Healthy Skin Month

This month has been officially entitled 'Healthy Skin Month' by skin product manufacturer Sanex. With a whole website dedicated to having wonderfully vibrant skin you look and feel great in, this has been a fun and enlightening assignment for me to be involved with.

Click on the 'Healthy Skin' title above to read my own contribution, as well as those of many other experts in the field - there's even a competition to win 6 FREE Power Coaching sessions with me (worth over £200)!

Clean Language

This morning I had a conversation with a fellow coach on the merits of using clean language, more easily described as 'saying what you mean'.

Thinking how you talk to and about yourself, are you supportive, complementary, or your own worst critic, first in line to doubt any bright idea?

Here are a few examples of what clean language might look like as opposed to the disempowering messages we sometimes opt for:

• I really believe I’d be great at this. (clean).


• I'm not sure, but I think if all goes well and I don't run out of money first I might be good. (disempowering!!!!).


• I will take these steps because they will lead me forward. (clean).


• I'll try, and if I don't fail who knows where they'll take me. (disempowering!!!!!)


• What I really want to do is this. (clean).


• I don’t know what I want. I did want to do this, but I worry I won’t get support and I'll look a fool and I won’t be any good. (Disempowering!!!!!

Even though I accentuated the disempowering phrases…when have you ever heard anyone like you come up with phrases similar to those above?

The ultimate aim would be to decide once and for all to only ever use clean language from this moment on. If you did, who might you be able to model as a guiding light of how the positive effects of using clean language could be?

I've modelled many mentors along the way, some available personaly, and others only available by reading their books or watching them on DVD. Here are my top tips:

1. Listen and become aware of how many times you belittle or reduce your light in the world. We all do it sometimes, and just imagine if we did it less how we might then shine more


2. Make a list of negatives you use. 'Can't, won't, don't, shouldn't' etc. Thing is, the unconscious mind doesn't process negatives; so 'I don't want to be a smoker' really becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, 'I do want to be a smoker'. Ouch! Not nice. Make a list every time you say anything negative. Write it down.


3. Look at your plan and see if it can be written in a more positive, enthusiastic, fun, strong, and loving way. In fact, do it anyway! Plans tend to happen more rapidly when we work 'on' them and 'in' them, meaning they need developing and growing just as surely as you grow and develop.


4. Tonality - even when you're in a new place in your life, make it sound fabulous and confidant. Fiona's tip for Saturday's Success Group was to 'act as if'. Sounding confident and self-assured about your project will increase your effectiveness, and you will find yourself believing it too, sooner than you think. Practice to a mirror, to a friend, your coach, the world – do it!


5. Physiology. 55%. This is the most instant way to feel better, and for other people to see the difference; walk taller (in every way). Look the part, walk the part, play the part, and finally you will become the part.

The 6 Human Needs

Here's the link I promised you yesterday, which will explain and take you through the 6 human needs. Have fun, and let me know any learnings, insights and discoveries!
http://www.mikeblissett.com/The_6_Human_Needs.html

Connection

Just spent a wonderful weekend assisting for The Coaching Academy at one of their introductory coach training seminars in the beautiful Chiltern Hills location of Latimer.

One of the exercises we introduced the delegates to was The Wheel of Life, which I personally still do myself every few months as I believe it's a great way to find out just how balanced my life really is.

So often coaches work so hard to develop and succeed in their coaching practices that they forget other important life areas such as fun, family, relationships, health, etc. And of course, all areas are important in order to say we truly do live a balanced life - which for a coach would be 'walking the talk'!

The one or two weekends a month I usually work with The Coaching Academy (last month I was training the BASIC model, which helps with sales and marketing), addresses the 'Connection/Personal Growth/Contribution' areas of my wheel.

One the one hand I get to see friends that also work with TCA, and also meet lots of new, enthusiastic people eager to find out what coaching is and if TCA are the training provider for them - and we all have a wonderful time!

Tony Robbins talks about The 6 Human Needs, of which 'Connection' is one. If you'd like to find out more about the other human needs, and how you can make sure you can fulfil yours regularly check out this Blog tomorrow and I'll have a link to a new page on my website with all this information on.

It's never too early to plan

I know it sounds a little early to be making plans for next year, though as a coach I have a firm belief that now is absolutely the right time.

Imagine New Year, champagne, party, music and too much talking to too many people - and then we decide what we'll be doing over the next year. Doesn't sound the best time, does it? For the last 5 or 6 years I've been doing my end of year 'stock take' and next year planning in November and early December. Taking a moment to realize what went well through the past year as well as what could have gone even better, and then looking ahead to the New Year really does work, and is something I encourager all my Coaching clients to do.

What have I been coming up with personally with my year end planning? Let me do a bit more work over the coming days and then I'll let you know.

So, when would now be a great time for you to look back and say 'thank you' to another year, and then begin thinking about how you can raise the bar in your life through 2008?

Think Yourself Fitter!

There's been a mass of publicity in the UK this week concerning healthy lifestyles, the type of foods we eat, and what we can expect as a society in the very near future if we don't all start taking better care of ourselves.

There are many amongst us that already eat healthy, nutritious diets, exercise regularly, and generally take great care of themselves. There are also those who don't, and many more who live somewhere between the two.

My experience as a Coach & Hypnotherapist over the past 5 years has been that whilst most of us want a healthier life, we're also somewhat overwhelmed by so much information, much of it conflicting research, and are unsure what to do (and not do) next.

One belief doe finds universal agreement; achieving great health starts with the mind. What we focus on, we become.

Stephen Covey, author of 'The 7 Habit's of Highly Effective People' suggested we 'begin with the end in mind'. Personal trainers do the same. Whenever we join a new gym, the trainer will always ask you what you want to achieve so that they can tailor an exercise programme just for you.

Do you do the same with your overall health? Knowing what you want is one of the keys to any plan. If you ran a race without a finish line would you know how far to run, or even the right direction to run in? The can be said for having fitness plan without a target.

To have an aim is a prerequisite to achieving success, and can begin the process of thinking yourself fitter even before you begin exercising.

Hello there, and welcome!

This is my first blog entry, so it seems logical to begin by saying a big 'hello' to anyone reading or that has found this blog via the new link on my website. However you found me, 'thank you', I aim to input this blog often, hopefully with topics, news and stories you find fun, inspiring and a pretty good read!