Thought for the Week – “G is for Goals”

I hope you had a great weekend and all is well with you.

As you know, I have been going through the A to Z of Success and looking at one letter each week.

Last week’s Thought for the Week was “F for Focus” and I hope you found it thought-provoking and useful.

This week is all about “G for Goal”.

Whilst many of have a goal or goals, have we fine-tuned exactly what it is that we want at the end of it? And this is very exciting!

It wasn’t always like that for me though!

Before I realised that goals have to be exciting, if someone suggested I set a goal or goals, frankly I found it a chore.

Then I realised how much more impact goals have on how we live our lives than pretty much anything else.

Now, I am particularly passionate about this and helping others to really nail down their own exciting goals.

And, as a coach working with Business Owners and Leaders, I see people struggle with their goals all the time.

For instance, let’s say someone wants to make a million pounds in 2022.

What is it that that million pounds will actually give them? A nice big house, a flash car, lifestyle?

Or would it give them peace of mind, a sense of freedom, able to start their own business?

What is your No.1 Life Goal?

Ask yourself this question … What will that actually give you?

Then ask yourself the same question again “… and what will that give you”, and again until you get to the core desire that is REALLY important to you.

Notice your excitement really increase when you hit the nail on the head! You will know when that happens.

Sometimes we think we have a very clear goal. However, we may not be there yet. Just keep asking yourself that same question “And what will that give you?” until you either get that rush of excitement, or you can’t go any further.

Think of it as though you are peeling away the layers of an onion until you reach the core.

What happens to us when we are unclear about our ultimate goal?

  • We are not committed to it.
  • We stray away from it
  • We have a sense of emptiness in our lives
  • We are unclear about our true purpose.

We all need an anchor in our lives, something that gives us that reason to get out of bed in the mornings!

The Japanese actually have a word in their vocabulary for this, which we don’t; “Ikikgai”, which means “your reason for being”.

We know about “Raison d’etre” in France, which has a similar meaning.

So, what is your Ikigai or Raison d’Etre?

Once you have found this ultimate life goal, fine-tune this into just 3 or 4 words so you can easily remember it. If we have a long sentence, it is more difficult to keep this top of mind.

Your life goal could be an image.

It might even be a symbol of some kind.

Whatever it is, it has to have great meaning for you because this is your anchor in all you do and will influence all of the decisions your make in your life.

Because, ideally we want all of our decisions to be in alignment with our life goal.

What happens when we don’t?

We end up on a different life course and perhaps find ourselves feeling trapped.

Once we are crystal clear about our life goal, we then set ourselves what I call; “Mile Stone Goals” and each of these will take us towards our life goal.

Also, our milestone goals give us a sense of achievement that we are moving towards our ultimate life goal. And, again, our milestone goals should ideally be in alignment with this.

And you may well ask;

“What about when life throws us a curved ball that completely throws us off course?”

Because pursuing our goals requires us working out what is most important to us and knowing which ones to let go of, then of course, we have to be able to link our goals to current reality.

“Mental Contrasting” is a powerful tool to link your most desirable goals to present reality.

However, by having that strong and exciting goal firmly in place in our hearts and minds, we can imagine the future.  We can also imagine reality …

Then we can explore reality and what might get in the way of us achieving that goal and take steps factor in preventative measures and contingencies into our milestone goals as far as possible.

The most important thing here though is that to succeed, we must feel so attached to our goals and excited by them that anything else is not an option!

I hope this has been useful and thank you for reading to the end!

If you would like my help with this then I invite you to book your FREE CLARITY SESSION with me HERE.

Have a great week!

With very best wishes for your success.

Korinne <3

Find out more about “The A to Z’s of Success”

Thought for the Week – F is for FOCUS

Last week’s Thought for the Week was “E for Environment” and I hope you found some value in that because my aim for these posts is to offer you value.

