We all have times when the going gets tough, it’s all a part of the ups an downs of life. If you feel you are going through, or are about to, a period in your life that could be a bit of a burden, then this podcast is for you. Packed full of tips, tricks and ideas you might like to try yourself.

• Learn how to reduce the burden of long distance and frequent traveling
• Develop how to take a break, even when work is demanding a lot of your time
• How to cope with over indulgence, either self imposed or as a result of a host’s hospitality
• Techniques on how to stick to what you know is good for you
• Dealing with repetitive tasks

Find out your own ways to relieve the pressure and then let us know what works for you!

(As mentioned in the podcast here is he photo of Chris at the Pyramids!)

I found it the other week while sorting out old boxes of memories and paperwork. Finding it really touched my heart: the hopes and dreams of a young girl with an incredible imagination. What amazed me even more is that only a few of the 10 items on my list remain to be ‘done’!

Circumnavigating both Poles could be quite a challenge, but going to Egypt and riding a horse around the Pyramids is certainly within reach. Learning to scuba dive. Check. Flying in a helicopter. Check.

It made me wonder why I hadn’t continued to make Wish Lists – and how powerful they can be. Pretty much like a mood board where you stick images of your ‘wished for’ life in images, simply writing down the words has a magic to it for sure.

I’ve decided to write down my lists more often, and this time look at them more frequently than every 20 years!

I’d love to hear if any of you have made your own wish lists from when you were younger – and if you’ve accomplished or are even living out those dreams today.

Happy wish listing!

I wish I could tell them everything will be fine by the time they wake up tomorrow, but it won’t.

I wish I could ease their burden by taking away or fixing some significant part of their problems, but that’s just not possible.

I wish I knew exactly the right words to say: one magic phrase to help them through this. Sadly, I’m not magician.

It’s a horrible thing to be going through for anyone. I feel terrible that there’s no way I can fix things for them and make everything better. Even sending money would only bring mild and very temporary relief. The only thing I can offer them that will make a difference, is my time. By talking through with them what undoubtedly must feel like one of the worst times in their life.

I know for sure that when I went through hard times myself, it wasn’t so much what people said, but that they still wanted to talk to me. My friends and family didn’t have all the answers. Often they struggled to fully understand how much pain and suffering I was going through.

But the fact that they tried made the world of difference.

Out of all the conversations, there will be that one word or idea that seemed to provide just a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Talking to them was often uncomfortable as I would have to be more open and honest than I would really have liked, and I’m sure at times, they felt that way too.

I realised that it was those people that were my light at the end of the tunnel. Without them I would have never found my way out. I hope, in some way, I can be that light for my friends who are in need right now.

If you have downloaded the podcast from iTunes remember to post a review and visit our website at ActionPodcast.com to leave a comment or contact one of the presenters directly. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the podcast directly to your inbox, plus an additional weekly blog post!

As part of being a member of the BNI (Business Networking International) I’m entitled to some quite good training events. I’ve recently attended their new members training and during that session they also talked about how to prepare for your 60 seconds. The type of information you should be looking to cover and how to structure it best. So with my new found leaning from the course I went home and put together my 60 second speech.It really surprised me at how differently I had to write to make it work. Writing for an article to be read, is totally different to writing something that is going to be spoken out loud. I had to really simplify my language so that each word flowed into the next. Any time I practised the speech I would find a spot that I would have difficultly in saying, so I’d see if I would simplify it more. I tested the speech out on a couple of friends who helped me tweak it some more and timed me to make sure I was hitting as close as possible to the 60 seconds.

Last Friday I went to the BNI group again and used my 60 second speech. I was almost dead on the 60 seconds and had just a few seconds to ad lib at the end. I was delighted. It wasn’t the most exciting 60 seconds, but it was effective, it covered all the points and was fluid. So how does this relate to personal development you ask?

Well this type of action is a fantastic way of building your confidence in an area that you feel needs a bit of work. By giving it a format, a structure that covers everything it needs, you are giving yourself a basic template also known as a Boilerplate. The purpose of this isn’t to then use it permanently unchanged. The idea is that once you have the basic format in plate you DO change it.

Your boilerplate is your base line, your starting point, not your end point. From your boilerplate you know what must be in place, from there as you grow in confidence and your skills develop, you can adapt it. Either with some additional preparation or, if you feel daring enough, on the fly and ad lib some new bits into it each time you use your boilerplate. That way you have something to fall back on it things go a bit wry.

Have a think about some of the places you are already using a boilerplate. Maybe cooking your favourite meal, each time you make it, it’s somehow a little different. Going to the gym, you have a basic routine that you follow, but each time you go you do something else to liven it up. Even at work you may produce the same report on a regular basis but each time you do it, you find a new and more efficient way to do some part of it. By having that boilerplate, a base line to work from, you know what to do. After a while of using that base line your creative side starts to kick in.

Although having the boilerplate may initially seem a bit restrictive and even dull, it helps you put in place the foundation upon which you can build. By having the initial structure in place, your creative side is engaged, and before you know it, new ideas are flowing. You begin to tweak things here and there. If you can think about an area of your life or a task that you need to do and you are struggling with it, think about creating a boilerplate for it. Then watch it blossom into a creative and unique tool that you can flexibly use everyday.

