25 years old and still the best self-help book out there

Yesterday’s Daily Mail carried an article in which I discovered that my favourite self-help book was 25 years old.  Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway written by Susan Jeffers has been going strong for 25 years – wow!  That’s amazing!  I am sad to say I only discovered it five years ago when I was studying for my life coaching accreditation.  But, boy did it have an impact on me!  It made me think very differently.

This powerful little 200-odd page book will give you the power to choose, the power to recognise the control you have over your responses to absolutely everything  I recommend it to many of my friends and my clients, both male and female.   The results have been astounding, used in conjunction with a programme of coaching it’s been remarkable.  The message is simple.  To use an over-used phrase ‘it does what it says on the tin’ and that’s a fact.

Below is an extract from Susan Jeffers’ website which sums up perfectly what the book is all about.

The Five Truths About Fear

FEAR TRUTH #1
The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow!

Every time you take a step into the unknown, you experience fear. There is no point in saying, “When I am no longer afraid, then I will do it.” You’ll be waiting for a long time. The fear is part of the package.

FEAR TRUTH #2
The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and…do it!

When you do it often enough, you will no longer be afraid in that particular situation. You will have faced the unknown and you will have handled it. Then new challenges await you, which certainly add to the excitement in living.

FEAR TRUTH #3
The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and…do it!

With each little step you take into unknown territory, a pattern of strength develops. You begin feeling stronger and stronger and stronger.

FEAR TRUTH #4
Not only are you afraid when facing the unknown, so is everyone else!

This should be a relief. You are not the only one out there feeling fear. Everyone feels fear when taking a step into the unknown. Yes, all those people who have succeeded in doing what they have wanted to do in life have felt the fear – and did it anyway. So can you!

FEAR TRUTH #5
Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness!

This is the one truth that some people have difficulty understanding. When you push through the fear, you will feel such a sense of relief as your feeling of helplessness subsides. You will wonder why you did not take action sooner. You will become more and more aware that you can truly handle anything that life hands you.

These five truths about fear have been adapted from Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® and its sequel, Feel the Fear and Beyond.

Once you realise you have a choice, you will have the power.  You will be able to feel the fear and do it anyway in any situation!

If you want to change something in your life, ‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’ is phenomenal.  Have a look on your book shelves see if you have a copy that’s been lurking there for years and if you do re-read it.  If you read it two years ago, read it again, make it a yearly task.  Or buy your copy now!

How has ‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’ helped you in your life?  Share your stories in the comment section here.

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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Career change? Thought you were comfortable? Picture courtesy of www.tvftdo.com

A client of mine has been working on making changes to her career for a while now. During this time she has managed to alter the conditions of her current job and she has improved relationships and communication with her colleagues. She has a better work/life balance, clearly, she feels better about herself overall.

All the while we have worked I can hear that deep down she really wishes to change direction or change jobs and start something new. I have tried to push and encourage her to make the move yet each time she pushes back or is opting out of a decision.   Also, family circumstances and events have occurred that have diverted her focus. The important thing is she does what is right for her.  She has got to the point now where she is completely fed up with herself for not making a change and is prepared to do something. It’s a kind of tipping point.

In a coaching session last week, she realised that whilst her perception of her current job is she’s staying put because it’s comfortable, she’s actually really very uncomfortable.   Also, that she’s putting a huge amount of effort and energy into making it OK and trying to make it comfortable. In fact she’s putting so much effort into making it comfortable it could be easier to just go for it and find something new.  The comfort zone she believes she has is uncomfortable.

Even when we got to this point she was still talking herself out if it, her mind was rushing ahead; ‘What if this?’, ‘What if that?’ ‘What happens when I get to this stage?’ I reassured her that if she takes a step by step approach, she can deal with these challenges if they happen and this will make the transition easier.

Now I am not going to push her to move into something new until she is ready, the decision has to be hers, however the realisation has hit home.  Last week’s session was a big breakthrough.

Like the picture?  See more at www.theviewfromthedartmouthoffice.com

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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Louise Reynolds, Property Venture, busy working mum

I started my company Property Venture with a view to striking a positive work, family-life balance, as well as pursuing a passion in property. I had done all the city-commuting bit, doing a demanding job and still trying to have a family life, but cracks were starting to appear.

