Transitions Life Coaching Blog

New Year quotations - 2

2011-01-02T12:08:00.002Z

“A new year is unfolding - like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.” ~ Unknown

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.” ~ Ellen Goodman

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

New Year quotations

2011-01-01T21:22:00.002Z

“Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~ Hal Borland

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." ~ Oprah Winfrey

"This is my wish for you:
peace of mind,
prosperity through the year,
happiness that multiplies,
health for you and yours,
fun around every corner,
energy to chase your dreams,
joy to fill your holidays."
~ D.M. Dellinger

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man." ~ Benjamin Franklin

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things." ~ John Burroughs

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday." ~ Charles Lamb, English essayist (1775-1834)

"Last year I made a list of things that I resolved to do.
I’ll use that list again this year; it’s still as good as new." ~ Unknown

Happy New year!

Warmest wishes
Jackie

Recipe for Christmas all year long

2010-12-25T19:34:00.000Z

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long
Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life--
Each day a sweet surprise.

Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow.

Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!)

Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease.

If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December.

By Joanna Fuchs

Worried about redundancy? Here's a great resource

2010-10-25T19:07:00.002+01:00

It's been a long time since I blogged, but I wanted to let you know about a fabulous, FREE Telesummit coming up very soon (with lots of great speakers, including me!) and I'm pretty sure the information you’ll get will change your life, and give you the confidence to move forward.

Click here to visit Allison Galbraith.

The Redundancy Into Business Telesummit is run by Allison Galbraith, who specialises in helping people just like you who are about to be made redundant or 'laid off' (depending which side of the 'Pond' you are) handle this situation and start their own business on their own terms.

Click here to visit Allison Galbraith.

Allison’s now assembled eight speakers from around the world, experts in starting your own business, getting out of the job you hate at last, finding meaningful work, making that leap from employment to self-employment, getting over the blocks that hold many people back and so much more. And, she’s persuaded them to share their tips and secrets, the stuff many people pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars to get hold of! Well I didn't need much persuasion as I'm passionate about career coaching and so enjoy supporting my clients in finding the work they would LOVE to do!

Click here to visit Allison Galbraith.

Many people, especially if you’ve been in the job for a long time, are unprepared for the changes that suddenly happen when you lose the routine - and income - of work, however stressful the environment. Having the confidence and courage to start your own business can challenge even the most experienced and successful people but you know, more and more people are turning to self-employment these days, discovering their entrepreneurial spirit and running their own small business. Why not you?

Click here to visit Allison Galbraith.

I’m so excited to be joining Allison. The rewards you will reap from this amazing FREE telesummit will truly be worth your time to listen. You will come away feeling a sense of hope, enthusiasm and confidence to make the leap into business, get your life back on track on your own terms and ready to take on the world again. You deserve it!

To your future business success and happiness

Jackie

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2010-04-30T08:50:00.001+01:00

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New Year quotation

2010-01-01T17:47:00.001Z

“Now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been...” ~ Rilke

Happy New Year everyone - may 2010 be your best year yet!

Warmest wishes

Jackie

The Wealthy Author Christmas Launch

2009-12-15T21:29:00.002Z

My publishers, Debbie Jenkins and Joe Gregory, are doing a special Christmas launch with over £150 of bonuses when you buy just one copy of their new book - The Wealthy Author - before Friday 18th December. You'll get a print copy of their acclaimed book, as well as loads of bonus content, ebooks and resources all authors and budding authors will love. You also get a 30 day membership at Publishing Academy.

This launch is limited to the first 200 people to buy because Debs and Joe want to ensure all their new customers are well looked after.

See http://www.publishingacademy.com/129-10-5-14.html

The Wealthy Author has been causing a stir amongst publishers and non-fiction authors because of its radical, and undeniably effective, approach to winning at the publishing game. The authors' (sometimes brutal) honesty about what it takes to succeed makes welcome reading whether you're a budding author looking for your first break or a published author wanting to take your sales profile and income to the next level.

However, before you rush off to buy the book it's important that you know who this book has been written for because if you're not that person then it won't matter if you want to get your hands on this information.

The Wealthy Author is NOT for people who...

1. Think a book should just do well because it's 'good' and marketing is no task for a 'proper' author
2. Expect somebody else (publisher, publicist, bookshops) to do all the work to promote their book
3. Just saw the 'wealthy' bit of the title and think making money as an author is going to be easy
4. Want yet more theory but are not willing to follow this up with action

The Wealthy Author is for you if...

1. You are serious about writing a non-fiction book and want to get it right first time
2. You have a book in print (self published or with a mainstream) but sales are disappointing
3. You believe that the success of your book is down to the actions you take, not the wishes you make
4. You are a 'successful' author but are frustrated you still need the day job to survive

Right - this email is getting long so I won't take up any more of your time. Here's the link again http://www.publishingacademy.com/129-6-5-10.html

Happy Reading!

Jackie

For budding authors

2009-12-13T20:33:00.002Z

My friends Debbie Jenkins and Joe Gregory will be launching their Publishing Academy in a big way on 15th December but in the meantime they've permitted me to share a free Webinar entitled: 6 Essential Steps for Becoming a Wealthy Author. If you've ever considered writing and publishing a book then I'm sure you'll find the 6 steps outlined in this short video very informative: http://www.publishingacademy.com/129-2.html

Please note that because they're going to be offering loads of freebies as well as a copy of their new book, The Wealthy Author, on 15th December, I suggest you hold off buying their book until you hear from me again then.

Warmest wishes
Jackie

When Life Hits a Bump

2009-11-22T17:52:00.003Z

When Life Hits A Bump - guest article by Trevor Emdon

There's an old Chinese saying that goes, "The road before you is clear. Why, then, do you throw rocks in your own path?"

Good old sages! They think they're so smart. (Well, they were, probably). But regardless of how they got there, those rocks and bumps in the road still have to be navigated until we learn to stop throwing them! If indeed we turn out to be the rock thrower at all!

So what do you do when life hits a bump? As I see it, you've got a handful of choices. Which do you choose most often?

a) You throw your toys out of the pram and protest loudly that your life just isn't working.

b) You seek all the sympathy you can milk from it.

c) You retreat for a while into quiet contemplation until a new solution pops up.

d) You seek out someone who's overcome a similar bump and ask them how they did it.

I imagine we both know quite a few people who'd opt for a) and/or b). They, of course, won't only not solve your problems, they'll just give you high blood pressure and perhaps even earn you the label "loser" for your reputation. But since you're reading this post, I can safely assume that a) or b) wouldn't be your choices.

I freely admit I used to choose those. The world had to conform to my ideas or it was wrong! All I had to do was persuade about five billion, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and nine other people to see things my way, and I was home and dry!

These days, I'm more mellow and less proud. Perhaps that's because I have less time left than I had when I was young and impetuous. If I'm going to get the world moving, I finally realised I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

It's not only not shameful to ask for help. It's a requirement if you're going to live to your fullest. You simply don't have time to solve all of life's tribulations on your own if you're ever going to fulfill your dreams. Option c) is certainly useful and will sometimes work. But option d) is where I'd go first.

You can find such help from books, maybe a Youtube video or another website, or, of course, a real live coach.

But until we get to Chinese sage-hood, I'd remind you of one important thing. Both you and I have less time left than we did yesterday.

