Observe Archives - Page 55 of 69

My Amazing Future

Posted on February 13, 2021

Can you truly see, in detail, what your life will be like in 5 or 10 years? Does it frighten you to see it or because you can’t? My amazing future should be the theme of your ‘future you’ project.

If you could choose an amazing, exciting, wonderful and lovely future, why would you choose something else? Since you can choose any future you want, why wouldn’t you choose the absolute best future imagineable?

Maybe you have a carbon neutral private jet and an island in the pacific to escape away to. Perhaps you have a Michelin starred chef to cook all of your meals. Your relationship with your partner is astonishingly caring, warm and strong. In addition, you seem to enjoy your everyday to the max, regardless of whether you are at work or play.

You seem to attract great people and situations into your universe. Remarkably, you are wildly comfortable chatting to, and speaking in front of, large groups of diverse people.

You took the classes, read the books, watched the videos and practiced repeatedly over the years so that you could become the person you dreamed of with the life you thought was idyllic.

Remember that my amazing future is as attainable as any rubbish or boring future. So choose very wisely what you will spend your life’s time working towards.

Action Gratitude Observe Think About It

Shifting Your Focus

Posted on February 12, 2021

It can seem odd, natural or fantastic. When you are trying something new, it can be a little uncomfortable. Shifting your focus from one space to another can leave most people wanting a way out.

People make big shifts all the time. It just might not seem like it. We all made a significant shift when we left secondary school. Whether you left in year 7 or after A levels, your next move would have felt like a big one. You may have gone to work, or out as an apprentice or maybe even off to university.

Regardless of where you went, the focus shifted. The standards changed. Your perception of yourself and the perceptions others had of you changed. You might have been considered a school leaver or thought of as university bound. It can be hard to reconcile your new description or tag. Sometimes in life, we won‘t like the description we have been given.

It does not matter though. You need to move on faster, both mentally and in the physical realm. The sooner you can adjust your lenses, the easier you may find it comfortable.

I have been shifting in many ways over the years. From banking, to a corporate role, to a property investor, to a full time Dad, to an author, blogger and now content creator on YouTube. All of these new skills and opportunities.

Shifting your focus can bring lots of excitement into your life.

Financial Observe Property Reframe your thoughts

Good Debt

Posted on February 10, 2021

Some words just have a bad connotation. While others are riding high with positive brand awareness. Good debt straddles the middle.

For some, all debt is bad or evil or unnecessary. That is how it sits in the bad camp. However, those in the know about debt are happy to have good borrowings in their portfolio.

Generalisations do not help. Often as we get closer to the specifics of a topic we split off into different perception points. This is helpful. We can then better understand our position. Ideally we wouldn’t carry any debt for any purpose. Although, a little bit of borrowed money to help build a company, buy assets and get your future flowing, can be a good thing.

It is always interesting to me when people react to the word debt. It is a word many people want to clarify, if they do not condemn it straight away.

Many people have a difficult personal story involving borrowed money. It is not uncommon for people to have been in sizeable challenging positions when they were young. And unfortunately it is usually bad borrowing that they have collected.

I am trying to raise the awareness of debt, both good and bad, money, finances and life options. That is why I host Money Mindset Monday at 10:30am UK time on Clubhouse. My co-hosts / co-moderators are great and people get a lot of value.

In the meantime, get to know good debt.

Action Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts Think About It

Help Your Friends

Posted on February 9, 2021

If everyone did a little bit to help people they knew, everyone would be getting some help. Help your friends when you can. You may not be able to assist all the people in town, but you can make a difference to some.

It could be a simple phone call or sending them something you found online. Other times you may need to lend them your car or make room in your house when they visit. Towards the more extreme, you may hire them or let someone sleep on your sofa for a few weeks or months.

We don’t always know which bit of help will be of most use. But it is quite probable that most of it will be.

Life’s challenges can pile up on people. They don’t always know how to ask for things, especially help. Try your best to notice the signs and signals of growing distress. A little intervention at the beginning can be most useful.

Often a few choice words at the right time, with the right intent, is enough. Usually people know what the problem is. More frequently, they know the solution to that problem too. Regardless, any help at the right time can be invaluable.

Be observant, empathetic and kind. And help your friends.

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Embrace Your Future Self

Posted on February 8, 2021

It is hard to be an adventurer, exploring new realms, when your feet won’t leave the comfortable shoreline. Embrace your future self and ride headlong into the exciting world you are seeing for yourself.

There seems to be three main aspects involved in changing your life. The first one is simply recognising where you would like to be. The second one is deciding you are going to get there from where you are. Finally, you need to see yourself at the finish line and truly be that person.

One of the most difficult parts about change is truly being that person at the finish line. We can be hesitant, uncertain and uncomfortable. This may be for several reasons or just one. However, the quicker you can mentally and emotionally become that future person, the sooner you will be there physically too.

It makes sense too. If you would like to be driving a red Porsche, you will need to start thinking of it. The more you can clearly see yourself sitting behind the wheel, the more likely it is to happen. Your mind will shift nicely from ‘not’ to ’fully bought’. In doing this journey, even if only in our head, the easier it is for the mind to accept it as true.

Once something is true, it will be.

Embrace your future self.

