Daylight And Autumn Leaves

Apparently this Monday is one of the gloomiest in the year because here in the UK we switched to daylight saving time this weekend. We get an extra hour in the morning but the evenings are darker earlier.

However, the number of daylight hours is the same - it's just shifted. So, why would it really make a difference. I have to admit, I don't like getting up in the morning when it's dark but then you do get a chance to see the sunrise or to experience the quiet of a morning as the dawn breaks and the sky brightens, before everyone else gets going.

Even in the dark evenings, there's something cosy about glimpses of light through windows. Make the most of the daylight hours to get out during your lunch break or to enjoy a walk at the weekend.

Notice the changes all around us as we switch from one season to the next. We miss these when we're enclosed in a car or shut away in the office day after day. At this time of year the summer migrants have left and the winter visitors are starting to arrive. Enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the Autumn. It's less than two months until the winter solstice, when the days will be getting longer again.

Pay attention to your own internal seasonal cycle - there's no reason to feel gloomy - adjust to the shorter days and the change in temperature.

Do what you need to do to nurture yourself.

Put Yourself Out

Sometimes we feel too safe, comfortable and cosy in our comfort zone or go along in our usual day-to-day routine without venturing out into the 'wider world'

Often when we do something a little differently - something unexpected happens.  After all - if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got - as the saying goes.  So - if you do something different, you might get something different!

Also think about those times when you're not sure if you've got the energy or motivation to get out there and do something - either in your personal or business life.  Make the effort and you might be surprised at the opportunities that pop up and the chain reaction that can occur from one apparently random contact or connection.

Do something a little different, try something new, go somewhere you wouldn't normally go. Put yourself out  there and see what happens.

10 Minutes At A Time

We often say we don't have time and there's always plenty that we don't get round to.  Even when we have a task to do, we often get distracted and end up wasting time.

So how would you like to do something different?  Set an alarm or timer for just 10 minutes.  Stay focused, you know the clock is ticking, so there's no time to waste and you'll be less inclined to waste time.

In just 10 minutes a day you could:

• Create your action list.
• Plan your day.
  
• Tidy a room.
• Do the laundry.
  
• Clear things away.
• Do some filing.
  
• Tidy the garden.
• Start a report.
• Skim read a magazine.
• Enjoy a cup of coffee.
• Do some paperwork.
  
• Go for a brisk walk.
• Meditate.
• Make a phone call.
• ...
  

The first two will make your whole day more productive, so definitely worth spending time on them if you don't already.  See how much you can do in 10 minutes.  You might not finish the task in 10 minutes but you'll be 10 minutes closer.

Set a goal you'd like to achieve and allocate just 10 minutes a day to it.  See what a difference you can make. You could even have more than one goal - two or three sets of 10 minutes throughout the day.

Let me know how you get on.