Positive Energy - How Do You Access the Information That Will Help You?

October 2007

Dear Anne

Welcome to another edition of Positive Energy from Milecastle Consultancy. This newsletter is my way of sharing some of the exercises I’ve developed that can help you to feel motivated, energised and positive. And from the feedback I receive, it certainly seems to be working. Thank you to everyone who gets in touch. Please do keep sending me your comments and sharing your success stories! You can email me or call me on 01697 747 821.

Last month we looked at why you should set yourself goals. I know from your feedback that it motivated many of you to take up the challenge! So this month we’re going to explore where you can find the information and resources that will help you achieve your goals.

If you want to remind yourself of last month’s newsletter topic, then visit the website at www.milecastle.co.uk to view back issues. And don’t forget to forward this on to anyone who you think would find it useful!

Best wishes,

“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.”

Winston Churchill

Information minimises risk and helps you to achieve your goals quicker. You could compare it to preparing a room before you decorate. If you take the time to empty the room, cover the floor and furniture, wash the walls, and do all the things you’re supposed to do, then you’ll achieve a far more successful result (she says speaking from experience!).

In the same way, if you take the time to research and plan how you’re going to reach your goal, you’ll find it a lot easier in the long run. You’ll also minimise the risk of failing.

I certainly don’t want to hold you back or give you an excuse not to launch yourself at your new challenge. Collating all the information you need to get you started is an essential part of the goal reaching process. It’s a way of avoiding potential pitfalls. So don’t use it as an excuse to procrastinate! Get planning and make sure that the direction you’re taking is the smoothest and quickest route to success!

And here’s how you do just that…

It’s time to whip out your magnifying glass, don your deerstalker and awaken the super sleuth in you. To get the information you need to help you achieve your goal, a bit of detective work is required. There are three main information sources that hold the key to your success. Investigate them each fully and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll uncover.

People. This is no time to hide your ambitions under a bushel. If you share with the world what you want to achieve, you’re bound to get more than a gentle nudge in the right direction. Talk to as many people as you can about your goal. Ask advice and pick as many brains as possible. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Resources. Now we’ve got the World Wide Web, accessing information has never been easier. But don’t forget there are other important resources available. You could visit your local library or perhaps there are specialist magazines, reports or leaflets available that will give you the information you need. Take some time to research what’s out there.
Organisations. There are lots of organisations that could also help you. It’s worth looking up trusts, agencies, associations, clubs, networks, unions and support groups. You can contact them for advice and they may well be able to send you some useful information or put you in touch with someone who can help.

Try to unearth as much information as possible. It may seem a daunting task to start with, but I promise you, if you go about it the right way, on the whole people will bend over backwards to share what they know and help you. It’s incredibly empowering. So don’t delay. Set some time aside to start your detective work today.

Lesley Harris wanted more time off.

Lesley attended one of my Springboard courses recently. She was struggling to negotiate more time off work during the week. She wanted to work less hours so that she could do all her household chores, enjoy some time for herself, as well as have time to join with the many family activities at the weekend. She spoke to other women on the course who had already achieved this to find out how they did it. She also discussed with the citizen’s advice bureau how reducing her salary would affect her other benefits like tax credits. She also got advice from the union about what her rights were. When she approached her HR manager she felt much better informed and with HR’s support she approached her boss. Lesley now works 4 days a week and is much happier with her lifestyle. What’s more, because she’s more relaxed, she’s also a lot more committed during the time that she is at work.

Powerful Networking by John Lockett – This handy little book will really help you get to grips with the people side of your information gathering.

The Tao of Motivation by Max Landberg – When your information search is flagging just pick this up, select a chapter at random and get a real boost!

Ready for Anything by David Allen – This time management guru will really help you get focused on what your information search needs to deliver.

Click on the title to see where you can buy each book online.

And here are some links to helpful posts that I've written in my very own BlogPositive:

Just ask

Create it first in your head

Who is motivating the motivators?

By the time you read this I will be working with women in Kashmir on their development. This is a special thing for me to do and I am really pleased to be able to go - even if it has all been a bit last minute getting visas sorted, agreeing an itinerary, arranging jabs etc.

I’m keen to bring women’s development to a wider audience internationally. What’s interesting is that wherever I have worked in the world and at whatever level in an organisation, I have found that women share the same issues. They generally lack confidence and self belief, put other’s needs before their own, particularly in relation to their career, and they fail to speak up about their own issues.

Do you know anyone who can help me to generate confidence and self esteem in more women? They may have charitable funding available or be part of a corporate social responsibility team. They might be women managers looking for a better kind of leadership development where they can work with women in different cultures to learn from each other. Or they could be a travel company or manufacturer that wants to put something back into the communities that they work with. Whoever they are, we want to talk to them about giving more women the tools to make positive changes in their lives.

In next month’s issue of Positive Energy we’re going to move forward from goal setting and look at how to build your confidence in being assertive. If you can’t wait a whole month then you can get regular support through BlogPositive.

Milecastle Consultancy Ltd
Tel: 01697 747 821 Email: sue.hewitt@milecastle.co.uk Website: www.milecastle.co.uk
Milecastle Consultancy Ltd, 1 Rose Cottages, Gilsland, Brampton, Cumbria CA8 7AP