What happens when the ones you have had installed during your up bringing from our parents etc and you have true respect for these, as they have been proven to be successful many times over!

Then alongside these values & beliefs you also begin to develop additional values & beliefs of your own, which you have faith in and also think will be equally as useful. But when you are in business and you have two lots of values & beliefs, one you were brought up on by your parents and one you have nurtured yourself.

What do you do?
Which one do you decide is best for you and your business?
What If I get it wrong and I make the wrong choice?

For example:- If your business is not making money then you have no business? Yet you can have a very viable business potentially but without cash flow you cannot survive. Plus you have to speculate to accumulate.

In business you have to make many difficult decisions and you have to make them and not to deliberate to long on which option to I make. Then main thing is that you do make a decision and then stick with your choice. Avoid procrastination, as this will only confuse things and distract your attention away from the main focus of running a successful business.

There are many ways you can run businesses in this day and age, some are easier than others. But you cannot let a conflict of values & beliefs get in the way or stop you from achieving your business objectives. Once you have chosen which one suits you best can you make a judgement of which one was the best for you and your business.

There are so many businesses today that are virtual businesses with minimal overheads, i.e. out sourced office facilities, out sourced HR, freelance staff on a self employed basis, minimal ownership of equipment or stock etc. etc. that are very successful and everyone gains from collaborating with each other. Because they all work under one umbrella, then their over heads and running costs are greatly reduced and it is easier to make a profit and invest in future projects and ventures.

So you can run and build a business empire with very little money with the right amount of thought and planning put into place. Which means a business model that requires money to make money, seems financially viable, but you can have a business model that requires limited money or little financial investment. Which can also grow successfully, so it is about choice and which business model (value & belief) is best for you. The difference is one model is an old and trusted model and one is relatively a new model.

So check out all your options and then make a decision based on fact, and facts that suit you and formulate the correct value & beliefs for yourself!

So first of all, who are you?  What do you currently do for a living and are you happy with the job you currently have?

I know I am asking lots of questions of you all, but it is for a reason and the reason is to identify what is right for you! Because by doing a job that you are either not suited to or are not happy with, can lead to you feeling down, under pressure. Which if you do not deal with can lead to stress and for your confidence and self esteem taking a basing at the same time.

Why did you choose your current role / job? Ask yourself if you know what you know now about the job, if you were applying for the role for the first time, tomorrow, would you! If you could say yes, then you probably have chosen the right career path for you.

But if you can say no I would definitely not, then we need to look at why? And what are the learns about your experience that you can incorporate into any future opportunities you look for.

So how do you set about identifying what is right for you, to be honest you should get yourself  a Life / Business Coach to help and guide you to a natural conclusion! The reason I say this is because everyone including myself will not ask ourselves the right questions, because we can avoid any difficult ones that put us on the spot. Secondly we are not always honest with ourselves and think we know best, but without help it is not always possible to come to the right conclusions.

If you do decide to go it alone, remember what has not worked for you in the past, take the learns you have gained and put them to good use in any future decisions you decide to make. Then challenge yourself about what is important to you.

What things do you enjoy doing?

What makes you happy the most?

What skills do you currently have?

What qualifications do you currently have?

What qualifications do you need to achieve what you want?

There are loads more questions that you need to consider to enable you to come to the right decision.

Then  you have to record the options you have available to you and then go through the pro’s & con’s of each option.

Once you have decided on the correct option for you then you need to know how to go about achieving this option!

Then there is the how?

Yes how do I go about achieving what you want?

What is required?

What support do you need?

What qualifications if any do you need?

Who do you need to contact to enable you to achieve your goals?

Set yourself time scales, when do you want to achieve you goal by?

Can you do it on your own, do y0u have enough resources yourself?

If not who else can help or support you in achieving your goal?

Provided you have a process to follow and to enable you to move towards your true goal and you focus on that goal you will get your desired outcome!

Timothy Galway – says that everybody has the ability to achieve what they want in life, and he uses a formula which is:-

The Formula is – Performance = Potential – (minus) Interference.  Which is simple, yet so powerful you, because it is simply staying you get what you focus on and avoid any distractions / interference!

If you want to contact me or need advice, please contact me and lets get you on the right path to your chosen career.

