The Three Time Thieves

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Let’s talk about time thieves.

In The Currency Of Time I wrote about how important the currency of time is. 

In Defying the Aging Timeline I reiterated the importance of prioritising our time throughout the different stages of our lives.

Time has always been important to me and is one of the reasons I became a Lean practitioner. There is nothing worse than wasted time in the workplace as that’s where we spend much of our lives.

Recently I’ve been thinking about where my time goes and how I can proactively utilise my time better. It occurred to me that there are three time thieves stealing precious time from me.

 

Maybe these 3 time thieves are stealing your time from you also?

1. Phone

I have an on/off relationship with my phone.

I’m not a phone person meaning I don’t like being on my phone. I don’t like talking on the phone, I dislike getting notifications on my phone and I don’t like spending too much time on my phone in general, I find it all very overwhelming.

In saying that I do like what my phone allows me to do. I like that everything is accessible on my phone – my photos, my writing, emails, banking, podcasts, audiobooks, the knowledge of the internet – everything is available instantly.

The problem is all of the above means I spend way more time on my phone than I would like.

 

2. Email

Email has widely been labeled as a communication tool, I think email is actually really poor at communication. It’s great for information sharing but in terms of communication, I think it creates more communication problems than it solves.

Think about how effective email is compared to a phone call or a conversation in person – there’s absolutely no comparison. What could take 50 emails back and forth would be better communicated in a 10 minute phone call or a 2 minute face to face conversation.

For me email is more of a miscommunication tool!

For the 25 years I spent in the corporate world I really disliked email and found it overwhelming and most of the time, a massive waste of time. So many emails could have been avoided by quick phone calls or face to face conversations.

Even though I don’t work in the corporate world anymore I still find too much of my time goes on emails.

 

3. Social media

I also have an on/off relationship with social media.

Sometimes I like it and sometimes I dislike it.

I use social media to share my writing and I also use it for scrolling and can end up going down the social media rabbit hole which costs me way more time than I’d like.

Social media is addictive.

It’s addictive because it’s built to be addictive. There are literally teams of very skilled people behind every app we use pushing what they want us to view in terms of posts, videos, ads etc.

Recently I watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix and it was frightening. The social media apps we use literally make money from our attention. Of course we don’t think of our scrolling as making money for someone else but it does!

 

Do you find your phone, email and social media are time thieves?

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Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Defying the Age Timeline

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Did you know the currencies of Money, Health, Time & Energy follow a timeline in our lives?

It’s not an exact science but it is a pattern that will hold true for most of us – unless we do something to change the pattern.

The timeline is as follows,

  • In youth we have lots of time & energy, our health is in peak shape but we have very little money
  • In middle age we have money, health & energy but we are time poor. The health & energy we have isn’t what it was in our youth and has started to decline
  • In old age we have money that has been accumulated over our lifetime and we have lots of spare time but our health & energy will be diminished

This timeline is explained further below,

YOUTH:

We have lots of spare time in our youth as we don’t have many responsibilities. This means we have the gift of a huge amount of time – what freedom!

We have optimum health & lots of energy just by the nature of being young.

We spend most of our youth in some form of education and when we start working we do so at the bottom of the salary scale, moving on up that scale throughout our working lives – this means in youth we have very little money.

I think this timeline is pretty accurate – in my youth I had excellent health, loads of energy and lots of free time but very little money. Most people’s youth is probably similar to this.

MIDDLE AGE:

The timeline suggests that in middle age we have money, energy and health but we are TIME POOR.

In middle age we are possibly earning and have accumulated a certain amount of money. More than likely we have less time and our health & energy will naturally start to decline.

In this stage of life earning more money may come at the cost of having less time.

As I moved into middle age where I am now I became TIME POOR – REALLY TIME POOR!

This absence of time didn’t suit me and so I left my day job, one of the reasons being to gain more time. The financial cost of leaving my day job was one I was more than willing to pay in exchange for the precious gift of time.

Moving through middle age my health isn’t what it was in my 20’s and 30’s. Yes I’m relatively fit and healthy but all sorts of ailments are starting to appear!

In terms of energy, I do not have the same energy I had in my youth. The energy I have now is different, I would call it more vitality than energy.

OLD AGE:

In old age we have money that has been accumulated over our lifetime and we have lots of spare time but our health & energy won’t be what it was in our youth or middle age.

We have lots of spare time as our work will have slowed down or we will have retired from work altogether.

Our health & energy, no matter how well we look after it, will have declined over the previous decades.

I have a few years to go before I reach old age but going by this timeline what is waiting for me is money & time but no health or energy to enjoy it!

IS THIS WHAT I WANT?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

So, how do I change the timeline that seems to ring true for every stage of life?

How do I create my own timeline?

I prioritise where I spend & how I improve the currencies of Time, Energy, Health & Money.

  • Here in middle age the priority is to gain more time and to have sufficient money, health and energy to enjoy this time
  • To avoid what is waiting for me in old age the priority is to improve my health & energy so that I can enjoy my time and money

The above will be a balancing act and a work in progress for the rest of my life but hopefully one that will pay dividends here in middle age and throughout the years ahead.

What do the currencies of money, health, time & energy mean to you?

Can you see the above timelines in your own life?

Do you want to defy the age timeline and create your own timeline?

