A lesson on follow through

Like an open journal the once a week post lets me spill what tugs at my thoughts in a hundred words or less.

What I express may hit the target for another, a chance to spark an idea, a commune of like minds who are on the look out for every atom of inspiration.

Today, this lesson is for me and as I share, it may be for you.

Everyone and anyone can start the steps towards your goal,  the key is the consistency to keep going and  with the enthusiasm you had on the first day.  Here is the weak link...the follow through is the toughest part.  I can be ok for a week, maybe more but the tiny winy shiny object syndrome can grab me and pull me away from what was something important and worthwhile to deliver on my goals.

"Follow through" is the most important action to your goal design kit.Let me separate it into Parts to explain. Only 3 parts -  Parts A to C and the 2 Essentials hidden in plain sight.


Part A, you are not in the place you expected to be on that particular day.  You really do want to follow through but the whining sets in......WHY!!, on some of the days you should you just don't,  the follow through can be such a bitch.  Put the doona over my head, it's not working for me....it's the toddler coming out, or is that the inner child?  I could stop and leave the follow through. It feels like a thief stealing my options.












Part B, the restart is about your kit of strengths, your list of abilities, the memories of past glory.  I can do this, I can keep going, I am awesome! A reminder that you are an avid seeker and collector of Inspiration, how learning is fun and it is a thrill to be challenged and have the opportunities.
Of course, naturally ....  I am deliberate and careful of the choice I make, the habits to master, the thoughts I cultivate all with the purpose of doing better, being better. I am fully equipped for the next action step towards my goal.  






Part C of the follow through lesson...simple really....be kind to yourself and oh, here's a nudge, just get moving.
Call your coach, call your accountability buddy, do the exercise, catch up on sleep...whatever it takes to get you back on task.



Parts A to C  are real feelings we all have and a process we get better at, we acknowledge it happens and know what to do next.

& the 2 essentials hidden in plain sight, well .....

Follow through requires two things, one is responsibility and the other is accountability.

Part A helps to let out all the bad energy, the doubts and "what if's" that are hanging around you

 You acknowledge there is a problem and take responsibility

Part B is necessary to take stock of all that is good and possible and you are more than ready

You strengthen your determination, you take stock of how far you have come and what it will take to get there.

Part C is making sure you see self care as your fundamental right.

You take action, first for yourself and then action what is required.

Seeking Opportunity

Seeking Opportunity 

When you are in a situation that feels so bad and you feel you are in a place where you think there is no way out. The place you have found yourself in has so many limitations and hardships, it is difficult for you to continue, don't give up!  

Seek the one small seed of opportunity, it could be one small crack of possibility. 

Keep looking, it is there.  When you decide to start seeking, you start seeing opportunities.

Remember, the glass half empty or glass half full to describe your level of optimism or pessimism towards life.   Right now, it may look half empty.

The description has been used about seeing your life from the perspective of a glass half full, when you just know there is better, you are the optimist and the flip side of the glass half empty and all you see is what is wrong, the pessimist.  

What if you see the glass as always full? The best perspective for seeking opportunity is to see the glass as always full.  The opportunities are there, some you see and some are unseen.  Yet they are always there, you are the adapter.   

You look at the limitations in your life with a completely different perspective, you see your life as the glass always full.    

When you prepare your intention to create something better for your life and design your goals to determine your path, you don't set out to do it with the attitude of maybe.  The glass half empty pessimist will talk themselves into it is not working, it's not happening, things don't work out for me, something or someone is holding me back. They struggle at the early stage and see quitting as their only option. 


The glass half full, the attitude of the optimist can get you moving and believing and enjoying the ride, but that takes you only so far. Now add the attitude of the glass is always full, the adapter and the limitations and set backs are transformed into opportunities. You step out with the intention that it is done,  trust that what you see and what you are yet to see will deliver.  

Ok, you now see the glass is always full.  Limitations are seen as possibilities - the setbacks as opportunities.  To keep your focus on the opportunities stick with these behaviours - determination, resourcefulness, be adaptable and flexible.

You want to know what these three look like, you can certainly look to people you admire and who reveal these behaviours in their actions. 

