In some areas of my life I am very consistent, and in others? Not so much….

I have exercised consistently since I was about 12 years old. I began with a cassette tape by Felicity Kendall called ‘Shape Up and Dance.’ You could send off for a poster so you had more idea of what the actual exercises were meant to look like. My High School teacher (they were called that in Scotland, as well as America) once used the tape with our class in an attempt to share modern exercise and I had the opportunity to lead the class to sit ups powered by the heady fuel of an Abba tune. ‘Friday night and the lights are low…’ (Name that tune)

I still exercise consistently, now with ballet classes six days a week. Even when I broke my little toe a couple of years ago I managed to find an exercise video on You Tube for people with broken toes. (upper body, not toe exercises)

In this I am totally, consistent. To quote lyrics from ‘Grease’ my exercising ‘is automatic, it’s systematic, it’s hydromatic. Why it’s greased lightning”

Ah but you know, I might have told you before. Coaches are not perfect.

I do not come down to my clients from the high mountain of self-satisfied smugness to preach to those who have not yet managed to master an eyeliner flick (I haven’t either).

I am not consistent in a lot of things and my lack of consistency often stops me from getting what I want, or that I think that I want.

Take going to bed early….

I know that if I land my head on my cotton pillowcase (the old-fashioned kind that makes lines on your face in the morning) and put out the light before 10pm, I am a radiant light in the coaching world the next day. (a.k.a. much less grumpy) I get more done, I don’t get as distracted (Kardashian has new ombre effects). I feel more positive about the future of the good ship coaching business.

O.K. so last night, lights out time was 10.45pm. I just had to read just a little bit more of the advance copy of Martha Beck’s new book I received…. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and listened to a meditation from Jenny Fenig to get me back to sleep. Then a hypnotic track by Marissa Peer was required, the one where she helps you get to sleep. I was even tempted to do my chakra meditation to ‘save time during the day’. Marissa effectively sent my back to sleep. But really… 10pm would help.

So in the quest for consistency in going to bed early, or in any other area of your life where you would like more consistency….

Sometimes a coach’s job is to ask good questions. (not to know all the answers)

Are you consistent?

What areas of your life do you allow yourself to be consistent in and how do those areas of your life feel?

Where are you not consistent?

Why are you not consistent in those areas? (what’s the pay off for not being consistent)

What helps you to be consistent in the areas you are able to be consistent in? So, how do you act around them? What do you do? How do you approach them?

Why do you feel you are not able to apply the same consistency in the areas that you struggle with? Where is your resistance?

Where do you really wish you were more consistent?

How would it feel to be more consistent in that area?

What would it look like? Visualise it if you can.

What results do you imagine that you might get from being consistent in the area that you want to be consistent in?

How could you apply your skills of consistency (how you do the things you are consistent in) to your areas of non-consistency?

What is the first small step you can take to being more consistent in that area?

How will you monitor the growth in your ability to be consistent?

Until next week,

Deborah

Other news:

I have a new You Tube Channel which you can find here: Deborah Chalk on You Tube I am wondering about doing ‘haul’ videos about copious amount of self-help books.

I am soon going to be offering writing, blogging and guest blogging coaching and mentoring. If you’re interested, please sign up for newsletters on this page so that you can find out about them when they are offered.

As always I offer 30 minute free calls for women who are interested in working with me as their coach. If you would like to sign up for one of these please email me at deborah@deborahchalk.com.