New Year New Start?

Goal Setting & Goal Getting

I'm writing this just after Christmas and therefore with just a few days to go until the New year starts.

Now, as many of my students and apprentices will already know, I don't believe in waiting for 1st January to set goals and make decisions. However, it IS the time of year when many DO make some changes, make a new atsrt, make promises to themselves.

Whether they keep them or not is another matter, of course, and I'll deal with that in a later post.

New Year Resolution Tips

For now let me offer you this advice:

• Set Goals carefully. Only set Goals you truly want to achieve.
• Ensure that they are Specific ie detailed
• Ensure they can be measured - so you can see progress and know when you have completed them
• They should be a challenge and stretch you a bit - but also should be possible!
• Don't choose anything impossible or that has bad effects on others!
• Set them from your heart. Dig deep and mean them.
• Write them down and share with people you trust and who can support and help you.

Then start to work on your goals with Confidence!

Tell me what goals you ahve set and what will your first step to achieving be.

Until then ....

Confidently

John Gordon
The Infotainer

Atomic Kitten Liz is new Celebrity MasterChef 2008

Liz McClarnon goes on a journey

Before the competition, Liz couldn't really cook. In fact, in the first episode, she admitted that all her recipes were done on the top as she'd never used an oven!

Liz said: "I can't believe it. I'm so proud, all that hard work has finally paid off. I'm so glad I won. It was such a tough journey for someone who couldn't cook. The only down side is that I had to cook my own birthday meal because I was the best cook in the house."

All three finalists were great in their own way. The others were presenter Andi Peters and actor Mark Moraghan. Andi had great strengths in many areas including a real focus, determination and attention to detail. When the chips were down, he was usually the one to step up to the plate and drive the team. Mark had good technique and cooked with robust flavors, but was often let down by his attitude and focus.

Greg Wallace said: "Liz is by the far the best natural cook that I've seen in a long, long time.
"She has really shown a triumph of spirit and has shown what can be done if you link natural talent to real want. Liz was not a great cook when she started MasterChef but she was by the end of it - she is a fantastic cook."

Liz said “Aside from acting, this was the most profound thing I have ever done. Cooking is a passion. I would love to have a little seafood restau-rant by the sea and cook all day.”

The transformation I saw was nothing short of stunning. What a journey. If they show series re-runs or highlights ... watch it and see the lessons.

In confidence....

John
http://www.confidence-tricks.com/

Master Of Some

Whatever It Takes

Matt Dawson is something of a real Superstar. Originally known for being a powerhouse scrum half he’s transformed into a MasterChef and now an elegant ballroom dancer!

He’s been a familiar face to BBC UK TV audiences with his ‘A Question of Sport' appearances as team captain, opposite Ally McCoist. But England, Northampton Saints and Wasps rugby star Matt Dawson is stepping well outside his usual comfort zones on national television. Why would anyone want to take on this potential humiliation?

Darren says. “I don't have a burning desire to become a dancer but the idea of doing something I've never done before in front of a huge live audience is such an adrenalin rush. And it'll give the friends and family something to have a giggle about.”

The BBC website on the show says: “Dawson retired from rugby in 2006, after a career which earned him 77 England caps and put him in a crucial position for England's victorious performance in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. There's no doubting Dawson's ability as a scrum half – but the rugby pitch is a long way from the dance floor. Can Dawson learn grace and accuracy after a career of speed and strength?”

The finalists in the BBC MasterChef competition actually showed what it takes to excel in something like this. Two of the three were sportsmen and they clearly had what it took to win in both the sports arena or the kitchen. Their training regime of transferable mental skills was clearly at work.

Matt says: “I enjoyed every single minute of it. I learned from it….. and progressed as I went through the competition”.

So how is he shaping up in Strictly Come Dancing? Well, the competition is still running but he’s in there doing well. He’s listening to the sometimes very harsh comments by expert judges and, most importantly, taking these comments on board and doing something about it!