About the author: Trevor Emdon, aka the "Wizard of Wisdom" writes and creates, (from his very soul), self help and law of attraction programs, such as "Stop Worrying And Grow Rich" (http://tinyurl.com/yacj92n) one of his most popular, as it is about how to attract money.

Career change resources - using social media

2009-11-13T11:20:00.002Z

Here are some useful links to information on how to use social media for your career change.

1) Improving Your Job Search Through Social Networking: http://bit.ly/2NiEvK

2) CNN Money writes "Facebook your way to a new job?" http://su.pr/AVzCHg

3) Three Tips for Social Media Management: http://su.pr/1aixlx

4) Article about someone getting a job through Twitter: http://bit.ly/uxzQh

5) Great advice on tweeting for job seekers: http://ow.ly/vFUm

6) Two lazy LinkedIn invitations that can Burn Bridges: http://ow.ly/vukz

7) What you say online IS your personal brand! http://su.pr/1iGGBR

8) 100 Twitter feeds to help you land a job: http://bit.ly/r1cF8

9) Book - "How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Other Social Networks" by Brad and Debra Schepp. http://tinyurl.com/yhxt6eh

10) Top 3 Reasons People Don’t Use Social Media for Job Search: http://ow.ly/zQJZ

Follow me on Twitter for more career resources, tips and quotes! http://twitter.com/MyCoachJackie

Have a great weekend!

Jackie

Coaching Resources - the 3 levels of coaching

2009-11-07T16:23:00.001Z

Coaches - what do our clients want from us? Sometimes the brief is straightforward –a client wants a job promotion or to de-clutter their house, and we will work with them to find a technique that they can use and to develop a plan of the steps they need to take.

But so often there is more to it than that, and our clients actually have deeper needs, which they may not have realised or articulated, and which require different interventions than pure goal setting. The client may have fears around achieving the promotion and the clutter in the house may be a symptom of some other issues. The coach who focuses solely on having the client set some goals and feels a failure when this doesn’t happen or the client subsequently takes no action, may have missed the ‘other stuff’ – the area that I call ‘coaching for the soul’. My coaching supervisor once described this as the columns supporting the bridge that spans the gap between where the client is and where he or she wants to be. Nice analogy!

I discuss this with all the coaches I mentor – it is so important! In his book Supercoach, Michael Neill writes about the three levels of change. When I read this, I realised that this elegantly explains what I have been talking about in the mentoring sessions and applying in my own coaching.

Michael calls level one ‘traditional’ coaching and it’s about ‘change in a specific situation’ or getting ready for a particular event. This can be straightforward goal setting: to succeed at a job interview, run a marathon or communicate a difficult message to a member of staff. Coaching at this level may be structured around the GROW model, and the result is the client having a step-by-step plan for getting from A to B (building the bridge), and/or a specific technique for a specific situation.

Level two involves working in a specific life area, such as sales, presentation skills or confidence. The client will take away a range of strategies, and maybe increased skills, which can then be applied throughout that area so they are more effective and successful in a variety of situations.

Level three is my ‘coaching for the soul’ level, which Michael Neill has named ‘global change’. This level involves transformation for the client; new perspectives and different ways of seeing themselves. The client will be exploring the way they are being in the world, and their relationship with themselves. It’s this work - which brings about personal insights, increased self-awareness, and a shifting of beliefs - that can be truly life changing, which will have a long lasting, profound effect on every area of the client’s life.

Why do I think it is so important to understand these different levels? Firstly, to be aware that clients have different requirements – some will just have a clearly defined goal and require an action plan, and that’s fine; others do need to deal with the obstacles and limiting self-beliefs. Secondly, it is so that coaches can see that they haven’t failed if a client leaves without a tangible goal – the new self-knowledge they have gained may be of much more value to them and will have an ongoing, positive impact on their lives, and those around them.

Career change resources 24 October - CV tips

2009-10-24T17:14:00.004+01:00

I've been posting more useful career change tips and resources on Twitter - here is a further selection, all connected with CV writing.

1) Pimp Your Resume: 5 Cool CV Tips - http://bit.ly/nYmRA
2) Resume Building – 8 Tips For On The Job Resume Building: Don’t Wait until you are Out of a job to update your CV http://bit.ly/iN0v7
3) Why Shouldn’t I Write My Own Resume? Asking a professional for help with your CV: http://bit.ly/GVBFB
4) Three Resume Rules for Baby Boomers: For job seekers over 50 worried their CV dates them: http://bit.ly/NwBBC
5) For help with your CV, visit http://bit.ly/45V2Xa
6) Should you lie on your resume? http://bit.ly/Rok0u
7) Is Your Resume Presentable? http://bit.ly/3owSRp
8) Cover Letter Tactics That Give Your Cover Letters an Unfair Advantage: http://bit.ly/15ZwDn
9) Avoid the Cardinal Sins of Resume Writing http://bit.ly/2kG9CX
10) Quick and Easy Tips to a Resume and Cover Letter: When you submit your resume to a recruiter or prospective employer: http://bit.ly/qvrDw

Follow me on Twitter for more career resources, tips and quotes! http://twitter.com/MyCoachJackie

And if you are at the stage where you are thinking of changing career but don't know what you'd like to do instead - I offer a career coaching programme aimed at helping you find the work you would LOVE to do - visit http://www.transitionslifecoaching.co.uk/career.php for further information, then contact me for a free consultation.

Have a great weekend!

Career change resources 8 October

2009-10-08T11:19:00.002+01:00

Here's another selection of useful articles for those of you looking to change careers.

1) Are you ready to change career paths? http://bit.ly/MSVFc

2) How to Gracefully Leave a Job: Just as every story has an ending, so do jobs. http://bit.ly/3vGoPK

3) Eleven businesses you can start at home in your pyjamas. http://ow.ly/pSwL

4) The top 5 reasons why resumes fail: http://bit.ly/iBFYP

5) Resume Rules for Baby Boomers: For job seekers over 50 worried that their CV dates them: http://bit.ly/NwBBC

6) Write catchy cover letters to get job interviews: http://bit.ly/lzb52

7) Improve your chance of interview success - 4 Top Interview Questions and YOUR Best Answers: http://bit.ly/140mhj

8) Finding a job without prior work experience http://tinyurl.com/nj267q

9) Good book: The work we were born to do, by Nick Williams. http://tinyurl.com/yc9gnu5

10) How much enthusiasm should you show at a job interview? http://bit.ly/k0Ug2

Monday Motivation - 28 September

2009-09-28T09:06:00.001+01:00

“I have always grown from my problems and challenges, from the things that didn't work out. That's when I've really learned.” ~ Carol Burnett

Career change resources 23 Sept

2009-09-23T12:45:00.004+01:00

I’ve been posting some useful career resources on Twitter – here’s a list of 10 of the articles and websites:

1) Tips For Successful Interviews: http://bit.ly/28lt57
2) Considering a Career Change? Prepare Before You Leap: http://tinyurl.com/mmoapo
3) 7 ways to improve your CV when applying for jobs online: http://is.gd/3iWZ2
4) Looking for Resume Templates for WORD? Visit http://bit.ly/QK1Xq
5) For a chart to help you assess your current job satisfaction, visit http://tinyurl.com/ptv3q5
6) If job hunting seems a tad challenging right now, here's 100 Career Coach Blogs to get you through the Recession: http://tinyurl.com/nemqac
7) My 10 Top Job Hunting Tips By Zale Tabakman: http://bit.ly/3gLq1v
8) Tips on how to write a career changing CV: http://www.ehow.com/how_5338517_write-careerchanging-resume.html
9) Interviewing is Scary - Ten Tips to Help You Prepare: http://bit.ly/2jDuA
10) 5 keys to considering a career change: http://tinyurl.com/n3x6e5

Follow me on Twitter for more career resources, tips and quotes! http://twitter.com/MyCoachJackie

Monday Motivation - 21 September

2009-09-21T21:19:00.003+01:00

"When you've exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven't!" ~ Robert H Schuller

Monday Motivation - 13 September

2009-09-14T14:06:00.000+01:00

“When difficulties are overcome, they become blessings.” ~ Proverb

Follow me on Twitter!

