Wintering is a season in the cold. It is both literal and figurative. It acknowledges those times where we move through a fallow period – cut off from the world. What is the power of wintering? How can we learn to call in the dark and the cold?

In today’s encore episode on wintering we discuss what wintering is, borrowing from the brilliance of writer Katherine May; we speak to the power of wintering, specifically the power of the dark, the cold, letting go and resting; and we close with reflection questions to spark your own best thinking on how to integrate this practice.

“So that is my wish for you – that you may be unburdened by the cold and dark of wintering. And more than that. That you can embrace it. Call in the dark and the cold – don’t run from it. It is through learning how to sit in this discomfort that we build our resilience for when the unexpected winters arrive.”

Links and Resources

For show notes visit:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/wintering-3/

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

We can’t change what we don’t see. So how do we sense a new consciousness? What tools will support us? How do we keep it simple and accessible? Cue this episode where we discuss the simple tenants of a life-changing practice. Listen in to learn all the how-tos of Journaling.

Links and Resources:

For show notes:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/building-a-journal-practice/ ‎

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

1. Use what works for you. I used to think journaling needed to be in a particular kind of notebook and sound a certain kind of way. Not anymore.
2. Try different formats. “Morning Pages;” Bullets in a word document. Letter to Love. Haikus. Handwritten prose in a bound journal. My own “journal” is written on loose paper and placed in a file folder to keep it in one place.
3. Leverage prompts. These can be questions, like the ones shared on this podcast. It can also be a meditation. A response to a piece of art. Or something you read. Or a view out your window. I will often think of a question and draw tarots to prompt be to respond.
4. Be consistent. This is a practice. I’m not a stickler that you have to do it every day. But it should be regular.
5. Do it for yourself and have fun. Don’t take yourself too seriously. This is for you. 

• Julia Cameron’s books, including the Artist’s Way to learn more about the practice of Morning Pages
• Oliver Burkeman writing about the power of morning pages
• Join Liz Gilbert’s Letters from Love substack

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? And why? What made it so? In today’s episode, Sharon discusses her answer to those questions along with some prompts to inspire you never again to have the worst job ever.

Links and Resources:

For show notes:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/worst-job-ever/

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

1. What makes my professional light shine?
2. What environments delight me? Both physically and in the type of leadership and collaboration?
3. If you were to do something wildly different, what would it be? What else? What else?
4. What are dealbreakers for you? What makes you feel out of integrity with yourself?
5. What makes me feel safe to leave a job? What conditions will allow me to be able to stay OR leave a job? How can I take small steps to have make sure I have these conditions in place.

Ready or not, the new year is upon us. While there is no one right way to do anything, there is what's right for you. Answering this question requires our discernment. How will you choose to show up and move through 2023? What are you wishing to call in this year? What will support you on this path? 

In today’s episode we talk about finding your own right-fit approach to kicking off the new year and how you can use the flipping of the calendar year to bring fresh perspective to your daily rhythms and routines. We discuss what's different about a resolution and an intention. We talk about different themes you might play with like a word or color of the year. We invite you to consider what - if any - big picture annual thinking might be useful as you step into 2023.

Regardless of what you are moving towards, the rhythms and routines that you establish will steward you on this path. To that end we close today's episode with an audit of what's working for you and how you might reimagine both the fixed and flexible movements that make up your day-to-day.  Whether you decide to put a new morning or evening routine in place or pay attention to what patterns shift from one season to the next, your commitment to aligning your daily actions to your annual priorities will pay dividends. Here's to starting 2023 off right - and on your own terms!

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/starting-2023-off-right/

The new year invites us to reimagine what's possible. This is not about trying to burden ourselves with unrealistic resolutions that we are doomed to abandon by February. Instead, it is about letting the rhythm of the calendar offer us a natural disruption in the momentum of our day to day. It is a chance to dream something new.

In this week's podcast, we begin by discussing the importance of cultivating a belief that what you want is possible. And we look to Maslow's hierarchy of needs to create distinctions on where to focus our visioning energy. Do we need to shore up our foundation (physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem)? Or are we in a moment where we can expand into self-actualization?

We then consider how to hold space to explore what you want. We embrace the mindset that whatever we are doing, it is enough. And we offer ways to go deeper. We then offer prompts to get you thinking about what you really want for this year - a linear process to get clear on your 2023 vision. We close with a short guided meditation that invites you to go beyond your current awareness for what's possible and to invite in new perspectives. Here's to seeing what emerges; happy visioning!

 https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/what-do-you-want-in-2023

Wintering is a season in the cold. It is both literal and figurative. It acknowledges those times where we move through a fallow period – cut off from the world. What is the power of wintering? How can we learn to call in the dark and the cold?

In today’s episode on wintering we discuss what wintering is, borrowing from the brilliance of writer Katherine May; we speak to the power of wintering, specifically the power of the dark, the cold, letting go and resting; and we close with reflection questions to spark your own best thinking on how to integrate this practice.

