So what's it gonna be today?

When you get up in the morning do you decide what your purpose is for the day OR do you travel through the day just doing what comes up and ending it thinking you're part-way through the week which in itself is an achievement?

It's all well and good having a relaxed attitude however really successful people don't just drift through life - they plan, orchestrate, and devise how they're going to get to where they want to be. And the key here is that they don't just have one huge goal - they break it down into manageable, bite-sized pieces and play out each day appropriately to get to the end result.

Have a purpose!

What has this got to do with intension's for the day? Well if you want to be successful you need to live each day purposefully - stop drifting and start driving. Your purpose for the day doesn't have to be cold and to-the-point, it can be as warm and fluffy as you like, just make sure you have a purpose! Some ideas are for you: -

• To complete a project/article/job/task
• To communicate effectively with my manager/team/partner
• To do something for someone else with no self-gain
• To go for a run/cycle/swim
  
• To go to bed earlier so that I can get up earlier
• To phone someone I haven't spoken to in a long time
• To compliment someone on a job well done
• To devise an exercise and weight-loss plan

This is NOT a To-Do list - just decide on one intention that works for you (no more, no less - just one!) and commit to carrying it out today. And then start again tomorrow. If you live everyday with an intension you'll be amazed at how much you achieve!

Your 2008 Perky Plan

As featured in January 2008 Fitness First Members Magazine

If you're like most, your 2008 New Year's resolutions probably involve creating a 'new you'. Perhaps you want to lose weight, stop smoking, find a new partner, or carve out an exciting new career for yourself. They're all great goals, and highly achievable with the right level of motivation and conviction. However, have you ever actually planned to be happy? Follow this five-step 'Perky Plan' and you'll inject some happiness into your life. It's quick, it's easy, it's fun, and it work! Happy New Year, new you!

STEP 1 - BECOME CLEAR AND IN CONTROL

I'm willing to bet you probably spend more time planning your weekends that you do planning to be happy! If you stumble through life with no clear goals in place it's easy to get lost in the daily grind. So sit down today and get creative; design the life you want to leave, organise how you're going to do it, and enjoy being in control of your future. Aside from having clarity and direction, you'll find life's a lot more fun when you know where you're going!

STEP 2 - GET HEALTHY

Now this isn't rocket science but given the obesity levels in Australia and general lack of wellbeing I think the obvious needs to be said: if you're run-down, sick, tired and sluggish you're going to find it hard to be perky. Time and time again scientific evidence proves that healthy living can increase your levels of happiness, so stop putting time and effort into excuses and, instead, choose to invest in your wellbeing today.

STEP 3 - GET A BRIGHT OUTLOOK

Optimistic and positive people live longer, get sick less, are more successful, have better relationships, and are more likely to succeed in their careers. Those are all proven facts. Do you really need any more reasons to start being positive? Decide how you want to see the world, stop looking for the negative and practice having a perky perspective today. There are millions of people in the world worse off than you, so write a list today of five things you could feel positive about.

STEP 4 - COME TOGETHER

Good quality relationships, both personally and professionally, help reduce stress and depression, and increase your sense of wellbeing. Make a concerted effort to seek out positive, perky people and surround yourself with them everyday. Call your most fun friend now and make arrangements to see them this week, or join a new networking group to expand your social and professional circles.

STEP 5 - BECOME PERKY NOW!

Stop saying 'when' and start living 'now'! Are there any reasons why you would postpone being happy until tomorrow? No one else can live your life for you, or make you happy, so put your Perky Plan in place today, start living in the moment and put mediocre behind you for good. Remember, being upbeat won't kill you; but being glum just might!

Brain Boosters!

If you're like most and have a week or two off over Xmas you've hopefully got some time scheduled in for a few hours of R&R! So how are you going to make the most of that time?

I used to be able to spend my time chilling out on the beach with just a trashy mag and a tube of factor 30 in hand. However my mind seems to get bored after about 30 minutes these days, so if you're like me and need something to keep you entertained I've put together a list of books that'll inspire and motivate you over the festive period: -

For general inspiration...

• Giant Steps - Anthony Robbins
  

For women...

• Secrets of Female Entrepreneurs - Dale Beaumont

For managers...

• Fish! - Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

For business owners...

• The Business Coach - Bradley J. Sugars

For people who want to create wealth...

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki

For those who want to be exceptional communicators...

• NLP in 21 Days- Harry Adler and Beryl Heather
  

So enjoy the beach, enjoy a good book, and let me know how you got on!

Stress can be good!

It's been a funny old day ... I started off feeling in control, I had a couple of fantastic networking meetings, and things were panning out as I'd hoped. Brilliant!

Then I got a call that rattled my cage a bit. I got off the phone feeling stressed, and despite telling myself that everything was OK I still felt anxious and had that nagging feeling in the back of my mind. You know the one, the voice that won't let you relax.

If I reminisce back to my pre-coaching days I would have turned into a Well of Worry - over-analysing everything, doubting myself, and wondering what I could do to make the nagging go away. Thankfully things are far easier these days!

Equipped with my 'coaching toolkit' (my mind!) I sat down and asked myself:-

• What is the anxiety and stress telling me?

It's purpose wasn't to make me feel bad, but to provide a valuable warning signal.

For me it was a wake up call to remind me that I hadn't done all the preparation I needed to for a particular event. The phone conversation had hit a nerve because unconsiously I knew there was more work to be done, and the stress was my 'alarm bell' saying "Faye - get on with it!".

So what did I do? I worked hard, I did all the necessary preparation I knew I had to do, and I got a plan of action in place. And what did I get? A relaxed mind again. I got to turn off my mental-alarm and go back to the sanctury of a peaceful headspace!

So next time you get stressed, sit down for a minute, and get some clarity. What is the stress telling you? Find out what the problem is, then work out how to solve it. At a time when logic often bypasses us, focus on a simple process for a happy head!

Getting lost.

Wow, did I have an interesting evening last night!!

As a lot of you know from my newsletter, my brother and his gorgeous family are over in Australia visiting at the moment, and after a few days up on the Gold Coast they arrived back in Sydney last night to spend the last 5 days of their trip with me. Fantastic!

The not-so-fantastic thing was that they landed at 3.30pm, eventually got their hire car around 5pm, and then spent around 2 hours getting lost in Sydney's rush-hour and admitted defeat at 7pm when they found themselves going across the harbour bridge - in the wrong direction! We eventually arrived at their appartment at 8pm, beaten and worn.

So what has this got to do with a blog on personal coaching and development?

Well, you see, during the 2 hours of their unexpected tour of Sydney, I was a diligent sister and kept offering them directions, saying I would come and find them so they could follow me back, offering my partner's services to escort them in the right direction .... the list goes on. However, they kept saying 'No', probably not wanting to 'put us out', which ultimately culminated in a lost evening and lots of aching heads at the end of the day.

All too often this happens in people's lives. We're in a generation now that wants to be seen as self-sufficient, capable of 'doing it all', and god-forbid if we show ourselves 'weak enough' to ask for help. But as all good leaders know, the reality is that we often don't have the ability to do EVERYTHING and that's absolutely fine. We just need to recognise when we have the right people on our team to do the job more effectively. And by team that can mean your family, your friends, your professional network, your colleagues, your pet dog ...... anyone in your social or professional realm.

Armed with 'whereis.com', a trusted Sydney map, and 4 years of local knowledge, I was the best person on the team to get my family from A to B last night. So what are you struggling to do yourself that someone on your 'team' could assist with?

Give yourself a break and start making life easier. It's meant to be fun, not an uphill struggle!

What are you determined to do yourself? Let me know!