Where’s your Aimpoint…somewhere in the middle?…why not aim higher?

Who wants to be mediocre?…Really

Do you aim for it?

Is it something you say/do when you first get up in the morning…”Geewizz ‘mediocrity’ looks to be on the agenda today, let’s go get it”

Mediocrity is said to “be the enemy of greatness” yet mediocrity is everywhere we look & is accepted as part of many people’s daily lives.

People in general want to “fit in, be one of the crowd”. It seems a sin to want to stand out, be extraordinary, be conspicuous, be great.

Being ‘one of the crowd’ may have some merit for those who have previously felt isolated, lonely, lack self-esteem….and that’s fair enough. And when you get “re-established”, adjust your aim so that you shoot a little higher.

For the majority  who should know better but seem intent on “just getting through the day”, “making no waves” and all the similar excuses that go with this – your aim is well, short of the mark (classic mediocrity).

Aiming higher gets the senses working overtime, in your favour. It will make you feel alive and when “going for it”, The Universe will conspire to give you every support. If you “don’t have a go” as we say here in Aussieland, you let yourself down. Not everybody will achieve what they aim for however aiming for something greater…..is achievement in itself.

That being said, how do we break free of our mediocrity and aim for something better? – We can start by making conscious choices to do so.

We can choose to think differently and use our imagination to look at our world through a different set of eyes.

Start by asking.…. What can I achieve?

What if I said “Yes I can” not “No I can’t”?

Imagination opens up a lot of “what if’s” and ‘What could be’s”. Don’t just accept ‘what is’…consider ‘what if’…and open up fresh possibilities.

Use your imagination to create a better life for yourself. Open up the possibilities, release the average, introduce the greatness in your life and very importantly…follow thru on your new imagined Life and believe that you CAN do it – let go of the mediocrity, it’s not your friend.

Be good to yourselves

David

# I would love you to visit my :

• Facebook page over there. Please “like” & follow. Then feel free to message me at anytime, if you have any “Life issues” that you would like help with

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away. Why not sign up while you are there?

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

• Linkedin profile

• follow me on Twitter

Living your Mid Life – 6 things that I learned, can be done with Purpose instead of Ho Hum

I’m a Mid Life ‘tragic’. My journey through the Mid Life years has been interesting to say the least. Mostly enjoyable, definitely a learning experience…..isn’t that what Life throws at us?… a lot of learning

We learn all through Life. Our Mid Life years have a different type of learning attached and this is what this post is about. I’ll get straight to the point (as usual)…

Love each moment…..and I mean it. There is not a finite amount left, leave no regrets

Ask many questions…..Yes, there are more to ask & there is always more learning. Learning keeps you young. To learn you need to ask, then you can experience and enjoy

Share your experiences…..it is difficult to fully appreciate your Life unless you share…..with lovers, with family, with friends…..sharing adds value

Imagine your bigger picture…..always work toward a bigger picture, a bigger goal…..this keeps the juices flowing & prevents staleness. Mid Life is about extracting maximum value from Life not sitting idle and looking on.

Care enough, in fact care more…..about you and others and what your Life holds for you and most importantly…..how you will live your Life…..it’s not a joke, it’s your Life

There’s nothing you can’t do…and there’s time in which to do it…..don’t stress, instead enjoy. Don’t say “it’s too late” or “I’m too old”…..that’s B.S Savour and value each day. Play the Game as it’s meant to be played…..with Purpose and you will find the time to do what you want to do.

Be good to yourselves

David

P.S If you need a Solution for anything that is holding you back, ask me via email, for free!…david@davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

# Find out more about me by visiting my :

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away. Why not sign up while you are there?

• Facebook page over there. I would love you to “like” , if you like

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

• Linkedin profile

Life Goals…..achieving the big ones, after 40

This is a post for the directionless souls out there or the curious amongst us, who are entering or are already in, their ‘mid lives’…..

Often men & women entering their 40′s start to reflect on what they have achieved in life, where their life has “gone” and/or what they are going to do with the rest of their lives.  “Is there something else?”, ”have I done enough?” is a common call from those who are unsure in which direction to head or are feeling “stale” with their current life situations.

The thought that half your Life has gone is scary. The thought that the next half of your Life is around the corner & you have no plans to live it, is even more scarier!

Stuck in a “place” you don’t want to be, spinning your wheels is no fun. You need to gain some traction then plot your path forward.