For me, the simple lesson is in nature.   

A walk in the forest, and a path near a river or ocean has all the signs to show you what it is to be determined, to be resourceful and to be prepared to adapt and be flexible. 

The quiet times spent outside offer you the best lessons to apply to your life and realise your glass is always full.  

Keep looking it is there. 

When you decide to start seeking you start seeing opportunities.

Do you doubt what is possible?

The ideas and beliefs you have about you and your world are planted in your mind and heart.

Be aware and choose carefully what you plant and nurture.
A seed of doubt that is planted and nurtured within you is designed to restrict your limits.
A seed of trust that is planted and nurtured within you is designed to open you to possibilities.

Two Gardens

In this garden

the seed of doubt was planted

the seed was nurtured

strong roots were left to weave and take hold

tendrils grab at your wrists and ankles

you hide from the light

the garden of doubt take the false comfort that this is good enough

this garden

its too hard to pull away

its too late to trust different

doubt is your shield

you are always hungry and dry

you hear a cry and have forgotten this is your voice

Doubt strangles any dream of what is possible

In this garden

the seed of trust was planted

the seed was nurtured

the garden of trust has strong roots to strengthen and grow

it seeks sunlight and change

this garden's energy lifts

listen carefully and you hear life

there is ease and momentum

there is colour and courage

You see clearly, you expect the best

Trust now lifts and opens the possibilities

Readiness to Action Your Goals

Is there anything you have ever wanted to master that you have avoided for reasons like "I am too old", I'll never be good at that", "it would be a waste of time" ," I don't have the money to make it happen", 'goals are too hard".....

Are you willing to let your life change?
Are you willing to make the necessary choices?
Are you willing to take charge of your life?

The mechanics of creating the goals can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it.  

Just be aware that the process and plan you choose is not meant to hinder your progress or take you off your path or feed into procrastination and diversion.  

It is a time waster and frustration pit if you are stop at the setting stage and baulk at seeing your goals come to life.  Your bright inspiring vision and intention is left to wither in the background.


Your decisions are important and you have spent valuable time to get this far,  you want to make sure the next steps help you keep the momentum and assist you to action your goals.

Watch out for these warning signs

• Spend too much time on the wording of how your goal is written.
• Seek validation from others on IF your goal is achievable.
• You need to add more skills and learning before you can start.
• Easily change your goals to suit others.
• Forget your goal and need to keep looking it up.
• Difficult to believe in a future that you can't experience yet.
• Force yourself to be motivated.
• Look for ways to excuse yourself from the plan.

The biggest problems I have encountered with goal setting is to ignore those warning signs. Warnings do not stop you, they are not obstacles. Treat them as a Readiness Reminder and you are designing your life on purpose.

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not hope, not a wish, but a keep pulsating desire which transcends everything". 

Napoleon Hill

Be Ready to Action Your Goals, when....

• Your WHY is crystal clear. You dream about it. It is a part of your every moment.  
• The Vision you have for your life has clarity.
• You are accountable to yourself.  It is important to you, that you don't let yourself down.  
• You keep the promises you make to yourself. You own the goals you want to make happen.  
• You work backwards, that is start at the finish.  See your goals as completed.  Tell yourself what you have accomplished and how you did it.
• You use the distractions and self talk as your feedback. They are not obstacles. You use them to build a better self awareness. 

Need to know more? Check out these posts....

Leap from Vision to Goals

Turning Goals into SIMPLE

When self belief is bright

What to do when goals don't happen

Clearing the way

Who else has the overwhelming urge to start new and clean out the stuff you have been holding for some time?

A new year comes and it is what I want to do most of all. The de-clutter bug attaches to you and you somehow know that it is the first thing to do when you want to start a new project, have a fresh start and begin something new.  The act of letting go of what is of no use to you in the physical and in the emotional sense is a real demonstration you are ready for new possibilities.

I have tried a few ways to de-clutter. Random clear outs to the no emotion attached, so it goes system.  I have just completed the 27 items for 9 days, yes 9 days and don't miss a day, otherwise you have to start again.

