Category Archives: Goal Setting

Three Steps to Successful Visualization

creativity, Goal Setting, ,

The three steps to successful visualization are: a goal, belief in the power of visualization and acceptance.

  • Firstly, creating a goal that is something that we want in our life (not something we think we or others should have) and being crystal clear about what that would look, hear, feel like, will help with a successful visualization.
  • Secondly, when we believe or have faith that the visualization process works, we are more likely to have a positive outcome.
  • And thirdly, we must be ready to accept what we have intended to manifest, having made sure our subconscious mind has removed any blocks to this happening.

How you create your goal is often a very personal choice and may depend on what learning style you gravitate towards.

vision boardCreating a successful visualization needs to take time and some effort. Of course the goal needs to be reviewed to ensure that it is achievable, although if you want to stretch your beliefs, you can move into the realm of manifestation. So how to best approach it all?

Some people find that creating a vision board using pictures and words from magazines an effective way to visualize a goal. Frequent viewing will help imprint your subconscious mind with what you want to achieve.

Others may like to mind map and create a web of ideas that show the goal as the central target and the steps required to get there.

Perhaps you are more comfortable with a more linear approach and draw/create a spreadsheet of sorts with columns that allow you to compartmentalize the goal, the steps or action to take and the resources that you have or would need to achieve the goal.

There is something in common with all of these methods. It is the physical representation of bringing out your thoughts and expressing them. The end result can remain as private or public as you want it to be.

In Art Therapy there is yet another way and that is to create a scene map. Sketching a scene that depicts the outcome of your intended goal. Using language to describe it as if it has already happened. I used this technique to express my desire to get a dog and just 6 days later there was a dog ready for adoption. You can read more about that HERE

 

Ending and Beginning

Goal Setting, , ,

A timely post – seeing as I haven’t posted for some time. Tonight’s Full Moon in Gemini is a time of letting go of the old to let the new come in. In Victoria we have had 100 days + of lockdown and no new COVID cases for some weeks, so we’ve certainly had time to audit what is working for us and what isn’t. A Full Moon is time for ending and beginning something new.  It’s about being aware of what we can release,  let go and what we can look forward to in the coming months. For me, it has been a time of both ending and beginning – just as Victorians ended lockdown, I began my own extended time of “lockdown” with a broken lower leg. Another 6 weeks of keeping pretty much to myself and physically restricted from moving about or driving.

I had kept myself busy during the official lockdown with my Art Therapy studies and am pleased to announce that I have completed these and will be offering some Art Therapy workshops in 2021 as well as a new Stress Management range of workshops.  A wonderful ending and beginning!

So what will I be doing later this evening as the Full Moon rises? After I’ve put my crystals out to bathe in the moonlight, I’m going to meditate and then journal on what I want to bring into fruition over the next few months. Then let go of any baggage around the last few months.

This can be as simple as taking a clean sheet of paper and writing down – in dot point or single words – what it is that no longer serves you. When your list or paper is full (& mindful of fire restrictions for your area) – set a match to it and burn it …. offering it up to the Universe to deal with. Put the cooled ashes onto your garden or a pot plant to return them to the Earth.

Once done, have a shower/take a bath/have a swim/splash water on your feet or face. This symbolically washes away the emotions that you have attributed to these things.

If you did a New Moon intention, look back over that and see what has already manifested and tick it off. In the New Year I will be running Vision Board workshops that go a little deeper and will help you to develop a regular plan to bring in abundance.

Being Specific

A Balanced Life, Goal Setting, , , ,

For goals to be really achievable, being specific is the key to clarity and success. Being specific means that as you work on setting your goal, you review what you want to change or add or even subtract as you become clear about what you want to achieve.

Ideally, you will want to break down larger, long term goals into smaller parts, aiming for at least five small, achievable goals.

For each goal, I would suggest considering three action steps or activities that would lead to achieving the goal.

Planning and preparation will lay the groundwork for success and it is easy to get so caught up in planning that you may experience “paralysis by analysis”….. and need to revisit the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Sweetheart). Once you have overcome any hurdles and created a workable plan, then you can focus on your productive actions.

What do you need to do daily, weekly, monthly?

What is achievable or easily attainable?

Evaluate each step as you take consistent action. Create a list of the most productive actions you can take.

What are you doing to move yourself forward to achieving that first goal, then the next and so on? You may even find that bolder actions will bring about bigger results.

