Best Life Ever

It's been a tragic few weeks and it seems decadent to be thinking of what could make our lives even better when so many have been, and are, suffering. But who know what will happen in our lives and so it's important, not decadent, to take the time to make them as good as we want them to be.

You've probably all read Steve Jobs excellent Stanford University speech in which he talks about how he uses death to think about what he wants from his life: 'I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"'

That's a great way to think about each day, but to my mind life doesn't have to be that passionate every day. It's fine to have 'OK' days as well as 'great' days. What's important is to know what you want to fill those days with.

Someone came to my club last week talking, almost embarrassedly, about having the problem of too much time to fill. Some came up with the contrary 'Lucky you, I've got too much to do', but I think we all know that feeling of the day stretching out ahead and no idea what to fill it with.

This week's workshop is about finding out what makes you unique. What it is you love, what it is you'd do on the last day of your life and what keeps you going on those empty days. We look forward to seeing you.

And, referring to another part of Jobs's speech in which he says: 'I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.'

Have you bought tickets yet for our Work & YOU workshop on 21st May? It's from 10-5 and is taking place all around the country. If you want to feel like Jobs, I'd suggest coming along. Find your nearest venue and book now. Tickets are moving fast...

Best wishes,
Nina

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Alone at last...

This week's workshop is about the stories we tell ourselves, so I've been particularly interested in the stories I tell myself about my past, my present and my future. I can get stuck in an 'I had such an unhappy childhood' or 'I'm no good at anything' or 'my future is going to be rubbish', so when my close friend, Annie Lionnet (host of Frome Life Club), came round last night and offered to do my Tarot Cards I said 'Yes' as quick as a shot.

If I'm honest, I don't know what the big deal about Tarot Cards is at all, except that they're a great way of starting a conversation and telling a few stories.

We spread mine out on the table and Annie (the expert) looked at them in a rather confused manner and said 'I don't know what to make of them at all', but as she started explaining what each card symbolised it was totally clear to me.

Right now I'm fighting dragons and gathering a team around me to fight more of them. The first tentative coins of our toils are coming in and I'm starting to see a calm sea stretching out from the turbulence I'm in. Ahead there's success - lots of sheep and a family to leave my legacy too. So it's all very exciting.

But the card that puzzled Annie the most was The Hermit, sitting at the top marking my future. 'Yes' I told her excitedly 'That's my future'. Once I've succeeded in my mission of making the world a happier, better place, I can rest and be quiet with those I love. It fitted in perfectly.

Right now I'm very visible and trying to become more so. But watch this space. Once I disappear, you'll know I feel I've done what I wanted to do.

Stories are everywhere and within and without us. Come along this week and find your internal Tarot Cards - and how easy it is to weave a good plot or two.

And do hurry and book for our Work & You workshop. Places are selling fast. Do tell your friends if you know they're troubled at work or want to find a career they love.

Hope you have a great weekend,
Nina

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We are all stars

We'll win tonight is good for starters, but looking through the paper today I came across a couple of headlines I rather fancied adopting myself:

The first was:
Always (the race horse) is on right track to success and the second:
Why Micah Richards should be lauded for finally fulfilling his early England potential.

In my mind I rewrote them easily, substituting my name for the original:
Nina is on right track to success or even:
Why Nina should be lauded for fulfilling her potential (I know... I got rid of a few words on the second one, but they didn't seem necessary).

It may sound 'sad', but I felt good writing those headlines down - and even thinking them. Try it... substitute your name for mine and see how it feels.

Headlines are very powerful and they're the topic of this week's workshop. They're a great way of finding out what you really want your goal to be and they're inspirational.

Just a few moments ago my headline was Nina writes her blog post in record time and look, now I've done it.

Let's try it again...Thousands rush to Life Clubs workshop!!! More Daily Mail than Guardian I know, but just as effective. Come and join us and feel inspired.

See you there,
Nina
PS Don't forget to book for our Work & you workshop on May 21st. It's in conjunction with Psychologies Magazine and will be totally brilliant.

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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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