So, this week is all about “F for Focus” and this something many of us can struggle with, for instance if we get into overwhelm.

Focus is something pretty much all of us wish we had more of. At the same time, most of us struggle with this on a daily basis. Whether we’re trying to concentrate on a task at work, block out the distractions of the modern world, or even just stay committed to our long-term goals.

Attention has become a wild, seemingly untameable beast!

But research has shown that people who can focus for sustained periods of time regularly perform better on all sorts of cognitive challenges.

Whereas constantly giving in to distraction leads to decreases in creativity and poor decision making.

The problem isn’t just that we’re distracted. It is also that few people really practice how to focus.

“Focus is a muscle, and you can build it. Too many people labour under the idea that they’re just not focused, and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once you drop this mistaken belief, you can take a much more realistic approach to building focus.”

– Elie Venezski, Author of “Hack Your Brain” –

F is also for FLOW and staying focussed empowers is to stay in flow and build momentum.F can also be for FORESEEING OBSTACLES and if we are focussed, we will be able to see these coming up.

Next week will be about GOALS and if we want to achieve our goals successfully, of course we need to work out which of our wishes are realistic and which ones we need to let go of, at least for now.

Another quote for you …

“Mental contrasting is a powerful tool to link desirable goals to present reality. By imagining the future and then imagining obstacles of reality, one recognises that measures need to be taken to overcome the obstacles (status quo) to achieve the desired future”

– Oettingen, 2012 –

How to apply it …

So, how do you go about rebuilding your attention and learning how to focus? It starts with understanding the power of focus and then building the right work habits, environment, and mindsets to promote it.

Well, for most people, deciding how to learn how to focus comes from a number of motivations such as: –

  1. Us wanting to be more productive and feel good about what we’ve accomplished at the end of the day.
  2. Working towards learning a new skill, building a better product, or overtaking the competition
  3. Trying to protect ourselves from the giddying amount of distractions in the modern workplace.
Whatever your reasoning, it’s probably safe to say that you realise that people who can focus get more done in less time.In that way, Focus is the Ultimate “Productivity Hack.”

We all have the same 24 hours!

“What matters more than the length of time you put into a thing is actually the intensity of focus. Because if you have an intensity of focus you can actually reduce the amount of time spent doing it to get the same or better results.”

– Srinivas Rao –

Srini points to Steven Kotler’s book, The Rise of Superman. In it, Kotler found that top executives are 500% more productive when they’re in a state of flow, or deep focus, compared to when they aren’t.Even if you’re not in a state of flow, focus helps us to get more out of the day.

Staying focussed and sticking to one’s plan is hard work.

Dealing with temptation; the power of believing that you CAN stay focussed. This strategy produces automatic behaviour. That is, we don’t have to make a deliberate effort in confronting tempting situations.

There is nothing more motivating that the power of small wins. I call them “Milestone Wins” towards reaching our Goals.
As the saying goes; “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

If we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, we may find the challenges and chores of everyday life too much and then it is difficult to stay focussed. In this situation, if we take one small step and take a short walk outside, be in nature for a few moments, our challenges can suddenly seem less burdensome. (Last week I spoke about Environment and these steps also help with this)

Here are the 5 Essential Elements of FOCUS: –

1. Be Master of Your Technology.

While there’s no escaping the fact that smartphones, email, IM, news, Netflix, and 24/7 access to the knowledge of the world have destroyed our attention spans, remember that technology is there to serve you, not the other way round.

The default settings on your devices and in your apps are designed to take your attention away. And you need to change them right away. Get rid of notifications and keep your tech out of sight whenever you don’t actively need it.

2. Create a Focus-friendly environment.

Again, I cannot stress enough how important our environment is because our working environment plays a massive role in our ability to focus. And yet, many of us don’t pay attention to it.

Start by clearing out as much clutter as possible (a team of neuroscientists found that clutter competes for your attention and decreases performance while increasing stress).