Martin

Since December I got involved with Care Company and started working on a limited basis as a part time carer. I have found the experience to be one of the most fulfilling I have ever had during my career to date.

The awareness of peoples needs and how important they are to those who have become dependant on support to enable them to remain at home and also be able to live as near a normal life as they can or to be able to develop skills to allow them to remain independent.

Well recently I was given a live in assignment with an individual that required the support of two carers to enable him to live a life of independence and to also learn new life skills to allow him to develop as a person. Well that same person who had been institutionalised from a young age due to authorities feeling he did not have the mental & physical abilities to survive in the real world.

Well this person did have the ability to survive and prove everyone was wrong to make such judgements, in fact this person from a position of institutionalism undertook studies that lead to a degree in Social Welfare, Health & Safety and is currently advising the NHS on disabilities issues. If that was not enough to deal with, he then had to fight the system to get released from institutionalism and have a life of his own with care support, which he has now enjoyed for nearly four years.

During the last four years he has had to adapt to living in the real world and had to learn new skills to enable him to live and enjoy life for the first time as an equal. He has since set up an online company raising disability awareness to the local and business community, this business started five months ago and the idea came over a cup of coffee between like minded people. This business has grown to become widely known within the Cardiff, The Vale and is now growing across the whole of Wales.

Plus he is standing for the second time as Lib Dem Candidate for the local council in South Wales, he has also become a consultant for the NHS and various other committees as an advisor for disability awareness.

I have enjoyed working with him and wish to work with him on a regular basis, not just as a carer but also as his life & business consultant to be his right hand man with his businesses and support him via coaching & feedback to enhance his existing skills and allow him to grow even further and become totally independent from the state and help fellow businesses see the benefits of disability awareness and what financial rewards it can bring to any business.

Since meeting with this guy we have developed a relationship of friendship and are exploring how collaboration between us can develop other opportunities together. Which have been doing recently.

This guy along with his partner have set up and are holding their first Inaugural Conference which is taking place next week in Narbetth. If you require more details about the event etc let me know and I will forward details direct to you.

I have written this as a mark of respect for the guy, he is aware I will be writing about him, but I have reserved the best along with videos etc to when he is able to spend time with me and to get permission to use his name etc.

Hope you get same inspiration as me and benefit my own experience.

There have been lots of articles and discussions over the last twelve months or so, about looking at the bigger picture and where we fit within it. This progressed into people and politicians talking about how the Big Society, which is made up of individuals, fitted into the Big Picture?

The reason behind all these thoughts and discussions, is quite simple really, because we all play a part in both. And we fit in on so many different levels as well, i.e. as a person what we bring to the world?

Then as a brother, sister, son, daughter, mother, father, etc. etc. then you have the impacts and consequences (causes & effects we provide) whilst we are on this planet. When you look at the interactions we all undertake throughout our lives along with causes & effects they all have, you can see a massive chain reaction which takes place, purely based on an individual action which also  has a ripple effect far beyond what we had intended originally.

So politicians at long last have started to wake up and realise their own causes & effects which take place, every time they implement any changes, the subsequent outcomes directly impacts on the business world, families right down the an individual level.

What they have also recognised during this realisation is that everyone has to be involved in the Big Society, from top to bottom. If sections of the Big Society are left out, whether by accident or deliberate, there is always a negative outcome which impacts on society and in turn a bit like a dominos effect carries on long after the initial change.

That is why it is so important for everyone to have the opportunity to be able to play a part within society and to feel valued . We are only here once (as far as we know) so lets all play a part in changing things for the better, remember the Big Society is only part of the Big Picture, .i.e. environment, animals, plants, the world etc. etc.

A fully active and interactive society generates positivity which in turn aids everyone to be part of society and help to shape the Big Picture, so that everyone benefits from  the Big Society taking a responsibility for not just the humans but for the greater benefit of the World / Planet.

You need to describe yourself in detail, concisely and impressively, making sure you also inform what is you do and what you have to offer that is unique.

Also think outside of the box, by not having your own agenda, it is a bit like when you go fishing, there is you, your rode & reel, plus you have your hook & bate. Now all you need is a fish to take the bate, so you need to tease & entice your audience to take firm interest & for them to ask you questions! Once this happens you have the interest from you potential client or buyer? This is when you can switch into selling mode & to match the benefits & services to that you have offer & have established from them.