“So that is my wish for you – that you may be unburdened by the cold and dark of wintering. And more than that. That you can embrace it. Call in the dark and the cold – don’t run from it. It is through learning how to sit in this discomfort that we build our resilience for when the unexpected winters arrive.”

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/wintering/

What have you learned this year? And how will those lessons inform your direction in the coming year? In this week's episode we explore the power of looking back and taking perspective. And then look at a few tools to help you do just that. We close with a how-to guide to writing a letter to yourself to reflect on the year. Here's to taking a few moments to look back and learn from what has unfolded for you in 2022.

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/lessons-learned-this-year/

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Point Road Studios! Has anyone ever told you, "No, you can't do that!" - and then you went ahead and did it anyway? That's a glimpse into why we celebrate together in this week's podcast. Join Sharon for a personal reflection and celebration meditation. Learn about the thing that Sharon is most proud of and hear some of the stories of clients she has worked with over the years. Hear her reflections on what being in business for a decade has meant for her personal life.

And then reflect on what this means for you. Today's episode closes with a Celebration Meditation (starting at 15:47) inviting you to explore chapters of your own life. What are you celebrating? What are you noticing? What can you see? And at what perspective?

Celebrate what you are most proud of. And not just the big milestones. Celebrate those tiny moments that summed together create the magical moments of your life. Because only you can know and navigate how to call forth the whispers of your heart. Listening deeply is a catalyst. Celebrating and finding joy builds momentum. Onward!

 https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/celebrating-10-years/

Perfectionism is a shadow driver of so many high achievers. It helps us get the job done. But at what cost?

In today's episode, we cozy up to the realities of the perfectionism paradigm. We look at its different flavors and the ways we might experience it in our own lives. What standards do we hold ourselves to? What about the people around us? Our family? Colleagues? Friends? Community members? And what about the standards that we inherit from the cultures we live in and move through?

The alternative to chasing an impossible standard is simple. We have to set our own. Rather than aligning our actions with an unachievable ideal, we have to connect our focus to what actually matters most. As defined by - you guessed it - you! Which does require that we know what we value. For this reason, we close today's podcast with an invitation to reflect - a chance to be honest with ourselves about our own relationship with perfectionism and to consider what's actually important to us. From the strength of our own convictions emerges the possibility of a whole new way of leading in and living our lives. 

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/hello-there-perfectionism/

"No" is an incredibly powerful tool. It allows us to clear the clutter of our lives and to prevent unnecessary distractions. Behind every yes is a silent no - we just usually don't realize it at the time. It is through creating the negative space that we can dream up of biggest, brightest, happiest yeses. "No" really does create the space.

In today's episode we give gratitude to "no" and offer up 4 simple questions to spark your own personal reflection. Host Sharon cozies up to her own answers including how fear and control get very loud when she's saying no - and how it's worse when she is afraid of how her no will impact someone else. We also look at patterns that lead you to avoid saying no and supports to get over it and just do it anyway.

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/gratitude-for-no/

To gather - to come together with others - is a deliciously human act. But the experiences are varied. And many of us are out of practice or still adjusting to how it feels to be together. As we step into the season of gatherings, we invite you to consider what makes a gathering good for you.

Sharon reflects on some of the wildly different gatherings that she has been a part of recently - from her annual-ish Entrepreneur's Getaway to a Catskills Sister Moon Circle, from  a Vision at Work Retreat to a family routine of playing Dragonwood before bed. She shares what each of these gatherings is, what she appreciates about the experience, what surprises her and more. Through cozying up to these experiences, she draws out 5 lessons that she knows will serve her in the intense season of coming together that lies ahead. And she prompts you to set your own intentions for the gatherings in your life.

 https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/gather-good/

The end of the year is coming. It's that season where we are stretching to the finish line professionally - while simultaneously laying the ground work for what comes next. And our personal lives tend to get fuller too. Holiday celebrations and gatherings. Traveling and hosting. It is a time when we are naturally drawn to sprinting, adding on more responsibilities and generally pushing harder.

But today's podcast challenges that way of being. It invites you to get clear on what matters most and then align your actions with these priorities. Particularly as we think about the short timeframe between now and the end of the year. We aren't talking about a laundry list of priorities either. We are talking about what 1 or 2 or maybe 3 things that matter most. That's it. And that's enough.

Together, we examine why the time is right to be asking ourselves what matters most, we highlight what tends to get in our way and we offer questions to prompt your own best thinking on how to return to and honor your priorities. You are the only person who can answer what matters most to you. And when you do, you can rally the whole dang world to support you.

 https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/what-matters-most/ 

We have enormous aptitude for thinking. But not all of our thought habits serve us. Frequently a thought that served us for one season of life gets in our way in the next. "I am a hard worker" may have given you the focus and discipline to rise into your current station in life...but it is also contributing heavily to your sense of burn out.