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Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

x x

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The Currency of Energy

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The Currency of Energy

ENERGY is a currency I have only taken notice of over the past 2 years. When I left the working world, I was sure I would have sufficient time to do everything I wanted to do. The irony is I do have plenty of TIME but I don’t always have the ENERGY!

This has been a real learning curve for me and the more I learn about the currency of ENERGY the more it fascinates me.

In order to live our best lives and fulfil our dreams we need to understand how we conserve, spend, refuel and optimise our ENERGY. This is different for all of us and so it’s really important that we evaluate what works for us as individuals.

While we all have 24 hours in every day this doesn’t mean that we have 24 hours of HIGH ENERGY.

  • When we don’t have ENERGY its very difficult to optimise our money
  • When we don’t have ENERGY it’s very difficult to optimise our health
  • When we don’t have ENERGY it’s very difficult to optimise our time

​What increases our ENERGY and what depletes our ENERGY is different for all of us. What we eat, what we drink, how we sleep, what we think, where we spend our time and how we live our lives in general all have an impact on our ENERGY levels.

What we feed our minds affect our energy levels more than we realise. Self talk, our conversations & interactions with others, social media, books, podcasts all affect our ENERGY levels immensely.

​Two of the biggest factors influencing our energy levels are,

​1.Who we spend our time with

  • Some people will refuel our ENERGY levels and give us ENERGY
  • Some people will deplete our ENERGY levels and will take our ENERGY

2.Whether we are introverted or extroverted

  • Introverts replenish their ENERGY levels by being in solitude
  • Extroverts replenish their ENERGY levels by being in the company of others

​How important is the CURRENCY OF ENERGY to you?

How do you conserve, spend, refuel and optimise your ENERGY?

Download your FREE EBOOK The A-Z of Effective Change below and you are all signed up to my weekly newsletter where I share thoughts and resources on all things effective change 😊

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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The Currency of Time

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The Currency of Time

What does the currency of time mean to you?

TIME is finite yet TIME is infinite.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year yet no one knows how many years we have in our lifetime.

This isn’t something most people think about on a daily basis but none of us have infinite TIME.

THERE IS A TIME LIMIT FOR US ALL.

One of my favourite quotes is from Jim Rohn,

‘Time is more valuable than money. You can always get more money, but you cannot get more time.’ ​

Prior to Covid I was working full-time, juggling many side hustles and living life at an unsustainable speed. This level of over working impacted the amount of time I had to spend on all other areas of my life.

I was absolutely TIME POOR!

In 2020, Covid slowed down all of our lives and I enjoyed not running & racing around trying to get everything done. I started to really enjoy the gift of time instead of always complaining about its absence and how I needed more.

I then left the working world in October 2021 and I received the most precious gift – THE GIFT OF TIME.

The GIFT OF TIME is truly one of the greatest gifts I have ever received and I want to ensure I get to enjoy this precious gift at this level for the rest of my life.

Whilst we can’t make more time we can absolutely utilise our time to ensure we are only spending it where we want to spend it.

  • We can’t create more time but we can certainly have more TIME FREEDOM by increasing our MONEY, HEALTH & ENERGY wealth
  • Having more HEALTH & ENERGY means you can enjoy your time more
  • Having more MONEY means you have more options in terms of where you spend your time

One of the most important elements of the currency of TIME is how much of your own TIME you give to yourself.

  • It’s very important to give yourself the precious GIFT OF TIME
  • Your TIME belongs to you and you decide how you spend it
  • How much TIME in your day is solely used for yourself?
  • How much TIME do you plan every day for yourself?

My favourite episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast is the one with Jimmy Carr titled ‘The Easiest Way To Live A Happier Life’. Jimmy is not only a genius comedian but also a deep philosophical thinker who is wise beyond his age and time. I’ve watched this interview on YouTube many times and my favourite part is where Steven asks Jimmy what he thought happiness was.

Jimmy simply said,

‘Happiness is enjoying the passage of time’

How fabulous is that? 

Imagine, the sheer simplicity of happiness being enjoying the passage of our precious resource of time. I absolutely love this philosophy and have infused this philosophy throughout every aspect of my life since I first heard it.

To enjoy the passage of time, we must first be aware of and have the precious resource of time.

How important is the CURRENCY OF TIME to you?

Do you give yourself enough of THE GIFT OF TIME?

Download your FREE EBOOK The A-Z of Effective Change below and you are all signed up to my weekly newsletter where I share thoughts and resources on all things effective change 😊

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

x x

 

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The Currency of Health

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Health

Health is by far my most important currency.

Without health, nothing else in our lives will function optimally.

Without HEALTH, we cannot maximise, enjoy or spend the other currencies how we want to.

Without HEALTH,

  • We cannot maximise, enjoy or spend our MONEY how we want to
  • We cannot maximise, enjoy or use our TIME how we want to
  • We cannot maximise, enjoy or use our ENERGY how we want to

Health has always been important to me but recently it has become even more important. Our health declines naturally as we age, our metabolism slows down, our tolerance for unhealthy things reduces and it takes more work to stabilise and improve our health!

As I continue to age, I want to be fit, strong and healthy to live my best life every day and pursue my dreams.

It then makes sense to focus on the precious currency of HEALTH as much as we focus on the currency of MONEY.

Our HEALTH is impacted by everything we do – everything we eat, everything we drink, everything we listen to, everything we watch and everything we fill our minds with.

