Archive for achieve goals
Download my 6 Steps To Lead The Life You Want To Lead talk
Posted by: | CommentsDownload my 6 Steps To Lead The Life You Want To Lead talk
Just to let you know that, by popular demand, I have recorded my Six Steps To Lead The Life You Want To Lead talk and it is now available as a 1hr MP3 download. For more details click here. http://leadthelife.net/products/audio-training/
How To Deal With Overwhelm – Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsHow To Deal With Overwhelm – Part Two
Pretend you only have one thing to do
When there are too many urgent tasks in your day or your week, the thought of them stacking up in from of you can lead to stress and mental paralysis. You can end up getting nothing done or feel too tired and stressed about what lays ahead.
If it is not possible to offload some of these tasks then just pick one that needs doing now (if several need doing now still pick just one of them) and just say to yourself “All I have to do is this.” In doing this you are switching your outlook to one thing that is doable instead of focussing on an overwhelming list.
Whether it takes two minutes, two hours or two days, it is much easier to focus on getting one thing done and completing the task than worrying about everything else. When the first task is done then apply the same technique to the next item on your list – “All I have to do is this”.
Human beings respond better to success than to failure so being able to tick off just one task as completed from your list is better than doing random bits of several activities and never feeling that anything is finished.
You can also use this approach to manage different sections of your day. For example if you have to take the cat to the vet after work and then visit a sick relative you might feel so overwhelmed about what you have to fit into your evening that you are stressing out all day about it. However if you say to yourself “All I have to do is go to work” and then “All I have to do is go to the vet” and then “All I have to do is have a cup of tea with Aunty Mary” you can give your full attention to each of these activities without worrying about what follows.
How To Deal With Overwhelm – Part 1
How To Deal With Overwhelm – Part 3
Is it better to try and fail than not try at all
Posted by: | CommentsIs it better to try and fail than not try at all
Many people spend many years doing a job that they never really wanted to do and at times can suffer deep regret at what they might have done or been. We have childhood dreams and ambitions about the person we would love to become and often vow as young people not to be like our parents and do a job that we don’t care for. Yet few people get to live out those dreams.
Of the people who do pluck up the courage, take the plunge and go after their heart’s desire many do not succeed at making a living from their new vocation. Not all writers will be best sellers, not all artists will have exhibitions at the Tate Gallery and not all musicians will have a hit record.
This begs the question: is it better to shoot for your dreams and fail than not try at all? After all, it is possible to spend a lot of time and money pursuing your passion only to end up very stressed, very tired and very broke.
If you have managed to pursue your dreams, even if it doesn’t work out, at least you have the knowledge that you gave it your best shot and if you died tomorrow you would have no regrets. On the other hand by doing nothing you will always wonder what might have been. A feeling of regret can build up over the years and can become debilitating leaving you fixated on what you should have done in the past. In its worst form this can manifest as illness, deep seated anger or addiction.
I am firmly of the opinion that it is good to find a way to pursue your dreams though it can be hard, especially initially, to create sufficient income from them. It is for this reason that I advocate not giving up completely your day job but to find a way to fit your dreams around it. For many years I have worked on and off as a part-time IT consultant and this has given me sufficient financial security but also enough time to pursue my writing and my passion for personal development work.
It may be possible to do something which gives you a flavour of your dream occupation which you can undertake alongside your day job. For example it may not be realistic for you to give up your job as a solicitor to become a music journalist but you may still be able to pursue your passion for music by writing a blog or by reviewing music via social media. There may also be activities that you can take up as a hobby which allow you to ‘scratch that itch’.
I know lots of creative people who have not got rich from their art, who often combine their pursuits with a day job and who sometimes think they are mad to keep trying but they all agree that they would be very unhappy if they had stifled their artistic urges to have a secure and ‘proper’ job. I definitely think it is better to try, even if you fail, than lead a life of regret.