Every day for 9 consecutive days, I either toss out, give away or sell and it has to be 27 items.  When you do the maths that is a big 243 items.
It is not only the 27 times of cds, magazines, clothes, pots, well anything that was of no use to you anymore, it was the discipline to keep doing it for 9 days.

It went from fun, to serious to challenging, but I did it! Cupboards are cleared and the bonus was as i was putting together the 27 items each day it was also clearing my thoughts.  It has this dual effect while cleaning out the rooms, I was also thinking abut what is best for me and how to expect better. I was feeling thankful and free and enjoying the great buzz you get when you give away items you know will be of use to someone else.
 
The 27 items for 9 days is a feng shui principle of letting go of old energy for new energy to come into your life.  I found the power was  in the consistency of  9 straight days of letting go and what follows is to trust that something better and more suited to me is coming my way.  I have created space!

When you look at the background of why 27 and why 9 well the number 27 comes up in physiology, astronomy, as well as in myths, legends and religions.  27 is regarded as the premier number and 9 is the point where one cycle ends and another starts. It represents in feng shui fullness and transformation of heaven and earth, the symbol of celestial power & the number 9 never changes, no matter how many times it is multiplied by itself.  If any number is multiplied by 9 the resulting digits always add up to 9.   We have used 9 in the common phrases like a stitch in time saves 9, a cat has 9 lives, cloud 9 is the ultimate happiness.  

& what about the number 27....

• Human skin cells regrow every 27 days
• Human hand contains 27 bones
• The sun rotates on its axis every 27 days
• The moon orbits the earth every 27 days
• According to Incan legend there are 27 roads leading to the lost city of El Dorado
• 27 pieces in a rubiks cube

At some point, you have to let go, let go of the things, the thoughts, the past, the life that no longer is giving you fulfilment.

I loved the challenge of 27 items for 9 days to remove the clutter, to close down what is not working  and create the space to recharge a new beginning.  I will be using this simple feng shui method next time.

Just for Today

Leap from Vision to Goals

 The new magic of a new year can get you all fired up and excited for what you want.  

To clear that path of putting off and have a certainty that this is the time to make things happen.

It is new year and you are keen to make it happen.

BUT....New can happen anytime, you know you can choose to fix your sight on better on any day in any part of the year.  It is best not to rush into it, or you may pick up someone else's dreams.  This time of year you can get caught up in the hype of resolutions and want to "fix" rather than follow your own beat.

Here is what I do when I want decisions to stick and to take that leap from a thought, a wish, a want, a dream and to set the scene of my vision into solid action goals.

1. Build from your WHYs

There are certain priorities we all have in life, some of those priorities shift in their importance depending on the circumstance.  Our health, our finances, our relationships, the work we do and the big question of what do I want for my future.  How do I design my life that is good for me and for others?

The priorities that come to the front, I ask WHY, 50 WHYs for these priorities.  Not one or two, but 50, stretch my thinking and my emotions and when done try for another 50. The strength rises in the meaning and the worth of what I want and the vision of my story is real.  I love this part and it is a list I love to read again and again.

2. Your WHYs set up your stories

My many WHYs energise the feeling to purposely create the mental images I want to see in my life. Visualising every detail of the future gives it reality and will cultivate that certainty of you know that you know and obstacles will not get in your way.

I have set up the blueprint of my reality because of the vision I have created in my mind and the leap from vision to goals is now packed with a lot of energy and determination.

3. Live and practise your story

It is common practise in many fields of sport and business to include visualisation in preparation for coordinating the next big thing.

Imagine the preparation of a long jumper, who is getting ready to take the large leap. Watch how the jumper walks to the line, deep in thought, looks intently at the path ahead, visualising how their steps, their actions get them ready to take the leap, the mental picture of strong strides, leap and land then jump for joy at their success.  It is "as if" it is already done.

The preparation for the jump started long before the event, each leap requires the tuning of mind, body and spirit.  The preparation is essential and the leap naturally follows.

This is not a one-off story that you are creating.  One time is not a great help when you want to take the big leaps from vision to action. You visit this reality many times, practise your moves, what you are doing, who you are with, what is your world like, many details to help your mind and body know what to do and to be your natural way.

