Category Archives: The BOLD! Factor

Is That Inside Your Boat?

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photo-54Are you confidently (courageously!) making decisions, focusing your time, energy and effort on matters that truly are within your control?

Or do you spin in place, struggling with indecision, re-thinking it over and over… when you really might just need to simply let it go?

In his book *That’s Outside My Boat*, Olympic journalist Charlie Jones was disappointed to be assigned reporting the rowing and kayaking competitions. Who attends those? (I would!)

He decided to give this bummer assignment his best shot anyway.

BOLD NUGGET: Give a bummer situation your best shot… keep your peripheral view open… see where it leads!

While asked how they handle high winds, rough water, or a broken oar, the athletes consistently responded, *that’s outside my boat*. They clearly did not waste time, effort or energy on things outside of their control.

BOLD NUGGET:  Practice letting go of things that truly are outside your boat/outside your control!

So what DID these athletes take charge of? Their individual training efforts, food they chose as fuel, their mindset, laser focus, and the resulting positive impact on their performance, goal and outcome (crossing that finish line first!). When it comes to preparing for competition: *that’s inside my boat*.

Stop and ask yourself if the decision, situation or issue you’re struggling with is actually inside? or outside? YOUR boat.

Inside your boat? Step up, be accountable, and take responsibility (Own it.) Soon you’ll be setting new goals, getting laser-focused, creating new success as you chart your course based on those areas you actually can control…

And…

Dig deep, finding strength, courage and renewed confidence as you…

LET THE REST GO!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This was a joke at first – an auction item I wanted for a gag gift at our cabin gatherings. But when this pretty little fish came home and found it’s place in the window overlooking the river – it was a Keeper!

Do We Really Need Valentine Validation?

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photo-1Ok, call me a cynic.

Why do we look to card companies, chocolatiers and florists… to validate our love, passion or lust… based on ‘proof’ this one day each year?

Do you really need Valentine Validation?

You really do, huh? You need a gift on Valentine’s Day to know how special you are?

I hate to think someone will feel ‘less than’ (or worse, greater than!) if the package that arrives at the office is for the cubicle next door… Or if a surprise on the doorstep is mis-addressed, intended for a neighbor down the street.

If nothing arrives for you, will it wreck your day? Think about it.

It will? Really?

OK then, be the sender!

MAKE YOUR OWN *AND* SOMEONE ELSE’S DAY!

And either way, let’s not let any day on the calendar determine our self-worth or validate our own sense of CONFIDENCE, our HAPPINESS, our SUCCESS, or our SMILE! 

Especially not that last one. Don’t stop Smiling. We need your Smile. More Smiles please!

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PS… Here ya go.

Just in case you really do need flowers today…

These are just for YOU. 

By the way, I hope you realize there is someone out there who would love to be YOU.

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© 1993-2014 Ann Ulrich THE BOLD! FACTOR®  BEST BOLD U!™ ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This recipe came from one of my clients (I can’t name them publicly as they are for now choosing to be a private BOLD! Sponsor funding one of my upcoming Keynotes) Super-healthy dark chocolate, ginger, walnuts, cranberry treat. Ah, maybe super-healthy is relative: These are SO good I indulge in UNhealthy amounts! ;) And the flowers were a gift to me from someone who created an event and knew I love BOLD orange mixed in with with all my BOLD reds.

Self-Leadership: Move Your Own Mountains

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IMG_1633The tough thing about Self-Leadership?

It’s Up To YOU.

The great thing about Self-Leadership?

It’s Up To YOU!

When you want to create new success, moving forward without waiting for anyone else’s green light as your GO… try this:

Take one inspired thought and apply courageous action.

When you COMMIT and are willing to DO THE WORK…

You can forever MOVE YOUR OWN MOUNTAINS!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:   *Beginning The Journey* art by Shane Sullivan. Love seeing this little picture on our wall. Love bridges. Love journeys.