You are heading in to or are already in, the next phase of your life. Establishing goals for it may seem daunting, especially if you have had no previous exposure to Goal Setting or have resisted it in the past. No doubt, the rest of your Life will want to be filled with meaning. The greater the meaning, the greater the motivation to achieve it. That “meaning” will take whatever form you choose, so choose carefully.

The effort to determine your “meaning” is worth it!….. This is the time to get it right. Getting started is the hardest part however once you have, ‘the flow’ will commence.

Meaning.……

What do you imagine the rest of your Life looking like? What do you want to achieve…..personally, professionally, family wise? Are their tangible ‘shiny’ things that you want? Is it better health, fitness? Is it spiritual? Philanthropic? Educational? Fun (I hope so)?

There’s also  21 Self Discovery Questions here if you would like to consider further choices.

Whatever your ‘big things’ are, they must have this deep meaning for you, to be achievable…..and make them BIG, I mean HUGE, don’t hold back, deep, deep meaningful big things/joys.

Making the time to think about them is a great start, make the time!…..then make the time to put a plan in place.

Age 40 & beyond is a wonderful place to be. It is the time to make your impact, make your own personal mark on the world. This is not a time for regret but it is a time for action. Not action that will wear you down but action that will rejuvenate your soul, make you stand tall & claim your rightful “place”.

Well…..

What’s really important to you now, the next 5,10,20 years? How will you make your mark, claim your place?…..Time will not wait for you, make the most of your time, now…..what are you waiting for?

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s  Feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

Check out my Virtual Coach pagehere

New October “buddies” get the next month FREE, it’s true…..sign up now

5 Steps to live a Happy Life

A change up this time. I have a guest poster who has kindly obliged with a compelling read for you all.

I am a strong advocate for leading a happy Life and I welcome you to read this post by

M.Farouk Radwan…….take it way Farouk,

5 Steps to live a Happy Life

Everyone wants to live a happy life but sadly most people never manage to achieve that important goal. Some people claim that happiness can be found through meditation while others claim that happens can be reached through certain religious practices.

Some people claim that money can bring happiness while others say that love can bring happiness.

So what is the right path a person should take to find happiness?

Here are five steps that will help you live a happy life:

1)      We are different: All of the previous claims are true. People are different and because of that what makes one of them happy wont necessary make another one happy.  The first step to finding happiness in life to understand what can bring you happiness. Put in mind that it might be something unique that has nothing to do with what people told you about happiness before.

2)      Fight for what you believe in: Once you know what can really make you happy fight for it with all the power you have. Many people don’t live happy lives just because they don’t want to do effort and fight for the things that they believe in. some schools claim that happiness is a state that you can trigger at anytime without doing any effort and that’s why people who follow this school usually never consider fighting for what they want an option.

3)      Know what you don’t like: Some people hate stress yet every morning they go to the same stressful job. Some people hate the way others take advantage of them yet they never attempt to become assertive and stop them. The third step to finding happiness is to avoid what you hate whenever possible. Of course sometimes you might need to do something that you don’t like for some time until you reach the thing that you like.

4)      Don’t escape: Many people are unhappy not because they don’t know what can make them happy but because they decided to escape instead of taking actions. Some people escape by procrastination, others escape by sleeping all day while a third group escapes to drugs. If you want to live a happy life then you must be brave enough to fight instead of escaping.

5)      Be patient: happiness can’t be found overnight nor you can change everything that you dislike about your life in few days. In order to be happy you need to be patient and to think using a long term mentality. Once you start pursuing your goals everyday you will become a bit happier until one day you will experience true happiness

Written by M.Farouk Radwan

The founder of http://www.2knowmyself.com

# Thank you Farouk and please folks have a look at his website

…….until next time

be good to yourselves

David

# You can still find me & “like” me by hitting the Facebook button over there

# I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

 

What’s your excuse (for not living your Prime Time)?

A friend of mine was very comfortable with the way things had been, until recently. He was overlooked for a promotion, the organisation was looking for someone with a different attitude. “I am now in my 40′s, (the beginning of prime time), I’ve done the hard yards, I think I’ll just ‘coast’ to the finishing line”…….What!?

You have an amazing opportunity at Life right now & for many years to come. Don’t give up, things/circumstances do change, I say… ” That’s the problem, I don’t like change. I’m fine with how things are now”, says my friend.

Is this how you react when things don’t go the way that you would like or don’t stay the same? 

Do you have a “reflex” action … a fail safe, a one size fits all type of response?………

In other words, an Excuse.

No matter what stage of Life you are in, excuses should not be allowed into your Life.

