Author: Katlyn T

What Do You Want Most?

Katlyn T

Deep inside, you have things on your mind and your heart that are very important to you.

What are those things?

Some may be things you believe in and things you stand up for.

Others may be things you want to do, or want to have, or want to be.

One of the frequent roadblocks in our lives revolve around these areas. We aren’t living what we believe is right, we aren’t standing up for the things we believe we should, we aren’t doing what we believe we are meant to be doing, we aren’t reaching for the knowledge or character quality or new opportunities that present themselves to us, and in short – we aren’t being our “best self”.

As an example, it occurred to me recently that I had a lot of things I wanted to be spending my time on, but somehow I never got around to doing those things. So I took all those things that were on my mind and heart and wrote them down.

There were quite a few things on that list. My next step was to take a ballpark guess at how much time I wanted to spend on each item in a day or week.

Interestingly enough, I could fit many of those things into my day, and all of them into my week at some point.

The question was – if according to this list I could fit all of this into my life, why did there never seem to be time in my day for these items? What was I actually doing with my time?

The culprit, ladies and gentlemen, was the internet.

I was spending time just on my computer or my phone, randomly scrolling. Browsing shopping sites. Watching videos. Looking up random bits of information that came to mind. I’ve just been letting my time drift away, rather than face anything in real life.

I had to ask myself how important these things were to me, and why. Were they important enough to get off the internet and back into my life?

I could answer “yes” to that question until the cows came home, and still not do it. So I had to give it a try and see if these things were actually important to me or not.

I’ve started to get up a little earlier during the week, and I’ve started tracking certain things I want to accomplish in a planner. And I’ve started to ease into a kind of rhythm.

So are these things important to me, or not?

Some things are starting to stick, and I enjoy the thought of getting to them each day, and I miss it when I have to skip them. Others I am having to remind myself to do or – let’s be honest – force myself to do. Others I haven’t really done anything with, and I will need to take a good look at them at some point to decide if they need to stay on my “important things” list.

Time will tell if these things remain important.

But it all started with a question, and a list.

What do you wish you were spending your time on?

What would be on your list?

Finding the Horizon

Katlyn T

Have you lost sight of your horizon?

I’m going to be really honest here – even as a life coach, sometimes I lose sight of my “horizon” – what is important to me, my direction, what is possible, all those things.

And again, to be honest, I’ve been in one of those ruts lately.

I’m not a perfect coach, and I’m certainly not a perfect human being. We all fall prey to those times in our lives. To help me, I’ve been working with my own life coach, and a couple days ago I sat down with a worksheet I created for an event, and got some of my thoughts straightened out.

I wouldn’t say I enjoy journaling, but sometimes it sure does help to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper, don’t you think?

Today is the first day of October, which means we are starting the last three months of the year. Time flies! I want to finish the year strong, and set out on a good path for 2025. So I am starting again.

Will you join me? Let’s go on an adventure. Let’s find our horizons!

white clouds on blue sky

Beginnings

Katlyn T

young woman in snow

I like the first day of the month when you flip the calendar page.

The beginning of each new month is like a fresh start. A time to start again and try again…a clean slate.

We are nearing the end of 2022, and some of us may be starting to think about 2023. New Year’s resolutions are a big thing at the end of the year. We like to start looking at our goals for the coming year. We tend to begin to look at our needs and our family’s needs for the coming year. Looking ahead to work, finances, projects, relationships, vacations… There is a lot that goes into a new beginning.

New beginnings can be exciting if you know where you’re going. Sometimes they can even be exciting if you don’t know where you’re going! Other times they can make you feel a little anxious and directionless.

I’d like to share with you some goal-setting tips from a coach’s perspective – both for those who are excited to start their new goals, and for those who don’t even know where to begin when choosing a new goal.

Coming December 26, 2022 through December 31st, 2022, I’m going to hold a virtual event here on my website.

I’ll be walking you through some ways you can “create your vision” for 2023. It’ll be fun – there will be blog posts, audio clips, handouts, and a giveaway, so I hope you’ll come join me. I’ll be sharing some things that have worked for me to “create my vision” for the last few years, and I hope to leave you with lots of inspiration on how to build your own vision for 2023.

If you’d like to stay up to date on event details, keep an eye on the Events page. I will be posting more information there over the next couple weeks.

Hope to see you there!

close up photo of berries

Gratitude Exercise

Katlyn T
two pumpkins

Let’s do a little exercise! Open a document on your computer, or grab a sheet of paper, and answer the following prompts:

  • Who is someone who has invested in you and helped you get where you are now?
  • What is something in your home that makes your life SO much easier?
  • Who last made you laugh?
  • What song have you listened to recently that helped you relax?
  • What Fall treat are you able to pick up at the store or caffe?
  • Who last looked at you and gave you a genuine smile?
  • What are you grateful for in this moment?

