Well, that was a first! Never having experienced an earthquake before, we had absolutely no idea what was going on as we were shaken awake in the early hours of this morning! Rushing around the house looking for...well, I've no idea what, but we felt we should be looking for something. No other houses in the village appeared to have their lights on, so we decided there was no more we could do and went back to a fitful night's sleep.
It was only when we caught the 7am news that we realised there had been an earthquake, it's epicentre only about 60 miles from us. And it was then that the 'phone calls started. Sometimes it takes a shock like this to make us realise just how many people care.
That also taught me something, that I shouldn't wait for something bad to happen before I let people know that I care. The Universe does work in strange ways and there are things just around the corner that we can't possibly predict. So I'm off to call up friends and family who I haven't spoken to in a while, just to say hello.
Wednesday 27 February 2008
Friday 22 February 2008
Taking action (or not)
Hello and welcome to Friday!
I have started re-reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – in it are the ‘secrets’ to financial success, gleaned from over 500 of the richest men in the USA almost 100 years ago. I’m taking notes as I read, starting to plan what I need to do next.
Ever bought a ‘self-help’ book, CD or DVD, read or listened to it once then put it on the shelf? Why is it that we don’t always take action? Is it because:
We’re just too busy getting on with our lives?
People might laugh at us?
It’s ‘happy-clappy’ nonsense?
If it worked, why isn’t everyone doing it?
We might fail?
We might succeed?
Mmm, any of those sound familiar?
Over the past 7 years I have spent a huge amount of time and money on self-education – I have travelled to seminars as far afield as the Bahamas, Fiji, San Diego, Docklands; I have walked across burning coals, broken thick wooden boards with my bare hands; learned how to invest on the stock markets, invested in property at home and overseas; worked in network marketing; retrained for a new career, moved home, learnt a new language, started up a language forum, become a volunteer business mentor…I look back and even I am amazed at how much I’ve managed to do.
I began to think about the payback my investments – both time and money – have reaped. I also wondered why I chose to apply some of the things I learned and not others. And why did some things excite me when others didn’t?
There’s a saying that ‘the book you don’t read won’t help you’. I’d go beyond that and say ‘even the book you do read won’t help if you don’t take action’.
So, how do we create a spark inside ourselves that spurs us to action?
For me it’s either pain or pleasure.
If it hurts me – mentally, physically, financially, or just my pride – then I will do something about it. On the flipside, if I can imagine something bringing me pleasure – for me that’s about having more freedom, free time, being able to travel, making others smile – then that also spurs me on.
One of the first things I remember hearing from Tony Robbins back in 2002 was ‘with awareness comes responsibility’ – for me that has been key to taking action. That, and the fact that when I spend my hard-earned money, I want to feel I’m getting value. Value for me isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about using that knowledge to create something – whether it be an income, a business, better quality of life or just to be a better wife, friend, daughter…
What can I do today to take action?
Think about a time when you just jumped at the chance to do something – what was it, how did it feel, where were you, what did you say to yourself? Who was influential in that decision? What was the outcome?
Take some time now to write down some notes to remind yourself about that time – if you really want to start benefiting from your knowledge, don’t deny yourself these few minutes.
On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you now, today, in terms of having put into action all the knowledge you have gained (1 being haven’t’ use any of it, 10 being ‘I have implemented everything I’ve learned’)?
Wherever you put yourself on that scale, let’s call it ‘y’. Now, all I need you to do is think about getting from ‘y’ to ‘y+1’, so just one small step up that scale.
What small action can you take today to move you to ‘y+1’?
As a Coach I have discovered that it’s the small steps that make the difference. Take one small action today, then another small one tomorrow, and so on… You will be amazed how far you have gone in just a week!
If you have bought books, CDs and DVDs over the years and they are sitting on the shelf, do yourself a favour – either re-read them and take one small action today, or sell them on e-bay – either way you will benefit!
I have started re-reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – in it are the ‘secrets’ to financial success, gleaned from over 500 of the richest men in the USA almost 100 years ago. I’m taking notes as I read, starting to plan what I need to do next.
Ever bought a ‘self-help’ book, CD or DVD, read or listened to it once then put it on the shelf? Why is it that we don’t always take action? Is it because:
We’re just too busy getting on with our lives?
People might laugh at us?
It’s ‘happy-clappy’ nonsense?
If it worked, why isn’t everyone doing it?
We might fail?
We might succeed?
Mmm, any of those sound familiar?
Over the past 7 years I have spent a huge amount of time and money on self-education – I have travelled to seminars as far afield as the Bahamas, Fiji, San Diego, Docklands; I have walked across burning coals, broken thick wooden boards with my bare hands; learned how to invest on the stock markets, invested in property at home and overseas; worked in network marketing; retrained for a new career, moved home, learnt a new language, started up a language forum, become a volunteer business mentor…I look back and even I am amazed at how much I’ve managed to do.
I began to think about the payback my investments – both time and money – have reaped. I also wondered why I chose to apply some of the things I learned and not others. And why did some things excite me when others didn’t?
There’s a saying that ‘the book you don’t read won’t help you’. I’d go beyond that and say ‘even the book you do read won’t help if you don’t take action’.
So, how do we create a spark inside ourselves that spurs us to action?
For me it’s either pain or pleasure.
If it hurts me – mentally, physically, financially, or just my pride – then I will do something about it. On the flipside, if I can imagine something bringing me pleasure – for me that’s about having more freedom, free time, being able to travel, making others smile – then that also spurs me on.
One of the first things I remember hearing from Tony Robbins back in 2002 was ‘with awareness comes responsibility’ – for me that has been key to taking action. That, and the fact that when I spend my hard-earned money, I want to feel I’m getting value. Value for me isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about using that knowledge to create something – whether it be an income, a business, better quality of life or just to be a better wife, friend, daughter…
What can I do today to take action?
Think about a time when you just jumped at the chance to do something – what was it, how did it feel, where were you, what did you say to yourself? Who was influential in that decision? What was the outcome?
Take some time now to write down some notes to remind yourself about that time – if you really want to start benefiting from your knowledge, don’t deny yourself these few minutes.
On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you now, today, in terms of having put into action all the knowledge you have gained (1 being haven’t’ use any of it, 10 being ‘I have implemented everything I’ve learned’)?
Wherever you put yourself on that scale, let’s call it ‘y’. Now, all I need you to do is think about getting from ‘y’ to ‘y+1’, so just one small step up that scale.
What small action can you take today to move you to ‘y+1’?
As a Coach I have discovered that it’s the small steps that make the difference. Take one small action today, then another small one tomorrow, and so on… You will be amazed how far you have gone in just a week!
If you have bought books, CDs and DVDs over the years and they are sitting on the shelf, do yourself a favour – either re-read them and take one small action today, or sell them on e-bay – either way you will benefit!
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