Tara West » success

Are You Being Choked By Weeds?

Tara — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:57:19 +0000

I discovered the other day that the little patch of plants I was so lovingly caring for were, in fact, weeds! I had planted some cabbage seeds and mistakenly thought they were my little cabbages until the weeds got bigger and I realised my mistake Being a novice gardener, I am learning all the time!

My mistake then had me thinking about my own life and what ‘weeds’ I am cultivating.

Some of the weeds in our life can grow rampant and totally overtake all the sweet, good things; whilst others may pop up here and there and make a slower transition into a fully grown weed.

Sometimes, we may not realise we are cultivating our weeds as weeds can look like something else entirely – just like my cabbage patch. It’s not until they start to grow and choke the good things that we recognise the damage that the weed is doing. And by then, it takes more effort to get the weeds under control. If they are a very bad pest, it can take a longer time to totally eradicate the weed.

Are your sweet, good things in life being choked by weeds?

You may realise you have a weed when you feel discontent, or unhappiness or unease in your life. Here’s how to discover your weeds and eradicate them (I recommend you download and print out the worksheet at the end of the list to help you further):

Pinpoint an area in your life where you feel that something isn’t right… be specific. For example, if you are unhappy in your job or business, don’t write that down. Delve deeper to identify what specifically you are unhappy about. If you leave it too vague you won’t be able to find the weed.
Once you have identified the source of your unhappiness, or discontent or unease, spend some time reflecting on when you began to feel that way so you can associate the timeline with a decision you may have made at that point in time.
Next step is to identify the decision you made that led you to the path you are now on – the path that seems to have a few weeds in the cracks. Sometimes, we make decisions with very good intentions, and that may serve us very well at that point in time. But as you know, we don’t stand still; therefore, a decision you made some time ago may no longer be serving you.
Spend some time reflecting on the decision you made and why it no longer serves you. What is different NOW? Are you the same person you were when you made the decision?
Determine where the weeds are growing. From the timeline that you recognised in Step 2 to the point where you are now at in your life, what have you been doing to cultivate your weeds? Remember, weeds can sometimes be disguised as pretty flowers… we may initially think they are okay, so we pour a lot of water on them and fertilise and nurture them, then suddenly, BAM! They’re massive and we realise the pretty flower was a pest that is now encroaching on the values we hold dear in our life. (To determine your values, please click here.)
Next, determine what steps you can take to remove the weed (or weeds) from your life. Take the approach you feel is necessary for your particular circumstance. For instance, a weed that is the source of your unhappiness, or discontent or unease may be one that you can immediately pour some weed killer on and quickly eradicate it from your beautiful garden (which is your life, your mind, your wellbeing). As an example, this may be an activity you are doing which you can quickly stop all together without any other ramifications to your life. On the other hand, another type of weed may be growing right next to something you value very deeply – if you were to pour weed killer it may very well kill off whatever is sitting next to it. So it requires you to spend more time in manually digging out each weed, taking care to preserve the other things next to the weed. The weed pulling exercise may take many forms – including (but not limited to) meditation, reflections, journaling, personal development, mentoring, and coaching; it’s important you find the forms that work best for you.
Lastly, celebrate your courage and commitment in completing Steps 1 to 6. Take time to thank your higher self for supporting you on your weeding journey and reflect on the gifts that the weeds actually gave you.

Download the Weeding Worksheet. I suggest you use the worksheet following the steps above and use a new worksheet for every weed that you want to eradicate.

Happy weeding

Is your story making or breaking you?

Tara — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:24:18 +0000

Everyone has a story to tell. It’s the way you tell it that counts.

Your story makes a difference to everything you do in your life. Whether that story is for clinching a new business deal, for securing a new job, or to negotiate something which is important in your life. Whatever the circumstance, your story has the power to impact your life, and others’ lives, in untold ways – but only if you tell it the right way.

It’s the way you tell your story and what you do with it that counts.