Excusing yourself from living Life to your full potential can have dire consequences.

However you can recover your situation by just letting go of your excuses.

Do these sound familiar?

What’s your excuse for;

• not setting goals to  ‘set up your Life’
• ignoring your life long learning discipline
• giving up when the going gets a bit tough
• procrastinating rather than deciding
• not looking after your health
• not smiling more
• being a follower rather than a leader
• ‘sitting on the sidelines’ instead of taking action
• not embracing each & every day with a “helloooo world”
• not taking responsibility
• Blaming others for your issues
• not saying ‘thank you’…..for what you have
• being platonic rather than loving
• being negative instead of positive

Excuses come in many forms however they often start with our thinking(or lack thereof) via our (lack of suitable) Belief Systems. Some may be expressed verbally as follows ;

Commonly -  “it’s too hard” , “I can’t do that”, I don’t have the skills”. “I am not lucky”, “I am too busy…”, “it’s someone else’s problem”, “I couldn’t be bothered”………I think you get the picture.

Many of our Beliefs may be tired, worn out or simply don’t suit current events -  if your beliefs do not serve you then change them! OR at the very least, review them. The points that I raised above are just a sample of the many ‘life excuses’ that exist…..you know the ones! These excuses serve as warning bulletins that our Belief systems are in need of a shakeup and/or we need to get our thought processes in order.

Is there really any valid excuse for not being able to ‘deliver’ on these points? i.e turn them around.  What is really stopping you?… It’s your Life & you have the power to live a great Life, not one full of excuses.

Be a friend to yourself, don’t throw your primetime away.   n.b ‘Primetime’ can be any stage of Life, I’ve used the mid life years as an example(a very good one).

Get moving, get rid of the excuses, take ownership & responsibility for your life & be a better person to those around you & most importantly, to yourself.

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s feel free to view & “like’ my Facebook page over there, if you like

check out my new Virtual Coach pagehere

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

*Image courtesy of Angie Schwendemann

Related articles

• Looking for the right excuse (sethgodin.typepad.com)
• Excuses Or Results? (It Is Either One Thing Or Another) (healthmoneysuccess.com)
• Excuses, excuses (love-simple.com)

A Thought for the 40 somethings (& over)

As the pages of your Life turn toward the middle chapters, working out what is Really Important to you will gradually become easier.

This enlightenment will rekindle a spark not seen since your youth.

A spark that will ignite so strongly that it will send you in to Orbit (figuratively speaking)……..strap yourself in……………..blast off is imminent.

Be good to yourselves

David………..courtesy of www.facebook.com/DavidStevensLifeCoach

Mid Life Adventure – A Roadmap for the 40+’s

Image by aussiegall via Flickr

Wow! So you have reached the ripe age of 40. Notice that I didn’t say “the ripe old age of 40″? That’s because you are not old. Anyway “old” is a term I find quite useless. It lacks specific definition i.e what is “old”?….ok enough of this, let’s get back on track……..I have survived my forties and made some pretty significant life choices along the way. You too can embark upon and enjoy your own mid life adventure!!

In my previous posts, Beating the Mid Life Blues and Setting Life Goals After 40 I  mentioned, enjoyment of Life and setting Goals as well as many others. While many of the points that I raised are important, these two however  are vital.

Enjoying Life, having fun are the first parts of the Roadmap, the starting point to your journey, your adventure. They are what we are all  here for. If you are not strapped in ready for a fun-filled, enjoyable adventure, you may as well stay parked in the garage.

What do you enjoy the most in Life? What’s fun for you?…..What makes your heart sing? These are questions that I have asked of myself and also of my Life Coaching clients. They go to the essence of who we are and who we need to be to enjoy the next stage of our life, the start of our journey from 40 and beyond.

Now to formulate or create your Roadmap you will need Directions. This can come in the form of establishing goals or from a general sense of knowing where you are heading,  i.e   Where do you want to go(with your Life)?

I have observed that some people thrive with setting goals, others prefer charting a particular direction which allows “detours” along the way. Why not, it’s an adventure after all! “Detours” allow you the option of deviating to check ‘what else is there which may be useful to me’, without the structure of a defined goal/path. Either way will get you moving.

Questions you may wish to ask yourself to establish your Directions  could be…..e.g What do I want to achieve?  What is most important to me? Short term, mid term , long term goals…..What do I want waiting for me at the end of the road?  What am I leaving behind that I may wish to take with me?  What will it take to make it to the end? What if……..?

