By focusing on one task at a time, you’ll be able to save the amount of energy consumed when refocusing, leading you to become more productive and efficient.  

Would you like to start doing this now? Download our free worksheet to help you get started straight away. You can get it here.
 

2. Practice the 80/20 rule.
Somewhere along the line you’re likely to have heard of the 80/20 rule; a simple principle that states that 20% of your tasks contribute to 80% of your success.

Applying this rule to your consumption of mental energy is a great way to prioritise your mental output. Simply start by identifying the tasks that are most crucial to your success, and refocus your mental strength to tackle those first.

​You can then work your way down to implement the other 80% of work that is still important, but won’t have as big an impact on your overall results.

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3. Focus on the big things first.

This will also mean that you no longer need to rely on willpower to make good decisions, such as exercising daily or choosing healthy groceries, these decisions will happen automatically without taking up unnecessary space in your mind.

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5. Monitor your internal dialogue. 
All too often we waste time and energy worrying about things that never materialise. That’s why it’s vital to build a keen awareness around your own thoughts so that you can start filtering out the negative patterns that are keeping you from realising your full potential.

​As soon as negative thoughts start creeping in, take a moment to observe your thinking and then make a conscious decision to refocus on something more positive.

Not only will this have an impact on your general outlook, but by letting go of the things that don’t really matter you’ll have more energy to focus on the things that really do.


6. Avoid unrealistic expectations.
​Another common energy drain is brought about by unrealistic expectations. Constantly striving for perfection in every aspect of life can be mentally taxing and extremely time consuming.

Rather select the most important tasks to your overall growth and well-being, and focus all your energy into striving for perfection in these specific areas. Be realistic about what you’re able to achieve in one day, instead of spreading yourself too thin in all directions.  

​This helps you prioritise and know when to put in energy and when to refocus it elsewhere. 

Would you like some help to do this? Download our free worksheet to help you get started now! You can grab it here.

​Shine on!

1. Reconnect with your big picture.
When your days are made up of back and forth emails, annoying errands and navigating social politics, it can be easy to forget why you’re doing these things in the first place.

That’s why it’s always important to keep your bigger picture in mind, reminding yourself that these small tasks will eventually take you to the destination you want. Take the time to reflect on your daily routines and think about the kind of life they’re building. This will allow you the space to prioritise what is important and what is not.

2. Explore your passions.
Do you love to paint, hike, or travel? Whatever your passion, it’s important to carve out time in your life for the things you want to do, not only the things you have to do.

As the year begins to wind down and a fresh new one rises on the horizon, you’re likely to start reflecting on the year gone by and what you want to get out of the new one to come. Do you want to lose weight? Change careers? Work on your relationships? We all love a fresh start, and a new year gives us just that. A clean slate on which to build the life we truly want. Yet despite all this, so many of us end up failing at our New Year resolutions, quickly falling back on old routines and bad habits. Here are three reasons why… 
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1. You don’t really know what you want.

For many of us, the end of the year is a frantically busy time. Work commitments are juggled with holiday planning, family visits, an excess of functions and end of year social occasions, not to mention gift shopping for loved ones. Before we know it, the New Year is upon us and we find ourselves scrambling to put together our list of resolutions and goals for the year.

At this time of year, it’s difficult to know whether you’re coming or going, let along what you want for the next 12 months. 

2. They’re vague and unspecific. 

Whether you’re filled with the excitement and anticipation of New Year’s Eve, or dealing the after effects of late night celebrations on New Year’s Day, this time of year means that you’re unlikely to know what you need, want or can achieve. That’s why so often your resolutions reflect what you want now, instead of what you want in life.

Instead of putting time aside to reflect and set realistic and well thought out goals, you’re more likely to make a sweeping resolution based on something you’ve always dreamt of, regardless of whether it’s achievable. In addition, when your resolutions are vague it’s impossible for your brain to understand what you are trying to achieve and in short, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

3. You try to start too many new things at once. 

With a new year comes fresh motivation and an optimistic outlook. You feel excited for what’s to come and are determined to take the new year by the horns. You’re going to change your old ways and bring out the new you.

