5 steps to summer success…

Towards the end of July, most school children in UK received their end of year report card. Remember those days? Well, being on the flip side, I didn't personally feel the joy or worry that comes with this kind of assessment - BUT it did inspire me to think about how I would be assessed against my targets for 2014 at this stage. 

Seeing as I love a good audit (as anyone who's read Happily Ever After for Grown-Ups will know) - it became a prompt for me to imagine my end of term report... and it was a great exercise. In summary, it was a little bit like this: 

Goal (NB: Phrased here in a very general way – don’t worry…I have these in a more specific, measurable way!)	Assessment Grade	Effort Grade (where 1 is excellent and 4 leaves much to be desired!)
Career development	B-	2
Health & Fitness aspirations	C+	2 / 3
Focus on family and friends	B	2
Adventure / fun	B	2
Gratitude	B+	1

To have a fair idea, you first need to know what your targets are - and it's most likely that these will involve recognition / clarity about your New Year's Resolutions… and if you weren’t clear then, why don’t you get clear now. 

What might yours be like? 

Looking (way back) towards my school days, I had to really work hard to achieve the A grades I wanted and these days it’s no different. Not only can it be difficult but is also a strategic approach needed in going for your goals… but when you really want something – it’s certainly worth that effort… and this is a GREAT time to focus in this way.

Why? Well, it’s summer time (at least in this hemisphere) and it’s a time when we tend to switch off a bit – and maybe even take a much needed vacation. Some people see relaxation as being the opposite of productivity but I’m a firm believer that it’s quite the opposite – and can be all about recharging your batteries… and perhaps even doing some reassessing if you have stepped off (or slowed down) the “daily life” treadmill.

With that in mind, here are just a few things for you to do this summer – to move forward with your aspirations during this ‘slower’ season while getting some summertime rest and of course having some summertime fun at the same time:

1. Your report: Do the exercise above – assessing where you are at the moment – taking the time to remind yourself what is important to you and why it’s worth keeping up the hard work.
2. Get active: Take a walk around your neighbourhood (or a run… if you’re that way inspired like my friend Elelta, creator of the “Joy Run”). Take deep breaths, appreciate the sights you don’t normally take the time to appreciate and get back home rejuvenated.
3. Reconnect: Contact 3-5 friends / family members that you’ve been meaning to get in touch with recently (no, I didn’t read your mind… we ALL have those good friends that have been in absentia because of mutually busy lives). Reach out. Sort it out. Have a good time.
4. Have a break from the norm: It might not be able to be a two week vacation on a beach for you right now but take a break from your regular work-life routine. The aim here is to spice up what you regularly get up to… and although you could do a gorgeous spa weekend with your loved one/s – these activities don’t actually have to cost much. You can go visit an out of town friend for the weekend (which also fulfils the aims in #3) for example… and enjoy whatever summertime fun your city has to offer. For me, that’s the Notting Hill Carnival which is coming up in two weeks – so excited!
5. Reflect: Make a note of things you’re grateful for AND things you have achieved in 2014 that you are proud of. Please do stop to do this in the summer while the pace has slowed down a bit. I bet things have happened in your life that you didn’t take the time to pat yourself on the back about. Take the time now (and don’t just think about them – write them down)

Now you are ready to crack on with the rest of 2014 – your head held high, rejuvenated from reconnecting with some important people in your life, having had a bit of time to rest and reflect and with a new found sense of gratitude – ready to keep on trucking towards those plans… and ensuring you enjoy the journey.

Watch out 2014… s/he’s back!

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Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with career driven people in relationships and couples who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives - on their own terms. She has recently published Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds" and is committed to helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com. 

Find your happy place...

Warm and fuzzy... calm and collected... exuberant and passionate - these are all feelings that are important for a fulfilling life but can sometimes escape us when we're going non-stop at a million miles an hour and the world is speeding by. 

Being an ambitious sort, I admit, I have been unimpressed with the 'speed bumps' on the way to some important goals for myself - such as illness and major priority clashes - but know that I'm incredibly lucky to be able to be in a position to get past disappointment at missing self imposed deadlines, shake off any negative self talk (seriously... that shizzle helps no one!). shift some deadlines, take a step back and re-evaluate / re-plan and essentially have another go at what I was looking to achieve in the first place. 

Looking at the shifting goalposts of the last few months has inspired me to write today's post. 

No... it's not about tightening up your goal setting abilities.

Not about getting focused.

Not even about not being so hard on yourself 

(... all of which are very valid topics that I have... or will write about)...

Instead, I'm cutting to the chase and am encouraging you to pause, catch your breath (yes... breeeathe) - and sharpen your ability to find your happy place - right now.

What is this happy place? Well... as the beginning of the post suggested - it's a place (can be physical, mental or anything in between) where you feel warm and fuzzy, grateful, exuberant and at peace - and alive. I place where you truly feel joy. 

