Why you should NOT make New Year's Resolutions!

At the beginning of the New Year is traditionally a time when most people create 'New Year's' resolutions, and decide to change lots of things in their lives that seem to need changing.

I don't do New Year's resolutions! I believe that they are not really worth the time it takes to make them. Lots of people tend to make rash statements like: 'I will go the the gym 5 days a week, I will lose 10 kilos' I'm sure you have heard plenty of them, and by the time the first few weeks of the year have passed the reality of keeping the resolution becomes way too hard,and they get conveniently forgotten.
For me it is much more useful to review the last year in a calm clinical sort of way, and use the information  to come up with a plan for the next year.


Here's where you get the opportunity to create your year, your way, rather than have it created for you by circumstances or people around you.

The Fast Forward Coach, Reflections and Review (R and R)

• List 10 of the best things that have happened for you in the last year.
• What are top 3 accomplishments you are most proud of ?
• List 3 of the greatest lessons you have learnt in the last year?
• 3 ways you have grown personally and or professionally in the last year.
• What would you change or do differently if you could?
• List 3 activities you need to do more of in 2012
• What 3 things do you need to stop doing in 2012
• What is your overall 'theme' for the year.
• List your top 3 'intentions' for the next year.

Use the information to help you create a plan to achieve more of what you want for 2012.
Make sure you note the specific actions you have created in your diary, or maybe as a screen saver on your computer, where you will see it regularly.
Using this simple strategy has lots of benefits.It will help to keep you accountable and it also gives you a tangible record of your progress and will become a reminder to keep you focused, particularly if you start to feel a little less motivated.

This reminds me of one of my favourite equations: focus + consistent actions = results.
 

Nab those sneaky energy drainers.

Energy drainers are all around! It is really interesting when you stop and think about what is draining your energy each day. Often it can be the little things that you have to take time to do which, that if you handled them would free up so much time and energy.

Great example recently for me was my dishwasher! For months the dishes were not being cleaned properly! I tried lots of different things to fix it, it was a very old dishwasher and in reality was well past it's use-by date! I was getting more and more frustrated, rewashing the dishes was not sposed to be part of my evening! so finally I made a decision to upgrade and buy an ultra efficient brand new model.
What a difference it has made! Obviously the dishes are clean but it is more than that! My energy and motivation levels increased markedly, just by simply taking action!
I was inspired to look for other areas where I could get rid of some of these sneaky energy drainers, and come up with a number of other actions I could take. What a difference!

What some areas in your life, where you could take a small action to make a big difference?
some examples might be:

• clear any clutter from benches, or work areas
• make sure appliances are working properly (think of my dishwasher!)
• file all bills and papers away 
• have a clear out of clothes you no longer wear. 
• clear out the temp files and empty the deleted folder in your computer, then do a system clean.

Once you have done several of these actions notice how you feel! You will be surprised how much more energy you will have!

Julie Rowlands is a certified coach, mentor and writer who works with women who have their own businesses, to help them to have maximum sustainable energy and minimum stress.

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What a clever hairdresser can teach you about change.

A few weeks ago I went to the hairdressers, I was pretty unsure of what I wanted, (not such a good thing when you are in someone else’s hands!) And so when my hairdresser suggested a different style, I readily agreed, after all, I’m ok with change… or so I thought! No, he did not colour my hair bright pink or anything like it, what he did do, in his usual clever way was subtly add a different colour and cut my hair in a different way.

I loved the look, however what really surprised me for ages afterward was how I could not get used to having my hair parted on the opposite side! I automatically felt compelled to comb it the other way, the way it had been for years. Small but significant change causes discomfort.

It is like trying to fold your arms a different way, It just FEELS funny and awkward!

It is the similar kind of feeling when you have to do something different at work or in your career. It is much easier to do things the same old way. It is comfortable and often you do the task unconsciously. You don’t have to use lots of energy thinking about it, you just do it! It has become a habit.
Change means doing something that is unfamiliar. It is sometimes much harder, you have to consciously learn the steps that must be done, rather than just doing it habitually.

The advantage of consciously choosing change is that you free yourself from limits, and open up all sorts of possibilities that you probably did not even realise were available to you.

