Time & Life Are The Same

Some conversations are never cheery. They are instead uncomfortable. Nevertheless, they are relevant.

How you look at things can be ftom either a positive or negative view point. The glass is half empty or half full. But there are some conversations where the benefit sits in the reality of the inevitable, the thing that can never be changed. I think this is the view of my post today.

Often times we can see time as the thing we use to measure life outside of ourselves. The clock on the wall. The time on our phones, our iPad, etc. The day of the week. The month the year.

Then, once a year we align our lives to it, (time that is), due to a significant event I.e a birthday, an anniversary, a memorial.

But like the falling sand in an hour glass, we are all allotted an unknown number of days here on earth. No one knows what that figure is for themself. Yet if you were to consider each grain of sand representing a moment of your life shifting from now – time present to time past. Actually, you realise every moment and every second of your life is valuable. Nothing about your day is invaluable and inconsequential.

It only feels unimportant because we don’t have a value or appreciation of it.

That is why I guess, anyone who has almost lost their life has such a different perspective on life and time. Why? Because they see time and their life as one in the same thing. Hence, the value is in what you are doing with your life throughout each day. Are you using your time wisely and intentionally?

If every falling grain of sand is a moment of your life that can no longer be repeated then the sand that is before you needs to fall through good decisions and choices for your life.

Life and time are both precious and valuable. Spend them well.

Don’t get caught up in pointless arguments and disagreements. Things that spiral you and your life down the wrong road. Because of other peoples agendas, poor behaviours or negativity.

This post has come out of some sad news I heard yesterday. The unexpected loss of someone. I was listening to them only last Tuesday, in a discussion group. Full of life. Articulate, intelligent. Always able to bring another angle, to make you think differently in a discussion due to the wider perspective that they bring in. Someone who did alot in their community. Yet on Thursday, two days later, they were no longer here. They had meetings to fulfil on Thursday. They were to join the discussion group the following Tuesday. Yet two days later they were no longer here.

So do all you can do for today because as the saying goes. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to us.

Until the next post. Be the change you want to see.

Gloria (Aquene7)

Timing Is Everything!

Timing is everything! I’m sure you have heard this before and at times agreed.

It’s the difference between dipping at the opportune time and coming first or mistiming your lunge and coming second or third and at worst fourth and missing any medal.

Bitcoin has become the most recognised crypto currency, yet it’s not that long ago when it was alot less known and viewed as lesser known investment. For those who invested pre 2014 they experienced a meteoric increase by 2017. Where its said 1 bitcoin equalled up to $20,00.00. No wonder a number of people found that their lives changed significantly. This wave of course attracted alot of attention but needless to say that the early leap in price has not been replicated and of course there are alot more people who have since leaped onto the Bitcoin wagon, in the hope of a similar experience, but that boat has sailed for the first rise and many are hoping for a further wave, possibly bigger than the first.

Timing, timing, timing it’s the thing we can so easily take for granted, or overlook. Yet if we were to focus more on it, who knows how much we could improve things in our lives.

I’m sure there are things, that with a little more attention could bring in benefits. To be timely is not just about risk or luck. It’s also about discipline and drive. One of my favourite words is ‘intentionality.’ To be timely is to be intentional about the things in your life.

The end of the year is fast approaching and I know inspite of it being a difficult year many are already looking to 2021 and putting their goals and plans in place.

I too am looking ahead, and working on those things I would love to see in the first quarter of 2021.

Small changes can bring huge rewards if you are consistent with them.

So what have you been inconsistent in? Where have you allowed time to slip away unnecessarily? It’s never to late change or improve things🤩

Until my next post. Be the change you want to see.

Gloria (Aquene7)

Quote – Vision

Routine – Good vs Bad

Routine.  A lot of people swear by it.  It is the only way they get through their day,  their week, or their month.

Having a routine can be great. It brings order and discipline into a life that would otherwise be chaotic.  It gives you the benefit of knowing where things are, what’s next, how long something takes, where one thing ends and the next thing begins.