4. Goals are created

Your goals now are not plucked out of the air.  You have mapped it out in your mind, you have already lived it. Your words on paper flow with the actions you have set up.  You have prepared yourself for the leap from vision to goals.

What to do when your goals don't happen.

Have you had goals that you started out with such great enthusiasm?   The stats are out there....the greater majority of people put a lot of planning into their goal, and we like to use the new year to start up goals and yet within the first month it is already a fading memory.

You can count me in that group. I have reached goals, nailed them really well and on the flip side I have set up goals that just fizzed out.  I needed to ask myself why do some of my goals get to the end and others barely make it over the starting line?

What is the difference between a goal that is accomplished and the goal that goes nowhere?

They all start out the same.

🌱Enthusiasm for the goal.....check

🌱 Put together well....check

🌱 Heart in the right place....check




They all start out well, and every one of them has the best chance of getting done.

Like so many others,  I can be creatively amazing for leaving a particular goal behind and find many good reasons or excuses for not paying attention to a goal.

Criticism of your actions or lack of action is not a step in the forward direction, so leave that one alone and pay attention to the difference between what is working for you and what is not to improve your moves to achieve your goal.

Let's look at how you can gain a higher success rate for a goal achieved over a goal that fizzles out.

1. Notice the emotion you attach to what you want in your life.

It always starts out as an inside out job when you are designing the goals you want to achieve in your life.  You really, really want to make this happen. You made the decision to want to have better in your life. It is a deep seated feeling that you have. You are determined. You know that you will make it happen.
 If there is just the slightest whisper in your mind that you don't want to put in the effort, pull back and adjust the goal.  Don't let it go!

2. Dream big and start small.

So many benefits to dreaming big. It all becomes possible in your mind and it is the springboard to move you from imagining to reality.  Your thinking, what you believe to be true and your skills and abilities will need to catch up, so start small.
The small successes will create a big impact on your confidence. It will be the daily actions that will make the big difference for goal success. It is your project and you can break it down to many small steps to make it happen.  Small steps prepare you for giant leaps.

3. Look for habits that will serve you.

When it means so much to you, that everyday your goal is in your thoughts, then you will look for ways to create the habits that lead you towards making it happen. This is not the time to second guess if you should or shouldn't, or if it is too hard to do, your attention is not on the excuses that follow the first thought to take action. Your first thought to make it happen is your best thought. As you practise new ways of doing, they become your new habits.  Just do it.

4. Keep your goal close to you.

Worse thing to do is write your goal, put it in a folder or drawer and out of sight.  It is not meant to be kept safe, it is meant to be seen in big letters, in pictures, on stick it notes, notes on the mirror, anywhere you can be reminded about the why for your goal. When you wake up in the morning, what is important for you to do today that will get you closer?  When you go to bed at night, what dreams will you have about your goal? Keep it close.

Last word -  View success as a side effect.

There is a lot of joy available to you, when you focus more on the journey rather than the feeling that your goals are a job to do, tasks to complete, actions to make happen.  
 Ok, this is the secret sauce!
The purpose of goals is to unlock your best future. You are continually developing your amazing and your goals help to shape how you want to be, what you want to attract in your life and how to give back.  The journey you are on to turn the goals you have designed into reality will mean more to you than the goal itself.  It turns out the goals you are designing and the goal that is achieved is just a side effect of living your best life.  

Gift yourself the space to reflect

Christmas is only days away and a real mixed bag of feelings can come to the surface.

 'Tis the season to be jolly and yet it is also the season ripe to think a little deeper about how you see your life.
It may or may not have been a great year or it may have been a real challenging year but it is a year you can learn from and take your new knowledge into a brand new shiny New Year.

This time, right now can work in your favour.  The year can be filled with the busy routine of your life, not much time to indulge in reflection and to have a focus on just you. It is time to give yourself a gift.

Gift yourself the space to reflect on what was and what can be.


This time, you can make the time to dig a little deeper into what will work better for you as a new year approaches.

 So, it is with the end of one year and the beginning of another you can start reflecting on what was, what could have been and what will be.

Caution! There can be a tension between who you are today and who you want to be tomorrow and that tension gap can easily turn into frustration.  To make sure this doesn't happen,  see that gap as a challenge to create more, to learn more, to be open to possibilities that expand your world.





