Technology is here to stay and it is getting bigger

This article originally appeared in the online magazine - eBubble Life - follow this link

Technology has changed the way we manage our life. Most us have a smart phone in our pocket. Our smart phone is full of apps that manage so many different aspects of your life.  Technology is making our lives easier. It is also moving so fast it is hard to keep up. Technology is becoming intrusive on our lives. And it is getting bigger and bigger.

As a business owner and marketer, I get so excited at how access to technology is giving businesses so many more opportunities. We can tap into data about people so easily and cost-effectively. We can then use that data to customise products and services. To communicate with our customers. To be able to access this information, without copious amounts of research, is pure gold.

However, as a mum, I am watching my 7-year-old daughter becoming more and more ‘addicted’ to devices. She has an old phone of ours with games and music, a tablet, she has just acquired one of our old laptops. Plus, access to the TV which is connected to You Tube and Netflix. She has inherited all these devices from us and has access to the world via the internet – a world she is only starting to understand. Scarily the world has access to her also.

You can’t shut the door on technology. Our kids are exposed to it through school, their friends – it is like telling them they can’t eat lollies and find they are the ones at the party overdosing on sugar. They will find ways to get their hands-on technology. As businesses we need to be across how technology is changing our customers. As consumers we need to be aware of technology and how to protect ourselves online.

Here are some tips:

• ·         Keep your devices safe by using anti-virus protection
• ·         Use Google Kids for your children on their devices
• ·         Be aware of the information that you put online – use privacy settings
• ·         Monitor what your children are watching and sites they visit
• ·         Keep an open conversation with your children about what they see online – teach them that it is not always truth

Embrace technology, understand it, try and keep up with the changes. Our kids are adapting to technology so fast, and earlier and earlier. They swipe through phones like they were born doing it. 

They are learning and discovering new things all the time. Shouldn’t we encourage this and keep it safe?

Embrace technology in your business – it will open doors for you. Your competition is. Don’t you deserve to be ahead of your competition?

Use technology to connect with others, to learn new things, to help organise your life. Stay safe and be aware of how and what you share. Remember to also unplug. Give your mind time away from technology, away from reminders and notifications. Look up and be present in life also. As we become more and more reliant on technology, we sometimes forget to plug into the real world around us – and that is the big danger, in my opinion, with technology.

Who Are You?

This article originally appeared on the 1000 Ripple Effects blog, you can see it here

When was the last time you asked yourself “Who am I?” Really truly explored ‘you’. Your history, future dreams and how you show up in life today?

Everybody has a story, a journey they have travelled, learnings they have made, history. Very few people have led a ‘privileged life’, we all have stories of sadness, of absolute joy. Too many people have seen the extremes of violence and felt desperation. Seen the effects of illness on loved ones, and themselves. Suffered loss they never felt they could move on from. This is your story, your beliefs, possibly even your anchors, holding you in place, unable to move. 

These experiences are what have shaped you to be the person you are today. They don’t have to define your future. 

When was the last time you dreamed of a better future for yourself? Do you wish for happiness, fulfilment, clarity, freedom, or balance? You are not alone – most people do. You can change your story – and you can start today!

The journey of self-discovery takes a lifetime. It takes a lifetime because you always change and grow. This is good, this is what you want to happen. What is holding you back from starting? Do any of these sound familiar:

Fear
Fear of what you will learn about yourself. Fear of being vulnerable to others. Fear of accepting things you have done in the past. Fear of reliving your past. Fear of change. Fear of becoming the person you always dreamt about. 

Think about what scares you? Why does it scare you? How can you face the demon? What will motivate you to work through the bad stuff? What does fear look like to you?


Lack of self-love
Guess who our biggest critics are – yep our self. How many times have you told yourself you will do x only when you have achieved z? How many times have you thought ‘I don’t deserve this’? 

Poor body image, lack of self-worth, lack of confidence, all come from lack of self-love. When was the last time you loved yourself? Wore jewellery or clothes which made you feel great. Exercised or had a massage to make your body feel great. Laughed, orgasmed – releasing the natural feel-good drug of oxytone.

When was the last time you celebrated being you?


Stifle dreams
Dream takers are everywhere. It starts in school and with our parents, then their ‘can’t’ and ‘don’t’ language becomes our inner voice. And we most likely say those words to others – our friends, team members and our children.

Remove negative words from your language. Replace negative speak with positive affirmations. Remove people from your life you do not believe in you. Stand tall and back yourself. Be your own personal cheer squad.

When was the last time you dreamed of your future – and then plotted how you were going to make your dream a reality? 