Being able to break from your current thought habits is an incredible life and leadership skill. It requires both that you can see your current thoughts, discern if they are working for you and then shift them if they are not.

In today's episode, we explore the Thinking Path model as a tool to help you do just that. Learn from real life examples and consider for yourself what thoughts you are ready to challenge and reimagine.

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/breaking-thought-habits/

Big change rarely happens in an instant. Transitions are a natural part of the process. Transitions can feel uncomfortable. How do you build up resistance to stick with it? What supports you in building momentum toward a new destination? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself episode on Sitting in the Messy Middle.

Links and Resources:

For show notes visit:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/sitting-in-the-messy-middle/ 

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

1. Be clear on your why.
2. Partner on the HOW.
3. Stay present to what’s needed now.

• Design Yourself podcast on Partnering

The things we carry can get heavy, fast. And we have a choice. Keep holding the weight. Or set it down. To move through the world with levity, unburdened by the weight of our mental loads, requires us to both see what we are holding onto and then decide consciously what to do with it.

As our work and lives take on a new shape, we are once again revamping the rhythms and routines of how we give shape to our days. And this means we are taking on new mental loads.

In today's episode we create space to take perspective on why many of us are experiencing a sudden uptick in our mental loads. We then explore what mental loads we are holding so that we might see with fresh eyes the things we carry. We close the episode with 4 moves you can make to get relief.

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/mental-loads-getting-relief/

Your attention is a precious resource. But one that is all too often wasted or ignored. Annie Dillard speaks to this beautifully: "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing."

You can choose to focus your attention and the minutes of your life on what matters to you. Or not. The act of focus may seem small in the moment, but its ripple effects are wildly consequential.

In today's episode we draw inspiration from David Foster Wallace's commencement speech and emphasize the importance of choice when it comes to where we gift our attention. We then invite you to reflect on 4 questions to spark your own best thinking on how to put the ideas shared into practice in your own life.

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/gifting-your-attention/

You are in charge of your reactions to the circumstances around you. As for the circumstances and people around you, not so much. Yes, you can motivate, negotiate, influence and inspire those things. But you can't control them.

But your reaction? Absolutely yours to decide. Yet we know it doesn't always feel like it's our choice. We get so triggered in the moment or so habitual in our response that we forget that we do actually have a choice. 

In today's episode, we help you remember that the choice is always there. We begin by looking at why centering matters and then share tools for three ways of centering: Tactics to come back to center when you are  triggered; practices to build up your centering stamina so that you are less likely to be triggered in the moment and practices for how to center with your team - whether with your colleagues around the board room table or on a zoom call or at home with your family. Enjoy!

 https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/finding-center/

We've been 2020ed and there is no turning back. That has a lot of us feeling adrift. Untethered. Unmotivated, even. We can't unsee or unexperience these last few of years. This new consciousness has sparked lots of change in the workplace.

For some of us, this new awareness has spurred us into action. Perhaps seeking a new job (hello, great resignation) or reimagining the one we already had. For others of us, we have scaled way back - perhaps exiting the workforce or re-evaluating how much we are willing to give (#quietquitting). And our employers are following suit. Return to office plans are rolling out, flexible work plans are being established (or not) and generally speaking, the next normal is coming into focus.

In today's episode we cozy up to how we are feeling in the face of multi-years of near-constant, collective change. At a time when so many of us feel like things are beyond our control, we explore the choices we do have that might help bring us back to center.  Sneak peek: All paths forward begin with the need to paying attention to how we are feeling and cultivating an ability to be mindful of the actions we take.

 https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/feeling-adrift/

Get pumped! Starting October 5, the Design Yourself podcast is coming back to spark inspiration and share practical resources for how to imagine what you really want and figure out how to lead with your vision each and every day.

In this sneak peek episode, learn about the fun personal project that led Sharon to put the podcast on hold (hint: you can read about it in the NYT and Dwell!) and why she is recommitting to the Design Yourself podcast now (hint: it has a lot to do with offering support amidst the unprecedented demands and choices facing professionals today).

A is for Actualize. B is for Brainstorm. C is for create. Okay, just kidding, that's not quite the structure of today's podcast. In this week's episode, Sharon does share some key terms for breaking apart the big idea of vision. She says a more linear set of distinctions that can move us along that path by exploring terms like strategy, goals, milestones and tactics. And also shares a magical pathway to vision through the lens of words like surrender, release, be, listen and move. The idea is not that there is a single or better pathway to realizing and stepping into what you really want. Instead these are distinct ways to break down something that can feel big into simple concepts and structures. This episode closes with some questions for you to consider as you wend your way down your own visionary path.

The podcast is back! Listen to Sharon read Frank Bidart poems, share what she's been up to over the last 4 months and talk about the power of not forcing things. She discusses how being still can be uncomfortable and yet why that's important. She shares how to drop in and listen to the voice within you (and not just the mental chatter) and lead and act from that space of wisdom. And finally, when you are just itching to sprint to action even if it doesn't feel right, she reminds you to just breathe. And see if you can't tilt into a deeper sense of presence over action.