2009-09-07T19:25:00.004+01:00

At last I have managed to set up my Twitter accounts! Now the challenge is to resist spending too much time reading all the tweets - there are so many fascinating postings, such great resources!

For coaches interested in mentoring or supervision, follow me on http://twitter.com/MentorCoachJAF Here you will find useful tips and links on coaching techniques, recommended books, marketing articles to help you build your coaching business, various resources and some great quotations.

And for career tips, more quotations, EFT resources, and general personal development/life coaching information, check out http://twitter.com/MyCoachJackie

I look forward to connecting with you!

Warmest wishes
Jackie

Monday Motivation - 7 September

2009-09-07T19:24:00.000+01:00

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful. Welcome it in every face, in every sky, in every flower." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday Motivation - 31 August

2009-09-01T17:55:00.000+01:00

“If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~ Lao Tzu

An A to Z of personal development - decision making

2009-07-15T15:31:00.002+01:00

“It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off! You cannot make progress without making decisions.” ~ Jim Rohn

So often in our lives we have decisions to make. There are various techniques that can be used to aid the decision making process and I’m going to briefly run through a few of them in this posting, as part of my A – Z of personal development series.

1) Think about how you have made decisions in the past – what strategies and thought processes worked, what didn’t, what supported you, how did you handle the outcome.

2) Will your decision be in line with your values? This is so important – if your decision does not honor your values, you could self sabotage your choice, or fail to fully commit to it, and then you may feel bad that you haven’t achieved what you set out to do, or lose faith in your decision making abilities.

3) Flip a coin! This isn’t as frivolous as it sounds, as the idea is to find out what the reaction is to how the coin lands – is it disappointment, relief, a pang of fear, happiness or excitement? All these responses can give you clues into what you really want and into your underlying emotions. **

4) Work through this set of questions for each decision you need to make:

*What happens if you do
*What happens if you don’t
*What doesn’t happen if you do
*What doesn’t happen if you don’t

5) Imagine you have made the decision, (and can’t go back on it) then reflect on the emotions you are experiencing, what your initial thoughts are, who you would first tell and what you would say to them, what you are most looking forward to, and what it could be like in a years’ time. Then do the same with the alternatives. **

** my thanks to Michael Neill for these two techniques.

Additional resources:

1) In Debbie Ford’s book The Right Questions she poses 10 thought provoking questions, such as: “Will this choice propel me toward an inspiring future or will it keep me stuck in the past?” and “Is this an act of self love or is it an act of self sabotage?” Clients I have worked with on decision making have found it very useful to consider all of the 10 questions – the answers often provide a new perspective and valuable insights.

2) In her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers suggests that one of the obstacles to decision making is our fear of being able to handle what happens to us as a result. However, if we can have the attitude that every choice we make will contain possibilities, together with the faith that we will be able to cope with what happens, then we can make decisions without being scared our choice will be wrong or that we will make mistakes.

"Whenever I'm faced with a difficult decision, I ask myself: What would I do if I weren't afraid of making a mistake, feeling rejected, looking foolish or being alone? Remove the fear and the answer comes into focus." ~ Oprah Winfrey
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." ~ Neil Peart
"It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide on what to do." ~ Elbert Hubbard
"Decisions are easy when values are clear." ~ Unknown
"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." ~ Maya Angelou

Monday Motivation - 22 June

2009-06-22T21:01:00.001+01:00

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

Monday Motivation - 1 June

2009-06-01T18:49:00.000+01:00

“Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” ~ Les Brown,

Monday Motivation - 25 May

2009-05-25T12:39:00.001+01:00

“You all have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations in your own mind as to what you cannot do. Don't think you cannot. Think you can.” ~ Darwin P. Kingsley

"There is nothing you can't do, if you set your mind to it. Anything is possible." ~ Rick Hansen, Wheelchair Athlete, Speaker and Author

A Thursday blessing

2009-05-21T12:16:00.001+01:00

“May you choose to see beyond life's storms, to uncover the blessings that the rain brings, and during all of life's twists and turns, may you always choose.” ~ Michelle Sedas

Monday Motivation - 18 May

2009-05-18T12:54:00.001+01:00

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free." ~ Catherine Ponder

Who will you forgive today?

Monday Motivation - 11 May

2009-05-12T10:33:00.000+01:00

"To a happy person, the formula for happiness is quite simple: Regardless of what happened early this morning, last week, or last year - or what may happen later this evening, tomorrow, or three years from now - now is where happiness lies." ~ Richard Carlson

Monday Motivation - 4 May

2009-05-04T15:57:00.000+01:00

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales

Monday Motivation - 27 April

2009-04-27T16:09:00.001+01:00

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results." ~ Anon

Monday Motivation - 20 April

2009-04-20T12:12:00.001+01:00

“Even from the darkest night songs of beauty can be born.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

Monday Motivation - 13 April

2009-04-13T18:11:00.000+01:00

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” ~ Jimmy Dean

Monday Motivation - 6 April

2009-04-06T17:32:00.000+01:00

“Many things which cannot be overcome when they are together yield themselves up when taken little by little.” ~ Plutarch

Monday Motivation - 30 March

2009-03-30T11:12:00.001+01:00

“Out of difficulties grow miracles.” ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Monday Motivation - 23 March

2009-03-23T12:05:00.000Z

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you.” ~ Shakti Gawain

Monday Motivation - 16 March

2009-03-16T09:29:00.001Z

"That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent." ~ Chinese Proverb

Monday Motivation - 9 March

2009-03-09T10:14:00.001Z

“Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself the most comforting words of all: this too shall pass.” ~ Ann Landers, newspaper columnist (1918–2002)

Monday Motivation - 2 March

2009-03-02T10:24:00.001Z

“Each day we are born again to start our life anew. What we are today is what matters most.” ~ Budda

An A to Z of personal development - direction

2009-02-25T18:36:00.002Z

"If you don't know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?" ~ Basil S. Walsh

Many clients who come to me for coaching are searching for direction – they want focus and a sense of purpose, to be moving towards something meaningful, and to have clarity and confidence about where they are going in their lives (and who they want to be). Having a clear direction means we can set our compass and make better choices, through asking ourselves if a contemplated action takes us nearer our goals or detracts us from the course we have set.

Knowing our direction and where we ultimately want to be, gives us satisfaction in getting there and in what is learned along the way (the journey is important too) as it motivates us to keep moving forward and achieve even more, knowing that we have been successful so far.

