In the Zone in Manchester!

In the Zone in Manchester!

David Tingey & Gary Boyes – The Mind Factor Workshop 2015

We recently had the opportunity to spend three days, enhancing our knowledge of and taking a new angle, sometimes, on the power of the mind.  The fact that the course was delivered by The Mind Factor and Dr. Karl Morris with a huge emphasis on the ‘Golfing Mind’, then we knew we’d benefit and enjoy!

We first met Karl a few years ago at Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club when he was delivering a short Mindfactor Session to the members.  Naturally, being a scholar of all things that go on in the mind, we wanted to learn even more and the weekend in Manchester seemed an ideal opportunity!  As with everything, if you are in control of your mind, you stay calm in pressure moments, or of course in decision making opportunities, where the outcomes may have serious consequences.  Now some would say there are no ‘serious consequences’ when you play golf, certainly at an amateur level, but take this a step further… how good could it be to control your mind in all aspects of your life, both in business and in your personal life?

Shenfield Station 5.11am!

Virgin Trains -London Euston

Friday morning started early, with a train into London at just after 5.00am, a seamless tube ride to Euston, and then the 6.36am Virgin Train to Manchester Piccadilly saw myself and colleague, David Tingey, a PGA Professional, arrive in Manchester just before 9.00am.  Whilst we’ve flown Virgin Atlantic, it was the first time we’d used the services of Virgin for rail services, and what a joy!  2 hours 20 minutes of comfort, without having to concentrate on the roads (and potentially taking twice as long)!  Next time we’re Manchester bound, it’ll be Virgin Trains all the way!

Gary Boyes, Chris Walton, Karl Morris, David Tingey

We checked into The Radisson Blu, in the centre of Manchester, where the course was to be held, and settled down for three great days of realising just how awesome the mind is, in EVERYTHING we do.

When you think back, it’s incredible to recount the number of times teams and individuals have progressed to be successful by having the belief in their ability and remaining calm under pressure.  As many of you will know, it can be so easy to have many thoughts coming into your head at the same time, especially in the field of golf… head down, swing through the ball, knees flexed… Is it any wonder we have the potential to hit a poor shot? Take that a step further; Is it a surprise to anyone that we sometimes turn up for work, mind overflowing with thoughts, ideas and ‘things that we need to remember’, and then have a poor outcome? How much of that information, at that moment in time, and the ATTENTION that we devote to it, is either ‘useful’ or ‘useless’?! And that set the tone for Day one, and in fact the whole workshop… Decide what is useful, or useless… and deal with it accordingly. Something useless at one moment, could become useful at a later stage, and vice versa… but forget the before and the after, we’re talking about the NOW! Stay in the present moment, give it your full ATTENTION.

 

Philip Zimbardo – What ‘Time Zone’ is your mind travelling in?

Habitual time zones was an interesting concept, with our phenomenal mind being able to race, at the slightest thought to something previous in our lives or fast forward to something that we ‘imagined’ might happen.  Philip Zimbardo, the American Psychologist, carried out numerous studies to demonstrate this, over a period of many years.  Whenever we need to stay in the present moment, it’s about selecting the time-zone ‘Present Absorbed’!

An interesting session followed by Guest Speaker, Chris Walton, introducing the work he has carried out on the Gamma Mindset.  Our brainwaves go through various stages, dependent upon what we are doing, from a state of high alert to resting and to sleep.  Intriguing stuff from Chris and should you want to know more, check out www.GammaMindset.com

Gary Nicol & Gary Boyes

Day two continued with the same momentum, and a look at belief systems and possibly, more importantly, how you could change those beliefs? We had another Guest Speaker, Gary Nicol, who spent 16 years as a coach on the European Tour and is now based at Archerfield Links in North Berwick.  Gary recalled many stories, working with touring Pro’s and brought his philosophy of ‘simplicity’ to everyone.  Demonstrating his belief that ‘impact’ was the crucial area of a golf swing, how you got there, i.e. Back swing & follow through, was largely irrelevant, as long as the impact was sound.  Of course, if someone’s back-swing affected the impact, then it will need adjusting, but to him, it was a case of ‘cause and effect’ and simply coaching that.  Keeping it simple, HAS to be the best way to stay in the moment.  For more information on this and the work that Gary now undertakes, go to www.tpegs.com