And when I talk about stories, I’m not talking about from the time when you were born, to now, and how you got here (although sometimes, dependable on the situation, that too can count but it’s outside the scope of this article!).

I’m talking about the results-oriented ‘stuff’ you have collected along the way and which is marketable or attractive to whatever audience you are targeting to.

What do you want to achieve in your life, your business, or your career? Firstly, it’s really important to define this; otherwise, your stories will not be relevant or, at the other end of the scale, you just won’t be able to define any stories at all that relate to whatever you want to do or whomever you wish to target to (and even if you’re applying for a job you’re targeting to someone or some particular function). To learn more about defining your purpose, click here.

So what do I mean by stories?

Stories are like a movie. Your own personal storyboard where you have achieved results for whatever it was that you were doing. Most folks have achieved quantifiable results or, if they can’t be quantifiable, they are classified as great nonetheless. Never discredit what you have done or are doing.

Stories are the proof that people need to determine whether they are getting a return on their investment from hiring you (whether you are an employee or a business owner). We all think this way – like it or not.

For a client, this is proof that your skills promise to do whatever it is that you do (i.e. your xyz service on average increases staff productivity by x%); and for an employee who is looking for a job, an employer can expect that your $___ salary is going to equate to an additional x% in revenues (or whatever the job function is).

The first step is to have a brainstorming session to unearth your stories. The second step is to re-work your story and ‘tell’ the story in an attractive, authentic, honest, and ethical way.

The first step is the most important step of all – even if you feel you don’t have the ‘storytelling’ skills to get it on paper. Do it anyway. I challenge you to be the Captain of your ship and take charge as, at this stage, it is the thinking process to discover your own unique stories that will steer your ship to success, not the initial words you write on the page. If you don’t have the wordsmith skills, you can always hire someone to do that for you (i.e. the second step). It is the first step which makes all the difference. If you would like support to unearth your stories, then consider enlisting the support of a friend or engaging the services of a professional coach.

When you have defined your stories and written them in a compelling way, your marketing material is geared toward your audience and results in more favourable outcomes and a win/win scenario for all concerned. For a business owner, your marketing materials may be a proposal or a flier or other advertising collateral; for a job seeker, your marketing materials are your résumé / CV, cover letter, portfolio and other strategies.

Let me give you a couple of examples:

For a business owner, you may be a consultant who provides online IT database solutions to small business owners in the xyz market. From feedback received from your clients, with the database solutions that you provide, on average you boost their staff productivity in xyz area by x%. One of your stories can be a case study where you provide some background information on a client. Describe what their pain was. What were their challenges? As a result of the issues they were having, what repercussions was it having on their business? What solution did you come up with? And as a result of implementing that solution, what quantifiable results did your client achieve? If you don’t know any of this, then make a commitment to start surveying your clients to find out the answers to these questions. This then makes a ‘story’ that you can tell to prospective clients to quantify the results they will achieve out of commissioning your services. This can be so much more powerful than simply stating in your advertising material that you help small business owners in the xyz market in gaining better productivity by deploying xyz database solutions. Anyone can say this. It is your story with the results behind it that make the difference. Always align yourself as a solution to their problem in your story. What opportunities are you missing out on because you are not aligning yourself as a solution to the client’s problems?

For an employee, you may be a Safety Officer with a background in assessing site conditions and designing new programs and strategies (and thus, lower accidents / incidents and mitigate risk to your employer). In your job seeking marketing material (i.e. your résumé / cover letter / etc), you would align the results you have achieved in previous employment with the pain (or expected pain) that your future employer will experience. For instance, within the industry your research may have revealed a high incidence of sprains and strains which accounted for 60%+ of injuries. You would therefore include your stories that related to this aspect; asking yourself of your current and previous employment: what type of sprains / strains did I identify? What were the repercussions to my employer if I didn’t identify it or do anything about it? What did I do after identifying the risk? What were the results after I implemented my new strategies (i.e. what reduction in injuries – % wise – did I achieve)? As an example: your story may go something like this: Reduced incidence of sprains and strains from a high 80% down to a low 32% by: – Analysing occurrences of incidents to determine cause. – Investigating the site to review job processes. – Undertaking a job redesign that involved modification of a task through mechanical assistance (this task alone equated to 80% of the incidents with half of those being back strains). – Delivering training to 132 staff in manual handling. – Implementing refresher courses for all staff. This is so much more powerful than simply stating that you have been successful in reducing sprains and strains on site (with no quantifiable results or the process on how you went about it). Always align yourself as a solution to their problem in your story. What opportunities are you missing out on because you are not aligning yourself as a solution to the company’s problems?

