We can be creatures of habit, we can easily get set in our ways and I fully support setting yourself up with a recipe for success  (routine or schedule) that works for you. ‘If it’s not broken then don’t fix it!’ 

However sometimes this can hold us back and we can fall victim to creating the same day as yesterday… 

When is this a problem? When we’re looking or waiting for something to change. 

Now if you’ve been trying to reach a goal or attract something significant into your life for a long time, you may well be thinking that something ‘big’ has to change.

But it doesn’t always have to be this way, sometimes the smallest of things can dramatically shift your situation.

~ YOUR SPECIAL INVITATION ~

New Path Exercise – I invite you to join me for a fun experiment (I love experiments that show us just how powerful our own thoughts, decisions and intentions are – more of these to come in my future videos). This excises consists of making simple changes in your routine to shake things up that create instant change.

CAN YOU RELATE TO THIS COMMON SCENARIO…

You get up at approximately the same time each day. you eat the same breakfast, you order the exact same coffee or morning drink at the same coffee shop, you drive along the same route to work, you have the same kind of day at work, you leave work at roughly the same time every day, you travel home on the exact same route, have the same types of conversations at home, watch the same TV shows or spend hours on social media before you go to bed at about the same time each night.

This can cause you to create the same day as yesterday… So if you’re not 100% happy with the days you are creating, or you’re looking for change, try this fun and easy exercise for 1 day to spice things up and take yourself on a new and different path. 

Get up at a different time, eat a different breakfast, order a different morning drink, travel on a new or different path to work, engage in conversations with new people and/or on different topics and travel on another route on your way home. Keep your eyes out for new and different things that surface on this new day path and share with me what showed up! You just might be surprised!

I hope you enjoyed my video I filmed on the beautiful Greek Island of Corfu and I look forward to bringing new videos your way soon!

Live Your Best Life

Jacqueline Pigdon, The LOVE MONDAYS Expert is an Australian rowing champion, a spiritual life & career coach, author and award winning entrepreneur! Beginning her career in corporate IT and as an elite sports person she knows firsthand how to achieve goals and make a successful and fulfilling career transition. Jacqueline has dedicated her life to helping other women all around the world do the same and create a career and life they love!

T: +61447728677
E: jacqueline@jinalife.com
www.lovemondaysnow.com

To get a copy of Jacqueline’s BOOK ‘Love Mondays Now – 5 Steps to a career & life you love CLICK HERE!

Developing your ability to have laser focus in the workplace is an essential ingredient for a successful career.

The good news is that it’s a skill you can learn and develop.

Laser focus takes practice and the more you do it the stronger it will become.

“What fires together wires together.” Donald Hebb, Canadian Neuropsychologist

I recommend that you utilise every chance you have to develop your focusing skills.

You can do this both at work and at home. Try being laser focused on your spouse or partner when they are talking to you, instead of thinking about other things or being distracted.

Here are my top 10 tips on how you can practice, develop and strengthen your ability to focus at work.

#1 STOP MULTI-TASKING

Trying to do two things at once means you’re dividing your attention and energy which eliminates your chance of achieving 100% of your potential result on any one thing you do is wiped out.

What kind of results do you want to achieve? Average, mediocre or outstanding?

If you’re struggling to focus stop multi-tasking immediately and watch your results and achievement soar!

For example: If you’re ‘sort of’ listening to someone while really reading an email on your screen you run the risk of agreeing to something you don’t even know you’re agreeing to! This can cause major issues in your workplace. Plus it immediately shows disrespect to the person, that you don’t have time or the care to stop what you’re doing and listen to them. You will have poor working relationship if you multi-task on this one…

Now I’m all for multi-tasking sometimes (and I stress ONLY SOMETIMES) for example:

1. Catching up with friends while walking to socialize and exercise at the same time or,
2. Turning your travel time into a learning environment, by listening to audio books while on the train or driving.
3. Listening and dancing to music while cleaning your house!

BUT still if I really want to do something outstandingly well, I will turn on my laser focus skills and apply 100% of my attention and energy to get my best results. I recommend that you do too.

#2 OBSERVE WHAT DISTRACTS YOU 

Different things distract different people e.g. mobile phones, pop-up messages, chatter in the office, loud music, email messages, too many applications open, a messy desk the list goes on.

If you develop a laser focus you can block all of these things out. Trust me, once I sat at a desk which was located right at the main door. I decided to switch on, my all time best laser focusing skills because I knew my boss wasn’t paying me to sit there and say hello to everyone who walked past all day long.

