63 years young today. If you had asked me in my teens what I would be doing in my 60’s I would have said pretty much that life was over and winding down. I’m actually enjoying coaching small business owners as much as when I started 10 years ago. Completing three insane CrossFit sessions a…
I love the concept of appropriate effort, which I discovered from the Alexander Technique. I don’t drive my car any better by tightly grasping the steering wheel. Hit a golf ball further by squeezing my hands around the golf club. Or lift heavier weights in the gym by clenching my teeth. Anything more than appropriate…
What I resist persists. Try NOT picturing a pink elephant with blue spots. My brain can’t picture NOT, it pictures a pink elephant with blue spots. When I create a focus for myself, or with my clients, it’s never on what I or they don’t want, but the opposite. For example, try flipping thoughts from; ‘I…
Distinguishing a bloody good reason to do something helps to have the discipline to follow it through. If you are clear on your values – what’s most important to you – and you visualise the desired outcome, you create bigger picture perspective. For example, a few years ago I thought it would be a good…
There is an abundance of opportunity. If I stand in this point of view it has me being positive, proactive, and creative. When I’m focused on scarcity, I’m cautious, deferring, negative, protecting what I have. I noticed a client for 3 weeks running with a slumped posture, negative language, and a significant amount of energy…
This is such a simple, but profoundly sound concept. Someone with a great skill set but not a positive attitude on the bus will cause other good staff to get off. I had an example in the last week where a client was looking for a new member of staff for a specific role. He…
Multi-tasking is the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time. Try going ‘all in’ for that 2 hour task or meeting, eliminating all other distractions. Or 24 hours focused on accomplishing one outcome, or even a week, a month, or year playing full out in one area. It contradicts the work…
If I’m sweating the small stuff, a lot of my energy goes into things which in the bigger perspective are not that important. When I play a bigger game, I go beyond being concerned about the smaller things, which then, rather than occur as the ‘be all and end all’, seem to take care of…
I love this simple mindset hack. It’s a version of being a glass half full as opposed to a glass half empty person. Sometimes when we’re in a downward spiral our thoughts, language and energy get invested into negativity, which rarely makes a helpful contribution. You’re either pregnant or not. You can’t be positive and negative…
As we approach the end summer, I’ve found I’ve wound down just a little too much, and need a big kick up the backside to get going and really accomplish something in the last quarter of this year. So this week I set up two weekly personal coaching meetings on Mondays and Fridays to declare…
I was once at a personal development seminar in London, and I was describing afterwards the extraordinary woman who led the event for four days. ‘She was amazing’ I said to a friend. ‘Well dressed, articulate, speaking clearly and powerfully, not stepping over anything until it was complete.’ My friend replied, ‘Well, just hold up…
A cliche, but we just can’t help looking to see what others appear to be accomplishing, personally or in business. It’s obviously a good idea to keep an eye on what other people or businesses are doing for inspiration and what’s working, or not. But if you’ve done the work to identify what’s most important…
Sometimes things just fall into place. The right person, opportunity, or circumstance appears, and you don’t need to burn any brain cell calories to think about what to do. Synchronicity? Fate? Or coincidence? I believe this happens when you’ve already ‘done the work’. A plan of action is ready, on paper, or in your head.…
In Newquay again, testing the practice of creating a Life by Design. I ‘retire’ for a month every year to recharge, sharpen the product and plan what’s next. Inspired by the Tim Ferriss book The Four Hour Work Week, I bring forward short temporary retirements, and loving what I do, there is no need to…
We can feel like a busy fool sometimes. Running around taking lots of actions that aren’t necessarily having the most impact to make progress. And sometimes we have inspirational ideas that just stay as ideas because of a lack of deliberate and appropriate action. The two combined are powerful. A sense of purpose, or a…
When you take time to plan the end in mind, the end usually turns out better than if you just get going and see how it goes. It’s the same for landscaping a garden or running a business. Pal from Bloomin’ Gardens and Landscapes admits that he pretty much winged the rocky first two years of his property landscaping…
In the middle of a project, game, venture, or adventure it sometimes get tough. Two things are important then; 1. Context – the bigger picture. Coming back to why I’m doing this, and the vision of completion. 2. Accountability – the structure, or ritual, that keeps me taking action, whatever my thoughts, feelings or emotions.