Again, if you need help don’t be afraid to ask for it. Enlist the support of a friend or a professional coach. Then when you have defined your stories and if you feel your wordsmith abilities don’t do you justice, engage the services of a writer – seek the help of a professional to make your stories shine. Your stories are important, deserve to see the light of the day, and market your true potential! They will take you on a journey that realises what you dream and hope for.

The way we tell a story is the most important of all. ~ Nullah, from the screenplay ‘Australia’.

What story did you tell in a compelling way that set you on the path of your dreams? How did you share it with others that gained results? Please share so others can learn and gain inspiration!

Release the Feelings

Tara — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:59:42 +0000

I call this my Bubbles Exercise that I recommend to coaching clients when a feeling or memory is hindering their progress.

It’s okay to feel the feelings and learn from them. But when a feeling or memory is holding us back from claiming our goals and dreams, this exercise can be helpful in letting go and moving forward.

First step is to get yourself a bubble blowing kit – the kind that kids play with You can pick these up quite cheaply and easily at your local supermarket or you can make your own.

Next, with a notebook or journal at hand, find a sacred place. This could be in your backyard, at your local park – wherever is comfortable for you and where you feel you won’t be disturbed.

When you get to your sacred place, set your intention. Setting your intention is really important to do. Ask yourself: “What feeling / memory do I want to release? What is this feeling / memory holding me back from?”

Hold those answers in your mind, and then start blowing bubbles. As your bubble forms, imagine that feeling / memory being locked inside that bubble. Your feeling / memory that is holding you back is now inside that bubble… floating away. Or perhaps the feeling / memory is locked inside the bubble and suddenly the bubble pops and your feeling / memory pops along with it.

As you see your feeling / memory float or pop away, allow yourself to let it go. Allow your body to do whatever it wants to do when the feeling / memory is popped or floats away. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to shout, shout. If you want to scream, scream. If you want to laugh, laugh. Just let the emotion out that is associated with letting go of the feeling / memory.

If you feel no release at all, close your eyes and once again set your intention. Then blow your bubbles and observe them until you feel the release.

When you have felt the release and feel that your feeling / memory has been set free, sit down and take the time to reflect and write in your notebook. Ask yourself:

“How do I feel now this feeling / memory has been released?”

“What gifts did this feeling / memory give me?”

“What did I learn from these gifts?”

“Now that the feeling / memory has been set free and is no longer holding me back, what do I want to achieve?”

“To make my goal a reality, what steps can I begin today?”

Learning to Forgive Yourself

Tara — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:58:33 +0000

Sometimes, when a personal event has happened in my life that I haven’t been happy with – such as handling a situation in a certain way, as an example – it can sometimes get the better of me and stew in my mind. I beat myself up about it; even though, a few hours down the track, I realise I can’t change it, and I KNOW that I should just learn from it and leave it alone.

It comes back to forgiveness. Forgiveness of myself.

Forgiving others can sometimes be easier than forgiving ‘YOU’. When you forgive others you can find peace and move on.

But if you don’t reflect, acknowledge and forgive yourself, sometimes without even knowing it you are beating yourself up over and over again. This can be witnessed in certain actions or behaviours that could stem back to something you haven’t forgiven yourself for. Your subconscious has been eating on it.

When you love someone, you forgive. Love starts with yourself, so are you treating yourself with the same compassion and respect? Are you allowing yourself to learn from it and move on?