Avoid noise if you can by using headphones or listening to music that energises you to be more productive. Some offices have an “interruption stoplight” to signal when people are focussing and not to be interrupted at that moment.

3. No more ‘Multi-tasking’ and Less Task-Switching.

If you haven’t heard by now, multitasking is a myth!

When we try to do 2 things at the same time, we are actually switching back and forth between those tasks. And it can take us up to 11 minutes each time to refocus and get back into our flow.

Even worse, the more we multitask, the more our brain looks for more things to do at once. Single tasking, on the other hand, rebuilds your focus, lowers stress, and can even make you more creative.

4. Have clear Expectations around Communication

One of the biggest internal factors that chips away our ability to focus is our expectations around communication.

Research has shown that 84% of people keep their email open all day long, with 70% of emails opened within 6 seconds of receipt.

Even when we’re not receiving emails, the findings showed that the average knowledge-worker checks their email every 6 minutes.

To rebuild focus, we need to have open conversations around communication.

  • When do people expect a response?
  • Can you set times where you’ll check throughout the day so everyone is on the same page and not waiting around for you?
 You can’t be focused if you’re assuming your attention can be pulled away at any moment.
5. Have more breaks away from your computer
Looking at Facebook or checking your email isn’t a real break. Taking real breaks means leaving your computer and phone behind, standing up, maybe even going outside or walking around your workspace.A real break completely takes your mind away from what you’re doing, giving it the ability to reset before you hit the desk again.

The research shows that the kind of unfocused, free-form thinking we do during breaks helps our brains to recharge.

If you find it difficult to fit in real breaks, try scheduling ten-minute meetings with yourself throughout the day.

I hope this has been useful and thank you for reading to the end!

If you have found even just one golden nugget from this Thought for the Week, then job done!

As always, if you haven’t already, I invite you to book your free clarity session with me HERE.

Have a great week!

With very best wishes for your success.

Thought for the Week – E is for Environment

I hope you had a great weekend and are keeping well.

Last week’s Thought for the Week was “D for Determination” and if you are Business Owner or a Business Leader, you will have thought about this a lot!

So, this week is about “E is for Environment” and this something many of us don’t consider.

Think of it this way. When you have a really important deadline, where are you more likely to be productive? In your office, a meeting room, or a quiet room at your local library, or sitting on your sofa with the TV on?

The answer is going to depend on how you work best—in silence or with background noise.

Where we are affects the way we behave, but of course, it is all dependent on our personality and preferences.

If you want to use this secret of success, put yourself in environments that are likely to create the behaviours that work best for you.

For example, if you want to improve your physical stamina, a gym is probably better than your bedroom. If you want to improve your spirituality, a yoga/meditation studio may be a good choice.

Some follow the principles of Feng Shui – others will not be into that kind of thing at all.

Create your own success formula through the environment you create for yourself …

And this is not just about how aesthetically pleasing your office is (we will look at this later) …

Have you ever started on a big goal or path and been really motivated, but somewhere along the line you fell off track?

I have been there, believe me! It is only through learning from these moments that we master them and propel ourselves forward.

One big mistake many business owners and leaders make that leads to falling off track is not having a good system to measure their progress, and celebrate their success along the way.

I used to do this a lot with my health regime … I’d spend hours and hours each week making the effort to get to the gym and work out. But I wasn’t really feeling all that good about it!

Every time I stepped on the scales I’d dread seeing the result. My progress was up and down, and I didn’t understand why. The fact was, I was leaving too many variables on the table and didn’t appreciate the importance of tracking and coming up with a regime that would actually work for me.

I was not tracking my business either as well as I could have and let’s face it, sometimes we “can’t see the wood for the trees”, when we are in it, right?

After working with a coach, I realised that I needed to pay closer attention to my systems and I started tracking each one carefully and quickly noticed when I was less productive.

Essentially, what we measure, we manage.

