Patterns

Patterns are things that we do on a consistent basis and are done at an unconscious level.

Your patterns of thoughts, language and behaviour will determine the quality of your life and the results that you achieve.

Many of your patterns have come about from influences and experiences from your environment.

Hopefully the environments you have been exposed to have led you to develop healthy patterns.

Unfortunately though there may be patterns that you are following that may not be serving you well in your life.

It is critical to identify any patterns that are not serving you and to interrupt them.

If you are not experiencing the results that you want in various areas of your life an examination of the patterns creating these results is necessary. You will find that a pattern of thoughts, language or behaviour is not allowing you to experience what you desire. Continuing to follow these patterns will lead to the same results occurring in your life.

Below are some common examples of unhelpful patterns.

* Focusing on and only seeing the negatives in everything.

* Not completing things, always leaving things unfinished.

* Being critical and judgemental of oneself and others.

* Not feeling worthy to receive.

* Inability to say “No” to others when necessary – ‘Disease to Please’.

* Justifying and laying blame.

* Doing everything for others and failing to support yourself.

The key to interrupting these unhelpful patterns is to commit to making a conscious choice to cease them and replace them with a healthier pattern.

Whatever your pattern is do the opposite to what you would normally do. For instance, if you normally are critical of yourself and others do the opposite by paying compliments to yourself and others. Make it a daily habit. Repetition created your unhealthy patterns, so allow repetition to create new healthy patterns.

Take control of your life. Be a creator of the patterns that will serve your life the best.

Author: Steve Decker – Life Management & Success Coach

Planning

As the saying goes “If you fail to plan you plan to fail”.

The question I would like to ask of you is “Are you investing some time in planning each week?”

Planning helps to set you up for success. So many times people fail to achieve what they want in life due to an absence or lack of adequate planning.

Planning is a worthwhile investment of your time. It is important to make time for it. A small amount of time spent planning can assist you in being more effective with your time and can help you to achieve better outcomes in your life.

Planning helps you to become the creator of your life. It allows you to come up with deliberate strategies/approaches to achieve the outcomes that you want. Your life only happens once so give yourself the time to plan how you want to live and experience it.

Planning keeps you focused on what actions you need to be taking. It provides you with a step by step guide to follow.

Planning can help you to identify potential challenges and can allow you to come up with a contingency of options available to you to help you overcome these challenges.

Planning also helps you to formulate new ideas and ways of doing things. It gives you space to be creative.

Most importantly with planning is implementing the plan. Once you have decided on a plan put it in to practice. Good intentions are not going to help you.

As you implement your plan review your progress on a regular basis and make any necessary adjustments to your plan to achieve the preferred outcomes you want.

There are many tools available to assist you with planning. Search on the Internet and you will find templates and software that can assist you with your planning. Office supply retailers will also have planning resources.

You can create plans for various aspects of your life e.g. Health, Finances, Career, Business, Relationships, Spiritual, Emotions, Time Management etc.

Make time for planning and you will reap the many benefits of doing so.

Author: Steve Decker – Life Management & Success Coach

Making the Right Choices

The quality of your life will depend on the choices that you make.

The results that you are receiving in the different areas of your life will be the accumulation of the day to day choices that you are making in those areas. If you are not achieving the results that you want in particular areas reflect on your past and current choices and ask yourself “Am I making the right choices and do I need to commit to making some different choices?”

Some of the important choices you may want to think about are:

* How you spend your time;

* Who you decide to have relationships with;

* How you manage your money;

* How you treat yourself;

* Your attitude in life;

* Being truthful; and

* How you respond to events in life.

Your choices will steer the direction that your life takes.

It is therefore important that you think carefully about the choices that you are making.

Time is precious and you need make sure that you are spending it wisely. Spend time doing things that you enjoy, that make you happy, that contribute to helping you achieve what you want in life and that assist you in maintaining your wellbeing. Make sure that you allocate and spend time on important priorities i.e. health, exercise, developing and maintaining relationships, having fun, involving yourself in areas that you are passionate about, doing things that you enjoy, taking the time-out to rest and relax, getting adequate sleep, self-development etc.

Who you surround yourself with has a huge influence on your life. It is important that you have relationships with people that have a positive influence on you. Develop and maintain relationships with people that make you feel good about yourself, that encourage and support you, that have your best interest at heart and add value to your life.