We particularly enjoyed the session that covered ‘perception’.  The Cambridge Dictionary defines perception as ‘a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem’, which means how we interpret information on a personal level.  (I recall recently asking someone with a fear of flying what they saw when I showed them a picture of a Boeing 747.  Now, I enjoy flying, and I see planes as a means of travel to a nice place! There answer? They saw a ‘metal coffin’!  Based purely on how that information was received in their own head, that was their perception).  Again, the work that we did about changing perception was time well-spent.

Day three looked at the four quadrants of golf, BEFORE, DURING, IN BETWEEN and AFTER and how each quadrant had an impact on the next.  This again, can be directly correlated to business.  Active Visualisation and creating strong neural pathways formed the bulk of the morning, with our final Guest Speaker, Dave O’Sullivan giving us some fascinating and cutting-edge insights into his work around breathing.  As we know, if your breathing is controlled and calm, then so too is the mind. Dave has been involved as the head physiotherapist for Huddersfield Giants Rugby League team and has been instrumental in their recent success.  For more information, www.physiohuddersfield.co.uk

Two key points for us, coming from the workshop, can be summed up in two words! ATTENTION and PROCESS.  Whatever you are doing, be it personal life, sporting activity or business, you must FOCUS on and give it your full ATTENTION.  With regard to PROCESS… Well if you focus on the PROCESS, and ensure your process is right… then the outcome will be as PLANNED.  We’ll be looking at these two important areas in a future blog, so make sure you don’t miss out and sign up NOW.

Making new friends is always important! 

As with many enjoyable workshops, you wonder how the time seems to go so fast, but as all good things come to an end, in order for the next one to start.  We were back on the train to London, tired but with an abundance of knowledge and skill, not forgetting belief, that we will start to put into our golfing as well as our business lives.  As with many external courses, you find yourself making great friends with people of all ages and all walks of life, that I know will be a USEFUL resource in the future.  Thanks for making our three days so enjoyable and a huge thanks to Karl, Nadine and the guest speakers.

Gary Boyes & Karl Morris

Gary Boyes & Karl Morris – Success!

Sign up to our blog site www.imduk.org by simply putting your email address where indicated and you’ll be kept informed of all future workshops and courses.  Workshops and courses that could have a POSITIVE IMPACT on you and your life.

Opportunities!

How many business opportunities are turned down on a regular basis (and life opportunities), purely because we lack the confidence to carry it out or doubt ourselves that we have sufficient knowledge or skill to undertake the task? Take the opportunity and use it as a motivator, to learn a new skill or increase your knowledge. Can you imagine how impactful that could be?

Next time an opportunity presents itself, grab it with both hands… and then go about increasing your knowledge or skill. Consider what resources you may need?

If this is something that you’d like to investigate further, then be sure to watch out for our forthcoming workshop, where the focus will be on making you a far more confident person than, perhaps, you are at the present time.

Contact us on 01277 821651 or simply email us on info@imduk.com to register your interest.

Happiness at Work

How HAPPY are you at work? Yes, I mean YOU.

Are you caught up in the cycle of working in a job you don’t love, to earn money, to put a roof over your head and food on the table, simply to exist, so that you can go to work tomorrow, to a job that you don’t love, to earn more money, to put a roof over your head and put food on the table, simply to exist, so that you can go to work tomorrow….. get the picture?

If YOU want MORE, then look out for our forthcoming workshops that can have a SERIOUS IMPACT on your life!

Interested? Then please contact us to register your interest (life@imduk.com) or look out for workshop announcements on our  Facebook Page (Please just LIKE). http://www.facebook.com/IMDUKlimited

More details are on our Blog Site, which you can FOLLOW now by going to www.imduk.org and entering an email address under the ‘follow’ button.

Remember, If time flies, be the pilot!

Be IN control, NOT controlled.

2014 – A New Dawn

It’s a new dawn,

It’s a new day,

It’s a new life

For me….

And I’m feeling good!