Just for a giggle, I’ve recorded my speech onto YouTube. I still need to use it a few more times and be able to recall it without having to read my notes. The important thing is it’s a start and from there it can only get better.

ENJOY! And please do feel free to comment, I’d love to get some feed back on how to improve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYVBOYXFnng

Sometimes in life, you get shat upon. Sometimes, there’s no avoiding it or the messy clean-up job that follows.

As a teen, I owned a shirt that said:

“I’m always in the shit –
Only the depth varies!”

It can be a great metaphor for what life ‘throws’ at you. Still: there are times when you half expect it, and other moments where the timing could not be any worse.

A few weeks ago – I was shat on, quite literally.

I was at a party, which was the first major opportunity for me to meet some new people locally, and I was quite excited that there were fellow motorbike-riders and vegetarians present! It was outdoors, since the Scots are quick to make the most of any fair weather, and there was both a big BBQ and a smaller ‘veggie’ one heating up.
I spent most of the night clustered around one or other of the BBQs trying to stay warm, and was by the smaller of the two when a bird flying above let it’s bowel contents go…right on the crown of my head.
I was of course blissfully ignorant of the risk – right up until the point of impact; and disbelief (“this couldn’t happen to me right now!”) warred with shock only long enough for me to jump up & rush inside, but not before the news had started circulating through the 30-something gathered.

I wish I could say it was the 1st time*, & I can’t say with any certainty that it will be the last. But what are the odds of being shat on by a bird flying (not sitting – but flying!) overhead, twice in your life?

It is said to be lucky. And someone joked about rushing out to buy a lottery ticket. But as I was upstairs in the bathroom having the front half of my hair washed in a tiny sink by a very caring but equally inebriated woman, I commented that this must be said simply to help make the dirtied one feel better!

However, apart from a bit of embarrassment that it happened in front of such a crowd, I was quite bemused by the whole episode and making jokes about people having a unique reason to remember me! It would have been really easy to get totally upset about it, to cry, and to feel too embarrassed to return to the party. But I was determined to make the most of the evening that I had been enjoying until rudely interrupted, and wasn’t going to let a bit of bird-luck get in my way. The woman helping me wash my hair remarked that I seemed so calm about the whole thing, and asked what I did. She laughed when I told her I was a lifecoach, and said that quite explained it!

Joking aside – what I did in that moment – was to notice that I had a choice. I couldn’t choose to undo the fact that I had been shat upon, but I could choose to have a miserable end to my evening, or a wonderful one. This is not a choice that is solely available to coaches, nor is it about ‘positive thinking’. At no point did I feel like thanking the bird that inadvertently caused this. I didn’t even buy into the ‘it’s lucky’ idea. I simply chose my reaction to a situation I couldn’t have avoided.

It would also have been easy to get really angry with the bird, or with a party being held outside on a cold evening, or the injustice in the world! And there is a great piece of wisdom in one of the 55 Concepts that I’ve mentioned before:

“People [birds, life] don’t do things TO you;
They do them FOR themselves.”

The bird didn’t choose to deliberately dump its waste on my head. The bird simply needed to relieve itself, and I was perhaps in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What choice will you make, when life next dumps you in an unpleasant mess?

P.S. (*The 1st time – about 5yrs ago in London, I did let it did spoil my day!)

Ignorance is not bliss. In fact, it tends to make life hell.
As we learn, we are likely to move through 4 stages of competence – rarely jumping from Unconscious Incompetence (ignorance!) directly to Unconscious Competence (mastery!). Along the way, we pass through Conscious Incompetence (aware but struggling), and hopefully into Conscious Competence (aware and succeeding).

Join Paul and Sam as they explore how their actions (no matter how imperfect/perfect, small/large) move them through the challenge of overwhelm and unresourcefulness, and into more aware states of learning, choice and empowerment; where things aren’t all rosy but are a darn sight less ugly!

Tell us why you love this podcast by leaving a comment below (before 15th May), and you’ll automatically be entered into our milestone 5,000th motivational download celebration draw! Click here for more details, or simply add your comment below NOW!

Fear not, my friend. There is a better strategy to find that motivation, and more precisely, to discover your ultimate motivation.

There are four dimensions to motivation as illustrated in the graphic on the right. Let me explain.

4 dimensions of motivation

External motivation comes from things or people outside of you, such as your family, your boss, and the economy. Are you going through med school because your parents want you to be a doctor? Are you motivated to save money because there is a recession?

Internal motivation comes from within you, when you are inspired to do what you want to do and go after things that are important to you. You exercise because it makes you feel healthy and vibrant, you apply for that job because you like the challenge and growth opportunities.

Push motivation is often doing things because you have to, and if you don’t you’re likely to feel some sort of pain. You stop smoking because your doctor says you’re lungs will stop working, you work extra hours because your boss needs that report done. It’s as if someone (likely yourself) is pushing you from behind. Think of your daily To-Do list! Most of that is likely a ‘push’ to get stuff done.

