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Dawn Barclay

Helping you align all that you do with your core values

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What Are Core Values? (+ Workbook)

October 13 Dawn

We careesy-coachy-helpery-trainery-people types talk a lot about being or sitting in alignment with your values: knowing who you are, and living authentically.

A lot, lotta, lotta, lot. Mega amounts.

But there’s good reason.

See, they play a great big whooping part in every area of your life, career, business, family, relationships — the whole picture.

Lots of people can state what’s of importance to them, and what they value but not always know their core values.

There’s a difference?

Yes.

Explain.

Okay.

Well, some people weigh up all their values as being of equal value, with no priority.

Example: The happiness of a child (yours even) being given the same value or weight as being able to eat my favourite cake when I want, is not the same.

Let me show you what I mean with a game:

All you need to do is agree or disagree.

Think about them for a few seconds first.

Can you sit on the fence?

Nope. It’s my game. So play fair.

Ready?

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

  • It’s okay to go to bed without having brushed your teeth.
  • Same sex marriages should be legal in every country worldwide.
  • It’s totally acceptable to pick your nose in a public place.
  • Life should mean life in a prison sentence.
  • An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
  • Eye contact must be made at all times.
  • Money doesn’t buy happiness.
  • All politicians are liars.
  • All religions cause wars.
  • It’s survival of the fittest.

Whether you agreed or disagreed will depend entirely on your value system.

Our values are a little bit like an internal navigation system. Guiding and leading.

They are a system in perfect working order: (I didn’t say effective because sometimes they aren’t), working even now as you read this they’re the central HQ of how you choose and what you decide, how you behave &  how you act.

Core values underpin how you live your life.

They assist you to answer, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What do I stand for?’

They are unspoken rules and regulations, terms and conditions by which you have agreed to and ultimately live by.

Whether or not you consciously consult or are aware of them isn’t important, they are the captain of what you do, what you believe as the truth.

Some will serve you, others will hinder you.

Some will be glued and fixed rigid, unmovable, others more fluid.

Some were handed down to you, others you learned along the way.

Some will have changed over time, others will have grown stronger.

You may find when they are being challenged by others, you’ll defend them.

Sometimes, you’ll be swayed by the values held by others and amend your own, or refuse and deepen yours even further.

You’ll look around (sometimes unconsciously) to seek evidence that your values are the right ones.

Where do they come from?

Oh, we could be here for a-g-e-s.

A start…you’ll have been shaped by your upbringing: where you were raised, how you were raised, what you experienced. Some are social, some are political, others are cultural. You may hold values that are swamped in history: values held by your ancestors, that have been handed to you down through generations.

Seriously?

Yep.

They will have been gathered via your beliefs and norms, you will have learned your values from what was acceptable and non-acceptable in your schools, playground, and workplaces.

You have been conforming and forming your values for years.

You will have placed a value base on almost every area of your life.

Is there a difference between values and core values?

They are deeper.

Much deeper.

Finding them, or identifying them isn’t too hard. Look for what triggers a very strong emotion in you (anger, love, hate, jealousy) there will probably be a link to a core value wrapped up there (the workbook will help).

Here’s an example of how deep our core values go:

For the best part of ten years, I wrote and delivered a 6-week program for individuals wishing to enter the role of Support Worker (supporting other people who required support).

For this role, the person had to have strong core values surrounding equality, inclusion, person-centred working, respect, dignity, diversity, empathy…just for starters.

Asked at the interview, ‘Why do you want to work as a Support Worker?’

80% of the time the answer was to help people.

80% of the time that usually wasn’t enough.

Why?

Core Values

Having answered that question I would then ask questions about the actual role such as:

How would you support someone with high support needs, who uses a wheelchair and wants to go rock climbing?

How would you support someone taking a bath?

Core value-laden questions.

When an individual would reply to the wheelchair question something along the lines of ‘well, they wouldn’t be able to’ or ‘I’d try and find something else for them to do’ or ‘tell them they couldn’t maybe take them to a local park instead‘.

Those answers gave so much away about their core values: about freedom, choice, opportunities, and equality. The values just weren’t there.

The bath question, if someone replied ‘test the water’ or ‘would I have to do that?‘ again, a clear indication of the persons’ core values. No mention of dignity, respect, the right to privacy.

Can you see the difference?

See, you can pretend for a while, but ultimately your core values will be exposed.

What about your life, career, business?

I believe knowing your core values helps you make better decisions, better choices.

They are your guide, your map, and compass.

  • If one of your core values is authenticity, how would you feel working in an environment where everyone wears masks, back stabs, gossips, and comments?
  • If another was family time, how would you feel if you worked in an environment where it was expected you would work late, put in extra hours, work overtime?
  • How about if one of your core values was to be treated with respect and dignity, and yet your boss was a tyrant a belittler, an aggressive monster, or your partner ignored you on a regular basis?