So Property Venture® was born, to make an ethical mark in the overseas property scene, operating a low overhead business model and allowing for home life. So,am I achieving it?

Well a typical, recent, Monday looks like this…

My alarm goes off at 6.40 a.m. but my alarm clock knows that there is a big difference between it going off and me getting up!  But, I am in action at 7.20 a.m. corralling, cajoling, chuntering and just generally getting the kids ready for school.

By the time I have dropped off at their schools at 8.25 a.m. and 8.35 a.m. respectively, I can be at my office desk at 8.45 a.m.  My low overhead business model means that my work is close to the childrens’ schools.

I check e-mails first thing to see if anything urgent needs to be dealt with and my Twitter Direct Messages, through my Hootsuite panel, as well as a whistle-stop at my Facebook Property Venture Company Page. When I first started using social media for business I was scared stiff about how much of my time it would sap away from doing productive, “hard-nosed”, work.  Now it has become part of my weekly routine and by using all the support tools, management suites and pre-saved tabs on my internet browser Firefox ( I find it more robust than Internet Explorer), I believe it has helped me become a more prolific and efficient business communicator.  This and property-forum posting have helped build the business profile on the property scene. I now have a following of over 1200 on Twitter (I like to think it’s because I have something valuable to say about property and investing, but it may be some people have nothing better to do…), and on LinkedIn and Facebook I have over 500 valuable connections respectively.

I try to limit my time on this so I can start with meaty projects.  It’s that time of month again…(no not that one…) when I send out my e-newsletter to my database.  I make sure I have all my Property Blogs and Press Room posts up to date (my latest mention has been in A Place in the Sun for my Turkish tips), as I feature them all in my newsletters. This mailing can be quick, or really time-consuming, depending on technology.  I use 1shoppingcart to manage my database and if I don’t work in the mornings, it chugs along more slowly when the USA wakes up in the afternoon.  Still, I console myself that last month’s newsletter got a promising 19% open rate, so there must be interest in all my latest tips on overseas property buying.

I manage to grab time to follow up on a Spanish property enquiry and have a conversation with the Spanish Lawyer I am working with to help people who have paid a deposit on an off-plan property, but have not got a finished property to show for it. This has hit a nerve for many, who have had a frustrating time dealing with this from afar.

I don’t usually take a lunch break, which is part of my way of extending my working day.  This is even better if the children have after-school clubs, so I don’t have to pick up until 4.15 p.m. I then get home and do a bit more work, although this isn’t a great way of making sure the children do their homework properly.  I have often found myself feeling guilty at Parents’ evening for not doing better at this!  Anyway, it seems a small price to pay for that ever-seemingly-elusive, work life balance.

Louise Reynolds is the Director at Property Venture® and would love to connect with other Business Ladies either through Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn

Property Venture® has been featured or mentioned in: The Sunday Times, The Times Online, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Independent on Sunday, Homes Magazine, HSBC Liquid Magazine, Easyjet Magazine, London Homes & Property, A Place in the Sun

If you would like to write about a day in your life and how you manage your own work/life balance, please get in touch with sue@thecoachingzone.co.uk.

admin

A new leaf? Picture courtesy of www.tvftdo.com

Having seen all the recent activity on my blog, one of my lovely clients asked if she could submit a blog giving an account of her personal coaching journey.  I know she has come such a long way and got a great deal from her coaching.  She has done this with focus and very impressive determination.  I am flattered by what she says and I am delighted she wants to share her story.

“I started my coaching with Sue in April 2008.  Initially, I was seeking help with my work life balance.  Once I began my sessions I could see how closely connected all areas of life are and how it’s hard therefore to discuss them independently – hence the title “Life Coaching”!

Life coaching with Sue has made a real difference to me. I have been able to look at my responses and  reactions to situations and take greater responsibility for my actions and decisions. This has enabled me to feel calmer and more in control of my life.  Coaching is powerful because through careful questioning it leads to finding solutions from within yourself.  Coaching is all about finding clarity and moving forward.

Sue has walked alongside me through a range of issues –  from time management, issues at work to more personal issues of communication within relationships and even enabling me to face a real fear and anxiety about driving.

Throughout, Sue has challenged and supported me.  It has been an incredible journey (quite literally with the driving!). I have learnt alot about myself and made valuable life changes.  Life Coaching is a real personal investment..  I have learnt the importance of making and taking time to look at my life.  It is not indulgent, it is a necessity if we wish to give and be our best not only to ourselves, but to those we live and work with.

