Whilst on holiday in Turkey last month, I was reminded of how much we have come to expect and take for granted in our lives; how easy it is to become ensnared in the hectic lifestyle of modern day living and to forget the simple pleasures in life.
I watched a group of men ranging from early teens to mid-forties playing football barefoot in the park and families paraded up and down the seafront in their Sunday best, deep in conversation with their children and aged relatives. Few people seem to be surgically attached to their mobile phone as we are in the UK and everything is completed at a much slower pace, (undoubtedly the heat is a contributing factor!). I was heartened to watch a teenager take time out from watering a garden to play with a kitten and meals are looked on as a social event, not to be rushed but to a time to catch up with news, fuss over the children and laugh over stories with extended family members.
Taking tea several times a day is very much an integral part of Turkish culture, much in the same way as the Japanese partake in tea ceremonies but on a much simpler scale. I found myself reflecting on how often do we ‘allow’ ourselves ‘time out’ throughout our busy daily schedule, if only to put our feet up for a few minutes and enjoy a cup of tea .
It is all too easy, these days, to lose sight of the simple pleasures in life. We often believe a simpler lifestyle is hard to come by but if you follow some of the following tips, you too can appreciate life in a different way.
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Thoughts for the month:
Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.
Confuscius
Live simply that others might simply live.’
Elizabeth Seaton
It’s always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal their answers at a pace life wishes to do so
Donald Miller
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To discuss any contribution please contact me through the channels below.
My contact details
Pavlenka Small
Small Steps to Success
Tel : 01206 299073
pav@smallsteps2success.co.uk
 Email contact form here
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It’s OK to cruise along !
Eight small steps 2
how to escape the fast lane ......
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1. Make a wish list of things you would like to do and do them!
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Replace the mind set of; ‘I’ll do things when I’m less tired/busy, when the children have left home’. Your list need not be long or complicated—arrange a time to put those holiday snaps in the album, have a much needed night out with your partner, enrol on that evening class or simply read a chapter of a book each day.
Everyone deserves to take ‘time out’ so the next time it’s a toss up between cleaning the windows or accompanying your daughter on a shopping spree, follow your heart and have some fun!
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2. Change your routine
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Remember the old saying: ’a change is as good as a rest?’ Travel to work by a different route or method of transport, change your usual shopping day and supermarket and if you always wear trousers to work, why not air that dress at the back of the wardrobe or treat yourself to a new hairstyle. For all male readers, why not clock off work early once a week and play that round of golf you keep promising yourself or go to the gym?
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3. Slow down, you move too fast
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in the words of the song, we have developed a rushed mindset due to our busy, multi-tasking lifestyles. When was the last time you took a good look around your garden or listened to a favourite piece of music? Try taking longer over meal times, eat with the whole family more and enjoy sharing each others company.
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4. Switch off your mobile for a whole weekend
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It’s easy to forget there was a time when mobiles didn’t exist and yet we coped and things still got done! Try it and see how liberating it can be!
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5. Change the way you see your day
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In his book; ’Do it tomorrow’, Mark Forster says ‘people think they have many hours of work and then time off. By looking at the situation in reverse, you reclaim your time by giving as much priority to time spent in leisure.’
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6. Book an appointment for yourself in your diary
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Whether you are a busy parent, work full-time in a demanding job or have to juggle both, you deserve some ‘me time’. So make a point of setting aside some time each day—15-30 minutes or so—to do something just for you.
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7. The best way to spend less time working , is to spend less time at work
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Are you always the first one in and last one out at work? If you are self-employed, does your working week run into the weekend? Set yourself some early deadlines and you will acquire some more free time.
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8. Follow the Pareto Rule
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Do you spend a great deal of time planning, organising, pontificating and procrastinating without getting results in equal measures? Aim for putting only 20% of effort into activities/tasks in order to get 80% results. Think less, act more.
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If you can identify with any of the above ...
Why not invest the cost of a phone call so you can discover more during a complimentary coaching session.
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A big thank you .......
to all of you who contact me with feedback on how my newsletter content has helped you and how you can identify with some of the topics covered.
And now ----
I would like those of you who have found my newsletter content helpful to email me with what has helped you; what tip(s) have you tried and what have been the results?
3 lucky readers, who agree to have their feed back printed in my next newsletter, will each receive a £15 M & S gift voucher.
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Have a great month ...
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Small Steps 2 Success July 2010 Newsletter.
Pavlenka Small. Steps to Success. 2 Elm Cottages. Mission Lane. East Bergholt. Colchester. Essex. CO7 6XH.
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