One of the things that motivated me to make changes in my life and later become a coach, was attending a seminar by Chris Croft in which he talked about planning our vacations - if we went on holiday without knowing where we were headed, we risked driving away from our house and ending up in a nearby cul-de-sac. Life is the same! That image stayed with me and I began thinking about how important it was to have life goals and plan my way forward.

· "Direction determines destination." ~ Jim Rohn
· "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days." ~ Zig Ziglar
· "The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
· "You've got to think about the big things while you're doing the small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." ~ Alvin Toffler
· "Make sure you know where you are going - as a man going nowhere usually gets there!" ~ Author unknown to me

Monday Motivation - 23 February

2009-02-23T12:31:00.001Z

“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.” ~ Ruth E. Renkel

Monday Motivation - 9 February

2009-02-09T13:59:00.001Z

"You can conquer almost any fear if you will make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind." ~ Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, Speaker and Author

An A to Z of personal development - communication continued

2009-02-08T17:02:00.002Z

Writing about communication in the context of personal development, my initial thoughts are around us taking responsibility for ensuring that our communication is clearly understood by the intended recipient. We need to ensure that our message is clear and unambiguous.

· “Communication is never what is sent, only what is received.” ~ Unknown

We also need to take account of the others involved – so we write for the reader, or avoid jargon with those outside our specialist field.

It is also of great importance to understand that all of us take in information through the filter of our expectations, beliefs and stories, so we may not hear the words being spoken because we expect a different message or we get caught up in our own history and allow words to trigger emotions not relevant to the current situation.

And to communicate well, it also helps to have an awareness of how others process information. So - are they auditory; preferring to listen, to talk through ideas, responding to words such as ‘how does this sound to you’ or are they visual; responding to written documents, mind maps, colourful images, words such as ‘see, imagine, and visualize.’ Or they could be kinesthetic, needing to be asked how they feel, or what their gut reaction is, so that they can get to grips with an idea.

· “The problem with communication... is the illusion that it has been accomplished." ~ George Bernard Shaw

· “Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Some useful resources can be found in the following two books: “I only say this because I love you” by Deborah Tannen, and “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott.

An A to Z of personal development - communication

2009-02-07T18:15:00.000Z

Brian Tracy explains why communication is so important: "Your ability to negotiate, communicate, influence, and persuade others to do things is absolutely indispensable to everything you accomplish in life."

Monday Motivation - 2 February

2009-02-02T12:24:00.000Z

“Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.” ~ Marguerite de Angeli

Monday Motivation - 26 January

2009-01-26T10:30:00.000Z

“When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of autumn.” ~ Unknown

Quotation - Attitudes and beliefs

2009-01-21T15:04:00.000Z

"Think ‘impossible’ and dreams get discarded, projects get abandoned, and hope for wellness is torpedoed. But let someone yell the words ‘It's possible,’ and resources we hadn't been aware of come rushing in to assist us in our quest. I believe we are all potentially brilliant and creative -- but only if we believe it, only if we have an attitude of positive expectancy toward our ideas, and only if we act on them." ~ Greg Anderson

Monday Motivation - 19 January

2009-01-19T09:43:00.000Z

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” ~ Carl Jung

An A to Z of personal development - beliefs

2009-01-15T16:32:00.001Z

We all have beliefs about ourselves, about others and about the world around us. We act as though these beliefs are absolute truths, and yet they are just ideas; a sort of working hypothesis that we have formed, from a very early age, about how things should be, so that we can deal with our lives. We tend to only perceive things that are in line with this thinking, filtering out information that conflicts with our beliefs.

So if we want to develop ourselves, to change our lives and the results we are experiencing, we need to examine our beliefs, consider to what extent they are true, and see if they support us. Then, if there are negative beliefs that are limiting us (and there will be!) we can choose beliefs that would better serve us, look for evidence in support of these new ideas, and adopt positive and empowering beliefs.

· "What you perceive, your observations, feelings, interpretations, are all your truth. Your truth is important. Yet it is not The Truth." ~ Linda Ellinor
· "Beliefs: Those things we hold to be true despite evidence to the contrary." ~ Joseph O’Connor
· "If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?" ~ Robert Anthony, Author

Monday Motivation - 12 January

2009-01-12T11:49:00.000Z

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful. Welcome it in every face, in every sky, in every flower." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a Year-End Attitude Inventory – by Michael Josephson

2009-01-10T17:34:00.000Z

It's a wise custom to end an old year and begin a new one with serious self-reflection. What did you learn this year that can improve your life and make you a better person?

Start by examining the way you think and feel about your job, your relationships, and yourself. After all, the single most important factor in personal happiness and your impact on others is your attitude.

In the geometry of life, the axiom is "positive attitudes produce positive results." They make success more likely, failures less harmful, pleasures more frequent, and pain more bearable. Some people tend to bring warm sunshine wherever they go; others bring cold chills. What do you bring?

To find out where you can improve, take an honest inventory of your predispositions, the attitude you're most likely to start with.

· Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic?
· Do you tend to assume the best or expect the worst of people?
· Is your first instinct to be empathetic or judgmental?
· Is your first instinct to be supportive or critical?
· Do you send the message that you enjoy life or that you're barely enduring it?
· Do you come across as the captain of your own ship or simply a passenger?

Wherever you are on the positive-attitude spectrum, think how much better things could be if you were more consistently and self-consciously optimistic, empathetic, supportive, grateful, enthusiastic, hopeful, and cheerful.

So why not resolve to think, act, and speak more positively about yourself, your family, your coworkers, and everyone else in your life?

Michael Josephson

© 2009 Josephson Institute. Take a Year-End Inventory is reprinted from Michael Josephson’s award winning Commentaries with permission. To read more or sign up for Michael Josephson’s weekly Commentary newsletter, visit: http://charactercounts.org/michael/

An A to Z of personal development - attitude part 2

2009-01-07T22:14:00.003Z

This aspect of personal development is so important that I’m having a second posting for it!

This time I’m focused on having a positive outlook towards achievement and getting things done, a mindset where we ask ourselves “How can I do this” rather than telling ourselves it’s too difficult. When we have this attitude we are more open to seeing opportunities, can often attract useful resources and we find it easier to start taking action.

· "Don't say, "If I could, I would." Say, "If I can, I will." ~ Jim Rohn
· "If you have a guy with all the survival training in the world who has a negative attitude and a guy who doesn't have a clue but has a positive attitude, I guarantee you that the one with the positive attitude is coming out of the woods alive." ~ Gordon Smith, SERE Instructor
· "Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results." ~ Anon
· "Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different. Life would undergo a change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change of attitude." ~ Katherine Mansfield, Writer

Interested in some additional resources? Then I can recommend Marilee Adams’ book "Change your questions, change your life" which offers valuable advice on how to switch from a judger mindset to a learner mindset – so instead of looking for all the negatives and possible pitfalls, you can begin to ask those “How can I do this and what can I learn” questions. It does take practise - however can you imagine the sort of difference it could make to you?

Monday Motivation - 5 January

2009-01-05T15:48:00.001Z

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” ~ Albert Einstein

An A to Z of personal development

2009-01-04T17:28:00.002Z

Are you interested in making changes in your life, in feeling happier and more positive? Over the next few months I’m going to be writing an A to Z of brief articles about aspects of personal development, structured around quotations that I hope you find useful and thought provoking. And if any of the topics strike a chord with you and you would like to explore and work on that particular area, please contact me to discuss how some one-to-one personal life coaching could support you.

