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5 Reasons You Should Take Action on Your Goals NOW!

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fiveTaking action on our goals doesn’t only provide the benefit of seeing our goals brought to fruition and the joy we will feel when we reach that point.  Between the start and the end, or, between now and then, there are many other excellent reasons and/or benefits which we can enjoy en route that will help to fuel our resolve to keep going.  Let’s take a look at five of these reasons.

1.  Your positive motivation will spill over into other areas of your life!

Yes, that’s right!  Once you pull yourself up off the sofa and start doing something, anything, towards your goal, you will find that your overall energy will increase.

There’s a general belief that we don’t have enough time and energy to cram anything else into our lives and so setting and pursuing a goal will only add to the sense of overwhelm we already feel.  But, the opposite is actually true!  By doing some work on one of our goals, we will feel more energised and this will provide the additional energy, and by default, time, that’s needed to help us keep on top of all the other ‘busy’ work we need to attend to. [Read more…] about 5 Reasons You Should Take Action on Your Goals NOW!

What if…?

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daydreamerAre you a daydreamer?  Do you ever wonder ‘what if I…?’ and then fill in the blank with wonderful images that float around your head?  Do you let these images grow and enthuse you or do you quickly pull yourself back down to ground level and keep a realistic outlook on life?  Or, maybe you just find it difficult to daydream because your mind is so full of all the things on your To Do list or your commitments to other people so that there is just no room for daydreaming?

Wherever you sit on the imaginary daydreamers scale there can be no doubt that it can have both positive and negative effects on our lives.  But, taken in moderation, and used appropriately, I believe that daydreaming can have a very positive effect on our lives.

The key of course is to not spend all our time daydreaming at the expense of doing.  Instead we must follow up by actually identifying those parts of our daydreams which seem to re-occur to such an extent that they appear to be sending us a message…a message that says I’m waiting for you to do something about this! [Read more…] about What if…?

Lessons I Learned in 2013, Part 2

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7800147562_661f5bd5f9_nThis is part 2 of a two-part review of my life lessons from 2013.  If you haven’t already, you can read part 1 here.  The focus of Part 1 was the personal development I experienced during the year, Part 2 focuses on the challenges I faced during the year and the lessons I learned from those challenges.

If you read my blog or check in to my Facebook page regularly you will already know that in the summer of 2013 I experience two major setbacks.  The first was a car accident that left me unable to drive or be driven with any confidence in my own safety (and the emotional effect this had on me) and the second, my husband having a heart attack.  I was away from my blog and Facebook for quite some time after these events, but eventually I found my way back.  Inevitably life events such as these change and shape us, as they did with me….

I’m stronger than I thought…

…maybe. [Read more…] about Lessons I Learned in 2013, Part 2

Did You Notice….?

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20131215_183003Have you ever noticed how you stop noticing things?  It’s almost as if we become blind, both to the physical and non-physical things.

I noticed this a few days ago, when, for whatever reason I became aware of the naked bulb in my kitchen.  I don’t remember how or when it happened, but the glass shade that belongs over the bulb got broken and, weeks later, it still hasn’t been replaced.  I had, to all intents and purposes, become blind not only to the physical appearance of the naked bulb, but also to the need to replace it.

This got me thinking about other things that we need to change but inadvertently don’t see, even though this may be causing us some kind of pain (physical or otherwise) or is more apparent (to others) in our tangible environment.

Part of the reason for this I guess is that we fill our lives to such an extent that it clearly is impossible to remember to notice everything.  On some level though we are prioritising those things which are important to us, or, more likely, we are prioritising those things and/or people which are demanding something from us.  But how often do we actually take the time to consciously consider that we are noticing the right things?

But noticing the ‘right’ things isn’t always easy to do of course, particularly if those things have an emotional charge and we would actually rather not deal with them, despite knowing that once we have processed our thoughts and feelings we will be able to move on with our lives more authentically and calmly. [Read more…] about Did You Notice….?

When Things Go Wrong

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rippleKeeping on plugging at our goals can at times be an uphill struggle.  As we’ve discussed before we can run into negativity and resentment from others, our own mind can try to pull us back as we embark on new and unfamiliar territory, and in general it can just be difficult to find the motivation to keep going when we’re tired, confused and all-done-in!

Against this backdrop, what if our normal day-to-day activities take a turn for the worse too?  How do we find the strength to carry on?

I’ve often felt that as long as one area of my life (one of the “roles” I play) holds together then I can command enough strength from there to carry me through those areas where things are a little tough.  And, having discussed this idea with others, it seems that there is some truth in it.  It appears that where everything around us feels like it’s falling apart, if we can find a little island of solace somewhere amongst the noise and confusion, then this is the place to hold fast, draw comfort from and to use as the starting point for our comeback.

In this respect I used to think very two-dimensionally.  My thinking went along the lines of home-life versus work-life and therefore, as long as one or other of these areas was ticking over nicely, I could cope with the demands thrown at me from the less compliant one at that time.

But maybe this two-dimensional view is too restrictive.  Our lives are intricate and made up of many facets.  We cross into the paths of others on more occasions than we realise, their presence affecting our lives whilst our presence affects their lives also.  And of course we also have our personal goals, which will cover a broad range of activities unique to ourselves. [Read more…] about When Things Go Wrong

Don’t Save Your Best for Later!

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sundaybestIn days gone by, phrases like wearing our ‘Sunday best’ and bringing out the best crockery for special occasions were common place.  It was usual for people to have a parlour which was kept clean and tidy and only used when there were important visitors.  All other family activity took place in the other (often cramped) rooms of the home.

In some ways, this attitude still prevails.  Maybe it is a special outfit that we’re saving for a family occasion like a wedding or a special party, 18th, 21st or 50th maybe?  Or perhaps it’s less obvious than the special outfit or crockery and instead maybe we’re saving parts of ourselves for the right time to bring them out?  When written in that way, its sounds bizarre, but in truth, we’re all guilty of this to a greater or lesser extent.

I’ve deliberately used the above examples as an analogy for our tendency to put things off while we wait for the perfect set of circumstances to align.  Maybe we feel that we can’t start our latest weight loss goals until all the goodies from (say) Christmas have been eaten, or maybe we can’t start on our latest masterpiece until we’ve learned all there is to know about a particular writing or painting style. [Read more…] about Don’t Save Your Best for Later!