This concept can be even more interesting when you apply it to your thinking.

We tend to think in patterned ways. This is often unconscious, it uses less energy, and therefore easier.
Ask yourself: ‘what are some different ways to think about this situation ', or  'how can I change the way I think about this', Asking these sorts of questions will  give you more options?
The key is to consciously choose to think about something in a different way, to get a different (hopefully better) result.
Embracing the lessons that change brings can lead you to more flexibility in your thinking and help you to live your life with fewer limits.
Going back to my new hairstyle, I have got used to it, and as a bonus, I have had so many comments about looking years younger!I like that!


Julie Rowlands is a certified coach who works with professional women to help create maximum sustainable energy and minimum stress.

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'How to get a head start n the confidence stakes.'

Lets celebrate!

How do you celebrate yourself? Who you are? Your own unique gifts and talents?

If you have kids, my guess is that you celebrate their successes at sport or at school, however, I wonder how often you celebrate your kids for just being themselves? Who they are and what makes them special? Similarly for yourself?

Our society tends to focus on the successes of great sportsmen and women, on the huge achievements and fame of our heroes, however I want to us as a society to learn to acknowledge and celebrate the average person in the street, the home based Mum who is bringing up her kids, working part time and running the home. What about the parents of the special needs kids at the local school? Or the kids themselves?

I think these groups of people and countless others, need to be celebrated in ways that are meaningful to them, so we move toward valuing 'ordinary'.
I believe this helps us to feel accepted for ourselves, and that we are 'good enough'. This is fundamental to self confidence and continued success.
How many of us never quite feel 'good enough', 'clever enough', and are somehow always trying to get to that place of acceptance of it being 'ok' to be ourselves?

Top ways to celebrate YOU.

• Define success for you 
• Create a victory log, list your past successes
• Acknowledge yourself as you are-perfect!
• Believe in yourself
• Create 10 daily habits that energise you and support you to be your best.
• Reward yourself often for your successes big and small.
• Display the evidence of your success 

Celebrating the 'essence' of you will create momentum and inspire you to further success.

Julie Rowlands is a certified coach who inspires women in professional careers to have 

maximum sustainable energy and minimum stress.

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Go the All Blacks! Go New Zealand!

Now you can ask anyone, and they will tell you I am not a big fan of rugby, BUT today and for the next 6 weeks, I am!

When it seems that the whole country is getting caught up in Rugby World Cup 2011 fever, who am I to not to join in! I even bought an All Blacks flag! I will be watching the opening ceremony and the 1st game tonight, where the All Blacks play Tonga, on my own TV of course, but I will be at Eden park in spirit!
What a wonderful way to showcase our country and put us on the world stage. It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of the whole event.
This afternoon, thousands of people have converged on the Auckland waterfront to see the opening ceremony!
I just love the passion, the enthusiasm and excitement you can see on the faces of the fans, it is absolutely contagious.!
I just watched an impromptu haka in the middle of one of the main streets in Auckland. It was blood stirring stuff, reminds me of why I am so proud to be a Kiwi!
Can't wait to see the spectacle!
Go the All Blacks! Go New Zealand!

Design your very own google map.

Recently I attended a business planning workshop! Ugh!! Some people might think that could be one of the most boring/difficult/watching paint dry type things to do on a nice sunny Hawkes Bay day!

They could be so wrong!

I learnt a lot, met some really interesting people, learnt some great skills and I know it will be very helpful going forward.

For me, though, the process reminded me of how things can be in 'real life'.

Do you have a will? If you have your own home, a business or have children, chances are your answer will be yes. This always surprises me because a lot of people plan very carefully for what happens when they die, however when it comes to life, they let things just float along without a plan or vision of what their life is about.

What about you? Have you got a plan for your life? Do you have a crystal clear vision for what you want in your life?

When was the last time, if ever, that you sat down, pen and paper in hand and wrote down all the things you to achieve, in your life, career, your business, for your family?

Research has shown that if you write your goals and vision down, you are much more likely to achieve them, even if you have no idea how you will do it.

