Month: October 2018 Page 1 of 2

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo Da Vinci.

This past weekend, here in the UK we put our clocks back by one hour and this marks the end of British Summer Time. We have now officially moved into the autumn season.

It’s the time of the year when the leaves on the trees have started to change colour and drop to the floor. Some of my weekends are now taken up picking up leaves from the various trees in and around our garden.

During this weekend’s leaves clearance operation I was thinking how we can all learn much from nature. It provides us with so many beautiful scenes and images that we can admire. It also gives us valuable insights if we take the time to notice.

One such insight could be that autumn can be a season of transformation for us. I think that it’s the perfect time to take some time to reflect, evaluate and plan. It’s a good time to consider how life is and how we have fared against the various goals and desires that we had for the year. We can decide upon and commit to any changes that we would like to introduce into our lives.

This enables us to decide if any outstanding personal and professional goals are still relevant. If they aren’t then we can decide to let them go. Alternatively if we feel that they’re still appropriate we can formulate a plan of action to meet them by the year end.

Essentially, it’s a good time to take stock and determine where we are in life. Once we have done this we can start to turn our attention to what we would like to create and experience in the New Year. This helps to start the planning process and for seeds to be planted that can blossom in the spring.

We can think about how we can bring greater balance to our life and what will increase our happiness. This reflection can also include contemplating if anything needs to change with regard to our job or business, diet, general health and fitness, sleep or relationships?

Alternatively there may be habits that need to be changed or let go of.

Ask yourself “What am I no longer willing to tolerate in my life?”

You can then turn your attention to what healthy habits you would like to create.

We may feel that we have some mental clutter that needs to be sorted and reduced, It could be feel overwhelmed, over thinking things and spending too much time locked in our head. We may also feel like we have some physical clutter that we need to dispose of.

Clutter is defined in the Oxford dictionary “as a crowded and untidy collection of things.” That’s certainly part of it. For me clutter also relates to things that are no longer needed or used, disorganised and untidy or crammed into a small space. It’s also anything that is unfinished or incomplete

Like trees shedding their leaves, autumn is a good time for us shed anything that no longer serves us, weighs us down or that we no longer need.

We can let go of things both mentally and physically. Letting go of some mental clutter allows clarity to enter our mind. When we purge physical clutter it helps to create some space in our life in order that we are able to experience new things.

The letting go process helps us to simplify our life.

When we decide to let go of things or totally commit to change, it requires some effort, discipline and determination. It also necessitates consistency of action in order to embed new behaviours and habits.

Letting go of things isn’t always easy to do. Taking the first step and beginning the process is often the hardest step and we can procrastinate. However once we have taken it, we can start to create some momentum and embrace a new way of being.

This particularly applies if we are looking to change a long held habit or behaviour. However, it is good to remind ourselves what the long term benefits of the transformation will be and how it will be worth some sacrifice in the long run.

This week, why not take a few moments to reflect and ask yourself if there is something that you need to let go of. You can also decide what healthy habits you would like to work on creating.

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

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” Deepak Chopra

I have noticed that the words chaos and chaotic are being used a lot at the moment by a variety of people.

Some news bulletins here in the UK have featured interviews with people who have described the UK Government’s Brexit negotiating position as chaotic. Much has also been said about the impact of a no deal Brexit on the UK and the rest of the European Union and how it will cause chaos to people’s lives.

They mention the potential for queues at ports, delays in food shipments, uncertainty about passports etc. None of us can know at this point what the impact will be. It can’t be judged until the talks are concluded and an agreement of some sort is finalised. Much is up in the air at the moment and the uncertainty is creating fear and anxiety for many people and businesses. We all have to seek to be patient and calm.

Some people tell me that their life is chaotic when I ask them how things are. They use the word to describe how busy they are in life and the volume of their workload, demands and priorities etc.

It is fair to say that there is much change and uncertainty in the world at present. In addition there are a lot of negative news stories. This is leading people to feel confused, disorientated and fearful.

Even the use of the words chaos and chaotic has the ability to fire up negative feelings, thinking and images within people. This is a lesson to us all about the need for care over the words we use. Words can have such power and influence on us.

It’s true that modern life can get so busy that it can be very challenging to stay calm and relaxed. We have been conditioned to think in terms of instant gratification and results. Today’s fast paced society allows us access to so much information and resources and can leave us feeling overwhelmed. The advancement in phones, laptops and tablets can make us feel like we are always “switched on and connected.”

There is also a new phenomenon “FOMO” (fear of missing out) which keeps many people spending lots of time connected to social media feeds to catch up on all their connections latest news. It means that our minds struggle to get a rest and can feel busy and cluttered.

The demands of life can mean that we have limited patience to let things unfold naturally. Our Instant gratification society can also lead to people not really appreciating fully their life as they move quickly from one event and experience to the next.

It can mean that people don’t really ground their goals and allow them to take root. They can fail to appreciate all that they have and spend time thinking about what they lack and what’s missing in their life. It’s very easy to set goals and then become so focused on the destination and outcome that we fail to enjoy the process and journey of pursuing and achieving them.

