There is somewhat of a backlash to girls and women wanting to be a “princess”. After all, in this modern world can’t us women be so much more than a figment of prettiness that relies on a saviour in the form of a man?
Well…DUH!! Of course ? I do not aspire to be a Disney Princess nor an actual Royal Princess -that appears like faaaaaar to much work.
What I DO aspire to is the perfect life that most little girls are led to believe that a Princess has.
Waking up in a huge fluffy soft bed ( where even so much as a small pea creates discomfort) surrounded by woodland creatures and twittering birds.
The sun is shining as she slips into a lovely outfit and partakes of high tea in luxurious surroundings. If there is any light work to be done, it is met with a merry song and is never a drudgery.
Her prince is dashingly handsome and treats her with the love and adoration that befits her – and she reciprocates. TOGETHER they live happily ever after.
I guess it is not so much the idea of being a princess as such but rather it is the idea of being the heroine of your own story, whatever that looks like.
I ask you WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH THAT!!!
So… Use the good china, Wear the jewellery, Bathe with the nice soap. Who is more important to use it for than YOU!
There is one thing that stands in your way to becoming anything you want to be and accomplishing anything you’ve dreamed of. It’s not money and it’s not time. It’s not a lack of luck or not having the right opportunities handed to you on a plate.
The thing that is standing in your way is a lack of consistency.
I am sure everybody has heard that it takes approximately 28 days to create a new habit (or break an old one) Changing behaviour is HARD, you are rewiring mindset patterns that have been deeply ingrained and are just so familiar. Even simple tiny tasks like making your bed every morning can prove to be a tough thing to master.
Making our bed EVERY morning has been a “thing” for me. I was in the kitchen a while back waiting for the kettle to boil for my morning cuppa, mindlessly thinking of not much really, when it occurred to me that THIS was the perfect time to make the bed! Who would have thought LOL
It took less time to make the bed than it did for the kettle to boil. Now I have a consistent morning habit of put the kettle on, make the bed, make the tea.
Making this tiny consistent change to my behaviour has helped me set up my day in the ideal way I want my home to look.
Why Consistency is the Key
If you want to be successful at anything then it takes work. As much as we might like to think we can be successful through luck or by gaming the system (and as much as we might be tempted to buy into ‘get rich quick’ schemes or diet fads), the reality is that “luck” requires work. You need to make consistent progress toward your goals.
And the problem is that most of us just don’t commit to the consistent action
We make grand claims about the things we are going to do. We might proclaim we are going to lose weight, get fit, write a best-selling book or even just go to bed before midnight each night. The plan may be carried out for a few days but then it sort of gets forgotten about and we slip back into their old ways. ☹
And why is this? We say that it’s a matter of time but most of us – even the busiest of us – manage to find the time to watch large amounts of TV, flick through trashy tabloid magazines or play long computer games. Many of us will waste time on the train staring into space, or we’ll randomly scroll Facebook or Instagram on our phones in bed not really accomplishing anything or having a particularly good time!
Why? Because we don’t have a plan to enable consistent behaviour to become a habit.
What to do About it
We might claim that we “deserve” a night watching Netflix, or eating things that we shouldn’t really. It feels like a reward.
But the reality is that if you are working towards a goal you care about and that you’re passionate about, you’d probably enjoy that just as much.
This is purely a matter of creating consistent ACTION Often our goals seem too large or just too far out of reach, but by chunking those goals down into smaller easy to manage steps, we can create ways to find a consistent action to do that task.
And there are a few ways you can do this:
Start Simple. Choose ONE area of your life you want to change right now
Write down your goals. There have been numerous studies that show the pure action of writing a goal down can help it come to fruition ( you still have to do the work though ? )
“Reverse Engineer” those goals. Eg a goal might be “To Save $1000 this year” reverse engineering might mean you need to save $83.34 per month, or $19.23 per week or just a TINY $2.74 per day (and who can’t do that? That is less than foregoing your coffee EVERYDAY )
Formulate a CONSISTENT Action for that goal. Set up a daily/weekly/monthly transfer from your bank account into your savings account.
Reduce the “consistency disruptors” of the rest of your day – Switch your café coffee with one from home, get off the bus one stop earlier to get some extra exercise
Commit to your plan for 28 days. After that time, if you have succeeded in your goal, add another goal. If not, don’t beat yourself up, review how you can do things differently and commit again for the next 28 days
Find the consistency and you’ll find you can do anything. Now you know the problem, there is nothing to stop you from fixing it!