Our HEALTH is also impacted by how we treat ourselves, how we treat others and how we allow others to treat us.

For me there are 4 elements of health and all are important to function as best as we can in the world.

  • Mental health – this is about understanding our minds, thoughts, behaviours and the world that exists within each of us. Mental health is by far the most important element of my overall health as without mental health, nothing else will function optimally

 

  • Emotional health – this is about understanding our emotional world, what drives our emotions and how we manage them. Tony Robbins says ‘Emotions are the fuel for life’ which I agree with and so it’s very important to understand and improve our emotional world 

 

  • Physical health – this supports us to be the fittest and strongest we can be so we can continue to live our lives to the fullest. Much time and focus is given to physical health but it’s very important to ensure it is not at the expense of other elements of our health!

 

  • Spiritual health – this will be different for everyone, it’s about who or what you feel connected to. For some it may be a connection to God or for others it may be a connection to themselves, the Universe or whatever brings them peace & comfort

How important is the CURRENCY OF HEALTH to you?

What amount of MONEY, TIME & ENERGY do you trade for this HEALTH?

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Siobhain

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The Currency of Money

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If someone asked you what your currency is, chances are you might say the currency of your country which in my case is euro.  

​What if the question was – what are your currencies for life?
​My answer to this would be MONEY, HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY

I haven’t earned money since I left work in October 2021 and while I know I need money to function in the world, not focusing on money as the only currency of my life has opened up a whole new world.​

This whole new world allows me to focus on the other currencies of my life which are HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY.

We all need money but money has limitations.

Money can only buy material things. No matter how much money we have, money cannot buy the important things in life. 

We spend a huge amount of our lives working which is trading our precious time for money.

This is something we all need to do but how much of our HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY do we want to trade for this money? 

For 25 years I worked for various companies trading my time for money. Sometimes I traded way more HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY than I was being paid for. 

I am grateful for what these jobs afforded me, what I learned, the skills I built and the friendships I made. However giving so much of my time and trading my time for money no longer suits me and the thoughts of spending 50+ hours working for someone else makes me incredibly anxious and on edge.

I am passionate about many things but I don’t want work to take up such a large portion of my life and time anymore. 

The other areas of my life are so important that I want to dedicate sufficient time to them – Sense of Self, Health, Relationships, Finance, Experiences/Fun, Environment & Contribution – see my Wheel of Life below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also want to dedicate more time to the other 3 currencies of my life – HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY.  

Going forward I will focus on how much of my HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY I am willing to trade for MONEY.

When evaluating my work I will be asking the following questions,  

  • How much HEALTH will this cost me?
  • How much TIME will this cost me?
  • How much ENERGY will this cost me?

As important as money may be, it’s worth noting that no matter how much money we have, money cannot buy the other currencies of HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY.

  • MONEY CANNOT BUY HEALTH

Money can allow us the freedom to learn more about health, to learn how to optimise our health and give us time to improve our health but it cannot buy any element of our health for us.

Money can buy better healthcare but not better HEALTH.

HEALTH IS NOT FOR SALE! 

  • MONEY CANNOT BUY TIME

Money can allow us to have more time freedom (which is very important) but we cannot buy more time in our day and certainly not any more time in our lifetime.

When time is spent, it’s gone – no amount of money can buy it back.  

TIME IS NOT FOR SALE

  • MONEY CANNOT BUY ENERGY

Money cannot optimise or give us more energy. 

We don’t have infinite energy in our day, our energy levels will fluctuate depending on how we live our lives. 

We may get a temporary buzz of energy from buying material things and consuming high energy stuff but this is short-lived energy spikes. 

ENERGY IS NOT FOR SALE.

How important is the CURRENCY OF MONEY to you?

How much HEALTH, TIME & ENERGY do you trade for this money?

Are you happy with the balance?

If you are looking for some excellent books on finance I highly recommend the following,

How To Be Good With Money by Eoin McGee

This is a super book that would financially benefit everyone if it was taught in school. Eoin is all about getting the financial basics right then building on them to work towards and achieve financial freedom. Eoin explains all elements of personal finance in an easy to understand, no jargon way which makes this book such an enjoyable read.

Eoin is a super guy to follow on Instagram and he does a Q&A every week which is really helpful. Eoin also runs his own financial consultancy Prosperous, where you can take advantage of those who know best in the financial world to improve your finances.

Money – Master the Game by Tony Robbins 

This book goes into finance in great depth. Finance is not my favourite subject and so I skipped a few chapters as I didn’t enjoy or understand them. Listening to this on audible made this easy to do. As well as chapters I didn’t understand there were chapters that I loved and listened to over and over again. 

Chapter 8 is one of the chapters I loved. It is all about financial freedom and it is worth buying this book for this chapter alone. Tony walks through the simple steps of financial freedom and explains really well how it’s not as difficult to achieve as you may think.

This is an excellent book for those who want to dive a bit deeper into finance and financial freedom.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 

Think and Grow Rich is a literary masterpiece first published in 1937. It’s as much a book about success and manifestation as it is about money. Napoleon Hill’s storytelling is unique and captivating and his 13 step formula for success is easy to understand – implementation takes a bit more work!

This is the type of book that you can read over and over again as you go deeper and deeper into the wisdom shared by Napoleon Hill.