We have so many people who touch our lives on a daily basis, so many things and treats we may take for granted. What are the little things throughout your day that make your day easier? The people who make you feel loved? The sights and sounds that fill your heart with contentment?

My challenge for you this week is to find one of the people on your list – who has made you laugh, who has helped you smile, or who has invested time in you out of the overflow of their heart – and thank them, if possible. Send a card, send an email – even better, tell them in person!

If the person you wish to thank is no longer with you, consider writing a letter to them – as if they are still here, or knowing they are gone, however your heart leads – telling them what you wish you could say to them. Or if you know one of their family members, they may find it a comfort to hear what you wish you could say, too. They may have things of their own they wish they could say, and you could find a blessing together in remembering and sharing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

shallow focus photography of green and white plants

You’re Invited!

Katlyn T

dwarf gnome on snow

Guess what’s coming!!

Mark your calendars for December 26th – December 31st for a special event, happening right here on the Laughing Cloud Coaching blog!

– You are invited to the My 2023 Vision Event-

If you attended last year’s event, this may sound very familiar! Stay tuned though – there will be updated handouts, audio recordings, and blog posts for each day, as well as some fun surprises along the way.

More to come! Keep an eye on the blog throughout November and December for updates. Hope to see you there!!

yellow flowers

Everyday Moments

Katlyn T
bliss word printed on a ceramic mug

In 2021, the word I put on my vision board as my “word for the year” was this:

Bliss – “Perfect Happiness”

Kind of a tall order, I thought. But still, my goal for the word was to start focusing on the everyday moments of bliss in my life.

All of us have everyday moments of bliss that pass us by. Sometimes we notice them for a blink of an eye, but we are thinking about other things, we have somewhere to be, we have something we want to go do. And so they move on and we move on.

But what would happen if we actually stopped and fully experienced those everyday moments of bliss?

That sunset that catches your eye and your breath when you pull into your driveway after work. Instead of heading right inside and getting on with the evening, take a moment. Come back out of the garage and soak in the colors for even 60 seconds. Ask your dog if they want to go for a quick walk around the block (they’ll likely say yes) and take a few minutes to enjoy the evening.

That cup of coffee you grab on your way into work. It’s your favorite. Take 30 to 60 seconds and fully realize you have this treat right in your hands. Does it smell good? How does it taste? How does it make you feel to have this treat and be able to enjoy it?

The good friends across the table from you, laughing at a story that was told. These are your people – they say friends are the “family you choose”. They are smiling at you and trying to draw you into the conversation. Take 30-60 seconds to look around at these faces and let yourself sit with the joy of their presence and friendship

I encourage you to be on the lookout for moments of bliss in your life today and this week. You never know what beauty and joy are waiting for you in your everyday life!

brown leaves photo

What Brought You Joy?

Katlyn T
adorable black and white blur boy

When you were a kid, what brought you joy?

Was it playing a sport? Hanging out with your dog? Learning something new in school? Playing an instrument? Going swimming in the lake during a hot summer day? Going sledding on a snowy January afternoon?

Our interests and priorities change as we go from childhood to adulthood – but don’t write off everything on your childhood enjoyment list quite yet.

Sometimes what we loved to do as a kid can give us a good indication of ways we can relax and recharge now, even as adults.

It’s okay to play, relax, recharge, and have fun, even as adults.

In fact, it’s even important that we do so!

Relaxing, recharging, forgetting the cares of our daily lives for a little while as we loosen up and have some fun – these are things that help the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and help our body relax.

Once we relax, we can begin the process of resting and healing.

For some of you, perhaps your childhood interests lead you to where you are now, and you are excited about the direction your life is going. For others, perhaps you found a new path as an adult and are content, but feel a little like you are going through the motions of life without actually living it.

And some…may feel completely lost.

woman looking at the map

Going back to what brought you joy as a child may be an interesting activity for many. Maybe it will simply be a fun trip down memory lane. Maybe it will give you some ideas on some “play time” you can bring back into your life. And for others…maybe it can give some clue to a new direction you want to try.

A couple real-life examples.

You may have interests as an adult that at first may seem to have almost nothing to do with your interests as a child. Our interests do change as we get older and have the opportunities to try new things, but often they may be linked to something we were exposed to without realizing it.

I played violin and piano growing up, and while I was exposed to music constantly from the time I was tiny, I don’t remember it being a big interest of mine until I was probably in my late teens or early twenties.

Now as an adult, music has become a definite interest in my life. It’s actually become a hobby! I was introduced to the world of Sound Engineering, and I love to work with music, listen to music, and learn about music.