Taking time out brings about mixed emotions for a lot of us. We know we'd like to, but how to balance what needs doing with the desire for taking a break. We've talked in the past on this podcast about the importance of taking breaks and how they can be fun. But what about when we don't choose the pause? What about when it feels like it is out of our control? That's just what we dig into this week. Inspired by an extended power outage on the home front, Sharon discusses key distinctions about the kinds of pauses we take, recent lessons she has learned and some questions to prompt reflection about your own relationship to the concept of pause. From the disruptive nature of stopping to how we react differently to short, medium and long-term breaks, prepare to see with new eyes the power of pause.

This week's episode shines a light on the important role that our stories play in our lives and works. Not just as a reminder of what has been, but as a signal for what's coming next. To step into what we really want, we have to own our stories. This podcast will help you along this path. Sharon begins the episode with some personal updates, which include east coast spring break adventures, the kick off of building her dream home and how she missed three Thursdays of hitting publish on the podcast. She shares how her own story about being a failure if she missed publishing the podcast weekly was wrestling with her story that there is a way to do the podcast in her own way, with ease. She then shares how the podcast schedule is evolving. The episode builds from Sharon's own stories to reflections and actionable tips for both how to see the stories you tell and how to create shifts in your stories. 

"It's not just about changing your stories. It's about choosing them." - Sharon Lipovsky

• Name What You See
• Slow Down
• Be Still
• Drop In

• Allow Discomfort
• Be Kind
• Challenge Your Assumptions
• Get Help
• Go At Your Own Pace

• The Line Hotel (DC) 
• Sister City Hotel (NYC)
• This podcast shares a bit of Sharon's move to upstate NY from DC

Raindrops on roses / And whiskers on kittens / Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens / Brown paper packages tied up with strings / These are a few of my favorite things...or so the song goes. This week Sharon is inspired by the feeling of Spring in the air and wants to share a personal update about how things are going at this very transitional and transformational moment in her life. She shares a behind the scenes look at what's happening with her home and her work and how her intention setting process is evolving this year and this season. This is a great episode for anyone who's been wondering what exactly Sharon's been up to in her cottage in the woods. It's also excellent for those of you looking for some reflection and inspiration as you contemplate or move through a transition of your own.

• Sharon's monthly intention setting from 2018 has been shifting to be more seasonal.
• Simplicity continues to be the focus in 2019. In the transition from the winter focus on clearing to something new that's opening up.
• Sharon is getting ready to break ground on her new home! She shares what the process is like.
• She also talked about the difference between her personal vision and her professional vision - and how the two have been interacting together over the last 7 years.

• What matters most?
• How can I bring ease into my actions?
• Is there a simpler way?
• How do I embrace less?

• Design Yourself episode 105 on Lessons Learned in the Home Building Process
• The amazing design partner she has had on her Catskills home is the wonderful Sanabria and Co
• Here are the podcasts on each monthly theme in 2018:
• January – Rituals
• February – Focus
• March – Center
• April – Magic
• May – Vision
• June – Truth
• July – Trust
• August – Move
• September – Listen
• October – Care
• November – Savor
• December – Slow

Rarely can our dreams be realized in isolation. Partnering with others is a natural consequence of ambition. That doesn't mean it's easy. What makes for effective working relationships? What are the conditions that steward us to powerful teamwork? How do mutual accountability and productive conflict fit in?  We explore these questions and more in this episode focused on partnering and productive conflict.

Links and Resources:

For show notes visit:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/partnering-and-productive-conflict/

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

• Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”
• Patrick Lencioni’s model highlighting the conditions needed for effective teamwork: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, results

Meet Bill Goulding in this week's episode. He's finishing up his PhD at MIT's Sloan School of Management. His research interests include Empirical Asset Pricing, Financial Intermediation, and Market Microstructure. If that sounds confusing to you, don't worry, we break down his deep financial expertise into human terms and also discuss his own unexpected path to his nearly finished PhD. We talk about the stresses and benefits of professional development through higher education and Bill's own journey. Bill is insightful, open and funny and makes complex topics accessible. This is a great episode for anyone curious about finance, economics and the impact of both on your average human being. It's also lovely for anyone whose ever gone through or thought about pursuing a PhD. 

When we our energized, it's apparent in the way we lead, act, and feel. This week's episode offers up ideas for how play with and grow your energy - and makes the case for why prioritizing how you feel is critical our role as leaders. We discuss how your energy is impacted by your priorities and values, your emotions, and the health (or lack thereof) of your body. We talk about how to quiet your mind when busyness and stress surges. And we close with a discussion of how critical it is to write your own rules for how you structure your time. This is a great episode for anyone teetering on the edge of burnout (or managing/supporting someone else in this position). It's also great for anyone looking to summon the courage (and energy!) to make a change.

In taking care of your energy, you are taking care of not just yourself, but all the people around you too. Take good care!