A must read for anyone serious about financial freedom!

Mindset by Carol Dwecke

I truly believe that having a growth mindset is the first step to reaching financial goals. 

While this book isn’t solely about finance it does go a long way to explaining the necessity of a growth mindset in terms of financial success. This book teaches the difference and the inevitable consequences of having a growth mindset or a fixed mindset in all elements of life including business, parenting, school and relationships. 

An absolute brilliant book that I highly recommend no matter what your interests are.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Rober T. Kiyosaki

I found many similarities between this book and Mindset in terms of the importance of a growth and abundance mindset when it comes to finance. 

This is a very easy read as the lessons it teaches are told through a brilliant story. The financial teachings are easy to understand and jargon free which is how I like to learn about finance.

A super read no matter what your level of personal financial knowledge is. 

Download your FREE EBOOK The A-Z of Effective Change below and you are all signed up to my weekly newsletter where I share thoughts and resources on all things effective change 😊

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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My Favourite Books

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Books I Love

Reading is one of my favourite things to do. Nothing makes me happier than sitting down with a great book and immersing myself in it’s world of wisdom and wonder.

My areas of interest are psychology, spirituality, personal development, Lean, business, marketing and entrepreneurship. I have read many wonderful books that each in their own unique way have changed my life for the better. 

Below is a list of books I love, maybe you’ve read some of these or maybe you’ll put them on your to read list. Either way I’m sure they will transform your life in a positive way just as they have done for me

I start this list with my Top 5 books of all time. These are books that I read over and over again and with every reading I find new wisdom, new learnings and a new view on the world. 

My Top 5 Books 

The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Power of Now is my favourite book of all time and has been since I first read it over 10 years ago. 

The first time I read this book I didn’t really understand it, however what I did understand was that there was a very powerful message in the book. Each subsequent reading has brought a deeper understanding of the simple principle that Eckhart teaches – there is only the Now, there never was and never will be anything other than the Now.

Eckhart explains the past is gone, the future isn’t here yet and so all we have is this present moment. This is where we should focus our mind & our efforts –  in this the present moment. 

I listen to the audio version of The Power of Now every 3 months and it keeps me focused on the Now. Without a doubt, this is the best and most powerful book I have ever read or listened to.

If you haven’t read this book I suggest you buy it, read it, study it, give it the time it deserves and live the teachings, it will transform your life. 

 

The 7 Spiritual Laws Of Success by Deepak Chopra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a most beautiful book by one of the world’s leading spiritual teachers Deepak Chopra. 

If you want success in your life then buy, read and implement the teachings of this beautiful book.

This is a short book at just 118 pages. It is easy to read and understand yet the simplistic and powerful teachings will take a lifetime to implement. 

These are the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success outlined in Deepak’s book,

  1. The Law of Pure Potentiality: Take time to be silent, to just BE – silently witness the intelligence within every living thing, practice non-judgment. 
  1. The Law of Giving: Keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving care, affection, appreciation and love. 
  1. The Law of Karma: Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. Choosing actions that bring happiness and success to others ensures the flow of happiness and success to you. 
  1. The Law of Least Effort: Accept people, situations, and events as they occur. Take responsibility for your situation and for all events seen as problems, relinquish the need to defend your point of view. 
  1. The Law of Intention and Desire: Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment. Make a list of desires, trust that when things don’t seem to go your way, there is a reason. 
  1. The Law of Detachment: Allow yourself and others the freedom to be who they are. Do not force solutions – allow solutions to spontaneously emerge, uncertainty is essential, and your path to freedom. 
  2. The Law of Dharma/Purpose: Everyone has a purpose in life, a unique gift or special talent to give to others. When we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man’s Search for Meaning is a classic and one of the best and most impactful books ever written. 

Viktor Frankl was a holocaust survivor who lost everything in Auschwitz during World War II. As awful and inhumane as his conditions were, the message from Viktor’s book isn’t one of fear and loss. 

Viktor’s message is one of hope and resilience and the ability to find meaning in life, no matter the circumstances. 

Viktor, through his personal story and strength of character teaches us that no matter what the situation is, no matter how hard things get, no matter what is taken away for us in this physical world we still have, in Frankl’s own words 

‘the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way’. 

This book reminds us that things can always be worse and no matter what we lose, we never lose the ability to choose how we feel about and react to our circumstances.

Is there any greater meaning in life than to choose one’s own attitude and one’s own way? 

This book is only 154 pages long but on every reading it will bring deeper wisdom and a more profound connection to meaning in our lives. 

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin

 

 

 

 

 

 

To say I adore this book is a huge understatement. It is, by far, the best, most profound, most exciting, most down to earth book I have ever read on leadership. If you want to learn about the real meaning of leadership and become a better leader read this book.

Jocko starts this incredible book by explaining that this is not an individual’s glorified war story but it is indeed ‘all about the team’. 

The focus on teamwork is evident from the beginning of this book, throughout every chapter right up to the last word. Jocko explains as ‘Seals they operate as a team of high calibre, multi-talented individuals who have been through perhaps the toughest military training and the most rigorous screening process anywhere. In the Seal program, it is all about the team, the sum is far greater than the parts’. Jocko goes on to say ‘we call ourselves team guys’.

