2012 – The Year of Building CONFIDENCE – DO….BE….Have

If you listen or read the media lately, you would be forgiven for assuming that 2012 will be a challenging year. Personally, I’m not so sure.

One thing that’s becoming increasingly obvious to me is that a feeling of CONFIDENCE is needed to get where you want to go.

The traditional Be-Do-Have formula of developing confidence is basically:

•  BE the person you want to be
• DO the things that will lead to that person
• Then you shall HAVE what you want to have

I believe this formula misses the point. CONFIDENCE is only generated by DOING. And the more DOING you do and the more often you DO it, the greater the CONFIDENCE level. I believe the formula should be:

DO ->BE -> HAVE

There are added benefits too.

·         You’ll develop a resilience to get over the ‘NOs’ ..and these will happen.

·         This resilience will give you greater control over your emotions

·         The emotional control will help you develop clarity of purpose

·         With this clarity, you’ll develop improved task and goal setting

·         Better task and goal setting gets you where you want to BE to HAVE what you want to have.

The Phil’s-osophy

Make 2012 your year of CONFIDENCE. DO the things that will lead to you being the person you want to BE in order for you to Have the things you want. 

More DOING will lead to more CONFIDENCE will lead to more CLARITY will lead to more SUCCESS.

Just a little each day and watch it grow.

To your success,
Phil.
http://www.philipwagner.com.au/

The Dangers of “Change Fatigue” ….and what to do about it!

A major danger that started to emerge late 2011 for individuals, businesses and organisations, is what I call “change fatigue.”

Change fatigue happens when there is an unprecedented weight of change and volatility. Combine this with the uncertainty over the implications of that change and one would be sympathetic to those who say “Ok that’s enough.”

Basically this is occurring because of what could be described as the overwhelming rate of change across the board – global, technological and societal. Ie the rise of China and India and the increase in outsourcing in both small businesses and large; the use of the internet and smart phones; networking like Facebook and LinkedIn.

It is also a result of anticipation of the not yet realised changes; for example carbon pricing that will start on 1 July 2012, and its impact on prices.

Some of the hype over change is real; much of it is media driven. Whatever the drivers of the change, there is a distinct feeling of frustration coming through from people saying “enough!!!!”

I have heard some self help experts say they don’t read the papers or follow television so they are not influenced by the negativity of the change and the like. This would be akin to denial; the classic “ostrich” stick the head in the sand approach and in my view, is just plain dumb. Switching off does not solve any problems; what it does is actually put you behind the pack.

But be wary. What we hear reported is they don’t read the newspapers because it is simplistic. The reality is they most often get their news from differing sources than the most Australians. Generally their news and information comes from media sources that don’t need to sell newspapers and therefore can afford a more balanced outlook.

The Phil’s-osophy

How should we deal with change fatigue?

Well to start with:

1. Accept change is here to stay! The human race can not progress if it does not change.


2. Daily exercise - you’ve read me going on about this and I can’t stress this enough. Even going for a brisk walk for 30 minutes clears the head and helps any anxiety you may be feeling, to subside.


3. Ongoing personal and professional development /skill improvement. Refer point 1. Sometimes you’ll need to factor in a radical change to your skillset but most often a simple upgrade is all that is required.


4. Connecting with people – networking, conversations, coffees etc. This connection is particularly critical in 2012 especially for career and business growth.

So before believing the worst, how about taking a deep breath, taking a step back and asking “what are the implications for me?”. Once you are able to rationally identify those implications, you will be able to determine the course of action to take advantage of them. And if you need help, a career coach, who has a purely objective view, can help get you over the hurdle.

To your success in 2012

Phil

www.philipwagner.com.au

Take Responsibility, Take Control

I read in last Sunday Age, the story of Roger Brown and his proposed class action against the banks. His action alleges the banks have breached the Competition and Consumer Act and the National Consumer Credit Code by lending money to people they knew had no capacity to pay it back.

Having at one point in my life worked for a large bank, I can tell you, in Australia at least, they are pretty risk adverse. The banks are better off with 25 years of interest payments than trying to get what they can by selling your home.

This is why you need to provide proof of salary, proof you have insurance etc. So the idea they have knowingly loaned money to people without the capacity to pay it back is hard to imagine.

According to the article, Roger Brown has been quoted as saying “many Australians are facing financial hardship through no fault of their own because they shouldn’t have been given a home loan in the first place.”

Interesting term; “through no fault of their own”.

We as the customer have a responsibility to know full well what our financial position is. And if we don’t, going for a home loan at any bank will enlighten you. You will be asked to account for every dollar you earn in an attempt for the bank to determine whether you will have the capacity to pay back the loan.

Now, don’t get me wrong – life happens. People lose their jobs or family members become sick etc. I know – I’ve been through it!

Most banks have actions the customer can take in these situations well before it comes to foreclosure. But one has to ask for that help.

“Ask and ye shall receive”

Outside of these life-taking-over events, I question “through not fault of their own”.

It seems increasingly, society is looking for someone else to blame rather than stand up and take responsibility for its own actions.

Larry Winget, the “Pitbull of Personal Development” puts it like this :

"You’re broke because you want to be."

The Phils-osophy

Please be responsible and be in control of your life. While there are life-taking-over events, there are also taking-control-of-my-life solutions.

One of my favourites is income protection insurance. It has been around for many years and there are many varying policy inclusions and exclusions. There are of course other insurances or products that you can avail yourself of. Talk to a financial advisor or insurance advisor on what is best for you and your situation. And before first home owners pipe up with this is just another salary impost that stops them being able to afford their first home – imagine how it would feel to lose your first home because something happened, you had no insurance and no way to repay the loan.

I’m for people succeeding and taking responsibility for yourself and taking control of your life is the fast track to success.

To your success,
Phil.
http://www.philipwagner.com.au/