N.B There may be a lot of “what if’s” however to move forward with your journey, they need to be put to rest. Otherwise they will haunt you and you will not start  - can the “what if’s”.

Short term & mid term goals can be designed to be stop off points for your journey. Rest stops where you can stay a while, reflect on your progress thus far, enjoy your successes & spend time to review your longer term strategy/end goals/destination.

The amount of goals/destinations that you establish for your journey is entirely up to you. However, keeping the fun happening with creative goal setting and imaginative directions  will allow you to enjoy this stage of your life and the journey beyond…….Now, what are you going to do about your life?….how about getting excited!?

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s  Feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out@ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au…the “go to” Coach for the 40′s & over & provider of the 6 Step Life Revitaliser Program

# To view more photos from aussiegall please visit www.louisedocker.com.au or Louise Docker Photography on Facebook

Imagine what’s out there….. it could be a Life without Mediocrity!

I originally posted about “Mediocrity” a few months back, it was one of my earliest posts. Rising above the mediocre is one of my pet subjects so I thought I would re produce the post however with some alteration. Hope you enjoy………
Who wants to be mediocre? Mediocrity is the enemy of greatness yet mediocrity abounds in our daily lives. People want to “fit in, be one of the crowd”, people in general do not want to stand out, be extraordinary, be conspicuous, be great.

Being one of the crowd may have some merit for those who have previously felt isolated, lonely, lack self-esteem. However this is no excuse for the vast majority of us who should know better but seem intent on “just getting through the day”, “making no waves” and all the similar excuses that go with this – classic mediocrity.

That being said, how do we break free of our mediocrity? – We can start by making conscious choices to do so…….. aim higher, raise the bar, dream a little OR a lot, visualise a life, your life that is greater than now.

We can choose to think differently and use our imagination to look at our world through a different set of eyes. Ask yourself, What can I achieve? What if I said “yes I can not no I can’t?”  Imagination converted in to action opens up a lot of  possibilities  i.e the “what if’s” , ‘What could be’s”…….Convert those new found possibilities into probabilities, place the odds back in to your favour.

Einstein said ”Imagination is greater than knowledge”. Use your imagination to create a better life for yourself. Open up your thoughts, take action and release the average and introduce the greatness in your life – let go of the mediocrity.

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s  Feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

7 more Thoughts to start helping you break your Rut

As I have mentioned previously, Ruts are nasty things that block your personal growth.

You may also wish to view my recent post on Rut breaking thoughts.

Again in no particular order……………….

• Read an inspiring Book

• Take a walk, jog, bike ride

• Dream a little …..or a lot……Visualise where you want to be in 5,10 years from now

• Commence action relating to your visualisation and get excited about it and how it will change your Life

• Tell people about your (new) future and how enjoyable it is going to be for you

• Wear a funny hat for a day,  smile a lot (you can’t be unhappy when you smile)

• Seek the counsel of a close friend, helping professional, Life Coach

As Always,

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s  Feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

Navigating your way through Uncertainty

‘We live in troubled times’…….this phrase has no doubt been uttered through countless generations.

Newsflash - We always have!  Get over it!

We get bombarded with so much negative media. People seemingly prefer to take notice of impending doom rather than of good fortune- the focus is on the negative.

Perception is a great tool to filter the negativity. Our perception creates our reality.

The World may live in uncertain times however that does not mean that you have to. You need to create your own certainty. At least as far as you can go in making things “certain”. I mean, you will need to allow some latitude for “surprises” along the way.

Perception or how you see the world defines who you are. If you see boundless opportunities, they will be there. If you see yourself lacking or with no possible hope or direction in life, then that is what will happen.

You have only one shot at this life…..why not make it a good one! Forget the excuses, just get on with it.

So what does one do? Getting your perception right is one thing but you need to build a stronger foundation. I have found that creating a Map for your future via effective Goal setting and having a Personal Vision will go a long way to eliminating your uncertainty.

If you know where you are going, it is so much easier to get there. To start, try answering these questions;

• What is really important to you

• What do you want to achieve in life, work

• What makes your heart sing, gets your juices flowing

• What risks are you prepared to take

• Do you want to be a victim or be in control of your here & now

• What are you grateful for now that you want to continue

• What do you want to be grateful for

Use these questions  as a guide, you no doubt will be able to craft questions of your own. The idea is to get you thinking along the lines of your future, starting with the present. Create your best certainty now……what’s stopping you?

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s  Feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

Check out My Virtual Coach pagehere