Month: December 2020 Page 1 of 2

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

What a strange year 2020 has been because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result of the virus, we have all had very different life experiences this year. We have had to be very adaptable and change the way we do things. At times we have needed to be resilient and cope with challenging circumstances.

None of us could have predicted how 2020 would play out at this time last year. Lots has been outside our control. The only thing we have been able to control has been our reaction to external events. At all times our reaction determines the outcome of any situation.

It’s important that we keep this fact uppermost in our mind as 2020 draws to a close and we start to think about 2021 and what we would like to experience. Given that the virus is still prevalent in our communities we will all continue to face challenging conditions for a while yet until we have all been vaccinated against the virus.

It’s vital that we take 100% responsibility for our choices and our reaction to events and we concentrate our focus on things that we can control.

I have listed below 21 suggestions to help make 2021 as good as possible. These are all things that we can have control over.

21 Pieces of Simple Wisdom to Help You to Be First Class in 2021!

1. Have a clear personal and professional vision. If you know where you are heading, you are more likely to arrive there and achieve what you want to.
2. Spend less time worrying about what other people think of you and more time on ensuring your self-talk is positive and encouraging.
3. Remember that the past is there as your teacher not something to torture you. Live your life in the present moment.
4. Stop comparing your performance to others, measure your progress against your own targets and standards.
5. Be kind to yourself and others. Do a little bit every day to help make the world a better place.
6. Avoid negative people and environments that drag you down, drain your energy and make you feel low.
7. Spend less time on social media. Aim to have more “real” conversations.
8. Overthinking quite often leads to procrastination, frustration and sadness. Get out of your head and pay greater attention to what your heart is saying to you.
9. Remember to not get too attached to things. It’s good to remember that everything is temporary and on loan to us.
10. Make self-care and joy a priority in your life. Exercise regularly, make some space and time to rest and relax. Ensure that you regularly do things that bring you joy and happiness.
11. Meditate daily. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of quiet uninterrupted time each day. It will help you to feel calm, grounded and give you a sense of inner peace.
12. Journal regularly. Capture your thoughts and feelings. If you don’t write stuff down a piece of wisdom or an insight could be lost forever.
13. Life is precious and fragile and it can change in a heartbeat. Having this clarity puts life into perspective and encourages us to make the most of each day.
14. Be grateful for all that you have in life. Keep a notebook to capture 3 things that you are grateful for each day.
15. Learn to be consistent and to focus. Concentrate on one thing at a time rather than jumping from one thing to another.
16. Place your thoughts on what you can do and intend to create rather than on what you can’t do.
17. Always remember that good health is the real wealth in life.
18. Never take life for granted or forget that every day is a gift.
19. Learn to tune into and listen to your intuition more. Listen to your inner voice, trust the message and bravely obey that wisdom.
20. Listen intently to people, be present, this will help them to feel heard and valued.
21. Be yourself. This is something that you can do better than anyone else! Remember that everybody else is taken, so you may as well concentrate on being yourself.

I hope that you enjoyed reading my thoughts and that they help you to thrive and increase your happiness and fulfilment levels. Life is all about growing, evolving and feeling a sense of joy and contentment at what we experience and accomplish. With this in mind, why not plan to be happy and healthy and to make 2021 your most contented year yet.

Happy New Year, I hope that 2021 is a happy, healthy and fulfilling one for you.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider which of the tips you would like to focus more attention on in 2021 and develop.

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

“There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest.” Confucius.

As we’re rapidly approaching the end of the year, it’s a good time to take stock and think about the year and all that we’ve experienced. It’s fair to say that the Coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 one of the most challenging years for us all since the end of the World War in 1945.

The events of this year have meant that we’ve had to make big adjustments to the way we live our lives. We’ve had to change the way we connect with loved ones and friends and how we interact socially and at work.

As we get immersed in the arrangements for the festive period it can be easy to neglect taking some time to reflect on the past year and to review our progress and growth.

The end of the year provides a great opportunity to celebrate our successes and achievements and think about the things we can be grateful for.

Investing our precious time in this way helps to provide some positive energy to carry into the New Year. This reflection time is a great way to wrap up the current year before turning some attention to creating some plans and goals for the year ahead.

Review of 2020

Over the next few weeks, prior to the start of 2021, I recommend that you get yourself a notebook and dedicate some time to reflect on 2020. I suggest you start by recording your thoughts on the following questions:

• What has been great about 2020?
• What lessons have you learned this year?
• What have been your greatest challenges this year? What have they taught you?
• What are you grateful for in life?
• What has brought you the most happiness?
• What do you need to let go of?

