What to do when you feel like you've lost your way...

Have you ever felt like you've lost your way?

What was it that triggered that feeling?

Maybe you felt stuck in a job you'd fallen out of love with.  Maybe you literally felt like you'd fallen out of love with your partner or maybe you can't quite put your finger on what it was that had you feeling that way.

Maybe for you it's just that you've lost passion for what you're doing across the board and now you don't really know what the way forward even looks like any more.

In my work as a psychologist, I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't felt this at some stage in their life.  About some-thing.

Well this week we take a look at exactly this, feeling lost ,which often also results in feeling down, anxious and frustrated.   After all what can you even do about?...well here are some positive actions you can take to help you if you've ever experienced this...

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Til next week!

Ape Summer School PART I...The art of SLOW

What haven't you yet achieved in your life that you would like to?

Is it that you would like to be doing a different job?  Is it that you'd like to find love and your perfect life partner or maybe you feel like all will be well when you're bringing in a particular income?

Also, if you want to do any of these things, have you got a time limited plan?  Should you achieve said status by next year, next month or maybe it should have already happened and now you're falling behind!   Agggghhh!

Having goals can be  great thing, and as you well know if you've been here at APE for any length of time we are big fans of setting yourself realistic and inspiring goals.  But  can this goal setting malarky become an issue?   Yes it can and quite easily too.

You see often we feel rushed, and angry with ourselves for not doing these things 'quickly' enough.  Everything just seems to take so damn long!

Well welcome to the art of SLOW.

Over the next 4 weeks here at APE we are going to be taking a look at the art of doing things slowly.  We'll be looking at how actually doing things more slowly can be of huge benefit to you, not only in actually in helping you to complete said projects, but helping you to do them in a way that feels right as it gives you time to really reflect, stop and do your very best work...not to mention as it can also mean doing things in a way that is more nurturing to yourself.

Need more convincing, well here's a short trailer...

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I hope you'll be following along with this series of 4 short videos, all designed to help you see the benefits of a slower way of thinking , behaving, doing business and well, just being.

So without further ado, let's kick off with the very first instalment...

[embed]https://youtu.be/-_kjI9Wf6wk[/embed]

Please do share your thoughts below and also why not sign up to hear about all things APE and get this, as well as behind the scenes stuff delivered straight to your in-box.

You just have to CLICK HERE to be taken though to the sign up page…and if you do, I’ll see you on the other side.

For everyone else, till next week…

Why failure is the key to your success..

What have you failed at in your life? Personally, I believe I've had many failures in my life-time, and unlike some people who like to pussy foot around and 'coach-ify' the topic, I believe you CAN FAIL.

I say this because I hear lots of people saying things like..'you haven't really failed'...'it was just an experience'...'you just needed to do this, to get to be who you were really meant to be'....'that really wasn't failure, that was just...blah blah, blah!

 Now, let's be clear, it's not that I don't believe that failure can lead you to a better place, or even being a better person.  I just have a bug bear about people straying away from acknowledging and even saying the word failure (Harry Potter fans the equivalent is not being able to say Voldemort..am I right?).

It's like saying it somehow reflects on you being a lesser person.  Like there was a better option...like winning something or coming first!  No you didn't because you failed.  You are a failure! -says negative voice-.

Well, I happen to believe that failure is a vital part of our evolution and one we should acknowledge if you really want to achieve the things you've set out for yourself.  It not only allows us to get to where we want to be via a natural process of trial and error, but, by crikey what failing can do for your mind-set and ego is pretty spectacular.

And that's exactly what I discuss today. I first get a little down and dirty about my own past and share some of what my up-bringing was like in relation to 'failing', but I then dig into the magic that comes about when we really, well and truly, spectacularly FAIL.

So lets do this....

What are your thoughts?

What have you failed at and can you think of 3 positive things that have come from one of your own failures?  Please do share your thoughts below and also why not sign up to hear about all things APE and get this, as well as behind the scenes stuff delivered straight to your in-box.

You just have to CLICK HERE to be taken though to the sign up page...and if you do, I'll see you on the other side.

For everyone else, till next week...

How you can find your life purpose...

Do you ever question what you've been put on this one earth to do?

Are you doing it already?

It took me until I was in my 30's to know, really know, what I wanted to do with my life.