All this may sound good and well, but the problem is, bringing too much change into your life at one time is going to be a real challenge to keep up. Before too long that newfound positive attitude is going to start to wear off as life continues as usual, and you begin to fall behind on your resolutions and plans. 

Then question is then, what should you do to make 2020 your best year? Where you achieve want you want without the changes becoming overwhelming? Great news, we've created a mini-training that will tell you exactly what to do. You can access it here.

Shine on my friend.
Hanna x

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The holidays should be a time for relaxation and rejuvenation. An opportunity to reflect on the year gone by and prepare for the new one to come, while enjoying special quality time with friends and family. Why then do so many of us fill with dread and anxiety at the thought of December rolling around again?  ​

Self-honesty begins with self-reflection; an objective inward look at our own truth. The problem is that our minds have a sneaky tendency to rationalise and create stories to justify certain behaviours and to avoid the discomfort that change can bring. On top this, our minds are programmed to manipulate our thinking to align with instant gratification, which rarely represents the truth.
 
Have you ever justified a bad food choice by making up an internal excuse about why you deserve the sugary treat? These types of misleading interpretations occur throughout our lives, as our mind busily tries to come up with reasons or excuses for the choices that are not serving us.
                                          
The thing is, the more we lie to ourselves the less inclined we are to move forward and overcome the difficulties that stand in our way. By accepting our internal justifications as truth, we’re more likely to be complacent in our unhappiness, unable to evolve and reach the lives we truly want.
 
It’s your life and you’re the only one who is going to live it. That’s why it’s worth taking a hard look at who you are and what is at the core of you. Don’t build your identity around public opinion or current trends. In life, everything else may change, but if you have a good understanding of your true and authentic self, then you will always have a firm grounding that you know you can rely on no matter where life may take you.
 
Being honest with yourself is vital if you want to understand what it is you want from life. It brings clarity and allows you the opportunity to reflect on the things you are doing. When you know what you want, then you can work to make the vision for your life a reality. Remember to ask yourself if the people and activities in your life are helping you achieve your goals. Be brutally honest and the answers will become clear, helping you make tough decisions when it comes to relationships and career.

Do you need some help clarifying what want from your life at this part of your life journey? Coaching can be a great help, book your free taster call to see how it can help you.

Shine on!
Hanna x

A good place to start is to ask yourself what your goals are for the next twelve months. Remember to break these down into the different areas of your life; physical wellbeing, mental and emotional wellbeing, your work life, and finally the things that bring you connection and joy.

In setting your goals make sure to dream big! You want your goals to be difficult enough that they will be a real challenge to achieve, but when you do, it’s sure to feel amazing. It’s also vital that you make your goals as specific as possible, avoiding vague proclamations that will be difficult to hold yourself to or implement. Remember that you’re far more likely to keep motivated if your goals are based on positive actions instead of deprivations. So instead of saying, “I want to stop eating junk food”, rather say “I will start a healthy eating plan” and then plot out your actions to achieve this. Once you have your goals in mind, try writing down how much you want to achieve them and what it will feel like when you do. In the first few days after setting your goals, you’re likely to be driven by this enthusiasm to achieve results, but if you don’t put actions in place quickly it won’t be long before everyday life takes over and your goals start becoming a distant memory. 

Routine gives a sense of structure and organisation to your life that not only helps you stick to your goals, but also makes it easier to do so by taking a lot of the guesswork and planning out of it. Once your routine is in place, you won’t have to think about scheduling activities, as these will simply be the same each and every day. In this way, you can be sure that you’re prioritising the important things, limiting your time spent procrastinating, and keeping yourself on track to achieve your goals.

