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Once you’ve decided what needs to be changed, here’s how to make it stick…

So how many of us have made those promises to change something we do or behaviour we have? How difficult is it? We start with an idea that sounds simple enough but once we put it into practice, damn it’s hard!

Often though, it is more about how we approach it rather than just getting on and doing it then letting it slip because thought hadn’t gone into it at the offset … Oh, and I’ve been as guilty as the next person in years gone by for not achieving what I initially set out to do!

So here are 7 ‘Nutburn’ tips on how to achieve those resolutions.

  • Set ‘Realistic’ targets – All too often we aim too high and as we move along, we realise this and rather than change, we simply let it slip by the way or we set too broad a goal! To make it work, set simple goals with small steps that can be increased as each becomes achieved.
  • Outline what you wish to achieve – To change, you have to take yourself outside of your comfort zone, otherwise you would have done it some time ago, wouldn’t you? Do a Pros and cons list so you can see the benefits and also check what hurdles may crop up? Set out a plan to check on progress/targets.
  • Is it something YOU wish to do? – Insure this is something that you want to achieve and not something to conform to someone else’s wish or expectation.
  • Accurate and Specific! – Rather than stating that you wish to lose weight, for example, be specific, ie lose a stone by year end. This may seem daunting but break it down into further specific and achievable slots such as 2lb each month by the end of March then 1lb Apr etc thereafter. Now it’s realistic whilst being specific.
  • Become accountable to others – Make it public. Tell family, friends, those on your social media contact lists what it is you’re aiming to achieve and give them updates on your success. As a coach, it’s amazing how my clients achieve what they set as a result of making promises to me.
  • Reward achievements – No matter how small or large, set rewards along your path. When you hit a target, reward yourself.
  • Handle Failings – Remember, you are creating new habits, it’s reported that it takes 21 days to create new habits and 6 months for it to become part of your psyche, so there is a likelihood that you may slip up along the way. It is imperative not to berate yourself over this, get up, dust yourself down and get back on with it.

This is but a start and Coaching to Success can help you keep on track by supporting you and making you accountable for the outcome. We can help you turn the tables and insure you stay on track. Simply start the journey by contacting Neil at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or 07761 187238 to arrange a free consultation on how Coaching to Success can help you. Also, to get a feel for the person, check out our short ‘interview’ video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

No need to make a song and dance about it as Queen and Bowie did!

Having worked in both corporate and retail arenas, I’m not unfamiliar with the stress from working under pressure can bring.

At present, I have another pressure due to the discomfort of managing my week while there is incompetence around as a conservatory is being built. Some will know what pressure this is! However, resilience is the key.

Losing your temper with the person who caused the pressure helps no one and certainly doesn’t contribute to a workable resolve. Some thrive on deadlines and the pressures this brings while others struggle.

The solution is not to allow it to impact on you emotionally but step away from the situation looking in on it logically. This sounds like an easy option but when you are caught up in the event, it may be difficult to think this way. Negative thinking adds fuel to self-doubt which in turn, adds further emotional pressure.

However, we cannot always avoid these negative impacts such as an overbearing boss/colleague/partner, dealing with rejection or the wonder that business politics brings to the situation. Here are some useful tips that I have found to help me get through the conservatory problem, grrr.

1. Fix what you can, acknowledge what you can’t: Although it would be nice to be Dr. Who, the reality is there are only 24 fixed hours in a day and you can’t drift forward and back in your Tardis. As a consequence, we try to cram too much in the allotted time.

We then announce to ourselves and anyone who listens, how busy we are. This in turn piles on the stress levels and so the spiral continues.

To help with this, take some valuable time out. Allow a sense of quiet to engulf your mind. Assess what tasks you have to accomplish and ask “what of this ‘Truly’ matters?” with regards reaching your responsibilities or end goal and what can wait?

