Make Today Matter Mini Makeover Catalog

Mini written by member, CathyJo
Exercises, editing, and resources by Brook Noel

Mini #141
In early January, member CathyJo,came across a new concept floating around the blogosphere: Word of the Year. The movement was started by a woman named Christine Kane.  She and a friend decided that since most New Year’s Resolutions don’t stick they wanted to try something new.  And so Word of the Year was born. In this Mini CathyJo shares how she adapted the concept to work with quarterly goals, monthly focus, and creating words for the week to move her forward.

Mini # 129
Guest Mini Leader Sara Pattow, CSR
Vice President of Operations, SEEK staffing

Many people spend countless hours on writing the perfect resume and filling out applications for potential jobs. However, few people perfect their interviewing skills.  Why should you?  An interview is talking about you, right?  Who knows you better?  If you have ever thought you were perfect for a job, nailed the interview and later learned you didn’t get the job and are scratching your head as to why, you are in the right place.

When I started in staffing in 1993, we were just coming out of a recession.  It was very minor compared to our current recession.  Jobs were easy to come by and employees were scarce.  One of the very first job orders that I took from a client company had a requirement of “being able to fog a mirror” or more clearly – if he/she is breathing and has a pulse, the client will take them.  Today things are much more difficult.  Companies are being choosy and if you actually get an interview, it is critical that you be prepared.

In this Mini you will learn:

• How to prepare for a successful interview
• Research to do before your interview
• How to prepare interview questions
• Interviewing tips
• Four keys to making a good first impression
• After the interview.. follow-up how-to

Mini 128

This Mini continues our work through the Staying Motivated Ebook. Our focus turns to incorporating the knowledge gained in Parts 1 and 2 and how it influences both motivation and focus.

For a complete description of this Mini, please see Mini 125 http://brooknoelstudio.com/mtmmembernews/2010/07/26/staying-motivated-ebook-study-pt-1-of-3/
Note: It is important to take Part 1 and Part 2 before proceeding to Part 3

Mini 126 (Opens 9/1/10)

This Mini continues are work through the Staying Motivated Ebook. Our focus turns to how the concepts we explored in Part 1 influence our daily activities.

For a complete description of this Mini, please see Mini 125 http://brooknoelstudio.com/mtmmembernews/2010/07/26/staying-motivated-ebook-study-pt-1-of-3/
Note: It is important to take Part 1 before proceeding to Part 2

Mini 125

Using the ebook Staying Motivated, this Mini Series shares the ebook as well as a study guide to help you work through the contents. Divided into three Minis you will learn how to harness your personal power, motivation and energy to maximize each day.

Have you ever enjoyed one of those days where everything seemed to “sync” up and just fall into place? Despite what your to-do list entailed, you moved through it with ease and satisfaction. Many people believe these days “in the zone” are a matter of “luck” and rare occurrences to be savored.

These days aren’t a matter of “luck” or just a “good day,” there is actually a sequence of events that create this “zone.” It is not lack of willpower or self-discipline that creates “off days.” We cannot “muster” willpower and motivation from thin air.

Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t born with “willpower,” –it isn’t something you have or don’t have. Science shows that willpower, discipline, focus and flow are created through a unique series of steps. Once the formulas are understood, anyone can apply them to any aspect of life.

After reading thousands of pages, this workbook distills what Brook Noel has learned (and seen work) into easy-to-understand techniques that can be applied to realize maximum focus, flow and self-discipline. These qualities allow you to move past obstacles, reframe your experience, and experience daily success.

Mini #122

In 2009 I held a Saturday Morning Workshop where we focused on breaking down our goals into milestones and achievable steps over a 16 week period. This Mini builds on that workshop by offering a year-round “goal club.” For each of the four quarters of the year (July-Sept; Oct-Dec, Jan-March; April-June) we will choose a goal to work on. (Or you can choose a big goal to work on over multiple goal periods). Using the Mini materials you can break your goal down and share your progress in the Mini forum. Additionally, the first Thursday of each month we will have an online work-sessions where we can share our progress, our goals, our obstacles and help each other to achieve and be accountable.

Mini #121

In our quest for contentment and balance one of the most important areas to focus on is the power of each moment. We cannot change the past, and the future is not yet here–the moment is where we truly can impact powerful change. Often moments become filled with stress or anxiety if we cannot maintain balance. In this Mini we will look at exercises to help us stay grounded in the now so we can make the most of every day.

Mini #120

Often our lives feel like a push-pull as we struggle to find a centered-place from which to make healthy decisions. We know that being balanced is a great goal–and a great concept… but how do we figure out what balance looks like for us? And how do we identify the boundaries we need to maintain that balance when we find it? In this Mini we will explore those questions and more with tips to help you find and maintain balance.

Mini #119

Each day we are inundated with decisions. How we respond to those decisions is one of the single-most important factors in shaping our lives. Some decisions are little-others can be quite challenging. The more we hone our decision making skills, the better equipped we are to maximize each day and move forward in life. In this Mini we explore the  key factors of decision making as well as tools, handouts, and decision making techniques to help us hone our decision-making skills.

#116 Audio Mini (Featured Mini)
Opens 5/5/2010

Finding the balance between planning and action can be a challenge for many women. In this Mini you’ll learn about how to properly and proactively plan, and then make sure you have created a plan that allows you to move into action and get it done. We will also cover the biggest mistakes people make when planning that can impede action and momentum. Includes worksheets.

