Up the creek without a paddle!
 
  Nigel Buxton Update
Up the creek without a paddle! July 2006

 
  Dear Nigel,

Summer time used to be a low season for me. No more!

You may have noticed that I missed last week, I apologize for that.

I am looking forward to a seaside holiday soon, and I guess a lot of you will also be taking a break. So this will be the last of these Updates for a while. The next one is scheduled for the last week in August.

I like to use the summer break for reflection and contemplation. It is a good time to:
- See where you are;
- See if you are happy doing what you are doing;
- See if you want to change the direction of your life;
- See if there is something more that you want to do or accomplish.

So here is something to stimulate you to think about what you want to do.
Enjoy!

A famous study of Yale University graduates found that, back in 1953, just 3% of the graduating class had written down a set of goals for their lives. 20 years later a survey of the same group revealed that the "goal setting" students were financially worth more than the other 97% put together. This 3% also had better relationships and enjoyed better health. It was not parental wealth, degree subjects taken, career selected, ethnic or gender base or any other obvious factors that made the difference. The factor that linked all these students was that they had set clear goals.

"To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you are going, so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction." – Stephen Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

 
 
Who has got the paddle?

Without goals, you are drifting and when you drift, you are not in control.

If you are not in control, then someone else is.

You have relinquished your basic right to shape your own future.

In doing this, you also surrender your freedom of action which restricts your choices and can lead to frustration, anxiety, fear and stress.

One of the principal reasons why people stop setting goals is that they set goals that they do not achieve, and then they give up.

Edison made 10,000 trials (failures) before he finally invented a light bulb.

"The nature of he human is that he/she learns by making mistakes".

The fear of being judged a failure is one of the most common "brakes" people have which stop them from persisting towards their goal.

 
 

Another difficulty with goals can be just getting started.

"A walk around the world starts with the first step".

The goal can be absolutely right for you and really challenging, but it is so big that you do not know where to start.

You get overwelmed by the goal.

Just break it down into managable bite- size chunks.

Do you have projects that it is time to start planning?
Have you got a firm grip on your paddle?

Nigel coaches people like you to freedom – freedom from limitations, freedom to do/be more, financial freedom, emotional freedom, freedom to be yourself.

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Kind regards,


nigel
phone: +386-1-420-1524: +386-41-674-924