Some New Thoughts On Goal Setting

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Hi it’s DAve 

Thank you for joining me on today’s blog which contains some of my own thoughts on goal setting.

How many people out there feel that that goal setting is difficult and can often result in the surfacing of negative emotions?

If you are like me there is often a fear that lurks around goal setting, namely, will it work or won’t it work?

I have learned over time that there are certain areas where effective goals are difficult to achieve – so I have been wondering why?  After a number of years pondering this, I have concluded that it must have something to do with mindset!

In my own case goals that are related to work are often achievable even though they are difficult, but irrespective of this I push on and generally success.

However, on a personal note I set goals, start well, but then the impetus fails and I eventually give up.

Having thought about this quite a lot recently I eventually came to the conclusion that it has to do with my mindset! I sometimes feel that I am a completely different person when I am at work to who I am at home.

For instance at work I know that things can prove very hard but I keep going (maybe it is because I don’t want to be seen to fail) and I know that I am worthy of achieving success.

In my personal life, goals that I set are about me and I challenge myself to think in a completely different way because I make it all about me.  This is because I dream of being a perfectionist and I would feel worthy of praise and therefore ultimately love. If I could follow these dreams to the letter I would be more appreciated and feel more loved.

After a lot of self analysis I realised that I was actually thinking 

“way off in the future when I do have these things I will experience very positive feelings and thoughts and I will not be in a situation where I am feeling uncomfortable!”

In short, I now understood that I was creating goals which took me away from discomfort and into the realms of being comfortable.

These goals were about who I thought I should be!

So eventually, I came to understand that instead of trying to run away from discomfort I should accept it as part of my journey and ultimately become a better, more contented person because of it!

That said, I also realised that it was essential to change. In other words I needed to become 

An Asset Rich person

By doing some deep thinking it became apparent that it is never about the goal but it is always about the person you become.  

It is most likely that to reach your goal you will need to make changes to who you are.  Ask yourself who you have to become to achieve the goal you have set.

Only Do One Thing

Become someone who does one thing and then add to it (reject the all or nothing theory) but don't become a perfectionist.  The first step is biggest one and they you just need to keep going even if it is uncomfortable (because that is the point) - Simply KEEP GOING!

You Do Not Have To Imagine Being A Perfectionist

The thoughts now will be the same as the ones you have when you reach your goal.  Goals will not deliver anything to you but your thoughts will lead you to good feelings and they are the only things that can.

Look Through A Different Lens

Instead of seeing past goal setting work as epic fails or similar, view them all as learning experiences.  Tell yourself that in spite of what your "inner voice" says, you did not fail you simply gave up too early.

On your journey towards your goal view the obstacles as hurdles to get over and not as being reasons to give up.  Become excited if things get difficult because you are being given an amazing opportunity - to create new thoughts and ideas to work on!

There Will Be Some Discomfort!

If you hate the journey how can you love the outcome?  The thoughts you experience will be the same as the ones you have when you complete the journey.  Thoughts create our feelings NOT the external circumstances

So having read this please give the following questions some thought

What can I do with my goals if I learn to work on my mindset first? 

What ways can I create changes if I put my mind to it?

Where might I get to even if I continue to take imperfect steps?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post

Don't predict the future - CREATE IT!

DAve x

oooOOOooo

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About Dave   I am a personal development coach; a therapist; speaker; and  radio presenter.  A number of years ago I founded my coaching practice and although it has gone through various incarnations the core of Altered Image Coaching has always remained the same to help and encourage people to live their best lives.  

Certifications

I hold qualifications in each of the following disciplines:-

Life Coaching (Honours Diploma)

Music Therapy (Diploma)

Crystal Therapy (Practioner)

Reiki (Practitioner)

Dementia Awareness

In addition to the above I am compiling a series of short videos that will provide an 

Introduction To Mindfulness

To find out more about how we could be able to work together or to just dive straight in and book a session, then please send me an email

If you would like to join our Facebook group just follow the link to the new

 Altered Image Coaching page. 

This page is home to a group of like - minded people (also affectionately known as "The Tribe") and as a thank you for their continued support people who join "The Tribe" often receive exclusive content that I do not post anywhere else.  

Plus the page also provides advanced information about forthcoming projects and events.

So please spread the word about the blog, the tribe etc. to your friends and family and I hope to see you as a member of our "Tribe" soon.

