Liz Driscoll. We salute you.
Liz will be cycling to Amsterdam, from London in aid of the NSPCC, and deserves all the support in the world.
We are all ever so impressed with the dedication she has shown in preparing for this arduous task.
If you would like to show your support, then please do so here...
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/lizdriscoll1
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Crossing the Severn Bridge for the six time in 10 days today I thought that I'd find out a bit more.
Here are my top ten facts.
1 - The old Severn Bridge owed about £450 million, The debt was taken on by the new bridge owners
2 - They are not owned by the French
3 - They are owned by a consortium (including Laing and the French & MANY PUBLIC SECTOR PENSION FUNDS but mainly American Banks)
4 - They earn about £76 million a year
5 - They cost about £15 million a year to maintain
6 - They become public ownership after 30 years or £1 billion is made by the holding company.
7 - Currently they earnings are ahead of forecast and will see the bridge become public owned in around 2017
8 - The old bridge starts and ends in England. It does not touch Wales.
9 - You CAN pay by credit or debit card
10 - The second bridge is 3.2 miles long according to the mileage meter on my Van.
This parliamentary debate is the best source of info that I have found.
Here are my top ten facts.
1 - The old Severn Bridge owed about £450 million, The debt was taken on by the new bridge owners
2 - They are not owned by the French
3 - They are owned by a consortium (including Laing and the French & MANY PUBLIC SECTOR PENSION FUNDS but mainly American Banks)
4 - They earn about £76 million a year
5 - They cost about £15 million a year to maintain
6 - They become public ownership after 30 years or £1 billion is made by the holding company.
7 - Currently they earnings are ahead of forecast and will see the bridge become public owned in around 2017
8 - The old bridge starts and ends in England. It does not touch Wales.
9 - You CAN pay by credit or debit card
10 - The second bridge is 3.2 miles long according to the mileage meter on my Van.
This parliamentary debate is the best source of info that I have found.
Monday 5 December 2011
Motivational Monday
Self Motivation Tips For Success
Self motivation tips is a lens that will help you develop some of the internal skills that lead to you achieving much more in life. As a professional coach one of the things that I find with a number of people is that they are capable of many great things but really struggle to follow through unless they are being "pushed". With them the motivation is external and most of the time they're looking for someone else to keep them going. A much more empowering way would be for them to learn some of the techniques for self motivation and that way they would not only achieve more but they would have a far stronger sense of achievement.
In this lens we'll look at some of those motivational techniques and how you can take them and apply them in your own life. Here's the kicker though; If you don't apply them they won't work for you. Stunningly obvious I know but sadly it's where most people fail. You probably know at least one person like that. They can tell you word for word the teachings of the best motivational speakers like Bob Proctor, Anthony Robbins, Robin Scharma and the rest of the guys. They can give you a reading list to make the British Library envious. They've probably bought every success cd on the market and attended motivational summits but they're still in the same place they started at. Why? Simply because that's all great stuff but it's external and they lack SELF motivation.
Self motivation tips is a lens that will help you develop some of the internal skills that lead to you achieving much more in life. As a professional coach one of the things that I find with a number of people is that they are capable of many great things but really struggle to follow through unless they are being "pushed". With them the motivation is external and most of the time they're looking for someone else to keep them going. A much more empowering way would be for them to learn some of the techniques for self motivation and that way they would not only achieve more but they would have a far stronger sense of achievement.
In this lens we'll look at some of those motivational techniques and how you can take them and apply them in your own life. Here's the kicker though; If you don't apply them they won't work for you. Stunningly obvious I know but sadly it's where most people fail. You probably know at least one person like that. They can tell you word for word the teachings of the best motivational speakers like Bob Proctor, Anthony Robbins, Robin Scharma and the rest of the guys. They can give you a reading list to make the British Library envious. They've probably bought every success cd on the market and attended motivational summits but they're still in the same place they started at. Why? Simply because that's all great stuff but it's external and they lack SELF motivation.
Monday 28 November 2011
Motivational Monday Tips from Tantrwm
1. Live Below Your Means
There will always be temptation to forsake the future for immediate gratification. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can’t afford. It might feel great at the time but rash spending hurts a lot later on.
Enjoy life’s simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don’t create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run.
2. Put Your Money to Work
Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40′s or in your 60′s.
A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent’s projections, if a person in their early 20′s invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40′s. They could retire without a drop in income!
Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it’s something everyone can work on. It’s definitely an area I’ll be devoting more attention to in my personal life and on this blog.
3. Educate Yourself
To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life long education. This doesn’t mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone.
