A Year to Success

Its been 11 months since I shifted down south of Sydney, in the continued execution of "a year to success"

Thinking back, workwise, it has been the hardest 11 months ever. I always have had work of some description (even if it was doing something I wasn't interested in). Here, I have had to really start again in all facets of work, building up a network and becoming known for what I do!

Despite all this, the life down here is far more conducive to good living and opportunities abound.

So how does this rate as far as success goes?

Well its interesting to note that when I first started up working on a year to success, I was focusing on particular parts of my life. After a year of progression through the event, I have ended up in a completely different place and happier for it.

It all adds up to success but not in the form I expected

Over the last few days, I have been having a bit of a rethink about life in general. 2005 would not have been one of the better years but still it moved forward as life usually does.

What gets to me most is the continuing downside to an otherwise upbeat existance. While I have strived for success over this last year (hence the writing of this blog) The downside has been creating an interesting foray into areas I don't have much interest in, but are a required necessity to get on in this world.

If I was coaching myself on all this, I would have slapped me round a little and told myself to deal with it and get it sorted. Procrastination can only exacerbate the issue, and does!

Confidence is another ingredient to go missing in action when the downside rears up.

It would be great to put this down to being a gemini, but that doesn't deal with anything. It just gives us an excuse to leave everything as it is. So lets just call this a work in action? Even that fails to DO anything positive to move forward either.

hmmmm, its going to be an interesting week

So, here we have it, five days left of working before Christmas. Traditionally, holidays start then and so there is the usual "must get it finished" (whatever you are doing)

I have a big week. Along with Coaching my last week for a three week break and getting out the onlineWEBpresence invoices, I have a house that needs to have the final finishing touches added. The timber floor has been sealed and the doors and door furniture needs to be fitted back in place and the misc items like towel rail holders and various other fittings need fitting too.

The other thing on the go is another house we have started. The excavator comes in tomorrow to dig out the footings and we have approx 20 cubic metres of concrete to pour on Friday providing we finish off the reinforcing and get a pass from the building inspector.

Nothing like putting the pressure on right before Christmas but then, what's a game if you make it too easy?

Everything slows down the closer we get to Christmas. As the weather gets warmer and the days longer, the BBQs become more frequent and the beers flow.

Christmas is a traditional holiday period and despite the fact that most businesses continue to operate, there is a changed attitude in everyone.

Coaching takes on a different approach and the relaxed atmosphere is catchy. Makes you wonder why we can't take this approach along for the other eleven months of the year.

There is a definite ending in the way of Christmas and a definite start in the new year. Whatever happens, the excuse seems to be... "Don't worry about it, we'll get to it in the New Year"

Seems like a great plan and I love it when a plan comes together

I have spent last night and most of today, at 'Ferndale Glen', a one hundred acre spread in its own valley near the township of Wolumla on the south coast of NSW Australia.

Along with six of my colleagues who make up 'in the Company of Coaches' we have been tossing around ideas to make all our businesses increasingly attractive to potential clients and the greater public.

The overwhelming support was for a fresh approach and outside the usual business models and structures. In fact, it has the potential to make an impact on the way individual coaches and any small business run their affairs.

Networking has always had a love/hate relationship with most people. A necessary ingredient but we would all rather that the business comes in rather than we having to go out and get it. By introducing a concept of separate business with the community spirit of a strongly organised, yet flexible structure, another dimension is added to the mix.

By having each on call if needed, we are able to offer a service beyond the single identity business that we all have. By removing any hierarchy we also have implemented an Open Space approach

Instead of talking about an event, each is encouraged to start the ball rolling. From my perspective it is based on "You can't build a house by only drawing pictures"

The scene is set. We now meet in a fortnight.