Pull motivation is usually from doing things because you not only want to but also because you are inspired to. You are literally pulled into that compelling future, like a magnet drawing you towards a really exciting experience, result or achievement. Think about your bigger aspirations like having a beautiful family life, or traveling to new countries to explore and learn about different cultures.

Ok, I get it Chris, so what’s the secret for my ultimate motivation?! (I hear you say…)

Well, we all are influenced by those four dimensions but genuine, heartfelt, from-the-gut, powerful, inspirational, and lasting motivation will always come from the Internal-Pull quadrant of motivation. When you can generate a vision for what you want in your future – be it related to your health, relationships, financial, career, spirituality, or any big or small aspect of your life – you will find motivation to take action comes swiftly and effortlessly. And THAT is the Ultimate Motivation. The other quadrants will happen as a fact of life. But if you want to grab hold of your life and create the life you’ve always wanted, you have to focus on the Internal-Pull type of motivation with a compelling vision and plan, and stop waiting for someone else to poke you into action.

Ok, I get it Chris, sounds exciting! But how do I do that?! (I hope you say…)

You don’t have to DO anything differently, you just need to THINK differently about the situation. Ask yourself these simple questions and through those answers you can uncover a deeper, more meaningful, longer lasting and inspiring motivation to keep you marching forward towards your dreams.

• What good feelings, outcomes, results will I gain from this situation/experience?
• What bad feelings, thoughts, outcomes will I eliminate from this situation/experience and what will benefits will that bring to my life?

Write down your answers (don’t just think them). Read them out loud daily with full emotion and passion and soon you’ll find you are automatically taking the actions you need to stay on track and inspired.

Leave us a comment and let us know how this works for you.

It’s not just leaving my 20′s that causes me to ask: So what does age really mean/matter? Is there any significance in the quantity of our birthdays other than to mark the passing of time?

I’m totally tickled to be celebrating 30 today! Some of the defining thoughts that shape my views on age are:
- the older you get, the quicker time flies.
- each year, your definition of ‘old’ increases!
- what is ‘middle-aged’, and when are we *meant* to have our mid-life-crises??
- the older you get, the less an age-gap matters in a relationship.
- my Dad always says ‘you’re only as old as the person you feel’
- age-based goals are often just an excuse to put off taking action right now.
- these days, age doesn’t necessarily mean greater wisdom nor even broader life experience.
- age discrimination somehow occurs both when you are ‘too young’ and ‘too old’ (so leave your DOB off your CV!)

We live in a world where the rate of change is so extreme, that 7 years is now a long time to stay in one career/role – let alone the same job; where technologically obsolete can be a matter of months or years, rather than decades; and our communication is (paradoxically) isolatingly instantaneous!

Our needs and wants change constantly, and our dreams and goals are either upgraded before they’ve even been celebrated, or are lost in the flux of time.

Yet – it is not like we are privy to the sand remaining in the hourglasses of our lives. What impact does it have, knowing that any of us could die this minute, yet many could feasibly live another 30, 50 or even 70 years more? We could ask: Is that motivating? Does it affect our impetus? But I’ll ask: WHY WAIT?
It is a sad reality in which it takes a major crisis to bring each individual truly to life.
That said, I’m thankful mine happened when I was still really ‘young’; but it is scary the number of times I’ve had people say ‘I wish I knew what I know now at your age’. What I’ve decided though, is that it is more about what you DO with what you know, than just how much you’ve learnt.

A few years ago I heard the phrase ‘Dead at 30, buried at 60′ and it really struck me. How many of us go through our daily lives without really living, but simply counting the passing of time?

I feel younger now, than I have ever done. The last couple of years have seen me rediscover the childlike senses of awe, curiosity and fun that were missing for most of my ‘childhood’. As an adult I’ve been blessed to look younger than I am. I’m considered an ‘old soul’ who has always been wise beyond my years (even if I didn’t always behave like it!). And my friends range in ages that fit most varying definitions of ‘young’ and ‘old’.
So I’ve always felt that age was a very subjective perception.

Sometimes I think that the only age that matters is the one on the bottle of wine I’m enjoying – and even then, that isn’t a certainty!

I call it the 9 week window.

It’s incredibly simple to grasp the concept but it may take a while to put things in to place and reap the benefits. We’ll roughly 9 weeks actually!

• Week 1 (four weeks ago)
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• WEEK 5 (You are here! Imagine those maps with a big red arrow)
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9 (four weeks into the future)

The idea is to limit the distance you plan ahead and encourage you to take regular and constant action. As you move from one week to the next fill in the previous week with what you actually did do. Often you’ll find that it’s not until you make a conscious record of your actions that you realize how busy you really have been!

We spend so much time fretting over the future or commiserating the past we can end up finding ourselves a little consumed in that one area. This system will help you to balance your focus evenly and more productively on the future, present and past. Allowing you to plan, take action and enjoy the results all in one.

Start today and put this simple plan in place. To make sure you retain committed and motivated post your plan in the comments section below.

GOOD LUCK!

wheel-of-life