Take a weight loss client for instance. Three action steps they could take would be:

  • eating less – tracking calories/kilojoules and portion sizes
  • exercising more regularly – starting off with gentle exercise and increasing intensity with each goal achieved
  • creating a deadline –  don’t create stress by setting an unrealistic timeline – the cortisol will help keep that weight on – detach from the outcome and daily weigh ins  and have Plan B in place if there may be events out of your control.

To be continued…….

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5 Steps to Surviving the Summer Holidays

Energy, Goal Setting, Insights, Life balance, Summer, , , , , , , ,

Summer is just a few weeks away and the festive season is getting closer. Whether you look forward to it or dread it, the holiday season can be stressful for many reasons but it is possible to get through this time by following these steps.

  1. Remember to breathe…… establishing a routine for deep breathing prior to the holidays will result in this becoming second nature to you when you are in a stressful situation. A simple and effective breathing technique, done first thing in the morning and last thing at night, is to lie on your back with your hands over your belly and the fingers just touching each other. Take a deep breath into your belly area and your fingers should separate slightly and then exhale slowly allowing your belly to go flat. Do this ten times. If you find you lose count, then exert a slight pressure on each finger after every exhalation. Do it often enough and it will become a habit, then when there is a stressful situation you can trigger the relaxation by placing a hand on your abdomen and gently counting the breaths and exerting a slight pressure on the fingers.
  2. Stay in the moment…cultivate mindfulness as a strategy. When you are eating…..eat. Avoid distractions such as eating in front of the TV or whilst reading a newspaper. Be aware of the flavour, texture, smell, feel of the food and be especially aware of when you feel full. It’s OK to say “No” to second helpings or to leave some food on the plate. If there is a vast array of food, see this as an opportunity to create a small “tasting plate” and again be aware of the presentation, texture, flavours, smell of the food and whether it is a “friend or foe” to your body. Be curious about the preparation, the combination of flavours or where the food originated from. Listen to a hypnosis CD so that your subconscious mind can help you to make the right decisions about food choices when in social situations.
  3. Give within your means….. this applies not only to presents, but to your time and also what you are giving to yourself in the way of “treats”. If you love to bake, then do so and give away your creations to family and friends. If you are giving your time, make sure that you leave enough for yourself to enjoy the occasion and remember that it is OK to say “No” to demands on your time and energy.  Visualize a bubble around you that allows loving thoughts in and blocks any negative vibrations. If you are intending on giving yourself a “treat”, make it a massage instead of a meringue or a pedicure instead of a pie….
  4. Stick to routines and structure as much as possible…. Have a plan. Most holiday stress comes about from that last minute rush to make everything perfect. Set goals that are realistic. Map out whether there are any obstacles to achieving the goals and work out the best way forward.
  5. Acknowledge your emotions….. the holiday season can be difficult if you have had a bereavement or change in family structure. Spend time reflecting on what traditions you would like to keep and what you would like to change. Have a plan, this may be that you decide to keep the celebrations the way they have always been. Plan B is always a good backup to default to if you realize as you head to a social situation that you need some time alone. It’s quite alright to plan to leave a celebration a little early if you feel overwhelmed. Rescue Remedy is a great help at times like this and if you see a homeopath, ask for some specific grief remedies to help you get by.  Another useful therapy is Hypnotherapy, where you can bypass your conscious mind and use a variety of techniques to help you deal with either difficult people or situations. Smile….. even if you don’t feel like it…. the muscles in your face will send messages to your brain and release endorphins to reduce stress…. Laugh…. a good laugh is contagious and also reduces stress. ….. but above all – be authentic and acknowledge how you are feeling and share how you are feeling.

*article shared with Healthy Energy Summer 2015 Newsletter.

Six Signs of Sabotage

Coaching, Food Choices, Goal Setting, Weight Loss, , , ,

You’ve decided to do something about your weight. All goes well for a short time and then you may experience a plateau and in some cases a spiraling out of control and before you know it, you are back to where you started from.. perhaps even heavier.

How did that happen?

