20/01/2011 by Christophe.

There are many ways to do or achieve something and of course, some people tend to be better at reaching goals than others. So does that mean they are better at it than us? Maybe, and maybe not.

Of course, it can be very useful to understand what motivates us (the stick or the carrot, the importance of what we personally think or what others think, what’s possible to gain or necessary to do and the routine or the difference in your every day life) to find the real motivation to achieve some objectives, goals or projects.

And here, it might be important to consider how we approach tasks. Do we get easily overwhelmed by the quantity of work or effort involved? Most of us do. Do we find excuses or distractions to stop us getting into it? Some will probably agree.

What can we do?

If you think about someone wanting to stop smoking 40 a day or to run the marathon: they are unlikely to go from 40 cigarettes a day to zero or from 0 miles to 26 miles and 385 yards straight away! They will most likely approach the challenge one small step at the time, decreasing by 1 cigarette a week, for example, or running a few miles more a week.

What difference does it make if you start thinking of the goal, the objective, as a destination and the work as a list of small manageable tasks?

What difference does it make to be able to concentrate on one small task at the time?

What difference does it make to notice that each small steps completed is a step closer to your destination?

What difference does it make to realise that you are making progress?

Posted in Life Coaching | 1 Comment »

03/01/2011 by Christophe.

‘It’s Christmas time again… we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!’

What are you feeling about Christmas?
How much are you looking forward to it .. or not?
What are the most important things about Christmas?

It is the time of year where decorations are covering our streets and our shops, where Christmas lists are growing longer, where we are overwhelmed by advertising, and where we are running around to do our last minute shopping. For some people it is an exciting time but for others it is a stressful one.

For example, it’s easy to imagine two very similar families having two very different experiences. The first one is organising a Christmas meal with the whole family, just like every year and everyone has been looking forward to this special time of year to be able to spend time with the people they care about. The second family is wondering how they are going to manage to please everyone and avoid arguments, disappointments and stress.

So how can we make Christmas a more enjoyable moment for all?

The first thing is to remember that what ever we try and how ever much we try, it is probably true to say that we won’t be able to please everyone. It can help to think about the following guidelines in order to change the way we approach and spend this time of year.

1-    Everything can change

It is NOT because it happened before, that it has to happen again. We just need to believe that there are a huge number of ways to make any moment a more positive and enjoyable one. If you can change, so can others.

 2-    Forget the past

We all have the ability and choice to leave behind, forget, throw away or burn all the memories that could stop us enjoying ourselves. If we can’t forget or live with the past, then we should ask ourselves how useful or important (really!) these memories are in helping us enjoy this special moment.

 3-    Enjoy simplicity

Enjoyment and pleasure are so dear to us but we don’t benefit because we tend to look for something else, bigger and supposedly better. So just look for the simple signs in your everyday life… a smile, a look, a kind word, a welcoming gesture, the warmth of a handshake, the laughs…

Christmas could be about presents, food, drink or what’s on TV, or it could simply be about enjoying the small things in life with the people who care for us.

As Christmas gets closer, start looking now for the simple signs of happiness, enjoyment and pleasure in your life and become more and more aware as the days and the weeks go by. And on Christmas day, you will notice how much more enjoyable this special time is, and how much you will benefit from the vast amount of small pleasures Christmas brings.

Enjoy Christmas!

Posted in Tip of the Month | No Comments »