So we have had a tough 2009 all round. Some more than others, and those of you who have been concentrating on your health will know how difficult it can be to keep the momentum going.

Someone said to me recently: “I saw a new car the other day and it had “Zero Ten” on the registration plate” She then realised her mistake (one zero) and claimed it was difficult to pinpoint a name for the year.

So what do we need to consider when we embark on the New Year ahead? Firstly, we need to decide what we are going to call the year:- Two thousand and Ten? Or Twenty Ten? It’s important to have this clear in your mind, so you can plan ahead and the name of the year remains consistent. The problem with not deciding on a definitive name for yourself, is it conjures up uncertainty, and that is the last thing we need coming into a new year with a new routine and new ideas. Consistency!

The first thing we can do to get us on the right track is (more…)

Ok so we know the date February 14th every single (no pun intended) year is called Valentine’s Day. According to our superior on-line encyclopedia (WIKI):

“The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. (more…)

The average small business owner can be found renting an office or office space in a town (urban) or on the town’s periphery (rurban). Another type of business owner is the entrepreneur working from home in a rural [an undeveloped or lightly developed and sparsely populated area] setting, perhaps using a virtual office. They may have their incoming phonecalls and mail “processed” by a service provider whilst dealing with the outbound selling and administration themselves.

Rural Ireland

Working in Rural Ireland can feel isolating

Despite a thriving business, the small business owner can often work in isolation. (more…)

How does it work again? Oh yes, you begin with a subconscious dream, it then moves into the consciousness (light bulb! time) and we suddenly realise a great idea. What happens then? We imagine the idea, then imagine no one else will think it’s a good idea. Or worse: they will laugh at, begrudge or reject the idea. So we keep it to ourselves and it never sees the light of day.

Now imagine how many excellent ideas are locked up inside people’s heads, never to see the light of day, never to be shared and realised. It begins to sound very sad. It makes me sad just writing those words.

So what is the answer? (more…)

WOMEN – “We always do our best, we endeavour to make the world a better place, but why oh why can’t people just listen to us more???” Does that sound familiar? Well, we can often be our own worst enemy, this is the year to lighten up and start having some more fun, the world will fix itself one day, in its own time.

This is an image sent to me by e-mail over Christmas. Even if a bit OTT, I feel it captures us women in a nutshell! Can we help it?

New Year 2010

The former Vice Chairman of Coca-Cola Brian G. Dyson wrote this. It was used as Georgia Tech’s Commencement Address in 2008. I share it with you today because it is perfectly appropriate for us heading into 2010 (Twenty ten or Two thousand and ten?)

“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them Work – Family – Health – Friends – Spirit, and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that WORK is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – FAMILY, HEALTH, FRIENDS and SPIRIT are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

  1. Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
  2. Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know (more…)

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my clients, readers and supporters a very happy Christmas and the very best of wishes for the next decade, but especially for the year 2010 ahead.

It has been a year of change and diversity for me, and like all good things, we can embrace the tough times and use them to either work on our business, or take some time out to spend with the things that were put on the back burner for the past few years.

Some of my personal and professional positive experiences this year were: (more…)

“So how did you get on?” I asked tentatively. My [new] husband had just arrived back after a motorbike spin around County Cork last Sunday.

“Well, do you remember what it was like when I left?” He said. Of course I remembered. At the time, I asked him would it not be a good idea to wait until later and see if the weather improved. I could see he was itching to try out his new bike. He was also aware that the roads were going to be very wet, slippery with leaves and dark, even though it was only midday.

He continued, “I was wondering if I should turn around every mile I drove, but something led me onward. I had decided on my route beforehand, and I was heading into worse weather. I then decided to change direction and head towards blue skies. Within 10 minutes, I was (more…)

Irish people are well known for donating money, time and resources when an international disaster happens, such as the Tsunami of Dec 2004, or the 9/11 disaster of Sept 11th 2001. It has been well documented that we are more generous per capita than any country in the world.

This could make us very proud as a nation, and does lend to the sense of belonging and makes us proud.

Last week, when bad weather and high tides contributed to the opening of the Inniscarra Dam, Cork City experienced the worst flooding in history. The city centre and citywest were devastated, businesses wrecked, and homes evacuated. Even those areas not affected by flooding were (more…)

Seefin Coaching has the pleasure of being featured in Catherine Connors winter edition of De-Stress Magazine. Head on over to page 5 to read the article on dealing with the approach of Christmas:

Catherine is the owner of Stress Solutions for Life and is a well respected Stress Management and Time Management practitioner as well as an Holistic Therapist. She produces this fantastic magazine full of stories, tips and tricks on how to get more out of life, be less stressed and more productive.

Its a great read, especially as we feel the tension rising as we approach December. I have some great tips and advantages on page 5 for organising yourself better for the run up to Christmas.

Enjoy,
Elaine

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