We are given a glimpse into the fine characters of these great leaders Jocko Willink and Leif Babin as they explain that they wrote the book to capture and pass on the leadership lessons they had learned on the battlefield and through their work with civilian business’s so that such crucial lessons may not be forgotten or need to be relearned or rewritten. 

Jocko and Leif wrote this book for leaders everywhere so they may use the principles they share to lead and win.

Even with all of their accomplishments, experience and knowledge, Jocko and Leif remain extremely humble which is hugely admirable. This humility is evident as they explain they ‘continue to learn and grow as leaders every day and that they pass on these leadership lessons not from a pedestal or a position of superiority but from a humble place where the scars of their failings still show’.

What I loved most about this book is the fact that the leadership lessons shared through their incredible experiences are so simple. With all the complications, complexities and dangers of war, the lessons shared are ones we can all learn from and apply.

The leadership basics of solid, clear and consistent communication, keeping everything simple, effective teamwork, planning, planning and more planning, prioritisation, accountability and courage are woven into all of the fascinating true-life stories that Jocko and Leif tell. All told with the one over arching principle in mind that, 

The single most important factor on the battlefield or in business is leadership.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough and if you’re a fan of audiobooks it’s narrated by the authors which is always a treat!

Here is my book review on this brilliant book – Extreme Ownership.

 

The Shift – From Ambition to Meaning by Dr Wayne Dyer (RIP)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Wayne Dyer RIP is one of my favourite authors and spiritual teachers. Wayne has written 34 books, each of them jam packed with heaps of wisdom, guidance and deep truth but this book is one of his greatest works. 

The Shift is about moving from being led by your ego to being guided by your soul,

  • From doing to being
  • From striving to thriving
  • From problems to possibilities
  • From attachment to freedom
  • FROM AMBITION TO MEANING 

This is a short book at 149 pages but like all of Dr Wayne Dyer’s brilliant books, the wisdom on each page can last a lifetime! 

If what you are doing isn’t working for you and you want more meaning in your life, I highly recommend From Ambition to Meaning. 

Wayne Dyer explains his wonderful book in the following words,

‘As we contemplate leaving the morning of our life, where ego has played a commanding role, and entering the afternoon (and evening), where meaning and purpose replace ambition and struggle, we may encounter unexpected occurrences that accompany this new direction.

It’s almost a universal law that we’ll experience a fall of some kind. Yet these falls or low points provide the energy we need to move away from ego and into a life of meaning and purpose.

The Shift doesn’t mean that we lose our drive and ambition; it signifies that we become ambitious about something new. We make a commitment to living a life based on experiencing meaning and feeling purposeful, rather than never-ending demands and false promises that are the trademark of the ego’s agenda’ Dr Wayne Dyer

My Favourite Books on Finance

If you are looking for some excellent books on finance I highly recommend the following,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Be Good With Money by Eoin McGee

This is a super book that would financially benefit everyone if it was taught in school. Eoin is all about getting the financial basics right then building on them to work towards and achieve financial freedom. Eoin explains all elements of personal finance in an easy to understand, no jargon way which makes this book such an enjoyable read.

Eoin is a super guy to follow on Instagram and he does a Q&A every week which is really helpful. Eoin also runs his own financial consultancy Prosperous, where you can take advantage of those who know best in the financial world to improve your finances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money – Master the Game by Tony Robbins 

This book goes into finance in great depth. Finance is not my favourite subject and so I skipped a few chapters as I didn’t enjoy or understand them. Listening to this on audible made this easy to do. As well as chapters I didn’t understand there were chapters that I loved and listened to over and over again. 

Chapter 8 is one of the chapters I loved. It is all about financial freedom and it is worth buying this book for this chapter alone. Tony walks through the simple steps of financial freedom and explains really well how it’s not as difficult to achieve as you may think.

This is an excellent book for those who want to dive a bit deeper into finance and financial freedom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 

Think and Grow Rich is a literary masterpiece first published in 1937. It’s as much a book about success and manifestation as it is about money. Napoleon Hill’s storytelling is unique and captivating and his 13 step formula for success is easy to understand – implementation takes a bit more work!

This is the type of book that you can read over and over again as you go deeper and deeper into the wisdom shared by Napoleon Hill.

A must read for anyone serious about financial freedom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mindset by Carol Dwecke

I truly believe that having a growth mindset is the first step to reaching financial goals. 

While this book isn’t solely about finance it does go a long way to explaining the necessity of a growth mindset in terms of financial success. This book teaches the difference and the inevitable consequences of having a growth mindset or a fixed mindset in all elements of life including business, parenting, school and relationships. 

An absolute brilliant book that I highly recommend no matter what your interests are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Rober T. Kiyosaki

I found many similarities between this book and Mindset in terms of the importance of a growth and abundance mindset when it comes to finance. 

This is a very easy read as the lessons it teaches are told through a brilliant story. The financial teachings are easy to understand and jargon free which is how I like to learn about finance.

A super read no matter what your level of personal financial knowledge is. 

 

More of my favourite books to follow…….

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Siobhain

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The Speed of Life

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At what speed do you live your life?

We can probably generalise and say we live a slow paced, easy going life or we live a fast paced, hectic life.

We may be somewhere in between.

A better question to ask would be,

At what speed do you want to live your life?

Here’s some astrophysics that explains how fast we are all travelling,

1.The earth rotates on its own axis making one complete rotation every 24 hours which gives us night and day.

