Tag Archives: Dr. Sheri Prentiss

Spring Into Action with Dr. Sheri (Part 2)

by guest blogger Dr. Sheri Prentiss

Yesterday, I talked about setting goals and working toward achieving them. Now here are some practical tips that have worked for me:

  • Reaffirm your commitment – Make sure you take a firm position in your mind that no matter what happens you will stick to your goals. Pledge firmly that you won’t forget about your goal until you achieve it.
  • Get priorities in order – Your goals should be in sync with where you see yourself in the future. Get rid of the immediate obstacles and assure incremental progress.
  • Take a deep look – Are your goals realistic? Each of you is equipped with the strength, willingness and determination to achieve your goals, but these traits will not be enough if you are spreading yourself too thin.
  • Make an action plan – You have set goals, maybe you’ve even written them down, and now you are all set to start achieving them. First step – make an action plan! There could be more than one way to achieve your goal, so you have to decide which one works best for you.
  • Track progress – If you don’t track your progress, you don’t get an idea if you are going in the right direction or if you will achieve your goal in the time frame you had set in your mind. So track your progress every day.

San Diego Day 1

  • Involve others – It is always good to involve others in the process of setting and achieving goals. Let them know your plans so they can support you – reminding you when you veer off track and congratulating you when you succeed. Take advice when necessary, and don’t be rigid. There are people in your life who are willing and want to help, so let them!
  • Welcome failure – I don’t know anyone who had an absolute smooth run on the road to success. Failure is an important part of the entire process. Welcome it. Learn from it. And remember, you’re not a failure because you try something and it doesn’t work out; you fail only when you stop trying!
  • Persist – Don’t give up. Try out different methods. Learn and improve. Be patient. Be persistent.
  • Celebrate – Celebrate when you have successfully taken the next step. You’ve just shortened the path to your destination. Stop thinking for a while and enjoy the moment.
  • And finally, don’t lose sight! Stay focused! – “Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.” Mario Andretti.

Never lose sight of your goals. Remember where you want to go at all times. Learning to spot opportunities that will propel you closer to your goal is important. Remembering where you need to go, even more so.

Never forget where you’ve been. Never lose sight of where you’re going. And never take for granted the people who travel the journey with you.

 

Spring Into Action with Dr. Sheri (Part 1)

by guest blogger Dr. Sheri Prentiss

Philadelphia Day 3

I used to have a habit of walking with my head down always deep in thought, planning my next move and sometimes very conscious of making a misstep. Then one day a stranger on the street yelled out to me and said, “Hey young lady, your future is too bright and your plans are too big for you to ever walk with your head hung low. Look up and see your wonderful life unfold, otherwise you’ll miss it.”

It’s possible you looked to the sky at the beginning of the year, saw great potential, set high goals or made New Year’s resolutions bigger and better than you ever did before. If you aren’t careful, you could be like I was and resume old habits of keeping your eye on your footsteps and losing focus of the big picture. I quickly learned that once you’re in the habit of looking up, you have a clearer view of any obstacles and you’re able to make sure your footsteps will lead you in the right direction. I encourage you to not fall back into old habits this year and to stop worrying about taking the wrong step. Instead, stay focused on the big picture, keep your head up and determine how you can make your goals your reality.

“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” Oprah Winfrey

Those who walk that extra mile and make an impact are the people who have goals. They set goals and don’t lose sight of them until they have achieved them. It has been only three months since you made those New Year’s promises to yourself. But I bet that some of you have already given up. That’s the thing about goals. Setting them is easy. Losing sight of them is easier.

I am not someone who achieves every goal she sets; I struggle and procrastinate too.

It happens all the time. Confronted with choice, we take the easy option. We do what’s convenient, rather than what’s required. We float, allowing ourselves to get carried away without getting anywhere, rather than pushing ourselves and swimming to the intended shore.

Life is like that. Tempting us continuously with comfortable but unproductive options – moving us away from the hard work required to achieve our goals.