They do matter.

To live a life 24/7 where you aren’t ‘in alignment’ with your core values is challenging.

  • Perhaps one of your values is independence and freedom, how do you feel when someone makes decisions (even when it’s well meant) about your life without your consent?
  • Maybe one of your core values is honesty and integrity, what happens when you find someone has been lying to you?

Coach yourself

Discover your core values. Know them, learn from them, embrace the ones that serve you, move away from the ones that do not serve. They will show you why you behave and act in certain ways. They will have you manage conflict and see other people more clearly. They will shine a light on what really matters to you. They will explain to you why you feel what you feel. 

If you want to read more and purchase the Core Values Workbook click here.

Solopreneur Interview #1 Theresa Delgado Smart Marketing Small Business

October 7 Dawn

First up in the new solopreneur series ‘If I Had to Start Over‘ is Theresa Delgado (cue clapping) from Smart Marketing Small Business Small Business.

Known as ‘T’, we met online a while back, she is one of the most helpful, supportive, encouraging and warm peeps I’ve come across…I know her as a woman of many passions (like us all!). She previously worked in pharmaceuticals, and now helps small and solo business owners get smart with their marketing including social media.

I wonder if it was a massive career transition.

Let’s find out…

 

Theresa Delgado – Smart Marketing Small Business

T! Who are you, explain what you ‘do’ and the biggie what made you decide to go solo after years in the corporate sector?

Well, the transition to helping entrepreneurs grow their business was actually fairly seamless with my sales background.  I spent over 20 years in sales and marketing and corporate training within the pharmaceutical industry, and then in 2005 I was laid off.

Seamless?

Yes, as a pharmaceutical representative your territory is essentially your “company”.  You have a company message to deliver; however, it’s up to you to dig deep and uncover the needs of your customers, communicate the benefits of your product, and move the relationship forward.

To me, the Internet is a great avenue for entrepreneurs to accomplish the exactly same steps.

You can actually can put yourself on par with larger companies, if you market yourself properly.

What made you choose this business over others?

Online marketing for business started to interest me because of the ability to reach so many people in a very targeted fashion.  ‘Traditional’ marketing is done by mail, telephone, cold calling etc. This avenue of marketing yourself takes a lot of time and money.

Also, you’re marketing your service or product to everyone in that zip code, telephone list, etc.  A huge majority of those people just won’t be interested in your solution and all that time (a precious commodity) and money are wasted.

Of course, there will be people who do want your offer, it’s about being really smart, working a plan and finding them.

The Internet and social media can help you market your business much more efficiently (even locally). If you have a targeted plan and properly carry it out, you will reach exactly those customers who are looking for your product or service.

Also, without a doubt, the benefits of publishing strategic information (awesome helpful content, like a blog) on the Internet works to market your business for a very long time and builds as time passes.  Every entrepreneur should take advantage of that marketing tool.

Okay,  here’s the biggie, if you had to start over, what would you do differently?

More planning.

I always recommend that if you’re planning on starting a business online (or off) that you develop a plan.

Sometimes this takes time because you don’t know the area you would like to focus on; however, it is time well spent.

Every entrepreneur needs to hone in on their skills and what they enjoy. 

Once this is accomplished it is a lot easier to form a focused business.  You don’t want to waste time and energy chasing a business model that truly doesn’t interest you and doesn’t allow you to grow.

What was the best piece of advice/learning?

Persistence, patience and purpose. 

Starting a business whether a brick and mortar or on the Internet takes time to build and grow.  Too make people with great marketable skills give up because they think that building an online presence is easy and the clients will come running.

The way to set yourself up for great success is to have a well thought out plan and work your plan.  Every entrepreneur needs to set benchmarks for success. Benchmarks will allow you to track your progress, show the success you’ve achieved and keep you motivated.

What drives and motivates you?

Watching as my clients achieve success.

Seeing the growth potential of a business and putting a few calculated strategies in place to make this happen.

Every business model is different and depending on the goals of the business owner, strategies change.  Suggested techniques depend on the individual and the business.   However, entrepreneurs generally want to know how to grow their business and get the most from their marketing efforts.

What do you wish you knew at the start?

Stay clear of the ‘big empty promises’, especially online.

When you start to research all the possibilities of marketing a business online people generally come across all the “get rich quick” gurus.  Listening to all these promises can get a little discouraging because you know if it was that easy, everybody would be raking in the money.

You begin to wonder (and doubt you’re own abilities) if having a legitimate online presence is possible.

My advice to people just starting out is, “Don’t get discouraged by all these empty promises.”

A legitimate online presence is possible, but it takes patience, persistence and perseverance.

Shout Out: You can find Theresa at smartmarketingsmallbusiness, follow her on Twitter @TheresaDelagado or on Google+ http://gplus.to/TheresaDelgado. She also has a free 20 part free email course on youtube The Art of Video Marketing.

