Make 2010 Your Year for Slowing Down!

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(Please excuse the brazen “plug” nature of this blog post)

In the spirit of New Years Resolutions, make 2010 your year for slowing down…

If you are serious about slowing down this year and want make certain your succeed, one of the easiest, and most powerful ways is a series of one-to-one coaching sessions.

I will work with you to develop an individual plan for you to start slowing down. A full assessment will be taken of your current situation and then we will work together to help you develop a plan for slowing down.

Throughout the process I will give you all the support and help you need to succeed in your wish to slow down.

To give you idea of the sort of thing that coaching can do, have a look at the process I did for Cosmopolitan Magazine in October 2009. To read the article, go to www.cosmpolitan.co.uk or CLICK HERE.

As a New Year offer, you can book 3 sessions for the price of 2!

Sessions can be carried out over the phone or via skype (which is totall free to install and use and much cheaper than a phone call!), or face to face if you are located in Birmingham or Cardiff, UK. I have worked with people all over the world and sessions can be booked at a time to suite you.

For more information, please go to my coaching page here, or click here to contact me to book a session.

(Here endeth the plug).

Matt

PS, I jumped the gun a bit last week announcing the “Welcome to the Slow Life” eCourse, I have had a few technical hiccups that has slowed(!) the process down, hopefully the first enrolment will start in the next few weeks. To register your interest and get a special “pre-registration” discounted price of $39.99 please click here to contact me putting “Welcome the Slow Life Pre-registration” in the comments box  and I will add you to the list and send you some free goodies!

10 Ways You Can Slow Down This Weekend

1. Stop and look around.

Just take 5 minutes to stop and “smell the roses”, look around, stare out of the window, just remind yourself this is your life and it is happening NOW!

2. Relax!

Because that is what is all about isn’t it? The more relaxed you are the more energy you will have and the more focused, creative and flexible you will be (in mind and body). For more details about how to relax,  get my “Deep Relaxation Primer” audio.

3. Go for a walk.

Walking is a perfect is exercise, it gets you out in the fresh air, it gets the blood pumping and fresh air in the lungs! Whilst you are out, practice “commentary walking” to help keep you mindful. It is a technique I ironically learned from a guy in the Special Forces (they use it to keep themselves alert). And it works (obviously!) by running a commentary in your head (I don’t recommend you talk  out loud, you may get some odd looks) of what is going on around you. Use all 5 of your senses; say what you can see, hear, feel (both physically and emotionally), smell and taste (but be careful of inappropriate licking, you may get in trouble).

4. Limit yourself  – Do just one thing at a time.

The world’s greatest achievements were made by people who gave the task in front of them their undivided attention. Make a list of everything you would like to do this weekend. The priorities it and pick the top 5 for each day ( recommend applying the Pareto Principle). Stick to them. When they are done, you can choose if you want to carry on doing things or just relax.

5. Do something you really want to do but have been putting off.

At the top of the list, put something you want to do on there, not something you think you SHOULD do. We often put of the things we want to do because we convince ourselves there are things we should do instead. But do you really NEED to do it? Right now? Truthfully, we don’t HAVE to do anything. You can walk away from any task, at any time. Try replacing every “have to” with a “want to” and see if the statement still holds. Is it something that you’ll look back on when you’re in your deathbed and be happy you did?!

6. Do it deliberately.

Whatever you do, focus on that one task. Whether it is cleaning your teeth or cooking your dinner. Be focused and present in the NOW. After all, that is all we have.

7. Focus on what you have got, not what you want.

By yearning, craving and coveting what we don’t have it just causes stress and worry and disappointment and we miss all the good things we have.

8. Tidy a shelf/cupboard/draw.

Mess and untidiness is anathema to the idler. It causes stress, confusion and fluster. Start the process of tidying up and simplifying your life by tidying up a shelf or a draw. Don’t try and do too much, you will just get frustrated and give up. Instead, put half an hour aside to tidy something. When it is done, step back and be proud of what you have done. Then go and have  a cup of tea.

9. Go out with friends or have an impromptu party/BBQ or sit down with family and have a meal together.

Slow is about socialising. Make the effort to catch up with friends or family this weekend. Twist their arm to come out and have fun. They know they want to… Or sit down with the family and have a proper dinner, invite your mother, father, brother, sister cousin, kids, whoever over for Sunday lunch!

10.  Finally ENJOY IT!

Do what you want! Because it is your life and you can do what you like. Smile, laugh and be jolly. It is good for you and good for the world.

Have a good weekend
SC

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Saint Monday

The Slow Coach is celebrating Saint Monday and will be back tomorrow.

Saint Monday

The Slow Coach is celebrating Saint Monday. He will be back tomorrow.

Life is Journey, Not a Destination

“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu.

The problem with our goal/success/achievement driven society is that we spend so much time fixating on the goal that we miss the process.

Whenever I have something I want to achieve (and Slow is not about NOT achieving things that you want), once I have defined my goal I always ask myself, “What is the most fun way?”.

It may not be the quickest way, but at least I enjoy getting there! And by picking the most fun way, you are much more likely to “succeed” as you are enjoying yourself so much on the way you keep going, rather than struggling, hating every minute of it and giving up!

SC

Saint Monday

The Slow Coach is celebrating Saint Monday and will be back tomorrow.

Saint Monday

The Slow Coach is celebrating Saint Monday and will be back tomorrow…

Slow Seminars – Some Tortoise Training Events

I have added some seminars to run this autumn. I have done my best to make the price as fair as possible at £55 per place.

If you can’t attend don’t worry, hopefully the events will be recorded and made available on this site (for a small charge).

All seminars are taking place in Birmingham UK. If you are interested in running any events near to you and would like to organise one, please contact me to discuss it.

Welcome to the Slow Life

Date: 10th October 2009

The Slow Life is the Simple Life is the Easy life. But how do you start slowing your life down?

This day will introduce you to the slow philosophy including the key steps to help you start slowing down straight away!

Learn how, my developing your “slow” mindset you can:
•    Increase focus and concentration
•    Relax and de-tress
•    Become calm and collected
•    Focus on the things you really want to get out of life
•    Reconnect with life and appreciate the present moment
•    Sleep better
•    Become healthier and more energised
•    Get control on your spending and your finances
•    Melt away worries and concerns
•    Much, much more

Finding Time to be Slow

Date: 7th November 2009

The biggest excuse I hear for not slowing down is that “I just don’t have the time. I have FAR to much to do”.

This seminar will take you through a tried and tested process that will help you organise your tasks so that you free up your time and allow to concentrate on what you really want to do.

You will learn to stop reacting to the external environment and banish “to do” lists once and for all you allow you take control of you time and your life!

A Day of Mindfulness

Date: 21st November 2009

Slow is about savouring the minutes not counting them. But how much attention do you really pay to the present moment?

Mindfulness is originally a Buddhist concept and although mindfulness meditation techniques originated as spiritual practices, they have a long history of secular applications with teachers and authors such as Jon Kabat-Zinn introduced Buddhist mindfulness to the West.

Psychotherapists have adapted and developed mindfulness techniques into several promising cognitive behavioural therapies. Clinical research shows Buddhist mindfulness techniques can help alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression.

Present moment awareness is at the core to the Slow philosophy and in this day you will learn ways to be more mindful in your day-to-day life (without needing to spend hours contemplating your navel – unless you want to of course!)

For more details and to book, go to the training page

SC

Saint Monday

It’s Saint Monday! Be back tomorrow. SC

The Slow Coach is Away (again…)

He will be back on Tuesday.

SC

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