Here are a few thoughts on things that can help us to stay calm and centred:

Reduce the amount of time spent on technology

Have a cut off time for when you stop checking your phone, e mails and social media feeds. Consider a technology detox and give yourself a technology free day (or weekend) every week.

Have greater acceptance

Accept things as they are and stop trying to rewrite history. This means that you can focus on being more present and consider options and solutions to resolve challenges.

Externalise thoughts

Get into the habit of doing a mind dump of things that are worrying you or causing anxiety. Regularly record your reflections, lessons, desires and insights in a journal or notebook.

Create some quiet time – no distractions

Schedule some daily time where you are alone with your thoughts. It can be just 5 or 10 minutes. This will enable you to gain valuable insights and allow your inner wisdom to rise to the surface.

Less is more

Plan to focus on fewer things. Get rid of unwanted items and clutter. Reduce the number of goals and tasks that you’re responsible for. Let goals take root rather than give them superficial attention.

Reduce the amount of news that you watch or listen to

Negative news stories can have a detrimental effect on our mood and energy levels. Reduce the time you spend catching up on news stories. Read a book or watch something uplifting instead.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider what action steps you can take to bring greater calmness to your world.

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

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis.

Last week, I was very fortunate to see Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra perform in concert at an arena in Birmingham (UK). It’s the third time I have seen them in concert in the past 3 years and it was a great evening with tremendous music, visual effects and lighting. There were lots of great tracks with feel good lyrics and it was fun. I felt very grateful to be part of the audience.

ELO enjoyed tremendous success across the world in the 1970’s and 1980’s producing great tracks like Mr Blue Sky, Livin’ Thing and Don’t Bring Me Down. I mentioned Jeff Lynne in a chapter of my first book Be First Class. The chapter was called “You are never too old to pursue a dream.” I have included extracts from the chapter in this blog.

I once heard an interview with Jeff Lynne (now 70) where he explained that he thought his days of delivering concerts were over in 1985. Since then he had established himself as a very successful record producer. He produced tracks for artists such as Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Bryan Adams plus others.

However, in 2014 he was persuaded to be part of the Radio 2 live concert in Hyde Park, London. He stated that he was extremely nervous prior to going on stage given he hadn’t played a concert for almost 30 years.

He thought that it wouldn’t be a very big audience and that not many people would be interested in watching their set because they were only interested in watching the headline acts perform later. Therefore he was amazed and thrilled to play to 50,000 people who seemed to really enjoy the show!

This positive experience inspired him to go back to his home in Los Angeles and write some new material and record a new album which was released in November 2015. They also arranged a tour of various arenas which were played to sell out audiences!

It’s always wonderful to see people start a new chapter in their life and in some cases enjoy a renaissance in their later years. The advances in medicine mean that people are living longer. Therefore it’s possible to experience and do things in our old age that wouldn’t have seemed to be possible 40 or 50 years ago. There are many possibilities for people to explore.

It made me think of all the times that I’ve heard people talk about a dream they had when they were younger or talk with a touch of regret about something that they’ve always wanted or would like to do but haven’t yet accomplished. Only to say “but I am too old now.”

A story that I love which counters this limiting belief, is the story of Cliff Young.

Cliff was an Australian potato farmer and athlete, best known for his unexpected win of the Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon (543 miles) in 1983 at 61 years of age.

What makes this feat even more incredible is the way that Cliff went about winning the race. It’s normally only attempted by world class athletes, who train specially for the event and are typically less than 30 years of age. In fact it was the first race that Cliff had entered!

When he showed up at the start of the race in 1983, Cliff was wearing overalls and work boots! Everyone watching was shocked to discover Cliff wasn’t a spectator when he picked up his race number and joined the other runners.

Once the race was underway, Cliff didn’t even run properly; he appeared to shuffle. Many people feared for the farmer’s safety. The professional athletes knew that it took about 5 days to finish the race. In order to compete, they ran about 18 hours a day and slept for the remaining 6 hours.

Cliff wasn’t constrained by conventional wisdom. He was unaware of this approach to the race. Whilst the top athletes slept, he kept on running! To everybody’s disbelief, Cliff ran the whole five days without any sleep and secured an amazing victory!

Today, the “Young-shuffle” has been adopted by ultra-marathon runners because it is considered more energy-efficient.

Is there something that you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet accomplished?

Maybe there a hobby you have always wanted to start or somewhere you would like to visit? Possibly there is somewhere you have always wanted to go on holiday to? It could be that you would love to do some studying, write a book, see the Northern Lights or maybe change jobs.

Life is too short to put off something that’s special to us. I believe that none of us should die with the music still inside us.

With this in mind, why not take a few moments out this week to reflect and think about if there is something you’ve always wanted to achieve.

Take the opportunity to be honest with yourself and get clear on what’s stopping you. Determine if this is still something you would like to do. If it is, commit to taking action to make it happen and decide what your first step will be. Also consider if there is any help you need in order to make sure that you fulfil your dream and potential.

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