The first aspect I want to consider is attitude. What do some of our great writers say on the subject?

· "Our attitude is something we can control. We can establish our attitude each morning when we start our day. In fact, we do just that whether we realize it or not." ~ Earl Nightingale
· "You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside." ~ Wayne Dyer
· "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." ~ Maya Angelou

A first step is to realise that we all have a choice about our attitude. In the morning we tend to think about what we are going to do during the day – however we can also think about how we are going to be during the day. We can set our intention to be positive, joyful, open to learning and new experiences, calm, open-minded – whatever frame of mind will serve us best.

It’s also about being proactive rather than reactive – the old advice about counting to ten when something rattles us is wise advice indeed!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:53:00.001Z

Here are some quotations for the new year:

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.” ~ Unknown

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." ~ Benjamin Franklin

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." ~ Ellen Goodman

I wish you all a happy, healthy, successful and fulfilling 2009!

Christmas Quotations

2008-12-22T21:47:00.002Z

"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" ~ Bob Hope

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." ~ Hamilton Wright Mabi

"There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions." ~ Bill McKibben

"When we remember a special Christmas, it is not the presents that made it special, but the laughter, the feeling of love, and the togetherness of friends and family that made that Christmas special." ~ Catherine Pulsifer

Season's Greetings!

10 Ways to Bring the Sacred into Everyday Life

2008-06-09T18:19:00.002+01:00

When I first begin work with my coaching clients, they are invited to assess the various areas of their life. One of these areas is ‘spiritual’ and so many people ask me what I mean by this (and subsequently find it is a missing, yet very much needed, part of their lives). I’m also often asked for coaching around the subject of work-life balance. So when I read the following article – which combines sound advice for improving work-life balance with ways of bringing some spiritual practices into our lives (and explaining what these are along the way) I knew I had to share this article!

My thanks to the author, Rabbi Kula, for his kind permission in allowing me to reprint this article.

10 Ways to Bring the Sacred into Everyday Life

Do you feel like you barely have time to breathe? Ever seem like you never really manage to unwind? Many of us are "plugged in" 24/7, leaving little energy to enjoy our lives. We tend to leave the sacred for the Sabbath and focus most of our attention on work. It's time to stop compartmentalizing and begin infusing our everyday lives with the sacred. Here, Rabbi Irwin Kula, president of The National Jewish Center for Learning, offers 10 easy ways to help you enjoy your life more fully.

1. Leave Work Earlier Than Usual

There is always one more phone call or one more email. Consciously stopping early once a week (at least one half-hour) affirms that we do not just live to work, but work as part of living.

2. Let Go of the Work Week

Cease doing and worrying about the work of the week. Practice gently letting go of thoughts and concerns about work that inevitably pop into mind and take over. Eventually these thoughts soften and recede. Sometimes I take a more scenic route home to help clear my mind.

3. Turn It Off

Set aside your BlackBerry, turn off your computer, set your cell phone to silent, at least as it relates to work. See how your consciousness shifts and how it doesn't. If you feel incredibly uneasy and even destabilized, you are being invited to discern new ways of taking control of your life.

4. Eat a Special Meal with Family or Friends

Taking time to reconnect to those we love expands our sense of who we are. Savoring our food (a new recipe once a week adds adventure) deepens our connection to the material world; candlelight invites us to bring forth more light from within and see beyond the surface.

5. Make Love with Intention

Take pleasure in the sensual part of life. Set aside a time to engage in some activity that creates greater intimacy with someone you love.

6. Give a Blessing to a Child in Your Life

Remember what it was like to feel genuinely blessed by an adult in your life. In a world in which children are so vulnerable, an adult's blessing is transformative and life-affirming.

7. Experience the Beauty of Nature

Take a walk or a bike ride; go for a drive or a hike. Experiencing the awe and wonder and amazement of the natural world creates a reverence for life--and gives the enlivening and ethical sense that we are each an interconnected part of such an infinite cosmos.

8. Engage in a Contemplative Practice

Find a contemplative, reflective, or centering practice that you can do regularly. This can take the form of reading from a wisdom text, listening to music that touches your soul, looking at art that engages the heart, or engaging in more traditional prayer or meditation. Try not to listen to the news.

9. Laugh

Laughter is a signal of transcendence. It reminds us that no matter what is happening in our lives, this too shall pass; it helps us to hold our absolutes humbly and keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously--all qualities that insure we can deal with whatever life throws at us.

10. Express Gratitude

Find five things for which to be grateful over the past week. Consciousness is like tofu. Its taste completely depends on what it is marinated in. When we "marinate" our consciousness in gratitude, we become more grateful people.

Bonus Practice: Take a NapSleep restores the body, refreshes the spirit, and is the place of dreams.

About the author: Rabbi Irwin Kula is the president of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (see www.clal.org) and is the author of "Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life" (Hyperion, 2006).

Some thoughts on the year ahead by Philip Humbert

2008-01-01T13:01:00.000Z

"In the coming twelve months the sun will move, the earth will tilt, the seasons will change. You cannot control these things. But you can control what time you get up in the morning. You can choose your attitude, your friends, your reading material, your diet, your focus and your goals. You can, to a remarkable degree, create the life you want. Choose well. Use your power." ~ Philip Humbert

Monday Motivation - Tony Robbins video

2008-01-01T12:55:00.000Z

Rather than a quotation for Monday, I'm posting a link to a great video that is relevant to the New Year. Check out: http://www.tonyrobbins.com/12TENETS/index.html?=136092

Happy New Year!

Charles Dickens on Christmas time

2007-12-27T15:50:00.000Z

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." ~ Charles Dickens

Santa and his singing reindeer

2007-12-24T11:05:00.000Z

I've just found a link to Santa and his singing reindeer - very entertaining! Check it out here:

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

Have a great day!

The White Envelope Story

2007-12-24T11:01:00.000Z

The story that inspired the White Envelope Project

This story was originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman's Day magazine. It was the first place winner out of thousands of entries in the magazine's "My Most Moving Holiday Tradition" contest in which readers were asked to share their favorite holiday tradition and the story behind it. Woman's Day continues to support this tradition and The White Envelope Project today.

For the Man Who Hated Christmas - by Nancy W. Gavin

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas--oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it--overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.

It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids - all kids - and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition--one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This story is indeed a true story and inspired four siblings from Atlanta, GA to start The White Envelope Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting this tradition and charitable giving. The White Envelope Project founders are regularly in touch with the family in the article and are thrilled to have their support. Sadly, Nancy Gavin (the author) died less than two years after her husband - also of "the dreaded cancer." Her legacy lives on as the Gavin family and now thousands of others continue to celebrate the "white envelope" tradition each year. For more information about The White Envelope Project or to honor a loved one through a "white envelope" gift this year, please visit their website www.WhiteEnvelopeProject.org.

Christmas quotations

2007-12-22T19:35:00.000Z

"Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts." ~ Janice Maeditere

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

“Every gift, though it be small, is in reality great if given with affection.” ~ Pindar

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall." ~ Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." ~ Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

Happy Christmas!

Time Management Tips - Part 4

2007-12-04T08:07:00.000Z

This is a simple tip, yet I find it can save time (and I will admit it's one of my pet peeves!).