  1. Whilst a part of you wants to achieve success, there may be another part, an inner saboteur that is lurking within, ready to derail you. Sometimes the saboteur is someone near and dear to you. Family members, whilst often well-meaning, will sabotage your plans because of their own control issues. A partner may feel threatened by your new svelte and healthy appearance, subconsciously thinking that you will leave the relationship and sabotage your efforts by buying you chocolates or cakes.
  2. Are you drinking enough fluid? Water is preferable, but there are other non-calorific drinks such as herbal teas that are suitable. If you are dehydrated, you are sabotaging your weight loss by slowing the fat burning process down.
  3. Are you eating enough? Not eating enough puts the body into survival mode. After spending the night sleeping your blood sugar will have dropped, so skipping breakfast is another way to sabotage your weight loss. Make breakfast a priority and remember the saying “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Having a good breakfast will help with your concentration and give you more energy to get through the day.
  4. Are you eating too much? Sugars and refined carbohydrates can be sneaky little devils. Substituting with Aspartame or other chemical sweeteners is not the answer either. Watch your alcohol intake as it converts to a sugar when being processed by the liver. It is likely you are overestimating how much you are eating.  Even though you are choosing healthy foods on your weight loss journey, the portion size matters.
  5. You have bad habits around food. Sitting in front of the TV to eat is a common one. You will either be eating too quickly, or eating unconsciously. Set the table, eat mindfully, putting down your knife and fork between bites and really savour the food…the flavour and textures of your meal. Make it as much a feast for the eyes as it is about an intake of calories. Grazing on food, having “nibbles” readily available is another bad habit. Clear the pantry of those snacks, biscuits and other easy to eat temptations.
  6. Do you “treat” yourself with food? If that inner voice whispers to you “I lost weight so I deserve to have that chocolate/icecream/biscuit/cake…….” you need to review your mindset around food. That inner voice may also whisper to you “just one …..” which if you take the offer up, helps you to slide down the slippery slope of sabotage. If you are going to treat yourself, choose something that’s not food related, like a movie, a massage or a new item of clothing. Take a long term view of your weight loss journey and check in with your thoughts on a regular basis. Instead of thinking that you are deprived of something, change your mindset by asking “Is this a necessity?” or “Is this an obstacle to me achieving my goal weight?”

Chronic stress can also contribute to weight gain. Cortisol, released as part of the stress response, can cause you to have an increased appetite and to crave carbohydrates. A quick way to reduce stress is with exercise to counter the effects of the stress hormones and meditation to still the mind.

To help you still the mind, I’m sharing my 20 minute Easy Weight Loss video which you can use as a meditation or a screen saver.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIYFBWAsmWs]

Mindset

conversation, Goal Setting, Philosophy, ,

ResentmentRecently I was reminded of an old folk tale coming from the Cherokee tradition.

An elder was teaching a young boy to recognize his inner self.  He told the young boy, ” I have this fight going on inside me….. it is terrible, like a fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. Full of anger, arrogance, resentment, envy, greed, lies, ego, superiority, false pride and self-doubt and self-pity.”

“The other wolf is good. This one is loving, peaceful, full of joy and compassion, hope, kindness, serenity, truthfulness and generosity.  Everyone, including you has this same fight inside.”

The young boy looked at the old man and after a moment of deep thought, asked the elder, “Which wolf wins?”

To which the elder replied, “The one you feed.”

When we feed either wolf, or our mindset, we also strengthen the neural networks within us. So if we are in a negative or fixed mindset most of the time, then that’s the one that gets fed. Likewise if it’s a growth or positive mindset.

How can we tell which is which?

A person with a fixed mindset is more likely to believe that success is achieved by innate talent. They will make excuses that they are not good at being creative, artistic, sporting and so on…and will often seek to hide or disguise their flaws. They make themselves familiar with failure and use words like “I wish……”

On the other hand, a person with a growth mindset believes that through determination and hard work,  success can and will be achievable. They seek opportunities to develop their creative, artistic, sporting skills and will create a “to do” list to address their flaws. A person with this mindset will see setbacks as challenges to overcome.

So feed the mindset that you want.

Have a vision and set some achievable goals.

Love what you do…….

 

A Master Number Day

Abundance, dreaming, Goal Setting, gratitude, guides, prosperity, release, Spirituality, Tarot, Transformation

 2 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 4 = 11 ….. a Master Number Day……. and what an interesting day it has been so far….
This month is a continuation of last year’s quest to simplify and a few activities that I was involved in last year have now been put aside. Just to test me, a possible new venture was put in my path and although the person was quite persuasive, it didn’t sit right.

Business planning for the next 90 days is underway and a review of websites and their content is happening. Pages have been deleted and templates changed.  A quick break for a cup of tea and a refill of the water bottle and back to the office……and just after I had entered the room….. an almighty crash!! Two certificates fell to the floor…… two others, above and below stayed secure on the wall. No glass broken… and another tenant came rushing out to see if I was OK.
A quick spray of space clearing essence and then some clearing work to be done as a couple of things have moved in the past week or so and my sacred bamboo has suddenly turned up its toes and terminally wilted.