 

Solopreneur Interviews ‘If I Had to Start Over…’

October 6 Dawn

Tomorrow, we’re starting a series of interviews with solo business owners by solo business owners called ‘If I Had to Start Over: Lessons from Solopreneurs’.

(Until I can think up a jazzier title!)

Every Friday (if peeps are ready with their ditty) there will be someone who at one time was just ‘starting out’, someone who has been in your shoes, and with lessons to share.

What’s been really amazing while inviting peeps to contribute is the comments they’ve made:

  • ‘Oh, think it’s about time I shared my mistakes’
  • ‘Right, I’ll admit my errors, no shame’
  • ‘It’s time to expose what I was in denial with!’
  • ‘Yep, I can share a few lessons (learned the hard way!)’

So, it should be good, em, fun!

One person’s mistake is another’s lesson.

If you want to know when they’re out (they will be posted here every Friday) follow on twitter, or Facebook.

Now, On Making Mistakes

I didn’t ask for ‘mistakes’, but then I suppose ‘If I Had to Start Over…’ is translated to ‘here’s what I did, and wish I hadn’t!’

Here’s the great news about making mistakes in your little biz: nobody is going to sack you.

Here’s the bad news about making mistakes in your little biz: nobody is going to sack you.

If I ‘d been an ’employee’ of me, I would have had plenty of reasons to boot my very bounc-y-fied butt out the door long before now.

(Singing: Mistakes, I’ve had a few…too many to mention” Oh, no, the right word is regrets, not mistakes! See?)

In business, you’re probably going to make mistakes, nah, you will make mistakes, blunders, screw-ups, bad decisions, or find yourself slapping your forehead a few times saying ‘doh, doh, doh!’

Get used to it.

Over the years I’ve made plenty (and I’m not alone), from the teeny ones that were quickly rectified and probably didn’t really matter anyway.

To the whoppers.

Whopper definition: Something exceptionally big or remarkable.

These have included money whoppers, partner whoppers, mindset whoppers, website whoppers, tactics whoppers, selling whoppers, contract whoppers, marketing whoppers, time whoppers, comment whoppers, networking whoppers — ach, this is going to go on forever!

Whopping is going to happen.

And you know what? Every single solo business owner has whopped at some stage.

Folks are just good at keeping them hidden.

Rest easy, while your bruising your own cranium, there are other doing the same.

Now, there will be certain whoppers you can do without the ones that waste time and money.

One day I’ll tell you about the day I ordered leaflets 250,000 (with dates on), because it was a good ‘deal’! Imagine, 250,000 flyers in one place! (One ream of A4 paper contains 500 sheets!)

I’m still writing my ‘piece’, but without a doubt my biggest lesson so far:

Connection is key.

Going solo is ‘tuff. Wherever you can connect, share, give.

Lesson: it’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay for the person to say no, but the asking is perfectly allowed.

Your Turn:

Before the first of the series is posted tomorrow: what’s your biggest ‘lesson’ you would not do again if you had to start over, feel free leave a comment in the box below.

And if you want to be interviewed please let me know — you can write it, record it, video it! Get me here, or on Twitter

How to Waste 9.583333333333333 Days of Your Life Easily…a Rant

September 28 Dawn

And another 1.32 minutes if you actually read this.

This is not a real post. It’s just a sorry state of affairs. A rant. Mainly because I haven’t slept, it’s the best I can do today but I will make it all rich and meaningful by the end, maybe.

How to Wate a Fortnight of Your Life
I’m currently not taking on any new art commissions! Sorry!

Can you relate…

Every night in our house without fail is the ‘What’s for Tea?’ conversation.

(To non Scottish people, Tea is our dinner, the nighttime meal. Unless it’s after 8-ish, then it would be dinner, not tea. Lunch is lunch, but some call it dinner, but that’s at noon, not tea time. Supper is tea and toast before bed, but not tea as in a meal, that would be tea as in a drink! Get it?)

It has to be the highlight of my day.

Not.

So, last night I decided I would put an end to the stupidity of it all.

Because I worked out yesterday (this is the crap that fills my brain) that we’ve had the same conversation for 960 days.

I’ve deducted approx number of days for takeout days (always read the menu and get the same thing plus a new dish), camping trips (any old crap you can manage to cook on a single burner does the job and call it food), and meals out.

If my smart brain serves me my findings are as follows:

15 minutes (per day) x 920 (days had conversation) = 13800 minutes

13800 minutes = 230 hours

230 hours = 9.583333333333333 DAYS!

People have done shorter prison time and community service!

That’s more than half way to becoming a fortnight (two weeks to US peeps) of wasted time on this conversation.

