Month: December 2015 Page 1 of 2

I am celebrating a bit of a milestone with this week’s blog, as it is the 100^th that I have published since I started writing them every week back in 2013.

It is always nice and reassuring when clients and contacts tell me how they got an insight from one of my blogs which helped them to solve a challenge, try a new approach or achieve a goal.

Modern life is busy, time passes by so quickly and life is short. It is therefore important that we develop habits, rituals and practices that allow us to experience the best that life has to offer.

I thought that to mark the achievement of reaching blog 100, I would create some tips, ideas and best practices to help you to Be First Class personally and professionally in 2016. I hope that you enjoy reading them and find them helpful.

1. Have a clear vision and goals for 2016

Be clear about what you would like to experience and achieve in 2016. As well as professional goals, ensure you have at least 3-5 main personal goals for the year ahead.

2. Quit comparing yourself to others

This will save a lot of mental energy and focus. We are all unique and have different life experiences, so instead of comparing our results to others, compare them to the targets you set.

3. Spend more time in the present moment

You can’t change what has happened and the future is a mystery. Quit worrying about the past and living life too far in the future. Don’t let yesterday or tomorrow take up too much of today.

4. Let go of the things you can’t control

It’s easy to spend your time thinking and worrying about things outside your control. Instead focus your time and energy on things that you can control and positively influence.

5. Develop an attitude of gratitude

Each day take time to really appreciate all that you have in your life. Make a note of at least 3 things daily in a notebook. Celebrate your successes, achievements and good fortune.

6. Prioritise self- care

Good health is the real wealth in life, so focus on your health and well-being. A daily brisk walk is a good way to do 30 minutes exercise. Have a break at lunch time and quit eating at your desk.

7. Listen to and trust your intuition

Get into the habit of tuning in, listening and trusting your intuition. It knows what’s best for you. If it says go for it, listen to that wisdom. If it doesn’t feel right heed the warning.

8. Keep your outlook fresh

Each month get into the habit of spending 15 minutes to ask yourself – What can I stop doing? What do I need to expand doing? What do I need to start doing?

9. Tame the e mail monster

Check them no more than twice a day. Unsubscribe from some lists. Encourage colleagues to mail only what’s essential. Advocate an internal e mail free day each week in your business.

10. Have a technology free day each week

Give your brain a break and switch off your phone, computers and avoid social media. Be really present with activities and conversations with family and friends or spend time outdoors.

11. Develop your positivity muscle

Create a positivity book to record positive experiences, feedback and good fortune. What you focus on and nurture grows. Be an example to others and be the most positive person you know.

12. Be yourself – everyone else is taken!

Stand up for what you believe in. Be true to yourself and your values. You are unique and special and in a world where you can be anything, it’s important to be yourself.

13. Practice random acts of kindness

Doing unexpected and unconditional good deeds for others create good feelings. It can be a simple gesture and doesn’t have to cost money. It also helps to create a better world.

14. Make room for fun and laughter

There is much research available to endorse the health benefits of frequent laughter. Make time to watch funny movies or TV Shows or read a funny book. See the funny side of life often.

15. Ask for help when you need it

You can’t do it all alone. Seek out help for your areas of limitation and gaps in your knowledge and resources. See it as strength to ask for help when you need it rather than a weakness.

16. Live now – procrastinate later

Quit over thinking and get into action. Regularly ask yourself “what would I do today if I were brave?” Follow up on your ideas and action plans. The fortune is always in the follow up!

This week why not take a few moments to reflect and consider which of the tips you would like to focus more attention on in 2016.

This week’s quotation:

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent Van Gogh.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

We can get so caught up in the demands and busyness of this time of year that it is easy to overlook dedicating some time to take stock and reflect on the past year and the progress you have made towards your goals.

It’s also a good time to celebrate your successes, all that has been great about the year and to appreciate everything you have in life. This provides some good positive energy to carry into the New Year.Reflecting and also planning what you would like to achieve and experience in the New Year is a great discipline to follow.

Prior to the start of the New Year I recommend that you spend some quiet time to think about what has been great about the year, lessons you have learned and get clarity on what any challenges have taught you and what you are grateful for in life.

To prepare and plan for 2016, I suggest that you take a notebook and set aside a few hours to work through a series of questions and jot down your responses. You don’t have to answer the questions in one session although you may prefer to do it that way.

You may wish to divide the process into bite sized chunks over a week. Choose which method fits best with your schedule and other priorities. I recommend that you take out your notebook and review your progress throughout the forthcoming year (normally at the end of each quarter).

Personally, I find the following questions to be useful when reviewing the year and planning for the forthcoming one.

