I know what you’re thinking ‘here we go, another one of these New Year, New You articles’.  Please stick with me here!

New Year is an inspiring time, chance to start afresh, make changes and focus on new things.  It’s a time full of hope, but how long do you let that hope last?  Think back – how long did it take you to give up on last year’s resolutions?  How long before hope dwindled, old patterns returned together with the frustration of not achieving what you want to achieve.

Why set goals?
In order for us to achieve something, however small, we need a focus.  Even if it’s to tie our shoelaces or to do up a button.  You focus on getting your shoelaces tied or your button done up and you do it.  In fact you’ve probably done it so many times it’s second nature to you.   There was a time when it wasn’t second nature and you had to consciously make an effort to do it.  The same can be said of anything you want to achieve.  You just need to get started, take small steps and soon it becomes familiar and comfortable.

What type of goal setter are you?
Do you set goals or resolutions every year and give up before January is out or sooner?  Or do you purposely not set goals because you don’t want to disappoint yourself?
Both situations result in stress, frustration no focus.  Not having a focus is giving up on what’s important to you and potentially going where others decide to take you.  Would you ever get into a taxi and say ‘Take me anywhere’?  Probably not, but by not setting goals that’s exactly what you are doing.

Some tips for making 2012 your best year yet.

1. Write down 3 areas in your life that are important to you.  This could be home, work, family, money, personal development, health and fitness.
2. Decide how you could make 2012 even better in each area.  Write down an outcome or goal for each area.
3. Now get started in each area, however small, just get going.  (Top tip – if you’re doing this before Christmas, start now!  By January you’ll be ahead of the game)
4. Do something every day towards your goals.
5. Sign up for my free newsletter, packed with tips, interviews and exercises all to help you reach your 2012 goals.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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Are those toes a bit too cosy?

At the Ladies at 11 2011 conference I suggested that everyone in the room should set a goal that ‘made their toes curl’.  Since that fabulous September day it’s been remarkable how many people have referred to that statement.  It clearly struck a chord with many.   The more I think about it I guess it’s quite visual.  Also, if you concentrate for a moment you can probably create the feeling easily.

Regardless of your favoured goal setting theory, smart goals, realistic goals, action goals. How about getting started by identifying one thing you need to do but just thinking about it makes those little digits on the ends of your feet scrunch up in fear or avoidance?

• Is it making a phone call, maybe to a potential new client or prospect?
• Is it dealing with a fear about technology?
• Is it talking to a partner about a communication issue that is bothering you?
• Is it speaking to your bank or a financial advisor about a money worry?
• Is it addressing a work issue that’s got out of hand?
• Is it facing your time management issues?

Whatever it is, give it a go, by getting started and taking action you’ll create momentum, you’ll feel better about it.  Test those toes!

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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Misty morning - pic courtesy of www.tvftdo.com

It’s week three of my 30 Day Blog Challenge, I have to say it’s turned into a bit more of a challenge than I expected.  Problem is the daily inspirational emails to prod my blogging mind and help me create this electronic tome, have stopped arriving.  Nikki Pilkington, who has been supplying the emails has been having some technical problems with her website and I suspect the problem lies there.  At first it was good because it gave me chance to catch up with a backlog, but now I’m missing them.

So time to go solo, no safety net, here I am!

My blog this week, saw huge amounts of traffic, all created by the interest in my blog.  It’s great but I did have a bit of a shock when I recieved an email to say I’d reached my bandwidth on my website.  So a quick email to my hosting company Anagio soon got that rectified.  Good learning though if you are considering doing something to raise online interest, make sure you can support it!

Weekly Round Up

Keep on running – The Martin sisters complete their challenge
After visiting the London Marathon last Sunday I couldn’t help but blog about the intrepid Martin sisters on the last ‘leg’ of their 3 marathons in 3 weekends challenge.  I spent a very enjoyable day in London inspired by the determination of all the participants and inspired by our beautiful capital city and its people.

Is it possible to make goals too scary?
Inspired by client’s experience this was my first guest blogging gig!  Wow, it felt good to have a blog published on www.BirdsOnTheBlog.com I even got some comments too, have a look and add some comments of your own.  This applies to all blogs by the way, bloggers love to receive comments.

A day in the life – Zoe Brown, B Websites 
Time for my first ever guest blog.  Zoe Brown, business woman and Mum of five children gave an exhausting account of her daily life.  I hope this is the first of many guests to write about how they balance work and life.  If you’d like to write ‘A day in the life’ please contact me.

Where it all began
I’d been asked to write about how I left corporate life and got started. I didn’t think it would interest many but it was surprising the amount of attention this blog post received.  I wanted to highlight that if I can do it anyone can, so stop thinking too much about doing something and just do it.?

Coming up next week, a personal journey, another song, some marketing and hopefully another ‘Day in the life’ guest.

Have a happy week,

Sue Bown

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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It’s been a strange start to 2010, don’t you think?  New Year’s Day was a beautiful sunny day, inspiring new thoughts, perfect for setting goals and making New Years resolutions.  Then it snowed and then it snowed some more.  Did you fall into the ‘oh well no need to start my resolutions till the snow’s gone club’?  If you did you’re not alone.  I spoke to someone last week who had put on 7lbs ‘because of the snow’.   It’s time to forgive yourself, get started and move on.

What does 2010 hold for you? More importantly, what do you want it to hold for you?  This year as you write down your goals, ask youself what’s stopped you from achieving this goal before?   An easy way to check is to reread your goals or resolutions, read them out load.  I wonder if when you reread your goal you hear yourself adding an imaginary ’but’ to the end of the sentence.  If you do, that could be because you’re limiting youself.   We stop ourselves from doing what we want to do with all kinds of reasons.  “I’m too tall”, “I’m too old”, “I’m too busy”,  the list goes on.  So revisit your goals and have a look at your “buts”.  Ask yourself if these “buts” are true or just false reasons.   Once you understand yourself more you’ll get better results.  Let me know how it goes.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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Some of you will know I’ve just returned from a trip to the US.  While I was there Barack Obama was inauguarated.  Whatever your political leanings or indeed your interest in things across the Atlantic; this is a perfect example of focus and determination.  Barack Obama set about his goal with a clear picture and now he has achieved his aim  and is the 44th President of the United States  I wish him every success to continue to achieve his new goals.  His arrival as President has given great hope to many and it is refreshing to see a nation excited by new possibilities.  Just think what you could achieve if you applied this focus and determination to new things in your life.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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