Progress Update: 365 Days Later

One year ago to the day I set myself (and the universe) a challenge to achieve Success, Health and Wealth in 365 days and here’s how I got on.

The original challenge:

1)     Great Success and Wealth in my Perfect Career

Well I got a new job in April last year, which made me much better off financially and late in 2012 I was awarded a big flagship project to incorporate high end design. This project will be commencing 2013

I started my own Interior Design Blog and business undertook my first commission and have another scheme to start designing in 2013

I have started working in partnership with builder friend to provide outline designs and draughting skills

2)     Achieve my perfect weight:

Honestly all attempts have failed.

In 2013 I am determined to stop focusing on improving health and fitness.

As I spent more time thinking about what I want from my life I embraced my Expanding Ambitions to include:

3)     My Dream Home Self Build:

In 2012 we faced the fact that we would not be able to build a home on my mums land, I had been struggling to feel comfortable with the idea for a while so when we finally agreed to stop trying I think it came as a relief to everyone (especially my mum). It just wasn’t meant to be.

We also found and lost a development opportunity in a property in need of modernisation, although the loss of this property was heart breaking it cleared my mind and gave me focus. Refurbishment has always been my passion so as we move into 2013 we will hunting our next property with development potential.

4)     £300,000.00 in the savings account:

Sadly not yet

5)     Mulberry Alexa Handbag

Bagged it! On the way to New York I purchased my Mulberry with my first pay cheque from my first private job.

How Did I Do?
All in all, I feel like I achieved a lot in a year. It’s been a 365 days full of celebrations and good news and it’s not a bad year’s progress on my aspirations. The focus I have found by addressing my thought processes, and really thinking about what I want has helped me plan for my future without fear.

The Secret isn’t magic. It is addressing your approach and taking control of your life via the greatest tool that you possess; your mind.

It has taught me that I can do anything; I will never be trapped or lost because I am privileged to live in a society where I have the right to exercise choice and because I am surrounded by amazing people who I love whole heartedly.

Undoubtedly the single best thing the Secret has taught me is to enjoy and be grateful for the good in my life and to quash the relentless paranoia I used to suffer about it being taken away by chance. I am my own fate.

Whilst I haven’t achieved infinite wealth or success in the year gone by I intend to use the lessons I have leaned and my new found focus to continue perusing my goals in 2013.

Happy New Year Everyone, I wish you all the love, luck and happiness in the world.

My Dare to Dream

I want, I want, I want...

• I want my own interior design and brand development business where I am sought out by businesses and homeowners alike to renovate and remodel homes and workplaces
• I want real client interaction in which we really explore the requirements and desires for businesses and homes alike
• I want the job satisfaction of positivley inflencing clients homes and businesses for the better
• I want put to use my business and sociological education to use by combining interior with brand develeopment
• I want to work with Davey, who I love more than anything and who I miss daily
• I want flexibility and excitement in my life
• I want to take the dog to work
• I want to organise my own schedule to have a good life work balance
• I want to profit from my success, dedication and passion
• I want to be happy in my job
• I want good client relationships

[Please try not to read the above in the voice of Veruca Salt (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Original film) this started as an 'I would like' list but it just didn't seem passionate enough]

All of the above has always seemed totally unachievable, like a distant dream that 'other' people can acomplish. However the Secret has allowed me to think about what might be possible and allowed my confidence in myself and my abilities to grow. 

The more I think about it the more I realise just how many people successfully run their own businesses.
Its taken a lot of searching and intraspective to start to let go of the fear I automitically feal when I think about 'going it alone' however slowly but surely I have begun to realise that Dave and I have as good a chance as anyone and I have started to belive that we can have the lives we want. Its within our grasp. We've got just to be brave, trust in each other and look after each other.  

I don't know if it's more confidence in myself since changing jobs, the fact that Dave's confidence and drive make it seem more possible or the fact that The Secret has convinced me that all perceived barriers were put there by me, but I do dare to dream now.

Today I am grateful for this blog, its little more than an online diary but it has done wonders for my focus and motivation.

Thank you google Blogger!

Expanding Ambition...

The new job not living up to my [huge] expectations has been a bit of a blow, a considerable knock to my pride and in general a bit depressing.

On the bright side...

It has made me re-focus and I have begun to realise that maybe I can't rely on finding the prefect job, maybe I have to create it.

The [new] Dream...
Dave and I have, for a while, aspired to create a self build on a piece of my Mums land* recently due to both of us being relatively unhappy at work this aspiration has become THE DREAM. 

