How often have you heard it or even thought or said it yourself today?

We may use other words, but the statement is the same. We experience a lot of stress from the moment we get out of bed until we – often exhausted – fall back into it and even beyond.

Constant stress is one of the most serious causes for un-resourceful behaviour that initiates even more stress.

But is stress really our enemy?

In fact, stress is a very important factor when it comes to survival, because it helps the body to prepare for fight or flight.

The purpose of stress is to enable us to react to a stressor (stress factor), allowing us to quickly adapt to changing circumstances.

Stress also supports our development, because every effort and solution requires a certain amount of stress energy. It brings out the best in us. Top performances wouldn’t be possible without it, as they require a controlled amount of stress.

Like with many things it is the ‘too much’ that is harmful for body, mind and soul. Stress can only be useful, when it is controlled, managed, and dealt with resourcefully.

But how do we do that?

There are three starting points for stress management:

1. Stressors – changing your environment

Knowing what stresses you is a good place to start with. Once you know that, you can then work on ways to either eliminate, reduce or even avoid your stress factors.

For example you could

• turn off the phone or radio during a break, meeting or when you want to have some ‘me-time’ (eliminate)
• turn down the volume of phone, radio or other devices or shut the door to reduce noise when you need to work concentrated (reduce)or
• take another route to work, start earlier or later or even switch your way of transportation completely to public transport if you want to avoid the rush hour or road rage

2. ‘Self-Management’ – managing your stress response

Managing your stress response means learning how to create long-term health and wellbeing strategies and a resourceful attitude to

• cultivate or increase resistance (through active relaxation
• develop skills for an optimistic, positive mindset
• change the perception of the situation

3. ‘Agitation management’ – finding ways for an immediate response adjustment

In an acute stress situation it is useful to be able to refer back to more resourceful short-term techniques to influence your immediate response in order to avoid agitation peaks or the build-up of (negative) spiralling effects.

Short term health and wellbeing strategy options to reduce, cope with or prevent stress include

• Spontaneous relaxation
• Perception channelling
• Positive self-talk
• Venting -release from immediate pressure

Great natural and non-invasive alternatives to drugs, alcohol, medication, smoking or other health compromising choices are systematic muscle relaxation, autogenic training or breathing techniques, asking yourself power-questions or learning how to use self-suggestions or affirmations effectively.

In the long run, prevention is better than cure and dealing with the effects of stress is essential. Stress is always individual and usually home made, which means it is a learned behaviour or results from impractical habits.

The good thing is that every learned behaviour or behavioural pattern can also be unlearned, replaced or changed.

Stress can impact your body, mind and spirit on four levels:

1. Cognitive level – all mental processes – thoughts and senses
2. Emotional level – all feelings and sensitivities
3. Vegetal-hormonal level – all reactions of the autonomous nervous system and the connected organ processes that are normally not consciously controlled, like hormones
4. Muscular level – reactions of the muscular skeleton system, those that can be controlled consciously

This means that different stressors require different stress responses. How you experience stress mainly will give you a good indicator how to best deal with it.

For long-term health and wellbeing you may want to consider a strategy that involves relaxation (regular massages, meditation in motion…) or intentional exercises to calm the mind and strengthen the body, creating a supportive network or attending personal development workshops or seminars that teach self-management and life leadership skills.

S – Specific and Simple

Make it simple and specific. “I don’t want to be alone” is a simple statement, but it is far from being specific. With goal setting it is important to say what you want, not what you don’t want.

Have you ever heard the expression “What you focus on is what you get”? That’s what Specific and Simple is about: Say not what you don’t want, but what you want. Focus on the positive.

How would you like not to be alone? Do you want a partner, a lover, children, grand children, a friend, be part of a club or the community? What do you want, specifically?

M – Measurable

This one goes hand in hand with the one above. “I want more money” is simple, positive and more or less specific, but it is not measurable. How much is more? Is it one dollar or 10, 100 or thousands?

Make sure there is a number involved. In case it can’t be measured by numbers, imagine a scale from 1-10, where 10 is where you want to be. What are the criteria that need to be fulfilled for you to be at a 10? Write them down as a tick-off list.

A – Achievable and Attainable by you, As if now

Again, make it your goal, one that you can achieve by yourself. It is not about your partner, family, child or the world, it is not someone else’s goal, it is yours!

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present. – Babatunde Olatunji

Some languages haven’t even got grammar for future or past. They totally live in the here and now. Use present tense when you write down your goal. “I am…, I have…” are the most powerful words on earth, in any language.

R – Realistic

If you have set goals before and not achieved them, maybe they have been set too high. Making a million in a year could be a bit challenging if you are earning 50.000 a year and have no savings and no plan.

On the other side, if you have always achieved your goals without effort, it may be time to challenge your self. Stretch a little further than comfortable, you will grow into it.