My RISE to Rich programme helps you determine your goals and breaks each part of your life down into smaller, manageable steps. By taking baby steps you CAN be living your 10/10 life.
I am sure that many of us are familiar with the idea that it takes approx. 21-28 days to make or break a habit.
I know I have heard it from MANY coaches in all fields. I guess that is why we see so many “21 days to get fit” or “28 days to a slender waist” etc.
Well, it seems that time frame has been busted…the time to actually change a habit is (on average) 66 days!!
Where did the 21 days come from?
Apparently, one Dr Maxwell Maltz, wrote a book in 1960 in which he made observations that in his practice he saw that it took a MINIMUM of 21 days for a new habit to form in the brain.
As Dr Maltz’s book became more and more popular (it has sold over 30 million copies) it became a reference book for many in the growing self-help arena. As more and more of the self-help gurus became influenced by Dr Maltz’s book, a series of “Chinese whispers” managed to drop the concept of a MINIMUM of 21 days and so the myth of 21 (or 28) days to change a habit became accepted a fact.
So…How long DOES it take?
According to a 2009 European study it takes between 18 to 254 days to form a new habit and a 2012 British study dove into the psychology of forming a habit.
What these studies have determined that is takes an AVERAGE of 66 days… which is approx. DOUBLE that old myth.
What comes next?
Firstly, write down the habit you want to change. Why do you want to change it? What will your life look like when this change happens?
Now you can begin to focus on the HOW and concentrate on that for the next 66 days. For the first 7-14 days, announce your intention to change that habit. Often this is enough to “guilt” you into doing it. (Think of you will feel if you fail 😀)
If you don’t feel like you can announce your goal publicly to all your friends. Why not join our private Facebook group and announce it there? We will be there for you.
Keep in mind that you should keep your changes simple and achievable. Eg: You might want to change the habit of snacking on junk food at night. It is almost a foregone conclusion that you will fail if you try and deprive yourself of all the snacks in your house. Try limiting yourself to those junk snacks just 3 days a week and replace the other 4 with something healthier.
Whatever you do, go slow and make it YOUR new normal. This way you move in baby steps toward your ideal 10/10 life without the bad habits that annoy you.
When you think of RICH does the image of money and wealth immediately spring to mind? For most people it does, but did you know that the dictionary has many definitions of the word RICH and only one has to do with actual money.
However, by following these 3 simple rules, you can become financially rich.
Rule Number 1: Do Not Live Above Your Means. I think everybody knows their income should be higher than their spending to be able to achieve financial stability. Certainly, my philosophy of making my cash work hard for me has been the cornerstone of creating my “Sunshine Cash” lifestyle
Rule 2: Save Up and Invest Again the common thinking is to save the balance between your income and outgoings and invest to create further income. Planning income for your future self is a wise decision if you do not to be still working 9-5 well into your 80’s.
Rule 3: Improve on Rules 1 & 2. It is easy to plan and budget your expenses. The issue comes in the practice. So many have the greatest intentions only to slip back to bad habits in a month or two. It is VITALLY important to keep checking in with yourself and keep yourself on track to achieve your long term goals.
Rule 4: Do Not Apply These Rules to Just Your Money. To have a truly RICH life, every area of life needs to follow the first 2 rules. Let’s see how this can be applied to the 8 life areas..
Life Area
Rule 1:
“Do Not Live Above Your Means”
Rule 2:
“Save Up and Invest”
Financial Wealth
Spend less than you Earn
Save and Invest the left over money after expenses
Home and Environment
Have a home that suits your lifestyle
Maintain your home to keep it in good condition.
Family & Friends
Have hundreds of “Friends”
Nurture and protect true friendships that see you through thick and thin.
Romance / Partner
Be too busy to give your partner time. Taking them for granted
Taking time to connect on a personal level often to keep the spark alive.
Health & Wellbeing
Overeat and don’t exercise
Have regular check-ups with health professionals.
Career & Business
Jumping from one job to the next often.
Creating a long term career that creates job satisfaction.
Personal Growth
Being constantly stressed and busy
Allowing some “Me Time” to create balance and unwind.