Anyhoo…

For at least 960 days the tea coversation has went like this:

You’re just about to waste 1 minute of your life, Alfred Hitchcock said that a good story was “life, with the dull parts taken out.” This is “life, dull parts included”:

Me: What’s for tea? (Thinks: Here we go again)

Them: I dunno, what do you want?

Me: I don’t know I’m asking you. (Thinks: I asked you first)

Them: I don’t know, what do you fancy?

Me: Something nice, something tasty. (Thinks: We don’t have anything ‘in’ of that quality and standard)

Them: What is there?

Me: I dunno, not much, what do you fancy? (Thinks: Just tell me! Crikey.)

Them: Same, something nice, something tasty.

Me: Rice? (Thinks: Please say no)

Them: Do you want rice?

Me: No, not really. (Thinks: Phew!)

Them: What do you fancy then?

Me: What is there again?

Them: I dunno.

Continue above boring, meaningless, undecisive, dribbly conversation for at least another 14 minutes.

Here’s what happened last night …

I made a sorry attempt to change the above lunacy.

Me: Pasta for tea. <— statement! A-HA!

Them: What’s wrong?

Me: Eh?

Them: What’s wrong? Why are we having pasta?

Me: Because I thought we could have pasta for tea! Nothing wrong.

Them: Why though? Why pasta? Are you okay?

Me: Okay?

Them: Yeah, are you okay? Has something happened?

Me: Like what?

Them: I dunno. I mean it seems strange that you want pasta.

Me: Don’t you want pasta?

Them: No, it’s not that, there’s something up…eh…huh…mmm?

Me: There’s nothing up.

Them: Sure?

Me: Yes. Sure. (Thinks: Do we have pasta?)

Them: No, I don’t believe you. Have you had a bad day?

Me: No, I’ve had a great day. Pasta then?

Them: No, seriously, there must be something wrong.

Me: There is nothing wrong. Honestly. Geez. (Getting angry)

Them: Now you’re getting angry, why are you angry?

Me: I’m not angry. Are you wanting pasta, or not?

Them: Don’t do that.

Me: What?

Them: That, are you able to choose thing, that means I will choose it, don’t use your mind NLP/Hypno stuff.

Me: I’m not. Are you having a laugh?

Them: Just tell me why you want pasta. Are you (I kid you not reader) ‘on’?

Me: I don’t want fecking pasta, I worked out today we’ve spent nearly a fortnight having the ‘tea’ conversation.

Them: What are you talking about?

Me: Look (Produced my sums.)

Them: You worked this out.

Me: Yes. (Smiley. Pleased with findings.)

Them: Weirdo. What do you want for tea then?

Me: I dunno, what do you want?

Dammit!

And the moral of the story is…

I don’t have one, I wish I had something profound for you. This is actually a much better post on time being wasted.

What a heck of a lot of time though, eh?

It’s not even a useful waste of time. Is there such a thing as a useful waste of time?

I would be be genuinely interested to hear your complete waste of time habits, or if you would be interested in me starting any type of online Support Group for ‘What’s for Tea Conversations Survivors’ I’m more than happy to.

Away to bin the tele, don’t get me started on the ‘what do you want to watch?’ conversation.

98 1/2 Ways That May Help Change Your Life (or Nudge You a Little)

September 28 Dawn

Here you go, 98 and a half ways to change your life, or at least nudge your butt.

Nudge as in ‘hey, you, you okay? C’mon, let’s do it’ friendly ‘kinda nudge.

They aren’t hard, they aren’t asking you to make huge changes, they are teeny, small little behaviours that can be changed in a moment.

Enjoy.

See you at the end.

 

 

 

#1 Become Your Own Best Friend

Would you hang out with you?  Would you talk to your nearest and dearest the way you speak to you?  Become your own best friend; give yourself the respect and dignity that you give to others.

2# Hang Out With People Who Are Good For You

Are there enough people in your life who are assisting you to become all that you want to become?  Are there enough people in your life who are ‘good’ for you?

3# Watch Your Thoughts

Have you heard the phrase you become what you think about most?  The way you think about you becomes you’re current reality.  Learn how to manage your thoughts for personal growth: eliminate the negative Inner Critic.

#4 Learn a ‘New’ Language

Develop the habit of using language that is successful, empowering and which builds your confidence and self-esteem.  Negative language patterns tear you apart and may stop you becoming all that you can become.

#5 Positivity Is Not Weak

You can choose to think positively or negatively:  No news is good or bad, it’s only news.  Find the good in everything, even the challenges; you cannot create a problem that you cannot resolve!

#6 Never Ever Quit

There is a difference between changing your direction and quitting.  When you are making massive changes, prepare for the unexpected and you are smart enough to know when you’re just quitting.

#7 Create and Implement Massive Plans of Action

Nothing was ever gained from standing still.  The best plan in the world is nothing without massive action.  Plans don’t create, you do.