Once accomplished, prioritise your priorities and set realistic goals (S.M.A.R.T)

2. Identify your stressors: Start to analyse when your calm(er) state gets affected. Is it a person? Unexpected tasks? Time of day? A regular event? Etc.
Recognise how you react when this happens. Chat to others and get a different perspective. Set time aside to relax or exercise of which the argument I often hear is “I don’t have time”. You do if you make it with the return being clarity, reduced stress and a calmer mindset.

3. Manage your time before time manages you: We all have a better time of day. Some like early morning, others after lunch. Mine is late at night (I’m odd!) but whatever time suits you best, do the most important tasks then. Create a to-do list and acknowledge completing each as it comes off the list. Take breaks to gather your thoughts.

4. Accept the things you can’t change: There are things that you are more than capable of achieving and other events you are probably unable to do anything about. I have found that understanding and accepting this allows me more peace of mind and acceptance rather than building unwanted.

This is but a start and Coaching to Success can help you manage pressure to avoid stress and the dangers that this can bring. We can help you turn the tables to help you move away from the fray, rather than asking ourselves, as a line from the aforementioned song goes “Can’t we give ourselves one more chance”, yes, we can by contacting Neil at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or 07761 187238 to arrange a free consultation on how Coaching to Success can help you. Also, to get a feel for the person, check out our short ‘interview’ video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Time for ‘Change’? Let’s ‘Manage’ it to secure the best outcome.

Those who know me will know a favourite expression of mine is “If you continue to travel the same path as you always have, you will inevitably end up at the same destination”.

If you want to …

  • Grow (in confidence or self-worth)
  • Improve sales and/or profits
  • Try different avenues within your business field
  • Have your team or team members take on different responsibilities
  • Change your direction with the path you’re currently on

It’s critical you manage the change, or as many will know “Change Management”. But is it that easy?

I recently worked with a CEO concerning an awkward issue and one that ultimately changed the direction that some people were already heading. By truly recognising what the barriers were (both real and presumed) we worked through a programme of events giving a very clear outcome making it not only real but also manageable.

Much like their situation, should you be in the process of or considering change within your company or personal life, but with so many other things stepping in the way to gain that clarity, this may well help get you on track for a successful outcome.

  1. Create a ‘Change Plan’ – Before you can start any changes, it is crucial that you formulate a project plan looking at why change is necessary, a timeline, the major tasks involved and how it will be implemented. Assess all the possible options available, then select the most appropriate. Keep any other ideas for back-up. Allow it to breathe so it’s a work in progress of which improvements can be introduced.
  2. Clear Direction (Establish a persuasive case and a sense of urgency) – It’s no good having changes just because you’re bored of the way things are! There HAS to be understanding as to why change is necessary and that a clear set of arguments for change is laid out. Not only this, but a planned ‘action’ timescale for it to be within. Although emotions will be involved, try to step away and look at it logically.
  3. Clear Leadership (& ownership) –Not only from the leader(s) but for the teams and members of the organisation too. Should there be more than one leader, then a united front needs to be forged to give a clear message to all affected. Once established, accountability is given to introduce ownership. ‘R.A.C.I.’ is a great model for this (Responsibility, Accountability, Consult, Inform). Coaching to Success are here to help with this.
  4. Consistent Communications (Early and often) – I have to admit that this is my biggest gripe with most businesses. With all the means to communicate, this is still one of the core problems affecting most organisations. Poor communication is the bane of many a working environment. It is critical that poor communication is NOT a factor when change is imminent. There’s an old adage that goes “Tell them what you’re going to tell them… Tell them… and tell them what you told them”. Make sure the message is as clear as day. People perceive things in their own manner which may well be different from the intended outcome. Keep re-enforcing and making sure everyone involved are kept up to date with progress. Do not simply rely on ‘email’ to get your message out. Use face to face through to conferences to presentations to text (if it helps!). To be kept informed insures that innocent comments or ideas don’t grow to uncontrollable monsters.
  5. Maintain & Measure the Progress – Once the change has been started, make sure the momentum is kept up and communications (as stated before) are flowing. If those affected by change don’t see what’s happening, they can easily ‘presume’ that the change will not be happening, or they presume the ‘Need’ has also dissipated! As part of the original plan, develop the relevant milestones which can be celebrated loudly at every juncture. This then keeps the process clear in everyone’s mind so that all can work towards it.
  6. Anchor New Approaches – People need to see the change and the leadership team’s role is to insure that this is embedded in. This can be brought about by recognising and reinforcing the positive behaviours in those directly involved; Insure the ‘Vision’ is kept alive by communicating it; Create the ‘We’ approach rather than the ‘Them or They’; Set challenging and realistic goals; Show clear links between the objectives set and the team success; Recognise those individuals or teams that do well and celebrate as a team. Finally, from the offset, make the ‘New’ way the ‘Normal’ way!