Here’s a nice little exercise that I have found helpful. Why not start today by acknowledging the feelings.

Sit in your own quiet, sacred place and say out loud “I love you dear memory”.

With no judgement, look at the feeling and see the positive side it has brought you. For every negative there is a positive – the way of life. Perhaps that memory has made you stronger in some way, as an example.

Then love and thank the memory. Finally, release it.

You deserve your own compassion and self respect; just as you give to others and / or your loved ones. What steps are you going to take today to forgive yourself?

Remove Pesky Blocks & Unleash The Hero Within!

Tara — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:46:40 +0000

We all have them.

Those little saboteurs that sit on our shoulder and whisper into our ear. I’m sure you know what I mean.

It usually happens when you’ve got an idea to do something that is out of the norm – out of your comfort zone – then suddenly, wham! There it appears… like a ghost from the dark of night. Invisible, but there all the same.

Suddenly, your idea that seemed so fabulous two seconds ago has suddenly taken on a dark, odd shape and you are suddenly convinced that no matter what, you are doomed to failure – never mind that your idea two seconds ago was so full of promise.

That little pesky guy sitting on your shoulder is whispering into your ear; telling you all these stories… most of them starting with ‘what if’ that then expand into 300-page novels that would put JK Rowling to shame! In fact, they are such wonderful ‘words’ of art that you start to believe everything the little guy is saying to you.

The truth is, the pesky guy sitting on your shoulder is scared. They’re wondering what’s going to happen if suddenly you have a new life. They like sitting on your shoulder exactly the way it is, so they don’t want you to change and they want to hold you back. They will go kicking and screaming to the bitter end until, finally, you give the pesky guy the flick once and for all.

Harbouring a safe haven for the pesky guy on your shoulder isn’t something unique. You are not alone. If you search for it, you will find that many people throughout history have also faced a pesky guy on their shoulder.

So how do you remove the pesky guy to unleash your hero within?

There are many facets to that question… each person is unique with differing talents, ambitions, and backgrounds. One answer does not fit all.

I have provided some tools I use with my clients in my coaching practice that you may find of benefit in discovering self-limiting beliefs.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

Take time to reflect upon them, and be prepared to do some homework and partner with someone you trust to discuss what you find – in an objective, unbiased manner.

Great things do not happen within oneself by reflection alone. Great things do not happen alone.

When making changes and stepping out on a new journey, it is vital you have a cheering squad, an accountability partner, and a truth maker to assist you.

And remember to enjoy the journey.

“No one remains quite what he was when he recognises himself.” ~ Thomas Mann

Wishing you a fabulous journey! And let me know what you think of the tools and how they have assisted you – I would love to know!

Best wishes,

How To Stimulate Creative Expression

Tara — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:53:15 +0000

What if you could reach into the depths of your mind and extract ideas and thoughts… then, with the creative juices flowing, delight in the way your fingers race across the keyboard as the words tumble out?

Well, it is possible.

Banish the thought of writers block or any other type of block when you need to get your ideas out there and heard… or indeed, when you have an idea on the cusp of your mind that needs developing, or you wish to tune into your inner soul.

So what is the secret?

A synchronised brain and a super-learning state, which anyone can attain within a few seconds.

Normally, we go about our lives in a Beta brain wave state. This is when you are alert and cognitive. Then, dependable on what we are doing at the time, we move into other brain wave states, such as: Alpha, achieved when you are relaxed, in light meditation and starting to access your unconscious mind… the Alpha state is where super-learning begins because the brain is synchronised, can communicate better and has increased focus. Then you move on to Theta and Delta brain wave states.

Okay, Alpha… that sounds like a male thing, right? For all you fellas reading this, just because you’re Alpha doesn’t mean you’re in a super-learning state all the time Sorry to disappoint

How can you get into an Alpha super-learning state?