Manage your financial situation so that you are in control of it and it is not controlling you. Know what is happening with your money. Be proactive with managing this area of your life. Have a budget in place that you stick to that ensures you plan your expenses and income. Educate yourself on understanding how to manage your money and how to make your money work for you. Set goals to work towards. Understand the concept of delayed gratification. Seek help if necessary.

Support yourself in a caring way. Make it a priority to take the time to do the things that will nourish you, that give you the necessary energy to live life well and that will keep you healthy. By supporting yourself first you will be more effective in supporting others. Allow yourself to receive from others. Remember, receiving is just as important as giving. Speak to yourself kindly and with encouragement.

Maintain a positive attitude. Focus on the positives in your life and be grateful and thankful for them. Develop a ‘can do’ attitude where you look for opportunities and solutions, and then implement the necessary action. See your life as a wonderful adventure with many things to enjoy and look forward to.

Be truthful to yourself and others. Speak and live your truth. Be authentic to yourself and others in your words and actions.

Respond to life’s events in a way that keeps you moving forward in a positive direction. Learn from your experiences and apply this learning to improve your life.

Making those better choices, as suggested above, on a daily basis will increase the level of happiness and fulfillment you experience in your life both today and in the future.

Make a choice right now that you will let go of poor choices that are not serving you and commit to making better choices that will help you live the life that you want and be the person you desire to be.

Author: Steve Decker – Life Management & Success Coach

Commitment

If you think about the results or outcomes that you are receiving in any area of your life there will be a correlation to the level of commitment you are providing in that area.

I know that when I reflect on areas of my own life, whether it be when I was at school or in my career, business, relationships, finances or spiritual life, I have always achieved the best results or outcomes when I have been truly committed.

If you are not achieving the results or outcomes in any area of your life evaluate for a moment your level of commitment in that area. Be honest with yourself. Could you be committing more in those areas? Are you dedicating the necessary time, energy, and resources to achieve the results or outcomes that you want in that area?

There is a general tendency for people to be committed to areas that are already going well for them and to neglect or avoid committing to those areas that need some improvement. Human nature comes into play and we are drawn towards those areas that we feel comfortable and confident with and less so to those areas that we are not so comfortable or confident with.

If you want to improve the results or outcomes in any area of your life all you need to do is increase the level of commitment in those areas. If you are not in a career that you enjoy be committed in exploring other options that interest you. If your relationship with your partner is not where you would like it to be commit to initiating some type of actions that will improve it. If your finances are not in a good situation be committed to seeking out solutions and applying new strategies. If your health is not in a good state commit to taking the necessary steps to enhance it. You will find that when you commit more of your time, energy and resources to these areas that your results and outcomes will improve.

When we fail to commit to those things that we know that we need to be doing we continue to experience results and outcomes that are unsatisfactory in our lives.

Commitment is making a pledge to yourself that you will do what it takes to achieve the results or outcomes that you want.

Commitment is a key ingredient to success and happiness in our lives.

Below are some strategies that can assist you in becoming more committed:

* Use language to help you to commit. Say to yourself “I will, I must, I am, I can”. This type of language will create a momentum towards taking action.

* Write down the negative/painful consequences of failing to commit to areas that you are not happy with in your life.

* Write down the positive/pleasurable outcomes that you will experience or derive from committing in those areas.

* Know the reasons why you need to commit. Understand and get clear on the importance of doing so.

* If you are competitive set yourself a challenge.

* Verbalise to others what you are going to do. When you do this you are making yourself accountable. You will be less likely to look for the exit strategy for not doing what you know you need to be doing. This is because we tend to keep promises that we make to others more so than the ones that we make to ourselves.

So, what actions are you going to take to display greater commitment to those areas in your life that need it? Make a commitment to yourself and others right now that you will take these actions. This commitment will bring pleasure, satisfaction and fulfillment into your life. Go for it!

Author: Steve Decker – Life Management & Success Coach

How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Single Cent

Book Author – Justin Herald

Justin Herald grew a multimillion dollar business from just $50 – all without spending a cent on advertising, marketing or promotion.

In this book Justin reveals the secrets of how he achieved this.

The book is full of real life examples and innovative ideas that will assist you to grow your business, without costing you a lot of money.

