Archive for the ‘Buzz!’ Category

Spring Cleaning and Attachment

Monday, April 13th, 2015

by Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

Your Level of Attachment Drives Many Other Aspects of Your Life

Your Level of Attachment Drives Many Other Aspects of Your Life

Several years ago I was studying attachments. I realized the strength of my attachments actually were limiting new experiences in my life.  I liked Miquel Ruiz’s book on the Five Level’s of Attachments and looked at it through four different perspectives.

1. How my behavior went from accepting to judging as my attachment levels increased.

2. How my strategies were impacted from go with the flow to more controlling for increasing levels of attachments.

3. How my ability to respond to situations went from flexible to rigid based on how attached I was.

4. How my actions went from spontaneous to predictable based on my level of attachment.

Since it was spring, I looked around at all the clutter in my life and realized – I was choking in the largesse of attachment.   Did I really need to build a new garage to hold all my treasures I was so deeply attached to?   Or, did it make more sense to liberate myself from all these attachments and right size my life with a cleaner and clutter free space?

Recently someone posted on the Cheetah Learning Facebook page, that instead of taking Cheetah’s PM of Spring Cleaning class, they could use the money just to hire someone to do the spring cleaning for them.   While on the surface, this might sound like a good idea, the reality is – when you do that, you allow a stranger to decide for you those things important for you to keep.  Spring Cleaning is an activity you have to do yourself as it is about freeing yourself from those attachments no longer serving you – and only you can decide that.   And this is a view I’ve grown rather attached to after living a life where I had no idea where much of my treasurers were anymore because I had so much stuff other people put away for me.  Doing my own spring cleaning got me back in touch with what was worthy of my attachment and what was not.

You can break your attachments to your stuff and live a more free and easy life.  Take Cheetah’s PM of Spring Cleaning – use the promotion code – notattached and get this 40 PDU course for $400.

90% of Adults Face More Stress At Work During the Holidays

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Cheetah Learning Offers Simple Workplace Tips to Help Offset Holiday Stress Levels

As part of its December theme to “Reduce Workplace Conflict,” The Project Management Professionals (PMPs) at Cheetah Learning (http://www.CheetahLearning.com) are offering Tips, Tools and Deals that make businesses more productive and efficient. Among them: Cheetah’s “Negotiation Tip Sheet,” which helps firms set the stage for launching successful projects.

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) December 14, 2011

A study conducted by Harris Interactive indicated that 90 percent of adults experience stress or anxiety during the holidays, right at year’s end when pressures are building for most businesses.

To help manage that stress, Cheetah Learning has announced its theme for December is “Reduce Workplace Conflict.”

As part of that effort, Cheetah is offering a free “Negotiation Tip Sheet,” available by filling out a form at http://www.CheetahLearning.com. Other free offerings include: PMP Exam Prep SmartStart Guide, PMP Practice Exam, 2 PDU Skills Assessment Course, and the Getting Started with PM Guide, along with “great deals” on Professional Development Units (PDUs).

The “Negotiation Tip Sheet” uses easy-to-understand theatrical terminology such as “Cast of Characters,” “Set the Stage” and “Know the Plot” to convey its points, not an altogether surprising decision since Shakespeare wrote: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

It’s all part of “The Cheetah Way,” Project Management done correctly, an effort to make businesses more productive and efficient. Among its key thoughts, “Kick off a project the right way from the beginning.”

Fitting right in with that approach is “Cheetah Negotiations, How to Get What You Want, Fast,” published by MAKLAF Press, ISBN-10: 0-9761749-2-8, and available athttp://www.cheetahstore.com. The authors are Michelle LaBrosse and Linda Lansky.

LaBrosse is CEO and founder of Cheetah, Project Management Institute’s 2008 Provider of the Year. LaBrosse was also named one of the top 25 most influential woman in Project Management worldwide by the Project Management Institute.

The book is one of the core teaching tools in Cheetah’s course “Effective Negotiations Skills for Project Managers.” Among its learning objectives:

“Know your innate negotiating strengths and how to leverage those based on the strengths and weaknesses of those with whom you’re negotiating.”

“Know how to set the stage for a successful negotiation.”

“Be able to navigate through the twists in turns common in many negotiations to bring it to a successful resolution.”

“Understand the contractual elements used to solidify agreements arrived at in negotiations.”

Additional information, covering a wide variety of topics, including the reduction of workplace conflict, can found at:

Blog.CheetahLearning.com – Daily Tips, Tools and Deals

Twitter.com/MichelleCheetah – Tweets from CEO & Founder Michelle LaBrosse

CheetahLearning.com/press.asp#KHN – Current and archived “Know How Network” columns

For more information about Cheetah Learning and its various training offerings, call toll free in the U.S. at (888) 659-2013. Outside the U.S., call (602) 220-1263.

