What Do You Want From #2021 (And Who Stands In Your Way) ?

January 11, 2021January 10, 2021Leave a comment

(Feel free to like and share if you enjoy this post)

This is the time of year when we make changes. Getting healthier; making savings grow; changing our job: these all feature on people’s To Do lists.

Maybe you made a 2021 Resolution yourself (if so, how is it going)?

The hardest part of making change happen is taking a first step, having stood still for a while (weeks / months / even years).

The biggest obstacle to getting started can be other people, especially when they are important or influential figures in our lives. There are ways around people who want to block our growth.

Take a look at my video on the subject via Youtube if you need to think about working around the people getting in your way. What strategies do you use to keep moving forward? Don’t forget to comment, like, share and subscribe if you enjoy what you see.

All the best – Roger

3 Steps To Getting Stuff Done

February 1, 2020Leave a comment

Nothing betas the feeling of getting stuff done – Photo by **Rakicevic Nenad** from **Pexels**

Wow.

We have made it to the end of January.

Blue Monday is behind us.

Eleven months lie ahead.

And that is a lot of space for completing goals.

To be fair I’ve accomplished one of my main 2020 goals already (there are plenty left on my list).

This was one I had put off, as there is some pain linked with it, which made it harder to deal with.

Anyway, my method to get even the painful stuff done is simple;

Clearly define what needs doing

Set a specific time aside to do it and

Line up a reward for afterwards

What works for you? You can share your secret to success on Twitter @RogerD_Said

What Should We Do To Enjoy A #Happy New Year?

January 6, 2020January 6, 2020Leave a comment

Inspiring image of a climber — Where Will Your Next Step Take You? – Photo Credit smswigart via Morguefile.com

We all want a happy new year.

Don’t we?

At the start of the year advertisers make the most of that fact. They tell us that:

If we join the gym we can be healthier.

Moving home will make us that much happier.

Our lives will be even better if we start a new job.

But investing in those changes means accepting there are happiness gaps in our life (affecting our Health, Comfort or Career) and that these gaps need to be tackled.

Gap filling tools include, self help books; trusted advice; even blog posts.

Speaking for myself I am going to make more time this year to keep score. By that I mean taking time to assess my life to work out where the happiness gaps are. If an area scores 5 out of 10, or less, then I have to move it up a notch. I will set a goal, agree some actions, relate the actions to dates and get started. I’ll write about the results here.

I hope this post helps nudge you to sit down with a cuppa and score the important parts of your life out of 10, to work out what you can change.

Feel free to comment on your goals here, or share your thoughts in a tweet @RogerD_Said

Here’s to a great 2020.

5 Tools For #Success In Tough Times

May 30, 2019May 30, 2019Leave a comment

How Do You Start Moving Towards Success? Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Wow, it is almost the start of June and there are 215 days left until the new year.

There is no way I can predict what will happen between now and then, any more than I could have anticipated what I have had to deal with so far in 2019 (the list includes bereavement, bureaucracy and building new relationships).

Having said that I have found the following 5 points to be important in achieving success with my goals even in tough times (I hope you find them useful too):

Openness – being prepared to ask for help before being overcome by feelings of overwhelm.

Sharing – letting others know what is happening and what it is teaching you.

Listening – I have found paying close attention to what people are saying, beyond the words they are using, has been very helpful.

Humour – this can be difficult, but finding the lighter side of a dark situation can help with keeping things in perspective.

Forgiveness – we all make mistakes and no one is perfect. Getting hung up on the harm others have caused us reduces the time we can spend making a positive contribution to the world.

What are your top 5 success tools? Which one do you go to most often? Feel free to Like or Share if this post has struck a chord.

Remember These 5 Truths When The Going Gets Tough

April 30, 2019April 30, 2019Leave a comment

5 Ways To Put Problems Into Perspective (Photo from Rawpixel.com on Pexels.com)

Phew! We’ve made it through the first third of the year.

Hopefully there are more good days in those four months than there are bad ones. In case the next eight months don’t all go well here are 5 upbeat thoughts to remember when the going gets tough and goals seem out of reach.

Our friends can give us great support, if we are not too proud to ask them for it.
We can find new people who will understand what we are going through by using social media.
We might have forgotten about today’s crisis in 6 month’s time.
We have overcome hard times before, so we can definitely do so again.
Once we have got past this problem we will be able to help others who are struggling.

Are there any other points that should go on the list? Feel free to comment, like and share if this post is helpful.

What’s The One Word Behind A Successful #Goal ?

January 2, 2019January 1, 2019Leave a comment

To Change We Need Support Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Happy New Year,

I hope 2018 treated you well.

At this point in the year anything is possible. To be fair that’s only true if we accept one word into our lives: change. Our results will stay the same if we do what we always have done. We can only set a goal and grow if we accept the need to change, the support of others and the rough times that come from moving out of our familiar situation.

There’s a George Eliot quote which fits this theme nicely:

It is never too late to be what you might have been

This is a call to shake things up a bit, in order to achieve better results and fulfil our potential. I’ll be following that principle in the weeks ahead, as I want to share this kind of information more widely, helping more people. So please, Like and Share where you find this content useful.

How about you? What’s the area in which you would like to make change happen for yourself? What goal are you pursuing to make that growth possible? Feel free to leave a comment here or tweet @RogerD_Said so others can benefit.

For now, all the best for the year ahead.