Of course, the real success lies in finding and working with the right coach. I count myself very fortunate to have met Sue and to have had the opportunity to work with her. Sue offers more than just the ability and skills needed to be a coach.  Sue is compassionate and has a real commitment to her role as well as great intuition.    I met Sue at a time when I really needed help and guidance.  I can really see the difference between how I handled things before coaching and now.  With Sue I have found clarity, contentment and a feeling that whatever happens I “can handle it”.

This is priceless.  Life Coaching with Sue is a present to myself – and what a gift it is.”

Find out more about how life coaching can help you.
Free your mind – Live your life, free email coaching programme

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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Kathy Lawrence, no time for swanning around

As a freelance copywriter I’ve been helping businesses get their marketing words right for the last 25 years. I did that juggling thing with work and children and came through unscathed.

Then disaster struck. Just as my two major clients walked away from their businesses, my parents became ill – father with heart problems, mother with dementia. As I couldn’t manage supporting parents and building up the business again, work went on hold. Now I’m starting to make progress with the business, but life is refusing to get out of the way …

So this was Tuesday.

5.58am How did I manage that? Wake up two minutes before alarm. No noise from slumbering husband.

6.45 Pick up 20-year-old son and his girlfriend from their rented flat a couple of miles away to drive them to Ashford Hospital. Son is popping in for the day for a quick gallbladder removal.

7.30 Plans nixed already. No one allowed to stay with son, so girlfriend and I depart. So busy deciding how to play the day, we forget to say goodbye to son. Guilt plus anxiety set in for the next few hours.

8.30 Bummer. The only exercise I have ever really enjoyed has been cancelled. No Zumba now till Thursday evening. Why is Zumba the exception to the rule? Because it kids you into thinking you’re dancing, not having a cardiac workout.

To work instead. Or at least some social media marketing. There are so many ways of getting your name known, it’s hard to find the time when you’re a one-person business. So I’m focusing on Twitter, aiming to make several helpful posts about writing for marketing every day, and then one or two that add a bit of personality.

11.30 Proper paying work. Excellent! Conference call with a really great client to discuss the next issue of his newsletter. Love the clients who understand how marketing and copywriting are complementary, and actually ask for my advice on communicating with their customers. Client has already pulled two articles that were a bit too close to selling, when what he wants to do is build relationships with his customers by sharing knowledge.

12.30 Return from a quick walk to Waitrose to long phone messages from my most gloomy uncle about my father. At 89, dad is in hospital again having his pacemaker upgraded and other running repairs, and uncle is more Eeyore-like than usual.

12.31 Quick turn around my cherished vegetable plot to mull over my response. Return to find another message from another uncle. Goodness, my dad must really be sharing the pain today.

13.00 Yes he is. Dad calls to tell me his woes. Bite the bullet and offer to have him here until he’s strong enough to go home. My dad is a great person who’s helped many people over the years, and I have no problem with supporting him in return. But, he’s high maintenance nowadays, and he’ll be taking the spare room that’s supposed to be my decorative painting workroom. So less time to focus on work, and no space to paint. Yes, this is a whinge. I’ll get over it.

14.00 Worried about lack of news on the son front but enjoying working on the newsletter. When you’re writing a friendly but informative piece you can really let the words flow.

17.00 Message that son is ready to leave. Sub-text seems to be he’s climbing the walls and needs out. Can’t contact his girlfriend so head off into rush hour traffic alone, leaving dinner half-prepared.

18.00 Son is tired, thirsty, hungry and fractious. Totally out of character he starts an argument with the nurse about what he can and can’t eat when he gets out.

19.30 Call from older living-at-home son. What are we doing about dinner? Get home just as he is heading off to fish and chip shop for a large portion of cholesterol all round. Yum.

20.00 Not much achieved on the work front today. So it’s now time to start thinking about my presentation at the networking lunch tomorrow.

And about what to do with non-paying customers.

And a few more phone calls from concerned relatives about son and father.

And how to deal with stress without Zumba or alcohol (in case of emergency runs to A&E).

And so to bed.