(Feeling Good.  Words by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley)

 Many New Year Resolutions will be made for 2014, but just how many will be acted upon, long term?  How many will actually be written down, as a form of commitment? (Often, seeing goals written down can further motivate us and of course, the writing part is the ‘activity’ side of thinking).

What are your ‘goals’ for 2014? 

By goals, I mean, what are your real goals? It may mean, on a personal level, giving up smoking or alcohol, maybe losing some weight?  This is not what will drive you on however, the real goal will be, if you have given up smoking, alcohol or have lost weight, how you will feel in yourself, how will you view yourself?

On training workshops and courses throughout this last year I often ask people ‘What will make you happy’?  Well, it’s no surprise, that for many of them, they say ‘winning the lottery’ or ‘being rich’!  That is not a ‘goal’ though, what would that money or new-found wealth actually do for them, that surely is the ultimate goal? When they then start to think about that aspect, the goals become a lot clearer.  So ensure any goals you make have a clear outcome.

Remember, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you know you have got there?

At the turn of the year, we often reflect over the previous twelve months and sometimes with regret?  Next time you sit down and think back, think of the highlights only… and watch what happens to your state of mind!

Highlights of 2013 for me?  Well too many to name, but here’s a shortlist… what one is top of my 2013 list? Maybe I’ll let you know next time!

• Meeting ‘strangers’ on training courses throughout the year, many of whom have now become ‘great friends’! Thank you.
• Spending a week with 40 Year 6 Leavers on the Isle of Wight, huge fun watching them grow as people. Thank you.
• Registering 5 ‘consecutive’ Birdies on the golf course, a feat that someone researched and said the odds were over 46,000/1 🙂 I guess those lessons do pay off?
• On the golfing theme, scoring a hole-in-one.  Is it all luck? 😉
• Seeing my daughter’s face on her 17th birthday when she opened her present… the ‘car key’ with the car waiting outside and then passing her Theory Test at the first attempt.
• Watching my son’s football team gain promotion with him being top-goalscorer on 41 goals!
• Tearing around London with McMullen’s Bar Person of the Year nominee’s. Good times, Thank you.
• Meeting a great friend I lost touch with years ago.  Thank you.
• Working with some fantabulous people which makes my job seem nothing like a job is meant to be (or what we are told)! Thank you each and every one of you.

Be happy in 2014, Be healthy in 2014 and if you have that, you will have abundant wealth.

Now if you are serious about goal-setting or simply having a great year and would like a helping hand, then stay tuned to the IMD UK Facebook page or our blog www.imduk.org where we will announce forthcoming workshops that can directly improve your life next year.

Please share this with people you think will benefit, they can then make their own choice as to whether 2014 will be a great year.

Ever Want To Be Less Stressed?

Feeling stressed-out after Christmas? I’ll also bet you were even more stressed out before Christmas!

How many people do you know, perhaps on occasions, even yourself, who tell you they suffer from stress? They are really stressed, everything is getting on top of them and that they have suffered for ages.  They feel under pressure, sometimes to unimaginable levels.

STRESS DOESN’T ACTUALLY EXIST! 

Now if I went on to say ‘stress’ doesn’t actually exist, these would be the first people to disagree with me.  What I mean by that statement is that you cannot actually ‘catch’ stress, there aren’t ‘stress virus particles’ flying around the air, in the same way that you can inhale or contract other, airborne diseases, such as Influenza or Avian Flu.

Stress can be described, effectively, as a reaction to a situation or perhaps a response to a circumstance.  Many of you will have heard of ‘white coat syndrome’ where someone, for example,  who attends a GP surgery to have their blood pressure taken, suddenly has high blood pressure, due to the situation they find themselves in.  Many of you will have been to the dentist for that filling, long overdue, and as you are watching the clock for your appointment time in the waiting room, anxiety and tension rises, and you start to feel out of control.  The levels in each and everyone of us can differ enormously, yet think about this… all of these are reactions in your mind, nothing has actually happened as yet!

 

Even if you are the ‘coolest cucumber’ in the world, imagine yourself, alone in a wood and as you turn a corner, the biggest, fiercest Grizzly Bear confronts you, standing on it’s hind legs, teeth bared and growling.  How do you feel? Get the picture?

