Tag Archives: support team

YOU can be ‘The Voice’

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using adversity to find your voice

Karise Eden shows how to convert adversity into success4.54 million viewers broke TV ratings records and tuned in on Monday night to watch 19 year old Karise Eden take out the coveted title of Australia’s inaugural ‘The Voice’.  While her amazing voice captured Australia’s attention, it’s her triumph over tragedy story that is truly inspiring.

As a state ward, estranged from her birth family, living in refuges, battling self-harm and agoraphobia she seemed destined to a hard life.  However, she also has a unique and powerful gift – a distinctive singing voice that now ‘discovered’, could set her on a road to what would have been unimaginable success a year ago.

Yes, it’s great television that must have delighted the 9 Network, but they couldn’t have manufactured Karise’s past that preceded The Voice experience, celebrity and fame she’s now enjoying.

Even if she doesn’t realise it yet, there are 3 keys that transformed Karise’s adversity into success:

1. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

While Karise may have felt she had little to lose, her fear during her first live audition was palpable. She had no formal singing training and was up against hundreds of other more experienced hopefuls.  With downcast eyes under the glare of bright lights, a studio audience and in the company of famous celebrities, she gripped the microphone, opened her mouth and started to sing.

Sometimes you just have to take a chance and all it takes is courage!  Even when there are no guarantees of success, allowing a vision of what’s possible to drown out the fear will propel you forward.  Take the first step and ‘go for it’.

2. Convert the Pain into Power

The genuine raw emotion in her voice helped Karise connect with so many people.  Thousands of viewer votes came from those who not only appreciate her unique sound but also connect with and relate to her painful past.

When you’ve been through tough times and are coming out the other side, it’s tempting to ‘put the past behind you’ and ‘move on’.  Whilst useful, it’s far more powerful to harness the pain and use it constructively.  Using pain constructively places the past in context by turning a negative into a positive – something good can come from anything. The bonus this brings is richer talent, greater insight, wisdom and perspective.

What have you learnt from a painful past experience and how can you use it in a positive way to make your unique difference?

3. Find People who Believe in You (even when you don’t believe in yourself)

When the opportunity to audition for The Voice arose, self-doubt and fear of criticism would have been constant for Karise.  It seemed as though everyone could see her talent and potential, except Karise herself.  Her foster Aunty Marian and Uncle Frank accompanied her to the blind auditions and all four celebrity coaches turned their chairs around.  Seal took on the coaching challenge which seemed more about helping her believe in herself and step into her ability than refining her technique.

A dedicated support team will stop you from running the other way when it seems too hard and overwhelming.  They’ll back you against the odds and hold unshakeable faith in your ability until you believe in it yourself.

So, who’s on your support team and who do you need by your side to achieve success?

Every one of the 4 finalists in The Voice overcame the odds to be there and all would have been worthy winners.  Like each of them, you too have an amazing talent and you owe it to the world to step up and share it. 

The Great Life Redesign tells the stories of others who have converted a passion or adversity into an opportunity.  Your dream doesn’t have to include fame and notoriety and may be more about living your passion through being yourself.

If you’re wondering what your talent or purpose may be, your ‘voice’ might just lie in the adversity you’ve overcome. Go on, revisit your past, extract the gems, leave the pain behind and hatch a plan to be heard.

Carpe diem

Caroline Cameron

 

An Easy Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions that Actually Works

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a better way to achieve your goals -

New Year’s Resolutions – we all make them. Yet by mid-January many have fallen by the wayside and by the end of June we can barely remember what they were. So, what’s wrong with them and why don’t they work?

The whole logic behind New Year’s Resolutions as a way to create change is seriously flawed. Think about it….

New Year’s Day is just another day

New Year’s Day is actually no different from its 363 brothers and sisters across the year. Sure it marks the start of a new year but, so what? There’s no reason why you can’t resolve to achieve a goal or make a change on any other day of the year. In fact other days may be far better for starting a new challenge.

New Year’s Resolutions often lack the ‘how’

In the excitement leading up to New Year’s Eve, we often decide that next year will be different. Maybe you’re thinking you’ll lose 10kg, stop drinking on Wednesdays or make sure you leave work on time. Noble as these are, they’re often based on a wish that’s rarely underpinned by a solid plan to achieve them. Without a plan, a wish is like a pack of cards that collapses with the first gust of wind.

Going it Alone is tough

If you’ve ever tried to achieve a goal all by yourself, you’ll know how hard it is. We mistakenly believe that if we achieve it on our own, the satisfaction will be even greater. Yet, on your own, your noble endeavour soon becomes a struggle and it’s easier to give it away than ask for help. Besides, if you haven’t told anyone about it, you haven’t lost anything if you fail, right?

