Here at ActionPodcast, we focus a lot on moving forward and setting goals. During this episode we spend some time talking about how you can make sure that you progress from a happy starting place.
Learning to recognise your successes so far can really help change your perspective on your current situation. By acknowledging the good things that you have achieved recently will make a dramatic difference because moving forward from a great place is far easier than trying to escape a negative rut that you may believe you are in.
You know the feeling, you start out on a new path to better health, being more organised or some other goal that you know is really important to you.
At the beginning you feel like you’ve thought everything through and you’re really motivated to get going. Everything seems to be going great! Your plans have paid off and your journey towards your goal couldn’t seem easier.
So… why do you begin to slip?
Unless something happens to get you back on track, your goals seem to fade into obscurity.
You find yourself missing the odd gym session, and not being quite as organised. Whatever it is, you can feel yourself slipping back into your old ways. Unless something happens to get you back on track, your goals seem to fade into obscurity and before you know it, weeks have passed since you did anything you initially planned so hard for.
We live in a time of incredible opportunities, limitless access to ideas, and convenience all around us.
It’s also a time with a lack of security, constant and rapid change, and seemingly unavoidable distractions pulling us in multiple directions at all times.
So within this paradoxical storm it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing or feeling a wall of barriers in front of you, blocking your path to your ultimate success and fulfilment.
However, the reality is there is one factor that rises above all others that prevents you from getting Read more of this article »
During a recent podcast with Gina, we talked about getting back into an exercise routine and going back to the gym. It was something that I’m very familiar with, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to give you a quick progress update.
I’ve now been going back to the gym for 3 weeks, 4-5 times a week. I’ve discovered that if I just go to the gym 2-3 times a week my days off become too tempting for me to have “just another” day off. Always promising myself “I’ll go tomorrow!”, which of course I ended up repeating the next day, until every shred of motivation had been stripped away.
Just like the financial loss of a unattended credit card debt or an unused monthly membership, whether you realise it or not, you are paying a significant price for some of your thoughts and words.
It’s a concept you’ve probably never considered, but the payoff is huge.
Which thoughts and words?
The most expensive words you’ll ever utter are the excuses you use to rationalise not doing the things you know need to be done. Read more of this article »
You may not have noticed, it probably passed like a ship in the night, but this week included a milestone day for all of us. That’s right…Monday February 7th was the 37th day of the year. An ordinary day by any standards but one that also marked the end of the first 10% of this year.
One-tenth of 2011 is now gone. How was it for you?
Are you off to a flying start like an Olympic sprinter? Are you really making an effort to do what you want to do? Having more fun, checking off your to-do list with a steady flow of energy and optimism?
Or are you still stuck in the starting blocks? Putting off what really matters to you or perhaps waiting for some issues to clear before starting on your goals for the year? Maybe just postponing real action until Read more of this article »
As coaches, we are skilled in helping other people gain clarity, build self-belief, take action and generally find ways to consistently and constantly make progress towards their desired life. Of course, you don’t have to be a certified coach to be able to help other people do the same. We all, at times, offer our sound judgement, advice, support or guidance to friends, colleagues and family members.
Yet, how often do you follow your own advice to others?
Do you find yourself telling colleagues they should leave the office on time and get home to more important things while you stick around just a bit longer to write ‘just one more email’?
Have you told a particularly stressed friend that they really ought to take a break and treat themselves to an afternoon at a spa or R&R in the local park, while your common stress-busting strategy is to just keep fighting through it?
Do you and your partner often discuss how great it would be to take in more of the cultural treats and opportunities that your area of the country offers, only to see another six months pass without Read more of this article »
It occurred to me recently, that I have spent more than half my life learning about human potential, studying success and gaining insight from the world’s greatest teachers, all to feed my own curiousity about what really matters and what it really takes to create a deeply fulfilling life. A life of your choosing (for the most part), a life on your terms (for the most part), a life filled with more laughter, happiness, health and success.
I’ve learned that we – the average, everyday person – are capable of changing our lives in numerous ways, dramatic ways (!) and faster than most might believe. Many people are wanting or hoping to improve their situation in some way: to lose weight, save more money, develop more meaningful relationships, take on more interesting or engaging hobbies, travel more, give back more, and the list goes on. Many just want to feel alive again. Read more of this article »
The path to success often means MORE. More health, more money, more time with family, more promotions, more holidays, more ‘more’.
Our society seems to relentlessly push us to want more and need more. “Do more with less” is a common mantra in today’s businesses, cutbacks in staff means to continue on the path of ‘getting ahead’ you simply need to put your head down, nose to the grindstone and work harder. All in the name of more. However, there is another side.
Being a coach, I’m very keen to “walk the talk” or rather, not just say coaching is good but have a coach myself because I know just how powerful it can be.
During a recent session it quickly became clear that I was on the verge of taking on too much. Over the last few months the power of being coached has resulted in some significant changes in my life and how I view situations. I’d been actively putting in a lot of work, spinning a lot of plates and generally been about as busy as I could physically be.
What surprised me was that I’ve now reached a point where pretty much everything is going to plan, on track and on schedule. I found myself looking for that extra thing that would put me back into the sensation of feeling, well rushed, busy and on the edge of coping.
I had become so used to “working my butt off” that now I had been able to schedule things better, automate them or even outsource them (my new favourite thing!) I was presented with a strange feeling of “what next?”!
Thankfully working with my coach I was able to see that, I was busy, very busy in fact. I was however, working smarter, better than before and I was now producing the results without having to work 16 hours a day. Ultimately I want to keep it this way, working at a pace that is healthy and even FUN! As long as I’m still progressing, make moves in the direction that I want to go at a pace that works, then I’m doing the right thing.
I’d love to hear from others that have almost become so used to feeling rushed, that they often end up missing that feeling when everything is going to plan. What do you do to make sure you don’t overload yourself, just because you feel you should. How do you know when enough is enough?
In coaching we often talk about tracking your progress as you work towards your goals. It’s a vital step to be able to see the progress you have made so that you can:-
Congratulate yourself on real progress that may have gone unnoticed
ActionPodcast is your weekly source of inspiration and motivation for taking consistent action in your life.
From managing stress to managing time, gaining confidence to getting rid of excuses, the experienced team of ActionPodcast coaches provides practical insights and actionable ideas for making consistent progress in the important areas of your life. Read more...
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