Eliptical Wisdom: Getting The Goal

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Getting on the Eliptical isn’t the hard part. Finally second nature, it’s what I do to start my day a few mornings a week.

Our condo workout room is pretty quiet at 5am. It takes just a minute to set the TV, fan, water and as my final all-systems-go:

I ceremoniously tighten my pony tail. Ready.

The hard part comes a few minutes in. When calories burned shows around 100. Early on I often bailed around 200. 500 seemed elusive and hey, it was just a number I made up anyway…

Now I’m used to seeing 100cals, groaning less, seeing 250 and thinking hey it’s almost 300… about then I try to laser focus on max’ing my muscles and breathing and sweating… and suddenly I’ve pushed past 500. It also helps to hide the number with a towel.

What keeps me going and committed?

Trying to never lose sight of my goal: Feel Younger, Be Stronger.

And specifically how does that goal calculate on the Elliptical? 500 calories burned.

No matter how I get there, intervals or straight away, I have one simple goal: hit 500.

Here’s My Elliptical Wisdom On Getting YOUR Goal (any goal!) Business or Life:

1) Define TWO Clear Goals: Your big picture goal (mine is Feel Younger, Be Stronger) and how you’ll measure so you know you hit it (my goal: blast 500 calories)

2) Set Yourself Up For Success: first establish, then commit, making it repeatable or you’ll risk over-thinking it each time.

3) Do The Work.

4) Celebrate Big & Little Successes Along The Way.

5) Check Your Peripheral View to help someone cross THEIR finish line as reach yours!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

A-Game Or Good Enough?

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photo-55Ever feel like every project… every activity… every task… requires no less than bringing your A-Game?

No wonder we get exhausted, burntout and disillusioned.

There are times when *Good Enough* is better.

You decide.

Trust your Values & Priorities as your guide!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:   Love Silver. Loves mixing Patterns. Love this A of my AUI.

Re-Calibrating The Elusive Balance

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photo-34When you know there’s too much…

Figure out what’s missing.

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©1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This gift of a sparkly little fortune cooke reminds me – in the important tasks of downsizing, de-cluttering and downtime – ancient Latin Poet Virgil’s quote: Fortune Favors The BOLD. 

Best Message I Ever Posted On My Mirror

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Over a year ago, I decided forever from that day forward to

*Feel Younger, Be Stronger*

each year, re-committing on my birthday.

I’ve stayed on track and know, without a doubt, that posting this most powerful message I’ve ever posted on my mirror… (my former You Can Do This! and WOW! Keep Going! mirror messages don’t hold a candle to this one) … and reading this a few times each day, helps me focus and re-commit:

photo-56THE POWER OF MY COMMITMENT IS STRONGER THAN ANY DISTRACTION THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE DERAIL ME!

I titled it FITNESS. Why not post the same message on YOUR mirror and title it with whatever goal YOU really truly want to achieve.

It’s not magic. You have to really WANT it.

Actually, it’s more than Want. It’s more like Crave.

And above all, you must be willing to DO THE WORK to get there.

Post yours and let us know what happens!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich, Ann Ulrich Inc.  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:   Yes, straight from my mirror. Action doesn’t require Fancy. Simple can be Magic.

How Do You Wear Your Passion?

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IMG_1621I wear my passion on my sleeve and when I have no sleeve I wear my passion on my arm.

Not saying that’s always good. Or welcome.

But I am saying I feel ALIVE!

Here’s how I see passion:

You either express it or you hide it.

Either way it can come back to bite you.

And if you’ve lost your passion (we all do at times) then you might be living, but are you feeling alive?

How do you wear your passion?

You get to decide!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  There was never a doubt in my mind as to what my logo would be when I launched my own business. Having been forever marked-down by my teachers – in probably every grade – for overly-enthusiastic overuse of the !!! in my writing, reports, art… I colored one BOLD RED in 1993… and ever since use it to my heart’s content! (!!)