As you read this newsletter, I will be soaking up the sun in Turkey with my friend, Maria & her lovely 4 year old, Millie, and I hope YOU will also have the opportunity this summer to enjoy a  relaxing, sunny break; whether it be abroad or in your own back garden!

It is inevitable in the line of work I do (and being self-employed), that by dealing with clients’ personal & work-related issues on a daily basis, I often forget to take time out for ‘me’. I wonder how many of you reading this and nodding your heads in agreement are thinking:-‘me time?—What’s ‘me’ time?!’

One of the reasons I look forward to my holidays is for exactly that reason; to ‘allow myself’ to be a bit more self-centred—to read, swim, paint, enjoy the company of friends & family and have a good laugh. But more importantly it’s a chance to leave work behind (being a self-confessed workaholic!!)

Training to become a Life Coach and working with different clients has taught me the importance of making time for oneself on a regular basis. So for those of you who find this hard or have yet to achieve it, here are a few tips .....
  

Thoughts for the month: Have no fear of perfection  - you will never achieve it. Salvador Dali. You may delay  - but time will not. Benjamin Franklin Happiness depends on ourselves. Aristotle Like to contribute ...? 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

Small steps on how to enjoy more ‘me’ time and less ‘being there for everyone else’ time! Step One Make a list of what you would like MORE of in your life — more time with the family, time to read a book, going to the gym etc Step Two Make a list of what you would like LESS of in your life — do you seem to spend more time cooking, cleaning, acting as chauffeur than you actually enjoy and even resent doing? Step Three Now decide how you can eliminate at least one thing off your ‘LESS’ list; is there another way to utilise your time more efficiently when cleaning & cooking? (One client enlisted the help of her retired father who was only to glad to be of help and feel useful. By offering with some household chores each week, it freed up some time to tackle her ‘to do’ list that had been niggling away at her, making her feel out of control and it also allowed her father to see more of his 2 year old grandson). Step Four Now you have freed up a bit of time, look at your MORE list and see how you can do something YOU want to do. If guilt is the only thing stopping you from spending an hour in the garden reading rather than cleaning the windows, ask yourself if it’s that a valid  enough reason for not ‘re-charging your batteries’. Step Five Learn to say no! The next time someone asks you to do something, before you say yes, (as you undoubtedly do), pause & consider whether it is convenient, manageable and actually something you WANT to do, before saying yes. Step 6 Make time to yourself, even if it is only for an hour a day and stick to it. This need not be to do anything spectacular; a walk in the park, a long soak in a bubble bath or a chance to catch up on your favourite soap will allow you to have a bit of quality ‘me’ time. Step 7 Find a support network. Do you have friends and colleagues who YOU can rely on for help and support? Are you good at offering support but hopeless at receiving it? Put yourself in the shoes of the person offering to help you; wouldn’t they feel better if they could return the favour? Step 8 Question your attitude. Many people frequently say they don’t have enough time. However, time is constant and it’s up to us how we spend it. So don’t’ be hard on yourself if you are your own worst enemy when it comes to making time for yourself. Fund Raising Event : Thursday July 16th. 7.30pm OK so now the image has your attention! * For those of you who have shown interest in coming along, your invites will be arriving on your doorsteps in the next few days. As well as lots of lovely Body Shop products supplied by Trisha, Melissa will be bringing along some of her fantastic jewellery and there will be a raffle, including a £50 voucher for a local restaurant. For those who aren’t in the know do please contact me for further details ! * My designer assures me that no chicks were harmed in the production of this photo ! African Project Update A quick update this month. Progress is slow but we have settled on providing sources of water to communities in Senegal & Ethiopia & are currently undertaking research into suitable charities and projects. The weight is still coming off slowly, (21 lbs up to now), but it might call for drastic measures after a week in Turkey so keep you pledges coming in so I keep the momentum going! Until next month,

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