Still on the list:

• Follow up on ongoing work projects
• Do some real marketing
• Water the garden
• Update the decorative painting blog
• Any housework – although the dishwasher’s been done
• Take decent exercise
• Find out if my friends are still in the country

• You can find out more about the Wrightwell copywriting business at www.wrightwell.com
• If you’d like tips on writing for business, try my blog at http://wrightwell.blogspot.com/ and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wrightwell
• For something completely different, my desperately in need of updating painting blog is at http://artforapurpose.blogspot.com/
• Oh, and you can contact me directly at kathy@wrightwell.com about writing, painting, gardening, aged parents, dementia etc etc

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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Zoe Brown, busy working Mum with Abbie and Hollie

I am Zoe Brown, MD and owner of B Websites and Budget Websites.  The business has been established for 7 years and I have 5 children ages 20, 6, 4, 20 months and 7 months.  From the outside I am sure it seems remarkable that I can fit things in to my 24 hours.

My two baby girls go to nursery part-time, Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.  My partner Chris and I share our duties pretty much 50/50 as we both live and work together.  We recognise that in order to work our 40 hours that we will have to work some weekends and evenings.  But that’s fine, we benefit from a super flexible work/living/parenting environment.

So how do I fit it in?  This is a typical day for me at the moment.

6:00 am Baby Abbie usually wakes around now for her first feed of the day.  Up until recently I was feeding her myself but she now on a bottle so Daddy will be sent down to make it whilst I get a little cuddle.  Once baby is fed I am usually catching up on blogs, twitter and emails before getting up.

7:00am Waking up the two boys and getting them dressed and down the stairs for breakfast.  The next hour and half is hectic so there is usually lots of shouting between me and Chris to make sure we know which children we are looking after, where they are and if they have socks on (our kids like to take them off and stuff down the back of the sofa!).

7:30am Hollie reads in her cot quite happily and we will get her out of the cot last since once free she’s a terror!  The girls have breakfast at nursery so it’s best to keep her away from the dining room when the boys are eating.  Getting her dressed which takes the longest amount of time because I can never decide what she should wear and she like to run away a lot!

8:00am We are all downstairs and then it’s a case finding matching socks, shoes and children.  We also have to quickly pack the bags for school and nursery as well as make up bottles.

8:15am Start loading kids in the car.  Apparently not even my six year old can do his own seatbelt up so this is a bit of a chore.  To get them all in the car I end up doing quite a bit of aerobics in the back of the car!

8:20am We are off, I don’t drive so Chris is driving and usually I am already on my Blackberry sending out emails to the team to remind them of tasks for the day.

9:00am With all the kids and nursery and school the day starts.  50% of my job is hands on coding and development and the rest is made up of consults with new prospects, marketing the business, project meetings.

2:50pm Chris and I both take our lunch break which is effectively used to do the school/nursery run.  We use this time to catch up on the events of the day (I know we only sit a metre away but most of our work is done on the PC!) and I will again be on the Blackberry drafting emails.  Chris is very helpful in making sure I remember to avoid cars whilst crossing the road and such like.

3:30pm Most days I go back to the office and work the rest of my day until 6pm while Chris handles kids and tea.  But this is really flexible.  If I go back home then the rest of the day is a bit like this.

4:00pm Finally in the house, coats, shoes, bags all away.  The next 3 hours are a challenge to say the least so grab a quick glass of water and start cooking something for tea.  Usually I like to cook pasta with a quick home made sauce.  The kids eat it and I know that it’s healthy.  I am lucky that my kids also all love their fruit so that’s an easy peasy desert.

4:30pm Tea served and kids at the table.  Abbie is still on baby mush at the moment and she will usually nap whilst the older children eat.  I can take this time to sort out the kitchen and washing whilst keeping and eye on the kids.  In particular I have to watch Holie who will make a real mess with her food if she is full or does not like it.  Whilst the kids are at the table I just keep the food coming, fruit, raisins, jelly, ricecakes, juice…until they finally stop asking for more!

5:30pm Boys are sent up to their room to play games.  If possible I will keep Hollie in her high chair with some activities like music or colouring whilst I feed baby Abbie her mush.  This is by far the easiest option as once she is “set free” I have to watch her like a hawk.  She can open all the doors and likes to have run of the house. I have a playpen which is primarily for Abbie but will pop Hollie in it from time to time if I need to do something.

6:00pm Kids all fed but the kitchen is looking a bit worst for wear!  Luckily Chris is home now so one of us is doing a tidy and the other doing the bath time and bed time chores.

