The story behind the philosophy of My Best Always is a simple one -- my methodology was developed out of my own needs and shaped by my own experience.

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A little over two years ago, I found myself living alone for the first time in years. I was at a low point in my physical and mental health and I was frightened of everything.

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There's something inside of me that turns on when I'm faced with a do-or-die situation. I think we all have a survival instinct that pushes us to do more than we think or know we can when our back is against the wall.

 

I'm fortunate that I've had a life full of education in various skillsets that helped me figure out how to help myself. As a member of My Best Always, you're going to learn them too. You'll get the benefit of decades of training that cost me many thousands of dollars.

 

The most important lesson I was able to synergize from the total experience of all my training is that there is more than one way to do anything, and that my path didn't need to mimic anyone else's in order for me to feel successful.

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I learned over the last two years to turn my self-image from someone who regularly fails to someone who succeeds by recognizing my personal set of talents and challenges, and utilizing three skill sets that feature heavily in my coaching practice.

My personal challenges

 

I have type 1 diabetes and a lung disease called pulmonary hypertension. These physical ailments can limit my capabilities if I don't manage them.

 

I am also diagnosed as bipolar type 2 which causes my mood to swing from near manic hyperactivity to debilitating depression. Maintaining a consistent attitude from day to day requires effort and is sometimes beyond me.

 

In addition, I'm kind of ADD (undiagnosed) and have trouble applying focus on one thing for an extended period. My past is full of unfinished projects.

 

My personal talents

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Project Management Professional

Decades of successful project management taught me that the most important practice is managing expectations. When I led a team of software developers, I learned to continually improve the accuracy of my estimates of time and resources needed based on the capability of the team members I had to work with, and the better my estimates got, the better I was able to manage the customer's expectation of what would be done when.

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In my personal life, I have always practiced Project Management routinely. But when I estimated my time needed for a task, I always used a "normal" person as the benchmark, and so I failed continually after stellar starts because there came a point where my personal challenges caused me to stumble and fall behind, and I already had three more projects lined up, causing my stress level to skyrocket and cause me to crash.

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We each have our own set of talents and challenges, and it's important to recognize that you can be successful if you develop a plan of action that suits your capabilities.
 

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is all about gaining efficiency and reducing errors in a repeatable process. Where Project Management helped me address a one-time short-term goal, LSS helped me make the things I do regularly easier. I learned how to map out a process, monitor it to find the weak spots where either the amount of time needed or the number of times I had to do it over could be reduced. Simple things like figuring out how to best carry a week's worth of groceries from my car into my kitchen without overtaxing my body or letting a cat run out of an open door reduced the amount of stress I experienced daily.

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One of the best lessons I learned from my LSS Black Belt training was that a quick win is just as valuable as a huge one. Taking five minutes to hang a hook by the door so you can always find your keys reduces stress as much as figuring out how to keep your home clean when you can't stand for more than a few minutes at a time. One by one, in an LSS process engineering activity, you address each point of weakness and continually improve your experience over time. It's amazing.
 

Certified Life Coach

I love coaching. Since receiving my certification in 2012, I've supported people on their diverse journeys by helping them believe that they deserve to design their own life. I teach them how to craft goals that define their personal vision of success and then create a realistic action plan that will get them there, one baby step at a time. My coaching clients learn to celebrate their individuality rather than try to fit into a mold made by others, to practice time management to reduce stress, and to focus on continual improvement rather than perfection.

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When I hit rock bottom in 2018, I finally woke up to the thought of applying these principles to myself. I began treating myself as a client, which mainly meant forcing me to be realistic about my strengths and weaknesses and to adjust my expectations so I would proceed at a pace that would allow me to succeed at any goal I set for myself. It was life-changing.
 

I practice what I preach

 

Now you understand how I approach life, and how I approach every issue that a coaching client brings to me for help in finding resolution. What outcome do you want to see? What are the steps to get from where you are now to your goal? What do you need in time and material to achieve each individual step? What obstacles might cause you to stumble and how can you best prepare for them?

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I've been practicing this lifestyle filled with continual baby steps of improvement, gratitude for everything that the Universe gifts me, and self-love for the me I am today, whatever that happens to be, since April 7, 2018. Those who know me personally have watched me regain the courage and power I had in my younger days, but there are few in my life today that know both the old bold me who failed continually and the new strong me who succeeds each day because now I define what success looks like.

 

I look forward to sharing more of my story, hearing yours, and seeing what we can learn from each other.

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