Usually the majority of your distractions are in your mind i.e. your thoughts which are not on the present moment or on the current task at hand.
Your mind may wonder, thinking about all the other tasks you need to do next, worse you’re too busy judging what others around you are doing or not doing and this only clogs up your brain space. Either deal with it, i.e. any issues that are on your mind by effective communication with that person, or let it go and focus on YOUR work.

#3 SET UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT SO IT SUPPORTS YOU

Turn your phone on silent and put it in the bottom drawer, close down applications you don’t need right now and tidy up your workplace for if you work in a chaotic environment chances are your mind is chaotic as well.

#4 COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS IN YOUR TEAM

Communicate with your team members and others in the office to find out what you might be doing that distracts them, and share ideas to help everyone in your office develop excellent focusing skills.

Having laser focus in the workplace doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t stop to help others or enjoy a little bit of social time too. It’s all about balance.

You can educate your fellow office workers when you are about to go into your laser focus zone. I love using this approach which teaches others when is a good time to ask for your help and when to avoid interrupting you. You can use this example:

“Hey everyone I just want to check in to see if any of anyone will need me in the next 2 hours. I’m about to concentrate on a detailed piece of work in this time, so if you have any questions for me, I can either help you now before I start or afterwards, which will be at 3pm.”

People will either catch you now or say 3pm is great for me I have a few questions for you then.

Agree to that time and then get into your focus zone. If that person attempts to interrupt you after 10mins, do not get frustrated! Simply answer with something like this:

“I’d love to help you out with that, however as discussed, I’m currently focused on X task right now up until 3pm. Is it ok if I help you at 3pm or has something come up that is urgent and I need to help you with right now?”

If it’s urgent, good you want to know and help out, if not, you’re just letting the person know that you take your focus time seriously. It’s not that you won’t help them, but there are times set for when it’s best for you, to both help them and get your work done each day as well.

TIP: At 3pm stop what you’re doing, even if you haven’t finished because you want to be true to your word. Go over to the person and let them know that as agreed, you’re ready to help them now.

Chances are they are not ready! If so, just smile and remind them 3pm was agreed, they will hurry up and not fail to be ready for you next time.

The last thing you want to do is not follow up on your promise, because then others will not trust you that you will help them, when you put them off to another time.

#5 LISTEN TO MUSIC WITHOUT LYRICS

This is a common way for open plan office workers to block out distractions from others.

#6 WEAR SOUND PROOFING EAR MUFFS

These are all the rage now, with people wanting more peace, quiet and tranquility in the world. You may see people walking around in airports, busy train stations and even open plan workplaces to block out noise and distractions for peace and quiet.

This can be a good alternative to asking others around you to be quiet, or listening to music when you just want peace.

#7 GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP, EAT WELL & EXERCISE DAILY 

It’s difficult to focus when you’re tired, dehydrated, hungry or feeling lethargic. Get out for a quick brisk walk to get your energy flowing before sitting down to focus on your work.

Taking regular breaks between focus times helps too.

#8 DON’T ALLOW YOUR STRENGTHS TO BECOME WEAKNESSES 

If one of your strengths is attention to detail or making things perfect, sometimes these strengths can get in the way of delivering your work in a timely manner.

Be careful that you’re not letting your work performance down by spending too much time trying to make something perfect or getting off track zoning in on minor, sometimes unnecessary details that take you away from seeing the bigger picture and ultimate goal you’re trying to achieve.

Perhaps you love helping others, be careful that you’re not too busy stopping to help others all day long that your own work is at risk of being done.

#9 TRAIN YOUR BRAIN 

First, get crystal clear on EXACTLY what you want to focus on and do in this moment and for the next e.g. 90 minutes. Then every time your mind wonders off… thinking about another task, bring your focus back to the task at hand.

As you commit to doing this, you will build the strength of your focusing powers until they become a natural and easy way in which you work.

#10 SET TIMERS & YOUR OWN STEEP DEADLINES 

Establish how long you think a task should take you, or set yourself a new target to complete it in, check the clock and stay committed to completing the task in that time.

You will be surprised that for every 5 minute interruption or distraction, it can completely wipe out that latest hour in your day of doing real focused work.

It’s up to you how you spend your time!

Studies show that when a person is distracted, even if for only 5 minutes it takes them 25 minutes to get back into flow. Only to be interrupted again within the next half an hour, people in the workplace often can expect to have only 2 hours of real work time!

Research also shows that people will take as long a time as they have, to get the job done. That’s why when we have big looming deadlines we can work fast with focus and literally move mountains! This is because we know we do not have time to think about or be distracted by anything. When workflow is slow, we slow down right along with it.

