by Stacey Myers | Mindset |
The getting started part of getting started is the hardest part of getting started. (Now, that was a mouthful).
There are a lot of times in life when we do not have a choice about getting started.
We had to get started learning how to walk, learning how to talk. If we did not get started at some point on those we would still be just laying down looking around all day. We got started when we went to school. We had to get started learning the alphabet, making new friends, getting used to the routine. We are all settled in primary school and then secondary school comes along. We needed to get started all over again, making new friends, finding our way around the school.
Secondary school finishes and then it is looking for a place to go to college, university, or a place to work. The list goes on. We mostly get started all over again in life because we have to. We did not really think about it, we just got on and did it.
What about if we got started a lot more often just because we wanted to and not because we had to?
The exciting thing about it all is that getting started at something is like having a fresh start. A new challenge, a chance to experience something different.
If we look at getting started as something exciting we might be more likely to get started on all those dreams that we have put to the back of our minds. Taking the dancing class or singing lesson, starting our own business, leaving our job, getting married (getting divorced), asking someone out on a date, asking for the promotion, taking the vacation and the list goes on…
This blog article was me getting started and it is all very exciting. I have been thinking about exactly what it is that I want to do in my business, what do I want to offer to people. What I am going to do is ‘Get people off to a confident start'. That will mean different things for different people. It may be helping someone to get set up online, it could be coaching them into a promotion or starting a new business, it could be giving someone the confidence and self belief to start the seminar series that they have been putting off. Getting people off to a confident start is very exciting and I am very excited. I am mostly excited about all of the lives that I am going to positively impact through both my business and my personal life. I would love for you to be one of those people.
What exciting (or confronting) thing/s are you going to get started on this week?
by Stacey Myers | Mindset |
The television is blaring…the phone is ringing…and someone has just arrived at the door. You have stress anxiety – big-time. As a result, you may feel a loss of control. If it’s a particularly bad day, you might even feel as if there is no way out. You feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the stress you’re under.
What you may not realise is that stress management, it is entirely within your power. You may not have control over what happens in your life – but you can control your reaction to various stressors.
Of course, a knee-jerk reaction to stress may be to try to remove it entirely from your life. But this is not always possible and, in some cases, it may not be the best approach. Instead, you might consider limiting your exposure to a certain stressor. In other words, if you’re really feeling overwhelmed, can you take a break from the action? Just a few minutes outside can help clear your head, enabling you to better handle things in the long run.
Another habit that can make stress more difficult than it needs to be is all-or-nothing thinking. For instance, if you’re having trouble studying for a test, do you assume that you are going to fail? If you have a disagreement with your spouse, do you think that he or she will leave you? Such disaster-oriented thinking can make a difficult situation even more trying, even more stressful. By adopting a more realistic approach to problems, you can limit your emotional reactions.
Perfectionism may also be at the root of your stress anxiety. If you think that you have to be perfect in the office and at home, you can never really relax. In other words, you are putting yourself under unnecessary stress. If you begin to focus on performing tasks well rather than perfectly, you can establish more realistic expectations for your life. This new-and-improved thinking can enable you to face challenges with more confidence.
Losing your temper can also cause you unnecessary stress. If you are feeling as if you are about to explode, think of something calming, such as an ocean or a rainforest. Don’t give into the temptation to self-destruct. Getting angry will not solve your problem and could, in fact, create additional problems. If you feel as if your blood is about to boil, stay cool, take a step back, and re-assess your options. With a clear head, you may be able to find the solution to your problem relatively quickly. Your stress level should also drop.
It should be said that it is not easy to control your reactions to stress. It takes time, patience, and emotional effort. If you tend to react quickly to stress, you might have to teach yourself to slow your reactions. You will have to learn to make controlling your reactions to stress a habit. It is well worth the work involved. Otherwise, you could find yourself battling a stress-related illness. When all else fails, remember this slogan: ‘Take a breath and take a break’. While you might lose some time in the short run, you could benefit a great deal over the long haul. And your friends and family will notice a distinct change in your emotional reaction to stress.
Some other things you could try to help relieve stress – yoga, reading a book, taking a walk, having a chat with a friend or loved one, doing some exercise or going for a walk, buy some flowers..
Which of these, or one of your own, are you going to incorporate into your week?
by Stacey Myers | Mindset |
Many of us have goals and dreams we envision for our lives, but without self-confidence, we’ll get nowhere with them. Building up your confidence will give you the motivation you need to achieve everything you want out of life.
Here are three exercises you can do each day to gain the self-confidence you need.
Start a Journal
A confidence-boosting journal should contain positive things you accomplished that day. Most people accomplish a lot of little things in the span of 24 hours, but don’t really think of them as achievements.
By putting them in a journal each day, you see how they build up over the weeks, months, and years. You might start with the simple things – like one way you paid a random act of kindness to a stranger or three things you did that helped further your career.
It can be something as simple as holding the door open for a someone or reading a book about saving for retirement. As you look back on your entries of positive accomplishments, it will give you motivation to achieve even more.
List your Goals in Baby Steps
Instead of setting a goal to accomplish the whole thing at once, try breaking it down in tiny steps that you can meet each day. Each time you get to cross off the little steps, you gain more confidence and will be empowered to take the next step, and the next step, until you’ve achieved the goal.
If your goal is to save money for a vacation, you can plan tiny steps like placing £5 in a savings jar each day. You’ll feel good knowing you’ve been saving rather than waiting until you suddenly need to have £1,000 falling into your lap for your upcoming holiday.
Read Inspirational Quotes
Search the Internet or purchase a book with lots of inspirational quotes on confidence or self-esteem. Read one of the quotes daily and see if you can apply it to your life throughout the day.
You can add it to your journal entry. At the end of the day, you can journal it as one more positive thing you accomplished.
Which of these things are you going to try this week?