When faced with a daunting task it is easy to procrastinate. A finance application. Recruiting or releasing an employee. A marketing initiative. The first thing I do is give it a name; ‘The ………. Adventure’. Reframing something as an adventure means I don’t fail or succeed – I’m simply starting something, with no way of…
As I approach completing 10 years in business, with those lovely people at Frankman Design we’ve created a simple template to pay forward over 100 great concepts in business life planning on a weekly basis. Watch this space, and I’ll begin sharing every week the products I’ve accumulated on the shelves over 10 years, and…
What’s really important to you? Income? Number of clients? Happy staff? Or personally, sleep? Fitness? A healthy diet? Whatever you distinguish as really important have a simple way to visibly record it. Whether a white board, a journal, or a chart on the fridge. Only if it really counts, count it.
A person cannot rise above how he sees himself. This is the crux of this classic first published back in 1960. All of my actions, feelings and behaviours – even my abilities – are always consistent with my Self Image. I cannot act otherwise. Therefore I need to expand my self-image to grow – not…
Writing down your goals makes you 30% more likely to be successful. And you can double your chances of success again with an accountability structure. So simple. And we don’t do it. It’s actually a privilege to be held to account. To report into someone who has our best interests at heart, listening for what…
The fox is very colourful, clever, and cunning. He sets off to eat the hedgehog everyday, who sees him coming, and simply rolls himself into a prickly ball. The fox circles him a few times, thinking of lots of ways to get through the prickly barrier. He finally gives up and says I’ll try again…
Sometimes it feels like there are 2 dogs inside us fighting for attention. One is happy, cheerful, and loving. The other is a snarling, irritable, and angry dog. How do you make sure the happy, smiling dog comes out on top? You feed the dog you like the most. With positive thoughts, affirmations, and language.…
Sometimes I see, in myself and my client, a reluctance to start what occurs a big job or difficult task. It’s like our minds looking up at a mountain and thinking, ‘that’s too big to climb today’. Tomorrow turns into next week. Which turns into next month. Then next year… A journey of a thousand…
A 10 year celebration for present and past clients of David Collins Business Life Planning. The opportunity to join in a weekend of chilling, drinking, swimming, surfing, paddle boarding, golfing, walking, or whatever activity is your preference with other business owners and their families. Subsidised at only £60 per person per night Friday and Saturday…
A long word that helps create structure for the work / life balance we choose. We do our best work when we are not nicely balanced between business, family, and leisure. But when we are deliberately and appropriately out of balance – when we compartmentalise and completely focus on being at work, being with the…
When we leave home we lose the accountability to our parents and teachers, and if we go into employment it is replaced by accountability to a boss, or manager. But if we go self-employed there is no accountability. Only to ourselves, and we are not always the best person to hold hold ourselves accountable for…
The start of a New Year is an obvious opportunity for a clean slate, new habits, and fresh ideas. How can you create the mindset of everyday of the year an opportunity? By being clear what’s important to you, or not. What you like or don’t. What you want and what you don’t want. It…
Making quality time to think What happens when you have a structure for this processA personal story…The end of year and the start of a new year is a great opportunity for a clean slate, and making a declaration that will really serve you for 12 months.Don’t waste this opportunity.Make an effort to not just make some time for this, but to…
It’s a nice feeling to have Christmas all wrapped up in good time. And like any break, it also feels good to have as much completed as possible before we shut the business door for a few days. This can cause a stressful time – resulting in what feels like a hard landing, as opposed…
The thing I enjoy most at the end of a conversation with anyone is when they say; ‘You know what Dave, this is what I’m going to do…’ And it’s often nothing to do with anything I’ve said, but the questions I’ve asked, listening carefully for what’s most important to that person. Sometimes…
Do you have a structure, or a discipline that makes you stop? Review the last day, week, month or year. Letting the dust settle, and creating the time and space for new thoughts? If you don’t, you will be missing valuable insights into what could improve your business life. When you honour this process with…
I perform better in all areas when I am in a positive mood. But sometimes switching to a positive mood is easier said than done. Through evolution I am hardwired to focus on the negatives to survive. So I can experience 9 fabulous things in a week and one negative, and guess what I will…