Planning for a First Class 2021

Once you have completed the reflection, you can turn your attention to thinking about what you would like to accomplish and experience in the New Year. Completing the reflection will provide some clarity and great insights to use in this process. Here are some possible questions for you to use to do this:

• How would you like 2021 to be different?
• What would you like to celebrate at the end of next year?
• What are your main personal and professional goals for 2021?
• What are your financial goals for 2021?
• What steps do you need to take to improve/maintain your health and fitness?
• What can you do to improve your relationships?
• What steps can you take to increase your happiness?
• What plans do you have to grow, develop and learn?

I hope that you find the process and questions useful. Hopefully they will help you celebrate 2020 the best way you can (in the current circumstances) and prepare for a happy and healthy 2021.

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

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Epictetus.

In last week’s blog I talked about good health being the real wealth in life. I mentioned my dad’s 36-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis and that he was seriously ill. Sadly, he died shortly after I had written that blog.

As you can imagine, the past week hasn’t been easy. Inevitably, I’ve reflected on my dad’s life and my relationship with him and thought about the time and experiences we shared together. My reflections have helped me to get clarity on the main lessons that I learned from my dad.

So, this week, I would like to share my insights and share the wisdom he gave me. My thoughts and reflections are set out below:

• We come into the world with nothing and we go out with nothing.

Whilst he taught me to value and respect money, he encouraged me not to get too hung up on material wealth and possessions. His children knew that money had to be earned and that it didn’t grow on trees! We also knew we weren’t part of the Rockefeller family! However, he felt that quality of experiences, friendships, family and connection with others were far more important than wealth. Dad went into hospital wearing just his bed clothes and wasn’t able to take any of his material possessions or wealth with him. He didn’t have anything with him when he died.

• Be yourself, be your own man.

My dad liked me to express myself and therefore whilst he set boundaries, he didn’t dish out lots of orders about how to do things. However, he did give me one piece of really powerful and valuable advice. This was to not be too influenced by other people to be something that you’re not. He said that it was important to be yourself, to be authentic and not just follow the crowd. He also encouraged me to be discerning with the company that I kept and always look to do the right thing.

• If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

My dad worked as a local government officer before his retirement 25 years ago. However, he served an apprenticeship as a carpenter and was self-employed for many years, doing all the woodwork and putting roofs on new build houses. He was a perfectionist and his carpenter’s eye soon spotted if something wasn’t built straight or if a picture or shelves weren’t level! He felt that if your heart wasn’t in something than you should stop doing it or not even start it. He felt people should do what they were passionate about.

• Be grateful for all you have in life.

Given the progressive nature of his illness it would have been easy for dad to bemoan his lot. However, he felt it important to be grateful for what he had in life, rather than unhappy with what he lacked. He felt life was a blessing and a gift and that he should make the most of what he’d got. He was married to my mum for 65 years. He believed in being kind, cheerful and pleasant to people. His glass was half full. However, if people tried to take advantage of his good nature, he was more than capable of standing up for himself. He was no pushover and people knew if he wasn’t impressed with their behaviour.

• Don’t complain.

It was clear that my dad suffered during his long battle with MS. However, he never complained once although he must have been sad that his illness had robbed him of many things and experiences in his later life. For many years, he told nobody outside close family that he had MS as he didn’t want people to feel sorry for him or treat him differently. It was only when he started to lose mobility and latterly rely more on my mum and carers that he opened up about his condition. Despite his suffering, there were still no complaints and he conducted himself with courage and dignity throughout his illness.

Finally, my dad had high standards of personal appearance. He liked to look smart and loved good clothes, clean shoes, tidy hair and a clean-shaven look. He always liked his hair to be combed even towards the end of his life. He felt you could tell a lot about someone by how they looked and how clean their shoes were! One of the first things he looked at when he met someone was whether they had clean, shiny shoes!

He also felt first impressions were extremely important and always said: “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.”

Obviously, I’m sad that he has died. However, I am grateful that I got to say goodbye to him when many people don’t get that opportunity with their loved ones particularly this year with the COVID-19 restrictions. I’m also content that his suffering is over and that he’s now at peace.

RIP dad, thank you for the wisdom x

This week, why not take a few minutes to reflect and consider what your parents have taught you.

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