*Sigh*... sounds awesome right? Exactly - which is why today is the day for you to reflect in your happy place(s) - so you can have an instant 'win' when feeling overwhelmed and getting into that realm where you start to be hard on yourself and / or lose perspective. 

Because 'happy places' are so personal - I don't have a formula for you beyond encouraging you to think about how and when you really do feel happy and fulfilled. What I would say though is that it's handy to have a combination of 'dream' / 'once in awhile' happy places AND places / moods you can create exactly where you are (for little or no money).

For inspiration... here are a few of mine, in no order of any kind (do share yours in the comments on this post!)

#1: A beach. More or less any sandy beach and blue sky combo. (The one pictured here is in Barbados)... 

#2: Spending time with my gorgeous hubby - whenever and wherever we are together it feels like 'home'  - uber happy...

#3: Soca Music - I love music generally, but soca music (from the Caribbean) never fails to make me smile. No exaggeration. Never. Ever. It's like magic. (Click on the link below for a track from Trinidad Carnival 2014 called Happiest Man Alive by Machel Montano - a fab soca artiste from Trinidad)

Maaaan... I love thinking about this as the list goes on and includes dancing, participating in carnivals, spending time with my parents (in person always best but even via Skype is great), catching up with my girlfriends, completing my daily Shaun T T25 workout (notice I say completing... being in the midst is intense and not necessarily happiness inducing!), working with my coaching clients, watching old episodes of Desmond's or The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, lying on my living room sofa (comfortable beyond comfortable) - and so much more. 

So - a few of my happy places are above. What about yours? Do make sure you take the time to think about and list (write down... not just in your head) some of them - and make a commitment to treating yourself a regular journey there. After all... deadlines and pressures in relations to your goals and dreams need to be balanced out with these daily joys (that's what life's all about... right?)

Do share here... 

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Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with career driven people in relationships and couples who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives - on their own terms. She has recently published Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds" and is committed to helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com. 

Break out of your comfort zone... to achieve this year's goals

Last weekend I spent an awesome Saturday with the 6 ladies in my mastermind group and the key ingredients to this get together were scissors, glue and magazines. No... We weren't regressing to our childhoods (though we were all surprised at how much fun this primary school type activity was) - we were doing something much more grown up. We were creating vision boards which showed our intentions (a visual representation of our goals and dreams) for the next 12 months.

I'm excited. This group of ladies is intending to achieve a LOT this year. While of course making sure we enjoy ourselves in the moment (always crucial) we also have some HUGE plans - which means lots of vulnerability ahead as we go for them.

What do I mean?

Well... there is a close link between vulnerability and your next success. I'd even go so far as to say it's inescapable. This link runs so deeply that in my experience, one rarely (if ever) exists without the other.

I say this because to achieve your next success, whether in your personal or your professional life (you know here at Limitless Coaching it is essential to look at these aspects of your life together in order to create the lifestyle you want) - you need to step out of your comfort zone to make it happen. You need to stretch beyond the norm and what has become daily existence in order to step up to this next challenge you are setting yourself.

Ain't that a ***** (ahem... an inconvenience).

Well... only if you look at it in that glass half empty kind of way. Alternatively, if you take it from the other perspective  - the perspective that you can't deny - that life can be pretty darn boring when we never vary from a comfortable routine - then you realise it's not an inconvenience but a necessity, a challenge and often a blessing to find the strength to move out of your comfort zone and on to the path towards your next success. (This is the topic of this week's video - below)

If you are here, on this earth, for a more than ordinary life - which I am sure is the case as you have opted to be part of this community - then you know success happens out of that zone.

As there's such a buzz with this year's goals - this week's video is all about breaking out if your comfort zone. Take 4 minutes now to watch the video (where I share one way i am out of my comfort zone this year) and as always - take a moment to implement something new so you can keep on trucking towards those goals.

Check out this 4 minute video and as always - I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts, experiences and what you are up to at the moment. Do comment below... let's achieve more together!

Happy New Year... Bring on 2014! (Post features 4-minute video)

The festive season has come and (nearly) gone and I hope you and your family (whether family by blood or family through love and association) are having / have had a fantastic holiday season. How have you spent the last week and a bit?

I have been blessed to spend the last days of 2013 with family (my hubby Rahim, my mum and my dad) in slightly sunnier climes than what we're blessed with in the UK and it really has been lovely to spend quality time together and truly reconnect.

As is often the case when away from the daily grind, it's also been beneficial to have some time and space to think, plan, strategise, mastermind, plot (mwa-ha-ha - but not in an evil way, I promise!) and actually to really think about the many many things to be thankful for. "Gratitude" is a big part of my mantra for 2014 (mantras are something we'll discuss further sometime soon - stay tuned). 