Stress is the way the mind responds to a situation or circumstance, and with the mind being such a phenomenal tool, has the ability to work for you… but sadly, on occasions, it can work against you as well, (too often, if you allow it to).

FANCY SOME TIME TRAVEL?

Like a scene out of Doctor Who, the mind has the ability to undertake time-travel, on a daily basis.  Think, if you will, for a moment about what you did yesterday morning.  Now think about what you may be doing tomorrow morning and you’ll soon get the idea that the mind is continually tracking backwards and forwards, normally, with the help of the thinking, process driven left brain, analysing what has happened and perhaps, what ‘might’ happen.  You may hear yourself saying, ‘Why did I do that’? ‘If I hadn’t done that’? ‘Why does it always happen to me’?  You’ll know many people that are continually saying this to themselves, without actually doing anything about it!  As an opposite, you also jump forward in time, planning your day and week ahead, perhaps arranging your holiday itinerary, even a shopping trip, etc. and again, you’ll know people who, before it has even happened, will be imagining how bad the week ahead will be! (For those, it probably will be, but more of that later).

When we start to overthink, either the past or what we perceive to be the future, then that can undoubtedly increase our stress levels, yet there is only one moment that we can control and that is the here and now.  The past has gone, analyse it as much as you wish, but it won’t change.  Of course, learn from it and use it as a learning point which can shape what you do for the rest of your life, but it will never actually change.  Similarly, you can influence what happens tomorrow, but you cannot 100% control what will happen.  Life may throw us a curved ball, outside/external influences can start to shape what will happen in the future.  The only moment we can control is now.

BECOME LESS STRESSED RIGHT NOW

So how do you even begin to become less-stressed? Well one of the proven methods, and something that each and everyone of us can do, is breathing.  Controlled breathing together with  the correct focus has been proven to lower stress, anxiety and blood pressure.  So why do people get caught on the merry-go-round of their life and suffer due to unacceptable stress levels.  (I say unacceptable, because a manageable amount of stress is a good thing, it drives us on, motivates us, etc, but again, that’s something I’ll discuss on another day).  Focussing on the moment and controlled breathing is often referred to as meditation and you can meditate whenever you choose to, it really is up to you.

You may know people, whose anxiety and stress levels are, quite frankly, unacceptable.  It affects not only their day to day work and social lives, it can have long-lasting effects on their general health, lowering the immune system and leaving them susceptible to all manner of illnesses.  Yet, for most, it really doesn’t have to be that way.  For a few sufferers, it seems incredible that instead of moving away from the source of their stress, they are actually drawn towards it.  The whole situation or circumstance that has caused the stress and illness, becomes a ‘safety net’ to them.  It may seem bizarre, but again, you may know people like this, constantly stating that ‘One day, they will do this, or one day they will do that…. yet it never actually happens… What they effectively do is wallow in exactly the thing that is causing them stress, like a constant downward spiral, merely increasing stress levels.  Again, you will know people that do eventually (and hopefully) get themselves out of whatever situation they are in that is causing their stress and anxiety… and one of their first responses is ‘I don’t know why I didn’t do this earlier’.  The fact is many people know what they need to do, but do not have that courage, determination or conviction to change; sometimes they just need a helping hand.

Current research shows us that meditation can have a huge impact on our positivity, in turn increasing our health and wellbeing. Some people insist they do not have enough time in their lives to meditate, and perhaps they are right!  Maybe they are just too busy fighting the stress to actually try something different that could help them. Just five to ten minutes meditating each day can start to have a huge impact on your own life. Surely you are worth that investment?

 WHAT TO DO NEXT

If this really does intrigue you and you’d like to know a little more about how you can reduce your stress levels and embark on the journey of meditation, then contact us on the details below.  Dates are currently being sourced for workshops, to help you, right now.

Simply email us info@imduk.com to register your interest and join our email list, we’ll gladly keep you informed.

We look forward to hearing from you.

A Christmas Thank You

Thanks for everyone of you that has followed this Blog during the last year, check out the link and please share on Facebook or Re-Blog.