Begin by looking at your weekly schedule and analysing where you can carve out some time, so that you know what you can realistically commit to? Setting up routines for mornings and evenings is a great way to make sure that life and work commitments don’t interfere. You can use these routines to make sure that the most important stuff gets done every day, whether it’s working out, spending time with friends and family, developing a business, or reading and other hobbies.

The next step is to write down the actions you’ll need to take - daily or weekly - to be able to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself. Make sure that you track these actions, reviewing your progress on a weekly basis and analysing what is tripping you up. This way, you can tweak and improve your routines as you go. Remember that accountability is key. By sharing your goals and reporting your progress on a weekly basis, you ‘re 77% more likely to be successful in achieving them in the long run!

Now, decide on your goals and start creating the routines that will make them happen.

Let us know, what are your goals?

Goals are vital to keeping you on track. They push you to stretch yourself, and help motivate you to keep working hard to achieve them. But often, the goals we set for ourselves or our business are in fact too achievable. When setting your goals, your immediate thought should never be, “I can do this” or even “it’s a bit of a stretch but I can get there”. If this sounds like you, then chances are your dreams are too small and your goals too easy to achieve. A powerful and effective goal is one that leaves you thinking “I have to completely rethink how I do things to achieve this”. Of course, you may not achieve your goal right away, but by working towards it you can be sure that you’re headed in the right direction.
 
Thinking big should be something that filters down throughout all aspects of your business strategy. Even though you may start out being the only employee at your company, taking on all the tasks that need to be done, it’s important that you have a bigger picture in mind when it comes to people. Spend time thinking about all the roles you will need within the business and the tasks associated with each position. Perhaps even go as far as writing out the job descriptions for each position, so that you have a good idea of all the work that needs to happen in your business right now. An added bonus is that you can also start thinking about the type of person you would be looking for to eventually fill the job.

The next step is to figure out how these roles fit together by plotting out an organisational structure for your business. This will not only help you develop a clear vision of where your business is going, but will also allow you to prioritise how to expand by understanding who will help you reach your goals the quickest.
 
By thinking big, you’ll soon notice that you’re able to see big. And with this new perspective comes a newfound bravery that can help you take the necessary risks that you may have avoided in the past. This fresh understanding of what it takes to reach your dreams, will allow you to be more prepared to try new things that can help push you forward to achieve your goals.  

Now tell us, are you setting those big brave goals or staying safe? If you are staying safe but would like to challenge yourself a bit more, to get your business growing faster. Then maybe our Business Lab is for you. Book a free discovery call to find out more about it. You can book it here.

Have a wonderful day!

​Hanna

We live in a time where the pressure is on to have it all. To have a thriving career, while still having time to bake homemade cookies and be an ever-present parent to your children. To have independent interests while nurturing a loving and supportive relationship, and all while keeping a perfect home. But is this even possible? If you’re feeling exhausted just reading this, don’t get overwhelmed just yet. The truth is that you can have it all, but first you need to figure out what this illusive ‘all’ means for you.  
 
A good place to start is to break down your life into four bite-size portions; wellbeing, work, connection and play. Each of these plays a key role in your life, happiness and success. It’s important to understand how they all fit together and to know that at different points in your life, some parts may take preference over others. And that’s okay.
 
Wellbeing
This one is perhaps the most important of all, as without it none of the other parts of your life can thrive. But despite its importance, health and wellbeing is often the first thing to be neglected when you’re busy or stressed. It’s also important to remember that looking after yourself is not only about taking care of your physical body, but your mental and spiritual health too. It’s vital that at least some attention is given to this area at all times, regardless of your current focus or priorities. Whether you’re training for a marathon, or just managing to squeeze in a weekly jog and morning stretch, taking care of yourself should be an integral part of your everyday life. The key is to ask yourself what wellness activities you have space for your life at the moment, and then stick to those as non-negotiables.
 
