I love people who say 'No'

I remember vividly when Katharine Hamnett said 'No' to Mrs Thatcher. It came across loud and clear. Maybe a bit obvious, but wouldn't I like her as my PR?! Oh yes!

People who say 'No' are effective. They respect themselves and so it's only fitting that you respect them too. They demand it. Do I hold it against them that they won't baby-sit or come shopping with me? No, I don't. I may curse them under my breath or momentarily resent their decision, but ultimately they get my vote.

Am I like that? Sadly not. I tend to say 'Yes' to other people and then regret it and - although a slightly different sort of 'No' - I find it hard to say 'No' to my feelings of under-confidence and jealousy which can sometimes leave me unable to do much except feel inadequate.

This week though I'm feeling excited as we're working on saying 'No' at Life Clubs. I'm going to come to my workshop wearing no signs of inferiority whatsoever and if anyone says 'No' to attending I'm just going to respect them for it.

Having said that, I look forward to seeing you there, saying 'Yes' to changing your life!

All best,
Nina
PS Don't forget to book for our workshop on Work & you in association with Psychologies Magazine. It's on 21st May in venues around the country and booking up fast - though sadly Katharine Hamnett isn't doing the PR. Read more about it on our website.

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I'm all over the place...

It's Sunday and yesterday I was told by my Kundalini Yoga teacher (how good does that sound?!?!) that I was unbalanced and way too creative and all over the place and it would be good if I focused more on my Seventh Chakra and relaxed!

As this week's workshop is on focusing, that sounded a reasonable idea.

Instead of just sitting down at my laptop and trying to remember all the millions of things going on in my mind and wondering which to focus on doing, I thought I'd write a list of all the important things I have to do, go through it speedily and then relax.

It was easy to write a list - though needless to say it wasn't as short as this one - and I decided to just get going and then have breakfast with my husband, whenever he emerged.

An hour later he appeared and, although I'd been hard at work for that hour, I noticed I'd been doing a million and one things none of which were on my list.

Focusing - whether on what I'm doing today or what I'm doing with my life has always been a difficulty and yet I know I'm only fully satisfied when I'm doing one thing at a time and have a plan.

Come along to Life Clubs this week and enjoy finding out how you can focus and then ... (whatever it is your yoga teacher wants you to do)!

See you soon,
Nina
PS Do book now for our Work & you workshop in association with Psychologies Magazine. It's on May 21st in venues all over the country and (believe it or not), some focused people are already booking now! Be one of them.
PPS In case you wondered... writing my blog was on my list!!!

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Perspectives shift

Don't ask me why (lazy morning? relaxed? stalling for time? or probably a combination of all three), but I spent some of this morning reading my diary entries for 2007. (To quickly put you in the picture, these aren't personal entries about my gorgeous children, lovely husband and ideal life. No, these are work entries, charting my thoughts and actions around Life Clubs).

There is probably little as revealing as seeing from your current perspective who you were when you first penned those words. And, imagining yourself four years ago and looking at your current self from that four years ago perspective is also pretty tell tale.

Readers, I am a wiser woman now than I was earlier today.

I've realised some good things about this 2011 perspective. I am definitely wiser, more realistic and more ambitious than I was four years ago. I don't feel as alone - I now have my little team around me. I have proof that Life Clubs is great and that makes me more confident and clear about what I'm doing. And, of course, we are more successful than we were.

But so many things haven't changed. I've still got my optimistic 'Tigger' bounce. I still enjoy finding connections in everyone I meet and everything I do. I still love options. I still don't focus enough.

So, what advice would my 2007 self give my 2011 self right now? I think it would be 'get out of bed and enjoy the sunshine and stop worrying - just look how far you've come'.

That sounds like a good, clear instruction to me. I'm going to take it.

This week's Life Clubs workshop (week of 14th Feb) uses perspectives to see all the good stuff that's already within you. It's fantastic - do go along - bring your Valentine!!!

Happy Valentine's Day for Monday. I'm buying myself a beautiful bunch of flowers - tulips, my favourite!

In association with the Southbank Centre we are creating postcards for the Royal Wedding with the theme... 'Today I love...'
Please send any postcards in that theme to 3, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HS, England and check out our website for inspiration.

See you this week,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

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He who hesitates is lost...

This week, although surrounded by green 'go-ahead' lights, I started noticing everything I was procrastinating on (probably because our workshop this week is on procrastination).

I realised that although I was getting on with lots of things, I was avoiding anything to do with banking, phone calls (the usual) and, yes, my mother.

I hadn't seen my 95-year old mother for a few weeks and was definitely dragging my heels about seeing her. There was a fear there, which I hadn't noticed before, but I couldn't work out what it was.

Yesterday, out of the blue, my 18 year old daughter said she'd like to do an art project on my mum and I found myself overwhelmingly moved. Somehow the idea that my mum would be captured forever in an 'A' Level project was very poignant and my Lightbulb Moment was that I really dislike the overwhelmingly sadness I feel when I see her as she is now.

Ursie, my daughter, and me went to visit my mother yesterday and I decided to embrace my sadness and tell her that I was already missing her. With her dementia, she isn't my mother at all, but more like a 2 year old grand-daughter, but with none of the joys of growing and developing in front of her, just those of death. But my comment about missing her, delighted her and we had a lovely few hours together.

See you this week at Life Clubs when we'll be exploring the three reasons for procrastination and how to get past them. Read more about the workshop here.

Love Nina x
Founder Life Clubs

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