For every ‘Share’ or ‘Re-blog’ you’ll be entered into a prize draw for one of two prizes, a fabulous bottle of Champagne or a £25-00 i-Tunes voucher.

Have a Great New Year!

If you are not in control of your own mind, someone will happily take control of it for you.

Have you ever noticed, as soon as you take your focus away (from whatever it may have been focussing on) that others eagerly step in, to take control? Normally for their own benefit. After days, weeks, months and years of this, that person becomes so reliant that they give up making decisions for themselves and become totally reliant on their ‘Controller’. Indeed, many start to express sympathy and are empathic to that person, which merely serves as strengthening the bond and dominance that they have over that person. You may have heard of this syndrome, widely known as ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ following the Swedish Bank Robbery in August 1973.

An excerpt from the BBC News Magazine by Kathryn Westcott explains the origin and symptoms of the phrase as follows:-

It was 23 August 1973 when the four were taken hostage in the Kreditbanken by 32-year old career-criminal Jan-Erik Olsson – who was later joined at the bank by a former prison mate. Six days later when the stand-off ended, it became evident that the victims had formed some kind of positive relationship with their captors, Stockholm Syndrome was born by way of explanation.The phrase was reported to have been coined by criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot. Psychiatrist Dr Frank Ochberg was intrigued by the phenomenon and went on to define the syndrome for the FBI and Scotland Yard in the 1970s.

At the time, he was helping the US National Task Force on Terrorism and Disorder devise strategies for hostage situations.

His criteria included the following: “First people would experience something terrifying that just comes at them out of the blue. They are certain they are going to die. “Then they experience a type of infantilisation – where, like a child, they are unable to eat,speak or go to the toilet without permission.” Small acts of kindness – such as being given food – prompts a “primitive gratitude for the gift of life,” he explains. “The hostages experience a powerful, primitive positive feeling towards their captor. They are in denial that this is the person who put them in that situation. In their mind, they think this is the person who is going to let them live.”

Police snipers opposite Kreditbanken where Jan-Erik Olsson held workers hostage for six days.

Over many years this has been called ‘brain-washing’ or ‘programming’ but it is evident (and has been proved on many, many occasions) that it is totally reversible. Now, surely, that is good news? So why do people, and I’m not talking ‘hostages’ here, but everyday folk, still constantly rely and live their lives doing things that others want them to do, even though it is having (and does) have a detrimental effect on their life and well-being?

When you look into this further, the ‘controller’ has eroded the victim’s confidence and self esteem and in doing so, has promoted dominance and control, to such an extent, that even daily decisions, that people, perhaps like you and I may take for granted, feel a reliance on asking and ‘seeking permission’ until they can actually go ahead with the decision or task.

Albert Einstein once said, ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’.

So what we merely have to do is break the chain, start doing things differently, trying new ways. It is easy to keep going along with the way that it has always been, and many do this for an easy life. But if you really want to make changes in any area of your life, to perhaps have a career change, to step outside of that so-called comfort zone, then you have to start to break the chain and do things differently.

Ask yourself this: Am I 100% happy with my lot in life?

Now, let’s get in the real world, possibly very few people will be 100% happy all of the time, so I’ll take 85-90% of the time as being happy as a pretty good life! If you are, then fantastic, carry on doing what you are doing. If you want changes, then, as Mahatma Ghandi once famously said, ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world’.

It is unproductive to keep slipping back into habit, into the ways of the past, into what you have always done. Be that change.

It is unproductive to focus your attention on things that you don’t want, use the energy of that focus to accelerate you into the kind of life that you do want. Be that change.

Be in control of your own mind. Be that change.

Ultimately that change can only come from you, from your thoughts within and your desire to get better and better, more and more successful and become a continual high achiever in whatever you decide you want to do.

If you would like assistance with that change and taking the first few steps, then look out for our forthcoming workshops, designed to really make the difference.

To register your interest at this stage, simply drop us an email at change@imduk.com We look forward to hearing from you.

Be careful what you wish for!