I'm sure I'm not the only one who receives a ton of email and who often looks in a backlog of saved messages for a particular email - a task that would be a lot faster if the sender ensured that the subject line gave a good indication of the content of the email.

So often I receive emails that have been sent as a reply to one of mine a while ago, so the heading is of no relevance to the content whatsoever, or the heading just says 'hi' when the content is important and requires a reply by a certain date. And emails with no subject title are at risk of being deleted as spam.

Finally, when replying to a message - change the subject heading if relevant; this will make it easier to find in your 'saved' folder if you need it at a later date plus it's easier for the reader to deal with.

That's it for email etiquette for today!

Monday Motivation - 3 December

2007-12-04T08:04:00.000Z

“The secret of happiness is the determination to be happy always, rather than wait for outer circumstances to make one happy." ~ J. Donald Walters

Monday Motivation - 29 October

2007-10-29T09:28:00.000Z

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." ~ Charles Dickens, 1812-1870, Novelist

Monday Motivation - 8 October

2007-10-08T15:27:00.000+01:00

“Define your future by your dreams and not by your memories, by your hopes and not by your fears.” ~ Joe Tye, Motivational speaker and leadership coach

Monday Motivation - 24 September

2007-09-24T17:18:00.000+01:00

"Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.’" ~ Ann Landers

Reflections on 9/11 - by Mary Allen

2007-09-11T13:04:00.000+01:00

Every day I receive a quotation from Mary Allen, under the title "Your Daily Gem". They are often lovely, insightful quotations and today, I received one that I found especially thought provoking. So I want to share this with you - and to share Mary's reflections on 9/11.

“What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking but reflects your choice of what you want to see." ~ A Course In Miracles

Mary writes:
"On the day of 9/11/02, I was at Tony Robbin's Life Mastery, a 10 day event in Hawaii. Ironically, it was "Emotional Mastery Day." Tony addressed over 2000 people from 59 different countries that morning, and took us all through a powerful process. Fascinating to see that everyone in the audience had a different emotional experience of the event. People who ran patterns of "anger" in their life, felt very angry. People who ran patterns of "sadness," felt very sad. People who ran patterns of "love" in their life, immediately wanted to contribute. People who ran patterns of "gratitude," were grateful for all those who were spared. People who were focused on "peace," saw this as a turning point for greater world peace. The transformations that took place that day will forever be imprinted in my heart. The hallmark event of 9/11 reflected back what was most alive in each of us. And, so true it is with life."

Mary E. Allen, CPCC, MCC
Your Life Coach
www.lifecoachmary.com

Monday Motivation - 10 September

2007-09-10T13:00:00.000+01:00

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." ~ Earl Nightingale

Monday Motivation - 3 September

2007-09-04T12:59:00.000+01:00

My Monday Motivation is a little bit late this week - but well worth the wait!

For some inspirational words of wisdom by Zig Ziglar, check out this link (and many thanks to the lovely client who sent this to me):

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jIpQCkfORgc&mode=related&search

Have a wonderful week!

Time Management Tips - Part 3

2007-09-01T15:06:00.000+01:00

Here are some more ideas on managing interruptions:

· Create a solution focused environment by encouraging people to think about how they want things to be rather than just coming to you with the problem. Once they are clear on the desired result it is much easier and faster to explore what needs to happen for the issue to be resolved.

· Establish fixed times when you can be interrupted but be clear on directing people elsewhere for assistance if appropriate – for example policy queries may be set out in a company procedures manual, or some queries may be better handled by someone else, so refer the person on.

· For people who tend to pop in several times a day with various non urgent queries, have them list them and reduce the number of times they seek your assistance by dealing with several items in one discussion.

· If a scheduled meeting is running over for no good purpose, collect all your papers together, put your pen down and thank them for their time – then offer to walk them to the coffee machine if they still don’t get it!

· Use a different work space to get a particular task or project done, such as an empty conference room, an absent colleague’s vacant office or even the local library.

If you've got some other techniques you have used and found effective, please let me know.

Have a great weekend!

Monday Motivation - 27 August

2007-08-27T14:38:00.000+01:00

“The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.” ~ Brian Tracy

Time Management Tips - Part 2

2007-08-26T12:02:00.000+01:00

Here are five more tips for managing your time and work, through managing interruptions.

1. When a meeting is scheduled with a colleague, go to their office. It is much easier to leave their room then to get them to leave yours once they are settled.

2. Only have one or two spare chairs in your office, to help discourage people from long visits.

3. When asked if you have a minute to spare, answer that you literally only have one minute, give a brief reason why (people respond well to ‘because’) then ask if that one minute is enough or should you both agree another time to talk. If you agree another time, let them see you note this in your appointment diary.

4. Have a large clock on the wall behind you so that visitors can see that time is moving on.

5. Use verbal clues and body language to encourage someone to leave your office. So if someone barges in and starts talking at you, stand to greet them and remain standing, looking at the clock behind you before you speak to them (not while they are speaking) to indicate you have to keep an eye on the time. Tell them you only have x minutes to talk because you have a deadline to meet.

There will be more tips posted later this week.

Monday Motivation - 20 August

2007-08-21T18:01:00.000+01:00

“Always remember that striving and struggle precede success, even in the dictionary.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

Time Management Tips - Part 1

2007-08-19T11:57:00.000+01:00

Managing time effectively is an issue for many people. There are various aspects involved in dealing with this - planning, prioritising, delegating, saying no, creating systems and managing interruptions.

It has been estimated that some managers get interrupted every six minutes! So if that’s the case for you, try some of the techniques set out below and then review the impact on your working day.

1. Have a ‘do not disturb’ sign that you can put up, or agree with colleagues another way of showing you are not available at certain times unless it is an emergency (and agree in advance with others what this actually includes). Be aware of the need to balance keeping informed with managing interruptions. And once you have agreed a ‘do not disturb’ signal, do not abuse it by always being unavailable or it will increasingly be ignored.

2. If you are interrupted when dealing with a task, take a few moments to write yourself a note about what stage you were at – this will make it easier to recall your thought processes and carry on with the task later.

3. Estimate the time for a task and then increase it to allow for interruptions. Finishing earlier will feel like a bonus! And when planning your week, leave space in your schedule generally so you have time to deal with the unexpected and react effectively and calmly.

4. Rather than always answering your telephone, use your answering machine or voice mail to take a message, or have your secretary/assistant/colleague take messages during certain periods and only bring them to you at agreed upon intervals. Then deal with phone calls in a limited number of sessions.

5. Turn off the ‘you have mail’ alert on your PC and only look at your email at certain times during the day – and limit this to a few times unless absolutely necessary.

I will be giving more tips for managing your time, in part 2.

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation - 13 August

2007-08-13T09:01:00.000+01:00

“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.” ~ Ruth E. Renkel

On with the dance!

2007-08-06T10:49:00.000+01:00

Mark Twain said: “On with the dance, let joy be unconfined is my motto, whether there’s any dance to dance or any joy to unconfine."

I often use music, and a dance around my lounge, to raise my energy and cheer myself up. And it's a technique I share when coaching my clients; several now do likewise, as music and dance really can lift our mood. One client sings along to Abba in the car so she no longer minds about the traffic jams, another has a quick 10 minute bop to her favourite music in between meetings to help her de-stress and relax.