I have friends who know exactly where to stand along a train station platform in order to board the train at a particular point so that when they get off they are at the perfect point to make the fastest exit, in order to leave or get their next train for work. I laughed when my friend explained the precision in this as I thought it was a detail to far.  But as she said every minute counts. Can’t argue with that. But the question was did that minute matter to me as much as it did to her? Obviously, not!
But people who focus like this do get things done. It may not be the ideal for me or you but there is something to learn and be taken from their effort.  Does it mean this person is never late or rushing no. But they feel it makes a difference.  It’s an improvement upon  what they could would be like without it.

People who have strict routines and order to things, can be perceived as ‘control freaks’ ‘OCD’ even ‘anal’ depending how strict they are, and the mood you are left in, should you be the one needing help and feeling they are a hindrance rather than a help, as some are to the letter in how they work.

Routine, as with all things has a lot going for it. We all have routines in our lives to varying degrees one way or the other. Its part of how we live. As a mother, I could not have gotten by without having some routine in place as children need routine because it brings security, comfort and aids in their development and growth. While constant change is unsettling and brings negative impacts to a child.

However, everything needs to be reviewed at some point.
As in my last post, it is important to be flexible and to review YOU at times and what you are doing. As I wrote in my previous post ‘How Do You Motivate Yourself?’ Kaizen – ‘continuous improvement’ is important because as a day changes so does life.

I remember hearing a story once that roughly went like this:-

A young girl received in her breakfast  an omelette, which her mum always lovingly prepared for her.
“Mama why do you always make your omelette in a triangle?
“I don’t know baby, it’s how my Mama always made them for me, so I do the same for you because I love to?
The little girl was curious and remembered what her mama said, so when she was with her grand mama she asked her about the omelette story.
Her grandmother explained that that’s how her mama made them for her but her mama was born a slave. She explained that her grand mama was born a slave so when her mama cooked eggs it was a treat and all she had was an old pan and that was the shape of the pan so that’s how the eggs came out.

Some times our routines can become traditions. Traditions are accepted routines and we do not necessarily know the WHY anymore, it just is. It’s what we do or what we have always done. We have never thought to question it. Routines as with the little girl, can be handed down. They can come in many forms – mum’s personal recipe, Christmas Day at a particular family members house, etc. We do it often enough and long enough that it is now called a ‘family tradition.‘ On a National level it can become so wide scale that it is then called ‘culture’ and ‘custom’.

Routines come into our lives for many reasons. Like I said, they are often good. But what we can fail to recognise is that some have a ‘TEMPORARY’ life span. Their benefit was only meant to be for a few weeks or a month or so.  Like fashion that is current, at some point it becomes left behind into a position that is no longer current. Instead it becomes dated. Locked in by the very time and season it was created in, and anyone still wearing it gets locked into that time also. This can done well or done badly.  You know, I am sure you have seen someone,  maybe even yourself where you can say it works or they need to change.

But what we can fail to recognise is that some have a ‘TEMPORARY’ life span. Their benefit was only meant to be for a few weeks or a month or so.

Routines can out stay their welcome and their usefulness. The wrong routine can hold you back from your future rather than moving you into it.

So what needs to go? What are you doing that really,  if you think about it you no longer need to do?

Or what is it you need to do? What would help if you did it more frequently?  What should be part of your routine?

Think it! Do it! Change it!

Be the change you want to be!  Until next time.

Aquene7 = Peace

How Do You Motivate Yourself?

How do you motivate yourself when you feel things are slipping or slowing down? What do you do when you recognise you are going to miss the target you set or you have missed your target?

How do you motivate yourself when you acknowledge that your dream is not going to happen if you continue to go at the pace you are currently going at?

This was where I was a short time ago.  I had set my goal of qualifying as a coach from last year and this was to be achieved by May this year but I could see by the end of March early April, I was falling off track and the final stages was seeming as a big ask. But I knew it had to be done, and the thought of taking 18 months or 2 years to complete, was not an option for me, it was never part of my original plan. So I needed to get myself back on track.

One thing that has constantly been in my mind recently was the Japanese word Kaizen. What is that I hear you ask? Well if you are in the manufacturing and engineering world you will be familiar with it.  It’s the important process of ‘Continual Improvement” and literally means “Improvement” or “Change for the best.”   Not change/improvement for the sake of it but small improvements that bring specific benefit.  This was the process that literally enabled Japan to rise from being a devastated country after World War 2 into becoming a world leader and player in an extremely short space of time.