#8 Make Decisions

Life is going to happen whether you like it or not.  You can choose to decide what’s right for you, or let others choose for you.  It may be the best decision, or that worst.  What’s important is this: you made it.

#9 Adopt a Different Language

Allow positive words, phrases and successful language to become your guide.  There is power in the words you use, choose words that work for your personal growth and build your potential.  They may seem strange at first, perfectly natural, they will become habit.

#10 Take Care of the Caretaker

Look after yourself, sleep well, eat well and exercise.  Energy creates energy.  If you’re unwell, lacking vavavoom and mojo, or living at ‘half empty’ it’s almost impossible to live each day to it’s fullest and to give it you’re best. YOU are important.

#11 Aim For Beyond the Moon (Metaphor!)

We can sometimes set our goals that are beneath our actual capabilities.  Shoot for past the moon; go two steps beyond what you find comfortable.

#12 Gain Momentum

A wheel going down a hill will pick up speed, no matter how many rocks, potholes or obstacles in its way.  Set off, start what you need to start.  You’ll quickly pick up speed, too many people wait for the ‘starters gun’, and they may wait a long time.

#13 Acknowledge Your Fears

The first step to change and breaking through fear is to acknowledge it exists.  Be smart.  At least admit it’s there.  Bringing it out into the open will allow you to look at it and then create the opportunities to get rid of it.

#14 No Fear Is Bigger Than You

There is no fear that you cannot overcome.  None.  How it got so BIG is irrelevant, you can crush a fear in seconds: stand tall, face it and go through it.  That is the shortest, most effective, quickest way to break personal barriers.

#14 Make Change Your Ally

Change happens whether we like it or not.  Create your own change or allow it to be done to you, you have a choice.  Take ownership of the present moment, it will become the tomorrow you.

#15 Have Hard Conversations

Say what needs to be said, when and where you need to say it.  Conflict is a part of life; keep respect and honour for yourself and others.  Conflict is not anger.

#16 Do What You Fear The Most

Break your own barriers: you can read about doing it, see others do it, but until YOU do it, the fear will always hold you.  Fear is false evidence appearing real.  The shortest route to conquering all fears is ‘do it’.  Simple, time served truth.

“And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance, I hope you dance” ~ Lee Anne Womak

#17 Learn Assertive Behaviours

Say what you mean and own what you say.  Repeat your message if necessary and understand that confidence is not the same as arrogance.

#18 Gratitude

Say thank you more often: to you, others, the universe, God: whatever it is you believe needs to be thanked. Acknowledge the smaller details and what you have now.  Gratitude indeed costs nothing.

#19 Try New Things

We are creatures of habits.  Develop yourself by trying new things, going new places, speaking to people who you ‘think’ you have nothing in common.  We learn the lessons we need the most in unexpected places.

#20 Volunteer

For no other reason than ‘giving back’ and expect nothing in return.

#21 Take a Risk Every Now and Then

Ask yourself ‘why not’? Or ‘what if I…?’ You may be surprised at the results.

#22 Practice Human Touch

Someone, somewhere needs to feel loved, wanted and craves the intimacy of others.  Do it with congruence and genuineness.

#23 Goal Getting

Write them, visualise them, see and feel them working, before they appear real.  Setting them is not the same as going and getting them and you’re brain will believe whatever you tell it – true or not.

#24 Listen Well

Focus your attention on the whole person, what they say with words and what they say with their body, tonality and expressions.  To be listened to is a wonderful gift to give a fellow human being.  You don’t have to agree with all that is said.

#25 Build Meaningful Relationship

With everyone you meet.  You may meet strangers who can open the windows when the doors were shut.  Give value first, ask how you can serve this person, not what will they give me.

#26 Delete What No Longer Works

What is in your life that is a) causing you pain and b) no longer serves you.  You perhaps had a need for it once but all things change if it’s doing you no good, delete it.  We have a tendency to hold onto to what we no longer need way past its sell by date.

#27 Know Your Core Values

Who are you?  What do you stand for?  What must you have in your life?  Are you living your life in alignment to what you value most? Need help? Download the core values worksheet here.

#28 Stay Curious

Curiosity is one of the most powerful skills from childhood to hold onto and develop.  Never stop asking why, when, how, what, where and why?  You could discover an answer you’ve longed for.

#29 Stop Apologising For Things That Are Not Your Fault

Do you end your sentences in  ‘sorry’ all the time?  When you make a request do you apologise for speaking your mind or saying how you really feel?  Have conviction in what you are saying.

#30 Environment Check In

Take a look around your environment (home, work, play) is it in balance?  Is it working for you?  Is it a reflection of what is going on inside?  Clear up, clear out or live with.

