Its aim is simple: to help you keep your edge. Each issue will feature interesting snippets, comments, and what I hope will be valuable information. It will be short and to the point so it’s nice and easy to read in a spare moment.
The start of a new year always signifies change whether in our private or business lives. So this first issue is all about change. I also have another reason for choosing this topic.
At the beginning of last year I had two main goals: publish a newsletter and tweak my company website. Twelve months later I have a new positioning, name and identity, as well as a totally revamped website (www.ashteadgroup.org).
It’s not always been an easy journey but I was determined not to let my resolutions fall by the wayside with the discarded gym memberships and GI diets. I spend a great deal of my time advising organisations on change management and helping with implementation. My personal journey through business change has given me a different perspective. And that’s what I want to share with you.
I hope you enjoy the newsletter along with a very happy and prosperous 2008.
Change is constant but more so at the start of a new year. Articles in newspapers and magazines constantly nag us to make a new start and challenge ourselves.
However, as John Lennon once said: “Life is what happens to us while we are busy making plans.” And such is the lot of anyone embarking on change.
As I progressed on my own particular journey of change last year, the route began to twist and turn. Then it gathered great pace and became really exciting.
So I urge you to challenge yourself to be different this year. Our greatest success often comes just one step beyond the point at which defeat has overcome us. In other words, stickability works.
Take some time to reflect on your business and personal goals. How important are they really to you? What’s stopping you from working towards them? The acronym MRBEVIS is a handy little behaviour change model that could help you take that first step:
- Meaning for you (does the action either help or hinder you in some way which is important to you)
- Relevant (does it move you towards an end goal)
- Belief (do you believe in it. Do you believe it’s right to do it; do you believe you can do it)
- Efficacy (do you have the skills and capabilities to do it)
- Values (is it in line with your personal values)
- Inertia (what’s going to help you get over any residual inertia. How can you make the first step compelling and important enough to start the momentum and avoid ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’)
- Secondary gain (what do you stand to gain or lose by doing this action as a secondary effect)
Life Launch:
A Passionate Guide to the Rest of Your Life
by Frederic M. Hudson and Pamela D. McLean.
A great read particularly when you’re planning new horizons. The subtitle is “a passionate guide to the rest of your life”. We could all do with a bit of passionate planning in the winter months!
The authors suggest you should use it as a personal journal. Read it slowly, a little bit at a time. Then reflect, adding your own thoughts. Concentrate first on understanding the ideas in the book, then on applying them to your life using the questions and exercises provided.
Lifelaunch helped me during my major transition from employee to self-employed consultant. It helped me take stock. The concept of laying out your life story as a series of chapters was particularly useful.
The idea is that we must
close each chapter taking from it only what we need before moving on to
the next. It taught me to welcome my transition: not fear it. I’ve
never looked back.
I’ve just hit my mid-forties and recently revisited the book. The
big learning was to see my life as "time left" rather than "time
lived". This has helped me cut out activities that don't add meaning
to my life and to really concentrate on looking after myself. And yes
that does involve going to the gym!
Life Launch is published by The Hudson Institute Press. ISBN 1-884433-84-7
“Be the change you want to see
in the world”
Mahatma Gandhi
The biggest inhibitor to change lies within yourself, and nothing gets better until you change. Here are some tips to help you on your way:
- Change happens, so embrace it
- The quicker you let go of the old, the sooner you can enjoy the new
- Enjoy change: ‘you must leave sight of the shore if you are to find new worlds’
- Look at how children deal with change: 75% of the jobs schoolchildren will go on to haven’t been invented yet. They have to be open to change
- Keep life simple. Don’t over analyse or complicate things
- Don’t listen to your self-limiting beliefs. Just because you can’t draw well doesn’t mean you’re not creative
- Notice when the little changes appear. That way you’re better prepared when the big change comes
- Trust that letting go of the past will lead you to new and better things
- In our parents’ day everybody knew the rules and most people followed them to succeed and be happy. In our world the rules keep changing, day by day.
- Read or reread ‘Who Moved My Cheese’ by Dr Spencer Johnson
The following excerpt is from Life Launch – this issue’s recommended book:
The new paradigm: four new rules
1) The circular rule. Think of your life as a story with many chapters,
each with a beginning and an end. Learn how to begin each chapter of your
life with feisty determination to make it succeed. Learn how to design
your exit when the chapter is limp and exhausted – without whining
or blaming.
2) The inside-out rule. To stay on course in a frantic world you need to be anchored in your beliefs. Choose a quiet place to sit and ponder each day or once a week. Seek out regular contact with a long-term friend who acts as a mentor. Try writing down your free-flowing thoughts and ideas.
3) The learning-isn’t-just-for-kids rule. Make a commitment to learning and you’ll stay fresh and alert. When learning, your awareness, concern and knowledge for things increases. Your mental stability is disturbed creating positive change for growth and discovery.
4) The endless change rule. Since all arrivals are temporary, conducting the journey is more important than the destinations.
Parting thought
Life is a mystery – unfold
it
Life is a struggle – face it
Life is beauty – praise it
Life is a puzzle – solve it
Life is opportunity – take it
Life is sorrowful – experience it
Life is a song – sing it
Life is a goal – achieve it
Life is a mission – fulfil it
Anonymous
NEXT ISSUE
Want to learn how to unlock your creativity? Find out how in the next issue of the APG e-newsletter out at the end of March.
To find out more about APG visit www.ashteadgroup.org