Got Any Apples Needing Picking?

It’s autumn and I LOVE this time of year. It always feels like a time of great renewal for me when I plan my year. I do also have winter hibernating tendancies and I love to stock up the larder and freezer and generally bustle around ‘playing house’.

It’s also a time of plenty in the garden. This year in particular my two apple trees have produced a huge glut of fruit which have been hanging over me somewhat reproachfully, as I haven’t actually made more than a couple of pies. Apples are so plentiful here in Somerset that it’s almost impossible to find someone who hasn’t got masses, or access to them.

Of course, in a month or two they won’t be so abundant, so I feel compelled to do something with them now. But the sheer scale of the operation is so daunting that up until now I have just had it on my ‘should do’ pile.

Which is a bit like life in general isn’t it? Sometimes there are just too many possibilities, or a task seems so huge, that we just never get around to making a start and the apples go to waste (or to the birds and wildlife).

However, my choice isn’t a stark one between make hundreds of apple pies or none, although in my head it had become that. I don’t have the time or the energy at the moment to make my over ambitious number pies using all my apples so (in the spirit of the 30 minute rule) today I am going to make three. One to eat, one for my Mum, and one to freeze.  And having made a start, I may make a few more later in the week. The important thing is just to start…

Got any ‘apples’ that need picking this week?

Are You Following YOUR Dream?

I know it sounds like a daft question, but if you feel you never quite achieve some of your aims and aspirations ask yourself,

‘Is this my goal, my dream, or have I taken on someone else’s? Is this something I really want to do or is it something I think I should be doing?’

For example, when I’m coaching we’ll sometimes find ourselves ‘stuck’ at a particular point with the coachee reluctant to take the steps needed to fully realise their ambition.

So here are some of the coaching questions I often ask in order to help them tease out their level of motivation:

• What will achieving this goal mean for you?
• If you achieve this goal what else will it bring you?
• What might stop you having what you want?
• How will achieving this goal affect other people in your life?
• What or who do you think is biggest barrier in fully realising this goal?
• If you could wave a wand and achieve your goal right now, would you be happy?

If you’re feeling a bit stuck with your progress, try honestly answering these questions. Try and visualise yourself having achieved the goal and see how your life looks. If you listen to your inner voice you should know whether this is something YOU really want.

Create Your Own Visualisation

There are several ways of using visualisations: the common denominator is that they should help you in some way.

I use them a lot in my courses and coaching, sometimes for relaxation, sometimes to help achieve goals, and sometimes to get into touch with your inner wisdom or intuition.

D.I.Y. Relaxation

Often when I’m coaching I’ll design a personal visualisation for my client for them to use as they wish but you can easily do your own!

First decide what you want it to do for you. If it’s to relax and unwind then think about what unwinds and relaxes you best. For example, the imagery of sea and beaches is often used but if all you feel is gritty sand in places you don’t want gritty sand (!) it definitely won’t relax you! You may prefer to be indoors in the lap of luxury, or you may choose a real place where you were relaxed and at peace, and conjure up the memory.

Achieve Your Ambition

If you want to use the visualisation as an aid to helping you achieve your dreams  you need to be specific and honest with yourself about what achieving that dream means.

If it’s rising to the top in your organisation then see yourself in that role. The more detail the better: see how you’re dressed, who is with you, what your office is like, etc. When you feel dispirited just take yourself there for a few moments.

Or if you are trying to change your body shape, lose weight or get fit, imagine yourself exactly how you want to look and being happy with your new body.

If you can create a realistic  and inspiring scenario you can tap into into when your motivation is lacking.  Just close your eyes and take yourself there. It gets easier the more you practise!

But remember all visualisations work best if you ease yourself into them and allow your breathing to slow and relax first (There are some instructions for that in this post)

Write It Down

I suggest you write it down and rework it until you are happy with it, and then record it, speaking slowly and calmly. If you don’t like the sound of your own voice then maybe ask a friend – you could do one for each other! Load it onto your MP3 player and you have your own ready made motivation class at hand!

If you have used visualisations do let me know how they work for you! And if you have something that works better, please share that too!

Celebrate!

Celebrate – It’s Good for You!

Are you a good celebrator? When did you last really celebrate and appreciate all the good things in your life?

Sociologists the world over have noted that we humans need to mark significant events. We have all sorts of ceremonies to help us note changes in our lives: weddings, funerals, baptisms, parties, birthdays and so on.

Don’t Wait

But we don’t have to wait for the next big event. Even the smallest of our successes deserve marking, maybe  just rewarding ourselves with coffee with a friend after a tricky piece of work.

Difficult Times

If you are in the middle of a difficult period, know that it will come to an end, and plan for how you will celebrate your coming through. Having something nice to anticipate will help you through it. Just think how much pleasure you can get out of planning your annual holiday, months before it actually happens. The same principle applies.

And if you have just come through a difficult time in your life, pat yourself on the back for getting to the other side and plan a small celebration. It may just involve you, it may involve others – you decide!

Never Too Late!

Think back over the last few months; have you missed any opportunities to celebrate? It’s not too late!  The good thing about celebrations is that you can have them at any time. So, don’t wait for the next family wedding (or funeral) to have a get together. You can organise one now!