What are you waiting for?

I’m astonished to find that it’s been a year since I last blogged.  There are no excuses (although I made plenty up along the way) but rather than ignore the fact that it happened, I’ve decided to face it head on and blog about it.

You’ll see in one of my previous blogs “It’s a Knockout” that I talked about overcoming those slippery obstacles that prevent you from getting things done.  At the time, I spoke about how to deal with those little jobs that are never completed because you tell yourself you don’t have the time.  That is just one example of an obstacle.

This year has taught me that another reason for putting off what ‘can be done today’ is fear of not moving on.  My personal circumstances have changed dramatically in 2010 and whilst having dealt with those and looking to the future, I was finding it extremely difficult to open up my laptop and login to my website to update it.

There was an obstacle.  It was a feeling.  A fear.

When I launched my website I was in a very different place, physically and mentally.  This year, there are many things I have put on hold or ‘dusted under the carpet’ thinking I would deal with them later.  My website was one of those.  What if by doing the things I was doing this time last year, I regressed back and after all my hard work I was back to square one?  What if it brought back all the feelings that I was having at the time?

“What if?”  As Harry Hill says on a Saturday night THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!

So today, I have bitten the bullet and do you know what? It feels great to be back on here.  There are no feelings taking me back to a not so chirpy time.  I’m still in the present which is a fantastic place.

Forgive me for such an indulgent and personal blog but I wanted to share this one thought with you.  Sometimes we feel that it’s too late to do the things we’ve been meaning to.  Whether its updating your website or contacting an old friend, it’s never too late.  If I’m honest, I’ve been putting this off for six months and maybe I wasn’t ready six months ago but since then I’ve thought to myself, it’s been  too long now.  I’m so glad that I opened my laptop and faced my fears.  It’s good to be back.

So, is there something that you’ve been meaning to do for ages?  What’s stopping you?  Remember it’s never too late. If I can do it, you can too.

Review YOUR 2009!

We’re fast approaching the final month of the year.

Who’s going to admit it? At least one of us has said “I don’t know where it went!” It’s almost as traditional as putting mince pies out for Santa!

Have you actually considered what you did achieve this year?  Whether it’s in business or your personal life, what can you honestly say you are proud to have accomplished in 2009?

The beginning of a new year can start with great intentions filled with New Year’s Resolutions and comments such as “This is the year it will happen”. The question is, at what point do we review the last twelve months, allowing ourselves to celebrate successes and use our experience to improve?

The answer is NOW!  Grab a piece of paper and a pen…..

What were your three principal ambitions for this year?  In no particular order, write one at the top of the page, another in the middle and the last near the bottom.  Underneath each, write the answers to the following:

• How successful were you on a scale of 1 to 10?
• What would have made the difference between the score you gave and a 10….or an 11?!!
• How often did you monitor your progress?  Would it have been helpful to have done this more often?
• If your priorities changed throughout the year, did you adapt your goals to ensure they were still realistic and achievable?
• Did you use all resources available to you?  What or who else could you have used?

Take five minutes away from these questions to make a cup of tea, check your email or make some calls.

……go on, put the kettle on!

Now, imagine the answers you have in front of you are not yours, but those of a colleague who has requested your help. They’ve asked for your opinion on each of the points and are in need of complete honesty to help them improve for the future. What would you say to them?

• Do you think the scores they gave were fair?  
• If it wasn’t a 10, was something holding them back? 
• What obstacles prevented them from achieving each of their goals
• How could they have overcome them?
• In what way have you seen them progress and grow this year? 
• What do you see as their main achievements?

Finally, I’d like you to raise your mug (you DID make that tea, didn’t you?!) and congratulate yourself on everything you achieved during such a testing year – here’s to even more success in 2010….CHEERS!!

It’s a Knockout! – Overcoming those slippery obstacles

I often hear clients giving themselves a hard time for neglecting to do something that they’ve been meaning to do for ages.

When I ask them how high it is on their priority list and what time they’d set aside to do it….there’s usually a silence.  This hadn’t been a consideration.

Ask yourself, have you ever reached the end of yet another week and thought ‘Oh, I’ve forgotten to do that AGAIN!” – I know I have! 

Now ask yourself is it because you forgot, or is there something stopping you from doing it?

We often set ourselves our very own ‘It’s a Knockout’ style challenges without even knowing it!   The little Stu Hall voice in our head is telling us we need to climb over that inflatable plastic castle but meanwhile we’re covering it in water and washing up liquid making it harder and harder to get up. 

Although we may blame others for putting these challenges in our way,  in reality it’s usually ourselves that are the culprits.  For example, one of the obstacles or hurdles that I hear clients use is that they just don’t have the time.  In these situations, try this:

• Write down in one sentence what it is you want to achieve, using language that assumes it has already been done.  Ensure it is the final step of what you want to accomplish.  For example, write “My car has passed its MOT”, rather than “I will book my car in for an MOT”
• By the side of this, put the date of when it will be completed ensuring it is achievable and realistic. 
• Now make a note of the steps you will take to achieve that goal.  Really break it down into bite size chunks.
• Put dates AND times of when you will complete each step, remembering to check your diary to ensure you’re still being REALISTIC about your availability.  If by doing this the end-date has to be extended then so be it! 
• Now add each task to your diary.
• Last but not least – get on and do it!

Think about the obstacles you’ve overcome in the past, something you’d put off for ages…when it’s finally done there is usually a sense of relief, a weight off your mind and you think “that wasn’t so bad after all!”

One of the key points I learnt from using this method is setting a date and more importantly a time for the tasks.  This would go in my diary like any other appointment.  This works so much more effectively than just saying “that should take about an hour” and then never committing to which hour that will be!

Try this technique out and let me know how you get on!

You can also contact me via my Facebook group hgcoaching  or search for me on Twitter @hgcoaching

Warmest Regards

Holly

Welcome to hgcoaching blogs!

I would like to extend a very warm welcome as you join me on my new adventures in the world of blogging!

Here at hgcoaching blogs, you’ll find regular updates exploring effective ways to achieve the results you want – fast!

The majority of  my clients are small start up businesses who I work alongside as a Virtual Colleague enabling them to focus on the key areas of their business and quickly reach their targets.

HOWEVER!!….if you don’t fit into that category but still have an area of your life that you want to improve, my tips and tools are effective in ALL areas of life. 

So, if there is something that you’re working towards but don’t seem to be getting there as quickly as you had hoped, or if you’ve had an idea but just don’t know how to begin implementing , then please come and visit us here for hints, tips and motivation! 

Alternatively, forward your email address and we’ll happily send out these regular updates straight to you!

I look forward to hearing your feedback and comments

Warmest regards

Holly