LINKS

Website:

www.moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/bluesky

Wytchwynd Photography:

http://moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/photographyportfolio

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/davethemerlin/under-blue-skies/

Workbook

Scan This QR Code for Free access to the 2021 Altered Image Coaching 90-Day Workbook

Subscribing To The Blog

To subscribe to the blog please go over to the right hand side of this page and click the button that says “Follow”.  Once you do that you will be added to our list of subscribers.

Feel free to share this and other posts with your friends and associates

Have a fantastic day, live a life of Passion and Power.

And again, above all remember

"Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!"

5 Simple Ways To Stay Present

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Hi everyone it’s Dave from Altered Image Coaching and welcome to my blog!

Today I would like to talk about five very simple ways to stay present.

A lot of the time it proves very difficult to be present and the hustle and bustle of life threatened to envelop you.

We find that it is very difficult to slow down because life today is rush, hustle and bustle, and as a result of this we often find that we don’t feel comfortable with what is going on.

So to make things easier why not make a conscious decision, take a step back from “the action” and pay more attention to what is going on in the present moment. It is often the only thing that we can control and often the payback is that we feel less anxious and have much more patience.

So, to make things easier why not make a conscious decision, take a step back from “the action“ and pay more attention to what is going on in the present moment. It is often the only thing that we can control and often the payback is that we feel less anxious and have much more patience.

So what does “staying present” actually mean?

If you are like you start to get impatient when you have to wait in queue at the supermarket checkout. 

Or, when you have to get home and simply sit in your country chair with a brand-new bottle of wine.

We are often to be found in rushing to get to the next best place that we miss out what is happening with this right in the here and now!

We are often to be found in rushing to get to the next best place that we miss out what is happening with this right in the here and now!

That said, let me open your eyes to the secret of leading an enjoyable life and that is “staying present“

All too often we get stuck in the land of painful memories, or maddening thoughts. We become anxious about the future and miss those great “now“ moments.  So if you feel anxious, focus on the present moment, because that is the glue that holds all the secrets of life together.

To be present you have to pull all of your attention into the present moment.

Steps to being present

Focus on what is happening right now!

Focus on your breathing spending a few minutes on these steps helps stop all other thoughts taking control of your mind.

Do one thing at a time

We can get distracted very easily and then we end up in a thought spiral and lose all of the current moments!  Focus on completing one task at a time!

Change your approach

Do you have a routine? – change it round!

e.g. get dressed before brushing your teeth.

If you are a person who always puts their socks on last when dressing, switch it round and put them on first instead!

If you get overwhelmed by your to-do list, just do one thing at a time.

Control your thoughts.

Put very simply you can control your thoughts.  Happy thoughts can put a smile on your face.

Think of thoughts as things that you can control because you can!  All you need to do is say “I am not thinking that anymore!” and then replace it with a new thought.

Find the lie in a negative thought and then find the true thought to counteract it.

Notice your thoughts and change their direction!  If you feel that they are negative, stop and replace them with a happier, more positive thought.

You are in control and it all happens with what you choose to do in the next moment!

Have a great day and until the next time

Don't predict the future - CREATE IT!

DAve x

oooOOOooo

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About Dave   I am a personal development coach; a therapist; speaker; and  radio presenter.  A number of years ago I founded my coaching practice and although it has gone through various incarnations the core of Altered Image Coaching has always remained the same to help and encourage people to live their best lives.  

Certifications

I hold qualifications in each of the following disciplines:-

Life Coaching (Honours Diploma)

Music Therapy (Diploma)

Crystal Therapy (Practioner)

Reiki (Practitioner)

Dementia Awareness

In addition to the above I am compiling a series of short videos that will provide an 

Introduction To Mindfulness

To find out more about how we could be able to work together or to just dive straight in and book a session, then please send me an email

If you would like to join our Facebook group just follow the link to the new

 Altered Image Coaching page. 

This page is home to a group of like - minded people (also affectionately known as "The Tribe") and as a thank you for their continued support people who join "The Tribe" often receive exclusive content that I do not post anywhere else.  

Plus the page also provides advanced information about forthcoming projects and events.

So please spread the word about the blog, the tribe etc. to your friends and family and I hope to see you as a member of our "Tribe" soon.

