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At the end of 2018 I came to a realisation that I had to make some changes to my life.

I was very unfit and very overweight. One third of my body weight was excessive and I could not walk any distance without a struggle.

This was partly due to the problem I had with my knees, following an injury in 2017. But underneath that partial explanation was the real truth.

Over a number of years I had steadily allowed myself to eat too much and do too little exercise. I enjoy food but I didn’t eat a balanced diet. I enjoy the outdoors but spent too little there.

So, with a major birthday approaching I decided to do something about it. In fact a made a few related decisions.

I decided first that I would spend my 60th birthday on 13th October on top of a mountain in my favourite part of the world, England’s Lake District. I then told my world about this decision, via Facebook.

I then opted to walk up “The Old Man of Coniston”. The metaphor is great and so is the location, just above the beautiful village of Coniston, where my family and I have spent a lot of very happy time together.

Then, a strange thing happened.

A lot of friends responded with very positive comments and promises to accompany me. Soon a campaign started called, “Old Men and their Mountains”. I started a Facebook group with this name (see here) and all sorts started to join me (whether actually old men or not).

It wasn’t long before someone suggested that I use the campaign to raise some money for charity. So far I have raised £560 online (go to here) and over £840 through sponsorship forms. All the money raised is going to the Masonic Charitable Foundation, one of the UK’s major grant making charities that helps people to make better lives (see https://mcf.org.uk/).

So, how am I doing?

Well three months ago I could only walk a couple of hundred yards. I am now up to six miles, although at present that is mostly flat. I will start walking up inclines later this month.

I have radically changed my diet, taking sugar, starch, etc, out as much as possible. At first this was a real struggle but in less than two weeks I had changed my eating habits and I have kept to it since, although I still have a weakness for wine (which of course is rich in sugar).

I have lost almost two stone in weight. In truth this has plateaued recently so I have decided to cut right back on drinking wine, although I may still indulge in a glass or two at the weekend.

Earlier this week, Diane and I spent a few days in the Lake District, getting to know Coniston again and making plans for October. Just breathing the air there, seeing the peaks again and revisiting some old haunts has recharged me and strengthened my resolve even further.

I am changing my life and I am going up that mountain in six months time.

What have I learned from all this?

Put simply, if you want to achieve something then don’t try. Just make a decision and stick to it. Be determined and keep your eye on the prize. Then everyday just take more steps towards your goal.

The approach I take to achieving anything is based upon my Success Cycle model. Download my free overview here to find out more

Six months ago I had an operation. Since then I have been concentrating on recovery and using the chance to realign some aspects of my life and work.

A major part of that has been to decide how I will tackle the issue of my fitness and my weight. Or rather the one third of my body weight that is unnecessary and unwanted.

Despite all my other successes and my work helping others to achieve their goals, I have not – until now – fixed this issue.

For the full story, please see the post on my Facebook page at http://bit.ly/2R0t91y.

What I will share on this post is the learning that has changed my thinking on the whole issue. It came from Arnold Schwarzenegger explaining how he got his strength back after health problems. He made small incremental steps, making sure that each day he did better than the last.

I was reminded of the many times when, walking in the hills I would approach a long slog in bad weather simply by putting my head down and stepping one foot in front of the other, and then another, and then another. Every so often I would look up to check my navigation and to be sure I was going towards my destination. But the action was simple, uncomplicated, in the moment.

This fits exactly with my Success Cycle model and uses an approach which strips everything back to the essential – clear vision and direction, a focus on the now, everyday actions.

I have started the journey and all I need to do is move more each day than the previous day and make healthy choices over my food.

I will celebrate by walking up “Old Man of Coniston”, a wonderful mountain in the Lake District, on my 60th birthday – 13th October, 2019. Right now I have difficulty even walking up two flights of stairs.

So, all you need to do to achieve your New Year Resolution is – Resolve what exactly you will achieve, Commit to everyday action, Achieve your result.

Happy New Year to you. May 2019 bring you what you really want. And best wishes as you reach the top of your personal mountain.

I watched the film Coyote Ugly again the other day.

It has been some time since I last did and my daughter, Caroline, is now a similar age to the main character, Violet, played by Piper Perabo. As the story unfolded the more relevant it became to people looking to make their way in life and wanting to succeed.

Violet leaves her small town to make it big in the city. She is a songwriter with talent but no confidence in her own singing. Her mother before her had travelled the same path when she was a similar age. Violet had always believed that her mother too did not enjoy singing her own songs on stage.

How do you get started in the music business in New York City? You get your stuff out there, just like any other ambitious person in any other business.