What I do here is set myself my own tight deadline with a reward once achieved, so I’m not left wondering where on earth the week went and feelings as though I barely got anything done.

No wonder so many people leave work feeling as though they didn’t really get anything or enough done. Let’s change that, with encouraging and developing laser focus, high productivity and efficient brains in your team!

Live Your Best Life

Jacqueline Pigdon, The LOVE MONDAYS Expert is an Australian rowing champion, a spiritual life & career coach, author and award winning entrepreneur! Beginning her career in corporate IT and as an elite sports person she knows firsthand how to achieve goals and make a successful and fulfilling career transition. Jacqueline has dedicated her life to helping other women all around the world do the same and create a career and life they love!

T: +61447728677
E: jacqueline@jinalife.com
www.lovemondaysnow.com

To get a copy of Jacqueline’s BOOK ‘Love Mondays Now – 5 Steps to a career & life you love CLICK HERE!

Would you like to increase your self confidence?

An easy way to immediately feel and be perceived as confident is to pay attention to the way you stand and the way you move.

Confident people move their body in a certain ways.

For example they sit and stand tall with their shoulders back. Are you sitting tall right now or do you have your shoulders slumped forwards? How about you try sitting up tall right now?

How do you feel?

When you slump forward you can be perceived as lacking in self confidence and weak. Is this how you want to be perceived? No! I didn’t think so!

It’s also great for your posture and well-being.

When people walk tall with confident strides it looks like they know where they are going – with purpose and guess what? People want to follow too!

So when you walk around the office, to and from places and as you walk up to present to your team stand tall, shoulders back, abdominal’s engaged and look like you’re on a mission.

If you’re not on a mission to do something with purpose, what are you doing?

By sitting, standing and walking tall instantly it makes you feel more confident on the inside.

So the question I would have is – why wouldn’t you do this all the time?

And ladies, if you need some help to feel extra tall simply put on a pair of heels!

What do you think? Write below I would love to hear your take on this.

Until next time, I hope you have a fantastic day!

Love Mondays Now!

Is there someone whom you work with that really gets on your nerves?

Do they often ruin your day and you wish you didn’t have to work anywhere near them?

Irritations, annoyance even anger always comes from within us. If you’re really peaceful in whom you are, what you’re doing and where you’re going then no one can annoy you, unless you let them.

Tips – Ask yourself is there anything you can do or want to do right now to move away from this person? If you’re not prepared to or know you can’t then…

You need to change your perception of this irritating colleague.

I believe people cross our paths for a reason good or bad. Maybe this person is sitting next to you to help you learn a valuable lesson in life. Instead of wasting precious energy being frustrated be thankful to them for highlighting something you need to work on.

Perhaps it’s developing focus around a busy chaotic environment and still get the job done.

Or maybe you’re worrying too much about what other people are doing that you really should spend more time worrying about doing YOUR best job.

I always say “Let them go and wish them well.” If they’re doing the wrong thing it will catch up with them it’s not your job to worry about that.

Remember irritating colleagues are also on their journey in life, learning their lessons and mostly just trying to do their best. If that is their best then who are we to judge?

So ask yourself what are you REALLY annoyed about? Is it that you know you’re in the wrong job but are afraid to leave and have to ‘put up’ with this colleague because of it? Have you been slack at work and should actually be somewhere else by now?

What else? What else? What else?

Once you have your truthful answer can we get somewhere!

Do you have an irritating colleague you work with? Do you have any idea where the annoyance is coming from within you? Write below I would love to help you through it.

Thanks for reading  and until next time…

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Love Mondays Now

We all like to be liked and loved but trying to make this happen is a goal you can never achieve.

The problem is, if you are too busy trying to get everyone at work to like you, you can fall victim to losing focus on what is most important, also losing respect.

Many people don’t think they are trying to get everyone at work to love them but don’t be mistaken.

Be aware of doing things that are not in the best interest of your company but you choose to do so because you don’t want to risk a colleague, client or boss being upset or feeling badly towards you.

I know you still might be thinking no I wouldn’t do that but would you?

If your best friend was doing something stupid, if you’re a great friend you wouldn’t be afraid to tell them so.

What about your boss?

Hmm… now have I got your attention?

The easiest way to know if you have a problem with wanting everyone at work to love you is if you answer yes to either one of these questions:

1. Do you get upset, frustrated or angry when someone doesn’t like or love you?
2. Are you tired of trying to keep everyone happy that you become frustrated that you’re not getting what you want?

What are your thoughts on this topic? Write below so we can have a chat!

Thanks for watching and until next time…

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Love Mondays Now!

www.lovemondaysnow.com