Fun & Recreation
Being constantly stressed and busy
Finding time to have fun, engage in a hobby or just relax with friends
Take some time and consider how can you apply the 2 rules to your life in all areas.
A little over a month ago, I had a speaking engagement at a conference. I was also meeting a number of my coaching clients for the first time. In the lead up to the conference, I was determined to have nice long strong nails for the weekend. To achieve this, I had a routine of using strengthening oil on my cuticles and coating them with Sally Hansen’s “Hard as Nails” Strengthening Polish twice a week. (If you have not used the Hard as Nails polish, try it, it is great for growing long healthy nails.) By the time of the conference, my nails were GREAT!! Nice and long and strong.
After the conference, I was even busier than usual, and self care was the thing I neglected. I felt I just did not have time for myself amongst everything else that was going on. Exercise, quiet meditation time, and – yes- my nail routine, went out the door.
As a consequence, my nails are currently NOT long and strong 🙁 , my stress levels have been high, and I am not living my ideal life, in fact, I feel like I am careering out of control, backwards down a long hill 🙁
My plan for this week ( and subsequent weeks) is to take back some me time and rebalance my life. I know that this will mean I have to delegate some tasks and outsource others for a short while, but it is necessary.
Do you make YOU a priority in your week? Let me know in the comments.
I admit it, I am a morning person, and I know some of you might hate me right now:) I know that for many people, the mere thought of morning brings feelings of dread and panic.
However, for me, mornings are the time I get some “me” time. I like to get up 30 minutes earlier than hubby. He is one of those – “as soon as his feet hit the floor he is go go GO!”
My 30 minutes or so are quiet time. I like to make myself a cup of tea, read a few pages on whatever book I am currently reading, maybe do some stretches and most importantly THINK!!
It’s the perfect time to focus on myself before life gets in the way and it’s the perfect way to ensure the day gets off to the right start.
Another thing I frequently do is to start the day with meditation. Meditation is a fantastic tool for relieving stress and helping yourself to cope better with the challenges that life throws at you. So if I know I am in for a busy day, some calming thoughts can prepare me for the onslaught.
Part of my quiet thoughts are often gratitude exercises. Gratitude is super valuable for being happier and more effective. The problem is that many of us forget to stop and take stock of how far we have come or how good our lives are already. Instead, we tend to overthink and dwell on the things we have yet to accomplish and what we want next.
Spending five minutes in the morning writing down at least three things that I am thankful for (these can be big things or small things), but simply by focusing on them, I will feel more content and happy.
Starting the day with a to-do list is an excellent way to enhance productivity. It’s also a very good way to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the volume of things you need to do. I tend to make my “Tomorrow To-Do List” at the end of each day. By reviewing this list in the calmer atmosphere of the morning, I can prioritise the top two or three tasks that will be my “Main Thing” for the day. Chunking down the tasks into bite-sized pieces makes the day far less daunting.
My morning routine helps me save money too. Knowing what I doing throughout the day, allows me to plan meals, so I rarely have to resort to a rushed takeaway meal. If my day looks like it will run late, a meal thawed from the freezer stash means dinner can be on the table in a matter of minutes. Or it might mean packing some healthy snacks in my bag for lunch on the go.
Many of us have been raised with the idea of "saving for a rainy day", so we diligently squirrel away savings for a disastrous event.
While it is important to have a safety net backup, "Sunshine Cash" is the complete opposite :) It is the money to have FUN with, money to burn, money to enjoy, and money to LIVE.
It is the formula that has seen me "Rise to Rich" and I can help you do the same.
Where to now? Join me on the Sunshine Cash journey. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for tips and hacks to create YOUR best life.
Oh! Please do comment on my posts. I love to know if something resonates with you, or how you do things differently. I love to hear your stories.
Waking up in a huge fluffy soft bed ( where even so much as a small pea creates discomfort) surrounded by woodland creatures and twittering birds.
A little over a month ago, I had a speaking engagement at a conference. I was also meeting a number of my coaching clients for the first time. In the lead up to the conference, I was determined to have nice long strong nails for the weekend. To achieve this, I had a routine of using strengthening oil on my cuticles and coating them with Sally Hansen’s “Hard as Nails” Strengthening Polish twice a week. (If you have not used the Hard as Nails polish, try it, it is great for growing long healthy nails.) By the time of the conference, my nails were GREAT!! Nice and long and strong.
Morning..,.