Here are Nine mighty gift tips to help embrace the gap and shake up the jolly season.

• The first step is always to look inside and create your beautiful life.
• Flex your creative imagination to focus on what you want for your future.
• Muse over what is working in your favour, right now.
• Chuckle over the falls and mistakes and know that next time you will do better.
• Think about where do you want to invest your time.  We see time going so quickly, so how can you make it an investment.
• Use "I can" and "I am" more and know your skills and abilities.
• Continue to encourage your thoughts on what you love, what is valuable to you.
• Focus on the loved ones in your life, and the beauty of nature to lift your energy.
• Set up your fresh targets for the new year.

First Aid for Problems

Problems are seen as a negative in our life.
We want  to get rid of the problems and dream of a life without problems.  I would't say I love problems in my life but I know I need to have them. I even create them.
Diamonds and pearls are created because of friction, tension, irritation and pressure. Problems can present the same environment of friction, tension, irritation and pressures. What if you look at the problems as shaping your life, a life as beautiful as diamonds and pearls.


The problem comes because there is the gap between what you have and what you want.
The problem is when you do not like what you have and you want to get away from it.
We all have problems, whether we are in a good place or not, we want to create, get away, progress to something better.

A life without problems is not real.  If you are saying you have no problems, then what are you doing with your life?

How you look at, action, make sense of your problems is the remedy.  It isn't to have a life without problems, it is to have a life where problems provide a catalyst, a learning curve, a change in thought. A problem is an opportunity to shape your life.

I don't buy in to the phrase "there are no problems, only solutions" , I am more into the phrase "every problem has a solution".

Hands up, who has had a tough time or lots of tough times?  That would be everyone, 

so you are not alone.

There is not a lot of comfort in that, because your problems are your private nightmare. You want to know what first aid you can do to help you feel better, be stronger and able to manage through these tough times.

Here are first aid tips to keep you on top of the event or situation.

**Safety is your first priority.

To be able to handle any problem, your first priority is your safety and the safety of others. If this is not an issue then you focus on the problem, learning and remedy.

1. Stand Tall.  

Yes, now is the time to think about posture.  This is a first aid benefit to  make sure you are in a good space to see the problem positively. No head bowed or fingers in the ears.  When you stand tall you breathe better, you see into the distance and you are taking the posture of someone who is in control.

2. Clear the thinking.

If you are having thoughts of blame or feeling like the victim, or someone's fault or some one owes you, then your problem is magnified and you won't see a solution.
You will only get short term sympathy.
Get a reality check on what you are thinking.  You want better, you expect better, You are responsible for your solutions. Practise and reinforce your positive emotions.  Look for gratitude and appreciation.  Those positive emotions create a  trickle down effect to improve the clarity of thought. Thinking clearly is a necessity when you are handling a problem.

3. Look at the problem from all sides.

When you look at your problem from other perspectives, you are expanding your understanding of the situation, pulling it apart and putting it back together and usually in a different way.
It is adapting the 4 NLP perceptual positions and applying to your problem. Start with what is your personal view of the problem, then how does it look from another person's perspective. The next position is to stand back and be objective about the problem, and then in the mirror, look at the big picture and how would you react to yourself.  When you look at the problem from all sides, the problem tends to lose its power over you.

Now, you are getting ideas, seeing things differently and solutions are coming. Remember, solutions don't always come in one size fits all or a one application cure.

It would be very rare if you are a problem pioneer. 

Someone else has had a very similar experience. 

It's ok to say you need advice or talk it through with a valued colleague.  

Help is always very near.

4. The future state.

Problems can come with frayed emotions and stress symptoms. Plus, the past can really hobble how you handle your problems. You know the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things and expect a different result. Take a trip to the future you.

The future is the place you invent and the place you create to see the problem reaching its best solution. You may not have all the detail, but the future you invent is all the feelings of the situation working out well.  This is going to help you focus in the present to choose what serves you and drop what doesn't. It is going to help you create the best solutions for you.

The problem now has developed into the catalyst for learning and a better future.

Diamonds and pearls are not made perfect overnight.

Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info