Don't be too harsh on yourself if you backslide – that's normal. As long as you have some success, you are moving closer to your goal. Some habits take an average of 12 attempts to quit , according to Marlatt. But you need a plan to keep from backsliding too far. "If you have a flat tire, it doesn't mean you're not going to finish trip," Marlatt says. "It just means you've got to fix it up before you continue."

Having a mentor such as a coach can provide structure, accountability, support and expertise to make changes stick. Coaches generally schedule a weekly check-in time by phone to talk about goals and progress.

It's your choice!

I hear clients say, “I just don't have enough time!” The reality is that we all get 168 hours a week. Challenges arise – not because you don't have enough time – but when you have not carefully clarified and stuck with your priorities.

A couple years ago Krispy Kreme donuts moved into Seattle area, where I live. I remember reading in paper about Grand Opening frenzy. The drive-through line stretched for blocks, and some people drove hundreds of miles, only to wait several hours in line to sink their teeth into a Krispy Kreme donut! There were even police officers hired to control Krispy Kreme gridlock that ensued! So how is it that we have time to stand in line several hours for a box of donuts, but we don't have time to do a gazillion other things that are on our to-do lists? Perhaps it's because Krispy Kreme serves comfort food. People are emotionally hungry, and donuts fill a hole.

The bottom line is this: when something is really important to you – when you feel motivated by your inner desires – you will make time for it! It's difficult to sustain such things as a promise of getting home earlier if reward for doing so does not outweigh motivation for staying later at office to work.

I've recently returned from being away from my office for nine days. Re-entry is challenging because of backlog of e-mails, phone calls, mail, etc. It's easy to fall into trap of working longer hours to get caught up. But if truth be told, I'll never be caught up. There will always be something else that I could do, no matter how many hours I work . I've found that when I schedule time for my top priorities, I am much more productive. Sure, some things don't get done, but when I plan ahead, things that do get done are things that really matter. By being more productive during day, I can get same amount of work done and leave my office earlier. When I neglect to do my planning, productivity goes way down, stress goes up, and so do my work hours!

-- Now is a great time to assess how you spend your time, based on your goals, talents, and passions! --

There's no magic formula as to how much time each of us should spend in four areas of time mentioned earlier. That is determined by your goals, talents, and passions. Perhaps you are most gifted and have most fun when creating new ideas. You may choose to carve out more creative time and delegate much of refinement and delivery to someone else. Or if you find your greatest gifts and passions are in delivery or managing details, you may choose to spend minimal time with creative elements of your work.

Not sure what best fit is for you or others you work with? Check out these excellent assessment tools:

* The DiSC Profile [ http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#discprofile ] enables you to learn more about your behavioral style, and to understand and appreciate differences in others.

* Team Dimensions Profile [ http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#td ] enables you to discover which dimensions of a project are best fit with your natural talents and working style. With this information, you and others you work with may decide to rework who is responsible for different parts of a project.

* Tired of running out of time? Bridge time gap! The Time Mastery Profile [ http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#tm ] can help you identify your biggest time wasters and get concrete solutions to your most difficult challenges with managing time.

-- Are you on right path? --

Answer these questions (in writing!) to determine if you are on path you choose.

* Do your daily actions reflect what you want for your life? Identify what you enjoy most and what you're most naturally gifted at doing.

* What do you choose to delegate or say no to so you can spend most of your time doing what you're best at and enjoy most? (Visit: http://www.orgcoach.net/delegation.html for tips on delegation.)

* Imagine what you want your life to be like a year from now. What will be possible when you organize your time differently so you can spend it way you want?

* As you review four areas of time, where do you choose to spend more time or less time than you currently spend? Write down what you choose for each area.

EXAMPLE: Free Time – One additional day a week Creative Time – An additional ½ day a week Delivery Time – Keep same as now Support Time – Delegate enough of this so I can spend more time in Free and Creative Time. Refine processes and systems so I can be most efficient with tasks I will manage for myself.

Now that you are clear about how you choose to shift way you spend time, what is next step you will take to put this into action? What will support you in making this happen?

Contact me at kathy@orgcoach.net to request a complimentary coaching call if you'd like to explore possibility of working with me as your coach. There is no cost and no obligation for first call. Then we can both determine if we are "right fit" for working together. If not, I can refer you to a trusted coaching colleague.

Crossed arms, as almost every salesperson knows, means person on other side of table is defensive or not receptive. On other hand, if that person leans forward and keeps his or her eyes on you, then you do have a receptive listener.

If you watch novice speakers, you'll probably notice how they keep their arms close to their bodies, indicating a lack of confidence. As they get more practice speaking in public, you'll see their arms move away from their sides and become active tools for conveying messages.

Arms wide open indicate trust and openness, as do open hands, while arms held high above head show a sense of victory, and clenched hands indicate anger.

Curiously, one of most difficult interpretations of body language involves lying. Researchers have probably spent more time on this aspect of body language than any other. And their conclusions? The only surefire way to know if another person is lying is to observe very small and fast wrinklings of brow.

If you haven't yet spent much time studying body language, I recommend that you add it to your to-do list for communication development. It's invaluable not only for speaking and listening, but also for negotiating and leading.