In the meanwhile - I just wanted to say a belated Seasons' Greetings and to wish you all the best for a very Happy New Year. 


Not surprisingly - I'd also really like to encourage you to do 2 things (it's all about action right?!):

1. Look back on 2013... and pat yourself on the back. Ask yourself - What did I achieve? What am I proud of? What surprised me about myself? What do I now know I can do, that I would not have believed I could do, this time last year? Be kind to yourself (so important). Where there were disappointments, set backs and anything you would not have wished for yourself - I really do wish you more of what you need and want in the coming year. Please don't skip over this... list 3-5 things (at least) in relation to these questions...

2. Make some solid resolutions / set intentions, make promises [whatever your term is for resolutions] for 2014. It is SOOOO easy for a year to pass by and to wonder what happened with it - and actually making some real plans that you are determined to work towards plays such an integral and positive role in making things happen.

To encourage you to do this... I created a Happy New Year video for you which features some of my personal successes and challenges. It also features one of my favourite thought-provoking, action taking questions of all time... can you spot it? Click on the image below and check it out... and look out for regular videos from me in 2014... all explicitly designed to bring some positivity, encouragement, motivation and (let's face it) awesomeness as you move towards what you are looking to achieve in this coming year and beyond.

Bring it on! 

(This blog is taken from the Limitless Community newsletter - edition 1 for 2014. Sign up free to be the first to receive motivational, actionable content)

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Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with career driven people in relationships and couples who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives - on their own terms. She has recently published Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds" and is committed to helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com. 

You can rock 2013! (Yes... I said 2013)

The nights are dark, the air is crisp and every other ad on TV mentions the words "this Christmas." Yup - the season to be jolly is approaching which means that the end of 2013 is imminent.

How has 2013 been for you? How far along did you get with any New Years Resolutions you set more than 11 months ago? Did you score the new job you were after? Gain the promotion you were working towards? Create a deeper, more supportive connection with your partner? Spend more quality time with your children? Have more fun with your friends? Lose that excess weight that's been bugging you?  Plan or go on the spectacular holiday you wanted?

Yes? Yay you! There really is not much else that is as satisfying as moving closer and closer to these sorts of goals if they help you create the kind of lifestyle you want.

If you've not quite gotten there yet and are already Thinking "it didn't happen this year but I'll DEFINITELY make it happen in 2014" then I would like to stop you in your tracks. Whoa there! "I'll make it happen next year?!" Your resolve is commendable but you have forgotten one thing. There are (just under) 7.. Yes nearly 7 weeks of 2013 left. You know his much can happen in 7 weeks? Lots - to put it mildly - so with that in mind I would like to share 7 ways that you can progress further to your goals in the last 7 weeks of 2013. 

1. Look for a quick win: Are you close to achieving one of your goals but not quite there yet?  If you've been wanting to spend more quality time with someone for example call them now. This moment. Set a date for 2013. Boom... done.

2. Break it down: No... I'm not encouraging a funky 80s dance move but I am encouraging you to split your goal into parts. For example, if - like a few of my clients - you are working towards gaining your doctorate or your masters, please don't beat yourself up if you didn't complete it in 2013 as you had hoped. Sometimes life really does get in the way or you have been missing the motivation. Whatever the case, don't just decide this is a 2014 goal now. Decide what you can still do this year to progress your goal. Can you write or plan your literature review? Progress your research by booking a few interviews into the diary? Set aside a day or 2 in the library to get away from it all and force yourself to write (you may even find its less busy with everyone focused on shopping for the holidays!). There is no shortage of things you can do to focus and achieve an aspect of your overall goal this year - and you'll be so proud that you did.

3. Make a plan for the coming week/s. At this time of year, the diary may fill up fast with festive fun - which is fantastic in ways but not fruitful of you still have some things to achieve this year. With that in mind, plan your week to ensure you are diarising 'goal time' as if you don't - that time will be swallowed up.

4. Book a meeting: As most goals involve an ally in some way - book a meeting with that person. That can work for most goals! Book a meeting with the person who will help you make it happen. That could be a personal trainer for a weight loss goal, your coach for a business goal, your manager for a career progression goal, your parents or friends for a goal that requires you to have more support from your networks - you name it and there will be someone who can get you closer to it. Make that meeting today!

5. Tell a friend: this may involve posting info about the goal on social media or just verbally telling a friend or two. When you speak your goals - they become alive! When you speak them to friends, you become accountable as although you won't have the structure and focus that you'd get from a coach, you will have them then asking you how you're getting on with it. Accountability greatly helps action. Phone a friend!

6. Write it down: While its helpful to speak a goal it is ESSENTIAL to write it down. Physically write it. Whether its on your iPad or a piece of paper - write or down. There's huge power in getting it out of your head and onto paper.