What money mindsets or limiting beliefs are getting in the way of what you really want? That's what we are cracking open in this week's episode. Sharon shares how to pull apart our money mindsets and simple ways we can all make small shifts about our approach to money today. Explore together the difference between "bad scary" when it comes to money (e.g. spending beyond your means) and "good scary" (e.g. changing your spending habits to align with your values). Investigate 6 money mindsets that could be getting in your way and then learn a practical process to help you move past these roadblocks.

• Bad scary are triggers for true concern; the modern day saber tooth tigers showing up on your living room.
• Good scary are ways that you are really aligning with what you want, but maybe feeling nervous about the change it prompts.

• "I'm not good with money."
• "People with money are bad."
• "Money will change me."
• "I'm not worth it."
• "I don't have enough experience yet."
• "Money isn't important."

1. Practice Radical Self Awareness
2. Determine if what you see is working or holding you back
3. Clear out the clutter
4. Amplify what's good

The idea of doing something on purpose carries with it a feeling of positive authority. I've chosen it. I've selected this option. It's mine. But how do you actually figure out what your purpose is? That answer is often elusive. In this week's episode, Sharon offers perspective and a framework to help you navigate your own path forward. On purpose. Learn how to figure out what matters most to you and a simple way to make thoughtful decisions to align with your values. This is a great episode for anyone trying to figure out how to move through the world with a feeling of, "yes, I chose this."

"Here's my perspective. Your reason for existing will likely shapeshift over time. That's okay."

1. Check In With Your Current Awareness
2. Notice What Others Want Your Purpose to Be
3. Observe How Your Actions Indicate What's Important (or not)
4. Let Go of Unnecessary
5. Move with Your Purpose

Radical self awareness is worth chasing. It is through expanding what we see that we expand our sense of what's possible. In today's episode, Sharon shares a simple and powerful practice to help you do just that: be the observer of your actions. Gain clarity on how to step back from being in the action to seeing yourself in the doing. Learn how to notice patterns and expand your perspective on you in action. And finally get some tools to help you interpret the data you are collecting. This is a great episode for anyone who has been feeling like they need to grow in their leadership capacity, but are unsure about how to make a change. It's also great for anyone who is curious about pushing their own boundaries on what's possible. Enjoy!

• Step above the fray
• Disrupt your habits
• Partner with an accountability partner
• Breathe and other simple pauses

• Pace
• Story
• Questions vs. Statements
• What kinds of questions
• Body Alignment
• Emotions

• What meaning do you make of what you see?
• What feels aligned?
• What feels misaligned?
• What will you choose based on this new perspective?

Happy Valentine's Day! And welcome to Design Yourself's new release day, Thursday! (If you are wondering why we moved from Mondays to Thursdays, go check out last week's episode where I dish on this shift.)

This week's episode talks about two seemingly distinct topics: love and leadership. How many times have you considered the role of love at work? For many of us the topic is taboo. In today's episode, Sharon talks about the importance of leading with love. She shares vignettes of how she has seen leaders and teams transform with this approach and offers four key actions on how you can lead with love. She closes things out with a short meditation to get you in the practice of growing and embodying love. Enjoy!

1. Radical Self Awareness - Start by noticing what emotion shows up when you lead. Are you calm or anxious? Delighted or frustrated? Angry or sad? Simply notice without judgement what emotion/s show up when you lead.
2. Set an Intention - Whether love is already present or not when you lead, set an intention to lead with love. Simply invite in the potential to bring love into the mix.
3. Embody Love - Love is not just something we say or do. Love can show up in the way we are. We can embody that feeling of love in how we stand, walk, and gesture. Practice physically holding love.
4. Grow Love - It's amazing how much we can grow or intensify the feeling of love, simply by paying attention to it.

• Learn more about Sharon Salzburg

We've talked on the podcast many times before about story - specifically that we are all writing our own stories every single day, usually unconsciously. The stories we tell impact how we lead at work and at home. Today we are going to zoom in on a particular story we tell that often massively influences our willingness to take risks, value our worth and grow our businesses or bank accounts - yes, my friends, we are talking about our Money Stories. In today's episode Sharon discusses the impact that our money stories have on us and offers a series of reflection questions to empower you to see the story you are currently telling, adapt what's not working and make sure your Money Story is working for you.

This week’s episode is a little like grabbing coffee with an old friend. Sharon shares her word of the year – simplify! – and all the ways she’s holding this theme. How can she simplify her building/renovation project upstate? How can she simplify and slow down life at home? How can she help her clients simplify their approach to leadership? How can she simplify her own approach to scaling Point Road Studios. She also talks about why she stopped setting annual resolutions or intentions or words of the year in the past and why she felt called back to this practice in 2019. You’ll also learn about how her Design Myself Experiment in 2018 has turned into a monthly intention setting practice. This is a great episode for anyone looking for simple structures to bring more joy and intention into the way you lead your life. It’s also a good one for anyone wondering what Sharon’s been up to lately. Enjoy!