Justin’s reason for writing this book is to remind business owners that there are simple and straightforward aspects to business growth.

The real life examples in the book highlight the success that can follow by adopting these straightforward and simple methods.

The topics that Justin discusses in the book are:

Finding your point of difference;
Attracting media attention for free;
Using your customers to grow your business;
Understanding what the customer wants costs nothing;
The three most important ingredients of any business: (1) service (2) service (3) SERVICE;
Keep an eye on your expenses each week;
Forming strategic alliances costs nothing;
Building your business is all about building relationships;
Call in favours; ask for advice; and
Aim for success outside your business.

As you can read from the topics, this book is really about going back to the basics of good business practices and a recurring theme in the book is that it is the simple things that become the most effective tools for business success.

I would highly recommend this book as an extremely worthwhile read for any business owner who desires to boost the performance of their business.

Author: Steve Decker – Life Management & Success Coach

Don't Let Your Fears Rule You

Fear is defined as a powerful biological feeling of unpleasant risk or danger, either real or imagined.

It is believed that we are all born with an innate sense of fear and this is important as it helps us to remain safe and protects us from potential danger to our wellbeing.

However, the fears that are learned can be a barrier to self-growth and self-betterment.

Our experiences in our environment can unintentionally imprint fear and limitation in our minds.

Phrases such as “Don’t do that or I’ll smack you!” or “Be careful, you will hurt yourself.” are heard from a young age and plant fear and thoughts of limitation in our minds and these fears tend to grow as we grow older and affect many areas of our lives.

It is essential that we understand how damaging these types of statements can be and we should avoid using them in our communication, especially to young children.

To succeed in life and get what you truly want you will need to overcome the fears that are limiting you.

We all experience certain fears; fear of rejection, fear of loss, fear of criticism, fear of growing old, fear of change etc. The key is to overcome them and you can! Remember that fear does not exist anywhere but in our own mind.

It is never too late to address your fears.

The best cure for expelling your fears is to take action. Do the things that you fear! Don’t avoid them. Tackle them head on.

Be strong and optimistic.

Enjoy and accept the challenge as an opportunity to learn and improve yourself.

Don’t let your fears rule your life. If you don’t face them you will continue to suffer the damaging consequences and limit your full potential.

A coach can assist you to identify the fears that are limiting you and hindering you from achieving the results that you want in your life.

They can discuss with you the necessary actions that can help you to rid the fear which is creating obstacles in your life.

Many of my clients who have taken action to overcome their fears have found it to be an empowering experience.

If you can’t face your fears alone think about the benefits of seeking help from a coach.

Author: Steve Decker - Life Management & Success Coach

Be Your Best Friend

The most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself.

The quality of the relationship that you have with yourself will determine the quality of relationship that you have with other areas of your life i.e. health, finances, relationships, career, emotions and spirituality.

It is vital therefore that you be a ‘best friend’ to yourself. Being a ‘best friend’ to yourself allows you to receive goodness in your life.

When we have a poor relationship with ourselves and we don’t feel good about the person we are, we choose behaviours that self-sabotage and ‘shut the gates’ to happiness and success entering our life.

So, what are some ways that you can proactively nourish the relationship that you have with yourself. The following are some suggestions.

1. Love Who You Are

Be happy with and love the person that you are. Remind yourself and focus daily on your positive qualities, strengths, achievements and positive comments that others have made about you. Love yourself for being this person.

2. Value Yourself

Acknowledge the value that you offer at your work, at home to your family, in the community, to your friends etc.

3. Treat Yourself Well

Give yourself permission and spend time doing things for yourself that provide you with health, happiness and a feeling of wellbeing. You need to support yourself first. By supporting yourself first everyone else, including you, benefits.

4. Listen to Your Body, Mind & Spirit

Be an active listener to what your body, mind and spirit are guiding you to do. Pay attention and act on this guidance.

5. Talk to Yourself Kindly

Talk to yourself in a loving and caring way. Use language that supports and encourages you.

6. Respect Yourself

Respect and be proud of the person that you are.

7. Give Yourself a Hug

Every day give yourself a hug and simultaneously say to yourself “I love you!”

Commit to these suggestions and it will enhance the relationship that you have with yourself. Devote time to nourishing the relationship with yourself. It will have positive ripple effects on all areas of your life.

Author: Steve Decker – Life Management & Success Coach