The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives.Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don’t mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.
4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships
Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don’t forget about them.
Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to longterm happiness. Without the people you care about you’ll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become.
5. Work Towards a Dream You’re Passionate About
Even if your life isn’t perfect, you can always build towards a goal you’re passionate about. If you aren’t building towards something, you’re probably stagnating. When this happens to me I start to feel like a victim trapped by my own life. The best way to reverse this is working towards a goal.
We can’t control everything about our lives, but working towards a goal gives us something positive to focus on and lays the foundation for future success. No matter what your passion is, get out there and start doing something. As Lao Tzu said, even a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
6. Stay in Shape
You only get one body. Once it’s been ruined there isn’t much you can do about it. Exercise to keep the rust off. Avoid excessive consumption of damaging substances and unhealthy foods. It may feel like terrible self denial at the time but enjoying good health in your later years is worth the sacrifice.
1. Live Below Your Means
There will always be temptation to forsake the future for immediate gratification. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can’t afford. It might feel great at the time but rash spending hurts a lot later on.
Enjoy life’s simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don’t create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run.
2. Put Your Money to Work
Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40′s or in your 60′s.
A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent’s projections, if a person in their early 20′s invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40′s. They could retire without a drop in income!
Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it’s something everyone can work on. It’s definitely an area I’ll be devoting more attention to in my personal life and on this blog.
3. Educate Yourself
To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life long education. This doesn’t mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone.
The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives.Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don’t mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.
4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships
Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don’t forget about them.
Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to longterm happiness. Without the people you care about you’ll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become.
5. Work Towards a Dream You’re Passionate About
Even if your life isn’t perfect, you can always build towards a goal you’re passionate about. If you aren’t building towards something, you’re probably stagnating. When this happens to me I start to feel like a victim trapped by my own life. The best way to reverse this is working towards a goal.
We can’t control everything about our lives, but working towards a goal gives us something positive to focus on and lays the foundation for future success. No matter what your passion is, get out there and start doing something. As Lao Tzu said, even a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
6. Stay in Shape
You only get one body. Once it’s been ruined there isn’t much you can do about it. Exercise to keep the rust off. Avoid excessive consumption of damaging substances and unhealthy foods. It may feel like terrible self denial at the time but enjoying good health in your later years is worth the sacrifice.
Monday 21 November 2011
Motivational Monday
Motivational Tips to Hack Your Day
Admittedly most of struggle with increasing workloads. Getting through a regular day isn’t as straight forward anymore as it was maybe ten years ago. With the increased pressures we face every day, it only makes sense to find ways that help us hack our days to keep some sort of mental balance.
The sooner we take back control, the more we can eventually relax and enjoy life.
A definition of “hack” was found to explain:{one who works hard at boring tasks}
It starts at the beginning
Before we even attempt to try a day hack we need to look back and write down the biggest hurdles we face every day to get things done. Perhaps they are:
doing the washing
paying bills
cleaning up the house
feeding the family
write correspondence
finish tasks for work
etc.
Either way, most of us have certain things that are part of every day. If not, we do have at least a weekly schedule that prompts us to act on these things.
Let’s face it, we don’t really get excited to clean the house or wash the dishes. Nor do we feel that paying bills is a task we can’t wait to perform. Trouble is, that since most of us hate to do all the necessary things we need to, we often fall behind and as a result start stressing out when we realize we just missed an important deadline. You probably felt like this many times in your life before. But how do we turn boring tasks into an exciting experience?
To claim back your day and start to have some measures of fun despite all the hard work we do and the responsibilities we have, we can do a few simple things. These things will serve to have us relaxed, instead of stressed out at the end of every day. Not only will we be able to gain back some valuable time, but often we’ll sleep much better as a result. Which will give us more energy to get even more done!
Start of by:
1. Planning for the week ahead.
2. Before you leave the house each morning for work/school spend 30 minutes to clean up.
3. Choose a set day to pay your bills each week.
4. Divide work between family members.
5. Do all you shopping at once. Shopping is an essential necessity.
6. To save time cooking you can prep meals ahead of time.
The more ways we find to work smart at home, the more we can enjoy time off work at the end of every day. In a world that is increasingly putting more and more demands on us this has never been more important.
Admittedly most of struggle with increasing workloads. Getting through a regular day isn’t as straight forward anymore as it was maybe ten years ago. With the increased pressures we face every day, it only makes sense to find ways that help us hack our days to keep some sort of mental balance.
The sooner we take back control, the more we can eventually relax and enjoy life.