My timetabled study done, another break was beckoning. This time I decided to consult the cards ……Using the Rider Waite deck, the following 3 turned up. I don’t consider myself a Tarot reader  to read for others, but I will turn the cards for myself.

In the context of my life at present, I found it interesting that I picked up a card with a garden or agricultural background.

Currently sowing the seeds of new beginnings, I will tend these seeds carefully so as to be rewarded with a good harvest.

I also see this as holding the foundations of future abundance as I begin to follow my soul’s path.

The second card I drew was the 3 of Swords.
Initially when I looked at it first I saw only the Heart, then the piercing of it with the 3 swords.
A validation that the ending of several draining relationships was literally, in the cards!
A time of release…. and time to focus on recovery by letting go and moving on.
Explains the deep sadness that has enveloped me the last couple of days….

I had to laugh to myself when the third card revealed itself…. The Fool!
Carrying a bag of tricks  on his shoulder, if one should look inside, I’m sure it contains powerful dreams and gifts

Stepping out and beginning a new journey, the challenge is to maintain balance on what seems to be a narrow path, yet maintain an equilibrium between heaven and earth. I’m always needing to be more grounded!!

The small white dog seems to protect yet push the boundaries of the traveller who seems to be appreciating the beauty of the journey – sun shining and mountains in the distance. With face turned heavenward to better receive the information of the gods and yet treading lightly upon the earth, this card seems to me to be a signal to confront any fears and trust that I will take the next step safely.

Only today, I noticed that the card has a zero at the top. Starting with nothing and creating the endless possibilities contained within a circle? Or “O” for optimism?

A pleasant interlude and the creation of a space to share my personal interpretation of the cards.

Are you doing what you want?

balance, Choice, Education, Goal Setting, Hypnotherapy, Reiki


Life is too short to fit in all the things I would like to do – either I’m going to have to be an active senior or come back again for another lifetime!
Right now, I am doing what I love.
Some writing, some creating, seeing clients for Reiki and Hypnotherapy……& loving it!
Easily distracted by the next, new, bright shiny thing- just like a magpie – has led me on some fascinating journeys.
There is always something interesting to do and have explored many paths, all of which have taken me to exactly where I needed to be at the time and put me in touch with those I needed to meet….

A change in careers is not a problem – I have done it several times and will hopefully keep learning about new things for  many more years to come. Nothing like keeping the brain cells active!
There have been times when there hasn’t always been all the money I would have liked to have, but somehow the universe has always provided.
I see people who are profoundly unhappy doing what they think they should in order to please others. See their souls being gradually become drab and listless
….are you doing what you want?
If not – why not?

Winter Solstice 2012

Energy, Goal Setting, Meditation, Polarity, Reiki, visualization

The days have been drawing in and today marks the Winter Solstice in Australia.
The shortest day of the year or the longest night and how you view this depends on your mindset.
For me, it marks the beginning of the return to summer and warmth.
I can certainly appreciate the beauty that the winter season brings with the deciduous trees displaying the amazing structure of branches that may have been hidden by foliage, the patterns that ice makes on the windscreen, the first tentative shoots of the spring bulbs in the garden and so on.

This Solstice also has a New Moon associated with it and putting the two together can create some pretty powerful alchemy.
Two turning points!
The New Moon is associated with bringing in new intentions and new energy, so is an ideal time to be writing your next 90 day goals and reviewing your desires.
Take a moment to feel what it is that your heart really desires. Utilize your senses and see, hear and feel what it looks like, sounds like and feels like to have what you desire or wish for. Note whether it is in alignment with your Higher Self – does it feel congruent?
Really capture the feel of your wish or desire. Phrase it positively and make an affirmation, using words that have health, happiness and a sense of ease in them.
What will stand in your way to achieving this? Are there any blocks?
What do you need to let go of and release with gratitude to allow the new energy in? By releasing any negative traits that you may be holding on to, you create a space for new abundance and prosperity to florish.
Now it’s up to you- as well as the Universe – you need to work towards the wish, make it an achievable goal and understand that this is an energetic intention.
You can give your intention a helping hand to release any energetic blocks in your body, by having a Polarity Therapy Massage or a Reiki treatment.