Yesterday I found some links to YouTube videos with great music, plus they made me smile, so I am sharing them with you today to spread a little joy! Check these out:

There's the evolution of dance at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

A wedding party dancing to Thriller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPmYbP0F4Zw

And finally Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WW8flwpH-Q

On with the dance!

Monday Motivation - 6 August

2007-08-06T10:46:00.000+01:00

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

Monday Motivation - 30 July

2007-07-30T10:28:00.000+01:00

“No pressure, no diamonds.” ~ Mary Case

Monday Motivation - 23 July

2007-07-23T09:41:00.000+01:00

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be." ~ Charles "Tremendous" Jones, Speaker and Author

Monday Motivation - 16 July

2007-07-16T10:26:00.000+01:00

NOTHING WILL GROW THERE! By Steve Goodier

Brian Cavanaugh tells about a magnificent harvest in his book "MORE SOWER'S SEEDS: Second Planting." One spring, he and two seminary friends sought permission to plant a garden. He says, "Our house of studies was located in the downtown area of a large metropolitan city. There wasn't much of a backyard. Actually, it was a stone-covered dirt parking lot with no extra space. However, we carefully planned our garden, taking into account the area that received optimal sunshine.

"The three of us approached the superior with our plan for a small area to plant some squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The only real cost involved was to rent a rake, a pickax and a hoe. However, getting the superior's permission would still be difficult. None of us who were involved with this garden projectwill ever forget his response to our request. With a slightly bored, tilting of his head he glanced at us and abjectly replied, 'You're wasting your time. Nothing will ever grow there! But, go ahead if you still want to.'

"We had received permission from on high! So what if it wasn't enthusiastic. We rented tools; raked four inches of stones into neat walls outlining the garden; hoisted the pickax and struck what must have been a former refuse area. A gardener's dream -- dark, composted, fertile soil just sitting there waiting to bediscovered. We looked at each other with broad grins and repeated in unison, 'Ah, nothing will grow there.' As you might have surmised by now, things did grow there, in our garden. In fact, twice we re-staked the tomatoes, topping them off, finally, when they were seven feet tall."

Have you ever felt that way about your life -- "Nothing will grow there..."? Have you felt discouraged about your life's progress? Worried about crop failure? Disappointed that nothing good ever seems to come up?

What do you want to grow? Understanding? Faith? Courage? Optimism? Joy? Love? Or are you nurturing a new project or small business?

Don't believe that "nothing will grow there." I like the observation of writer George Eliot, "It's never too late to be who you might have been." You may not always see the potential for growth, but it is there. All the rich compost you need may be hidden just beneath the surface, but can only be discovered after you begin digging.

Ralph Waldo Emerson proclaimed, "Oh man! There is no planet sun or star could hold you, if you but knew what you are." You are capable of doing and becoming more than you might imagine!

With careful nurture, something WILL grow there. And it will be magnificent.

--Steve Goodier

For YOUR LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM, a free newsletter sharing life, love and laughter, published by Steve Goodier, visit http://www.lifesupportsystem.com

Monday Motivation - 9 July

2007-07-09T17:47:00.001+01:00

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~ Steve Jobs

Monday Motivation - 2 July

2007-07-02T13:22:00.000+01:00

"You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind." ~ Darwin P. Kingsley

Monday Motivation - 25 June

2007-06-25T08:57:00.000+01:00

The Daffodil Principle by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there.

When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!" My daughter smiled calmly, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears - and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her. "I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car." "How far will we have to drive?" "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said, "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

After several minutes I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother. I promise you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience." After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign "Daffodil Garden."

We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon- yellow, salmon-pink, saffron, and butter-yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. Five acres of flowers.

"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio we saw a poster: "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one: "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. "Two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958." There it was. The Daffodil Principle.

For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration: learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time often just one baby-step at a time learning to love the doing learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it one bulb at a time through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her direct way. "Start now," she said.

~Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards ~

Monday Motivation - 18 June

2007-06-18T13:58:00.000+01:00

On dealing with fear:

"Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." ~ Brendan Francis

"Your fears are not walls, but hurdles. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it." ~ Dan Millman

What one step can you take today that will move you forward? How will you feel once you have taken that action? What else could it lead to?

Monday Motivation - 11 June

2007-06-11T17:44:00.000+01:00

Rather than post a motivational quotation, here's a link to a motivational movie. It has a them of focus - and it's really rather nice!

Have a look at http://www.TheFocusMovie.com I hope you enjoy it, and please pass it on to others who might also like it.

Have a wonderful week.

Jackie

Monday Motivation - 28 May

2007-05-28T12:26:00.000+01:00

JOY IN THE MORNING - by Steve Goodier

Does this sound familiar?

James was cleaning out the attic one day when he came across a ticket from a shoe repair shop. The date stamped on the ticket showed it was over eleven years old. He felt sure the shoes would not still be there, but decided to stop by anyway and check.

He handed the ticket to the man behind the counter, who didn't seem to be surprised at the date. "Just a minute," said the clerk. "I'll have to look for these." He disappeared into a back room.

After a few minutes, the clerk called out, "Here they are!"

"That's terrific!" said James, hardly believing his good fortune.

The man came back to the counter, empty-handed. "They'll be ready Thursday," he said.

We should all be masters of patience; after all, we've had plenty of practice. But waiting for shoes is one thing, waiting to heal from a hurt or waiting for a persistent problem to change can be far more difficult.

James Melvin Washington shared some wisdom about the importance of patience in those tough times of life. He said, "My grandmother used to tell me that every loss is temporary, that every rainy day is temporary, that every hardship is temporary. She used to tell me, 'Son, every goodbye ain't gone. Just hold on - there's joy coming in the morning.'"

Are you holding on? It may seem dark now, but morning is coming.

-- Steve Goodier

For further articles published by Steve Goodier, check out YOUR LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM, a free newsletter sharing life, love and laughter. http://www.lifesupportsystem.com

Monday Motivation - 21 May

2007-05-21T08:34:00.000+01:00

"Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible." ~ West Point cadet maxim

Clean langauge and the use of metaphors

2007-05-10T11:23:00.000+01:00

Over the last few weeks I’ve been much more aware of the metaphors people use in everyday – and coaching - conversations. And I’ve been noticing the metaphors I use, too. (I like to grasp and grapple with things and to push forward on projects.)

My heightened awareness has come about as the result of attending an introductory course on Clean Language with Marian Way of Apricot Island. This is a methodology for working with the metaphors people use to describe their experiences. There’s a lot of useful information contained in these metaphors and by developing them, it’s possible to get to the heart of the matter really quickly - and to find out what needs to happen for you to get the results you want. I really enjoyed the course - it was excellent.

Marian is running the course again on June 9th and 10th – in a beautiful room within the cloisters of Chichester Cathedral – and if you want to gain a real insight into the way people think, take your listening and questioning skills to a whole new level, and find out how to motivate yourself and others, then I can think of no better way to spend a weekend.

A great mix of theory and practice, it is a very well-structured course, run at a good pace. I am now starting to use Clean Language and can’t wait to learn more (the next course is in October…).

Marian’s also running a personal development workshop called “Discover Your Creative Self”, using the ‘clean’ approach. This is happening in July – also in Chichester. So if you want to experience expert clean facilitation and would like to be more creative, I’m sure this will be a real treat too.