 

Kaizen Symbol – http://www.pinterest.com/pin/1970393559508368/

 

In Steven Covey’s book ‘7 Habits Of High Effective People’ he calls this process ‘Sharpening The Saw.’  Reviewing your goals and your actions with a view of seeing what needs to change, what is no longer beneficial and basically how to bring self-improvement and change where necessary to yourself and what you are doing currently.

I recognise there were things I needed to change otherwise I would achieve the result I did not want and here are a few of the things I did.  I must admit, I didn’t just wake and decide to do these things all at the same time.  It was a more organic process.  One day I would have one idea maybe a week or so later something else popped up and I ran with that.  But what they all did, was they brought about a small shift in my momentum that as time went by increased my pace, focus, drive and passion in doing what I knew I needed to do.

Step 1.  Way Up My Priorities:  As with most people I realised I had a number of important plates spinning all at the same time and I now needed to re-think everything and decide what was most and important and why.  Once I did that I realised certain things would have to be parked or at least have less of my attention for a while in order to free up time and allow me more space to use my mind and concentration in getting what needed to be done, done.  One of my decisions was to blog less, not ideal but i said it wouldn’t be for long.

Step 2. Have a Clear Plan: I looked at what I needed to do to in order to successfully complete my submission and I familiarised my self with anything I was putting off.  From that I wrote out a clear checklist of what had been accomplished and what was still missing so that I could tick things off once completed. Obviously, this was for my goal but what do you need to put a clear plan in place for?  What have you done so far? What’s still missing for you? When do you need to achieve this by? Why? If you don’t do any of this what will happen? This outcome how does it make you feel?

3.  Considered What Resources I Now Needed:  I thought about what I needed in order to get me to my end goal.  I decided I needed help in order to keep myself on track but more importantly keep myself accountable.  As a trainee Coach I am aware that it is important to understand what your strengths and weaknesses are.  I am great when everything is flowing right but once I start to lose pace I know, I in myself isn’t always enough and I need to have someone in my corner that I am accountable to.  So, I got myself a Coach! Don’t be afraid to get the right kind of help or to put in place the resource you need. So What do you need? Do you need the skills of a Coach? Do you have all the materials you require? 

4. Challenge Yourself:  I have an old fashion diary which I love.  Some people put everything in their phone.  I choose a full page diary as its easy to see clashes and keep track of everything including my client appointments.  Another thing i found myself doing was first thing in the morning asking myself ‘What do you want by the end of the day.’ I would write this in my diary and list the most important things I would like to have completed by the end of the day.  This was not just to do with my coaching stuff, but other things i see as important to my life.  i.e. Workout Session for my health, Reading some of my current book, one or two agreed actions from my coach.  I wouldn’t do an exhaustive list but just 3 or 4 really important things that needed to be complete during the week.  As I achieved them I would tick them off. How can you challenge yourself into action? What can you do to keep yourself on track each day?

5.  Self Learning:  One thing I have picked up from Inspirational teachers like Jim Rohn is to read. So part of my motivational strategy was to cover off a certain amount of reading during the week too. Two books or more per week is nothing for some people who are avid readers. For me it was more about what I read rather than the quantity so I loaded a number of books onto my Kindle which I am now working my way through happily and loving what I am learning.  These include a few of Jim Rohn’s books and Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo.  To accompany the Talk Like TED book  I also decided to watch the TED Video’s and it was a very wise decision for me.  So find what works for you and build it into your day.

All of these things varied in intensity and by them self seemed like a small thing really, but I have found together they have brought me to a place where I am more than on track with my goal and by the end of June my studying will be over, YES!!  However, my mind is already onto the next level about perfecting my love of Coaching and understanding ‘What makes people tick and enabling them to get there!”

I say all this to encourage you in finding your way to getting to YOUR ‘there’ where ever that is.  It’s not about quitting, just rethink and adjust what needs to be adjusted. I think step one in my short list is the hardest, but once you have done that it’s just about making it work.  I find the reading and watching of the video’s bring about new information for me, and great questions which then trigger me to find new answers for my life.  Having a Coach helps me to be clear and to formulate specific, measurable and realistic steps in making what I want – happen. But you may choose a good friend who you know will keep you on track.

Do what you need to do to keep yourself progressing and moving forward.

Be the change you want to be, until next time.

 

Aquene7 = Peace