ActionPodcast

What is freedom to you? Financial, emotional, occupational? Often we hear people say that if they had more money they would be able to do something else; something more exciting or interesting. Or they blame their current circumstances, having to look after the kids, an elderly relative or some other kind of commitment. All too often we find ourselves holding on to this wishful thought that if we had the freedom, things would be different. Well Paul and Gina are here to tell you that vision of freedom is, in fact, just an illusion. It's your own way of stopping you from actually fulfilling your dreams. By sustaining this illusion, people even feel somewhat satisfied that they have already attained their goal, even though it's just in their mind. This has the added benefit of them never having to go through the hard work and change that might be required to achieve this dream. So if you often find yourself lost in wishful thinking, it's time to shatter that illusion and start working towards making it a reality instead.  

Do you get the feeling of being a bit overloaded with all the information that is available to you daily? Maybe you have even felt it stifles your own creativity? During this episode Paul and Sam talk about the benefits of going on an information diet. Also at the end of the podcast Paul and Sam put out a request for listeners own personal stories of success so keep . Please get in touch if you'd like to tell us and the other listeners how you managed to overcome your own challenges!  

There's nothing better than getting great feedback. There's nothing worse than getting bad feedback. There's nothing more helpful than getting constructive feedback. So how on earth do you make sure you get the right feedback? Paul and Sam love getting feedback just as much as anyone and during this podcast they discuss some great suggestions on how to ask for feedback so that you get the right information at the right time to help you improve instead of sending you off in the wrong and often depressing spiral caused by poorly given feedback.  

Is that possible? To get energised from your relationships? In this podcast Gina and Chris provide a practical strategy and steps to evaluate your current relationships. With this awareness you can make better decisions on how and who you spend your time with to improve your energy levels. After this you'll now have more energy to put towards the most important things in your life. Leave a comment and let us know what you discovered by following this exercise and putting the strategy in place.

Refresher on the roller coaster of life! Sometimes it feels like we’re swinging from one extreme to the other – one moment careening towards a crash, and a moment later, struggling up the mountain without a clear view of when (or if) we’ll reach the top. Life can feel like a rollercoaster ride of heady peaks and stomach-churning troughs, and whilst we would all be terribly bored if it was just a flat track to the horizon… wouldn’t it be great if we could learn to balance out those pendulum-swings just a little? Even-it-up a bit so that it flowed more smoothly, and we could actually start to enjoy the ride? Sam joins Paul on his train-journey of discovery into how we can keep the momentum and motivation flowing when we need it most!  

If you ever felt nervous or lacking confidence before an event - like a presentation to an audience, a performance on stage or simply picking up the phone and making an important phone call - you know how challenging that can feel. In this podcast, Chris and Sam discuss a simple, practical and very effective strategy to quickly regain confidence and make you feel like a superstar before being in the spotlight. They provide two proven ways to achieve this...and it takes less than five minutes! Leave us a comment and let us know how this works for you and what situation you'd like to have more confidence next time.

This podcast was recorded in May and it's already June, doesn't time fly! But thinking about the year already whizzing by got Paul and Gina thinking about what really inspires them and helps them really appreciate what they have in life. What inspires you? Friend us on  facebook.com/actionpodcast Follow us on twitter Paul @lifecoach Gina @londonlifecoach Chris @christhecoach Sam @curiositycoach If you prefer to use the phone, you can call and leave a voice mail USA leave us a voice mail on 646 222-0045 UK Call our local rate number 0844 579 6949 and enter mailbox number 58398  

