Release Your Brakes and Speed to Success

What does it mean to release your brakes?

What is it to release your brakes? Ever wondered why some people seem to achieve success so easily while others struggle uphill and get nowhere?

It’s as if they’re ‘driving with the brakes on’, pushing harder and harder on the gas pedal but still being held back.

If you wanted to drive faster, you wouldn’t just press harder and harder on the accelerator until the engine eventually blew, you’d simply release the brake.

It’s the same with our lives. Instead of mindlessly struggling and striving to put more and more effort in, you need to change the things holding you back.

These are referred to as ‘blocks’ or ‘limiting beliefs’ and can involve one or more of the following issues.

Fear

Our ‘comfort zone’ feels safe and familiar but it’s rarely where the path to success lies. We like to stay in our comfort zone because our mind tries to protect us from the unknown dangers that lay outside. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are safe outside our usual sphere of activity, and most beliefs we might have about what we can’t, mustn’t or shouldn’t do are just holding us back.

Loops

We tend to recreate the same experiences for ourselves over and over again because it’s the only way we know how to do things. We maintain the same beliefs, think the same thoughts, respond in the same way and complete the same actions. This tends to lead to the same result over and over again.

Uncertainty

Success doesn’t look the same to everyone. If you aren’t sure what you’re trying to achieve, the path is going to be hard to see. If you’re unsure about what success is for you or the steps you can take to achieve it, a life coaching session could help you answer these tough questions.

Negativity

How many times have negative thoughts about yourself or a situation prevented you from giving something a real go? We’re all too quick to tell ourselves we can’t do things, or worried that people might think badly of us. We need to be certain about what we want, and the steps we can take towards our goals.

Distraction

Our minds sometimes seem to conspire against us. All too often we become distracted from our goals with easier or more enjoyable pursuits. We all need some time for fun and relaxation every now and then, but successful people always navigate back to the path eventually and continue their journey.

Help to release your brakes

Releasing your brakes can be hard to do alone. We need outside influences to change our habitual actions, thought patterns and beliefs. If you’d like me to help you create new ways of approaching challenges, develop a plan to achieve your goals or discover what makes you happy, please do get in touch.

Hypnotherapy and life coaching sessions are available in my central London office or from the comfort of your own home with online appointments. Both are effective and achieve results fast.

Alix Needham

My techniques guarantee that you remain in control at every session. These techniques, developed over 25 years, are so effective that many issues can be addressed in as little as three sessions and my location in the very heart of London means you can book sessions to work around work.

How To Keep Your New Year Resolutions
New Year is a time when many of us get the urge to start fresh and make changes in our lives, but often we find it hard to stick to our new year resolutions. Whatever your goals, here are a few tips to prevent these new year resolutions being abandoned around February! Statistics show that only 8% of us manage to keep new year resolutions. The fact that this number is so low suggests that there’s something making this challenge difficult. Are the the odds stacked against us from the start? New Year Goals Long term change can be hard. If it was easy to change our behaviour, we’d all be doing it all the time. We are creatures of habit, and although that new year January buzz gives us a little extra motivation, it doesn’t last forever and inevitably we’re left with the same familiar struggles. It doesn’t have to be like this. There are skills we can learn that improve the chances of successful behaviour change. Here are just a few. Concentrate on the Present It can be hard to try and change your personality overnight. If you’ve had a few setbacks, forget about the past and concentrate on today. Try not to look too far ahead either. Large goals like “lose weight” or “stop stressing” can be so vague or vast that we give up by February. Try to keep your goals more manageable and take smaller steps towards them. For example, commit to going to the gym today, or taking a yoga class tonight. Keep yourself motivated with visual reminders of your goal. Plan ahead and try to avoid any temptation from your environment so you won’t have to battle with it later. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Build Your Resilience Once we’ve set our mind to something we are always keen to see results, but progress is seldom fast or linear. We all have our ups and downs and it’s our resilience and ability to get back on track after setbacks that ensure success. We can all learn to be more resilient in the face of failure. Try to avoid ‘all-or-nothing’ thinking, small steps are better than nothing. Self-control and willpower actually improve the more you use them. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or stop smoking, the more you resist the easier it should become. Be mindful of your behaviour and recognise any triggers or self-defeating behaviours. Treat Yourself We all have a tendency to go into things full steam ahead in January when motivation is high. In order to carry on into February and beyond it may be necessary to slow the pace slightly. Slower change is often longer lasting so it’s worth taking your time. With any goal it really helps to track your progress in a calendar, tracker or diary. However you monitor your progress, give yourself little rewards when you do well and don’t be too hard on yourself if you have a setback. Forgive yourself, lift your spirits and try again. Treat yourself every so often and reward your accomplishments to keep yourself on track. Bored by February As time goes on you’ll want to ensure you don’t get bored with routines that seemed fresh and exciting in January. Keep mixing things up. Try a new class at the gym or cook some healthy new recipes. Get out and meet some new people that might be able to support you. Don’t get stuck in a rut and let boredom ruin your chances. One way to make sure you are giving yourself the best chance is to choose something that really matters to you. Don’t just follow the crowd when it comes to making your new year’s resolutions. Asses your life and think about the thing that’s missing. What is it that would really make you happy? Some people find a coaching session helps them focus on a goal and plan for change. It’s good to be ambitious but if you try and set yourself too many resolutions you’re much more likely to fail. Try concentrating on one larger goal and then break that down into smaller, more manageable steps. Remember, these objectives work better when you use the SMART acronym – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Trackable. Seek Support to Keep New Year Resolutions If you think about it, the ’old’ you is the one who has developed this unwanted behaviour. They are stuck in their ways. They have multiple reasons not to change and other competing commitments fighting for time and resources. You can’t always change alone, you may need a helping hand. It often helps to share your plan with someone else as this creates a feeling of accountability and can act as extra motivation in tough times. You could try a coach, mentor, online forums or friends and family. I’ve helped many clients make changes in their lives that they never thought they’d be able to achieve. It’s not just about willpower and motivation, our habits often give us comfort, relieve loneliness or distract us from inner conflicts. This can be very hard to change without addressing the root problem or replacing these habits with more positive coping mechanisms. If you’d like to talk to me about your own new year’s resolutions and how I can support you with them please do get in touch. I offer sessions in my London hypnotherapy clinic or through private online hypnotherapy. Whatever new year resolutions you’ve set yourself good luck and don’t give up! Further Reading on New Year Resolutions How to Increase Your Motivation and Achieve Your Desires Improve Motivation to Exercise Reinvent Yourself for New Year How to Break Bad Habits with Hypnotherapy Online Therapy to Lose Weight Hypnosis to Stop Smoking & A New Way to Quit
How To Get Motivated
Do you need to get motivated and power up your life? Help is at hand with Life Coaching. For many years I’ve been helping people reboot their lives and make positive, long lasting changes. What Stops Us Getting Motivated? There can be a variety of things which lead to us feeling unmotivated. Feeling burnt out or overwhelmed, feeling stressed or depressed, unorganised or simply a change in circumstances can all lead to a lack of motivation. Of course this list is not exhaustive. Sometimes low motivation is learnt during childhood or is a result of low self esteem. Whatever the cause, my unique blend of hypnotherapy and life coaching can help. Here’s a few tips to get your started. Taking Stock of Your Life First thing’s first, before moving forward decide where to start your journey. Visualise your best self and your ideal life. What kind of person will you be? How will you spend your time? What relationships will you hold? How will you earn your living? Making a list What are your priorities? Separate them into urgent, valuable and long term. The urgent issues are anything impacting on your wellbeing such as insomnia, alcohol issues, anxiety, stress etc. The valuable items are things that you believe would bring more value to your life and progress your goals – perhaps a new job or spending more time with your family. Everything else can be deemed a longer term goal and be worked on later. Reallocating Your Time Once you know what’s important to you, take a look at how you’re spending your time and ensure that it matches the priorities you’ve set for yourself. Take a look at how long you spend on each activity and decide whether that’s contributing positively to your goals. This doesn’t mean you have to be busy all the time – relaxation, time with family and hobbies can all be worthwhile if they are important to you. Developing Healthy Habits Long term change comes from developing new habits so that they become second nature. Get your living space and routines organised and stick to your schedules. Use lists to set yourself goals and monitor progress. A coaching relationship will help you make plans, hold you accountable for progress and celebrate success. Whatever your goals, keeping your body and mind healthy will also help you. Eat a healthy diet and make time for a good night’s sleep so you have the energy and focus to achieve your goals. Meditation and exercise and good ways to keep your mind healthy and clear so your priorities remain focused. Improving Your Outlook One of the main things which holds people back is their own limiting and negative thoughts. These may include: Self-defeating talk: “I can’t…” or “I’m not good enough…” Obsessing negatively about the past. Assuming the worst / adopting a pessimistic attitude Comparing yourself critically to others. Playing the victim / believing yourself incapable of change. Struggling to forgive yourself – holding on to guilt over past mistakes. Blaming others for your misfortune. Fearing failure or mistakes – setting unreasonably high standards. Deciding What Needs To Change Once you’re aware of how you want your life to look and the issues holding you back, it’s time to decide what needs to change. It’s often a good idea to address one or two issues at a time to ensure you don’t become overwhelmed. Start with the things you believe will make the biggest difference to your happiness and wellbeing. Learning More About Life Coaching for Motivation If you’d like help powering up aspects of your life – including work, romance, health, time or finance – you’ll need a structure to help you. We can work together to plan, implement and assess goals whilst discovering your formula for success and happiness. Please do get in touch to learn more about life coaching and hypnotherapy for self motivation. i have a London based hypnotherapy and coaching clinic near Regent’s Park. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Further Reading on How to Get Motivated Self Motivation Hypnotherapy How To Increase Your Motivation How to Improve Motivation to Exercise How to Increase Your Motivation and Achieve Your Desires Client Stories – Help to Get Motivated I need help with motivation Case Study – Motivation Motivation Help – Future Looks Bright
How to Make More Money by Shifting Your Money Mindset
Unblocking Your Wealth Potential Material wealth and financial success allow a greater degree of freedom and comfort as well as reduced stress and hardship in life. Many of us would like to make more money and believe we have a greater potential for wealth than we are currently enjoying. We may even have a good idea of how we might be able to make money, but something is still holding us back. If you don’t feel like you’ve unlocked your full potential for success perhaps a shift in your money mindset is what’s really needed. What is Money Mindset? Money mindset is a term used to describe your attitude towards money, both on a conscious and subconscious level. What’s Stopping You Making Money? Making money is not always easy. As well as a plan and pathway that allows you to gain financial reward, you need to foster the right attitude. Many individuals have some kind of psychological block that holds them back from achieving true financial success. and unlocking their full wealth potential What are Limiting Beliefs Around Money? Is this you? Are you feeling…. Undeserving of being wealthy?The idea of taking risks filling you with dread?Unworthy of financial success?Wishing there was a way of alleviating this feeling? Limiting beliefs are those that limit your potential or behaviour in some way. They hold you back and block your progress. Examples of these include deep feelings of unworthiness, fear of failure, risk aversion and attitudes of friends and family. If you feel you do not deserve wealth or are afraid to take a risk or explore a path that is different to the one your family expects you to take, this could hold you back from making money. Often, limiting beliefs go unnoticed until opportunities are presented and missed. It may then be too late. Limiting beliefs around money stem from our childhoods and are very deeply ingrained. Some of my clients come from a background where money was associated with negative character traits such as selfishness, dishonesty, privilege etc. Some people subconsciously feel guilt and shame when they achieve some financial success. How Can I Change my Mindset Towards Money? In order to alter your money mindset you first need to understand what it is. Discussing your relationships with money and your beliefs around material wealth can help uncover this mindset. It may be that your subconscious beliefs are different than you realise. A good hypnotherapist can help you explore this. By discovering and eliminating your limiting beliefs you can move forward with a new sense of purpose. Hypnosis for Wealth and Success Hypnotherapy has been shown to be an effective means of changing your money mindset and unblocking your wealth potential. A trained hypnotherapist accessing your thought processes can find the root cause of the problem. As well as helping you find an effective solution. Hypnotherapy provides the tools to release your blocks and enables you to make better choices. Consequently your chances of making money and achieving financial success become immeasurably greater. What Next? If you’d like to learn more about how Alix can help you shift your money mindset and achieve more financial success please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Whatever you need help with Alix can create an approach that works for you. Whether online or face to face in her London hypnotherapy clinic, hypnosis can make a real difference to your life. Just a few of the benefits of hypnotherapy for money mindset are…… Understanding ways for overcoming your fearsRecognising your strengths, skills and abilitiesDiscovering ways of taking calculated risks in order to be successfulFeeling confident by using your skills and abilities to the fullAchieving a greater sense of well beingAnd financial success in life Book Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYFULsARKuE Further Reading Improving Your Relationship With Money 6 Reasons To See A Success Coach Release Your Brakes and Speed to Success The Secret of Success Finding Your Success Formula
How To Increase Your Motivation
Motivation is key to success and happiness. Whether you wish to increase motivation at work or in your personal life, I can help. The methods are very much the same whether you’re struggling to stay motivated working from home, meeting your health goals or changing any aspect of your life. Why Motivation Matters Motivation is your ‘get-up-and-go’. It’s what helps you get up in the morning and put your plans into action. Procrastination and lethargy can be difficult to combat, but motivation is what turns ideas and thoughts into actions. Motivation is a life-skill that can be learnt, so if you don’t feel like motivation comes naturally to you, don’t panic! Motivation helps up set priorities in life and achieve goals. Sometimes when we focus on too much at once we end up achieving less. Motivation also helps build resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks and challenges. It also helps us feel authentic, confident and inspired and is an attractive quality to others. What Drains Motivation? Motivation can be difficult to sustain, especially in certain situations. Some things that can really stifle motivation are: Fear Indecision Confusion Changes to routine Anxiety Restriction Negativity Impatience and short term thinking Health issues – sleep, nutrition, fatigue Boosting Your Motivation Set achievable short-term goals Breaking down large outcomes into smaller, more manageable elements helps prevent you feeling overwhelmed. This will inherently increase your confidence and motivation once these goals are achieved. Foster positivity Reinforce your own mind set with positive statements. This could be something such as “I am motivated and will succeed”, or something more suited to your own personal taste. The key here is to utilise this on a regular basis to reinforce a positive mental attitude. Commit publicly Some people find it helpful to publicly state that they are looking to achieve a particular goal. By committing, in a public way, whether this is purely friends and family or social media, the fact that your goal has been publicly stated increases your motivation to succeed by virtue of the fact that others are aware of it. There are some apps that help with this and allow you to hold yourself accountable. This is also why coaching relationships work so well to increase motivation. Release blocks Sometimes there’s something deeper which is blocking your motivation. Perhaps fear, denial or indecision. Or a past experience that you haven’t quite dealt with. By dealing with the things that are blocking your progress you might find your natural motivation comes flooding back. Hypnotherapy for Motivation Hypnotherapy for motivation works by helping you release any blocks which are preventing you from finding your motivation. Overcome anxiety and boredom and find your confidence. For those who requiring additional help for motivation, hypnotherapist Alix Needham, can provide a solution. Please do reach out to learn I can offer face to face sessions or online hypnotherapy for your convenience. I am pleased to provide a free initial consultation so we can discuss your requirements personally. Book Now Further Reading How to overcome boredom Overcome procrastination How to increase motivation and achieve your desires How to improve motivation to exercise Motivation to get more out of life
How to Improve Motivation to Exercise
6 Reasons To See A Success Coach
Seeing a success coach is becoming more common in the business world. It is a powerful tool for modern professionals. You may ask why should I see a success coach? Success coaching is an educational process that enhances the achievements of individuals. These may be career based, economic or more personal in nature. The process helps people find motivation, achieve their goals more quickly and with greater ease. It builds confidence, problem solving and preparing people for future challenges. It also enhances a person’s ability to deal with fear or stress .As well as managing their available resources more effectively. People decide to seek out a success coach for a number of different reasons. Not sure if success coaching is for you? Here are 6 reasons to engage a coach. You want to make more money This is a key drive that leading many people towards a success coach. Perhaps there are things you want that your current income can’t provide. You believe you are worth more, but you feel like you can’t quite reach the next level or aren’t sure of the next step. Success coaching can help you be more assertive in salary negotiations, plan your next move, finally earn what you are worth or explore a new source of income. You have a specific goal in mind but aren’t sure how to achieve it Have you ever had a dream that just seemed a bit too far out of reach to become a reality? Perhaps you want to turn your hobby into a new business. You know roughly what you need to do, but don’t know where to start or how to go about it. A success coach can help you plan step-by-step and show you how to make these things happen for yourself. Sometimes we need practical advice and sometimes we need to explore a new perspective or mindset. You feel like you’ve wasted your potential You’re reached a certain age, you take stock and realise you aren’t on the path you wanted or you didn’t achieve all that you thought you could. You had big dreams but somehow other things got in the way and you lost them. If you feel like it’s time to get serious, a good coach can help you shift your behaviour to make these dreams a reality. Sometimes small changes are all it takes and they may even seem obvious once someone has shown you the way. You want a promotion Success at work often comes down to knowing how to get yourself noticed or communicate with decision makers. If you want a promotion at work, discover what’s holding you back and fix it. There are certain types of people who always seem to do well at work. Are you being overlooked? Their formula can be learnt and a success coach can help you replicate it. You need more resources If only there were more hours in the day you’d really make a go of that business. Or if you just had a little more money to invest then maybe you could take that next step. Most of us have less than we’d like to work with, but a good coach can help you use those resources more wisely or find extra that you’d never even considered. You’ve been out of the game and feel like you’ve lost touch Success coaches are a vital link to the way the modern world works. Although many aspects of human behaviour have remained unchanged, some things move quickly. A success coach can help you understand exactly what you need to do to be successful in the modern workplace. Next Steps If any of this resonates with you it’s likely you would benefit from success coaching. Why not stop procrastinating and see what you are really capable of with the right support? To learn more about coaching please do get in touch. Further Reading Online Life Coaching How To Be Successful at Interviews? Release Your Brakes and Speed to Success The Secret of Success Finding Your Success Formula Mistakes that make you unpopular at work
Is your life lacking purpose?
Are you lacking a sense of purpose in life? It’s surprising how many of us reach adulthood without knowing what we want to achieve in life. What is our purpose in life? As we grow up, many demands are made on our time and resources. Unfortunately, these can overtake our original passions. A lack of purpose in life can lead to anxiety, disillusion and depression. Moreover, you can struggle to find the motivation to try anything new. What are the reasons you’re feeling lost or that your life lacks purpose? Perhaps you identify with some? Drifting It’s actually quite rare for people to take charge of their lives, decide what they want to do, and go after it. Many of us drift into jobs depending on the opportunities that present themselves, what’s easiest and what provides well for us and our families. A few years down the line, we take stock and realise this isn’t where we planned or hoped to be. Routine Humans can be creatures of habit and we often find routine comforting. We work to make money and take care of our homes and families. Our busy schedules don’t always allow time for the pursuit of our passions. Finding a place in your life to explore your passions can be the first step towards finding your life’s purpose. I help many clients find ways to fit this into their busy schedule. Small Cog, Big Machine Even if we enjoy the daily tasks involved in our job, a sense of purpose can be hard to find. It’s often difficult to see the bigger picture or understand how your efforts contribute, when you’re a small part of a larger company. Isolation In the beginnings of human society, our efforts would have had a clear and real effect on the group’s welfare. Hunting, gathering and building for the group’s survival. In today’s society we are able to survive alone and isolation often sets in. Many of my clients find a sense of purpose through meaningful relationships or helping others. Risk Aversion Our fight or flight response is still triggered by situations we perceive as dangerous. Taking a risk can be stressful, especially without help or support. Many of us avoid doing what we really want to because we are afraid or aren’t sure how to proceed. Overload How many of us take the time out to just think about ourselves, our needs and desires? We have so much on our mental plates day-to-day that it can be hard to have the time or space for anything else. Distraction How many times have you started to think about that project you’ve wanted to do for a while but become distracted with other things – TV, your phone, online media? If we’re struggling to focus on one project we start to feel hopeless and disconnected. False Expectations It’s likely that we can all improve our lives in some way and find a deeper sense of purpose and well-being. This means different things for different people. The media today, especially social media, can give us a false perspective of the ‘perfect’ life and we often feel unable to measure up. Feeling so far off the mark, many of us just stop trying. Life Coaching for Life Lacking Purpose Life Coaching is becoming more and more popular, helping many people find new passionate pursuits and achieve their dreams. It’s a simple, effective process that’s helped many people feel happier and more fulfilled. I offer free initial consultations and face to face or online sessions. If you’d like to learn more about life coaching and how it could help you rediscover your life’s purpose, please do get in touch. Further reading Finding Your Passion In Life How to Increase Your Motivation and Achieve Your Desires What Can Make Me Happier? Difficulties Making Important Life Decisions Create Your Dream Life With Help From A Life Coach
The Secret of Success
What are the secret of success ? The world renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins saying… “80 percent of success is due to psychology—mindset, beliefs, and emotions—And only 20 percent is due to strategy!” Most successful people believing that strategy and knowledge are only responsible for around 20% of success. The majority down to other less tangible characteristics. Seeking success ? Improving these will give you the biggest boost. Beliefs Firstly do you have a strong sense of self worth ? Feeling secure will help your pursuits. Successful people understanding the power of self-belief . As well as encouraging belief in others and gaining their help with your goals. Attitude Secondly a positive attitude will you keep on going. Plus courage and learning from mistakes. Moreover, adaptability, curiosity and a collaborative approach ensuring success. By training our minds for keeping a good attitude in all situations. This in turn influencing our actions. And those of the people around us. Focusing When facing long term goals often becoming distracted. Other rewarding tasks taking priority. Instead focusing on one goal. And pursuing actions that move it forward. Keep your focus ensuring you’re more likely to succeed. Emotional Control Our emotions can sometimes be our worst enemy. For success needing to work on our emotional intelligence, mastering our emotions Instead of letting them control us. Overcoming fear of failure is vital. As well as working well with others and building healthier, more productive relationships. Mindset What’s the mindset of a successful person? They sees opportunities over reasons. In addition a positive mindset focusing on possibilities not setbacks. Plus they see things others might not. In short, knowing what you can and can’t control is vital to success. In addition planning for obstacles before they happen. And visualising success rather than failure. Moving forward Do you want help developing the tools for success? Discover how I can help you? Please get in touch to book a free consultation.
Finding Your Success Formula
We all have the desire to succeed, although our goals in life may be very different. Whether you want to succeed at work, in romance, achieve health goals, or meet a financial target, you’ll need a structure to help you. You may have tried a “success formula” before that hasn’t been helpful. It’s likely that this was someone else’s formula for success imposed upon you. We are all wired differently with different fears, preferences and barriers so we all need to find our own personal formula for success in order to truly thrive. Here are my tips on how to start doing this. Figure out what’s holding you back This could be any barrier or hurdle that you are struggling to overcome. Examples include: Fear Lack of confidence Repeating behaviours Negativity Doubt Visualise success at every opportunity We need to develop the ability to understand what success looks like for us, and then visualise this clearly at every opportunity. This helps you remain on track and can give you an important confidence and motivation boost when progress seems difficult. Develop a clear and concise value set Explore your own inner beliefs and values. What is it that truly motivates you? What do you want to accomplish and what sacrifices seem reasonable to you in order to reach that goal? As we move towards one goal it’s important for our own wellbeing that we navigate the road carefully with a considered approach. This ensures we can enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Learn to focus Focus and concentration are skills that can be taught and that improve with practice. Many of my clients come to me saying they are unable to focus. Sometimes busy minds need training to relax and block out distractions or something on a subconscious level is fighting for attention and blocking progress. Dealing with these issues leaves the mind free to focus on other things. Reward accomplishments When we’re striving towards a goal, especially one that is far reaching, it’s easy to lose track of the present moment. Keep track of all your accomplishments and successes along the way and reward yourself for reaching targets. By taking the time to appreciate the wins and losses you can take stock of your progress, learn from the good and the bad and realign where necessary. Learning what works for us and what doesn’t will speed our way to success. Life Coaching for Success I have helped many clients find their own personal success formulas using Life Coaching. Through this partnership, we work together to plan, implement and assess goals and discover the methods that work for them. Finding your “success formula” is about discovering what success looks like for you and what you can do to achieve it. I will help you get down to the real reasons you are not thriving – releasing stuck patterns, unloading unwanted barriers, fears, challenges and any other internal issues that keep you stuck and unsuccessful. Together we can make you more focused, more productive and ultimately more successful.
How to Increase Your Motivation and Achieve Your Desires
Do you ever wonder why there seems to be no limits to what some people can achieve whilst others bob along never really breaking the surface? Much of this could be down to motivation. It’s a powerful tool that, when built and harnessed correctly, can help people achieve great things. If you want to kickstart your motivation and acquire the persistence to aim high and achieve your dreams here are a few tips to get you started. Know The Path Before you set off on any journey it’s best to know where you’re going. Think about what you really want and identify your goals being as clear and specific as possible. Setting SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed) will help you. Determine why you want to achieve these goals and envision the end result. Maintain this positive visualisation throughout your journey as a tool to keep you motivated. How will your life look once you have reached your goal? How will you feel? Remember the goal and then think to yourself, “what can I do NOW to make this future a reality?” Small Steps Next, break down your goal into smaller steps. What resources do you need to achieve them? What’s holding you back? What paths can you try? Who can help? Create an action plan and take responsibility for following it. Make sure your plan is realistic and achievable – it will only damage your motivation further if it’s not. Attaining these smaller goals creates positive momentum and inspires you to stay on track. A coaching session can be a great help in these early planning stages. The Right Atmosphere Every journey has its setbacks but if you surround yourself with positive people, motivational images and encouraging behaviour you’re more likely to overcome these setbacks and succeed. Don’t be too disheartened by challenges. Each one teaches us a valuable lesson. The journey is often as important as the destination. Keep the right people around you and maintain a healthy and positive environment. Pin motivational images and mantras around your home, keep your workspace tidy, or rearrange your living space – whatever you need to do to set yourself up for success. Enjoy The Journey Treat yourself when you succeed and laugh at failure. Every goal is important, even if it seems small. Allow yourself little treats and make sure you take breaks and time to enjoy the journey. When times are hard or failure seems likely, take time to relax and regain motivation. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take Responsibility Stay in control of your schedule and behaviour. This might mean learning to say no when necessary in order to free up some of your time. Don’t be tempted into a victim mentality – you have the power to achieve your goals. Whilst it’s healthy to seek help when needed, relying on other people too much can result in feelings of helplessness or frustration. If you need to take a break and change your goals that’s fine. Learn and reassess constantly. Face Your Fears When I talk to people about motivation, often the underlying problem is fear. Fear of failure or putting themselves out there. Fear or rejection or of trying something new. If you think this could be you, hypnotherapy can help you overcome this hurdle. More Help Because of the complex nature of motivation, I find a combination of life coaching and hypnotherapy is the most effective way to enable you to identify your goals, erase your fears and keep you focused on being successful. To learn more about how this works or to try it for yourself please do get in touch.