Meet Erin Baebler, Ninja Mom Of The Month May 2010

Okay, I know, I am posting May’s Mom of the Month in April, but I have been a bit behind the power curve in posting Mom of the month interviews so I figure if Erin’s interview counts for May than I am almost ahead of the game ~ right? 😉

Erin is a coach for Mom’s who want to pursue big ambitions.  No one in knocking being a Mom, but the reality is that many of us still have the drive to accomplish something outside of the home.  My guess is that if you are reading this blog, you feel the same way so you will love Erin’s insights in to making it all work.

How did you get started coaching?

I started coaching 7 years ago.  Prior to that I had been in the corporate world, but when my son was born he had some health issues that made going back to work not a feasible option.  That being said, I still had a big need to accomplish something for myself and outside of the home. Coaching was the next step for me and has allowed me to continue connecting with others and make an impact.

What are some of the things that you work on with your clients?

More than anything it is getting all of us to understand that success looks so much different than it used to.  It is much more personal and individual now.  There used to be a ‘forumula’ and it was geared predominately towards men which is that you get a job with a corporation, climb the later and then retire.  Now we are realizing that we can create our own definitions and that the path to success is often crooked.  Rarely, if ever is it a straight line.

How do you help people with their definition of success:

First I believe it is important to realize that there is never one single correct answer.  I help people think outside of the box both in terms of what success is, but also the paths in which they can take to get there.

What are some of your ‘best practices’ that you coach your clients on:

First and foremost is to be true to yourself and not other people’s ideas of what you should be doing or what success looks like for you.  How you feel personally about something is your ultimate gauge in the decision making process.

Get clear about your definition of success.  Again there is no right answer to this and your definition may change over time, but really spend some time thinking about what matters to you.

Small consistent action beats big steps any day of the week.  Small steps are easy to do and do not get us too far out of our comfort zone so we are more apt to do them.  They also have a cumulative effect that adds up much faster than you would think.  Big gestures are overwhelming and as a result we tend to procrastinate or not do them at all.

What are some of the stumbling block that you see Mom’s have issues with?

The main ones that we all struggle with are lack of time, guilt, balance and the feeling of being spread too thin.  Before children women are usually very confident in their work and capabilities.  Once they become Mom’s and their are more demands on their times alot of us start feeling average in everything that we do which can be frustrating.  The biggest thing is just to be very conscious of how you spend your time.

How do you stay accountable to your goals?

My biggest tool is my ‘walk the talk sheet’ which you can download from my site.  I also have my version of it posted on the site.  It is basically my goals written down and published to the world so that those around me can ask me about them and keep me focused.    With my clients, I ask them to email me in between coaching calls with their progress on whatever it is that they have committed to do.  Little check in’s along the way help to ensure consistent action.  I also create visual charts and reminders.  It can be as simple as posting a calendar on the wall somewhere and then writing on there what I want to get done each day.  I can see it in the morning and it always feels really good to cross it off once it is completed.

How do you make time for yourself to recharge?

Magazines for me are my great escape. I just love to read them.  I also exercise regularly which helps alot and I try to leave Friday, Saturday and Sunday open for the family so that we can all do fun things together.  My husband and I have a monthly date night and every Sunday we discuss our schedules for the upcoming week, finances and anything else that we need to.  It allows us to start the week in sync which helps alot.

Wow!  Thank you Erin for sharing all of your insights!  I truly appreciate you taking the time.  If you have more questions for Erin or would like to know more about her coaching programs, check her out at www.magnoliaworkshop.comor you can follow her on twitter at @magnoliawkshop.com.