* I should clarify that we are not a filthy rich family. My Nan and Grandad bought two cottages with land 'back in the day' and worked and saved hard to convert said cottages to a very nice moderately sized house in a large piece of land.

The Plan [reprioritised]...
The self-build dream has stepped up a notch and is now a key factor in my 'Expanding ambitions'. The self-build venture will not only be a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity but also the chance to gather the revenue to start our own business.

The business idea is an Interior Design and Refurbishment business that will focus on homes and businesses on a very personal scale.

The new business is now key to our future plans and seems to be the perfect solution: 

• It will allow me to create my perfect career
• It will allow Dave and I to work together, for ourselves to provide us with a secure future
• I will allow us to look after our families & nearest and dearest current and future
• It will be a rewarding and motivating career for both of us  

When it comes to this opportunity it's not difficult to be grateful:

Thank you to my Nana and Grandad who worked and saved so hard to pass on the house and land to my mum

Thank you for my Mum allowing us this fantastic opportunity. Thank you Mum for you unwavering confidence and your willingness to take a risk on us

Thank you to Dave who talked me through my worries and lack of confidence in my ability. Thank you to Dave for being strong, reassuring and supportive and for your confidence in me

Thank you to Dave's Dad our silent, patient long term investor

The Interview...

So yesterday was The Interview...

I usually get very nervous at interviews; I was so nervous at my first interview (at NPS) I had to use all my self control not to sob and bolt for the door.

I previously blogged about how positive thinking has transformed my career in the last 18 months (if you haven't read it of you want a re-cap click here) so I was sure that if I could use The Secret techniques I could 'rock their socks' at the interview.

Four of the techniques The Secret recommends played a key part in my preparation:

1) Focus on what you want and trust your instincts
Ahead of the interview I made sure I had enough time to prepare so I wasn't rushed or stressed on the day. Despite my best intentions I had a little mishap on the day before the interview. I took my portfolio to get printed only to find it was going to cost me £200.
This freaked me out and made me uncertain whether I should go into work first and try to sneak print my portfolio. The idea of trying to sneak into work and illegally print made me feel stressed and guilty so I made a decision to trust my instincts and that The Secret would provide an alternative solution.

It did...
The next day I found 'Positive Print' (it was a sign) and got my work beautifully printed and bound for £40 with no stress (which on the day of your interview is worth its weight in gold)

Incidentally two other things happened at the print shop:
1) I got stuck in the snow, so I would like to that the kind man that pushed me out of the icy trench
2) I got a call from another recruitment consultant offering me an interview for the same position = massive confidence booster!

2) Visualising the result that I want
During the run up to the interview I spent time researching the company and managed to pick out a few details and questions for the interview. On the journey there I visualised exactly how I wanted the interview to go focusing on the things I had learnt about the company particularly the design awards they have won.

It was brilliant. Everything I had picked out and managed to remember
came up totally naturally. The interview went so well that we ran out of time before the next candidate arrived. Following my interview I was shown the office and taken to meet the design director who spent 45 minutes telling me all the benefits of working for them. The original advertisement was for a 12 month contract but the discussions with the design director soon meant that we were discussing a permanent position with benefits. There are a lot... its a truly excellent package, more than I ever imagined.

3) Acting as though I have already received it
I told everyone about the interview.
I told everyone about all the positive feedback that the fantastic recruitment consultant gave me.
I told everyone I was going to get the interview, the job and a massive pay rise (which made some people recoil, but luckily no one that mattered).
Following the interview I told everyone (including the recruitment consultant) how well I did and that 'unless the candidate after me was exceptional then the job was mine’. 
When I got home I drafted my resignation letter and wrote my name, new title and address out until I felt it was my new place of work.

4) Feeling gratitude
I said thank you for my new job all the way home last night, before I went to sleep and when I woke up this morning.

Then Today...
The consultant called me and told me that the feedback from my interview was excellent and I should expect a job offer in the next few days...

Now I am just focusing on the salary I want :o)

I'll keep you posted

From Career Crisis to Confidence

Preparing for my interview got me thinking about the changes in my career over the last 18 months and how grateful I am for them. I went from someone who felt trapped by 'lack' to someone who attracted more development opportunities in 18 months that the entire 5 years previous. I am convinced it's because The Secret taught me that a positive attitude attracts opportunity.

This is my story...