These are the outline areas for a successful transition of change. Each case of change is unique to the company or individual and helping to gain that clarity, as we did with the CEO, is what we’re about.

To gain this for yourself, contact Neil neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or 07761 187238 to arrange a free consultation on how Coaching to Success can help you. Also, our short ‘interview’ video can be seen at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco.

There’s no Compromise to Prioritise…

A new client recently explained to me how he was at a stage where he wasn’t sleeping well, his lack of focus was affecting his work and with so many things that all needed to be done, seemingly at the same time, that he was at his wit’s end.

Now with the best will in the world, there are only 24 hours in the day and if you have 26 hours’ worth of tasks, physics simply states that “it ain’t gonna fit!” So how did we go about dealing with this situation? How was he able to regain a peaceful night’s sleep, becoming the less irritable and more pleasant guy that colleagues and family had missed?

Everyone will have their own criteria or needs, no two people will be the same and although there were specific requirements for the aforementioned, there are certain things that we can all adopt to help us gain some clarity. The simplest of all is to Prioritise your workload.

  1. Get it written down – Our thoughts are all vying for the #1 slot. It’s tricky to ascertain which is more important than others when there are so many. First thing to do is get them out of your head and written down.
  2. Time-frame – Now they are out, give each task a simple recognisable title and write a realistic amount of time you envisage spending on it.
  3. Urgent vs Important – What needs the immediate attention? What has a deadline that has to be met (eg Applying for a job that has a closed deadline). What will have a seriously negative outcome if not met?
  4. Scheduled To-Do – Go back to #2 and plan your day(s) according to the amount of time each will take. Write a START time and END time and block this out in your diary. Remember to add time between tasks for all those inevitable unexpected things!
  5. Log – Regardless if a new task or a repetitive one, we can so easily assume they should take less time than expected so don’t ‘assume’, know and log the amount of time you ‘actually’ spend on each to help you plan for future similar tasks.
  6. Order of effort – Look at the tasks that will take you the most effort. Deal with these when you are most productive. If you’re an early morning person, crack on with it then but if you don’t get into your flow until later in the day, take on board the smaller jobs and clear the decks of them.
  7. Manage distractions – know what your distractions are and manage them. I’ve found that one of the biggest is Messenger and/or Emails. TURN THEM OFF!!! Unless you are a business that relies entirely from email orders, you don’t need them. Be brave! Difficult though it may appear, turn them off and only visit them at ‘scheduled’ If it is urgent, people will soon learn you don’t immediately respond unless they call you.
  8. Multi-tasking – It’s a lie! Yep, multi-tasking isn’t time saving, it’s time draining. You start numerous jobs and keep going back to them spending time familiarising yourself with them. Start a job, give it your undivided attention and as far as you can go with it, complete and then move to the next. Refrain from jumping from one to another. From your To-Do list, you’ll have plenty of jobs but you’ll do them more efficiently by concentrating on them one at a time… trust me, it works!
  9. Cut it out! – Literally, cut tasks out if they don’t fit into the priority listing. Delegate what you can and what’s left, leave to one side and concentrate on the priorities you know are critical to the business and/or you. You can’t do everything so if there are areas to be sacrificed, this way you can be honest with yourself as to what are the least important.
  10. Review – Check your task list and see what can be delegated. Trust others to do it. If, as a sole trader or entrepreneur, you have to manage many aspects of the business, ie admin, then set a time (we refer to this as a ‘default diary’ entry, same time every day, week, fortnight etc depending on required frequency) and then don’t add this to the worry pile as it has its allocated slot. Also, keep assessing the priorities as later, those tasks that initially appeared high on the list may not necessarily be that important so keep revising.