T – Time frame

Give your goal a time frame, have a date involved. “By December 31st 2010 …” or “the 15th of May2015…” will make your goal even more measurable, specific and easy to plan for.

I – Inspirational

Often money comes up in goal setting. But is it really about the money? I don’t think so. Generally it is about what you can or want to do with the money. What is it that inspires you to get up? What motivates you to persevere when times get tough?

When a goal is not about money but what really inspires you, you may suddenly find other ways to achieve it.

Be open and allow the universe or God to provide for you in whatever way they may think is appropriate. Extend your opportunities by making your goal inspirational.

E – Evidence and Endstep

What is the final thing that needs to happen for you to know that you have achieved your goal? What is the picture that you see, what do you hear or tell yourself, how do you feel?

What is the evidence that proofs you have made it? For example when do you know you have lost enough weight? Is it when you see a certain number standing on your scale? When you fit in your favourite dress or pants? When you have achieved a certain fat percentage? Or when the tape measure shows a specific number?

Make your Evidence and Endstep very clear and involve as many senses as possible: see, hear, feel, smell or taste your success.

We are having a Shed-Warming Party!

Come along on Friday, the 2nd of October from 3pm ’til late
Unit 22/Insight Commercial Park
547 Woolcock Street, Mount Louisa, Qld

View Google map but note: the building is so new, that Google maps has not yet realised that it is there. It seems to be in the blue, but trust me, there is a ‘Dancefloor’ for Change!

You read a book from beginning to end. You run a business the opposite way. You start with the end, and then you do everything you must to reach it.
- Harold S. Geneen

Building a business is as well an art as it is a skill that anybody with access to the right resources can learn. Browse at Amazon for books about building a business or get some ideas from the business building must-reads collection below:

Michael Gerber’s “The E-Myth Revisited” is a classic among business books. Embedded in the story of Sarah, who owns a pie shop that is taking all her energy without producing the revenue it could, Michael Gerber explains the different skill sets needed to run a successful business.
If you think of becoming a business owner, consider whether you are a Technician, a Manager or an Entrepreneur and where you are most comfortable with.
Highly recommended to read through while you are still in the planning process! Look inside

Following up on”The E-Myth Revisited”, the “E-Myth Mastery” is as useful to initially build a business as it is to improve an existing one.
Sarah’s story goes on and with some advice, her business steps up to the next level.
Admittedly, some parts are challenging – but the better the foundation, the better the business.
With even more hands on tips and checklists, this book can very well be worth the effort. Look inside

People like Anthony Robbins stand on his shoulders and Brian is still one of the best selling authors and speakers when it comes to achieving personal and especially business goals.

His company operates internationally and has helped over 4 million people achieve their goals so far.

‘ Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life‘ is designed to help you understand the impact the way we think has on the results that we get. The program promises to show you how to

• develop unshakable self confidence
• increase your income dramatically
• take control of your life and your destiny
• improve your relationships
• enjoy higher levels of health and fitness and
• achieve all your goals

After experiencing the power of thought myself, I highly recommend ‘Change your thinking, change your life’

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

Unlock your full potential to live the extraordinary life you deserve. Develop unshakable self-confidence and break down barriers that once stood in your way. Become a “no limit” person and realise that you can do anything you decide to accomplish. Learn how changing your mind set can revitalise your life, business and relationships.

It is going to be a space, that is more than just a room defined by walls. It is a ‘dance floor’, where you can let go of what is holding you back, connect to new or hidden resources within you that you have not discovered yet and finally start to create your new future with inspiration and empowerment.

Find out how YOU can seize control of your destiny and create more wealth, prosperity and fulfilment on every level of your life and be part of an event that will enable you too to start writing your new future.

Upcoming seminars in Europe, Australia and New Zealand here.

Or grab yourself  TWO FREE TICKETS with our compliments!

As a logical consequence, Transition Guidance also draws on the “Well-being Business Academy” founder’s experience in the wellness industry to support well-being practitioners like massage therapists, meditation-in-motion teachers and personal trainers to start, maintain and grow their business from first idea to thriving in and after the first year.

What coaching is not: it is neither counselling nor therapy or training, although it might contain parts of all and compliment them beautifully.
Recent research has confirmed that training that contains coaching elements is much more effective and sustainable than training without them.

So what is coaching really? And why does it seem to be so difficult to describe? One of the latest definitions I found may explain it:

“Coaching is a solution that is waiting for a problem!”

What does this mean?

Coaching has as many facets as there are challenges out there.

Athletes and sports professionals understood the benefits of coaching long ago. Nowadays being a ‘technician’ is not enough. Talking to Sydney 2000 Beach Gold Medal winner in Beach Volleyball, Natalie Cook, she cemented that she never would have won without the coaching support she had.

Coaching acts as an accelerator for transformation through questioning and challenging beliefs, strategies and choices people making in all areas of their life