Do you ever find it strange that you may wake up one morning, with that feeling, you know, the kind of feeling that today is going to be a wonderful day? Often it turns out to be. Some of you may wake to just know, yes, really know, that today is going to just be one of those days from hell, too much work, stressed out and everyone moaning? And do you know what…. it often turns out to be too!

I am continuously told that I am always ‘lucky’, often in the right place at the right time, to which I often reply, tongue-in-cheek, ‘Yes, I was born lucky’. Now let’s be clear here, you aren’t born ‘lucky’! Think about how, as a result of your positive thought processes, better and more successful things start to occur in your life? Adversely, when you think those negative thoughts, the same thing happens… more bad stuff.

If you’d like to know a little more about how this can affect your life, either follow this blog site or like our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/IMDUKlimited for details of forthcoming workshops that really can make a difference.

Understand how you can become happier, luckier, whilst at the same time reducing stress levels and worries. Sounds impossible? Well, yes, if you’re thinking that, you are most probably right, for you it may be impossible … but if you really do want changes, then what have you got to lose? Watch out for our advert, coming soon and you will see that there are endless possibilities to actually make a difference to how you live your life.

To register your interest, drop us an email at change@imduk.com

We look forward to hearing from you.

Make The Effort

Make the effort
You may have heard these quotations before, accredited to Gandhi, but who knows, someone possibly said them before? ‘If it is to be, it is up to me’
Or
‘You must be the change you want to see in the world’
Now, you can interpret either of these quotations in any way you choose, but let me give you an example. Only since Christmas, I have met so many people, in business and socially, that want change, for the better, in their lives and are going to do it… tomorrow! Now as we know, tomorrow never comes. Effectively what they are doing is putting off the things they need to do to create that change, because, (in their mind), it involves effort. The ‘effort’ involved may be a lot easier than you think but what it most certainly will need is some commitment and the urge to do it.

How many people are currently working in a job or have a career that they don’t want to be in and yet day in, day out, they turn up for work, at the same time, doing the same thing, convinced that it will be another ‘boring day’… and guess what… they are absolutely right! If nothing they have changed nothing at all, why should there be any difference in how they feel?

Many people claim that we/they are living in a ‘Rat Race’ and that there are never enough hours, minutes or seconds in a day, and yet, they expect someone else to solve their problem. Countless times, people categorically state that they want improvements in their own lives, yet it would seem it is far easier to put up ‘blockers’ and barriers than to actually go ahead and make that change. In the end, we form habits or become conditioned to making those excuses… and you’ll know what I mean, because you even start to pre-empt what they are going to say! Have you ever asked someone to do something and before you’ve asked them, you know (or think you know) what their answer will be (usually, in your mind, a negative response)? When you get that negative response, how pleased do you feel that you ‘anticipated’ that person’s response and thus you must now be a mind-reader?!! How many times have you then ‘given up’ asking that person… because you know what they will say anyway?

Let’s be clear here, I’m not talking about those of us that say ‘I want to give up smoking’ or ‘I’m going to lose weight or become fitter’ I’m talking about people that consistently say they want change in their lives, but are not prepared to actually change? Make sense? You’ll possibly know some people, exactly as I have described them?

When opportunities present themselves, forget excuses and barriers and think about what this new-found knowledge and skill will do for you, what benefit will you gain from it and how can you use it to maximize your own potential.

I look forward to hearing from you.

PS. How do you think every successful person in the world became successful?

Why be blue? It’s Monday!

Welcome to Blue Monday, 21st January 2013! Apparently it is the most depressing day of the year… and I guess if you want it to be, then who am I to argue?

However, if you want 2013 to be your best year yet, then why not book yourself on the one day, Meditation, Hypnosis and Quantum Thinking Day, 9th February at Hunton Park, Near Watford. Full details are here… http://www.facebook.com/MeditationHypnosisAndNlpTraining

For those that have enjoyed a day off, due to the weather conditions, and perhaps want to know a little more about the legal position with regard to ‘snow clearance’ then check out http://www.workplacesafetysystems.co.uk/snow-ice-the-snow-code-and-case-law/

Further details can be found at http://www.imduk.org or if you simply would like a booking for for the 9th February 2013, to improve your life then e.mail us at nlp@imduk.com