Category: Motivation

International Women's Day Pledge for Parity

International Women’s Day Pledge for Parity

Posted on by Julie

It is just over a week until International Women’s Day and the West Lothian Women in Business annual event at Oracle. I feel that this event is the highlight of the WLWiB event calendar. I love the positive energy in the room and how inspired I am on hearing everyone’s story.

During the event this year we get to hear from two enterprising ladies who will tell us their business stories and how leadership has played an important part in their journey. Everyone will have the opportunity to develop their own thoughts, through round table discussion, designed to encourage us to tap into our individual strengths.

Read more about this year’s event on LinkedIn …

Embrace the Near Win

Embrace the Near Win

Posted on by Julie

Watching Sarah Lewis’ Ted talk on embracing the ‘near win’ has starting me thinking about failure. Failure is such a negative term, so if I change the way I perceive it and see at as not quite winning, or not quite ‘getting there’ will this change the way I approach the task the next time I attempt it? Will I be more inclined to try again, in the hope that I do better?

[ted id=1978]

image : tomfkemp

Just 3 Minutes - Great Ted Talks for Limited Time

Just 3 Minutes – Great Ted Talks for Limited Time

Posted on by Julie

Sometimes personal development takes a back seat when other tasks take priority.

At those times I like to find short TED talks that provide motivation, information or inspiration.

Here are a selection of great 3 minute talks when time is short.

Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

Terry Moore: How to tie your shoes

Kamal Meattle: How to grow fresh air

Laura Trice: Remember to say thank you

Richard St. John: 8 secrets of success

Wiping the Stone – Restoring Balance

Posted on by Julie

I had a pretty crumby day yesterday but throughout I had to put on a calm, positive face with a smile or two at the right moment.

It drained me both emotionally and mentally and since then I’ve been trying different a technique for clearing the mind of negative thoughts that impinging on my mind so that I can restore my balance.

Overnight my mind was trying to process something but this was stopping me from sleeping.

I imagined a large stone dripping with water, the water representing the negative thoughts. I could see myself wiping the stone clean and brushing everything to one side, putting it to the side until I was ready to think about it. Each time something impinged on my mind again I would wipe it away.

I fell asleep eventually and through the night continued to wipe the stone when I was roused by my subconscious.

It helped.

Are there any particular methods you use to clear the mind or wipe the stone?

You know you’re busy when…

Posted on by Julie

You know you’re busy when your blog hasn’t been updated in months. Other pressures take your time away from your blog and it’s difficult to fit in time to put together new posts.

I have faced this problem over the last few months and need some way to keep my blog active and current. So in a snatched 5 minutes I’ve mapped out how I might go about this.

I’m not sure I’ll use all of these, but the aim is to keep the blog up to date. Otherwise, what’s this point of it being here?

  • Write more than one piece at a time
  • Break topics into sections
  • Use scheduled posting to cover multiple posts
  • Use empty time
    • Bus
    • Train
    • In the bath/shower
  • Waiting for…
    • Meetings
    • Kettle to boil
    • Bath to run
  • Carry a note pad or just use what ever is handy – Napkin, Cigarette packet
  • Dictaphone
  • Audi boo?
  • Write a big long list – mind dump ideas – Order them – Expand in stages i.e. structure first, filler later
  • Read more – Use link backs to other blogs of interest –
  • Expand on others points
  • Reply to others points and comments (if appropriate)
  • Use guest writers – (but be careful and be honest)

Where do I want to be?

Posted on by Julie

Ok, so I need to make a plan. And to make a plan I need to work out
where I want to be.

Let’s look at this in a positive light. If I can work out where I want
to be, i can make a plan to get there. With a plan to get there I will
be more focused on life, more proactive and hopefully more successful
in what I do. That the hope, anyway.

And why shouldn’t it work? i know that if I have a plan, or list of
steps to take I can make them one at a time – taking things slowly.
I’ve already experienced how taking small steps will get you to your
destination – I just need to put that into practice on a regular basis.
Make it habit.

May be that should be my first list item – get into the habit?

Ah, but am I starting to jump the gun a bit – I still don’t have a clue
where I’m headed and that was the first task.

(I’m going to hold onto the thought though – get into the habit. I’ll
come back to that later)

So working out where I want to be.

So very, very important – just so hard to work out!

I’m thinking about it.

Plan

Posted on by Julie

My eyes feel heavy and my heart feels tired
My mind feels cloudy but I am at the edge
I sense there is clear sky out there
I feel that just one step forward will free me from the fog.

So now I have to make my feet walk,
make a plan on how to move forward
Away from the press of self consciousness,
away from the shackles on my heart.

Ok, a plan. That’s what I need – a plan!

But to make a plan don’t you need to know where you are going?
I’ve not known that for a long time…
If ever!

So maybe that’s what I need to do…
work out where I’m going – where I want to be.
But how do I do that?

I make a plan?