#31 Rid Yourself of Shoulds, Oughts and Musts

Become a like to, want to, love to and choose to person.  You’ll get it done quicker, easier, in half the time and with more fun.  We fight against ourselves when we have to do something.#32 Don’t Wait

BE, NOW what you are becoming.  You don’t have to wait to feel what you want to feel, do you?

#33 Develop Personal Boundaries

The best boundaries are fluid.  Know what you will tolerate and accept and what you won’t, and what you will do if they are crossed over.

#34 Say No to Unreasonable Requests

And stick with your decision.  You always have the right to say no.  Set your boundaries and decide what is unreasonable for you.  Learn to accept you are not responsible for how other people feel when you are maintaining your boundaries.

#35 Say Yes to More Often

We are too quick to jump to no, especially when we are unsure of the outcomes.  Choose to say yes to that which requires you to step out of your comfort zones — they’ll  s-t-r-e-t-c-h. 

# 36 Make Time for You

You were born alone and you will depart alone.  All the relationships we have are a bonus, however you may need alone time.  This is not selfish.  It taking care of you’re own mental, spiritual and physical well being, make time, no excuse.

# 37 Manageable Roles

Consider all the roles you play in your life.  Are they well managed?  Do you need to play all the parts?  Can you share a few?  Allow an understudy every now and then?  Must everything fall on your shoulders?  Do you need to ask someone else to step up?

#38 Get Up and Show Up

Stick to you commitments you have made to other people.   Keep every appointment.

#39 Maximise Your Strengths

You will excel at many things, develop what you’re good at, you’re weaknesses are someone else’s expertise.

#40 Practice Visualisation

Play mental movies. Make them colourful and see yourself taking part.  Slow them down, speed them up.  Add sound, backdrops, and scenery.  Get the result clear and keep replaying over and over again, until the pathway is formed.

#41 Live in The Present

Realise that the past, being over, is unreal: that the future, is not yet created doesn’t exist either.  Only the present is real.

#42 Know Your Emotional Triggers

We all have ‘hot buttons’, once pressed they can release negative emotions and affect our states.  The best plan is to let go of the emotions of the past.  The second is to be fully aware that you create the reactions to the actions of others.

# 43 Become a Creature of (Good) Habits

It takes between 21 – 28 days for new Neuro pathways to be created, formed and wired.  Create new habits one day at a time then maintain for another 28 days. If you falter, just start over.

#45 Step Out Your Own Way

We can screw ourselves pretty good up without the help of others.  Learn to look at your life from a 30,000ft view. Watch you go about your life.  Look at the movie, not play your part.  Do you need to direct yourself differently?

#46 Set Your Intention

Many people start a new project or begin a new idea with the intention it ‘won’t work’, this is doom talk.  Set clear your intentions of what is going to happen.  You may still not reach the exact desired result, however you WILL have a better chance of it, set the intention to modify if necessary!

#47 Learn What You Need

We don’t stop learning when we leave formal education.  We may become bitter that what we were taught has not served us.  Stay committed to being a learner of life, lessons are given daily, and will you attend the classes? Take notes and use?

#48 Practise Becoming a WOW Communicator

Listen to understand, show empathy, turn from judgement, be genuine, present, congruent, and treat everyone with respect.

#50 Re Programme Your Brain

You’ve probably heard the brain is like a computer: garbage in and garbage out.  Everything you have ever experienced through your senses (from before you were born) is stored, filed, and locked away.  Your brain is not fixed.  At anytime you can choose to switch the channels, change the pictures, provide new programmes to follow.  We update computer programmes don’t we?  We can’t run new software on old platforms!

#51 Screw Up It All Up

Once you have a ‘picture’ clear in your head of what you think you are like.  You develop patterns of behaviour in alignment with your thoughts.  Not happy with the current pattern?  Play with the memories, screw up the pictures: scramble limiting patterns so your brain cannot hold the dominant picture any longer.

#52 No Matter How Intelligent You Are…

Filling your brain is not the same as using it.

#53 Read and Implement

What can you learn from people who have a similar story?  Most people write their story because they have something to share, some thing to say.  If you are addicted to personal development books, implement one thing from each for 28 days, otherwise why are you reading them?

#54 No More Blame

When things go wrong, it’s natural to look for the culprit or to lay blame at someone else’s’ feet.  Why blame others for your present moment?  You can change it.  Blaming others is a wasted lesson and depletes your personal power.

#55 Pay Attention

Some people wander through life with blinkers on their eyes.  Everything you need for now is already here; you only need to pay attention and see it.

#56 Create Your Mission Statement

It’ll change, it’ll grow, and it’ll develop.  Start with plan of where you are going, what you stand for, what your mission is, give yourself a purpose.

#57 Keep a Journal

Not a diary or a ‘daily events’ log.  Find peace and write.  Ask questions and see what comes up: what answer you find. Write it down.  It’s not the time to question who is writing, or edit what you put down.

