Thoughts for the month:

Our attitude towards life determines life’s attitude towards us.

Unknown

The whole life of man is but a point in time; let us enjoy it.

Plutarch

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

Carl Sandburg

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I am interested in all feedback and comments to this newsletter.

I also welcome any offers of   collaboration or inclusion  of promotional articles.

To discuss any contribution   please contact me through  the channels below.

My contact details

Pavlenka Small
Small Steps to Success

Tel : 01206 299073

pav@smallsteps2success.co.uk

    Email contact form here

Stop the world I want to get off !

6 small steps to finding me time ...

1 : Focus on your key priorities

In order to achieve the desired balance in your life, it is important to decide what is important and what is not, depending on your current situation.If, for example, you are trying to run a business from home and have children of school age, be aware that compromises will have to be made during school holidays. Decide what you want to achieve without setting yourself expectations which are too high and un-manageable and take action.

2 :  Differentiate between what ‘must’ and what ‘needs to be’ done

Who is telling you that you ‘must’ do the housework every day? I’m not suggesting you never clean your house, but it is all about putting things into perspective. The chances are it is you who is insisting you MUST do certain tasks which could be approached in a more appropriate and purposeful way. Given the choice between doing the spring cleaning on Saturday, (because that’s what you always do), or going out with a girl/boy friend / partner for a rare lunch out, does your guilt and habitual routine dictate that you can’t go and enjoy yourself for once?

3 : Say it as it is

Do you know what messages you give out to the people around you? Do you, for example, accept offers of help when you are finding everything a bit too much to cope with or do you simply say ‘no thank you, I’m fine’, when clearly, you are not?! Many see accepting help as a personal weakness or failing, when it could be seen as allowing someone else to feel that they are being useful. So the next time you are about to refuse an offer of help, try accepting the offer graciously and realise that with practice, it is not that hard to say ‘yes’.

4 : Be your own best friend

Best friends support you in tough times rather than criticise you, they do not shame you for your mistakes but encourage you to learn from them and try again. Best friends accept you for who you are, warts and all. So when you start to criticise yourself, become your own best friend. Ask what you would want your own best friend to say or do at this moment and then do it!

5 : You deserve more than you think you do

Do you recognise your own self worth? How often do you put your needs and wishes to the bottom of the pile behind your partner’s, children’s, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbours or work colleagues. You deserve some pampering and looking after too, even if that just means allowing yourself an extra long soak in the bath rather than that quick dip in the shower each morning! Tell yourself you deserve some regular time to yourself and then make it happen.

6 : Is that grass really greener on the other side

Sometimes we are never able to be content with what we have. We often set ourselves ridiculously high expectations and when we are unable to reach them, we become bitterly disappointed and frustrated. So adjust your expectations of personal happiness; focus on being more content with what you have, rather than wishing for things you don’t have. Be aware of what are realistic and unrealistic expectations of yourself and those who bring meaning to you.

PAUSE ..... - For 10 seconds to take a deep breath - For a minute to take in the view - For a couple of minutes to brew a cuppa - For 10 minutes to clear your head - For 20 minutes to call your mum - For half an hour to exercise your body - For a couple of hours to read a good book - For a day to have some fun - For a weekend under the stars - For a month to learn something new - For a summer to be a kid again - For a year to see the world - For a lifetime to work put what it all means          OR - For just 5 minutes to do absolutely nothing

Small Steps to Success November 2009 Newsletter.
Pavlenka Small. Steps to Success. 2 Elm Cottages. Mission Lane. East Bergholt. Colchester. Essex. CO7 6XH.