This happens at about 1,037 miles per hour. 

2.The earth revolves around the Sun making one complete rotation every 365 days which is one year. 

This happens at about 67,000 miles per hour.

3.The Sun, Earth, and our entire Solar System are orbiting the centre of our Milky Way.

This happens at about 500,000 miles per hour

4.Our Galaxy, the Milky Way moves in space relative to other galaxies

This happens at about 1.3 million miles per hour. 

That’s enough speed to make us very dizzy! 

I’m no astrophysicist and so I don’t know if you add up or multiply all of the above to get our exact speed but we are moving VERY VERY FAST! Here’s a really good article that explains this speed much better than I can – How fast is earth moving?

For me this is plenty speed – I don’t want to live my life any faster than this.

In the last 3 decades of my life I lived my life at a fast paced and hectic speed.

A few years ago this speed started to become less enjoyable.

It felt too fast.

It felt like I was speeding my way through life and not taking enough notice of the preciousness and awe of life.

Then I slowed down.

I left my job without another, I streamlined my responsibilities & commitments, I removed myself from everything that no longer interested me – I just slowed down.

This slower speed,

  • felt better
  • felt right
  • brought more joy
  • brought more enjoyment
  • brought more happiness
  • brought more peace

Part of my goals for this year and beyond is to continue living life at this slow paced, joyful, happy and peaceful speed.

  • What speed do you live your life at?
  • Do you want to live your life at a slower or faster speed?

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Siobhain

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My 2024 Goals

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2024 Annual Goals

Setting annual goals gives us DIRECTION for the year ahead. 

Where we end up as a result of goal setting is UNKNOWN but wouldn’t you rather be going in the DIRECTION YOU SET instead of anywhere else?

Annual goal setting gives us PURPOSE & MEANING and the more we work on our goals, the more PURPOSE & MEANING we bring into our lives. 

Using the template outlined in my blog post Setting Dream Driven Goals, I ask myself the following four questions for each area of my life to set my goals for 2024. 

  • What are my DREAM DRIVEN GOALS?
  • WHY are these goals important to me?
  • HOW will I achieve these goals?
  • What METRICS will I use to measure progress?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of my goals and everything I do align with the concepts of I Am Enough and Less is More. 

Below are my 2024 Annual Goals for each area of my life,

1. SENSE OF SELF:

Before I dive into my goals in this area, I’ll explain what Sense of Self means to me. 

This category combines my spirituality, personal development, personal strategy and my relationship with myself. This category is all about who I am, who I want to be and how I feel about myself & the world around me. This is also where I work on the concepts of self love, self worth, self esteem, self belief, self trust, self confidence, self assurance, self understanding, self respect, self awareness and self observation.

The success of this category determines the success in all other categories of my life and so it is the most important category of my life. 

What are my Sense of Self Dream Driven Goals?

  • To prioritise, understand and learn more about myself to bring the best version of my truest, most authentic self to my life, my relationships & the world. 
  • To learn more about, grow and stay grounded spiritually. 
  • To utilise, improve and learn more about my personal strategy.

WHY are my Sense of Self goals important to me?

My Sense of Self has taken a bit of a battering over the past few years and so it’s pretty unstable at the moment. This means my entire life feels unstable – this is not a nice place to be and not somewhere I want to spend too much more time in!

My personal strategy keeps me on top of everything & ensures I get everything done with no stress, strain or pressure! The more visibility & understanding I have in my life, the more I can see what areas I want to improve and change. 

When I don’t utilise my personal strategy I feel disorganised, overwhelmed, under pressure, stressed, less grounded, less happy & less fulfilled. 

HOW will I achieve my Sense of Self goals?

  • Learn more about sprituality, psychology and concepts of self 
  • Create my personal strategy for 2024 and carry out regular plans and reviews 
  • Journal daily – daily journaling is a game changer in terms of self awareness
  • Spend sufficient time in solitude – I’m an introvert and so solitude is as important to me as oxygen is! 

 What METRICS will measure progress towards my Sense Self goals?

Progress in terms of ‘Sense of Self’ is difficult to measure, it’s almost intangible. It is however closely linked to my happiness, contentment and fulfillment of which all of the above add to immensely.

Currently I don’t have a measure for this category other than how joyful I feel every day and what I learn about myself. 

 

2. RELATIONSHIPS:

What are my relationship Dream Driven Goals?

To nurture & improve my relationships & spend quality time with Mike, my family & friends  This part of my life is really just about enjoying the company of those I love and who love me.

There is no greater gift!  

My beloved Dad passed away last year. Learning to live with my Dad’s physical absence is something that I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to. I don’t even know how I’ll get used to life without him, it’s just so incomprehensible.  

WHY are my relationship goals important to me?

My relationships with those I love are my greatest source of happiness and I want to ensure my relationships are given the time and focus that they deserve.

The work I do in the Sense of Self category will also support my relationships to ensure I bring the best version of my truest, most authentic self to my relationships 

HOW will I achieve my relationship goals?

  • Navigate the journey of grief for my beloved Dad which brings me much sadness.
  • Spend precious time with Mike, my family and friends which brings me much joy.

What METRICS will measure progress towards my relationship goals?

There are no metrics in this category although I do ensure I capture the precious time I spend with those I love in photos and journaled memories.