Action Observe Think About It Time

A Crazy Busy Week

Posted on February 7, 2021

Ever had one of those? I am sure you have. Trying to jam in so many things. Some were booked, some were not. Regardless, a crazy busy week was had.

Many people will start out with a good plan. Well paced workloads will have a certain set of expectations around them. We might even add in some contingency time for unexpected items that pop up onto our radar. Despite all that good planning, sometimes things go south. Or great opportunities arise.

Either way, we can find ourselves up against the clock and burning the candle at both ends. Not the best situation but sometimes you just have to make hay while the sun shines. (I couldn’t resist an old farming reference).

How do you deal with a week like that? Do you re-book meetings, delegate workloads, drop things or recalibrate the priority list? Perhaps you do something completely different. Let me know in the comments below as I am genuinely interested in hearing the myriad ways that different people navigate a busy week.

I think I did a combination of all of the above. In addition, some things were simply forgotten in the mad rush. It is not ideal but sometimes life is just like that.

Hopefully next week is not such a crazy busy week.

Observe

That Aha Moment

Posted on February 6, 2021

Not to be confused with that A-ha moment you had back in 1985 with the song Take on Me. This is that aha moment you get every so often when you realise something for what it is or needs to be.

You know that moment when things strike you and the penny drops. Maybe you were working on a hard problem at school or work. Or, perhaps you were trying to solve a crossword puzzle or a who dunnit murder mystery. Sometimes, it is just a conversation recalled and a knowing smile when seeing it from a different angle.

We should have more of these aha moments. Try to cultivate them. Get the conditions right and the mind open and maybe you could have more of them than you could imagine. It almost feels like the giant combination lock in the sky just rolled the last tumbler into place.

Practice getting your mind to relax. It helps if you breathe deeply and let the air out slowly to relax your body, neck and shoulders too. If you can do this, you will be a on your way to a wonderful place. Universal coincidences happen more often when things are calm and aligned.

Practice getting that aha moment and you may just have more of them.

Action Gratitude Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Time Video

It Is Done!

Posted on February 5, 2021

That feels so good. That moment when you have completed the task. You cannot control it anymore. It is out of your hands. It is done!

It is an exciting and glorious feeling. When all the tension and build up can drain calmly from you, it is a tremendous feeling. Some feelings will be of relief and some will be of pride, confidence or joy.

Think back to when you have completed a big project. Or even think of a little one that you felt was important and worthy of your time. Maybe it was after completing an exam, driver’s licence test, or first overseas trip. For many, the feeling of relief is large after a public speech.

There is often an adrenaline rush and then a calming moment of satisfaction. In addition, you know you do not have to do it again soon, so there is peace in your heart.

I felt the calm satisfaction on Wednesday evening when I completed my first YouTube Short. Thanks to Alex, Roxane and Jaime for guidance on technical aspects. Thanks also to the many people in the YouTube and social media rooms in Clubhouse who gave great information. Also, a thank you to the How To content creators on YouTube. In particular, Sean Cannell’s comments in Clubhouse and his videos at Think Media. Naturalvita Tutorials also had a good tutorial.

It is done!

Gratitude Observe Think About It

Sometimes It Is Who And Not What

Posted on February 1, 2021

Who says someone can be more important than what is said? It seems a little odd to me but it happens. Sometimes it is who and not what that makes all the difference.

Do you remember your parents telling you something and you didn’t believe them. Maybe it was when you were a teenager. Or perhaps you were in your 40’s. They said X and you did Y.

Having your own children is the cosmic giggle from the universe. Now the shoe is on the other foot. You will be imparting brilliant, relevant and fascinating advice, or information, and it will fall on disinterested ears.

However, a friend of theirs will say the same thing and it will be all high fives and wow. If you’re nodding to this, remember you did/do the same thing to your parents. You may dismiss your parents as being from a bygone era. In doing so, try not to dismiss the pertinent advice they are giving for your benefit. Listen carefully.

If your best mate told you the same thing, then do it when your parents mention it. And give your friends due time while considering their view. Oftentimes friends can dismiss a point of view because they think their friend has no idea. However, an expert in the field might say the same thing and you will quote them all day long.

Sometimes it is who and not what.

Financial Observe Reframe your thoughts Think About It

Your Money Pays For Their Vacation

Posted on January 30, 2021

Make sure you only buy things that are essential to your life or for true happiness. Remember that when you spend, your money pays for their vacation, not yours.

Think about that for a minute. You buy two large pizzas for £25 and that is a fair exchange. You receive two large pizzas with toppings of your choice and they receive the payment they wanted. However, think one level deeper.

When you buy the pizzas, your bank account goes down and their bank account goes up. You have less cash for your vacation and they have more cash for theirs.

Quit giving your money to everyone else so they can have your vacation.

You could buy two large pizzas at the shops for £10. Then put the £15 of saved money into two other accounts. The first £7.50 could go into your vacation fund. The other £7.50 could go into your long term strategic investment fund.

You get to eat the pizzas and you build up your vacation and investment fund accounts. Sure the pizzas may not be quite as delicious from the fridge. And there would be some effort in cooking them. However, you would still have the nutrients and additional funds in your core accounts.

From one simple example, you would have almost £800 across your accounts in one year.

When you’re about to spend, remember, your money pays for their vacation.