6:30pm Cuddles and bottles for the baby girls followed by bed.

7:30pm Chris does bed time for the boys and I grab an hour and half to do some more work.  Chris might end up flying out to the shop to pick up some essentials and I will also catch up on household admin like paying bills, ordering shopping etc.

9:00pm Settle down in front of TV (whilst multi tasking on Twitter!)

Phew – not too bad really…things I don’t have time for are as follows:

1. Ironing.
Which is fine because I hate it.  Because I am very good at hanging and folding I have managed without an iron in the house for at least 10 years!

2. Cleaning the house.
I am super tidy but I don’t have time for 4 hours of cleaning each week. Therefore I do have recently employed a cleaner.

3. Hobbies.
I don’t miss them – so whatever they were all those years ago, it can’t have been that much fun.

4. Shopping.
Everything is done on-line.  Food, clothes, holidays – everything.

and this is my day in the life.  I am grateful that I am able to run my own business and love the diversity of my days.

About the author: Zoe Brown – Managing Director, B Websites – Surrey. Passionate about building websites that work. With a degree in IT and 13 years internet development experience, Zoe has a wealth of knowledge about what does and doesn’t work online.
Twitter @BWebsites
www.bwebsites.co.uk

Proud of how you balance your busy life? If you would like to be featured in ‘A Day In The Life’  please contact Sue Bown sue@thecoachingzone.co.uk

Keep on running – The Martin sisters complete their challenge
Would you buy more time?
Sarah Martin – aiming high and far
A Day in the Life
How do I indentify my target market?
How changing your view can reinvent 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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Today’s challenge is to write a weekly round-up and so here it is:

How Changing Your View Can Reinvent Your Life
Inspired by my friends who have moved from London to Dartmouth and have changed their lives in the process, I also wanted to showcase their amazing photos taken from their office window and garden.  If you’ve already read this, take time to revisit and read Carole’s equally inspiring new comments. 

A Sure Fire Tip To Stop Procrastinating
I have to confess the idea for this blog was bourne out of my own procrastination.  Part of the 30 Day Blog Challenge is to become familiar with your key phrases.  I started to do this and the perfectionist in me got stuck by wondering if I was doing it correctly.  In the end I just got on with it!  And wow, did it get a good reaction, I found many like-minded souls who were eager to try out my ‘sure fire tip’

A Day In The Life
All about me and my typical working day.  Not something I would have written before ‘getting into’ this blogging lark.

Sarah Martin – Aiming High and Far
My top story! Thanks for all the mentions on Facebook and Twitter.  I am truly inspired by what Sarah is doing and I know many of you are too.  Don’t forget to watch out for her on telly on Sunday as she takes part in the London Marathon, her third of three marathons in three weeks charity challenge.  I wonder what she will be doing next weekend?

How do I identify my target market?
A touch of marketing. I work with many of my clients on improving marketing strategy,  this blog highlighted a step by step process to follow.

That was my week, it’s been busy.  Thanks to everyone who has commented and given words of encouragement, it’s much appreciated.

Coming up next week, a guest blogger, a song and, fingers crossed, my first guest blogging gig!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sue

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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Sue Bown

It’s day seven of my 30 Day Blog Challenge, today’s assignment is to write a ‘day in the life’ – hence the title.  It’s been a beautiful spring day today and that’s good because it’s Saturday and to me that means golf.  Whilst I could bore you witless with a blow by blow account of my round of golf, I think I’ll desist. 

Therefore, I’ll tell you about my day on Thursday.  It was another beautiful April day, a cloudless blue sky.  Inspired by this, I started bright and early.  I was a little bit bleary-eyed as I‘d had a late but enjoyable Wednesday night acting as a judge at the Toastmasters Area level of International Speech Evaluation Contest.

My work is much more enjoyable these days since I left my corporate career four years ago.  At that time I was in a cosseted corporate role, by cosseted I mean that I didn’t fully appreciate the regular monthly paycheck I received and I didn’t appreciate the benefits working for a large corporate company.   It took a huge brave leap to leave, to be honest I surprised myself.  It has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.  In the relatively short time since leaving  I have learnt new skills, enhanced old skills, made new friends and contacts, got to know myself better and it feels like I’ve transformed myself into a completely new person.

