Month: October 2025 Page 1 of 2

“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right.” Henry Ford.

As we enter the final part of 2025, many of us will start thinking about the goals and results we would like to achieve next year.

Our beliefs play a pivotal role in the results that we achieve in life and help to shape and influence our behaviour. Whatever we believe dictates how we respond to situations and determines how we relate to the people that we meet and interact with. It’s therefore important that we regularly review our beliefs and ensure they are working for us in a positive way.

If you believe that you will achieve a goal no matter what life throws at you, then you are more likely to do just that, rather than someone who believes they can never have what they really want.

When a hypnotist hypnotizes someone, they insert a belief into their mind and this influences how that person thinks and behaves. During hypnosis a person can adopt a belief that an orange is an apple or that a pencil is far too heavy to lift. These inserted beliefs change the person’s reality and what they believe they can and can’t do. In much the same way we can all be hypnotized throughout our lives by the ideas we take on from others and believe to be true.

Most of our beliefs about ourselves and how the world operates are formed in early childhood. They are shaped by our parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, past experiences, media, culture, peers, friends & religion.  Aside from physical differences, it’s our different experiences and beliefs that make us all unique.

We may have false beliefs that stunt our growth. An example of a false belief that was universally accepted was that the earth was flat and that if you sailed far enough you would fall off the edge of the earth. Often, we don’t realise what our beliefs consist of or how they have been formed but they influence every moment of every day.

Every belief has a structure to it which we can change if we choose to. It’s like carrying a recording in our heads.  If the recording is working for us, we can keep it and maybe update it occasionally. However, if the recording is limiting us, we can take it out and re-record it, so we have one that is working for us.

We accept opinions from influential people in our lives and hold them as facts. However, they aren’t facts but perceptions formed through our experience and other people’s views. Beliefs are views about us, others and the world.  These views determine the decisions we take and the way we behave. If we want to change our results in life then the process starts with changing our beliefs.

Beliefs determine how we think and how we talk to ourselves (our self-talk) and this determines how we behave. If we’re overly self- critical or hard on ourselves then we won’t necessarily enjoy the journey towards a particular goal. We’ll feel stressed, anxious and frustrated from time to time.

However, if our self-talk is kinder, more encouraging and positive then the journey will be a more enjoyable one. We’ll feel better and therefore behave more confidently. Our results are more likely to be more positive.

There are two types of belief. We can have empowering ones which help us to believe that we can achieve. They propel us forward towards our goals and help us to feel confident and good about ourselves. Alternatively, we can have limiting beliefs. These hold us back, hinder our progress and negatively impact our confidence levels. They mean we get in our own way.

The Four-Minute Mile

In 1954, Roger Bannister helped to change conventional wisdom and beliefs that people held by breaking the four-minute mile record. Prior to the race and his attempt to smash this barrier, people had urged him not to try it. They’d told him it was dangerous and life threatening. However, he ignored all this advice and successfully broke the record.

Once he’d achieved this, four runners broke the record within a year because they knew it was possible and could be done.  Following Bannister’s achievement, athletes changed their beliefs. They told themselves they could do it and as a result their bodies performed more effectively.

There are countless examples of beliefs missing the point. Many said photocopiers, telephones and computers would not catch on.  Look how those beliefs turned out!

It’s important that we continue to challenge the beliefs we have and ensure they are working positively for us. All of us have the power and control over our beliefs which shape our self-talk/thoughts, behaviour and ultimately our results in life.

This week, why not take some time out to reflect. Consider which of your beliefs empower you and which limit your performance. Having done this decide if there is anything that you’re motivated to change.

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

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

The clocks will go back one hour in the UK this coming Sunday (October 26^th) and this marks the official end of British Summer Time. With summer ending, it’s a good time to take some time to reflect, evaluate and plan. During this process, you can consider how you are doing against any goals and desires that you set for the year.

You can determine if outstanding personal and professional goals are still relevant. If they aren’t then you can decide to let them go. Alternatively, if you feel that they are still appropriate you can formulate a plan of action to re-energise them and achieve them by the year end.

Essentially, it’s a good time to take stock and get clear on where you are at in life. Once you’ve done this, you can start to turn your attention to what you would like to create and experience in the New Year. This helps to start the planning process. You can plant seeds that can blossom next year.