As luck would have it, the path to your goals in life is often strewn with obstacles. It’s a bumpy ride. There may be roadblocks and hardships, but it’s often the only way to get to your goals. There will be exits tempting you to leave the chosen path and take another road. Don’t succumb to it. The nice easy road may look tempting – but remember to check if it will take you where you want to go.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my post tomorrow, when I’ll talk about some tips that have helped me reach my goals. In the meantime, leave your comments below about how you have set goals and achieved them.

Celebrating Powerful Women, with Dr. Sheri

In honor of National Women’s History Month starting on March 1, we asked Dr. Sheri Prentiss, the National Spokesperson for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, as well as a breast cancer survivor and a walker herself, to share some thoughts about what it means to be a powerful woman.

Susan G. Komen walkers gear up and take on Day 1 for breast cancer awareness.

When you think of the most powerful women you know, who comes to mind? Some of us think of political figures like Hilary Clinton. Perhaps you think of Oprah or Beyonce or other entertainers.

It’s easy to recognize power in celebrity, or status, in those we see on the news, or the ones that write best-sellers or live in the public eye.

But true power is something much more subtle and sublime. Webster’s Dictionary defines powerful as “having power, authority, influence”. According to this definition, being powerful has nothing to do with being a public figure, a millionaire or a politician.

While the world certainly needs revolutionaries, entertainers, and politicians, what the world needs MORE of are everyday women, not using their power to position themselves over others, to re-write history or be rich and famous, but women who will use their power to create awesome lives for themselves and others. Women just like the ones I meet on every Susan G. Komen 3-Day®!

The world is in desperate need of women who channel their power into touching hearts with their authenticity, stirring emotions with their self-expression, and impacting their worlds with their regular lives. In doing these things, we DO change the world, we WILL re-write history and we will be remembered – as women who knew and exercised their power.

What are the secrets of powerful living? How can you invite more power into your life? It’s easier than you think…

1. A powerful woman exercises her authority. This doesn’t mean you go bossing people around, but it does mean you stand up for your values, refuse to be a door-mat, take full responsibility for your life, reject the victim role, refuse to settle for less than you deserve in life and love, and use your power to speak your mind.

2. A powerful woman spots her leaks, and patches them right away. We all have an incredible capacity for power. Think of this capacity as a gas tank, power being the fuel that moves you. When you have a leak—even the tiniest pin-hole— you lose your power. Where in your life do you lose power? What people, activities, obligations, or thought processes drain you of your power? When you find them, patch them by making whatever changes are necessary.

3. A powerful woman surrounds herself with other powerful women. The truth is that you won’t always feel strong and in control. Troubles, fears and real-life problems have a way of draining our power. Women who are connected to other women can share their power. When one friend is low on power, another can siphon some of hers to share. When you’re driving on empty and putter out on the side of life’s highway, a caring friend can pick you up and bring you to the nearest re-fueling station. How many caring friends have you found in our loving Komen 3-Day family?

4. A powerful woman re-fuels regularly. Like fuel, power gets spent the more you move. The more you exercise your power, the more necessary it is to re-fuel. A powerful woman does this by connecting with inspiration on a regular basis. By expressing her creativity, by reading good books, by praying, meditating or exercising. There are a million different ways you can re-power. Pick what appeals to your heart and do it. I don’t know about you but every 3-Day® event that I participate in is a way for me to re-fuel.

5. A powerful woman shares her power. It seems to go against what we think of as powerful, doesn’t it? The good news is, sharing your power doesn’t give you any less power. You can share your power perhaps by mentoring a teenage girl, or by participating in a 3-Day, raising your kids to be strong and independent, or by putting your arm around someone who’s sad and empty—there are countless ways you can share your power. And unlike those dreadful fuel-leak energy-drains, this one actually works in reverse. When you share your power, the world becomes a little brighter, a little more beautiful, and YOU become even more power-filled than you were before.

So my questions to you today are: Where is your point of power? What energizes you? Where do you lose power? How do you re-fill your tank? And how can you share your power?

Today, consider your amazing capacity for a powerful life. And start living it.

– Dr. Sheri

Renew your sense of power by participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day. Register through Friday, February 28 for a special registration price of only $50. Don’t wait! The price goes up to $70 on March 1.