Just how successful are you?

I've always wanted to go into space. I can't imagine anything that would make me feel as successful - as if I'd achieved everything I wanted to. I'd float out there, staring at the world and feel so free and, literally, 'spaced out'. And yet, how silly is that, because it's probably the one thing I'll never do and so I'm setting myself up endlessly for feeling a failure. And that doesn't feel good. I'd like to feel a success.

Once you know how, it's quite easy to feel successful. All you have to do is to finish things - to achieve them. The reason you can feel a failure about your e-mails or writing your blog or being a good mum is because it never ends. You will always have e-mails in your inbox, you will always have more posts you want to write and you will always have children to be there for. How can you possibly have any sense of success in those areas?

Rather than thinking about what you can't do, as we so often do, today let's start thinking about what you are successful in.

I was totally successful at tidying away breakfast today. I've been really successful at being lovely to my children this morning and I'm going to be successful at posting today's blog.

Gosh, I feel good now.

Tomorrow I'm going to buy a map of the moon and start planning my journey. I can feel pretty successful at that as well.

See you in space.
Bon voyage,
Nina

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What's Important?

'Choices. I don't like choices' said my 10-year old. When I asked him how he made his decisions, he replied 'Do what you don't want to do first then you can really enjoy what you do want to do instead of having to worry about things that you don't want to do while you're doing your exciting thing.'

What brilliant advice and if only he practised what he preached, we wouldn't have hours of nagging mum saying 'When are you going to do your homework' as he played endlessly with his Bionicles.

This week the wonderful foot of snow kept me away from my TV slot in Ireland (the airport was closed) and gave me a day in which to catch up on what was important (and that included spending time with Tommy). Tommy and I built a snowman, went for a stunning white walk and I took some photos of snowmen - and Tommy. There's such a great stillness and quiet in the air when it snows. It's totally magic.

But I wish I was straight as that arrow and as focused at all times. That list of 'to do's' is crying out to be prioritised at this week's Life Club.

So, bring all your choices along and let's see what's really important.

See you at Life Clubs,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

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Mirror, Mirror on the wall....

One day the Fairy Queen was looking at her subjects.

"They are kind and wise" she thought.

As she thought this, she gave the Fairy King her last pomegranate.

"Maybe I am kind too" she mused.

As that thought crossed her mind, she understood that the way she saw others was a mirror of herself.

"I think I'm wise too" she acknowledged.

****************************************

At Life Clubs this week, we're holding up mirrors and seeing how we can use our findings.

Meet the Fairy Queen and me,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

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Get Going

What gets you on to that first step or moves you along to the final one? How do you motivate yourself?

Instead of mentally beating yourself up for not having done what you wanted to, it's a great idea to talk to yourself the way you would a friend who can't get going.

Let's imagine your friend just can't think of anything to say on their blog and phones you up for a little motivation.

Would you be sympathetic: "I know just how you feel. I sometimes can't think of anything to say either, and then I have a shower and relax and a thought pops into my head. I know you can do it, you always write such great posts."

Or would you be all questiony: "What helps you get creative? What usually inspires you?"

Or would you just be brutal: "Oh, get on with it, you're always moaning."

Think about it, because however you talk to a friend is the way that would most inspire you.

And then, when you've written your post, let me have the link - I'd love to read it.

See you at Life Clubs this week where we're getting motivated,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

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Why?

Dear All,

It was my birthday weekend and I just wanted to let you know how truly wonderful it was to have a weekend in which I indulged myself and others indulged me. We went for a stunning walk, I had a swim, a facial and manicure, I enjoyed tea in London with some of my children and then supper in Leeds with my husband and son and Alice, my son’s girlfriend. We ate in a tiny bistro that squeezed us in at the last minute and gave me an impromptu pudding with sparklers. The whole restaurant sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and it was great.

All I could think all day was ‘Aren’t I lucky?’

I know that’s not a real question, but it brings me nicely to our topic this week, which is questions. It’s the New Year, what could make you feel as lucky as me? Come to Life Clubs this week and find out.

See you there,
Nina

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Isn't it the time to set goals?

I don't know why I love this photo. The designer chose it for The Big Book of Me and it appealed. Probably because it's so much the opposite of me. I don't like boxing, I don't like violence of any kind - staged or not - and I'm not really someone who punches (and wish I could). My punches, if there were any, would go round a circumference instead of a straight diameter.

Business friends are often saying to me 'You know all about goal-setting, you show people how to do it in Life Clubs, well, just apply it to your business'. And, yes, I can see the logic of that, but the wonder of Life Clubs (to me) is that we set ourselves a challenge every week - a little goal - and that's what we aim for. Once a year (and that's this week), we think about the best way to set a big, life goal, but most of the time there's that wonderful feeling of satisfaction as we aim for something achievable - but just slightly more than we'd usually do - and can do it.

Today however I thought I'd practise what I'm preaching this week and set a larger goal. I didn't do anything for the business - I'll leave that 'til next week (sound familiar?), but I set myself the goal of losing weight. I did exactly what we're going to be doing this Life Club and it worked. The end result was that just a few hours later I was already achieving one of the parts of this goal and going for my first swim. Hooray!

So, let's put on our wonderful red, shiny boxing gloves this week and punch. Punch our goals and punch the air for success.

And, before I forget, have a look at this wonderful piece written about us in today's Times newspaper. I was punching the air I can tell you.

See you at Life Clubs,
Nina

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Happy New Year : Best Life Ever

Dear All,

I started the New Year with no internet connection. Let's hope it's not a foretaste of the year ahead.

The connection is thankfully back, but what its absence did was left me free to visit Tate Modern and what a brilliant way to start the New Year. I'd never heard of Brazilian artist, Cildo Meireles, but I'm now one of his biggest fans. I hate to be an art bore, but there were three installations there that really affected me and I'd like to share them with you.

All three of them seemed relevant to my New Year mood and New Year thoughts.

The first installation was simply a tiny 9mm cube of wood in the corner of a totally empty room. There was just a spotlight on the cube of wood. Meireles is very political, but I'm not even going to attempt to express the thoughts behind his actions. To me, this was a wonderful perspective for the year ahead. I felt that I am that totally tiny little cube in the middle of all that space, and how wonderfully insignificant I and all my problems are. So, my first 'lightbulb moment' of the year was that I am going to keep remembering that space and me as that tiny little cube of wood and keep all my worries in proportion.

The second was a red room. These photos sadly do not do it justice. Yes, I know the walls were white and the ceiling was white too with a diffuse light coming through it, but everything (yes, everything) else in the room was bright red, or as near to bright red as you can get. I have never craved for the colour blue as much. That room was so incredibly suffocating, so intense, so dead it was uncanny. I would never have believed it. It felt surreal starting a New Year like that. In a red prison, longing for colour.



The third was the final installation - again, forgive the picture, the best the Tate provides. Two rooms, ankle deep in talcum powder which felt damp underfoot. One room totally dark, the other long with a burning candle at one end. A magical, 'in the bleak mid-winter' scene of fog, mystery, poetry and hope. I loved it.


Go if you can - don't wait for your internet connection to fail.

Happy New Year,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs
PS This week at Life Clubs we're going to be thinking about our Best Life Ever. More trips to the Tate feature high on mine. What makes you happy?

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