During your reflections you can think about how you can bring greater balance to your life and what action you can take to increase your happiness. You can also consider if anything needs to change about your job/business, diet, general health and fitness, sleep or relationships.

To help you with this process, I suggest that you ask yourself “What am I no longer willing to tolerate in my life?”

You may conclude that some of your habits or routines need to be changed or released.  Once you’ve done this you can then turn your attention to deciding what healthy habits you would like to create in your life.

You may feel that you have some mental clutter that needs to be sorted and reduced. You may feel overwhelmed or that you’re over thinking things. You might think that you’re spending too much time locked in your head.

There may be some physical clutter that you need to dispose of. Clutter is defined in the Oxford dictionary “as a crowded and untidy collection of things.” Clutter can also be described as 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.

In summary, like trees shedding their leaves in autumn, you can shed anything that you no longer need, that no longer serves you or weighs you down. You can let go of things both mentally and physically.

Letting go of mental clutter will make you feel lighter and provide some clarity. When you purge physical clutter, it will create space in your life to experience new things and adventures.

Life gets simplified when you let stuff go. When you commit to change and decide to let go of things it requires some effort, discipline, and determination. You also need to be consistent in your actions to embed new behaviours and habits.

Letting go of things isn’t always easy to do.  Beginning the process and taking the first step is often the hardest one to take. However, once you act, you will create some momentum and will be able to embrace a new way of being more easily.

This particularly applies if you’re looking to change a long-held habit or behaviour. In such circumstances, it’s good to remind yourself what the long-term benefits of the transformation will be. Having clarity on how the sacrifice will be worthwhile in the long run will motivate you to act and overcome any procrastination.

This week why not take a few moments to reflect and ask yourself what you need to let go of by the year end. You can also decide what healthy habits you would like to create.

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

“Mistakes and pressure are inevitable; the secret to getting past them is to stay calm.” Travis Bradberry.

Last week’s blog, featured Vinnie Jones and how he talked about mental health challenges in his tv series Vinnie Jones in the Country. Coincidentally, I realised after I published it that last Friday was World Mental Health Day.

In the blog, I mentioned that we all suffer setbacks, challenges and disappointments in our life. In such challenging times, it’s vital that we have people that we can talk to that won’t judge us and will help us navigate a path to a more settled and smoother life experience. Also developing and maintaining a calm mind helps us to cope with difficult times.

However, there are some things that impact our ability to keep our mind calm. It can be challenging to remain calm when there’s lots of change happening in our life particularly if this is sudden and unexpected. Even planned change can be a bumpy ride in the process of getting from A to B and ultimately achieving great results.

Negative interactions, environments and news stories can have a detrimental effect on our equilibrium and stop us from feeling calm. We can easily feel pressured and stressed by having to respond to many different demands and juggle many priorities.

We have been conditioned to think in terms of instant gratification and results. Today’s fast paced society allows us access to a lot of information and resources quickly. This can leave us feeling overwhelmed and can lead to feelings of anxiety. The major advances in technology like smart phones, laptops and tablets can make us feel like we are always “switched on and connected to the external world.”

There is also a new phenomenon “FOMO” (fear of missing out) which means that many people spend lots of time connected to social media feeds in order to catch up on all the latest news and updates by their connections.

We also have rolling 24/7 news bulletins which allow for major news stories to be brought to us in wall-to-wall coverage which goes into lots of detail. Currently they are telling stories of conflict, division and suffering. Negative news stories affect our mood and impact our ability to stay calm.

All this can mean that our minds struggle to get some quality downtime and have a rest. There’s little time to process and assess information that we come across. The demands of life can mean that we have limited patience to let things unfold naturally.

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

Reduce the amount of time spent on technology

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

Develop greater patience

It is said that patience is a virtue. Having more patience helps to create more life balance and stops us expecting instant results. Letting life unfold naturally develops inner calm and reduces anxiety.

Develop the “acceptance” habit

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 allow you to gain valuable insights and allow your inner wisdom to rise to the surface.

Less is more

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 giving them superficial attention.

This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect. Consider what action you can take to develop and maintain a calm mind.

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