For more information, contact Marian on 0845 330 1577 (local call rate) or email her at marian@apricotisland.com. Or see the relevant pages on her website:
· Clean Language training
· Discover Your Creative Self workshop

Monday Motivation - 7 May

2007-05-07T11:36:00.000+01:00

“Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.” ~ Origin Unknown

Monday Motivation - 30 April

2007-04-30T17:07:00.000+01:00

Rather than a motivational quote - here's the link to a motivational movie.

Click on http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?IHDcQ4wEEObLIiDnRKbkfw

Enjoy!

Monday Motivation - 23 April

2007-04-23T11:53:00.000+01:00

“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner

Monday Motivation - 9 April

2007-04-09T12:27:00.000+01:00

"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can." ~ The Dalai Lama

Easter

2007-04-08T10:56:00.000+01:00

"Easter is not a time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous generation or even to prove life eternal. It is a day to fan the ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown." ~ Author Unknown

Forgiveness is the Ultimate Weight Loss – by Jon Gordon

2007-04-08T10:50:00.000+01:00

While some people share their favorite sayings with car bumper stickers, there is a horse farmer in North East Florida who shares his own profound quotes by posting signs for thousands of drivers to see on the way to and from work. This past week he posted a sign that said, "Forgiveness is the Ultimate Weight Loss." It made me think about a woman at one of my seminars who said she lost 180 lbs immediately after she ended a bad relationship. Wow, I thought, that's some serious weight loss. "Well," she said, "that's how much he weighed."

Sure there are many diets out there trying to help us lose weight but what many of us need to go on is a NEGATIVE ENERGY DIET. If you've ever ended a negative relationship or quit a job you absolutely hated or forgiven someone... you know what it means to remove negative energy, the kind that weighs you down like a ton of bricks, from your life. After you rid this person, job or resentment from your life you literally felt lighter and freer. You lost weight, felt happier and made positive changes in your life.

One of my favorite quotes says, "Holding on to resentment and anger is like grasping hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who is getting burned." Resentment, anger and negative energy also slows you down, limits your true potential and causes you to feel heavier. It's no wonder weight gain accompanies the most difficult times in our lives. Sure, stress hormones, emotional eating, and lack of sleep are the mechanisms that pack the pounds on but underneath the hood, underlying all physical and chemical processes is ENERGY. This is a scientific fact.

So if we want to be lighter, freer and happier we must change our energy. We must go on a negative energy diet and clear out the negative energy that is weighing us down. And the best place to start is to FORGIVE. When you do you will experience the ultimate weight loss diet.

Action Steps

Ask Forgiveness Questions:
Ask yourself today who do you need to forgive? Who are you still angry at? What negative experience are you still thinking about? Are you still upset about a situation at work? Are you mad at a co-worker or boss? Do you feel like someone let you down? Think about who or what is holding you back. I did this a few years ago and it made all the difference.

Make the Decision to Let Go:
Forgiveness is a choice. It's not easy but you can ask your heart and your mind to forgive. Perhaps you need to forgive a co-worker, a boss, a friend or relative to let go of the negative energy. Even the central park jogger chose to forgive her attackers who left her for dead because she wanted to live a new life instead of die every day.

Forgive for You:
Remember you don't forgive because you feel bad for someone. You forgive because you know that holding on to anger and resentment only hurts you, your happiness and success. The person you are forgiving doesn't even have to be alive or accept your forgiveness. But by forgiving you release all the hate, anger and pain that prevents the positive energy from flowing through you. When you forgive the positive energy flows and so does your life.

Sending Positive Energy your Way,
Jon

Jon Gordon is a leading authority on developing positive, engaged people, leaders, schools, businesses and teams. He is the author of The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel your Work, Live and Team with Positive Energy, The 10-Minute Energy Solution and Energy Addict: 101 Ways to Energize Your Life. Jon's proven solutions are being put to use by people and organizations worldwide and his tips have been featured on CNN, the NBC Today Show, Men’s Health, Forbes, Positive Thinking Magazine, and more. He is also the co-founder of PEP- The Positive Energy Program, which creates and funds programs that develop healthy, positive children around the world. Learn more and sign up for Jon’s free weekly energy tip newsletter at www.JonGordon.com

(Reprinted with Permission © Copyright 2007 The Jon Gordon Companies)

Monday Motivation - 2 April

2007-04-02T14:22:00.000+01:00

“You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

What can you do today that will allow you to blossom?

Monday Motivation - 26 March

2007-03-26T11:53:00.000+01:00

“You are an uncut gemstone of priceless value. Cut and polish your potential with knowledge, skills and service and you will be in great demand throughout your life.” ~ Denis Waitley

Monday Motivation - 19 March

2007-03-20T10:17:00.000Z

HOW MUCH MUSIC CAN YOU MAKE? by Steve Goodier

Imagine this. A concert violinist is performing a difficult piece in front of a large audience. Suddenly there is a loud snap that reverberates throughout the auditorium. The audience immediately knowsthat a string has broken and fully expects the concert to be suspended until another string, or instrument, is brought to the musician.

But instead, the violinist composes herself, closes her eyes and then signals the conductor to begin again. The orchestra resumes where they had left off and now the musician plays the music on three strings. In her mind she works out new fingering to compensate for the missing string. A work that few people can play well on four strings, the violinist with the broken string plays on three.

When she finishes, an awesome silence hangs in the room. And then as one, the crowd rises to their feet and cheers wildly. The violinist smiles and wipes perspiration from her brow. When silence returns to the great room, she explains why she continued to play in spite of a broken string. "You know," she says, still breathless, "sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still makewith what you have left." *

We know what she means, don't we? Maybe we've lived most of our lives and we have only a little time left. Can we still make music?

Maybe disease has robbed us of our capacity to work. Can we still make music?

Perhaps a financial loss has left us impoverished. Can we still make music?

Or maybe a meaningful relationship has ended and we feel alone in the world. Can we still make music?

There will come a time when we all experience loss. Like the violinist, will we find the courage to discover just how much music we can still make with what we have left? How much good we can still do? How much joy we can still share? For I'm convinced that the world, more than ever, needs the music only you can make.

And if it takes extra courage to make the music, many will applaud your effort. For some people have lost more than others, and these brave souls inspire the rest of us to greater heights. Just how much music can you make with what you have left?

by Steve Goodier
www.LifeSupportSystem.com

* Though this scenario is sometimes purported to have happened to violinist Itzhak Perlman, the incident cannot be substantiated and is more likely grist in the mill of urban legend.

Monday Motivation - 12 March

2007-03-12T17:36:00.000Z

“Life is the coexistence of all opposite values. Joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, up and down, hot and cold, here and there, light and darkness, birth and death. All experience is by contrast, and one would be meaningless without the other." ~ Deepak Chopra

Monday Motivation - 5 March

2007-03-05T11:36:00.000Z

"Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage and confidence." ~ Og Mandino

Monday Motivation - 26 February

2007-02-25T11:39:00.000Z

“We cannot choose how many years we will live, but we can choose how much life those years will have. We cannot control the beauty of our face, but we can control the expression on it. We cannot control life's difficult moments but we can choose to make life less difficult. We cannot control the negative atmosphere of the world, but we can control the atmosphere of our minds. Too often we try to choose to control things we cannot. Too seldom we choose to control what we can - our attitude.” ~ John Maxwell