Be different.

You have to stand out from the crowd, so your audience want to know more & will seek you out to find out more! And remember people buy of people, but they want something that stands out from all your competitors. So be original & look to inspire those around you.

Help others.

Always seek to support & help others, for what you give out, you will get double in return. Also you will get support & free advice that is invaluable, which if you had to pay for would really cost you dearly.

Personal integrity.

Trust, reputation are key requirements that fellow businesses value & your potential clients will be looking for this, they do not want to deal with the insincere or people with the gift of the gab type of person. So invest in time & effort to build relationships that will stay with you & provide you with repeat business, but more importantly you also build your reputation & the key ingredient of respect & trust.

Relevant targeting.

One thing to remember no matter who your ideal target market is, that potentially everyone who has surplus cash available is a potential customer, it all depends on what attracts an individual marketing wise, as to what they will eventually spend that surplus cash on! So always remember even the most unexpected buyer could become your customer.

With this in mind, it is also good to know who your ideal target market is likely to be & how are you going to be able to actually present to them directly or in person.

i.e. Flyers, be mindful that these cost money, so make sure they are used effectively? For example do not suddenly decide to deliver a thousand flyers in your neighbourhood & a healthy return, the normal response rate is about 0.62% per hundred flyers, so not a great return for your investment.

But if you take one flyer & take it to one of your ideal target market & present it to the proprietor / owner? for example lets take a mobile valeting service & you take the first approach not much return from delivering to your local housing estates, but if you took the second option & take one flyer to say a supermarket with say 30 -40 staff working shifts & speak to the manager with a special offer plus perhaps a guaranteed day that you can be at the supermarket, you are likely to get a minimum return which will be much higher anything from 1 – 40 from one flyer. Far better odds don’t recon?

Plans & aims.

Always think about what type of networking is best for you, & how much time to invest in networking, there are lots of various groups, clubs etc out there, so be selective & plan your time to maximise the benefits available to you. Networking is a vital part of getting  your business the correct amount of exposure.

Follow up.

Make sure you follow up any meetings or referrals you have obtained, because delay, gives the impression that you either don’t care or are not interested, so make sure you act quickly to avoid losing any potential business. You might actually be very busy & just find it difficult to find time in your diary, but trust me find the time, otherwise you with very quickly have an empty diary.

Be positive.

This should go without saying, but I will mention it for those who think they can get by because they have a product or service that is vital to your client so don’t  have to be that positive. Well I have news for you, you are not the only supplier & people buy of people, a non positive attitude funny enough has a negative effect on those who have lost there positivity!

Sustained focused effort.

You need to always be focused & up for any challenge, this is vital for sustained growth, your efforts & commitment will be reward from remaining focused every day.

Life balance.

If you are grounded in your approach & find the right balance to suit you, your family, then your business & your clients will also benefit, because they will feel assurance in your abilities etc.

Follow the above principles & you will not go far wrong with your business marketing / networking.

In one US study as many as 40% of workers described their jobs as very stressful. While not a scientific gauge and not measuring serious stress health problems, this gives some indication as to how prevalent work-related stress is. As regards official health records, in the UK, the nursing and teaching occupations are most affected by work-related stress, with 2% of workers at any one time suffering from work-related stress, depression and anxiety. (The figure for teachers rises to 4% when including physical conditions relating to stress.) Care workers, managers and professionals are the next highest affected occupations, with over 1% suffering from serious work-related stress at any one time. UK HSE work-related stress statistics suggest that work-related stress affects men and women in equal numbers, and that people in the 45-retirement age suffer more than younger people. More socially-based USA research suggests that the following American social groups are more prone to stress (this therefore not limited to work-related stress): young adults, women, working mothers, less educated people, divorced or widowed people, the unemployed, isolated people, people without health insurance, city dwellers. Combined with the factors affecting stress susceptibility (detailed below), it’s not difficult to see that virtually no-one is immune from stress. An American poll found that 89% of respondents had experienced serious stress at some point in their lives. The threat from stress is perceived so strongly in Japan that the Japanese even have a word for sudden death due to overwork, ‘karoushi’.