For many years I have worried about which direction to progress my career to gain success. Every time I thought about persuing my education in Architecture I felt sick and anxious but I couldn’t see a way to develop my preferred career in interior design. The indecision made me feel awful and like a failure. I worried constantly because I didn’t know what to do for the best and my employer was pressuring me.

I was having a total confidence crises and couldn’t see how to make my career suit my personality. I began to try and be what I thought others wanted which made me depressed and insecure because I felt dishonest.

After reading The Secret I realised that I had allowed other people to undermine the confidence I had when I left uni. I had let my colleagues short sighted criticism put doubt into my mind that I even belonged in the creative world.

I made a decision to stop worrying and started looking for inspiration of how to make my career work for me. I feel a renewed sense of confidence and ambition because I have found examples of people who have enjoyed massive success by not conforming.

Meet my celebrity muses:

 Zara Hadid; Not only is she a female architect, but she is a female British-Iraqi architect who has overcome many obstacles. My favourite Zara quote is:

‘Men don’t listen to me, so I have to give them hell’

Working in a male dominated profession can be intimidating sometimes especially when you turn up on site to tell burly builders twice your age what they’ve done wrong. Next time one of them gives me grief I am going to channel Zara!

Vivienne Westwood; who doesn’t love Viv? 70 years old and still kicking arse in the design world. Not only is she an amazing designer she often writes though provoking pieces on human rights, ethics and philosophy [her blog is a must read]. On top of all this she has an incredible sense of fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously which I’m pretty sure is unique in the fashion world. I would love to take her to dinner to discuss her ethics followed by skanking at a punk gig!

 Lady Gaga; I didn’t used to rate Lady Gaga. I thought she was an intriguing gimmick who produced good songs but nothing to obsess over.

How my opinions have changed!

I watched Gaga on the TV at the Radio 1 gig and she blew me away. She is packed with talent and her ‘eccentrically artistic bit’ is just the sideline.

From there I went on to Watch the Monsterball tour and fell in love with her. I have never seen another artist give back so much encouragement and love back to her fans... I am now a proper Little Monster and if I need a confidence boost my medicine is dancing like a loony in my pants to Gaga!

Meet My Muses in the Family...

I am lucky to be surrounded and encouraged by three of the most inspiring artistic and creative ladies I could wish to have by my side. It definitely runs in the family... 

 

[Left to Right] My Nana, my Mum with baby me and Lizzy-Bet with crazy custom made moustache



Not to mention Papa Bear, a home builder and master craftsman. Our Dad learned to carve so he could make us a rocking horse, made us countless pieces of custom furniture and worked constantly with my Mum to build a family home and a happy childhood for both my sister and I.

Thank you. Thank You. Thank you. Thank you.



Papa Bear [aka Dad]

Thanks to these inspiring people and a little help from the secret I managed to work out [at the ripe old age of 27] that it was OK to be myself, that I had a right to make my life and my career work for me rather than squeezing myself into a pre-formed mould.

They gave me the confidence to stand up for myself and take positive action to push for the things I wanted.

They gave me the self worth to value my opinion and my work as highly as the next designer and to not care if it wasn’t to everyone’s taste.

Now I am focused on finding the positive and inspiring I absolutely adore reading the interviews with eccentric characters in design [BD Magazine]. In this weeks BD an architect called Piers Taylor resigned from his practice, via email, after a holiday in Australia to escape the confines of the studio and set up a new venture called 'Invisible Studio' to work collaboratively with magicians and mathematicians.

There is too much criticism and negativity in the world and if you let it surround you, you can drown in it. I am now entirely focused on seeking out inspiring characters and designers and focusing on what I can be, rather than what I can’t.

It Works...

I decided about a year ago to just focus on the fact that I wanted a career in Interior design, rather than all the possible obstacles. Very quickly the office began to get more and more Interior Design commissions, which were all offered to me and in September last year my boss agreed to change my job description to Interior Designer.

Now I have an interior design career I am determined to focus on greater success in this or another creative industry and I will let the universe decide how that success comes to me.

I'll keep you posted.

2 [and a bit] week update...

So what have I been up to in the two [and a bit] weeks since my last post?


Well let me tell you...

I have been listening to The Secret Audio book every day; on the way to work, at work and at home. I have listened to it in the background, I have concentrated on it and I have let it sink into my subconscious.

It’s working.

I have been listening to all the advice given and sought out podcasts from other 'teachers' [as they call themselves]. Turns out most life coaches, Feng Shui gurus and other 'sorts' that the rich and famous can afford to hire, are all advocates of The Secret.

