by louise | Sep 14, 2017 | Uncategorised
Have you got that back-to-school feeling?
It’s not just children dusting off their pencil cases, ready to take on new challenges. It can feel a bit like that for adults too. As holidays come to an end, we naturally start to take stock. Maybe you’ve had time to think about what you’ve achieved and where you might like to be? At this time of year, we often feel inspired to re-focus on our goals or to make changes in our lives.
September also heralds the first day of autumn. It’s a great time for some quiet contemplation, as the nights draw in and we begin to hibernate for the winter. This article perfectly captures the essence of the season.
Reflecting on our lives, loves and the way of the world is good at any point in the year, but it can be especially helpful now. We all get a little distracted in summer, so it feels like the natural time to get back on track with our hopes and aspirations, plan for the future and think about what inspires us.
What gets you out of bed?
To help you with this, it might be worth knowing about the simple Japanese principle of Ikigai. It quite simply means iki (to live) and gai (reason). In other words, your reason to live. What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning? What inspires you?
Is it a higher calling or spirituality? Are you driven to achieve great things? Or do you enjoy the simple pleasures in life? Holding your child’s hand on the school run, sipping your favourite coffee in the park, or going for a run at the end of a long day? For some people it can be a connection with the senses, such as music or art. Or something as simple as a beautiful sunrise on the morning commute.
Setting goals and planning ahead is great. It gives us something to aim for or dream about. But it’s important that we don’t miss out on the present. We’re all guilty of moving our own goalposts or forgetting to celebrate our successes when they happen. But when we discover what makes us tick, it can lead us to enjoy all things connected to this no matter how small or humble they might seem.
To find out how LifeMatters Coaching can help you find your Ikigai, get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
by louise | Jul 21, 2015 | Uncategorised
Holiday are nearly upon us & it’s the perfect time to relax, re-charge and possibly re-think the year so far. It’s great to look back & celebrate our achievements so far and often leads us to aspire and then plan the next few months ahead. Please have a quick read and let me know how you check-in with yourself on any personal and work goals you may have. Don’t forget, a coach might be able to help you pause and celebrate your achievements so far this year and offer a boost to keep you going
http://eepurl.com/btSppj
by louise | Mar 10, 2015 | BLOG, Changing Behaviours, Coaching, Uncategorised
March Blog – Your Personal Census
On this day (March 10th) in 1801, Britain undertook it’s first ever national census. This event has taken place in Britain every ten years since – with the exception of 1941 due to WW11. By the time of the next one in 2021, I’ll be looking forward to celebrating my half-century, one child may be about to leave home for University or travels and my coaching practice will officially be 10years old! There’s got to be at least one thing in that list to celebrate..?!
The OED definition of ‘census’ is: An official count or survey, especially of a population: & the word originates from Latin ‘censere ‘ to assess.
In daily life we are constantly assessing: which route to take to work; is there time for a second coffee; whether to accept an invitation to an event; even what’s in the fridge for lunch! Things are the transactional assessments we have to go through to navigate our way through daily routines at work and at home. There is also the need to assess issues that may affect us longer-term: a job-offer; school choices for our children; save for something or use credit; give up smoking or not.
Then there are assessments on a deeper level, which require us, like a census, to take stock, identify common themes, celebrate diversity, and celebrate our achievements to date. In the rush to ‘do’ in our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that some assessment or re-assessment of our status quo, is healthy and needed on a regular basis, certainly more frequently than once every 10 years!
Here are some questions that you could ask yourself in your personal census:
- Am I living the life I dreamed of 10years ago…? If not, which bits could I change to work better for me (and/or those around me)
- What am I most proud of at this moment in time?
- Which 5 values do I hold dear and symbolise the way I live my life?
- What’s the 1 thing I couldn’t live without?
- Do I surround myself with people who lift me up; inspire & energise me?
To fully benefit from this personal census, you may need to take action to change something or share your thoughts with your nearest and dearest. It may be that for now, simply acknowledging this personal assessment is enough.
If you would like guidance on undertaking your own personal census, or support in making some desired changes, you could try coaching.
Personal coaching is a great way of identifying areas for change and working with an independent support resource to make it happen. Get in touch today – louise@lifematterscoaching.co.uk www.lifematterscoaching.co.uk