work-related stress trends

Data is sparse and confused (stress statistics are also complicated by metal health reporting in the UK), but the statistics do indicate certain growth. In the UK HSE statistics indicate a doubling of reported clinical cases between 1990 and 1999. Working days lost per annum appear to have been about 6.5 million in the mid-1990′s, but rose to over 13 million by 2001. Greater awareness of the stress ailment in reporting no doubt accounts for some of this variance, but one thing’s for sure: the number of people suffering from work-related stress isn’t reducing.

costs of stress

UK HSE statistics suggest stress-related costs to UK employers in the region of £700m every year. The cost of stress to society is estimated at £7bn pa. (These figures were respectively £350m and £3.7bn in 1995/6 when total days lost were half present levels.)

stress causes

Stress is caused by various factors – not all of which are work-related of course, (which incidentally doesn’t reduce the employer’s obligation to protect against the causes of stress at work). Causes of stress – known as stressors – are in two categories: external stressors and internal stressors.

external stressors – physical conditions such as heat or cold, stressful psychological environments such as working conditions and abusive relationships, eg., bullying.

internal stressors – physical ailments such as infection or inflammation, or psychological problems such as worrying about something.

From the above, it is easy to see that work can be a source of both external and internal stressors.

Stressors are also described as either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic):

Short-term ‘acute’ stress is the reaction to immediate threat, also known as the fight or flight response. This is when the primitive part of the brain and certain chemicals within the brain cause a reaction to potentially harmful stressors or warnings (just as if preparing the body to run away or defend itself), such as noise, over-crowding, danger, bullying or harassment, or even an imagined or recalled threatening experience. When the threat subsides the body returns to normal, which is called the ‘relaxation response’. (NB The relaxation response among people varies; ie., people recover from acute stress at different rates.)
Long-term ‘chronic’ stressors are those pressures which are ongoing and continuous, when the urge to fight or flight has been suppressed. Examples of chronic stressors include: ongoing pressurised work, ongoing relationship problems, isolation, and persistent financial worries.
The working environment can generate both acute and chronic stressors, but is more likely to be a source of chronic stressors.

Stress effects on health and performance

Stress is proven beyond doubt to make people ill, and evidence is increasing as to number of ailments and diseases caused by stress. Stress is now known to contribute to heart disease; it causes hypertension and high blood pressure, and impairs the immune system. Stress is also linked to strokes, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), ulcers, diabetes, muscle and joint pain, miscarriage during pregnancy, allergies, alopecia and even premature tooth loss.

Various US studies have demonstrated that removing stress improves specific aspects of health: stress management was shown to be capable of reducing the risk of heart attack by up to 75% in people with heart disease; stress management techniques, along with methods for coping with anger, contributed to a reduction of high blood pressure, and; for chronic tension headache sufferers it was found that stress management techniques increased the effectiveness of prescribed drugs, and after six months actually equalled the effectiveness of anti-depressants. The clear implication for these ailments is that stress makes them worse.

Stress significantly reduces brain functions such as memory, concentration, and learning, all of which are central to effective performance at work. Certain tests have shown up to 50% loss of performance in cognitive tests performed by stress sufferers. Some health effects caused by stress are reversible and the body and mind reverts to normal when the stress is relieved. Other health effects caused by stress are so serious that they are irreversible, and at worse are terminal.

Stress is said by some to be a good thing, for themselves or others, that it promotes excitement and positive feelings. If these are the effects then it’s not stress as defined here. It’s the excitement and stimulus derived (by one who wants these feelings and can handle them) from working hard in a controlled and manageable way towards an achievable and realistic aim, which for sure can be very exciting, but it ain’t stress. Stress is bad for people and organisations, it’s a threat and a health risk, and it needs to be recognised and dealt with, not dismissed as something good, or welcomed as a badge of machismo – you might as well stick pins in your eyes.