#58 Affirmation

Write them down.  Keep them close.  Repeat them often.  Attach emotion and feel that the affirmation already exists. There purpose to help you reprogramme your brain.

#59 You See With Your Brain Not Your Eyes

Your reality is created by beliefs, perceptions, conditioning and programming.  You’ll see what you want to see whether it’s true or not.  What we don’t understand is not yet wired.  Ask yourself, is this the truth or is this only truth as I see it?

#60 Get In The Flow More Often

When you’re doing what you love and paying attention, time does not exist.  When you are doing what you hate and watching the clock, time is wasted.  1. Do what you love 2. Doing the necessary ask yourself ‘how can I make this moment count’?

#61 Change Your State

States of minds are not fixed.  They can change in a heartbeat.  Choose your states and if you recognise you are in an unproductive state, change it.

#62 Clarity and Focus

Contrary to opinion we cannot multi task and give all actions 100%.  We can do many tasks and reduce the success rate of that task.  This may be fine for small tasks that have become habitual and are unimportant (talking on the phone and making a coffee).  For larger plans with bigger outcomes, stay focused.

#63 See The Bigger Picture

When you are creating pictures of what you would like your future to be.  Start with the big picture.  Your brain likes to see the finished result, it can understand the larger picture much more than we give it credit.  Then break it down into ‘do-able’ and manageable ‘chunks’.

#64 Pay Yourself Compliments

It’s not bigheaded, it’s not arrogant.  You have the right to internalise what a great job you have done or are doing well.  You may be waiting for external approval.  It may never come.

#65 Get Passionate

Get paid doing something you love, or spend more time doing what you are passionate about.

#66 Practice, Practice, Learn More, Practice

It’s written that to become an expert takes 1,000 hours of practice.

#68 Learn These Secrets of Success

Secret 1 to Infinite:  There are no secrets.  None.  If you want success: define your definition, create a plan and go for it.

#69 Get Specific

When you say ‘they’ are like this, or ‘I am like that’, or  ‘that’s just me’, you’re generalising and distorting.  Making up your mind about the way things are without enough evidence.  When we generalise we miss vital pieces of information, be specific.

#70 End Procrastination

Do it or don’t.  Ask yourself why you aren’t doing what you know is good for you?  What are you achieving at this moment by doing nothing?

#71 Laugh at Yourself More Often

Not ridicule, but see yourself as this…‘human’.  Share laughter and humour.  There is nothing you cannot handle that is in your life right now.  You may not like it, but you can get through it.

#72 When In Overwhelm…

Take time out.  Stop and go and do something for you.  Speak to someone.  Regroup your thoughts. Overwhelm is stress-related.  We accomplish nothing of much value when in overwhelm.

#73 Reframe Events

We can place experience and how we feel about the event of the past into ‘boxes’, this can then create a ‘picture’ or generalisation of how we think all similar experiences are played out.  Change the frames.

#74 Dare Yourself to Dream Big

Everything starts its life as a seed: a thought, an idea, a picture of what could be.  Start your ideas, take initiative and make something of them.  Demand the best of your self, go for it.

#75 Treat Yourself to Living

There is a massive difference between life and living your life.  Turn off the television an hour every night and you’ll have an extra 15 days in a year.  Where else are you just in existence?

#76 Create Your Own Rules

Trust your own judgements, you are the expert of you.  You may have to follow the ‘rules’ others set once in a while.  Pursue and create what’s right for you, but remember all things are equal.

#77 When Things Don’t Go As Planned

Fall down 6 times, get up 7.  Plans are not the final outcome.  There is no proof that the journey you set sail on will be storm free.  Change your plans and direction as needed, life successes are setting sail in storms or calm seas.

#78 Swayed By The Minds of Others

When you start some of your new journeys there will be those that think you’re insane.  When you make progress there will be those that wish you’d turn back.  When you go further than anyone has been before you may be criticised.   When you reach the other shore you’ll be too far away to hear the comments anyway.

#79 Priorities

Rise and meet your own standards, not those of others.  Focus on the one main goal and commit to working on it every day.

#80 Follow The Course

Rivers run from source to sea, you however are limited to only seeing to the next bend.  What lies beyond may be uncertainty, but the sea is always reached in the end.

#81 Know Your Value

We all have value to add.  Life is strange; we don’t know our value when we begin.  Knowing you’re value, where you can contribute most builds and enhances self esteem.  Set out to add value.

#82 Beware of Energy Vampires

Do you have any ‘energy vampires’ in your life? Sucking at your soul, your dreams and aspirations? Depleting your reserves? Diminishing your goals? Time to make them extinct? Or at the very least find ways to protect yourself.

#83 Get Informed

Become a smart sponge to finding and getting the information that you need, ask the right questions. Soak up knowledge you need, wring out what you don’t.