There’s a mis-match between what employers assume is generally most important to employees, and what employees say is most important to them; Employees say; 1. Appreciation 2. Feeling ‘in’ on things 3. Understanding attitude 4. Job security 5. Good wages 6. Interesting work 7. Promotion opportunities 8. Loyalty from management 9. Good working conditions…
Despite years of training and practice, the thing I still find the hardest to do consistently. When I hear something that triggers or activates me, I immediately stop listening and go into my world of insecurity, argument, or justification. And I stay there until I notice what’s happened. Fortunately, this now takes seconds or minutes…
Distinguishing, or declaring, commitment is a powerful exercise. It creates the context for actions – whether I feel like doing them or not. Booking a holiday is a commitment. When done, there is no need to put energy into thinking shall I arrange the insurance, the travel money, or the car parking. They become ‘just…
You are more likely to be successful if you write your goals and objectives down and create an accountability structure. And what will keep you going when you hit barriers is faith – or just knowing that whatever you’re facing today you will eventually succeed. Think of the analogy in American football when the quarter…
Writing down goals of objectives make you a third more likely to be successful. By writing down your thoughts they are captured and formalised, preventing your mind from wandering off at a tangent. And you can double your success rate again when your progress is shared with an accountability partner. Its when the best result…
I recently reviewed a great book by Daniel Priestley – Key Person of Influence. Useful tips on the stages to staking a claim in, and mastering, your micro-niche… Pitch > Publish > Product > Profile > Partnership But before you do this, I recommend firstly getting really clear on your ‘Why’ (I use your 3…
Focusing on what’s Strong, not Wrong A better mindset for better results There are 5 main pillars for maintaining wellbeing; Diet Exercise Sleep Breathing, and, A Positive Mindset… And there’s plenty of evidence that proves we can think ourselves more healthy. We have a tendency to especially focus on things that aren’t going well, whether…
Accountability in 2022 Following through on a declaration for this year. With no boss, am I (really) the boss of my own life? When we leave home, we are no longer accountable to parents or teachers, but to a boss – if we are employed. But if self-employed we are only accountable to ourselves. We…
Mastering consistency How to free up your mind from decision fatigue – being clear on what to yes and no to. Many successful businesses settle on just one thing they do repeatedly well. And when they do, their decision making progress for what to say yes and no to becomes simple. Whether it’s the products or services…
We sometimes catch ourselves stuck in a negative state. When someone, or something has upset us, and we can’t help but dwell in the morass. Sometimes for a long period. Here’s a simple tip that can immediately create a positive mindset. It’s interrupting your predictable, default future, and rebranding that future. I explain here in less than 2 minutes how to do this…
Great at Urgent Not so great at Important Working at 100mph on auto-pilot we are great. We become super-effective at getting lots done by becoming more and more efficient. And in todays increasingly cluttered and busy environment, the brain craves short cuts for getting things done. ‘Doing the thing right’, without stopping to think about ‘doing the right thing’. And this can feel like…
“Emotional resilience – refers to one’s ability to adapt to stressful situations or crises. More resilient people are able to “roll with the punches” and adapt to adversity without lasting difficulties; less resilient people have a harder time with stress and life changes, both major and minor.” Or, the opposite of a financial term I also heard recently, ‘being caught swimming naked’! Think…
Breaking it down – step by step. Create the vision for your life, or your business, and you create a clear picture. And sometimes, where you are headed can seem like a mountain – just too big to climb! But if you break this down into stages, or base camps, it’s a lot easier for the brain…
A fresh start with the team Going back to something new… Returning to work with employees there may be some difficult conversations to have, or things you want to change in the future. And you know the people you work with well. You come to relationships and conversations already knowing from past experience how things will go…
Self-employed, you are in charge right? With no boss, I am the boss of my life – I’m in control here.
Sounds a good idea doesn’t it? The cliché of having, and maintaining ‘a good work / life balance’
Be really good, or even the best in the world, at ‘one thing’.
The short story about the fox and the hedgehog…
The current lockdown is bringing significant challenges for most people.
Knowing when to just not give up. In the last couple of months, you may have seen the first two excellent editions of Quay Magazine, sharing inspirational business stories from around Torbay.