Too much noise
When was the last time you stopped and listened to the noise in your world? The cars, sirens, children, dogs, birds, trucks, workers, builders, the radio, TV, your phone. How do you feel? Can you concentrate on what you are trying to do? Does it raise your stress levels?

Stepping away from the noise and busyness of life, enjoying the silence, being in your mind, is important. In fact, meditation and mindfulness are key to self-discovery. Slowing your mind, allowing sub-conscious thoughts to filter through. Reduces stress, allows for problem solving and connects you with your mind and body.

Where do you start on your journey of self-discovery? How do you find out who you are? 

• Face your demons – release your fears – revisit your past
• Recognise your strengths - understand who you are
• Define your life purpose – identify your passions – do things that make you happy
• Clarify your values – understand your beliefs
• Set goals – create daily intentions - be focused
• Find inspiration – surround yourself with people and things that lift you up
• Seek challenges – stretch yourself - create new thinking
• Spend time alone – practice self-care

Stop being your own worst enemy! Stop lying to yourself about your emotions and feelings and start accepting them and allowing yourself to feel whatever is it you feel. If you have no clear idea of who you are, you will have no clarity in what you want or seek.

Self-discovery is a journey of a life time. There is no easy fix, no magic pill or fairy dust. It is constant – as you evolve and grow, you will receive new insights about who you are. The more you understand about yourself the more empowered you are going to be.

A clear self-understanding will bring renewed confidence, awareness, and strength. You have a purpose. You find happiness, fulfilment, clarity, freedom, and balance in all areas of your life.
What difference can you make to the world, yourself, your family and community? How are you going to show up?

Step into the real you & be on purpose all year round

This was originally published in an online magazine from Smart Healthy Women - link here

You set a New Year’s Resolution and here it is well into January and you have FAILED.  Summer got in the way, children got in the way, you lost focus and energy. Health goals, life goals, business goals…all lost. What are you planning to do for the next 11 months of the year? Complain and feel like a failure.

Maybe you are ready to hit the reset button and start again. A very plausible thing to do. Limiting yourself to new beginnings for only the start of the year will lead you to failure – always.

By setting yourself well thought out goals and intentions for the future year. Breaking those down into quarters, month, and weekly actions. You not only space out your success over the whole year, you also now that little-by-little daily you are working towards your big goals. Then at the end of the year when you reflect you will see many reasons to celebrate and feel achievement.

There are many tools you can use to gain clarity and stay focused throughout the year, both on the daily things and the big picture. You can also join programs which help you with accountability and support to keep moving forward.

You may find yourself experimenting with different tools until you find something which works for you and your style. You may also find as part of this process you start to reflect on you, your weaknesses, your strengths, who you are as a person or who you would like to be as a person. How you want people to see you, what you would like to be known for and how you want to show up in life and business.

It is essential when you set goals it encompasses all areas – your business, life, and self. Goals which excite you, scare you, stretch you and take you out of your comfort zone. Goals which will grow you as a person. Step into that person. Bring along your support people and your cheer squad. Enjoy it. Do it with intention and integrity.

Here are some steps you can take to create an amazing year – and you can do this whenever you need to:

Step One: Create a vision board or write down your inspiration. In a snapshot what qualities will you improve. What will keep you inspired to achieve your goals in each area of business, life and self – how do you want each area to look, feel, be seen. What is your word for the year. The word which will remind you about your inspiration.

Step Two: This is for those in business. Create a one-page snapshot of your business plan. What is your super power, what keeps your energised in business, your passions, your why, your mission, what are you disrupting and finally your goals for each business or project.

Step Three: Create a one-page snapshot of your life plan. Your I am statements, your purpose, your vision, your values and finally your goals for different areas of your life.

Step Four: I use a planner for this step – you may choose another format. However, add your goals to the planner, breaking them down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly. Look at the time you have available (do you need to consider school holidays for example) and deadlines you may have. Be realistic as to what you can achieve.

Step Five: Stay focused and accountable. Everyday spend the time bit-by-bit working towards the big picture goal. Enjoy the ride. Find an accountability buddy or group, this is the best way to stay focused on what you want to achieve.

Step Six: Always celebrate. Take time to celebrate the small wins and the big successes. Give yourself a reward for all your hard work. While some goals may seem easier than others to achieve; every time you tick a goal of you are closer to becoming the best version of yourself.

You can apply these steps to any goals you may have in life. They could be about business, money, career advancement, your children or partner, your health, weight or stress levels. Any combination of these – your unique life is yours. Your goals, your wants and needs are as unique as you. There is no one shoe that fits everyone.

You need to choose how you want to show up in life. What does success look like to you? What does balance look like to you? Once you determine these things for yourself and you set the goals or pathways to becoming that person, only then will you become the best version of yourself. Living a life that is purely on your own terms.