Thought for today

Following a really interesting session with one of my coaching clients, I wanted to put 'pen to paper' and just say a little bit about the joy of coaching professionals who work in sport.

As a Sport Psychologist and founder of the first specified NLP training company for Sport, I find myself increasing using my experience and knowledge working with coaches in both Sport and Business to help them develop their personal and professional skills so that they achieve more of what's possible in their lives and careers.  This is a 'slight' departure from the more athlete focused psychology work, however I get a real buzz out of working this way, as people have an enormous capacity for change and adaptation, which never fails to amaze and delight me.

Sport professionals in particular seem to intuitively understand the importance of 'working on self development', and maybe this stems from having played sport at a high level themselves - that strive to better themselves, bit by bit, area by area until we get to the more 'rounded package'. 

Challenging our clients is what we do, and in sport, this is desired, expected and demanded as these are the things that force us out of our comfort zones and into the area for change. 

But it's not just sport that demands this too - those working for performance in business want to be challenged into change too, and by embracing self development as a concept for change, being an elite performer in business is there for the taking ....

So, I guess my thought for today is 'why sit on your backside getting in the way of freedom, when you can experience the joy of life through flying by the seat of your pants'?

Bit slow off the mark

OK, so I've been a bit slow off the mark .... but I'm thinking! This can take me a little while at times as I'm new to this! Not the thinking, just the blogging bit - I can think for England which is a pain in the proverbial sometimes ... maybe it's that thing about paralysis by analysis .... gets in the way in all sorts of areas so I've decided as my very lovely (and good) blogging cousin Immi suggests is to just write something as it comes along no matter how jumbled it may appear!

So here goes .....

Working as a psychologist and NLP trainer there's always this strange assumption that everything you do is 'sorted' and that you're in control of everything that comes along!! (At least in terms of what's going on between the ears!)

That can be a bit tiring a times (and downright wrong) and no matter how often you tell yourself that you know that's not the case, your unconscious mind pops up that because you 'know' how to deal with things then no matter what comes along you'll be ok .......

Why am I saying this you might be asking?

Well, I went to see the Counting Crows on the spur of the moment last night - I've seen them twice before, once in the US at a huge bowl of a setting somewhere 'in the middle America' (sorry, line from one of their songs!) - actually somewhere in Virginia where there were thousands of people and also at the Woverhampton Civic Hall, where I was about 5 meters from Adam Duritz (hairs on back of arm stood up big time with his voice there - amazing!) Bit of a difference!!

I didn't realise they were in the UK so when I happened to check emails at 6.30 last night there was a note about the American tour dates ... ramblings through their website (bit like this!) flashed up UK dates and I look at it - 23rd April THAT'S TODAY!! (Has a big significance for me that date other than St George's day but more of that later) - could I get to Hammersmith in time? You bet your ass I could, so a bit of frantic showering and persuading of Matt (didn't take much to be fair!) and we were off ......

So the reason I'm practicing my musings on this is that throughout the concert I was struck by how such a huge band in the 90's (August and Everything After  is STILL my favourite album ever ... after all this time) could have maintained such a great song list, singer and musicians and yet fell out of favour .... and it comes back to how, no matter how well things can be, the mind can get in the way and stuff your plans up big time when you least expect it.....

This brings me (eventually) back to what started my train of thought on this - what is about our brain and mind that causes disruptions in our ability to function in an effect way? .....

More on this to follow ....

Beginnings....

What else do you do on a snowy, wet Saturday afternoon when hockey is cancelled, 6 nations is over and I've called off our AGM?  Learn about blogging, what else?

Although I know I'll end up writing about NLP, Sport, Inside Performance and anything else related to those areas, I'm also going to write about whatever takes my fancy - so this is more about me, my thoughts, and what's interesting, irritating or simply in my attentional focus at the time - how megalomaniacal of me, and isn't that how it all works?

I've filled in my profile, uploaded a photo and generally fannied about for a few hours getting things sorted. I haven't got the finer points sorted, and I know I need to so something to get this out there into the ether, but until I've got that sussed, this will have to do. 

I'm pretty sure I could have some good fun here, so I want to say up front that these are all my own ideas, thoughts, musings .... whatever .... unless they're not, and then I'll credit you.

So based on that, apologies if I upset, offend or generally say something you don't like.  It's not my intention, I'm not like that and I know the written word sometimes gets taken in the wrong way - so let's get that sorted right from the off!

It's stopped snowing at the moment and just looks bleak. That's ok 'cos I have quite a bit to do and it's no hardship being indoors on a day like today. I recently finished reading the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind and I haven't quite found a good substitute to sink my fantasy teeth into, so for now I'm making do with some drivel about a girl who can't stop spending money. Not brilliant, but sends me to sleep so does the job.

I had a recommendation about Game of Thrones and I have a sneaky feeling I may like it, which could be dangerous as I have a tendency to get caught up in what I'm reading, and forget that there's a real world needs attending to! Still .....

 ..... any suggestions on a good fantasy series and I'm all ears ...... off to look at Amazon for inspiration (sad, I know!)