LINKS

Website:

www.moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/bluesky

Wytchwynd Photography:

http://moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/photographyportfolio

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/davethemerlin/under-blue-skies/

Workbook

Scan This QR Code for Free access to the 2021 Altered Image Coaching 90-Day Workbook

Subscribing To The Blog

To subscribe to the blog please go over to the right hand side of this page and click the button that says “Follow”.  Once you do that you will be added to our list of subscribers.

Feel free to share this and other posts with your friends and associates

Have a fantastic day, live a life of Passion and Power.

And again, above all remember

"Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!"

 

Prompts For Confidence Building

Hi everyone it’s Dave from Altered Image Coaching and welcome to my blog.

I have been making a few behind the scenes changes recently with a view to improving and updating my presence on the web. 

Probably the single most important of those changes is the frequency of posting to the blog.  I am aiming to provide 2 posts per week going forward, however I would ask you to bear in mind that the commitments in my work life may mean that the timing of posts may not always be on set days.  However, I am hoping to post on a Sunday and Wednesday (even though this particular post is actually going out on Monday)  

So please bear with until such time as we get settled into a routine!

That said let's get on with the show........

in this post I want to give you a few prompts that have been designed to help you build your confidence levels.  So grab a pen and paper and note your answers as you work through the questions.

I was prompted to write this post because one of the most frequent comments that I hear in and out of coaching sessions is someone saying “I have got no confidence!”

My usual reply is “that statement is not necessarily true” which frequently generates the response “No! I’ve definitely got no confidence - I wouldn’t tell you otherwise!”
So what has happened here is the client has demonstrated that they have sufficient confidence to enter into a discussion.

So I then ask them the following questions and to jot the answers down.

1.   Write down 10 things they are really good at

2.   What 5 physical features do you love about yourself?

3.   What are your 3 strongest qualities?

4.   Describe your view of a dream life

5.   Write down 3 goals for the coming year

6.   Write out your gratitude list

7.   Write 10 positive affirmations you can use for yourself

8.   What are your 5 best personality traits.

9.   Identify any ways that you can love yourself more

10. Write down the detail of your perfect morning and stick to it

11. Write a list of things to forgive yourself for

12. Identify (and write down) 3 ways you can take action towards your dream

13. What do you love about your life?

14. How can you improve your mindset to let you love yourself more

15. Write a love letter to yourself

16. List 15 compliments you can give to yourself

17. Write down 5 things you have done that make you proud

18. What bad habits do you need to give up?

19. What are 10 things that make you the happiest?

Now you have written these things about yourself take a while to read through the list that you have made. Having done this the next point is where it gets interesting because if these are the things that you have identified why aren’t you doing them?

So my challenge to you is this over the next week or so is - sit down with a pen and paper and go through the list (answering honestly and start to put these things into practice.  

Do this as often as you need and it is my belief that they will begin to open the doors to creating more confidence in your life.

Have a great day and until the next time

Don't predict the future - CREATE IT!

DAve x

oooOOOooo

                 Affirmations Blogging BLOGGING TIPS Blog Traffic Books                                  Recommendations Change Your Life coffee break ideas                     SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

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About Dave   I am a personal development coach; a therapist; speaker; and  radio presenter.  A number of years ago I founded my coaching practice and although it has gone through various incarnations the core of Altered Image Coaching has always remained the same to help and encourage people to live their best lives.  

Certifications

I hold qualifications in each of the following disciplines:-

Life Coaching (Honours Diploma)

Music Therapy (Diploma)

Crystal Therapy (Practioner)

Reiki (Practitioner)

Dementia Awareness

In addition to the above I am compiling a series of short videos that will provide an 

Introduction To Mindfulness

To find out more about how we could be able to work together or to just dive straight in and book a session, then please send me an email

If you would like to join our Facebook group just follow the link to the new

 Altered Image Coaching page. 

This page is home to a group of like - minded people (also affectionately known as "The Tribe").

By way of a thank you for their continued support people who join "The Tribe" often receive exclusive content that I do not post anywhere else.  

Plus the page also provides advanced information about forthcoming projects and events.

So please spread the word about the blog, the tribe etc. to your friends and family and I hope to see you as a member of our "Tribe" soon.

