I was listening to someone this morning talking about old radios and how we used to have to twist a dial to get the station we wanted (those of you of a certain pre-digital age will know what I mean here) and then a lot of the time, twist it again very carefully in order to eliminate interference in the sound and get the best possible quality signal. Then there was positioning the aerial – that was another part of the fun.
I love this quote. I put it on my Facebook page a few weeks ago and it really resonated with people. It struck a chord with me, not least because it drew me back to my childhood and how my parents would always say to me “just do your best” (rather than try to be perfect). A good lesson which, in adult life, has helped me go a bit easier on myself when I mess up! Well, usually anyway – I’m not perfect at this 🙂 Continue reading
We all have what I like to call our “autopilot mode” – and it’s usually set to “on”.
It’s robustly self-programmed over the years of our life and it dictates how we usually respond to things.
Our autopilot is very often our friend and helps us act quickly to protect us from danger. If someone throws a rock at me, my autopilot will quickly make me try to duck out of the way! Good autopilot! Continue reading
What a simple statement and yet a profound one.
It’s easy to compare ourselves with other people isn’t it? Especially those we perceive to be doing “better” than us. It gets even more complicated when we consider different aspects of our life e.g. work/career, relationships, finances, health etc. Whilst it’s good to have positive role models, I think there is a fine line between taking ourselves in a good direction (similar to them) and trying to be someone we simply aren’t – and this is one of the areas in which the art of comparison can get distorted and become counter productive. Continue reading
I love this quote from Sir Ken. Makes sense doesn’t it?
Why then, do so many frown on imperfection and the consequences of getting things wrong and making mistakes? Despite our contemporary rhetoric of the virtues of tolerating diverse views, ideas and beliefs, an intolerance of “error” seems to remain in many walks of life and is especially prevalent within the cultures of a lot of our businesses.
This week, I’ve started to read a book by Sonja Lyubomirsky called “The How of Happiness”. So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it – it’s practical, well written and comprehensively researched.
The “Happiness Industry” is a growing phenomenon and it’s easy to find a LOT of information and viewpoints on a subject that’s dear to everyone’s hearts – We all want to be and/or stay happy. Continue reading
I came across this quote a few days ago and it made me think.
Sometimes I think we set goals that are a bit too safe … too achievable.
Of course, it’s wrong to set goals that are unachievable, that we have no control over, that will floor us as soon as we begin to work on them… perceived wisdom on great goal setting says that our goals should be realistic as well as motivational so that we have enough confidence to start.
But maybe we can get too ‘realistic’ at times and limit our aspirations before we’ve given them the freedom they deserve?
And why do we do this? I think the quote above gets to the heart of the matter. In reaching our ‘big’ goals, a lot of change will usually have to happen within us. Changes in our attitudes, confidence, levels of resilience and persistence…. and much more. This means we’ll be on an exciting as well as scary journey, so it’s natural that our fear of the scary part creates resistance and this in turn can make us rationalise (rational lies?) that the goal is impossible and therefore not worth ‘dreaming’ about.
The trick is to dream big and set the seemingly impossible goal anyway – write it down, think about it, visualise it, share it with those you trust and who you know will support you.
Then break it down into smaller goals and steps with specifics, dates and actions and start on the first step without worrying too much about the other ones which come later. When we break things down like this, giving ourselves the right timeframes, things can suddenly seem far more achievable.
Once we start working on the first small part of the big goal, we start working on becoming “the person who can”.
How often do you get to the end of the day and ask yourself “What have I done today?” or “What have I achieved?” I can get so busy and preoccupied with “what’s next” that I don’t even ask the question and by the time I do, I struggle to remember!
It’s worth doing though. A little bit of self-reflection can work wonders in bringing out the best in ourselves. I’m not talking here about spending long hours in deep thought or dwelling on past “ifs” and “buts”. Instead, it’s more about recognising the good things from the day and for any challenges or difficulties we encountered, how we might do things differently next time.
Of course there are lots of tried and tested ways to help with this. For example: Continue reading
Many years ago I read a popular self-help book called “What to say when you talk to yourself”. The book is all about “self talk” : how the things we tell ourselves and others make an impact, both positively and negatively, on how we live our lives. It challenges the reader to examine their own self talk and modify it. For example, I remember at the time thinking about how I normally reacted when people asked me “How are you today?” I’d usually respond with something like “Oh, not so bad” – a bit of a negative expression really. So I resolved to make a new habit (which has lasted since then) of responding with something more like “Good thanks” or “I’m OK”. This helped lift my spirits and therefore made a positive difference for me as long as I what I was saying was “true enough” and not too “overdone”. Continue reading