As of publishing this episode, the US partial government shutdown is into its fifth week. If you or someone you know is expectedly out of work, this episode for you. While the inspiration for the 4 tips shared are the many individuals who are effected by the shutdown, these are lessons gleaned from coaching many individuals through various interruptions from work-as-planned. Sometimes the interruption is undesired, like a layoff or a furlough. Other times the interruption was sought after, like a sabbatical or a pause between jobs. No matter how you landed in a space without work, this episode walks you through 4 ideas for how to shape your time off.

In 2018, Sharon conducted a little experiment - Design Myself. The Design Yourself method that she'd honed through personal reflection and lessons learned through her executive coaching work had taught her how to support individuals and organizations to get really clear on what they want and then move towards making that vision come to life. She'd podcasted for nearly 100 episodes on the topic to boot. But it had been awhile since she went inward and really asked herself those same questions. Thus Design Myself was born. She took a simple approach with big, BIG results. Tune in to today's episode to hear what Sharon learned and to consider what might serve you as you move towards your own dream, wishes and ambitions.

1. Strike the balance for this season between structure and flexibility
2. Focus on self first and the rest will follow
3. Strengths Can Get In Our Way
4. Magic is real
5. Habits change with our assessments (e.g., beliefs, judgements, stories)

• January – Rituals
• February – Focus
• March – Center
• April – Magic
• May – Vision
• June – Truth
• July – Trust
• August – Move
• September – Listen
• October – Care
• November - Savor
• December - Slow

• Details and registration for Sharon's upcoming class Building A Sustainable Six-Figure Income As A Coach

Deep listening can change the world. Listening impacts so many things: Our understanding, our questions, and our connections to those around us. When we listen deeply, we light a spark for transformation.

But listening isn't easy. There are habits and culturally accepted practices that hold us back from really listening to understand. The good news is that you can create simple shifts to improve the quality of your listening and inspire others to do the same. 

This Design Yourself episode highlights 12 habits that prevent us from listening – including rehearsing, daydreaming, and placating. We invite you to see with a fresh perspective where your listening gets derailed and to make simple shifts to bring your attention back to listening to understand.

Links and Resources:

For show notes visit:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/how-to-be-a-great-listener/

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

You can download a summary PDF of the Listening Blocks and tips for being a great listener here.

Mind Reading – Assuming you know what the other person feels

Rehearsing – Planning what you want to say next

Filtering – Listening only for what’s relevant to you

Judging – Evaluating the speaker and what they say

Daydreaming  – Getting lost in your own thoughts

Identifying – Relating everything you hear in yourself

Advising – Listening to solve or direct

Sparring – Invalidating the speaker through argument or debate

Being Right – Resisting all communication that suggests you are wrong

Derailing – Changing the subject

Comparing – Trying to figure out how you compare to the speaker

Placating – Agreeing too quickly

Source: Messages: The Communication Skills Book by Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Martha Davis, Ph.D., and Patrick Fanning

• Which listening block shows up most frequently for me?
• What new awareness am I taking with me about the quality of my own listening as I learn about listening blocks?
• What’s one listening block that you could pay attention to this week to improve the quality of your conversations?
• What’s one thing you could pay attention to this week to improve the quality of your listening? (e.g. set aside technology; ask for a colleague to be your listening accountability partner in a specific meeting)

• Messages: The Communication Skills Book by Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Martha Davis, Ph.D., and Patrick Fanning
• Original Design Yourself episode on Listening Blocks

It’s the last day of 2018 and a perfect time to take stock. What has 2018 brought you and what are you really wishing for in the coming year. In this week’s episode Sharon shares common new year strategies (e.g. word of the year, intention setting, resolution making) and pairs those ideas up with whimsical and dreamy approaches to unleashing your own inner wisdom and vision. What do you really want in 2019? Let’s dive in!

December is a month filled with family traditions for so many of us. Hopefully these traditions are experiences that you enjoy and that are aligned with what matters most to you! But don’t worry if that’s not the case. For many of us our traditions carry with them a weight that can be downright burdensome. It’s what we’ve always done and therefore we keep on doing it – without really thinking about it. In this week’s episode, Sharon looks closely at family traditions. (And yes we mean family in whatever way YOU define that community of loved ones around you.) What’s working for you? What’s missing? What’s getting in your way and how can you adapt or let go? Here’s to embracing what you love about your traditions and changing what you don’t. Life holds too much delight and wonder to carry anything less.

• Take stock of the traditions you are holding. What’s working? What’s missing? What’s holding you back?
• Include all the important people in your traditions. How do you define family? Do you have traditions with all the important people in your life?
• Embrace JOMO when it comes to traditions. What’s one thing you could let go of? What about traditions that involve doing less and being more?
• Choose What to Stop, Start and Continue. What will you stop doing? What will you start doing? What will you continue doing?

