May 2007
Welcome to all new subscribers since last month.
Goodness me! I've just realised that this newsletter is three years old – at least I've been producing it for three years now, every month since May 2004. Is there anyone reading this who was there for issue one?
A slight change in format this month. I'm still producing both the text and HMTL versions but if you would like to read the formatted, colour version, you can now view this on my website by clicking the link here. It makes it easier for me to put together each month but would you rather have the colour version direct to your inbox? Let me know what you think.
As a birthday gift to all my newsletter subscribers (it's also my birthday next month), I'd like to make you a special offer. Book up an exploratory session with me in the next month and I'll offer one lucky subscriber the chance to win a whole 50% off your first month of coaching. All you need to do to take advantage of this great offer, is to email or phone me within the next month, mention the Newsletter Birthday Offer and book in for your initial phone session with me. At the end of the month, I'll pick one lucky winner at random from everyone who contacted me.
It's been extremely warm here in the UK for the month of April – the hottest since records began (or something like that), very little rain too, so we're no doubt heading for another hose-pipe ban shortly. The last one was only lifted a few weeks ago. I'm already saving water for the garden and the lawn is looking as dry as it normally does in July. Ah well, the sunshine is good and it saves the need to go abroad to get the sun.
That said, I took off to Slovenia for a few days last month with a friend. A bit of a last minute decision and I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I've not been to Eastern Europe before. It's a lovely country, very clean, uncluttered and at this time of the year – pretty quiet. We were wandering around the capital city on Saturday evening wondering where everyone was. Lovely scenery and ideal for an outdoor lifestyle which is what most people seem to enjoy as they all look pretty fit and healthy out there, except for a few larger people – which is hardly surprising given the generous portions they serve up. As it was a short break we only managed to do some cycling in the area around Lake Bled in the North West of the country but took an afternoon out to relax in the thermal spa complex at the Hotel Golf. Well worth a visit as it's only two hours from the UK.
Don't get the impression that I spend all my time swanning off for short breaks and sitting in hotel spas – would be nice. Maybe I was inspired by Richard Koch's 80/20 principle about doing less – see main article below.
I've been reading Richard Koch's Living the 80/20 Principle. Essentially, how to do more with less. Sounds like a great principle to me. Who of us wouldn't want to have more but do less in order to achieve it?
In reality we spend a lot of our time, effort and money on achieving things that we don't really want or that aren't going to get us what we want.
How much more productive would we be if we focused 20% of that effort on achieving 80% of the results. In very simple terms, that's what the 80/20 Principle is about. You get 80% of the results with 20% of the effort, whether that's time, people, money, effort in can be applied to pretty much anything. 20% of the salesmen achieve 80% of the results, 80% of the population live in 20% of the cities, 20% of the population have 80% of the wealth.
When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. [Paul Coelho – The Alchemist]
The basis for the Law of Attraction is that if you focus on what you want the Universe will provide. All well and good but you do actually need to get off your butt and do something in order to achieve it. You can't just sit back and wait for the phone to ring. The other thing that I've noticed is that once you're focused, you are more open and aware of the opportunities that present themselves to you. These don't always come from when and where you'd expect them.
Where are you going?
So where do you want to go? What is it that you really want to achieve in your life? Be honest, realistic and most of all, specific about this. More money is all well and good and probably something that we'd all like but what will 'more money' give you and how much 'more' do you want?
What is your passion and purpose in life? Cut out all the extraneous 'wants' the things that don't really mean much – think about the things that are important to you – think quality rather than quantity.
How are you going to get there?
Having focused on where you're going, now you can focus on how you're going to get there.
For my recent trip to Slovenia – we needed to get from Brighton to Stansted. We had three options bus, train or car. When practical, I try to minimise the use of the car but the difference between the amount of time, effort and cost involved in taking the bus or train, meant long waits, high cost, multiple segments and changes. Put that against the option of taking the car – shortest time, easiest route and lowest cost – even for two of us.
There may be 101 ways to get where you're going but some of these will be easy and some of these will be hard. What you want is the quickest, easiest and most effective way. Minimum effort, maximum results. This may not always be the most obvious one. In fact often it isn’t. While the most direct route from A to B is a straight line it may not be the best solution. If the direct route happens to have a mountain in the way, it's easier to go around.
What would be an 80/20 solution or route for you? What would get you there with less time, effort and cost? Don't try re-inventing the wheel if someone else has already done what you're trying to do, learn from them.
Which option gives you more with less for your particular situation? The first one you think of will probably be the most obvious and the one that is likely to come as much from habit as anything. Take a while to think about other options, step back, brainstorm some ideas, ask your friends and colleagues. Find something better that gives you more with less for your particular skills, abilities and way of doing things.
The ideal solution is likely to be the one that pops up out of the blue or comes from an unexpected direction, possibly when you're thinking of something entirely different, so give yourself a break every now and then.
Forget about all those things that aren't really important and find the 20% that is. This month make sure that you're focusing on what you really want – for your business, yourself and those around you.
Up-coming teleclasses – yes, the dates for the next ones are up on my site and I've planned out the schedule for the rest of the year – see, I have been doing some work!
FREE Get Control of Your Money - Would you like to be organised in managing your money? Discover a few simple ways to save your pennies and start making your money work for you on Tuesday 22nd May.
FREE Find Time For Your Marketing - Find time to market your business more easily and effectively. Find the key strategies you can use to be more effective, focus on what matters and get real results on Tuesday 19th June.
Life Evaluator Assessment – Go through 8 key areas of your life and find out how successful you are. Use the evaluator as a foundation and baseline for making changes in each area.
More Money E-book – If you want to be truly wealthy then there's only one thing you need to do - save and invest. The first step is to get your finances organised and learn how to create some good money habits so that you have enough to save. Start with my money ebook.
I heard Tim Smit talk a couple of years ago at a Business Exhibition. He's a tall, energetic character so it was no surprise to read this book and understand how his energy, passion and enthusiasm enabled him to create such an amazing project from his initial idea. If you want some inspiration - read this book.
This month the Brighton Festival kicks off with almost a month of theatre, concerts, street theatre and all forms of arts and activities taking place in and around the city. One activity not to be missed is the Bounce Your Balls - Spacehopper record breaking (or so they hope) event down on Brighton, or rather Hove, seafront.
One of the amusing and apt quotes from Richard Koch's book.
"It's true hard work never killed anyone but I figure, why take the chance?" [Ronald Reagan]
If you’d like to make changes in your life and need the motivation, focus and support to help you do it, contact me to arrange for that initial exploratory session and don't forget this month's Birthday Offer.
If you were forwarded this issue of the newsletter you can register to receive your own copy each month by sending a blank email to claresnews@aweber.com.
Until next month,
Clare
Clare Evans – Personal and Business Coach Tel: +44 (0)1273 588297, Mobile: +44 07887 954512
Email: info@clareevans.co.uk
Get organized! Get a new perspective!
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Copyright: Clare Evans: Personal & Business Coaching © 2007