"I'd never believe something without questioning it first!" ... Really? ... Never? When we hold a belief that is so absolute there is no escaping it, this has real consequences for who we are, how we behave and how we react to situations or people. Yet we don't always realise we are being so totalitarian. Even if we catch ourselves uttering definitive sentences, we might wonder why it matters - "So what if I think all women love shopping?" or "So what if I believe relationships always end badly?" or "I've never been any good at maths, why should I care now?" Rather than suggest it is absolutely necessary, Paul and Sam simply suggest it might be worth exploring a belief you have that seems inflexible... join them as they share some tips for how to identify an absolute belief, and then some ways to gently challenge this - from the ridiculous to the more scientific! You might also want to ponder: What would it mean to you if it wasn't always true? Many thanks to Rob for the topic suggestion that sent us down a rabbit hole, where we discovered Pandora's Box! Friend us on  facebook.com/actionpodcast Follow us on twitter Paul @lifecoach Gina @londonlifecoach Chris @christhecoach Sam @curiositycoach If you prefer to use the phone, you can call and leave a voice mail USA leave us a voice mail on 646 222-0045 UK Call our local rate number 0844 579 6949 and enter mailbox number 58398  

Often the biggest, most enduring stress and frustration in our lives comes from things we continue to tolerate, but not do something about. In this podcast, Sam and Chris talk about making progress by getting clear and taking action on what you don't want in your life any longer. Not just providing a 'positive thinking' theory, they guide you through a specific set of actions and provide a simple framework for you to take on a transformational 30 day challenge to eliminate a key stress or frustration from your life. Listen to the podcast and leave a comment to let us know you're taking the challenge and how we can help you to succeed.

Sometimes what we say and what we do are very different. Even when we say - or think - we're committed, our behaviour shows we're not fully on board. Whether it's going to the gym, starting that photography course you've always dreamed about, finding a new job, or even having a go at on-line dating, if you're not doing what you want to be doing, it's time to take an honest look within. Chris and Gina discuss three simple steps to honestly re-evaluate your dedication level and how you can make committing to a project or goal something fun instead of a chore.

Another intriguing topic request via Twitter, from @TamworthGrice on how to deal with psychobabble. We've all had the experience of someone giving us the most infuriating piece of advice, regardless of how well-intentioned it is - especially when they seem to be quoting clichéd phrases just "Just learn to let it go". These sorts of banal phrases can really push our buttons, but this ultimately makes the situation (and how we're feeling) worse. So Sam and Paul explore some ways to not only re-frame the moments when we find ourselves on the receiving end of a poorly-timed or unhelpful piece of advice, but also some alternative ways of responding to the psychobabble that could help take the sting out of it.

Drawing on our own personal experience and those of our clients, Gina and Chris suggest four questions that can help you navigate through a significant period of change. Whether it be a new job, a new home or a new relationship, we all feel uncertain - and fear - at venturing into something new. These questions can help build your confidence that you can do it and start you on the path to feeling great about your new opportunity.

Special *extended* edition: don't let the word "journal" put you off! Regardless of whether you've not put pen to paper for decades, and the idea of writing without a computer keyboard seems a crime – it is still possible to make journaling work for you. So why should you bother? What are the benefits? This is a longer podcast than normal because whilst Gina & Sam are very passionate about their own daily journals, they realise that not everyone will be as excited or comfortable with the idea ... so they start by exploring some tips for people who might experience strong resistance to the idea of writing down their thoughts every day. The process of writing in this way can skyrocket your success and happiness: and alongside discussing the many benefits of journaling, they also explore some of the ways to make it work best for you. [Gina & Sam both use a form of journaling from The Artist's Way called Morning Pages - for more info have a look here.]

Another great topic suggestion via Twitter, from @RizWasti on Outsourcing. Sam and Paul explore the process of outsourcing and compare it to the general delegation of a task; both can be quite a minefield if you aren't careful! So, just because you have given the work to someone else to complete, doesn't mean you are off the hook or no longer responsible. You still need to work with them to ensure the results are what you expect! Whether you delegate chores at home, tasks at work or larger outsourcing projects/roles, join us as we explore the dangers and challenges of delegating a task, along with some tips and strategies to ensure it goes according to plan (and doesn't backfire on you)!

We had a great question in from one of our listeners to the podcast. "Do you think that the more formal process of goal setting works better for everybody, and everyone should use it to achieve more?" Sam and Paul consider the options and situations where structured goal setting is really required, but admit themselves that they don't always have to follow a rigid process to move towards their dreams. Thanks Matt for a brilliant question!