A definition of “hack” was found to explain:{one who works hard at boring tasks}
It starts at the beginning
Before we even attempt to try a day hack we need to look back and write down the biggest hurdles we face every day to get things done. Perhaps they are:
doing the washing
paying bills
cleaning up the house
feeding the family
write correspondence
finish tasks for work
etc.
Either way, most of us have certain things that are part of every day. If not, we do have at least a weekly schedule that prompts us to act on these things.
Let’s face it, we don’t really get excited to clean the house or wash the dishes. Nor do we feel that paying bills is a task we can’t wait to perform. Trouble is, that since most of us hate to do all the necessary things we need to, we often fall behind and as a result start stressing out when we realize we just missed an important deadline. You probably felt like this many times in your life before. But how do we turn boring tasks into an exciting experience?
To claim back your day and start to have some measures of fun despite all the hard work we do and the responsibilities we have, we can do a few simple things. These things will serve to have us relaxed, instead of stressed out at the end of every day. Not only will we be able to gain back some valuable time, but often we’ll sleep much better as a result. Which will give us more energy to get even more done!
Start of by:
1. Planning for the week ahead.
2. Before you leave the house each morning for work/school spend 30 minutes to clean up.
3. Choose a set day to pay your bills each week.
4. Divide work between family members.
5. Do all you shopping at once. Shopping is an essential necessity.
6. To save time cooking you can prep meals ahead of time.
The more ways we find to work smart at home, the more we can enjoy time off work at the end of every day. In a world that is increasingly putting more and more demands on us this has never been more important.
Monday 14 November 2011
MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY
Tips For How To Get Motivated Today
Find Your Mantra or Slogan. A mantra doesn’t have to be long. Raam’s mantra is taken from Aristotle [you are what you repeatedly do]. Raam expanded on it and gave me permission to post the full thing. I love it - “Get out and do something. Move. Interact. Explore. Breathe. Take a chance.
“Stop voluntarily wasting your life. Stop complaining and saying you’re bored. It’s your life. Do something with it. You are what you repeatedly do.”
Everyone has his or her own life to live, and I can’t tell your what your mantra is, but I bet you probably already have something in mind.
Remember Your Peak Moments. These are moments of triumph and they remind me who I am, what I am about and why I am chasing my unique goals.
“A peak moment is a time when you felt you were at the top of your game. Your Peak Moment connects you with that time when you felt most fulfilled, most stretched, most present, a moment of insight where you say: “yes this is something to remember, this is a moment of me at my most essential, me at my most authentic and best.”
Find Your Mantra or Slogan. A mantra doesn’t have to be long. Raam’s mantra is taken from Aristotle [you are what you repeatedly do]. Raam expanded on it and gave me permission to post the full thing. I love it - “Get out and do something. Move. Interact. Explore. Breathe. Take a chance.
“Stop voluntarily wasting your life. Stop complaining and saying you’re bored. It’s your life. Do something with it. You are what you repeatedly do.”
Everyone has his or her own life to live, and I can’t tell your what your mantra is, but I bet you probably already have something in mind.
Remember Your Peak Moments. These are moments of triumph and they remind me who I am, what I am about and why I am chasing my unique goals.
“A peak moment is a time when you felt you were at the top of your game. Your Peak Moment connects you with that time when you felt most fulfilled, most stretched, most present, a moment of insight where you say: “yes this is something to remember, this is a moment of me at my most essential, me at my most authentic and best.”
Friday 11 November 2011
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
The Audio Book Bay.
Now in the past i have shared with you a great ebook site called bookboon for loads of business and other free ebooks. Well this week we have discovered a great site that gives away free audio books.
There are all types available from classics such as shakespear through to recent books such as "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo". There are many business books and autobiographies available as well.
You need to sign up with an email for the torrent down load versions or if you want direct download links then you need a credit card (We use the torrent site and it works great).
Enjoy
Now in the past i have shared with you a great ebook site called bookboon for loads of business and other free ebooks. Well this week we have discovered a great site that gives away free audio books.
There are all types available from classics such as shakespear through to recent books such as "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo". There are many business books and autobiographies available as well.
You need to sign up with an email for the torrent down load versions or if you want direct download links then you need a credit card (We use the torrent site and it works great).
Enjoy
Monday 7 November 2011
Motivational Monday
Extreme focus
Though this weeks topic brings to mind all the old comments about "can't see the forest for the trees," and sometimes, people can't see the tree for the knothole, I think it's still something to remember: focus adds power; as we focus on one part of our life, we tend to give more weight to that area.