To be honest to all intents and purposes, from the outside it probably looked like I knew what I was doing.  I didn't have a bad job working as a University Lecturer.  I'd worked hard to get there and had done well to get all the 'right' qualifications and experience to get to where I was.

As well as all of this, I did a lot in my spare time, from singing to improv.  I even had a small business on the side and also went on lovey holidays with my partner as well as enjoyed doing up my own home which I'd bought some years before.

It seems cliche to say then, that something felt like it was missing for me.

I've always been the kind of person to look ahead and think about where I wanted to be, and I kept on coming back to the same feelings...would doing these things I was doing get me to where I really wanted to be, and what did that even look like?

I didn't know.

I'd been on such a rollercoaster before, doing one thing after the next and pursuing the things I liked doing back at University that whenever I questioned what I was doing, there seemed to be so much happening in my life that the prospect of making any changes, especially when I didn't even know what that looked like, was just too daunting.

I think you can probably guess what's coming...

...the big 'unlock' for me, was discovering what I felt my purpose was.

I share some more about this in todays video, as well as 2 specific things that work to help you, anyone find their own purpose.  So if that sounds like you, just click on the video below to find out more...

I hope this helps you if you've ever wondered what your own purpose is?

I'd love to hear what you feel your purpose is...you can share it below.  I can't wait to see the different things you all come up with.

In the meantime if you'd like get this delivered to you every week, along with a bit more from 'behind the scenes' then please CLICK HERE to be taken though to the sign up page.

I'd love to have you in the APE fold, especially as there are some very, very exciting new projects being launched soon.

Tel next week.

How do you have the self confidence to change career?

As you know if you read this blog regularly, I held an amazing workshop recently called The Mind Map (see here for details).

The workshop was geared to helping people make a change in their life, maybe something they'd been considering for some time.  Well, during the workshop I asked the question 'is anyone here focussed on changing their career?'.

It was no surprise to me that more than half the room raised their hands at this question.  It's no surprise to me because most of the clients I work with want to focus on this.  Essentially most of us want to feel like we are getting up every day to do something we really love, instead of going through the motions.

The interesting thing was, that as we started to dig on the topic and began to look at the things people thought were holding them back, the issue of self-confidence came up again and again.

There are so many reasons why we often feel like we lack the confidence to make a shift like this, and that's exactly what I'm addressing in today's video.

Today I look at why we often feel this way, but more importantly I offer 2 strategic things you can do to start to overcome the feeling.

So without further ado...

What do you think?

If you feel you lack confidence in this area what small steps can you make to start being in action today?

I'd love for you to tell me in the comments below....I think it would be really helpful as others may also get ideas from from the things you share as well.

And don't forget, if you'd like to receive weekly behind the scenes updates, as well as this delivered to you weekly then please just CLICK HERE to be taken through to the sign up page for all things APE.

Hope you have a great week!

5 things you can do to leave a job you hate!...

Do you love your work?

Is it something you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life, or did you 'fall into it', or end up there?

We spend over 90,000 hours of our life at work, so if you're doing something you don't love, notice I didn't say like, then that's a long time to be unhappy.

I meet people every who don't love what they're doing for a living and they're ready to shake things up. Move on.  Move forward and stop compromising on happy.

The thing about shifting career, especially when you're older or have spent years qualifying and perfecting your skills in one area, is that often it's difficult to know what to do or where to start.  Moving on to a new career can seem daunting and overwhelming.

Well, fortunately if you relate to this, you're in the right place!  You see I've helped literally hundreds of people move out of a job they hate, into something that actually has them happy to get up in the morning.  This can look like a new career, role change or even working for yourself.

How you start this process is with 5 easy steps, that are both practical and easily do-able for anyone in this situation, and that's exactly what I'm sharing in today's video.

So, without further ado, just click on the video below to be taken through to this short video about your first 5 steps to making a change in your career.

I'd get a notebook and pen at the ready too.  You'll need it!

So, will you be starting this today?

I'd love to hear from you if you think you're going to start your own journey towards a career that you truly love.

Also, if you'd like some support on this journey, then please fill out the comment below, to be the first to find out about our new free closed Facebook group, for anyone who would like support in doing this.

I look forward to helping you and to seeing you next week!

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