Roger

3 Actions To Take To Make Our #Goals More Effective

December 24, 2018December 24, 2018Leave a comment

Goal Setting Ideas For The Year Ahead – Picture From Pexels.com

Christmas is nearly here. So a big Thank You is due to all those who work through the busy holiday period, making it less stressful for those of us coordinating parties, presents and people.

Everyone has ideas about how to be productive during busy times. I think there are 3 key principles we should hold on to, especially when we are surrounded by people wanting our attention, our commitment, or our energy. We should:

Aim to take care of our own needs first, so we can be better at helping others.
Be patient with people who resist change, or who are only thinking about themselves.
Choose our battles, so that when we say ‘No’ that answer is heard and respected.

I think these ABC actions help, whether our goal is to thrive during the festive season or make change happen in the year ahead.

Feel free to Like and feedback if you try these principles out and they work for you (or share this post with someone who needs it).

Have a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

What 3 Lessons Can We Learn From Comicbook Heroes ?

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018Leave a comment

What Did You Learn From Stan Lee ?

I discovered the Marvel universe as a kid, when a mate loaned me a copy of an Avengers comic book. I loved it. I went on to enjoy the art bringing the adventures of dozens of Marvel heroes to life. Decades later I’m grateful to the inspiring vision of the late Stan Lee for all that joy. He said his goal for Marvel comics was that

“…someday an intelligent adult would not be embarrassed to walk down the street with a comic magazine”.

Mission accomplished. Marvel’s creative output would not be seen as ‘for kids’ but would successfully have something to say to the rest of us too. He achieved that goal and more. Many of us have owned trading cards, magazines and now films that are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What Are My 3 Take Aways From Marvel’s Storytelling?

Teams rely on diverse talents to create exciting outcomes (what would Stan Lee’s characters be without Jack Kirby’s pencils…or the X Men without the Professor’s detachment and Logan’s passion)?

Strength isn’t about muscles ,it is about depth of character (take a look at Iron Man issues 120 to 128 in which Tony Stark deals with his alcohol dependency) Being aware of our own strengths and development needs gives us an edge

Leaders set the tone for the people around them , creating a healthy environment where colleagues can try different approaches, fail and learn from mistakes (think about how much room to operate Phil Coulson gives the agents of SHIELD)?

What have you learned about life by discovering the Marvel universe? Feel free to have your say by leaving a comment.

Excelsior!

3 Reasons To Make #TimeToTalk About #Wellbeing

February 5, 2018February 5, 2018Leave a comment

Time To Talk About Health And Wellbeing (Picture Credit Pexels dot com)

A new year means we can take stock and make time to change our lives. We can make time to pursue goals that improve our work performance and our life outside the 9 to 5. So, this is a great time to talk about improving our (mental and physical) health and well-being.

With life being a hectic mix of commitments and claims on our time, it is important we practice self-care. Doing that helps us care for customers, colleagues and community too. Here are 3 good reasons that show how time devoted to self-care helps us reduce the pressure that contributes to mental health difficulties:

Connection

No one achieves all their goals alone. We are social beings and when we help others we are keeping the door open to ask for help for ourselves. By being part of a healthy community or team, we are investing in our own well-being.

Protection

When we respect our own boundaries, we make self-care a priority. When we make time for ourselves we can be calmer than when we are overwhelmed by others’ requests for our time.

Reflection

The time we earmark for ourselves is the resource we can devote to reviewing our goals, forming support networks and sharing the benefits of our personal growth with loved ones and friends.

How Will You Use This Knowledge?

Thanks for reading this post. I hope it makes a difference to your performance this week. What is your secret for safeguarding your mental well-being during a busy time at work? Add your comment and deepen this conversation.

Feel free to add a Like too if this has been a useful discussion and please share this post with someone who could benefit from reading it.

Thanks Roger

4 Steps To Help You Reach Your New Year #Goals

January 1, 2018Leave a comment

Get On The Road To Your Next Goal (Picture Credit Morguefile.Com)

Happy New Year!

You are not along if you feel daunted by the reality of more than 360 days in your 2018 planner.

It is possible to change the course of your life in that time. Here 4 steps to get you moving toward your next goal.

First, get specific about the area you are going to work on. Chances are, like the rest of us, you have a bunch of areas you would like to tackle. Many people think about setting goals regarding Health, Finances or Work for instance.

Why not write down all of the key themes running through your life at the moment. Score your satisfaction with each one out of 10. Whatever area scores 6 or less would be a good place for goal setting (if there are several tied in that group choose the one that feels most like it needs your attention).

Let’s suppose you want to enjoy a higher standard of health by running regularly, like a former coaching client of mine used to. He identified a positive benefit to following his goal (he could reconnect with running buddies and raise money for charity by taking part in an event later in the year).

Second, list the resources you can already access to tackle your goal. Resources include the people you know, the skills, you have, the wider knowledge you can tap into.

Set some boundaries / milestones up in your planner. Use it to show what you will do to work on your goal, with whose help and when. This visualisation will help you focus.

Third, run a reality check. Given the pressures on his average week it wasn’t always practical for my client to train more than once a week. This meant he had to adjust his plan so as to make the progress he wanted to achieve, without feeling his ultimate goal was unreachable.

Fourth, celebrate each improvement made along the way. We can sometimes care so much about crossing the finishing line that we downplay our improved performance at each stage.

Thank you for reading this initial 2018 post. Leave a comment, Like or Share if it has helped you so you can help others. I’m interested in what you have to say and others will be too.

Until next time, have a great day.