The secret to getting into an Alpha super-learning state is to listen to Baroque or instrumental music; which is usually at 60 beats a minute and arranged by the composer in a special key cycle. When you tap into this music you are harnessing all synergies in your brain that allows you to focus, increase your memory, have cohesive thought, and creative expression.

According to The Center for New Discoveries in Learning, learning potential can be increased a minimum of five times by using this 60 beats per minute music. A renowned Bulgarian psychologist, Dr. George Lozanov, designed a way to teach foreign languages in a fraction of the normal learning time. Using his system, students could learn up to one half of the vocabulary and phrases for the whole school term (which amounts to almost 1,000 words or phrases) in one day. Along with this, the average retention rate of his students was 92%. Dr. Lozanov’s system involved using certain classical music pieces from the baroque period which have around a 60 beats per minute pattern. He has proven that foreign languages can be learned with 85-100% efficiency in only thirty days by using these baroque pieces. His students had a recall accuracy rate of almost 100% even after not reviewing the material for four years. Ref: http://www.cerebromente.org.br

If you have children, you may also be interested to read about this study published in the European Journal of Scientific Research on the positive effect of classical music: http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_36_2_08.pdf

Even if you don’t like classical music, give this a go if you want to tap into the power of your mind. If you are feeling stuck for creative thought and expression, need to research your topic, and get the thoughts tumbling out onto the page, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain

What music should you listen to for a super-learning state? Here are my suggestions:

My personal favourite is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons… with its melodic tunes, peaks and troughs it will focus your mind, allow you to concentrate, and spark your imagination. Before you know it, your fingers will ignite and be eagerly pecking at the keyboard!

Other well-known Baroque compositions include: Mozart’s Divertimento for Strings, Handel’s Water Music and Bach’s Brandenberg Concertos.

If you need to brainstorm an idea first, try Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #5, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Chopin’s Etudes, or Mozart’s Piano Concerto’s #26 and #27. As a former classical pianist for many years, I can highly recommend Beethoven and Mozart’s Piano Concertos!

Go forth and create!

Top 5 Success Traits of the Super Successful

Top 5 Success Traits of the Super Successful

Tara — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:02:45 +0000

Top Five Success Traits of the Super Successful and How You Can Develop These Traits Too.

Even though wildly successful people all share certain traits, they’re not super-human traits. You can identify and develop these traits if you truly want to succeed. Yes, with hard work and determination, you can become one of the super successful!

In your journey to achieve your goals, you’ll invariably have to deal with challenges, and even setbacks, from time to time. Every successful person faces some hardship along the way. However, it’s important to remember that those with the drive to succeed will stop at nothing until they achieve their success.

Here are the top five super success traits, along with tips to help you acquire them:

1. Strong beliefs in yourself and what you’re doing. Put your whole heart into your endeavors and truly believe that you can succeed in what you set out to accomplish. If you run into a snag in the road, find something positive you can learn from the situation and use that to keep moving forward. If necessary, develop a new plan to overcome the challenge.

Think positively about yourself in all aspects of your life. In order to avoid being too critical, keep in mind that no one is perfect and accept that you’ll make mistakes just like any other human. As valuable learning experiences, mistakes can actually benefit you.

2. Being organized and having clear plans. Successful people are organized. They know what they want and how they’re going to get there. They develop clear goals with specific action steps to achieve them. Plus, they know where they are on that road to success at all times.

You can develop this skill by starting with your general organizational skills. Start small by organizing your desk space. Then organize your notes. Move onto planning out your success by setting clear goals.
What do you want? How are you going to get there? Make a detailed plan of achievable action steps that will take you all the way through accomplishing your goal. Then follow your plan. It’s your map to success.

3. Perseverance. Sometimes the difference between success and failure is pure perseverance. There will be times when you’re faced with difficult challenges. You may even feel like giving up. However, it’s important to find the strength within you to pull yourself through, even in these tough times.