That's good and bad, of course. When we focus on one particular area, we tend to "defocus" on other areas, some of which could be extremely important: family, happiness, the future. But by focusing on one particular area, it increases the chance that we'll have success in that area.
Like a kid using a magnifying glass to burn ants on the pavement, or like a nail being driven home by a hammer, focusing our energy on one single area gives us power and energy that we can get no other way. It's a useful mechanism to create change in our lives. Many people use an alteration of this technique, maintaining extreme focus for enough time to accomplish change, and then moving the focus to a new challenge to overcome.
Whatever way you work on it, extreme focus is an important technique to accomplish change in our lives, as long as we don't go overboard to the detriment of the remainder of areas that we must include in order to achieve true happiness.
Though this weeks topic brings to mind all the old comments about "can't see the forest for the trees," and sometimes, people can't see the tree for the knothole, I think it's still something to remember: focus adds power; as we focus on one part of our life, we tend to give more weight to that area.
That's good and bad, of course. When we focus on one particular area, we tend to "defocus" on other areas, some of which could be extremely important: family, happiness, the future. But by focusing on one particular area, it increases the chance that we'll have success in that area.
Like a kid using a magnifying glass to burn ants on the pavement, or like a nail being driven home by a hammer, focusing our energy on one single area gives us power and energy that we can get no other way. It's a useful mechanism to create change in our lives. Many people use an alteration of this technique, maintaining extreme focus for enough time to accomplish change, and then moving the focus to a new challenge to overcome.
Whatever way you work on it, extreme focus is an important technique to accomplish change in our lives, as long as we don't go overboard to the detriment of the remainder of areas that we must include in order to achieve true happiness.
Friday 4 November 2011
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: Do you use a calendar? How about a contact management tool? Even project management, billing and scheduling.
worketc is an amazing resource for all you busy people. It is an integrated business automation tool.
Believe us when i tell you that Tantrwm uses this tool EVERY day. It is a real business saviour. And it is even available in the Welsh language.
WORKetc combines CRM, project management, billing, sales, support and more with a powerful automation engine to help take your small business to the next level.
worketc is an amazing resource for all you busy people. It is an integrated business automation tool.
Believe us when i tell you that Tantrwm uses this tool EVERY day. It is a real business saviour. And it is even available in the Welsh language.
WORKetc combines CRM, project management, billing, sales, support and more with a powerful automation engine to help take your small business to the next level.
Monday 31 October 2011
Motivatinal Monday
Determination
What does it mean to be determined?
When you’re determined to do something, you’ve set your mind to it. You’ve decided it. You’ve set it in stone. You’ve thrust your shoulders back, put your legs in gear, started your movement, and set off down the road to a destination, without any chance of turning back.
That’s what it means to be determined.
And that’s something that most people will not achieve.
Most people, for whatever reason, rarely set their mind to anything. They waffle and hedge, hem and haw, mumble and make excuses. They may do great things if they set their mind to it, but since they never really get determined, they never really make a difference.
The determined person is going to accomplish their goal, come hell or high water, or die trying. They won’t make excuses, because there is no excuse for not achieving a goal. They set their mind on a course of action, and determinedly keep on working until that goal is achieved and the course of action bears fruit.
The determined person is the one who determines goals, sets goals, and achieves goals.
The determined person determines his or her life’s work, and never lets up until that is achieved.
They may change their mind from time to time, as circumstances present themselves, but they invariably move down the new path with as much determination as they traversed their former road. Determination makes a difference. In fact, determination makes THE difference.
What does it mean to be determined?
When you’re determined to do something, you’ve set your mind to it. You’ve decided it. You’ve set it in stone. You’ve thrust your shoulders back, put your legs in gear, started your movement, and set off down the road to a destination, without any chance of turning back.
That’s what it means to be determined.
And that’s something that most people will not achieve.
Most people, for whatever reason, rarely set their mind to anything. They waffle and hedge, hem and haw, mumble and make excuses. They may do great things if they set their mind to it, but since they never really get determined, they never really make a difference.
The determined person is going to accomplish their goal, come hell or high water, or die trying. They won’t make excuses, because there is no excuse for not achieving a goal. They set their mind on a course of action, and determinedly keep on working until that goal is achieved and the course of action bears fruit.
The determined person is the one who determines goals, sets goals, and achieves goals.
The determined person determines his or her life’s work, and never lets up until that is achieved.
They may change their mind from time to time, as circumstances present themselves, but they invariably move down the new path with as much determination as they traversed their former road. Determination makes a difference. In fact, determination makes THE difference.
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