• Juliette Fradin photography
• Simply Leap’s instagram post (repost actually) defining the Joy Of Missing Out

It’s the end of the year and the holiday season is in full effect. Today Sharon shares 10 questions designed to help inspire you to move through the holidays with intention and choice. Explore your own answers and hear Sharon’s personal reflections for each of these inquiries. Learn about everything from how slowing down is shifting Sharon's approach to the holidays to why she chose to post the podcast "late" this week. Get inspired to create happy new memories and celebrate old traditions! From Sharon and the whole team at Point Road Studios, we are wishing you a peaceful and joy-filled holiday season.

Point Road Studios is the business Sharon founded back in 2012. It is a coaching and leadership development business that focuses is on helping businesses and creatives bring intention and choice into their work and lives. As Point Road celebrates it's 6th birthday this month, Sharon reflects on the key business lessons she's learned over the last year. She also offers up simple questions for your own personal reflection as you crest over important milestones fo your own. This is a great episode for anyone curious about a behind the scenes look into running a business. It's also great for anyone looking for some inspiration to learn from your own leadership experiences.

December is here! It's both inevitable and always a little surprising. This week on the podcast Sharon introduces the final theme of her 2018 Design Myself challenge, Slow. This challenge has been all about finding a way to both achieve results AND feel good at the same time. You'll learn what appeals to Sharon about a slower pace of life, leadership and general way of being (pssst - it's because it's a good counter to her natural fast moving tendencies).

Sharon discusses the connection between living slowly and leading slowly - how slow leadership, zero waste and mindfulness all intersect. You'll hear the four ways that Sharon's embracing slow in an intentional way this month and prompts for you to reflect on what pace will serve you right now - and how you will choose it. This is a great episode for anyone looking to find some balance and joy this holiday season.

What's important to you in this season?

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don’t miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work. 

• Blocking time to work out
• Read More (Screen Less)
• Connect with Friends
• Journal

• Design Your Work webinar with Alx Block (and more)
• Zero Waste Home -  a blog, a movement, a way of living
• Julia Cameron and the Artist's Way
• David Allen's book Getting Things Done all about how to manage our calendars and stress

To speak with ease, authenticity and full command of your personal power and beliefs. This is what it looks like to own your voice. In this week’s podcast episode Sharon discusses how to overcome common pitfalls and step into the practice of discovering and owning your voice. From deepening your own self awareness to tapping into someone else’s perspective to clarifying what you want and more. This is a great episode for anyone who wants to speak up and out in a way that feels perfectly you.

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don’t miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work. 

1. Start By Noticing
2. Get Another Perspective
3. Be Clear on What You Want to Say
4. Welcome in All the Feelings
5. Keep Going + Keep Growing

• What Do You Want Me to Say by the Dismemberment Plan
• A vision meditation from episode 5 of Design Yourself

We are all writing our stories every day - but how many of us are conscious of it? I'm a hard worker. (Story.) I'm a rules follower. (Story.) It is what it is. (Story.) There is nothing stopping you. (Story.) In this week's episode Sharon shines a light on our unique roles as storytellers. She discusses the importance of getting clear on our stories so that we can let go of what's holding us back and amplify what's working. She shares questions for reflection and framing to guide you through this process. This is a great episode for anyone who is looking to clarify what matters most and feel a sense of alignment between what was, what could be and what is right now.

May you each be filled with gratitude and peace as we move into the end of year holiday season. In today’s episode, Sharon shares 10 questions to inspire you to step into the Thanksgiving season (and beyond!) in an intentional way. She also offers up her own personal reflections for each question, just as she did in the original Let Us Give Thanks episodes (episodes 22 and 70). In additional to having space for your own reflections, you will also learn about the power of repetition and sitting with one thing over an extended period of time (whether a question, a physical practice or an idea). This is a great episode for anyone who is looking to reset before the holidays, who is curious to know more about what Sharon is up to or who is game for some personal reflection.

As you reflect upon the 2018 year, consider…

1. What makes you happy?
2. What have you overcome this past year?
3. What are you most proud of professionally and personally?
4. Consider something that has been difficult for you this year…what have you learned from this situation?
5. What’s one thing that you could let go of that would bring you a greater sense of peace and gratitude?
6. What are your greatest gifts?
7. If you could give one gift to the world, what would you want it to be?
8. If you could give one gift to yourself, what would you want it to be?
9. What’s one thing that you would like to give to somebody this week?
10. What are you thankful for?

• Curious how Sharon answered these questions the first time around?  Check out Take One and Take Two of the Let Us Give Thanks episodes

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don’t miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work. 

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This week on the podcast Sharon dishes about lessons learned throughout this year’s Design Myself approach where she sets a theme each month. She also shares why she chose “savor” as the theme for November. No it’s not just because delicious Thanksgiving awaits those of us in the US at the end of this month. It’s also because she sees the benefit and power of delighting in each present moment. She shares three ways that she’s thinking about savoring this month and invites you to do the same. This is a great episode for anyone looking for support in getting centered and appreciating what’s right here right now. It’s also fun for anyone curious to hear a behind the scenes look at what Sharon is up to these days.