7. Make yourself a promise: promise yourself that within the next 7 weeks you will take active steps as per the above towards making something happen so while you look forward to 2014 - you have the momentum of very recent goal achievement success in 2013.

I'd LOVE to know what your remaining 2013 goal is, what you think of the above, what you are going to try and any results you have from implementing these steps. Please do share below! 

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Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with ambitious, multi-tasking individuals and couples who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives - on their own terms. She has recently published Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds" and is committed to helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com. 

Can Carnival Celebrations Cultivate Career Creativity?

Can sequins, bright colours, feathers and loud pulsating Caribbean music teach you significant, thought-provoking lessons about maximising your career development efforts?
No?
An understandable assumption, but you’re wrong... and I'll tell you why.

Do ever feel exhausted when you think about your work week ahead? Wonder how you managed to make it through another weekend without getting enough rest or switching off and having enough fun?

My recent annual pilgrimage to the streets of West London – to ‘play mas’ (participate) in the Notting Hill Carnival reminded me of a few things:

• Actively participating in an activity / hobby you love is so good for you… it’s incredibly ‘freeing’ 
• Hanging out with a group of friends that you – generally speaking – don’t see nearly often enough is food for the soul 
•    Switching off from work for a few days (whether to dance down the road with a drink in your hand or go out of town to get away from it all) gives a fresh and creative perspective on day to day life – including your career.
  

So… incredibly energised and inspired by my weekend of carnival celebrations, I decided to have some fun pulling together some career development lessons that we can glean from some of the most popular soca tracks from 2013. Get ready to jump and wave your way closer to your career goals:

1.    Track 1: Float: - (Arguably?) The world’s premier soca artist, Trinidadian Machel Montano has had thousands upon thousands of revellers at carnivals worldwide singing along to his catchy hook… “We not staying down… we getting off the ground!”

#SocaCareerDevelopmentMessage1: Float past your challenges

Even when feeling down, out and overwhelmed in your job or business – have the confidence in yourself to know that you can ‘float’ past your current challenges and onto something better. Machel references ‘floating like Superman’ in the track – and if you find the motivation to get you from A to B, I know you can also find your own internal superhero when you’re up against it!

2.    Track 2: Possessed: - Machel is back and this time teaming up with fellow soca artist Kerwin Dubois and… stepping out of the realm of soca as fans know it, they have collaborated with world-famous South African band Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The uniqueness of this track made it one of the most popular songs at Caribbean carnivals all over the world in 2013.
#SocaCareerDevelopmentMessage2a&2b –

 2a) Fight the temptation to be complacent & 2b) Good teamwork is magical: 

 Even when you’re at the top of your game (like Machel), doing something different… truly different in a strategic way will help ensure that people don’t take your talents for granted and instead will make people sit up and take notice. In career terms, although your boss/team may recognise how good you are - you too can increase the quality of your work through a strategic (potentially surprising) and mutually beneficial collaboration. Perhaps you can work with a colleague from a different department or a fellow entrepreneur who has similar, complementary goals. Even if you’re flying high in your career… you can pull a rabbit out of a hat by challenging yourself and stepping beyond the expectations of those that know you… and this can keep a job that you have been in for awhile exciting for you too.

3.    Track 3: Call my name: In this catchy up-tempo track, Destra encourages a boy to call her. With lyrics including “Call my phone… dial my number anytime… call me whenever” - this classic ‘boy meets girl’ scene is a familiar one. Nonetheless, some of the other lyrics in the track inspired another career development lesson.

#SocaCareerDevelopmentMessage3: Expect the unexpected / Be prepared for any opportunity.

I came to this interpretation through taking the notion of ‘calling’ a bit more figuratively – i.e. responding to an opportunity (nothing to do with responding to someone you’re attracted to – that’s a whole different career strategy and not one I advocate!)

Remember, you may have a plan to work towards a promotion… or even a slight change in career direction within 12 months. You have a plan, you’re working hard and you intend to get there. But what happens if the phone rings with an appealing opportunity after 4 months… instead of 12. What happens then? Are you slightly spooked by not feeling ‘ready’ or do you train yourself to be constantly poised to take advantage of whatever exciting opportunities may pass your way – even if it’s on a different time frame to what you envisage.
Do what you need to do to be ready move your career along as you desire… even if it involves an unexpected twist or two along the way. 

So there it is. Creative Career lessons inspired by carnival celebrations. If you have ever felt like you are spending an uncomfortably disproportionate time working versus 'living' then the above has hopefully put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

This is a blog post I didn’t see coming but I felt so moved by the carnival fun I had recently and thought my Limitless Community would also feel inspired… at least by my enthusiasm if nothing else. I would LOVE to know your thoughts about this post… please take a couple of moments to comment below…

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Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with ambitious, multi-tasking women (and men!) who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives - on their own terms. She has recently published Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds" and is committed to helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com.