ABOUT: Cheetah Learning is a Project Management Institute Registered Education Provider and is International Association of Continuing Education and Training Certified. Cheetah was awarded the Project Management Institute Professional Development Provider of the Year for 2008 for the significant contribution it made to the field of project management with its accelerated approach to teaching and doing project management.

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Peachy Keen (Why eating in season makes delicious sense!)

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

A few years ago, my husband planted several apple, pear and peach trees on a sloped, sunny spot alongside our garden in the backyard.  We’d dream of the day when we could pick our own fresh fruit right from the tree – for free!  The first year, we got nothing, nada, zilch – Did we do something wrong? Were these dud trees or something?  Perhaps they were too young to bear fruit?

The next year, the trees grew larger and we started to get tiny little red pears on one of them.  They were so cute! A few days later, due to the dry weather, the tree snapped in half and all the little pears fell and never made it to ripeness.  The following year, a herd of deer (or something!) had a field day and devoured pretty much all of our fruit and most of our garden for that matter while we were on vacation – tomatoes and everything  – GONE!

So this year, we were not even going to get our hopes up – we pretty much gave up and were content with looking at our pretty, bare trees, feeding the wildlife, without tasting the fruit ourselves. Until one summer day in early August, there they were!  Beautiful, yellow, red and orange colored  (albeit smaller than store bought) PEACHES!!!  Finally!!!

We picked a dozen or so and they were DEE-VINE!  I’ve only picked and eaten apples and pears from PYO picking orchards before – the taste and juiciness of our peaches were amazing!  The natural fruit enzymes of the peaches popped in my mouth they were so fresh and alive.  We decided to make a peach cobbler, found a recipe online and tweaked some ingredients to make it a little healthier.   Our first, fresh Peach Cobbler was, to quote Rachael Ray, DEE-LISH!

Our fruit tree experience reminded me of the benefits of eating seasonally, locally and from your back yard (if possible).  The taste, cost, nutritional value and personal satisfaction of that peach cobbler couldn’t be bought anywhere!  It took some patience, yes (a few years!), but it was so worth it!

Oh, and before I share the Peach Cobbler recipe, let me share a little bit more of our peach story.  We decided to let the other 30 or so peaches that remained on the trees ripen and grow a little larger, so we left them alone for a few days.  Can you take a guess at what happened?

We came home from a weekend away and found that we were robbed again!! The herd of deer (or whatever “it” was/”they” were), sauntered in the backyard and ate them all – not one peach was left for us to enjoy!  (On the bright side, at least they left the tomatoes this time.)  The lesson learned was that you have to strike while the iron’s hot and harvest as soon as nature’s bounty is ready — or someone (or something) else will!

Here’s an easy Peach Cobbler recipe from Whole Foods.  I use most recipes as a template – feel free to substitute ingredients to suit your taste and dietary preferences:

Ingredients

6 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (we had about 8 cups of peaches)
1 3/4 cups flour (we used Gluten Free)
6 tablespoons sugar (we used about 4 T of Xylitol/Birch bark natural sweetener)
2 teaspoons almond extract (we used 1 t vanilla)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
10 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces and chilled, divided (we used 5T)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup half-and-half (we used almond milk)

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup of the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, almond extract and lemon zest and juice. Pile mixture into a 10-inch baking dish or pie plate, then dot with 2 tablespoons of the butter; set aside.

In another bowl, combine remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons of the remaining sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add half-and-half and lightly toss together until a soft dough forms. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto peaches until surface is almost covered. Lightly pat down dough to evenly distribute over the top, but leave spaces for the peaches to show through. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is golden and peaches are bubbling.

Nutrition

Per serving (221g-wt.): 330 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 4g protein, 50g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 31g sugar), 40mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium

Enjoy!

About the Author:  Evelyn DeDominicis is a certified Holistic Health Coach and Workplace Wellness Consultant whose intention is to guide individuals and organizations on their journey to living in optimal, sustainable health and life balance.  She offers 1:1 coaching, group coaching, cooking classes and wellness consulting to individuals and organizations.  Evelyn recently joined the Cheetah family to launch Cheetah Wellness – a unique wellness education and behavior change approach using Cheetah’s Accelerated Learning and Project Management techniques.  You can learn more about Evelyn at www.evelynwellness.com and more about Cheetah at www.cheetahlearning.com.

Something Different From Cheetah Learning

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Meet Hugh G. Cranium – Watch the YouTube Video Here

And get 10% off our Accelerated Project Management Master’s Certificate Program or our Accelerated Project Management Master’s Certificate Program for PMP®’s when you register using promo code HughGCranium by July 31st*.

How Powerful is a Cup of Joe?

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

How much difference can a warm cup of coffee make in your day? If you are a habitual coffee drinker, you know the positive effect coffee can have- the aroma of it in the morning, the gurgling of the coffee maker as it slowly and patiently prepares a pot of the dark and alluring liquid, the pure joy that courses through you when you take that first satisfying sip. Ok, as you perhaps can tell, I love my cup of joe in the morning.