#84 Choose Your Attitude

Your attitude is everything.    Many feel it is influenced by external events and influences.  How you decide to react is your choice.

#85 Create A Fire In Your Soul

You had it as a child; everything you did was filled with it.  It’s the ability to give you fully and with pleasure to a task, cause, belief, principle, and project.  It’s a burning so great nothing can stop you.  It’s the driving force; it motivates, inspires, and rises for you time and time again.  Enthusiasm.  Still got yours, for your life?

#86 The Don’t Know Game

Refuse to play it: you always know what you want.  How you want your life to be, what you want in it, what you want to create, what you want to cease.  Playing the ‘I don’t know’ is a sure fire way to giving up your personal power.  No matter how bizarre, far out there, frightening to admit to others, you do know.

#87 Reasons or Excuses

Decide if it’s a yes or a no, do it or don’t.  Reasons and excuses are readily available, if you want remarkable, decide.

#88 You Are Always Part of the Story

It’s sometimes easier to see ourselves as not part of the story.  Where there is a problem in your life, you are part of the story.  Ask yourself what part have you played?  How can you finish the ending?

#89 Deal With Criticism

There will be times when it comes your way.  You can accept or ignore, but listen with an open mind.  If it’s unjust and unfair see #15 and #17.  The more visible you are, the more you will have.

#90 Bounce Back Quicker

When hurdles and obstacles are in your way, there may be times when you didn’t see them coming or hear their approach and they knock you over.  You can get yourself of the path or you can learn the power behind resilience. 

#91 Full Accountability

In your mind you can create a ‘court’ where you can indict others and persecute them for the way things are in your life.  There may be events that were absolutely not your fault and should never have happened.  Swear to yourself from this moment forward, you are accountable for all that is happening.

#92 Equality

Do not set yourself up as someone better than those around you. It will not endear you to anyone and is bound to bring you heart­ache and misery.

#93 Responsibility

Responsibility is the skill of accepting 100% you are aware of the choices you are making and the consequences that come with them, are yours and yours alone.  #See 54

# 94 Inspire Others

Become the inspiration for another, no one knows when they are making a memory or creating a lasting change: a kind word, a compliment, a hug.  Small random acts of kindness can change an entire life course for another.

#95 Set In Your Ways?

You are the final product of your programming, conditioning, experience, and environment.  Your parents, peers, friends, teachers, and ancestry forced the most of which is upon you.  The rest is your own doing.  Some learn that their ‘ways’ are not theirs and start opening their mind to other suggestions.  Others accept ‘this is it’.  Which are you?

#96 Wakey Wakey Time to Rise

Is it time for you to awaken from a sleep that has lasted too long?  Practice at being fully aware of all and everything that is coming to you through your senses and instincts.  Our brains have a natural inbuilt ability to keep out millions of pieces of information on a daily basis.  It’s a safety mechanism: if you saw, felt, tasted, heard and smelt everything the noise would be unbearable.  When you open your ‘eyes’ fully, you may discover the possibilities and opportunities you thought only existed in dreams.

#97 Hollywood Star?

Stop getting upset about trivialities and petty annoyances. Act your age and do not behave like a temperamental movie star. No one has to bow to you or pay special attention to you: no matter how good your dramas are.

#98 When You Need Help, Ask

There is nothing wrong in asking for help or seeking support.  Self-help has developed a ‘school of thought’ that we have to do things all alone.  Wrong.  If you’re washing machine broke down, you probably wouldn’t ask a local car mechanic to fix it.  If you need help, get it.

#98 1/2 Get Support

Here!

Your Turn

What’s your No 1 simplicity tip to life change? A quote perhaps, what did it mean to you? A one-liner that someone said to you once and it stuck.

Affirmations Book 2 (A Little Gift)

September 19 Dawn

Here’s a little something for you…’cause you’re worth it!

It’s the second collection of Affirmations (around 800 of them!) Free, and ready for you to download, share, pick apart, use, or give to someone else.

Don’t worry if you haven’t got the first collection, you don’t need to go tearing about the website, you’ll be sent that also.

What Are Affirmations?

Affirmations assist you to change, they equip you with new self talk.

They change the internal pictures, they describe what you want to move towards not what you are moving away from.

To really benefit: Affirmations are all about imprinting new pictures, reaffirming and reinforcement, and visualising the desired result.

Attaching a feeling to the affirmation is crucial.

Just repeating a sentence over and over, with no feeling or clear picture, won’t work. Yes, they are written as if they are happening now, this can be difficult to accept at first. It will become easier with practice (I promise).

This collection includes affirmations for:

  • positive thinking and motivation
  • health and wellbeing
  • money and finances
  • inner peace
  • love and relationships

To download the affirmations books, sign up for updates below and you’ll get instant access to all these and all the resources on the site.

 

 

 

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