Causes of stress at work

These are typical causes of stress at work:

bullying or harassment, by anyone, not necessarily a person’s manager
feeling powerless and uninvolved in determining one’s own responsibilities
continuous unreasonable performance demands
lack of effective communication and conflict resolution
lack of job security
long working hours
excessive time away from home and family
office politics and conflict among staff
a feeling that one’s reward reward is not commensurate with one’s responsibility
working hours, responsibilities and pressures disrupting life-balance (diet, exercise, sleep and rest, play, family-time, etc)
factors influencing the effects of stress and stress susceptibility

A person’s susceptibility to stress can be affected by any or all of these factors, which means that everyone has a different tolerance to stressors. And in respect of certain of these factors, stress susceptibility is not fixed, so each person’s stress tolerance level changes over time:

childhood experience (abuse can increase stress susceptibility)
personality (certain personalities are more stress-prone than others)
genetics (particularly inherited ‘relaxation response’, connected with serotonin levels, the brain’s ‘well-being chemical’)
immunity abnormality (as might cause certain diseases such as arthritis and eczema, which weaken stress resilience)
lifestyle (principally poor diet and lack of exercise)
duration and intensity of stressors (obviously…)

signs of stress – stress test

At a clinical level, stress in individuals can be be assessed scientifically by measuring the levels of two hormones produced by the adrenal glands: cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), but managers do not have ready access to these methods. Managers must therefore rely on other signs. Some of these are not exclusively due to stress, nor are they certain proof of stress, but they are indicators to prompt investigation as to whether stress is present. You can use this list of ten key stress indicators as a simple initial stress test: tick the factors applicable. How did I do?

sleep difficulties
loss of appetite
poor concentration or poor memory retention
performance dip
uncharacteristic errors or missed deadlines
anger or tantrums
violent or anti-social behaviour
emotional outbursts
alcohol or drug abuse
nervous habits
methods of personal stress management and stress relief

If you are suffering from work-related stress and it’s beginning to affect, or already affecting your health, stop to think: why are you taking this risk with your body and mind? Life’s short enough as it is; illness is all around us; why make matters worse? Commit to change before one day change is forced upon you.

If you recognise signs of stress in a staff member, especially if you are that person’s manager, don’t ignore it – do something about it. It is your duty to do so. If you do not feel capable of dealing with the situation, do not ignore it; you must refer it to someone who can deal with it. You must also look for signs of non-work-related stressors or factors that increase susceptibility to stress, because these will make a person more vulnerable to work-related stressors. These rules apply to yourself as well….

Stress relief methods are many and various. There is no single remedy that applies to every person suffering from stress, and most solutions involve a combination of remedies. Successful stress management frequently relies on reducing stress susceptibility and removing the stressors, and often factors will be both contributing to susceptibility and a direct cause. Here are some simple pointers for reducing stress susceptibility and stress itself, for yourself or to help others:

stress relief pointers

think really seriously about and talk with others, to identify the causes of the stress and take steps to remove, reduce them or remove yourself (the stressed person) from the situation that causes the stress.
Understand the type(s) of stressors affecting you (or the stressed person), and the contributors to the stress susceptibility – knowing what you’re dealing with is essential to developing the stress management approach.
improve diet – group B vitamins and magnesium are important, but potentially so are all the other vitamins and minerals: a balanced healthy diet is essential. Assess the current diet and identify where improvements should be made and commit to those improvements.
reduce toxin intake – obviously tobacco, alcohol especially – they might seem to provide temporary relief but they are working against the balance of the body and contributing to stress susceptibility, and therefore increasing stress itself.
take more exercise – generally, and at times when feeling very stressed – exercise burns up adrenaline and produces helpful chemicals and positive feelings.
stressed people must try to be detached, step back, look from the outside at the issues that cause the stress.
don’t try to control things that are uncontrollable – instead adjust response, adapt.
share worries – talk to someone else – off-load, loneliness is a big ally of stress, so sharing the burden is essential.
increase self-awareness of personal moods and feelings – anticipate and take steps to avoid stress build-up before it becomes more serious.
explore and use relaxation methods – they do work if given a chance – yoga, meditation, self-hypnosis, massage, a breath of fresh air, anything that works and can be done in the particular situation.
seek out modern computer aids – including free downloads and desktop add-ons – for averting stresses specifically caused by sitting for long uninterrupted periods at a computer screen work-station, for example related to breathing, posture, seating, eye-strain, and RSI (repetitive strain injury).
Note also that managing stress does not cure medical problems. Relieving stress can alleviate and speed recovery from certain illnesses, particularly those caused by stress, (which depending on circumstances can disappear when the stress is relieved); i.e., relieving stress is not a substitute for conventional treatments of illness, disease and injury.