Well there are ten areas to help start the process. An author who I totally admired was Stephen Covey and he once quoted “The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities”. A great mantra to take on board.

Coaching to success understand the headaches that a busy career or life can bring and we have the expertise, much as the client mentioned earlier, to help you through those harrowing times. To help you set clear parameters and offer the motivation to see you through to the end with positive and profitable outcomes.

Take the first step to gaining this clarity and contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother, quicker transition from despondency to joyful completion.

Challenge your Motivation by being SMART

How often do we find ourselves looking to the future and imagining a better outcome, whether personal, such as fitting into that suit/dress, or career path, only to find a few months later the outfit still sits in the wardrobe and the CV is exactly the same.

At that time of making the all-important decision to change things, motivation was running wild but as time goes by, motivation wanes with willpower following closely.

Reflect on the following, “A dream is but a dream but a goal is a dream with a deadline!”. There are many other factors to consider insuring we keep motivated along the way to realising your goal.

There’s a great acronym that some will recognise, and that’s all about setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant-Timely).

By setting SMART Goals, and we can help create these, the motivation can be re-vitalised along the way as each part is covered. Usually motivation loses its way with the passing of time if no significant development has been noticed. The objective may be a long term one such as building an extension to a house and this isn’t such a bad example and having rescomdesigns do the home designs by adding some glow in the dark stones as well to make the decoration even better.

Consider what is involved. Drainage, groundworks, foundation, brickwork, windows, roof etc. You have the finished product incorporating many elements to making it up, therefore, each one is a goal in its own right. As each is accomplished, recognition for doing so helps keep the motivation fed.

There are numerous ways to keep motivated according to what works for you. Here are a few ideas to help you:

  • Find inspiration – others who have achieved similar topics. Read features. Converse with those who will likely support you (avoid negative peole)
  • Start small and build – Much like exercising, don’t look to do 100 press-ups straight of, start with 10 and build on this. Look at some of the smaller elements to begin and with each success, recognise and move onto the next. Review how closer you are towards your objective and how much you’ve accomplished.
  • Know your ebb and flow – motivation is not constant! Different times of the day, week, month will prove easier to feel inspired. Know when you’re at your best and channel your energy.
  • Stick with it – writers get writer’s block but they carry on. I sometimes struggle with the flow of these features but sticking at it, suddenly I break the barrier and it flows again. Don’t give up when hitting a tough spot.
  • Change the mind-set – positive affirmations all the way. Refrain from looking at the difficulties of the task and concentrate on what you have achieved thus far. A ‘Positive’ mind will encourage further motivation.
  • Rewards – Reward accordingly. Make them appropriate for the task. For me, a nice cappuccino having completed these features is my treat. One client bought himself an iPad for accomplishing a project.

Once you know what feeds your motivation, look to other ways of committing to it:

  • Don’t do it alone.
  • Choose goals that interest you or that you can make interesting.
  • Announce your goal to others.
  • Break the goal into manageable components.
  • Plot the progress.
  • Look back and celebrate achievements.

Coaching to Success help their clients with setting SMART(ER) goals and offer the support to insure the motivation doesn’t lose sight of the overall objective. If you or your team are looking for that motivation, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother, quicker transition of change for the positive.