Would you start out on a journey to some exotic place you have never been without some sort of map? I don’t think so, especially if you had no idea of which direction you needed to go!

You would certainly get somewhere, but is it where you want to be?

Now is always a great time to start! 

Here are 4 key strategies to begin the process.

1.     Know exactly what  you want.

This can be the tricky bit, we often know and can talk freely about what we don’t want, so once you know what it is that you don’t want, turn it around to a positive statement and write that down, for example: I don’t want to be stuck in a dead end job for the rest of my life… turned around could be - I want to have a career where I use all my skills and get paid handsomely for what I am worth.
Look at all areas of your life, ie home, family, relationships, finances, recreation, health and well-being, career etc 

2.     Take action to get what you want

Now that you know what you truly want, work backwards in steps to get what action steps you need to take to get you toward that goal.
You are more likely to get the outcome you are after, if you have the steps written down, so you know which way to go!

3.     Be flexible 

Once you are underway on your journey using your map, you may find things don’t always go according to plan, That’s ok, being flexible allows you to change direction slightly and try something different, if what you were doing doesn’t seem to be working.

4.     Be aware

Learn to notice and grab opportunities when they appear. Keep your mind open and be aware that the universe always gives you what you ask for, although sometimes not quite in the way you may have had in mind.


Creating your ideal life can be just like having your very own google map for your life, so
what is stopping you?
Grab that pen and paper and a cuppa and go for it!


Julie Rowlands is a certified coach, who is passionate about inspiring professional women to have maximum sustainable energy, and minimum stress.

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How to get a Head Start in the Confidence Stakes.

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3 Top Tips for an Overflowing Bucket.

Whats the difference between sharing some of your water if your bucket is overflowing, and sharing some of your water if there is just a trickle in the bottom of your bucket? It is pretty obvious that trying to give someone a drink from a nearly dry bucket is pretty much impossible, and if it is accomplished there is nothing left for you.
In your work and home life, your bucket is where you keep your reserves, your energy. 

What I notice when my bucket is nearly empty, is my energy levels are low, I am tired, less patient, and I seem to feel stretched in lots of ways. Everything seems so much harder, and takes much more effort. I bet you can relate to this at sometime in your life?  The trouble is, that sometimes it seems like it is way too hard to take time out of work or arrange someone to care for your kids, that just adds to the stress. It all seems too hard.



Simple is what is the order of the day, and so here are 3 simple steps to
help you have an overflowing abundant bucket!

1. get grateful,
2. change your focus
3. get moving

Lets have a look at each one in turn.

Get grateful - Once you start looking at what you actually do have in your life, and allow yourself to become grateful for these gifts, you come from a place of abundance rather than scarcity, which in itself is very powerful. The Law of Attraction tells us that you are always attracting, whether you want to or not, so it is important to focus on what you have got rather than what you haven't.

Next step is change your focus. Whatever you focus on in your life, you will attract, so if you are constantly thinking about all that is wrong in your life, what you don't have, that is exactly what you will attract - more of the same.  A great example of this is when something happens that starts you off first thing in the morning... You break a cup or you are late for work, and then it seems like everything goes downhill from there. I bet you think something like "I knew that would happen, now I am going to have a lousy day," and guess what? that is what usually happens.
Try changing what you focus on, I know you will feel differently and you notice a a change in how you feel.

The next important step is to get moving!
Yes- research has repeatedly shown that by making sure you have regular physical exercise at least 3 times a week, you increase the release of the 'feel good' endorphins which boost energy levels and also are great for that wonderful sense of wellbeing. I know it can be hard to get the habit of exercise, however it has been proved that once you get into the habit of regular exercise, chances are you will not be loose it!
I know this for myself, I have found that now that I go to the gym regularly, I actually find my muscles ache if I don't go!

Filling your bucket can be easy if you learn to make time to nuture yourself with these simple strategies.

I challenge you to try them consistently at least a month, I know you will start to build those reserves immediately.
I love to hear feedback so email me and let me know how you have implemented these ideas!

Julie Rowlands is a professional coach, who loves to inspire women who work in professional careers, to have maximum sustainable energy and minimum stress.
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