 

3. HEALTH:

What are my health Dream Driven Goals?

Mental & Emotional Health: To nurture & improve my mental & emotional health to create mental & emotional stability and strength. 

Physical Health: To nurture and improve my physical health to be the healthiest, fittest and strongest I can be.

WHY are my health important to me?

My health is the foundation on which everything else is built – without health, nothing else can thrive. 

Over the past few years, my entire perspective on my health has changed. It is no longer about being healthy because I enjoy eating well, exercising and fitting into my clothes. Health is now about longevity and having fitness, strength & mobility to enjoy that longevity.

Dr Lisa Misconi says ‘Your health in mid life is the biggest determining factor of your health in later life’. This is why it is so important to be the healthiest, fittest and strongest I have ever been!

I feel more grounded, happy, joyful, less anxious, less overwhelmed, less stressed and more at peace with myself, life & everything when I feel fit and healthy.

HOW will I achieve my health goals?

I make the same health goals every year and have learned that progress is not linear. Some years I am at my healthiest, fittest and strongest and some years I am not.

What matters is not so much linear progress, but what I learn about my health and the continuous work I put in to improve it.

1. Mental & Emotional Health: 

To understand and prioritise what supports my mental health. For me, mental health is the most important element of overall health as without mental health, nothing else will function optimally. 

To understand and prioritise what supports my emotional life. I’m an Enneagram 4 and so pretty much live on my emotions! Managing my emotions needs to be a daily practise to stay sane! 

2. Physical Health: 

Continuously work on my physical health to be the healthiest, fittest and strongest I can be. I do this through embedding healthy habits for nutrition, exercise, sleep, relaxation etc. Here I schedule and monitor results of health check ups – optician, dentist, bloods etc. 

 What METRICS will measure progress towards my health goals?

  • Health metrics of BMI, weight, nutrition, exercise, sleep etc
  • Health checks completed and progress on same 

 

4. FINANCE: 

What are my finance Dream Driven Goals?

I only have one Financial Dream Driven Goal – to achieve and enjoy Financial Freedom. 

Financial Freedom is defined as ‘having sufficient income, savings or investments to live comfortably for life and meet all one’s obligations without relying on a salary’. 

I have learned a huge amount about Financial Freedom from Tony Robbin’s excellent book Money – Master the Game. Tony says Financial Freedom is ‘a long-term plan to build the life of your dreams. Tony also says ‘success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want, that’s also financial freedom’.

Both of these definitions sit well with me and sum up my dreams for Financial Freedom! 

WHY are my finance goals important to me?

For me, financial freedom isn’t about having a certain amount of money or buying material things. Financial freedom is more about using my financial situation to have the freedom to enjoy all other areas of life as much as possible. 

  • I want the freedom to give as much time as I want to other area of my life
  • I want the freedom to work for joy and not for the necessity of money
  • I want the freedom to contribute to the world however I want to

HOW will I achieve my finance goals?

I use the word ‘abundantly’ throughout my 2024 financial goals as I believe that reaching financial goals has as much to do with a growth and abundance mindset as it has to do with money. 

  • To abundantly spend and enjoy spending 

To enjoy and monitor my spending.

I’m not great at sticking to a budget but what I am very good at is monitoring spend in great detail. This ensures I know exactly how much I spend and can adjust my habits accordingly. 

  • To abundantly increase my financial value 

To increase my financial value – my financial value is my total savings, investments and pensions.

I find financial value is a better metric than earnings as while you could be staying on the same earnings, your financial value could be increasing depending on your savings, investments and pensions. 

In stark contrast your earnings could be increasing but if you are not saving and investing, your financial value could be decreasing.

This year I have one very large financial project and many smaller projects that will all increase my financial value and move me a few steps closer to financial freedom. 

  • To continue with my break from earning money

This is something I never thought I’d say – take a break from earning money! Actually this will be my 3rd year in a row earning less money.

This reduction in earnings has resulted in abundance of another type. I have abundance in terms of time which brings me more joy than any amount of money ever could. With this time, I plan to learn more about finance and build the foundation for my business..

These learnings and business foundation will in time support me to earn more.

  • To abundantly learn more about finance 

To learn more about personal finance and continue to embed a growth and abundance mindset in terms of finance. I haven’t read many books on finance but the books I have read have made a huge impact on me.and my financial decisions.

Below are books I highly recommend to learn more about personal finance. 

  1. Money – Master the Game by Tony Robbins – I highly recommend this excellent book’. I didn’t understand all of it but it’s worth reading for chapter 8 which is all about financial freedom. According to Tony, it’s not as difficult to achieve as you may think. I listened to this on audible as I found it easier to understand as some chapters I had to listen to a few times.
  1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – this bestselling book was on my bookshelf for years before I finally read it last year and I look forward to reading it again this year. It’s the type of book that you can read over and over again as you go deeper and deeper into it’s wisdom. A must read for anyone serious about financial freedom! 
  1. Mindset by Carol Dwecke – If you want to learn more about a growth mindset I highly recommend you read Carol Dwecke’s book Mindset. This book teaches the difference between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and the consequences of both. I truly believe that having a growth mindset is the first step to reaching financial goals. 
  1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad – This is a very easy read as the lessons it teaches are told through a brilliant story. The financial teachings are easy to understand and jargon free which is how I like to learn about finance. I found many similarities between this book and Mindset in terms of the importance of a growth and abundance mindset when it comes to finance.  