In order to develop perseverance, reflect on how you normally handle conflicts in life. Do you give up easily when faced with a challenge? Think of those times you gave up. What could you have done differently to encourage yourself to keep going?
After reflecting on your normal mode of operation, start changing your mindset about challenges. Instead of bemoaning the challenge, seek a way to overcome it so you can complete your task. Do this each day, with even small challenges, and soon you’ll find yourself persevering through larger challenges with ease.

4. The drive to keep learning and achieving. Super successful people realize that they’re always students. They may be a master of a certain subject, but there’s always something new they can develop or learn. Once they achieve one goal, then they use their current knowledge to help them learn something else that brings them even more success.

It’s okay to take a break to enjoy your success once you’ve achieved a goal, but always ask yourself what’s next. There’s always a way that you can expand your success.

5. No fear of failure. The super successful don’t waste their time worrying about failure. They know that everyone must take certain risks if they’re going to achieve success and that some ideas might not work out. You only fail if you give up or decide not to try at all. If you’re still trying, then you haven’t failed!

Just as with the other traits, overcoming a fear of failure can be accomplished by starting small. Start out by taking some minor risks. See how most of them work out fine when you expect the best and seek solutions to the challenges? The more ideas you try, the more successes you’ll have, and you’ll feel confident about forging ahead without fear.

To attain the life of the super successful, the most important thing to remember is to always give your all. Adopt these success traits as your own, and soon you’ll find that nothing can stop you from achieving your goals!

Power Thoughts

Tara — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:46:00 +0000

I was watching a video on the ‘States of Mind’ by Dennis Deaton; where Dennis provides insights into habitual thought patterns and mental circuitry, and how you can change your life around by thinking powerfully and consistently – after all, our thoughts can either make us or break us.

One concept Dennis shared throughout the video series was in having your very own power thoughts that you can tap into to switch your thinking. And I just loved his powerful thought when dealing with fears that may be holding you back: “If it looks like death, it’s probably life… run to it.”

What power thoughts can you come up with? I challenge you in thinking about it now, jotting them down and memorising so they are ready when you need them.

Dennis mentioned another concept that I found very interesting; and of which I am also guilty of doing on occasions. And it is this: rather than repress your thoughts, acknowledge and redirect.

After all, if you’re already thinking the thought, it is in your brain so there’s no point in trying to squash it. Instead, acknowledge the thought you are having and redirect the thought in another way so it is positive. Dennis gave a very good example of this in respect to chocolate cake. If you’re thinking about the cake but you know you can’t have it, you try and forget about the thought. Instead redirect, and then move on.

Think powerfully and consistently and your thoughts will make you, instead of break you.

“The fundamental and distinguishing characteristic of high achievers… is their thought processes”
~ Dennis Deaton

What Is Your Symphony?

Tara — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:09:01 +0000

I was searching for a quote the other day and came across this little gem:

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

~ William Ellery Channing (1780-1842), American minister

These words, written so long ago, really touched me and sang to my heart.

And it got me thinking. Companies, sole traders, and entrepreneurs usually craft a mission or vision statement that expresses their direction and promise to their company, the environment, their staff, or the people they serve, and so on.

At some level, we all have a vision or mission; even if it isn’t clearly defined, written down or spoken about. It’s that feeling in your heart that you know is your Life Purpose.

When I read William Channing’s last line “This is to be my symphony” I thought “WOW!” What a great analogy to a Life Purpose or Vision, which really is a symphony full of crescendos, crashes, and booms that can typify the gentleness, excitement, passion, promise and conviction that, quite simply, is Us; our life journey, purpose, and vision.

What is your Symphony? Please share in the comments below.

Free Personal Development eBooks

Tara — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:37:13 +0000

To download an eBook just click on the book cover.

Please check back often as I will be adding more free eBooks as I come across them. If something in a book really resonated with you, I would love to hear your comments… drop me a note in the comment box below

(Caveat: The eBooks you see on this page are for your own private use and cannot be sold or modified in any way; however, most are available for you to freely give away. These books are in the ‘public domain’ or granted to me to provide to my readers. Please check each book’s terms which you can usually find on the cover of the eBook after downloading.)