Now some of the Americanisms and the over the top dramatics are a bit much for my slightly cynical British reserve [thank god for Rhonda Byrne, who reads the majority of the book, in her soft Australian accent] but they have a point and as a result of really absorbing the concept of The Secret I have taken 3 steps:

1) Saying thank you for all the brilliant things I have to be grateful for every morning

There are a lot! When you stop and think about it you will be shocked about how much you have to be grateful for (including things that we maybe we all take for granted). Whether it’s your family, your friends, your colleagues, that man that held the door open for you, that woman who stopped you to tell you that you had dropped your favourite scarf, the fact that you have food to eat, that we have access to clean water, that we can see a doctor when we need to, our health, our ability to exercise, your family pet...

The list goes on and on and the more you think about it the more you will remember to be grateful for.

2) I have focused on what I want and asked for it

Following on from my last post I have been thinking in more detail about what I really want. Thinking about this can be a scary process, as you can discover that a lot of what you thought you wanted is actually what you thought you should want... like world peace  
None the less I let my mind have free rein to establish what I would dare to dream for if I truly believed there were no limits to what I could achieve... I realised I left a few things of my list:

My dream home
The image below was designed by, Interior Designer, Kathryn Tyler who I absolutely idolise. I first saw her on Grand Designs and totally fell in love with her style, green design principles and her courage to grab success.

Her practice is Linea Studio which she established, in 2004, very soon after leaving university. She is an inspiration to me because she showed me that you need to have courage and commitment to your own style, the confidence to risk going it alone and the balls to ignore the critics.
When Dave and I build our own house this will be the precedent.

£300,000.00 In the savings account
Don’t know how I expect it to get there but I want it.

3) Finally I have taken action to achieve ‘Great Success and Wealth in my Perfect Career’...

Over the last few years I have spent a lot of time working on various portfolios, but I never really found a layout and style that represented me or gave me confidence in my work.

I spent a lot of time worrying about if it gave the right message and if people would like my style or toss all my dreams and hopes into the shredder, as such I hadn't sent out an application for a new job in 7 years!

Since I have started focusing on being positive I found it incredibly easy to design a portfolio layout and content that I love. I have updated my CV and confidently sung my own praises. I have also applied for my first job in 7 years. And guess what I already have an interview...

So thank you Rhonda Byrne.

So what am I up to?

About a 18 months ago a good friend of mine, Victoria Hale aka Sugar Plum Slipper, introduced me to The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

No I don't usually go in for hippy nonsense (it makes me cringe) however her enthusiasm lead me to try it out. I devoured the book in one sitting (its not very long) but also available in DVD and audiobook depending on your favoured medium.

The most basic premise of The Secret is that you can attract the life that you want... including the perfect career, the perfect partner, health, wealth, success etc. by being positive and grateful for the things that you have. The idea is that to attract something in your life you should send positive and grateful vibes out and you will attract it to you. The book gives numerous examples and encourages you to test the principle out with something small in the first instance. So I decided to challenge the universe...


 The Challenge...

Whilst shopping with boyf I fell in love with a pair of blue and orange Rayban Wayfarers. So I decided my challenge to the universe/ The Secret was that I wanted the sunglasses for free. I asked, I felt gratitude and then I waited. Payday came and I decided I would buy the sunglasses and trust that The Secret would see me right. It did. A week later i received and unexpected cheque from the Inland Revenue for just £3 and a few pence less than the value of the sunglasses... now you may say its coincidence but based on this event I am a believer in The Secret.

So now what...

Well I have a bigger challenge for The Secret which I intend to document with absolute honesty on this blog. I am setting myself the challenge that in 365 days from today I will have achieved:

1) Great Success and Wealth in my Perfect Career (to be dog friendly)-

I am an interior designer and generally creative sort. Aside from my professional career I have many ideas for home products, children’s book characters, fashion accessories, events packages, interior packages, graphic design and this year will be the year I persue them all hopefully to result in my own business. All my creative designs etc will be documented on my 'other blog' which can be seen here

On the career front I have already achieved more in the year and a half since I discovered the Secret than I did in the five and a half years previous but now my focus is on great success and wealth whether that is in my perfect role in my perfect company or my own business.

2) My perfect weight
Fairly standard but I would like to be one and a half stone lighter, fit, healthy and ready for the challenges my perfect career will bring. I'm not too fussy something along the lines of the picture below will suffice ;o)

The reason I am able have these two focal points for this year is because I'm very lucky and happy in all other areas of my life... for which i would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you.

Further gratitude to follow in my next post.