How to apply it …

As a business leader, you will have KPI’s and these give goals to aim for.

As a business owner, you will have a business plan.

Many of you are already successful and doing great.

Whatever it is you’re working towards, ask yourself; how can I track and measure my progress even more successfully along the way?

If you are not feeling successful, then what milestones can you put in place? And how will you celebrate your success along the way?

For example, if you want to increase the number of clients you work with, set yourself milestones each month that are realistic and yet still stretch you to go that bit further than you may believe you can.
And then put your strategies and systems in place and diarise your projects and tasks.

Just say that you want to learn an instrument, you might record a video each week of you playing the same song then watch it back to see how you have progressed and you may also track how many hours you practice in a log.

As a business leader, 6 ways to foster a positive work environment are:

  1. Prioritise team onboarding and training.
  2. Create a comfortable work environment for everyone and recognise the importance of having fun as well as working hard.
  3. Let your employees know they matter – have regular check-ins with your people and make it easy for them to be open and honest.
  4. Encourage collaboration and communication.
  5. Develop a strong workplace culture of positivity and growth with a strong “Why” you do what you are doing. For instance; research has shown that millennials are driven less by profits than purpose. It found that those workers were likely to stay in their jobs longer if they were satisfied with a workplace’s sense of purpose. Now that millennials dominate the workplace, connecting employees with purpose has become more crucial than ever.
  6. Facilitate opportunities for learning and development. Leaders need to encourage employees to follow a path of personal and professional development.

And as for our physical environment …

Whether we work from our desk in an office, or from home, I thought I’d share 9 ways to create a happier and more inspiring workspace …

  1. Declutter for a clean workspace. Clutter can be a significant source of stress. Create more space through a good filing system where you can easily find things again and using containers on your desk.
  2. Make comfort a priority. Ensure you have a good seat that supports your back, your desk is the right height for you and your monitor(s) are adjusted properly to prevent strain.
  3. Drink enough water! When we are busy, it’s easy to forget. If it helps, make your water more appealing by infusing it with fruits and herbs and keep it where you can see it.
  4. Think about getting a laptop desk so you can move and change your environment for different tasks if you chose to without having to put your laptop on your lap.
  5. Ensure you have good lighting to brighten your work space. Ideally next to a window if you can. If not, then choose lighting that supports your vitality and wellbeing.
  6. Add seasonal touches to your work space and bring the outdoors in. Use colours to create a cheerful and inspiring ambiance and mix something natural with elements you already have.
  7. Think about having an energising aroma in your work space, such as aromatic oil or a candle.
  8. Create a ‘Snack Nook’ away from your desk and take a break!
  9. Create an inspiring ambience. Last but not least, use your work space to inspire you and bring you joy. As well as photos, this could be your favourite quotes, your plans for the year ahead.

If you have found even just one golden nugget from this Thought for the Week, then great!

As always, if you haven’t already, I invite you to book your free clarity session with me HERE.

Have a great week!

With very best best wishes for your success.

Korinne

Find out more about “The A to Z’s of Success”

What is Your Hurry Today?

23 Oct 2020

I hope you are keeping well.

Like many people, you will feel overwhelm and the need to rush around at some point, if not every day?
Of course, I have been there and when I discovered “working with ease”, everything changed.

So, I would like to share some thoughts with you for the weekend …

EASE: Offering freedom from internal rush or urgency

Ease creates; urgency destroys 

Ease, an internal state free from rush or urgency, creates the best conditions for thinking.

But Ease is being systematically bred out of our lives.

Ease is seen to be the enemy of the fast metrics, the you-are-what-you-have and the whom-you-control working world. The world seems, in fact, to select the urgency-addicted leaders to drive our organisations.

Other models of leadership are ‘sterilized out.’ However, if we want people to think well under impossible deadlines and inside the injunctions of ‘faster, better, cheaper, more,’ we must cultivate internal ease.

