less)
• Connect with Friends
• Journal

• Design Your Work webinar with Alx Block (and more)
• Zero Waste Home - a blog, a movement, a way of living
• Julia Cameron and the Artist's Way
• David Allen's book Getting Things Done all about how to manage our calendars and stress

To speak with ease, authenticity and full command of your personal power and beliefs. This is what it looks like to own your voice. In this week's podcast episode Sharon discusses how to overcome common pitfalls and step into the practice of discovering and owning your voice. From deepening your own self awareness to tapping into someone else's perspective to clarifying what you want and more. This is a great episode for anyone who wants to speak up and out in a way that feels perfectly you.

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don't miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work.

1. Start By Noticing
2. Get Another Perspective
3. Be Clear on What You Want to Say
4. Welcome in All the Feelings
5. Keep Going + Keep Growing

• What Do You Want Me to Say by the Dismemberment Plan
• A vision meditation from episode 5 of Design Yourself

We are all writing our stories every day - but how many of us are conscious of it? I'm a hard worker. (Story.) I'm a rules follower. (Story.) It is what it is. (Story.) There is nothing stopping you. (Story.) In this week's episode Sharon shines a light on our unique roles as storytellers. She discusses the importance of getting clear on our stories so that we can let go of what's holding us back and amplify what's working. She shares questions for reflection and framing to guide you through this process. This is a great episode for anyone who is looking to clarify what matters most and feel a sense of alignment between what was, what could be and what is right now.