1. Slow Down
2. Be Present
3. Appreciate

• “Mindful” by Mary Oliver
• Catch up on each monthly theme for 2018: January – Rituals; February – Focus; March – Center; April – Magic; May – Vision; June – Truth; July – Trust; August – Move; September – Listen; October – Care
• Klutz Book of Magic
• The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage
• Slow Home Podcast
• Insight Timer

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don't miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work. 

This week’s show reflects on what it means to lead with purpose and alignment. Sharon discusses the differences between creative and reactive leadership borrowing from a favorite 360 tool (The Leadership Circle Profile). She also notices the pull to the proactive vs. reactive framing and why she prefers the creative/reactive interplay. We then get into how to tell and own your own story before moving into reflection on a) reactive tendencies to be aware of and b) reflection questions to help you amplify your own creative leadership. This a a great episode for anyone looking to lead with authenticity and impact.

1. What does my creative leadership look like? When I am at my best how am I showing up?What is my purpose? What are my values? How do I take actions aligned with my values, purpose and talents? When I'm leading with authenticity/integrity/vision, what does that look like? When I'm interacting with others in a positive, results-oriented way, what does that look like?
2. What reactive tendencies get in my way? Does imposter syndrome influence my behaviors? Do I go along to get along? Do I tightly control things because I'm afraid of things falling apart if I don't? What's the quality of my listening/engagement? How much empathy am I holding for those around me?
3. What would support me in amplifying my creative leadership? What will help me get there? What will help me radiate? What prepares me for that? What allows me to move into that with ease?
4. What is the cost of my reactive tendencies? What's lost when I react? What's the cost to myself? To others?
5. What's one thing I can do this week to support my creative leadership?

• The Leadership Circle
• Design Yourself Storytelling episodes - Introduction, The Past, The Present, The Future
• Gain more distinctions on the imposter syndrome

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Routine matters. It is a foundational building block that shapes what we do and how we do it. It seems simple enough: Make a choice each and every day to align with what matters. But it is not always that easy. How do you balance the short—and long-term priorities? How do you shift long-held routines that involve other people? We get into these questions and more as we discuss routines reimagined.

Links and Resources:

For show notes visit:

https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/routines-reimagined/

To connect on Linked In: 

@Sharon Lipovsky

@Point Road Studios 

To connect on Instagram:

@pointroadstudios

Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

• How do we cultivate the eyes of a traveller when we don’t go anywhere at all?  
• How can we make mindfulness a way of being, even amidst habit and routine?  
• How do we remind ourselves of the unspoken choices we have everyday?  
• How do we act with courage as we make these choice – and own the life that these choices build?
• What’s working in my current routine?
• What would I like to change?
• What’s the ideal way for me to start my day? End my day?
• What small change could I make right now that would make a huge difference?

• “A New Chapter and Routines” – original post read aloud on this episode
• Design Yourself: Preparing for the Camino with Aimee Rowe
• Design Yourself: On the Road with Aimee Rowe
• Design Yourself: Walking the Camino (while pregnant!)

This week Sharon talks about the power of compassion and love - for ourselves, our colleagues and our communities. Inspired by a recent gathering of colleagues focused on compassionate coaching, Sharon shares her reflections from the day. Hear about the importance of beginning this process with yourself, ways to play with shifting the mood of your team and how love can positively shift the workplace conversations you are having. This is a great episode for anyone needing a healthy dose or positivity. It's also spot on for anyone looking to spark cultural change.

This week Sharon shares why her October Design Myself theme is “Care.” You’ll hear about the importance of taking care of what needs attention, pausing for self care and how you can still scratch your Type A itch by bringing an active approach to caring. Learning about the seasonal connection Sharon attaches to this theme now that autumn is in full effect in upstate New York, the place she’s felt most stuck through her recent relocation and the reason she likes to “do care” more than be cared for. Finally she shares a simple reflection exercise to prompt your own thinking about how to bring more care into your life and work. 

“A transition necessarily means you are going from one thing to another…the trick is to not get hung up on what was and really appreciate what it.”

There are 3 buckets of care that Sharon explores this month…

Focus on what needs doing. For Sharon this includes, preparing her temporary quarters (cottage in the woods) for winter, clearing the dead wood on her property (and enjoying a bon fire!) and knocking off some of those lingering items on her to do list.

What would give you more energy right now? An afternoon off? Deep tissue massage?

Sharon is committed to prioritizing some self care this month!

Sharon has fun this episode reflecting on these 6 different types of questions:

1. Who will I spend my time with?
2. What matters now?
3. Where can I find more ease?
4. When will I rest?
5. Why not?
6. How will I prioritize?

• Catch up on each monthly theme for 2018: January – Rituals; February – Focus; March – Center; April – Magic; May – Vision; June – Truth; July – Trust; August – Move; September – Listen