Imagine now that you are far from home- far from the familiar, without your family or your usual friends for support. How much would a cup of coffee mean to you then?

Cheetah Learning found out last week when we committed a day to Support Our Troops through donating funds to Green Beans Coffee, a company that is dedicated to supporting the troops of the United States military by providing coffee, tea, and other beverages in an inviting environment so that soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines can have some time to relax and feel at home.

While we at Cheetah Learning knew that our contribution to Green Beans Coffee would be put to good use, we didn’t quite understand the impact that it would have on soldiers until we started to receive thank you notes back from folks who had received our cup of coffee along with a note of gratitude from us.

I am going to share some of those quotes here in hopes that if you are reading this, you will know just how powerful a cup of coffee can be.

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“To the Patriots at Cheetah Learning, Thank you so much for your support. You and your employees are an example of what makes Americia such a unique place. I will enjoy my cup of coffee and think of all of you. Despite the 120 degree temperatures in Baghdad, nothing beats a great cup of coffe in the morning. Thanks for your support…”

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“Thank you so much for your generosity. I have been overwhelmed by the support of the American citizens who donate to this. Something as small as a cup of coffee and a kind letter is a HUGE morale booster when you are miles away from home, family, and friends. Your gift is truely appreciated…”

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“Good Friends at Cheetah Learning — Thank you so very much for your kind thoughts and support. An occasional Green Beans coffee or latte in the morning is a true comfort treat that reminds me of home and the morning Starbucks run on the way to work 🙂 (except here there are no sky scrapers and a lot of desert) The Soldiers here appreciate your support more than you know. Thank you again…”

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“…I don’t know if I am elated because of your gratitude or because you thought of my career beyond the military. I am a proud citizen Soldier-reservist and I am always looking to expand my horizons. I will definitely look into Cheetah Learning and share this information with my fellow Soldiers. Thanks for remembering us and letting us know that folks other than our families care about us…”

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“…My sincere thanks for your thoughts and Cup of Joe – little things out here make a big difference and the occasional decent cup of coffee goes a long way. I’m actually a submarine Commander in a land centric appointment (good broadening I’m told) normally specializing in project management with my last major project as Project Manager for the Refit of HMS Victorious. I’m always looking to update my PM skills so will look into what course you have on offer. Once again, many thanks and all the best…”

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“Cheetah Learning, Thank you so very much for this sweet gesture! I am a true coffee fanatic and I look forward to my cup of coffee every day. Your support means so much to us over here and it is for people like ya’ll that we serve. Thank you again so much…”

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“Cheetah Learning: Thank you for your generosity and your thoughtfulness…. My home and family are back in Nebraska and I plan to be back there around the beginning of November. There are not many luxuries here but one thing that I look forward to a couple times a week is going to the Green Bean and having a good cup of coffee. Next time I’m there I’ll be thinking of your generous gift while I’m enjoying my “Cup of Joe”. Blessings…”

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“…Thank you for being supportive to us Troops, it means alot! And yes, the Cup of Joe is definitely a warm reminder of home; so it too is greatly appreciated! It really helps us to continue our days away from home knowing that other people are in support of what we do…Thank you again for being supportive to us..This Soldier is truly honored to serve for our wonderful Country. May you and your family be blessed… Truly…”

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Find out how you too can donate a cup of coffee and brighten someone’s day at Green Beans Coffee.

Thanks For Reading,

Kristen

Embrace the Geek in You

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

You have always been highly intellectual and technically savvy, and you may or may not have donned a pocket protector or two in your day.  Today, flaunt your talents, and celebrate Embrace Your Geekness Day, the Cheetah Way.

We invite you to discover your inherent strengths and challenges as a Geek by taking Cheetah’s 5 PDU PM Strength Builder course. Use promo code GeeksRock2010 to receive $30 off.

Achieve ultimate Geek status when you take Cheetah’s 20 PDU Virtual Project Teams. Use promo code VirtualGeeks2010 to receive $90 off.

You can also embrace the geek in you by taking any Cheetah Certificate Program to improve your PM skills.  Use promo code CertifiedGeek2010 to receive 10% off any of these courses.

Don’t wait! The promotion ends on July 23rd.  Embrace your Geekness today!

Download your Free Tool.

Discover why the Federal Government is Embracing PM Geekness, as well, with your free download: Federal Government Mandate for PMP®.

Get 10 PDU’s for the price of 2 when you Join our Club

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Check it Out

Check it Out

Support our Troops and Further Your Career

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Support Our Troops

And Further your Career

You know you’re a work-a-holic when..

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Happy Work-a-Holic Day!

Celebrate the Cheetah Way- click here!

Don’t Forget to Celebrate National I Forgot Day!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Check it out!

http://www.cheetahlearning.com/Dave/Forgot/index.htm

Check it out!