So, Violet starts hawking her demo tapes around the various music agents and publishers. She gets shut doors, knock backs and other disappointments. One night her apartment is robbed and all her cash is taken. She has no job and is on the verge of giving up, of going home to her small town, back to safety.  Back to her comfort zone.

Violet then has an opportunity to work at Coyote Ugly, a full on NYC bar where the all female employees tease and tantalise the male clientele. Dancing on the bar, they are to appear available but never be available. The hard working and tough owner’s only rules are, don’t date the customers and don’t bring your boyfriend to the bar. You do and you’re fired.  All else is permissible.

Violet is in need of cash. She doesn’t see any other options. But, she is shy, uncomfortable. She lacks confidence. She doesn’t believe she can, “be a Coyote.”

Then something happens. At her “audition” in the bar, she deals with a crisis, instinctively drawing on her own small town experiences. Something deep down comes out and she impresses the owner, Lil, with the way she averted a conflict.

She starts working at Coyote Ugly and gradually begins to learn new skills. She becomes absorbed and pays less attention to her career ambitions. She even sings along to the jukebox. But, they are not her own songs. When her father learns of where she is working he is disappointed in her. She tries to reassure him she has not let go of her principles or her ambition and Coyote Ugly is not what he thinks.

She realises the only opportunity to get her own songs heard is by singing them herself at an open mic night in a club. She can’t do it. Her failure only reinforces that negative self-talk going on in her mind. But, her new boyfriend, Kevin, believes in her and perseveres in getting her a slot. Then her father tells her that her mother had always loved performing, and was very good at it. She only gave up to be with her family.

All around her, Violet is surrounded by people who believe in her. Her hugely proud father (played by John Goodman), the bar owner, Lil, and her boyfriend, Kevin. All of them are very different and each of them have a positive and encouraging influence on her. Still, she just doesn’t see it in herself. It is much easier to give up.

With encouragement from others, eventually Violet sings her own song to an audience. She burst through the self-imposed barrier that held her back. Her talent, her songs rather than her own singing, were heard for what they are. Drawing on her resources her performance is great. A new confident Violet comes out of her shell. She gets a contract and the song, sung by established singer, LeAnn Rimes, climbs the charts.

There are so many “lessons for learners” here for me. Where do I start? You might see even more.

• Find your talent and nurture it.
• Stick to your principles and be true to yourself.
• Confront your boundaries, step out of your comfort zones.
• Believe in yourself.
• Marshall all your resources and experiences, you never know when they will help.
• If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
• You have to act to fulfil your dreams.
• Your actions must be consistent with those dreams.

By the way, I have just published my book, “Introducing the Success Cycle: six steps to achieving your dreams.” It is available as a PDF download here and as an eBook or paperback from Amazon.

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Yesterday I published my Nuzzel newsletter on the theme of “Balance?”, with the question mark.  It included some good articles.

Here is the story behind my choice of theme.

I really do hate gardening.  I have never taken to it.

I love the outdoors, especially the hills.  I admit I do enjoy sitting in a garden, normally to enjoy a refreshing drink and always to relax.

But I have never enjoyed or shown any interest in gardening itself.

So, when Diane asked me to help in the garden yesterday I came up with all sorts of reasons (never excuses) why I could not.

I am busy writing some new materials.

I am catching up on some reading.

There is a film I want to watch.

I am meant to be resting my injured knees.

Diane insisted.  I resisted.  She insisted more.  Of course, you know how it ends.  Diane won the battle of wills.

Diane rightly pointed out that I had been working too hard and almost non-stop.  I explained that I am building my online offering, writing materials, developing the marketing, building subscriber lists, etc, etc.  She then used one of my own principles in her argument.  It was like an arrow hitting its mark.

I was in danger of losing balance.

The truth is I am a great believer in balance.  It features heavily in a lot of my work and in my Success Cycle model.

Equally, I have to keep learning the same lesson to introduce balance in my management of time.

I also knew that for any relationship to work, there has to be balance.  Diane was mowing the badly overgrown lawn and it was only right that I should do something to help.

I have to admit, I enjoyed the strimming and the pruning.  I had to take regular breaks to rest my knees but it did me good.

I still don’t like gardening and never will.

But I enjoyed the break, being outdoors and restoring some much needed  balance.

So much so that I have been working in the garden today, sat at the patio table, writing, building my list and doing a bit of reading.

The fresh air and sunshine is doing me good.  I feel more alert.  I am thinking with greater clarity.

I have restored some balance.

I have learned the lesson once again.

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