Back to Thursday, I got started with my first client of the day, a telephone coaching session.  This lady has  recently started working with me she is working on her work/life balance and managing her stress levels.  She has a session weekly, she is doing very well and feels much calmer.

My next client was another telephone session, this time a Business Breakthrough client who is working to grow his small business.  We speak monthly, each session is focused on creating an Action Plan to move him towards his targets.  He too is making good progress and is much more focused and motivated.

Then I took some time to update my own Action Plan following a meeting with my coach and mentor on Wednesday.  I intend to continue to grow my business, so it’s important to plan and have my own targets and goals.  In my opinion everyone needs a coach, even coaches need a coach.  It’s vital to maintain the focus and forward momentum.

After lunch it was time to visit another Business Breakthrough client, we meet in a coffee shop in a local hotel.  We have worked together for eight months, in that time she has increased her sales by an amazing 300%/

Following this meeting I drive back to my office, it’s time to catch up on some emails and phone calls.  That’s about it.

My evening, well, once I have received my 30 Day Blog Challenge email it’s time to start blogging again and of course to watch The Masters golf on TV.

The great thing about what I do now is the variety, every day is different.

I have found myself a freedom that I didn’t know existed.  I am happy.

___

About the Author: 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!

Twitter @thecoachingzone
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCoachingZone

Other blog posts:

Would you buy more time?
Sarah Martin – aiming high and far
How do I indentify my target market?

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!

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

More time needed

What if you could add a couple of hours to each day, would you do it?  Would you get everything done?  In the words of Louis Armstrong  ’We have all the time in the world’ or do we?  Do you frequently find that you run out of time?  Our busy world is filled with people rushing everywhere, to get the train, to pick up the children, to get some emails sent, to get to a meeting, the list goes on.  Where does time go?  I think time is such a valuable commodity it could even be sold on the stock market,  Just imagine if that was possible?  If you did buy more time what would you do with it?  Would you spend more time at work?  Would you spend more time with your family?

Here are my top tips for finding more time in your day.

1. Plan your day.  Decide what you want to do, decide what you want to achieve in a day.  Write down your goal for the day

2. Make a list. Write it down the night before and leave it on your desk or your worktop ready for you the next day.  When the next day comes stick to it.

3. Be firm.  Give others warning that you are sticking to your time frames and if someone wants to have some of your time then schedule it in advance.  Be firm with yourself too, don’t let distractions take you away from your plan.

4. Focus on the big things,  Remember you chose what you focus on and if you focus on the small things then they will get done.  So focus firmly on the big things and they will get done instead.  Stay with your main aims for each day.

5. Delegate.  If there are some things that you either hate doing or you could easily delegate then do it.  You’ll find by delegating it will free up your time to focus on the big things.

6. Celebrate.  Decide what treat you are going to have when your plan is accomplished.  Maybe give youself some ‘Me time’ at relevant points in the day.

Enjoy your time, it’s the only time you have.  Remember John Lennon’s famous quote:

 ’Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’.

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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A recent Harvard University study has shown that most people spend 46.9% of their waking hours in a state of distraction. The study found that people were thinking of anything other than what was happening around them for nearly half their time awake.  How disturbing is this?

The more I thought about this statement, the more it bothered me.  And one reason it bothered me is that I can relate to that feeling.  We live in a world of fast-moving wonderful technology.  We are used to instant gratification, we want instant answers.  Everything is now, now, now!  I attended an excellent conference today on Personal Development and Engaging Employees in the workplace.  It was fascinating stuff!  What I noticed was how at coffee and lunck break many delegates were huddled into every available corner of the conference centre hurridly speaking into their mobles.  Those who weren’t on their mobiles were looking at their Blackberrys and iPhones for emails.

So how do we address this and live our lives in the moment to enjoy and appreciate every minute.  It is of course a nirvana that many of us aspire to, yet not many of us (as the study shows) achieve.

Some tips:
1. Look around you, be aware of your surroundings, the sky, the trees, be aware of nature.
2. Breathe, then breathe again, slow deliberate breaths.  Let go of any tension.
3. Look at others around you, smile say hello, speak to people face to face.
4. Switch off your phones, look at email twice a day.
5. Sign up for the ‘Free Your Mind – Live Your Life’ free stress-busting elearning course, sign up is at the top left hand side of this page.

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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