Review of the past year:

• What has been great about this year and what are my top 5-10 highlights?
• What have been the smartest decisions that I have made?
• How have I grown and developed?
• What gave me the greatest happiness?
• What do I want to celebrate about this year?
• What lessons have I learned and what have challenges taught me?
• What do I need to let go of from the past year?
• What am I grateful for in my life?

Planning for the forthcoming year:

• What would I like to celebrate at the end of the year?
• What are my main personal and professional goals in the forthcoming year?
• What are my financial goals for the forthcoming year?
• What steps do I need to take to improve/maintain my health and fitness?
• What can I do to improve my relationships?
• What would I like to add, change or eliminate from my daily routine?
• What plans do I have to grow, develop and learn?
• What steps can I take to improve my happiness?
• How can I increase the amount of fun that I have?

I hope that the forthcoming year is a First Class one for you and is full of happiness, good health and abundance. Happy reflecting and planning.

This week’s quotation:

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

A quality that I really admire in people is resilience.

I always enjoy reading stories about how people showed tremendous resilience in the face of adversity or achieved something against all the odds. Resilience is defined in the dictionary as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and having toughness.

The word resilience is used frequently these days and is very relevant in today’s fast paced and changing word. Many people have had to show much resilience and fortitude to cope with the aftershock of the economic downturn which followed the 2008 world financial crisis.

The ability to cope with relentless change and to be flexible in thinking are key to helping people thrive in today’s demanding world. The capacity to quickly bounce back from set-backs, challenges and disappointments is a wonderful quality to possess.

Resilience is an innate human quality. It also involves having to continually anticipate and adjust to shifting trends. Given the increased globalisation I believe that in the future, companies and people that are inflexible and don’t adapt to changing environments are likely to lose influence swiftly.

It may be that the ability to adapt and bounce back is stronger in some people than others. However, with focus and attention you can develop your resilience just as you can build up muscles through regular exercise. I believe that having great resilience and the capability to find extra reserves of energy when required are vital to help people to thrive.

Certain conditions in people’s lives help them to be resilient. These include having several people who they can talk to without feeling judged and receiving regular encouragement from others. Maintaining good health and physical condition with regular exercise, sufficient sleep and healthy diet play an important role. Involvement in community projects, charitable causes, staying optimistic and expecting things to work out for the best also help.

It is possible to develop your resilience and I have detailed some ideas and tips on how to do this below:-

Goal setting

Having personal, even small every day goals help you to look towards the future with optimism and provide a sense of accomplishment once completed. Small action steps applied consistently every day lead to outstanding results. Goal achievement helps to provide a strong reference point in the future when the going gets tough.

Acceptance and positive expectations

Accept that you are unable to change the past and focus your energy on the present moment and your growth and development. Have positive expectations of success and create a mechanism to review your progress. Place your attention on how you are progressing in life and remind yourself regularly how you have evolved. Maintain a positive attitude and optimistic outlook.

Make room in your life for laughter and fun

The ability to maintain a sense of humour and to see the funny side of a situation when facing a challenge is a great coping mechanism and an excellent habit to develop. It helps to relieve stress and keep your spirits up. To ensure you laugh often set regular time aside to watch funny movies, TV Shows or read humorous books.

Remember how you conquered previous challenges

When you face a fresh challenge remind yourself how you conquered a previous challenge and the learnings that you took from the experience. It’s good to have clarity about how you coped with previous hardships and the skills and strategies that helped you. I find that when a difficulty presents itself that it’s useful to tell myself that everything changes and like a storm “that this too will pass.”

The importance of self-care

Take care of your needs and feelings both physically and emotionally. Engage in hobbies and pastimes that you really enjoy and contribute positively to your overall wellbeing. Get sufficient sleep each night and maintain regular sleep patterns. Exercise for 30 minutes each day. A brisk daily walk is a good way to achieve this and gives you some fresh air.

Maintain a journal

This helps to externalise your feelings and provides a sense of clarity and perspective. It quite often allows you to view situations in a different way and conjures up new perspectives for you to consider. Often it can help you to create some new ideas, approaches and action plans to put into practice to solve problems.

Practice stress management and relaxation techniques

Many people tell me how useful they find practising yoga, meditation or visualization techniques. It gives them a sense of inner calm and balance. Increasingly mindfulness techniques are gaining in popularity and there are some good apps and books available. All of these approaches contribute positively to helping people to cope effectively with difficult and challenging circumstances.

This week, why not take a few moments to reflect and consider how resilient you are. Is there any action you need to take to develop your resilience?

This week’s quotation:

“Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.” Jamais Cascio.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk