The Little Book of Less=More (How
to change your life by doing less)
January Subjects
for Less=More: FUN, 85 Years Old, Visualisations, Affirmations, My
Possibility, Change Now! Have a Break, Roles in Life, My Updates, Organic
Growth, More, Self Promotion, More of the Less Bit, Organic Goals, Goals,
Vision and Action, Newspapers, TV, Sleep, Less, Introduction.
Feb Subjects for
Less=More: Attributional Thinking, Success Motivates, Motivation and Luck,
Mind Maps, Priorities, Word Strings, Conscious Competence, Morning Pages,
Unblocking The Artist (Creative Expression), Mix with Positive People, Winning
Formula – If you want something doing then do it yourself, Confidence,
Perspective, Work Patterns, People, Awareness, Synchronicity, Breaking
Promises!, Equal =, Play Big in Life and Shine Your Light, What’s the Worst
that can Happen?, Perception, Good Days and Bad Days.
March Subjects
for Less=More: Perfectionism, More Georgia, He’s Stupid Enough to be
Neutral, Move On, Anti-Role Models, Role Models, Sunshine and Vitamin D, Risk
and Failure, Twix, Doing Less Again!, Fitting it all In, Family, Paradox of
Leadership, Commit, Timetable, Neuro
Linguistic Programming (Six Step Reframing Outline),
FreeCell, Quality of Time, 2 Chairs, 3 Perspectives, Motivation Again!.
April Subjects for Less=More:
May Subjects for
Less=More: Be Careful of What You Ask For, Nothing, Coaching, Rhythm, Energy Level, Hitting the Low, and Dreams, Give it a Go, Change, Can You Face What You’ve Become?,
Just one good thing each day, Yet More of the Less, Degrees of Separation, Give and Take, Bad Hours, Be Honest
with Yourself, Sleep, Chaos
Theory, Dreams Coming True Again, Draw a line now and Start Again, What
is it You Really Want in Life?, You are what you
Eat, Roller Coaster, Commit and all else will follow.
Whatever you believe you can achieve, you can achieve.
It’s a matter of when not how.
Just imagine if you let go of your past, drew a line under it and then
moved forward, know what you want and then give yourself time to achieve it.
5, 10, 20 years.
“I want to be very wealthy”
Well, you might not achieve that tomorrow or the day after or in a year.
But what about in 5 or 10 or 20 years time?
Could you be wealthy in 20 years time?
You draw a line under the past and say, today my life begins, I can’t
change what has happened but I may be able to influence the future.
Be careful of what you ask for because it’s not a matter of if your
dreams will come true but when they come true, and you could end up with the
Midas touch, where everything you touch turns to gold.
I wanted 2 Training courses in
I am totally blank today with this one.
Can’t think of anything to write, too tired.
However, Nothing, is a good theme.
Sometimes it’s good to just rest, sit there, and do nothing, no
distractions.
Meditate.
Cuddle
You want to get good at something?
Get some coaching.
Want to improve your tennis?
Get a tennis coach.
A coach can see things that you often can’t.
A coach may have more experience or show you a different way of doing
things that you hadn’t thought of.
Similarly, a coach or mentor can help you with many other things, not
just sport.
Business, personal life, relationships.
Think about finding a coach or mentor for the things you most dream about
or want to enjoy.
Want to become a coach? Then be
coachable.
Just watching kids having tennis coaching.
Watching my 8 month old daughter with other kids.
The kids seem to improve their tennis just by being with the coaches and
watching them.
My daughter seems to improve all her skills by being with other babies
and kids.
One thing I notice is that people pick up the rhythm of other people.
Both physical and mental.
I used to play squash much better after watching a good player play.
I seemed to pick up their rhythm and see more possibility.
The same with mental possibility.
Being with positive people or inspirational people, inspires me.
The rhythm of life. Have a think
about it. What’s your rhythm?
Who’s rhythm do you admire?
Who’s rhythm could you tap into?
Sometimes your
energy level is high. And sometime it’s
low.
Is there anything
you do, or can do, to raise your energy level, keep it higher?
What you eat?
Exercise?
Taking a break?
I know many of
these things myself, but I don’t always practise what I preach.
I know that
alcohol, wheat, sugar, too much carbohydrates, drop my energy level.
(Although there’s
nothing like a Twix or two to give me a short term kick.)
I’m not
exercising at all recently.
There’s also what
you say to yourself to drag your energy level down.
This means you
can keep your energy up if you work out a way of telling yourself this.
To show that the
power of suggestion is a powerful thing, try this..
Pick a victim.
Have someone go
up to them and ask them if they’re ok.
They’ll say yes.
Get the first
person in on this trick/experiment to say,
“Oh, you look a
bit tired.”
Get a second person
to go up to the victim about an hour later and ask them if they’re ok.
“Oh, you look
tired.”
Get a third
person to go up to them another hour later and ask them if they’re ok.
“Oh, you look
very tired.”
Now get a fourth
person an hour later, to ask the victim how they are. They’ll usually reply,
“I’m feeling
really tired today and not well!”
The power of
suggestion!!
There I was in 1998, sitting in my
car, in Islington, with my plastic bin bags full of my belongings.
Sitting in my car outside my wife’s
house, who I’d just separated from.
“Desperado” by the Eagles playing in
my car, tears streaming down my face, especially the line about “Don't you draw the Queen of Diamonds boy, she'll beat
you if she's able. You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet.”
Well I thought I’d married the Queen
of Hearts but I drew the Queen of Diamonds.
I had nowhere to live, and very
little money.
And as I drove away, I said to myself,
it may not be tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year, but in 5
years time, I will be married to the Queen of Hearts, and have children.
And 3 years later, 2 years ahead of
time, my daughter was born last September, conceived with the Queen of Hearts
on our wedding night!
And what I learnt from the event of
the last 5 years, is that no matter how low things go, you can set yourself a
dream or a goal that isn’t immediate, but may take some time, to achieve almost
anything you want, if you give yourself enough time.
I’ve found that all my dreams come true, they
just take longer than I expect to come true.
It’s my expectations of time and not my dreams
that I realise I need to adjust.
“As long as you don’t
hurt anyone or yourself”
Give it a go.
Take a risk.
Try something
you’d really like to do.
What have you got
to lose except part of your big ego?
Dance, Sing,
Play, Bounce, Skate, Slide, Travel, Yell, Speak Out, Stand Up, Style.
In order to
change,
You achieve this
by first taking some time to think with your head.
You then get a
gut feel for the right way to do it.
You then act with
your feet and make some action.
Head-Gut- Feet
Top
Middle
Bottom
(Taken from DMR “The Information Paradox”
CD-ROM, John Thorp)
Here’s to Second Chances
By Barbara
Lewis
“A second
chance. A chance to think again about the road I want to take.
Have you thought about taking
a second chance recently? It is a powerful idea. Taking another chance to do
the thing you really want to do with your life.
The "second chance"
is a subject that has a special place in my heart because I have heard from so
many people over the years who have told me that they made the decision to take
another crack at fulfilling a lifelong dream after hearing one of my songs
called, "A Second Chance."
And if I can
I’ll trace the years to find what heartstrings came untied.
These admissions usually
happen backstage after one of my concerts. Someone will shake my hand and tell
me, quite matter-of-factly, that it was after hearing me sing that song a few
years back, that they finally decided to try again. To make a more serious
effort at doing what they felt they were meant to do.
It seems
impractical, I know. But somehow I must grab this second chance.
I am always astonished by
their candour. And by the fact that they can pinpoint so precisely the moment
when the decision was made. Of course, it is wonderful for me as a songwriter
to hear that something I have created has had real impact. But I don’t flatter
myself that it is my words and music per se that have changed someone's life. A
song heard under the right circumstances can trigger an individual’s deep need
for change and give them renewed permission to fly. But I think it is the
universal idea of "the second chance" that has the power.
Sometime in
your life, you’ve got to face what you’ve become. Are you what you hoped to be,
or is it time to risk taking another chance?
In our daily lives, we do not
hear very much about the vital importance of having a strong sense of purpose
in life. There is still this antiquated notion that most of us are given one,
maybe two chances to do what we really want to do. And if we blow those slim
opportunities, then it’s curtains for our hopes and dreams and we must learn to
live with less.
So many
people live their lives according to some foreign plan. And when
They’re old and reminisce, they think of all the joys they missed.
I remember sitting in a
restaurant listening unavoidably to an argument going on at a nearby table. A
man, his wife and son were heatedly discussing what the boy wanted to do with
his life. It was like a pivotal scene from a movie. The son was saying that he
wanted his life to be special. The father replied that "life is not a bowl
full of cherries. You find work and get on with it."
The look on the boy's face
reflected his deep disappointment. Another young heart being quashed by a dose
of reality. And perhaps, in future, another angry young man.
To find a
way of living life that makes each moment count, a simple plan to reconnect my
heart to all the mysteries about.
Taking a second chance does
not mean putting off getting to work. It means carving out a life's work that
has profound meaning and value to the individual. And hopefully, to the rest of
humanity.
When someone says to me,
"Think of the price you have to pay in this culture when you follow a
dream!" I usually answer, "Think of the price you have to pay when
you don’t."
To
understand that what we see and hear is oftentimes a sham. I must consider who
I am. Be true to all I'm learning. And take a second chance.”
And when you’ve
found some time, by doing less of something, don’t snow yourself under with all
the things you should be doing.
Make sure you do
one good thing each day, that’s important to you.
Like sending an
invoice out!
Today, I updated
my website with
Damn.
The reason I
started writing The Little Book of Less=More (How to change your life by doing
less) is for that very reason.
What are you
going to do less of.
I think it’s
really important if you want to change, or do something different, or make a
commitment or resolution, to ask yourself what you are going to do less of.
Because after
all, there are 24 hours in the day, which you currently fill with something.
So if you are
going to do something different, what are you going to do less of to fit it in.
I was just
thinking of this myself today, because I’m struggling to fit in all the things
I really want to do.
So what am I
going to do less of?
Less Internet
surfing. Maybe less and shorter emails
to people. Less food and eating as a distracter (just about to have an apple!)
Other than that,
I’m really struggling to clear some time.
I know all the
things I want to do More of.
More writing.
More books to
read.
More time with
Annie and Georgia.
More of my
website.
More admin and
finances.
More networking
and prospecting.
More PC admin.
More development
of my training material.
We are all mostly
connected by 6 degrees of separation, so they say; whoever they are.
I’m guessing it’s
between 2 to 4.
In other word,
you can get talk, meet, or have a link with someone, just by going through the
people you know.
So if you want to
talk to and meet someone, think about how you could do it from the people you
know.
I know that when
I ask a group of people I’m training, how we could get to meet, The Pope, or
George W, or Tony Blair, or Madonna, it usually takes only 2 steps!
Yes. Someone in a group of 12 people will know
someone who directly knows this person or who knows someone who can put us in
contact with someone who knows them.
I’m thinking of
this today, because the circle was completed by me seeing on Aussie TV, the son
of my second cousin.
I even have his
phone number because I bumped into his father a year ago.
And I like these
type of coincidences. It gives me a
pointer.
Tells me that
there’s something going on.
Coincidence.
Today I was put
in touch with someone who I could work with.
This was done
with no asking or prompting, by our wedding photographer.
Just now, I’ve
put a colleague in touch with someone who could help him with his business
idea.
These are
potentially 2 very big business contacts.
Give and Take.
Sometime we have
to give a bit before we receive.
And sometimes
when we receive; giving something somewhere else creates the balance back.
Some days you
really do just have a string of bad hours which then form a bad day.
Having said that,
I have had a few things go well today, so it hasn’t all been bad!
If you want to
change things then be honest with yourself.
It’s a good
start, especially for being honest with others as well.
I’m amazed at how
so many people are dishonest with themselves and delude themselves.
I was writing to
friend today, who we email each other several times a week.
She’s a busy
person, but she finds the time to email me.
What are other
people doing with their time?
What are you
doing with your time?
Could it be
better spent?
Like emailing
me! Ha Ha!
But
seriously. I’d love to know what you and
other people do with those 24 hours a day.
I’ve never looked
good at being busy. That’s because I’m
usually not busy.
But some of you
sure look busy, but there’s never anything to show for your business.
Sometimes you need to take a rest and have some extra sleep.
That’s what I’ve done today.
Gone back to bed and slept 4 extra hours.
I needed it.
Do you?
Do it before illness tells you to do it.
Today would have been my fifth wedding anniversary.
Living in Islington,
And yet here I am in
Married for nearly 1½ years, 7-month-old daughter.
How on earth did I get here?
Chaos theory is about a small event setting off a chain of events, like
the flap of a butterfly’s wing causing a hurricane.
I never really understood this in the sense of feeling it, until I look
back on the events in my life and realise, that from such small catalytic
events, big amazing things happen.
One statement from my first wife, has landed my in
One sentence in an interview moved my work to
One glance across a dance floor, set my life on a path for 5 years.
One sentence with recruiter set most of my life changes over the last 10
years.
The fine line we steer between safety and disaster when we drive.
Both my wives, contacted me initially.
What if they hadn’t picked the phone up and dialled?
What it set me thinking about, is that in any given second, what events
can and do we do, that sets off an avalanche, or massive success.
Can we control or add to the events that happen in our lives?
I just thought about the idea of dreams coming true.
If we wish and hope more, do we then consciously or subconsciously set
off events that enable our dreams to come true?
Do we create more chaos to enable our dreams to become reality?
Recently, I had a dream and set a goal of training in 6 Australian
cities, 2 per month for a year.
The next part of my goal, is to train back-to-back courses in some of the
cities so that I’m not flying in and out of the cities but staying longer.
This gives me more time to see people whilst I’m there, with Annie and
Georgia.
I write about his because it’s more examples of having a dream, setting a
goal, and then the dream comes true.
Also, telling people what you want, and often they help you get it. Especially if it helps them at the same time.
So what else do I want to happen?
I want a second area of business, which is likely to happen.
I want my Internet site to be read by more people per day.
I want to develop an Internet business.
I’d like to do some more talks to institutes and large groups.
I’d like to have more and more business that I can start to price myself
out of some it and pick and choose.
I’d like to develop an income stream that isn’t dependent on the number
of days I have in the year.
Maybe a trip to
That’s a few short-term business goals I have.
And they all seem achievable and likely to happen.
What are your dreams and goals?
What would you like for your work and business life.
Whatever it is that’s bothering you or holding you back,
You can draw a line, leave it behind, and start again, now this moment.
Start now, no looking back.
Commit to what you want in life now.
Stop looking back. It won’t
help. Can’t be undone.
Go Forward.
You could do it now this very second.
I’m wondering this myself.
Just looking at The Top 100 Showbiz Earners, and most of them seem to be
deeply flawed, drug taking, alcoholic addictives.
That’s Showbiz!
Maybe that’s the secret of their success.
These people are displayed as our role-models by most of the media.
Is it fame and fortune you want?
Is it wealth and security?
Is it contentment?
Is it achievement?
Is it good health? (We all say we want good health, but what do we do
about it?)
You can probably have anything you set your mind to and allow yourself to
dream about, but what is it you really want?
Diet.
As this is writing on changing things, have a look at what you eat.
I realise I have recently, compromised my health by eating too much
chocolate, sugary stuff, and caffeine.
And having no exercise.
Sure enjoy these things, enjoy the pleasures of life.
But you know what things don’t work for you and may compromise your
health in the long run.
Me, I seem to have a fear of being hungry, so I eat all time to stave off
any potential for feeling hungry.
It’s not as though feeling hungry will do me any harm, in fact probably
some good, but I seem to spend all my waking hours and some of my sleeping
hours, either thinking of food or eating food.
And what I tend to eat, drugs me up and slows me down.
I know what doesn’t work for me, what clogs my brain up.
Alcohol, Wheat and Yeast, Chocolate, Biscuits and Cake, Caffeine, Milk.
I don’t drink alcohol because it so impairs me, both when I drink it and
the following day.
Even half a glass. I’m lucky,
because of this, not drinking is very easy for me.
Bread, nowadays I can take it or leave, except so much food seems to
include bread.
When you’re on the move, bread and variation on the theme, seems to be
the only fast food that’s available.
Now I come onto the difficult ones.
Chocolate and Biscuits/Cake.
Like smokers who want a smoke after a meal, I want that sugary hit after
a meal. I’m an addict.
And you can take your fruit and shove it!!
I love fruit and veg. I eat loads
of the stuff, but it just doesn’t hit the spot.
I know what foods don’t agree with me, because when I stop them I piss
away about 4 pounds of fluid the following day.
Ask yourself what you eat that fries your brain and in the longer term
compromises your health.
Are you going to do anything about it?
Maybe not, because eating is one of pleasures of life.
I just want to be able to think more clearly more often and have more
stamina, and I know what’s slowing me down.
Toblerone!
Love It.
I think I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again.
Life is one big roller coaster.
Just remember that if you hit a big low.
It will get better again.
Sometimes low just seems so low you can’t really believe there will ever
be another high again.
It will.
Yesterday, I made
some commitments to myself about what I’m eating and getting more exercise.
I also treated
myself to a few books.
And on Saturday I
decided that something would chase me rather than me doing the chasing.
And yesterday it
all seemed to fall into place.
Yet again I get
lucky and an opportunity has opened out.
Sometimes, I
don’t even know how I do it myself.
“Until one is committed there is hesitancy, a chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the
moment that one definitely commit oneself, then providence moves, too. All
sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all
manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man
could have dreamed would come his way.
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it!
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now!" Goethe