Mini #115 - April Featured Mini

One of the ways to maximize your time in the Make Today Matter program, and your time in general, is through a routine of Priority Planning. While it takes a little time, this planning is key to helping us stay on track throughout the month. Done thoroughly, this planning allows us to stay focused in  spite of adversity and to focus on what truly matters.  Priority Planning also reduces stress and helps us manage our time better. The five steps of Priority Planning can be accessed by all MTM Members in Phase II by following the link in the blue “quick links” menu. This Mini is an additional workshop that provides an audio version of each of the five steps, and also provides a location to share and encourage one another with our plans!

Mini #113

Please make sure you have taken Attitude Makeover Pt 1 (Mini # 111)  before taking Pt 2 (There are references to Part 1 in Part Two)

Days 6-10 of our 10 Day Attitude Program

Feeling blue or “out-of-sorts?” Negativity, stressful environments, worry, anxiety, fatigue–all can take a toll on our attitude leaving us feeling drained, irritable, anxious, or moody.

Fortunately, we do not have to settle for a less than stellar attitude. We can take quick and concise steps to reframe our perspective and make over our attitude. This Mini Series (Part 2 will be released April, 2010) is designed with a simple goal: To get out of the “muck” quickly.

The course begins with a before evaluation to assess your current coping skills and 5 Lessons (which is Mini #111), then, in this Mini you will receive lessons 6-10. These are the same lessons shared in our Attitude Makeover course.

Over the course of these 10 lessons you will learn:

… how to audit your thinking for negative thought patterns
… the 5 habits of negative thinkers (and how to avoid them)
… how negative thinking spirals (and how to stop it)
… how to use affirmations for a quick pick-me-up
… how action conquers despair
… how to use the 5-Minute Motivator
… how to design Mini-Missions for the mind
… how to recognize negative-triggers (and stop them)

#111 Attitude Makeover Part I - Days 1-5 of our 10 Day Attitude Program

Feeling blue or “out-of-sorts?” Negativity, stressful environments, worry, anxiety, fatigue–all can take a toll on our attitude leaving us feeling drained, irritable, anxious, or moody.

Fortunately, we do not have to settle for a less than stellar attitude. We can take quick and concise steps to reframe our perspective and make over our attitude. This Mini Series (Part 2 will be released April, 2010) is designed with a simple goal: To get out of the “muck” quickly.

The course begins with a before evaluation to assess your current coping skills. Then, in this Mini you will receive the first 5 lessons and Attitude II will contain the final 5 lessons. These are the same lessons shared in our Attitude Makeover course.

Over the course of these 10 lessons you will learn:

… how to audit your thinking for negative thought patterns
… the 5 habits of negative thinkers (and how to avoid them)
… how negative thinking spirals (and how to stop it)
… how to use affirmations for a quick pick-me-up
… how action conquers despair
… how to use the 5-Minute Motivator
… how to design Mini-Missions for the mind
… how to recognize negative-triggers (and stop them)

Mini #109

Soul Food 2: Creative Ways to Use Soul Food, Inspirations & Affirmations for Self-Improvement…In this Soul Food Mini we will work through five exercises to help you use Soul Food to inspire and encourage you everyday. I’ll share examples of how I have used Soul Food to remind me of my priorities during “rough patches,” and we will look at how to use Soul Food Cards to work with the priorities of your Snapshot.

Mini #107
Includes 5 audios and workbook

If you missed my Facebook workshop in January, you can now take it as a Mini. This workshop is comprised of 5 essential steps for planning a goal (also valuable for project management.) Each step includes worksheets and audios to guide you through each step.

Mini Makeover #105

If you are ready to do an in-depth analysis of your strengths and weaknesses to help you “go beyond the Snapshot” then this is the Mini for you! Brook developed the Life Profiler Mini to help people pinpoint what specific steps they can take to improve life areas of concern. The Profiler includes over 200 questions and can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel format. After answering the questions, you will be able to see how well you score in 17 different life areas as well as learn what MTM solutions and strategies can help you improve! This is a great in-depth review to do once or twice per year.

Mini #104

In this audio Mini, Brook shares 10 tips to help you with goal setting. You’ll learn about the important steps of goal planning, why goals often “get away from us”, and how to set yourself up for success!  Makes a great companion in conjunction with our other goal setting Minis.

Mini #102 - Audio Mini 30-45 minutes

One common thread can be found in the hundreds of women Brook has coached– the desire for effective, sustainable, routines to help life go smoothly. In this Audio Mini, Brook reviews the routines covered in the MTM Toolbox and covers tips for refining, honing and maximizing their use to create the life you desire. Topics include: Building balanced routines, the Nightly Reflection, Good Morning, and Priority Planning.

Mini #103 Time Management - Part 1 of 2

One of Brook’s most popular speaking topics is Time Management. Over the years she has present her 10 Steps to Success Time Management to hundreds of people for use in their professional and personal life. Now she has brought her Time Management tips to audio in a two-series Mini for MTM Members. In this Audio Mini she shares the seconds set of her tips, 6-10. See Mini #99 for the first installment.  These time management tips will help you maximize your energy and efforts and have you thinking about time as a valuable resource and asset–not something you can never get enoug of! Approx 20-30 minutes.

See also Mini #99

Mini #99 Time Management - Part 1 of 2

One of Brook’s most popular speaking topics is Time Management. Over the years she has present her 10 Steps to Success Time Management to hundreds of people for use in their professional and personal life. Now she has brought her Time Management tips to audio in a two-series Mini for MTM Members. In this Audio Mini she will share the first five of her tips, and in the next audio Mini watch for the second installment. These time management tips will help you maximize your energy and efforts and have you thinking about time as a valuable resource and asset–not something you can never get enoug of! Approx 20-30 minutes.