This takes the particular discipline of a Thinking Environment, and it takes a preference for quality over the rush of adrenaline.


Ease = Offering freedom from internal rush or urgency.


When it comes to helping people think for themselves, sometimes doing means not doing.

This all happens inside. Not outside. Sure, it would be wonderful if we could stop the everyday madness around us, the squeezing and lunging and accelerating that pass for normal at work these days.

But this external state shows no signs of letting up. That will probably not happen until Ease takes over our internal selves first. 

So, ease in a thinking environment is an inside thing.

You slow down.
You still your internal day.
You focus.
You notice that you exist and that you are in this very moment and in this very room and with this very person.
You see them.
You let yourself let them be.
You say how long you have.
You keep that boundary clear so that you can be fully there with them, letting distractions deflate.
You will get to the ravenous iPhone right after this. This human in front of you is more important. 

But surely Ease will take too long?

Surely problems cannot be solved without fear and tension and the fist-pounding panicking proctors of our production line of overnight outcomes.

Surely, we should hurry up?

One speaks about the power of Ease in generating independent, excellent human thinking, too. Why, then, do we see Ease work its wonders on the human mind, but return to hurry in such a hurry? 

What is it about 120 steps a minute and tight jaws and pounding hearts that drag us back in such a flash?

Why can’t we see how brilliant Ease is in our genius and brilliance?

Why can’t we see that brilliance from each person is the point of our work because everything depends on it, and that rush kills it dead, and that because of rush and the death of thinking, the world, not just the valley, is in flames? 

We bought an equation, that’s why.

Rushed = Important.
Tense = Focused.
Tight = Professional.
Pressured = Alive.

And not one is true. But they infest our way of being with each other. Not every culture is un-easeful, of course. But where are those cultures in the collective league table lore of successful, leading, take-them-seriously cultures of the world?

Try it. REALLY be with someone today. Ask them what they think about something and decide that for up to ten minutes you are going to be interested in what they will say next, that you will breathe out, keep your eyes on their eyes (or whatever your culture does with eyes to demonstrate attention), and that if they stop thinking and are looking to you for the answers, you are just going to ask them what they think.

Breathe out again, smile a little, pull your eyeballs off the screen or the ceiling or the pencil you are threatening with a broken back. Just be with this person. Take them in. Notice them. They are thinking. And the more at ease you are inside as they do, the better they do it.

But I am a fire fighter, you say, rushing is crucial. No. Even fire fighters fight fires better, they tell me, if they are at ease inside, so they can think! So, they can listen to each other and to the thousands of bits of information speaking to them from the scene.

Ease inside allows us to think about the emergencies outside.

And never mind fires. Even our tense conversations feel like emergencies. When Ease disappears from these conversations, usually right at the beginning, thinking stops.

Ease works easily. Storms may rage outside. But inside we can be still.

And with our attention the person thinking in front of us will, almost certainly, begin to think well.

But strangely, after experiencing Ease from us, they do not automatically do it for others. lt is as if they don’t see what is happening. It is right in front of them, but they don’t recognise it. They don’t inquire about it, take it apart, understand it. They love it, but without instruction they don’t learn it.

What if you could make Ease conscious, and offer it to people as a skill, a competency, like skydiving or SWAT analysis?

I am glad I did, because teaching it works. People can learn how to generate Ease, particularly when they see first-hand, often dramatically, how much better people think around them as a result. People want to be around Ease.

So, yes, after experiencing it, they step back into their ways; interrupting, criticizing, tensing, overtaking in order, they think, to get ahead. 

What is the cost of NOT being at ease?
How much are you losing?
How much is at stake for your business?

I invite you to book a complimentary review with me to see how you can make a REAL DIFFERENCE in your world.
You can book either 30 minutes, or 60 minutes, whatever works best for you …

30 min Call
60 min Call

Have a great (and EASY) weekend!

With warmest wishes,

Korinne