What METRICS will measure progress towards my finance goals?

  • Progress in large and mini projects 
  • Monitor total spend which is detailed, capital and business spend
  • Monitor total financial value which is profit, property & pensions (minus debt)
  • Monitor total earnings and income
  • Document and action financial learnings 

 

5. WORK:

I currently spend the least time in this category which is ironic as for 25 years it is where I spent the most time! Even though I now spend the least time here, it is the area of my life that is changing the most. 

Having left my day job in October 2021, I am currently in between working for others and working for myself. 

My only focus at the moment in terms of work is on writing, writing and more writing! 

What are my work Dream Driven Goals?

  • To be a writer and build my own business
  • To practice and teach Lean philosophy
  • To continuously learn and improve my skills
  • To enjoy every minute of this process

 WHY are my work goals important to me?

  • My favourite thing to do is write.
  • My second favourite thing to do is read which helps me be a better writer.
  • I have always wanted to work for myself and have total freedom over my work, my time, my finances and my creativity. 
  • My business will be a channel to achieving financial freedom. While I’m not focused on earning money from my business at the moment I will be building the foundation on which money can be earned in the future.

HOW will I achieve my work goals?

  • Create more time to read and write
  • Write weekly emails consistently – you can sign up for my weekly email here
  • Write new blog posts and learn more about writing and blogging
  • Write and share social media posts consistently 

What METRICS will measure progress towards my work goals?

  • Progress in creating more time to read and write
  • Consistency in sending weekly emails and posting on social media
  • Consistency in writing and publishing new blog posts
  • Learnings and improvement in my skills 

 

6. EXPERIENCES/FUN:

What are my Dream Driven Goals?

To have enjoyable experiences, have fun, smile, laugh out loud & not take life too seriously!

WHY are my Dream Driven Goals important to me?

Because it makes me feel good! 

 HOW will I achieve my Dream Driven Goals? 

  • Spend time with loved ones who make me smile, laugh and bring me so much joy
  • Plan experiences that bring me joy and make me feel alive
  • Be more aware of everyday activities that bring me joy and do more of them
  • Be more aware of everyday activities that don’t bring me joy and do less of them

What METRICS will measure progress towards my Dream Driven goals?

There are no metrics in this category although I do ensure I capture fun times in photos and journaled memories.  

 

7. ENVIRONMENT:

What are my Dream Driven Goals?

To improve and enjoy my environment which is our home on a personal level. Remove everything that doesn’t serve me and only keep what brings me joy. 

WHY are my Dream Driven Goals important to me?

Because it makes me feel good and I enjoy looking after & improving our living space.

HOW will I achieve my Dream Driven Goals? 

  • Carry out Marie Kondo’s decluttering in our home. Marie’s overarching teaching is to remove anything from our homes that doesn’t SPARK JOY! Marie’s book ‘The Magic Art of Tidying Up’ is a must for anyone who wants more space in their home and life! 
  • Decorate our home with the support of an interior designer. This has been on my goals for 2 years and I haven’t got to it yet – maybe this year!

What METRICS will measure progress towards my Dream Driven goals?

  • Progress in Marie Kondo’s decluttering on our home. 
  • Progress in decorating our home with the support of an interior designer

8. CONTRIBUTION

What are my Dream Driven Goals?

To contribute to the world financially and also with my time & skills.

WHY are my Dream Driven Goals important to me?

I want to give back because the world has given and continues to give me so much 

HOW will I achieve my Dream Driven Goals? 

  • I have been supporting 4 main charities that mean a lot to me for many years. All of these charity direct debits are currently on hold as I’m not working but I contribute financially to charities with once off payments. 
  • Contribute to the world with my time & my skills – this means different things at different times

That’s it, my 2024 goals.

Whatever your goals are, I wish you success, love, health and happiness as you live your best life every day. 

If you want to follow my journey, you can sign up to my weekly newsletter by downloading my free ebook ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Where Are You – in colour?

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Following on from my blog post Where Are You, here’s a very simple way of visualising where you are in every area of your life.

I love visuals and colour which is why I love visualising where I am in life through colour.

The above image is a scale that is widely used for mental health evaluation. You can use this for your Wheel of Life which will give you an effective snapshot of how you are functioning in all areas of your life.

You simply assign the appropriate heading and corresponding colour to each area of your life.

Not only will this give you a very colourful Wheel of Life, it will also highlight the areas of your life that require the most attention.

Of course we’d all love to be thriving and excelling in all areas of our lives but that’s just not realistic.

Life doesn’t work like that.

There is always some challenges, some struggles, some obstacles to be overcome.

My goal isn’t to be excelling and thriving in all areas. I just want to stay out of crisis mode and if I find myself there, that I move out of it as quickly as possible.

I also don’t want to be struggling in any area for too long.

Life’s inevitable ups and downs means we will be in crisis, we will struggle, we will just be surviving in some areas – the magic is how we deal with life when we find ourselves in these places.

It’s most likely that your Wheel of Life will have a mixture of all colours, you more than likely will be thriving in some areas and struggling in others.

When you have assigned colours to all areas of your life, your Wheel of Life may look something like this. 

No matter where you are, it is just your starting point.

Where you go depends on your goals and how much work you put into them.

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Siobhain

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