Work
The next area to focus on is your work. Remember that this doesn’t necessarily just mean your career, but includes other areas of work such as taking care of your children, running a household or any other activity that takes up your time. It’s important to understand how some of your life choices can have an impact on your career. Although starting a family doesn’t mean that you need to put a hold on your career, the introduction of a new baby may lead you to rethink your priorities and that’s okay too. The most important thing is to find the right work scenario to suit the phase of life that you’re currently in and being happy with the choices you’ve made.
 
Play
This one is all about the things that simply bring you joy and happiness! Whether it’s in the form of a hobby, a sport, or a relaxing pastime such as reading a book, or visiting an art gallery, living a well-rounded life is important. All too often life becomes so full of things you have to do, that there’s no space for the things you want to do. But by neglecting the activities that truly make you happy, you can quickly end up resenting other parts of your life. So, never feel guilty for focusing on you and sectioning out some time for your own ‘play’, as the rest of your life is sure to benefit from it too!
 
Connection
This one is all about relationships. What are the most important relationships in your life and how much time should you dedicate to nurturing each one? From a romantic relationship, to friends and family, the people that you choose to surround yourself with are vital to your happiness and development. But all too often we end up giving far too much time and energy to people who don’t add to our lives. That’s why it’s important to take the time to reflect on your relationships and to decide for yourself how much time you’re prepared to spend and on which people.
 
Once you have a good grasp on these four parts of your life, it’s time to figure out which part is most important to you right now. Then adjust the time you spend on each to align with your current priorities. Keep in mind that these priorities can and will change throughout your life depending on where you are and what is most important to you at the time. But as long as you allow yourself some time for reflection, you can always make sure that you’re having it all; just not in equal measures all of the time. 

So, YES, you can have it all, now tell us what is 'having it all' for you? Share in the comments below.

​Imagine working hard every day, only to wake up in five years’ time to realise you’re living a life you never really wanted; one that maybe you didn’t even choose. After all, if you have no destination in mind, who knows where you’ll end up?
 
In life, it’s easy to get bogged down by mundane duties and essential everyday tasks. Juggling your career, home life, relationships and health can be all-consuming, leaving you without a moment to step back and reflect on where you are, what you want, and which direction you’re going in. Although it’s important to work hard and keep your head down, it’s even more important that you don’t forget to look up every now and then to get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
 
Think of your big picture like a roadmap, one that can help guide you towards taking the right path and the right actions that will eventually take you to where you want to go. Having a clear vision for your future can help make you more productive and effective in the present. If you have a good understanding of where you’re going, impossibly big life decisions become far easier to navigate. Instead of asking if an opportunity is good or bad, you will be able to ask yourself if it will help move you towards the future you want; a far more specific question with a more definitive answer.
 
Having a big picture can also help you avoid giving into procrastination. By understanding how even the smallest of tasks ties into your ideal future, you’re able to give these activities more meaning. In this way, you’ll keep motivated to perform these tasks and everyday chores, no matter how trivial, with the knowledge that they’re taking you one step closer to your future goals.
 
Without a clear vision for the future you leave a lot up to chance, which can feel very unnerving and unsettling. Even worse, you’re often leaving your life in the hands of other people; people who may be looking after their interests first, and yours second. By taking responsibility for your life and the direction you’re going in, you essentially take control of your life. And by taking control of your life, you’re bound to grow in confidence and strength as well as getting to where you want to be.
 
In creating your vision for the future, the first thing you need to do is to figure out what you really want and what is most important to you. Always remember that it is you who should be the leading star in the movie of your life, so don’t build your visions around someone else, or other people’s expectations of you. Remember to focus on all aspects of your life, not just your career. Family, relationships and health are all vital to your overall happiness, so make sure your big picture includes a clear view of what these parts of your life will look like too.
 
Now you have the reasons as to why you need to have your big picture clear, next step is to define it. If you would like to know a way to easily do it, head over here to get all the steps.