December Connections - Taking Stock
Welcome to December’s Connections newsletter – the last one of the year and what a year this has been for many. So I thought we’d do a stock take and get clearer on the coming year. I also have some Christmas present ideas, and some news of a wonderful retreat happening in March next year.
Taking Stock.
At this time of year there is lots of talk about using December to get ready for next year, set goals and be ahead of the game. I was speaking with Ruth Thirtle in an interview about how passions can help you focus for what you want to achieve in the coming year. You can listen to the interview here.
However, even before you even start to look forward you need to do a stock take. Any retail store manager knows that every now and again you need to see what exactly they have in stock. And the same is true for us. Whether you run a business or have your own personal goals it is important to stop and check in and see where you are.
It may feel like the year has gone by in a flash but in fact it has been 11 months and a lot has happened in that time. The best way to get a stock take on what you have achieved this year is to go back through your diary. See all those connections you have made and the goals you reached. See where you stretched your comfort zone and it paid off. Take a piece of paper right now and write out all the things that you can celebrate this year. Then take some time to celebrate the wins however you want!
Then once you feel good about the things you did achieve do have a look at the things you thought you wanted to achieve and didn’t. This is not to beat yourself up for not doing them, but rather so you can see if they are still relevant. Just how important are they or did the flow of 2011 just put them at the bottom of the list? Could they come off the list altogether? I often find that some things on my to do list simply fall away after a while. They were a nice idea at the time but obviously not strong enough to actually warrant my time. If you have some of those just delete them. If they ever reach a big enough significance again they will come back and if not then you have one less thing to give yourself a hard time over.
I heard a lovely concept that appealed to me recently and that was a Not To Do list. Have a think about it, what might be on your not to do list? What have been the things that you have done this year that you really could have done without? What are the things that wasted your time that you could stop doing? I know for me I have far too much stuff coming in to my inbox and that wastes time. It might also be something more abstract like getting distracted or listening to the wrong person’s advice. By creating a not to do list you will be getting more time in your day to do the things that are important for next year.
So with a more focused goal list – one that means you are following your passions, and a not to do list to give you even more time to follow those passions you will be in a pretty good shape to go for what you want next year. And if you are still a bit fuzzy about what your passions truly are – well I know a great process for finding them out – give me a call on +44 (0)203 239 6155 or
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and we will arrange a time for you to take the Passion Test. What a great way to enter 2012 – fired up and passionate!
News and Offers
Still got Christmas shopping to do? I got an email from a client yesterday who asked me if she could buy a gift voucher of the Passion Test for her brother for Christmas. Of course I said yes and I thought that it would also be a great present for others too. Do you have someone in your life who you feel would really appreciate the gift of knowing their top 5 passions and learning some powerful tools to ensure they use them in all the important decision in their life? If the answer to that is yes I have gift vouchers for both the individual one on one Passion Test and the workshops that we hold in London. You can buy them here now and I can create a personalised voucher that you can give.
My very dear friend Andrew Hunter is running The Simplicity Retreat just outside Edinburgh in March. As the name suggests, what more could you want from a retreat - time for reflection, meditation and silence, time too to go deeper; to sit, walk, swim, pamper, and just be, to touch clarity and spaciousness, drawing inspiration from the well of consciousness.
Who is this for? People who contact Andrew yearn for greater stillness, a simpler life, less stress, greater peace of mind and ways to manage the buffeting of external circumstances; often they just need time out, time to re-think their own way forward. They need time to discover their next steps to reconnect with the truth of what is important to them at a deep, deep level. This retreat will not be in complete silence but there will be periods of silence each day, for only when you are silent within can you truly listen even if the world outside is blowing a gale.
For more information click here or you can contact Andrew directly at
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The next edition of A Passion Secrets online magazine is now available here
In this edition amongst some great articles is have a case study I did about the Passion Test for Business I did with Anne Hunt – the owner of Casa Ana, a wonderful guest house high up in the Alpujarras, the mountains here in southern Spain.
Fun and Inspirational Stuff
Cup of tea time - A brilliant animation of a thought provoking talk about Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson
These were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials!
Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK ).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )
A:Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q:I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay ? ( UK )
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? ( USA ) A: A-Fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not ... Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
Q:Which direction is North in Australia ? (USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )
A:Why? Just use your fingers like we do... Q:Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA ) A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia ? ( UK ) A: You are a British politician, right?
Q:Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
Q:Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
Q:I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q:I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ? ( USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q:Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first
And some Ahhh moments