Positive Energy - Practical Steps Towards Changing Your Life

August 2008

Dear Anne

It's the summer (apparently)! What better time to take the bull by the horns and make some real changes in your life? In this month's newsletter I'm going to show you four practical steps that are guaranteed to put a spring in your step and help you leap towards your goals. So, if you're not 100% contented with your life, then read on!

Have we ever met? Are you one of my Positive Energy readers who hasn't actually attended one of my courses? You can make much greater progress in your life and your career if you work with others on a personal development programme. You can find out more by visiting www.milecastle.co.uk. Alternatively you can email me or call me on 01697 747 821. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time,

Sue

Are there any aspects of your life that you'd like to change? Do you find yourself worrying that you never seem to be contented? Well stop worrying. You're not alone. And what's more, wanting to make positive changes in your life is no bad thing, so long as you're 100% prepared to do something about it.

When you've identified something that you want to change in your life, then you immediately have a personal goal. Goals are great! They give you something to strive for and the good news is you can have a lot of fun as you take the steps towards achieving them.

I have four favourite steps that help me achieve my goals. I regularly have to remind myself to follow them, but the good news is they really do work. I hope you find them useful!

Positive Practice

Step 1. Make decisions – Procrastinating on decisions will really hold you back. If you don't have a gut instinct for a particular decision, then try this method:

Result – ask yourself what result you want.
Retrace – look at the end result and retrace the steps that you need to take to get there. Write them down.
Resolve – take that first step. Don't hang about. Just do it.

Step 2. Face your fear – Change can be quite frightening. But being frightened isn't necessarily a negative state. Why are theme parks, horror movies and dangerous sports so popular? It's because they're exciting. My advice is to stop focusing on your fears. Top athletes would fail at the first hurdle if they let their nerves get the better of them. They focus on one thing – winning. I want you to focus on the end result and go for it!

Step 3. Simplify your life – Are there aspects of your life that are preventing you from reaching your goal, such as work commitments, family commitments or money matters? It's time to stop making excuses and find solutions. Remember, you are entitled to achieve your goal. It may take time and energy to find the right solution, but do whatever it takes. Now is your chance to make that change in your life!

Step 4. Use your inner strength – Nobody feels strong and positive all of the time. You have to learn to accept this, but at the same time you need to build on the feelings that do make you feel more powerful. Don't ever apologise for feelings of guilt, fear, isolation or stress, but do learn to deal with them better. Here are my top tips:

Listen to your body. If you're prone to stress or feelings of unhappiness, learn to recognise the signs and try different ways to combat the feelings.
Take time to list all the positive aspects of your life. Write them down and remind yourself of them every day, especially when you're feeling low.
Always take the time to acknowledge your successes (no matter how small) and ALWAYS reward yourself for them.

Follow these four steps and see the changes you can make!

For more practical help on achieving whatever you want to acheive, take a look at the free worksheets you can download from my website. Click here to see what's available.

Fiona from Horsham rewarded herself.

When Fiona attended Spring Forward she was feeling stressed. She had established a new department at work. It was running well, was profitable, the staff were very happy, but Fiona always felt stressed. When she took a few steps back and listed everything that she had achieved in the last 5 years she was astonished. She had been so wrapped up in continually getting things done that she hadn't celebrated any of her success. She took some time out for trips to art galleries and the theatre, established a new weekly ritual with her partner to appreciate each others achievements. In a couple of months she felt much calmer and more in control.

What Can You Read?

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. I make no apologies for recommending this book again. It does what it says on the tin, helps you overcome the fears that are getting in the way of your well deserved success.

Change your Life with NLP by Lindsey Agness. NLP can be very powerful and this accessible book will help you make decisions, focus on your inner strength and overcome the blocks that might be holding you back.

The Book of Luck by Heather Summers and Anne Watson. Success is not about luck. This book will help you look at the characteristics of successful people and map those across to that thing we call luck.

What's Happening?

One for the boys

You may know that there is a brother programme to Springboard called Navigator. This is for men only! There's a free taster event in Stirling for managers and potential participants that will give you an insight into what you could achieve with Navigator. The event is on Wednesday 10 September from 12.15 to 4.30pm. Contact me by phone or email me to book your place.

Calling older workers

Are you treading water at work? Do you feel overlooked? Is life passing you by? Are you wondering how to keep motivated for the next 5, 10, 15 years at work? If this is you then come along to our Fresh Steps programme in Manchester starting on 21 October. For more details or to book you place click here.

Positive Praise

“Sue you are one hell of a trainer, and I've known a few!”

Regina, Toulouse

In next month's newsletter we'll look at practical ways you can make sure you enjoy the changes you've made in your life – and sustain them!