Bill Nelson

Well here we are for the second last time in 2008. Throughout 2008 we have covered a wide array of topics and in many cases and at numerous times I have attempted to help you by asking you a variety of questions, and hopefully along the way I managed to answer a few as well?

This was done and will continue to be this way, so that you have to challenge yourself to find the appropriate answers as they relate to you and your particular circumstance. This is so you don't just take what I have outlined and apply that and hence, follow the one size fits all approach.

The reasoning behind   this is quite simple. For 25 years of my professional coaching career my philosophy has been based around the following:

"That each individual has a certain amount of ability. It is my job to get them to acknowledge, to understand and to respect that ability. Each and everyday they must do what they can to maximise that ability without compromise."

So that carries over into my view and belief of what the Blog should be about.

From my perspective, the purpose of the Blog is about raising and sharing ideas, insights and experiences. It is about giving help and direction where appropriate, but for me, it is about raising in you an appreciation for the ability, the knowledge, the skill and the opportunities that you have available to you and for me, to do what I can to see you utilise and maximise each of those at every opportunity.

Is that overstating the importance of Bill's Blog? To some, it may well be. For me, I am a realist and I understand that the content of Blog is not always about ground breaking insight. However, I also realise that what some might see as weakness I see as as a strength, in that it is really important for me to just pass on everyday common sense information.

Hopefully though common sense information that you can use and apply to the many different situations that you encounter.

If I can continue to convey this type of information and in the process provide something that proves to be beneficial to you, then I will be achieving what I have set out to do. The content of this Blog is not just about my knowledge and experience, but it is about me sharing my experience and subsequent learning with you.

So as we bring 2008 to a close and in the process get ready for 2009, here are some further insights (in two parts) from me to you:

1. THE POWER OF ONE



You are the One and I believe that you have the power, within reason, to be and become anything you want. The power that you have at your disposal is unbelievable.

Probably so much so, that most do not believe they have this power. Take it from someone that has seen people from many walks of life, with an expanse of skills, attributes and opportunities go onto developing themself and seeing their goals realised in a thousand and one different ways.

You are one of those or you can be one of those, the choice is yours. I hope that you will continue to search for the information that will allow you to grow and attain the things in life you desire and are prepared to work toward.

2. BE PREPARED TO PAY THE PRICE



Success is all about doing the things that others are not prepared to do, or to do it in a way that is better than how they do it. As by now, you realise nothing out of the ordinary in that. But what is out of the ordinary is ones ability to have the discipline to do it.

The discipline of daily action is probably the one single area that in 25 years of professional coaching. I see that separates the people that want to be successful and the people that are. Which one will you be?

3. THE CONCEPTS OF CREATIVITY



There are many different influences that have an effect on the the journey that success is. Some of these will be negative, but hopefully most of them will be positive. But the greatest and more importantly, most positive influence on your pursuit of success, will be you.

Your pursuit of success will also demand of you an ability to have a vision of what it is you truly want. There will also be a need to take that vision and to create a plan of action. Once that plan is created, your journey of success will want you to take that plan and have a commitment to see it realised.

By now, you are probably thinking this is all very well and good, but how is it this all comes about? What do you need to have, to help this all come about?

Easy! Creativity. Yes, creativity: we all have it to varying degrees, we all use it in one form or another. Just because you currently don't recognise or utilise your creativity doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

As you think about the development of your own creativity there is also a need to recognise some of the inner qualities that will help the ongoing development of it. Although by no means a complete list, the following will give you some ideas into some of the areas that will help generate and uphold your creativity.

• Vision


• Intuition


• Perception


• Understanding


• Non judgemental


• Will power


• Compassion


• Inner strength


• Excitement


• Caring

As we have discussed numerous times before "Success is a journey, not a destination". There is a similar focus and understanding for creativity, in that, it is just not one moment in time, but an ongoing facet of ones life.

As you go through your journey, you must look for ways to stimulate the qualities of your creativity so that they are constantly used and therefore developed. What are some of these concepts that will help the development of your qualities of creativity?

• Reality


• Observation


• Focus


• Emotional control


• Insight


• Personal awareness


• Questioning


• Thought process


• Readiness


• Action

4. WHERE IS IT YOU WANT TO BE?



For many people there is an on going battle between knowing that they want more out of life, but then being able to pinpoint what it is, they actually want.

One of the biggest mistakes that is made in this quest, is to try to determine the ultimate destination before the journey even begins.

The questions you ask of yourself in relation to where you want to be, should cover as many different facets of you and your life as you can determine. However, don't come up with a question just to come up with a certain answer. Come up with question that you do not know the answer to. But once in place, do everything you can to answer it.

Let's outline a few just to get you up and running;

• What do I want to acquire?


• Where would I like to visit?


• How do I want to be looked upon?


• What do I want to do for my family?


• In what way do I want to be educated?


• What type of clothes do I want to wear?


• What are the elements to my character?


• What type of people do I attract?


• What things stir emotions in me?


• What is it I want to experience?


• What do people say about me?


• What things do I truly believe in?


• Where is it I want to live?


• How do I define success?


• Am I my own person?


• What things influence me and the decisions I make?


• Do my beliefs stand the tests of time, scrutiny and pressure?


• Where does my motivation come from?


• What am I committed to no matter what?


• Where do my thoughts continually return to?


• Who do I admire and why?

As you can see, the questions you ask have to demand some thought and action to come up with the answers. The answers have to be the right ones, not necessarily the easiest ones.

Allow the questions to demand of you so that the answers develop a clearer vision. As I have said many times "Success is a   journey, not a destination" Enjoy the ride!

5. WHAT HAS MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE



As you continue this journey of life and continually look for ways to grow and improve, it is also important not to loose sight of those factors and influences that have affected you to the point of who you are now and why.

Here are some questions to give you the insight to where you are now, how it is you got here? Take the time to answer them, but also take a little extra to ask and answer some others of your own.

• The best teacher you had at school?


• The sports person that you admired the most?


• The best book you have ever read?


• The incident where you overcame the greatest adversity in your life?


• Your number 1 strategy for success?


• The quote you feel reflects you and what you are about?


• The one thing you most aspire toward?


• What is your favourite piece of music?


• The person that has had the most influence over you?


• A world event that has most changed your thinking?


• The reasons you have reached your goals or not?


• The best lesson your parents ever taught you?


• If you could be some one other than your self who would that be?


• The city or place you feel most comfortable in other than home?


• The occupation you would most like to do?


• The person you would like most to have around for a meal?


• If you could change one thing in your life in the next 12 months what would that be?


• What has been the best piece of information or advice that you have passed onto someone?


• What has been the greatest opportunity you have let go of in the past?


• What has been your greatest single monetary investment?


• What has been the single best decision you ever made?


• Who is your best friend?


• Who have you given the most time and support to over the years?


• What is the best phone call you ever received?


• What is the luckiest thing that ever happened to you?


• What is your favourite animal?


• If you had the opportunity to reverse one decision you have made it would be what?


• The single best thing you have done for someone?


• The quality you look for most in people is?


• The best use of your time is?


• The colour you like most is?


• What would you want to be best known for?


• What was the best bit of advice anyone gave you?

Now that you have answered these and hopefully some other like questions, there is just one other question that you need to answer for each and every question and that is why?

The Journey Continues!