Its that time of year again (yes, Christmas already) when we get to look back on the last 12 months and reflect on what was good … and what was not-so-good. So get that crumpled piece of paper out from the back of your drawer with your New Year’s Resolutions neatly laid out for the year ahead (the year that now was). How did you go? Can you find the list? Did you even write one? If you’ve found your list and are rejoicing over how many of your resolutions you can tick off – then step up and give yourself a pat on the back. Then get out there and celebrate – because you’re out there achieving your goals and living your dreams – congratulations. If you’re looking at your list in disappointment (or scratching your head working out what you might have written down) then you may want to ask yourself the following questions: What got in your way? Did you fall back into old habits? Did you lose focus? Was it all too hard? Has something happened to completely change the direction of your l...

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You hear people often say ‘be in the now’ and ‘live in the moment’. They are all talking about being really there in that precise moment and connecting with that thought/event. I just read an excerpt from a book ‘My Steve’ by Terri Irwin, she spoke about her late husband, Steve Irwin alias the ‘crocodile hunter’. It was evident that he saw life as an adventure to be lived every minute. He was on a mission to do as much as possible everyday, he didn’t sleep that much as his batteries recharged quickly and once they were he was on a trail to explore, learn, teach people about what he loved most, the wildlife kingdom. His sense of curiosity was never satisfied, thus his thirst for living was never quenched. The energy he radiated was magnetic, he lived in the NOW, truly and for him time was of essence. He needed to do as much as possible in the time he had left on this earth, he took risks, and that provided the thrills, and excitement. What a wonderful example of a person on a mission,...

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  Many people find it extremely difficult to say ‘No’ to people’s requests and demands. I personally struggled with this for most of my life.  Why do so many of us find it so difficult to say ‘No’? From analysing my own experiences and talking to other people I have found the following to be some of the causes.   * Habit * Underestimating a task * Desire to rescue, serve and please others * Fear of rejection * Guilt * Poor self-esteem and self-confidence * Not knowing how to be assertive * Avoids confrontation  It is important to understand that always saying ‘YES’ can lead to overload and feelings of frustration, resentment, stress and can also steel you away from important activities in your life. I classify important activities in your life as activities that make you happy and healthy and that contribute in some way to you achieving your life’s goals.  It is important to understand that when you say ‘YES’ to accepting an undertaking  y...

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