LINKS

Website:

www.moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/bluesky

Wytchwynd Photography:

http://moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/photographyportfolio

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/davethemerlin/under-blue-skies/

Workbook

Scan This QR Code for Free access to the 2021 Altered Image Coaching 90-Day Workbook

Subscribing To The Blog

To subscribe to the blog please go over to the right hand side of this page and click the button that says “Follow”.  Once you do that you will be added to our list of subscribers.

Feel free to share this and other posts with your friends and associates

Have a fantastic day, live a life of Passion and Power.

And again, above all remember

"Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!"

The Steps To Upping My Game

 

      Upping My               Game 

   (and yours)!

Recently I have been giving a lot of thought to the subject of making my blog a better resource (for both existing and new followers) and creating a structure that will help me improve the services I provide, coupled with the services I provide as a Coach.

So after much research this is the basis of what I have called:

The Steps To Upping My Game.

Step 1.  Write At Least Two New Posts (each week)

This is a way to get into the habit of post writing and it will start to build a backlog of content that will soon allow you to grow to 2 posts / week.

Step 2  Aim To Create 10 New Pinterest Pins (each week)

This is 3 to 5 pins for each post (tip. Save your pins as templates that you can modify each week).  Eventually it will become very easy to quickly swap these round!

Step 3  Join Appropriate Facebook Groups

Once you are a member of these groups spend about 15 to 20 minutes a day answering questions / helping other members (adding a link to your blog into your answer)  - be extremely careful how you respond and don’t simply use this as a way to “drop links” to your blog.

Hopefully this will lead to traffic and to people starting to look upon you as an expert in your field.  Be consistent with your responses and eventually this will lead to people wanting to get to know you better.

Step 4  Send Helpful Emails To Your List

It is extremely important to keep your email list connected by providing them with 2 awesome emails per week

Step 5  Respond To Comments

If you make it a habit to respond once a week to any comments you receive.  This keeps things alive because there is nothing worse that a stagnant blog.

Step 6  Plan For Next Week

A good old to-do list is the secret to helping you keep on to of this.  When you sit down with that clear list in front of you t will help to give you a clear focus.  Because it shows what you need to work through and in what order.

Often I have scraped by and managed to post at the last minute whereas some prior planning would have prevented that happening.

So hopefully if you follow these tips you will start to build a better blog, increase you presence and up the number of follows you receive.

oooOOOooo

                 Affirmations Blogging BLOGGING TIPS Blog Traffic Books                                  Recommendations Change Your Life coffee break ideas                     SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

oooOOOooo

About Dave   I am a personal development coach; a therapist; speaker; and  radio presenter.  A number of years ago I founded my coaching practice and although it has gone through various incarnations the core of Altered Image Coaching has always remained the same to help and encourage people to live their best lives.  

Certifications

I hold qualifications in each of the following disciplines:-

Life Coaching (Honours Diploma)

Music Therapy (Diploma)

Crystal Therapy (Practioner)

Reiki (Practitioner)

Dementia Awareness

In addition to the above I am compiling a series of short videos that will provide an 

Introduction To Mindfulness

To find out more about how we could be able to work together or to just dive straight in and book a session, then please send me an email

If you would like to join our Facebook group just follow the link to the new

 Altered Image Coaching page. 

This page is home to a group of like - minded people (also affectionately known as "The Tribe").

By way of a thank you for their continued support people who join "The Tribe" often receive exclusive content that I do not post anywhere else.  

Plus the page also provides advanced information about forthcoming projects and events.

So please spread the word about the blog, the tribe etc. to your friends and family and I hope to see you as a member of our "Tribe" soon.

LINKS

Website:

www.moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/bluesky

Wytchwynd Photography:

http://moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/photographyportfolio

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/davethemerlin/under-blue-skies/

Workbook

Scan This QR Code for Free access to the 2021 Altered Image Coaching 90-Day Workbook

Subscribing To The Blog

To subscribe to the blog please go over to the right hand side of this page and click the button that says “Follow”.  Once you do that you will be added to our list of subscribers.

Feel free to share this and other posts with your friends and associates

Inspirational Phrases

In addition to the above I am able to send out a daily email containing an Inspirational Phrase. 

To ensure that we comply with the relevant regulations this is a subscription only service and to  be included please send an email using “add me” as the subject to:- 

underblueskies@zoho.com

Once you have subscribed the phrases will be delivered to your mail box every day at no cost to you whatsoever.

Have a fantastic day, live a life of Passion and Power.

And above all remember

"Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!"