Importantly, if the stress is causing serious health effects the sufferer must consult a doctor. Do not imagine that things will improve by soldiering on, or hoping that the sufferer will somehow become more resilient; things can and probably will get worse.

For less serious forms of stress, simply identify the cause(s) of stress, then to commit/agree to removing the cause(s). If appropriate this may involve removing the person from the situation that is causing the stress. Counselling may be necessary to identify the cause(s), particularly if the sufferer has any tendency to deny or ignore the stress problem.

Acceptance, cognisance and commitment on the part of the stressed person are essential. No-one can begin to manage their stress if they are still feeling acutely stressed – they’ll still be in ‘fight or flight’ mode. This is why a manager accused of causing stress though bullying or harassment must never be expected to resolve the problem. The situation must be handled by someone who will not perpetuate the stressful influence.

Removing the stressor(s) or the person from the stressful situation is only part of the solution; look also at the factors which affect stress susceptibility: where possible try to improve the factors that could be contributing to stress vulnerability. This particularly and frequently involves diet and exercise.

The two simplest ways to reduce stress susceptibility, and in many situations alleviate stress itself (although not removing the direct causes of stress itself) are available to everyone, cost nothing, and are guaranteed to produce virtually immediate improvements. They are diet and exercise.

Interesting title, I have decided to write about who are you and what do you want. Because so many of us wander around on this planet not know who we are or knowing what to do!

So first of all, who are you?  What do you currently do for a living and are you happy with the job you currently have?

I know I am asking lots of questions of you all, but it is for a reason and the reason is to identify what is right for you! Because by doing a job that you are either not suited to or are not happy with, can lead to you feeling down, under pressure. Which if you do not deal with can lead to stress and for your confidence and self esteem taking a basing at the same time.

Why did you choose your current role / job? Ask yourself if you know what you know now about the job, if you were applying for the role for the first time, tomorrow, would you! If you could say yes, then you probably have chosen the right career path for you.

But if you can say no I would definitely not, then we need to look at why? And what are the learns about your experience that you can incorporate into any future opportunities you look for.

So how do you set about identifying what is right for you, to be honest you should get yourself  a Life / Business Coach to help and guide you to a natural conclusion! The reason I say this is because everyone including myself will not ask ourselves the right questions, because we can avoid any difficult ones that put us on the spot. Secondly we are not always honest with ourselves and think we know best, but without help it is not always possible to come to the right conclusions.

If you do decide to go it alone, remember what has not worked for you in the past, take the learns you have gained and put them to good use in any future decisions you decide to make. Then challenge yourself about what is important to you.

What things do you enjoy doing?

What makes you happy the most?

What skills do you currently have?

What qualifications do you currently have?

What qualifications do you need to achieve what you want?

There are loads more questions that you need to consider to enable you to come to the right decision.

Then  you have to record the options you have available to you and then go through the pro’s & con’s of each option.

Once you have decided on the correct option for you then you need to know how to go about achieving this option!

Then there is the how?

Yes how do I go about achieving what you want?

What is required?

What support do you need?

What qualifications if any do you need?

Who do you need to contact to enable you to achieve your goals?

Set yourself time scales, when do you want to achieve you goal by?

Can you do it on your own, do y0u have enough resources yourself?

If not who else can help or support you in achieving your goal?

Provided you have a process to follow and to enable you to move towards your true goal and you focus on that goal you will get your desired outcome!

Timothy Galway – says that everybody has the ability to achieve what they want in life, and he uses a formula which is:-

The Formula is – Performance = Potential – (minus) Interference.  Which is simple, yet so powerful you, because it is simply staying you get what you focus on and avoid any distractions / interference!

If you want to contact me or need advice, please contact me and lets get you on the right path to your chosen career.

Martin

The day included a meet and greet over coffee, tea, light refreshments, followed by five presentations from a wide variety of companies, from the training, coaching, feedback, sales and social media circles.

Really enjoyed the good weather lunch time along the Gloucester canal over lunch, which on return finished with two further presentation including mine.

My presentation was based on the subject of how to use NLP to enhance communication and make more sales.

Thanks again for the opportunity to be able to discuss with 50+ over businesses what I do and what I can do for them in the future!