Listening!

Dawson says: “As long as I'm not the first out, I'll be happy. Two or three weeks is enough and anything beyond that is a bonus. I'm looking forward to getting into the costumes; you can't really sign up for Strictly Come Dancing and then refuse to wear the sequins and ruffles. When I go down, I want to go down in a blaze of glory!” This healthy attitude is one factor but Matt and dance Partner Lilia Kopylova last week did something to raise their bar everyone should take notice of, irrespective of their business arena.

The previous week they had received comments that, whilst the routine, the steps and timing etc were fine Matt’s performance lacked heart. These dances were of Latin origin and often therefore sexual in nature. Matt’s performance was missing some ‘fire’. So, he brings in an acting coach. I apologise to her but don’t have details of her name or contact info. I have seen a short clip of her session with them and she had them engage in some improvisational theatre games concerned with emotions and feelings.

But the point is this. The following week the judges were suitably impressed with his performance, recognised that he was now feeling the piece, and showing that and two of the four awarded him a nine and ten (out of ten) respectively.

Do Whatever It Takes!

That’s a fine lesson for everyone. If you want to ‘win’ whatever you game, even if it’s something away from your usual arena or outside your comfort zone then do whatever it takes. When you stretch you grow. Something that's stretched never goes back to the same size again. For you that could just mean outsourcing or bringing in an expert from another field, so you can benefit from their knowledge and up your game.

Whatever it takes!

In confidence....

John
www.confidence-tricks.com

PS What can you get help in doing that'll raise the bar?

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Here's something I bet you didn't know!

First, turn on your sound and turn up the volume.

Now go to http://www.yahoo.com/ and look for the Yahoo! logo at the top. Got it? You see the exclamation mark (designers call a 'screamer') at the end, put your cursor on the dot at the bottom (right by the (R) sign) and click! NOT on this graphic... go to their HomePage.

Isn't that cool?

So what's all that about?

I don't know but think it has something to do with Google!

Really. I suspect that Yahoo! are a bit sore about Google's success and the fact that to Google is now a commonplace term. I think that they should, and are, making attempts to claw back some ground and get people to play with their name some more. If thye could get people yodelling Yahoooooo! around the office, it's a start. And my guess is that this is the start of a viral campaign to do just that.

So, let's help them and send a link here to all your friends so they can learn about it too!

John Gordon
The Confidence Coach

Self Esteem & Peak Performance

Performance Coaching


Much of my coaching has been for individuals who want to perform. They literally want to be 'on stage', the centre of attention, the focus of an audience who are watching their every move.
To see some of them 'off stage' you wouldn't believe it. They are often quiet, shy, retiring types who have problems holding their own in social situations.

Of course it is this fact that urges them to perform. It's a kind of release, a freedom but within an environment that they can have some controllover. They are able to develop some skills and then, when confident and comfortable that they are of a standard that they can be displayed, they launch them on the public at large.

These range from comedians, to circus skill performers (like jugglers, acrobats and clowns), magicians, caricature artistes and so on. People whose acts mean they either min'n'mingle with their public or perfrom on a variety of stages.

SO .... that's the situation ... but what help do they need and how do they get it?

More on that next time.

John
In confidence

Confidence?

If You've Got It Should You Flaunt It?

What is it?
How do you get it?
What will it do for you?

Well, these are personal answers, of course. It will mean different things to different people depending upon your own personal circumstances.

However, whenever and wherever you feel you need confidence, perhaps lack confidence there are many ways of increasing yours. These techniques and tips and tools will be available on my soon to launched website www.confidence-tricks.com. In the meantime I will be posting some thoughts and ideas and asking a few questions.

I will also post information about my 'Confidence Tricks' courses (available as eCourses), Home Study Coaching or Group Workshops, and the related eBook 'Confidence Tricks for Success'. Watch this space.

In confidence....

John
www.confidence-tricks.com

PS What confidence problems do you have?