I didn’t really know this world existed until I was introduced to it as an adult, but likely the exposure I had to music and instruments as a child and teen helped me see the beauty in music and Sound Engineering as an adult.

Other times we have interests as a child that either we leave behind for some reason or another, or they quietly follow us into our adult lives – watching from the shadows of the past, but never really leaving us alone.

Drawing is one of those things for me. I was drawing all the time as a kid, well into my teens. Then I stopped drawing. Then I started, then I stopped. Then I started, then I stopped…

A friend of mine has told me that that’s life. Different things take center stage at different times of our lives, and that’s okay. Something you couldn’t get enough of at one time, you may not even touch for a few years in the future. Maybe you will go back to it, maybe you won’t. Either way, it’s okay.

So far, drawing is something I always seem to go back to, no matter how often I start and stop. Drawing does what it did for me as a kid – it takes me away from whatever is happening in my life and mind for awhile and helps me relax.

girl drawing on white paper

What did you like to do as a kid?

Did you like to play sports growing up? While there are video games for that, maybe instead or in addition you’d like to reach out and see about helping to coach a neighborhood little league team, or see if there are adult neighborhood sports in your area. Adult Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Ice Skating, and Kickball may be options in your area!

Did you like hanging out with your dog as a kid? If you don’t have a furry friend now because your apartment doesn’t allow pets, perhaps you could see about volunteering at a local animal shelter, or volunteering to walk dogs in your neighborhood. If have a furry friend (or two!) and you are both active souls, there may be agility teams, flyball teams, herding trials, or other activities in your area that would appeal to both of you!

Did you like learning new things in school, but your college days are behind you? Maybe you’d like to find an app for your phone and learn a new language. Maybe you’d like to research a topic that interests you, and head to the library’s nonfiction book section. If you have extra time, maybe you’d enjoy taking a short course from a local or online school, and deepen your knowledge or learn a new skill!

I encourage you to think back over your childhood and pick out a list of things that brought you joy.

Do you do any of these things now?

Did these joys shape who you are and what you do today?

Would you like to try bringing any of those joys back into your life in a new way?

Have a good week!

photo of a blue sky with white clouds

One Step

Katlyn T
green leafed trees

Do you ever find yourself avoiding something you know you need – or want – to do?

Do you find yourself doing anything besides taking that first step?

Sometimes we don’t take the first step because we don’t know how to take the steps beyond that.

Our brain can jump very quickly from step 1 to step 100, but it can’t always build a path between the steps in one instant. The lack of a path turns something that would have been manageable into something that looks impossible.

The brain is giving us the idea that there is no path, there is no way to get from where we are to where we want or need to be. It may bring up fear or frustration or other feelings and emotions that cause us to turn away from that thing and start avoiding it.

But the truth of the matter is – no matter what the brain is telling you, there will be a path there between step 1 and 100, between point A and point B.

You know when you are driving through a heavy fog? You can’t see ahead – you can only see a little bit of the road in front of you at a time. But as you roll slowly down the road, the road continues to be there – a little bit at a time.

Just because you don’t see the next step right now, doesn’t mean it won’t be there when you need it. Just because you don’t know how to take the next step right now, doesn’t mean you won’t know how when you get there.

Take the first step. The following step is waiting patiently for you.

What is one step you want to take today?

stuffed toy on snow

How’s Your Momentum?

Katlyn T
field covered with snow during sun rise

We’re already a Week into the New Year!

I would first like to thank you all so much for coming and participating in the end of year event here on my blog. I had fun preparing it for you, and it was great to connect.

If you attended the event, how are you feeling? How’s your momentum? Do you feel motivated, or do you feel a let-down after the activity of the event, and wonder if you’ll actually be able to make a go of your goals?

If you’re feeling a little uncertain about your goals, or if you doubt yourself, you are not alone. There can naturally be a let-down after a fun event.

If you’re struggling, I’d like to offer you some prompts to help you find your motivation and stay on track with what you really want with the next 90 days of the new year.

  1. What did I decide was most important to me to focus on in 2022?
  2. Why was that important to me?
  3. Where am I getting stuck?
  4. Do I still believe in my vision?
  5. What change do I need to make in order to take a step forward today?
  6. Do I need support? (Advice or help from family, friends, a coworker, a coach, etc.)
  7. Do I need rest?

I add “do I need rest” to the list, because sometimes we get stuck simply because we are tired. We just came through the whirlwind of the holiday season, and some of us may be feeling that.

It’s completely okay if you need to stop and rest for a little bit before you can believe in – or even see – your vision for 2022 again. Take a break, rest your mind and your body. You’ll bounce back.

You can do this – I believe in you!