How to Set Yourself up for Success

Before your shoulders drop and you sigh with despair, here are three simple ways to create positive change and pull of the seemingly impossible this year:

#1. Free the goal from New Year and do it at the best time for you

New Year may not be the optimal time for you to embark on a challenging goal. For example, if losing 10kg is your goal, starting your diet and exercise plan during the holiday season may be setting you up for failure. Goals are easiest to achieve when your motivation is high and saboteurs (eg summer holiday partying) are low.

If the thought of going out in shorts with those 10 extra kilos is scariest right after winter, aim to get your wellbeing plan started in spring. By the time New Year comes around, you’ll be well underway, your commitment is established and the extra daylight hours will help you step up your exercise plan.

#2. Set SMART goals and work out a detailed ‘how’ plan

Converting a wish into a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-framed goal instantly increases your chances of success. Link it to ‘why’ (the benefit and positive outcome of achieving the goal) and develop a ‘how’ plan. This should include what you’ll actually do by when and what resources you’ll need. Identify everything you can that will make it easier and put the plan up on the fridge where others will see it.

#3. Enlist the help of trusted friends.

Once you tell people what you’re going to achieve, it becomes real. If you’re going to back down or opt out, you’re going need to explain it to someone else which will create a sense of failure. Having someone to hold you accountable, encourage you to keep going and celebrate each achievement along the way will increase the satisfaction of nailing it.

Ask a friend to exercise with you, give you gentle reminders that it’s time to leave work or mind the children when you have a monthly ‘date’ night with your partner. Sharing the goal will also give you the opportunity to better support your friends and strengthen your relationships by paying back the favour.

There you have it – 3 simple ways to achieve your goals that have nothing to do with New Year’s resolutions! Be kind to yourself; take the pressure off; let down your hair, relax and have a wonderful New Year.

Here’s to a happy and successful new year.

Carpe diem
Caroline

 

10 Easy Ways to Make Any New Year a Ripper!

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Know where you are and decide where you’re heading.

New Year, New Life ChapterAs this year hurtles at break-neck pace towards its finale, we vow that somehow, 'next year will be better'. But, hang on, is 'better' good enough?  Don't we want it to be the best ever?

Like a fresh, blank page in a book, the New Year marks a brand new chapter in your life. Whether you’re on track to achieve bigger goals or wanting to make smaller changes, these tips will help you set next year up to be a 'ripper'.

1. Learn from the past and move on

If you’ve made a few mistakes this year, don’t worry, we all have! Take time to identify what went wrong, convert your precious life lessons into wisdom and move on. By extracting the lessons from mistakes or failures, you can let whatever was ‘wrong’ about that event go.

2.Take stock of where you are

Step back and give each area of your life an A – F grade. Review what’s working and what isn’t in your relationships, health, wealth/finances, career, home, environment, community, challenge/growth and spirituality/beliefs.

3.Consciously decide what to keep and what will be different

Having mentally reviewed each room in your ‘life house’, decide and make a list of what needs to change. If you do make a change, what will actually be different and how will that be better than what you have today?

4. Create a Next Year Vision

If next year was to be your best, what would you most like to achieve? By this time next year, what will be happening that isn’t happening today. Write down change keywords to decide where you’re going to invest time, energy and effort. Based on where you’re heading, what will it look, sound and feel like and who will be there with you?

5. Decide how you’ll make your vision a reality

This includes setting goals and developing strategies to bring your vision to life. Without these your vision will be based on wishful thinking – unlikely to ever be realised. Make concrete plans and hold yourself accountable for making change happen. Set yourself up for success by surrounding yourself with everything you need to make it happen.

6.  Keep it simple

Unecessary complexity often creates drag on life redesign plans.  Like barnacles on a boat, the more you add, the heavier it gets and the slower progress moves.  Before you know it, your big plans have ground to a halt, bogged down in red tape.  Pack light, only do what's necessary and remove any unecessary clutter.

7. Commit to the plan

Change without commitment is like a car without petrol – there's a limit to how far you'll get without it!  What will it take to commit to the necessary action and stick with it for as long as it takes?  Deciding what to say 'no' to will help create the necessary time and energy to make important life redesign changes happen.

8. Engage your support team

Even Hilary didn't conquer Everest alone.  Behind every great achievement is a strong support team – those people who'll protect your back and cheer you on.  Identify what challenges you're likely to face and who you need to keep you on track.  How can you best help them? Remember, life is karmic – what you put out will come back to you many times over.

9. Celebrate the wins

In the quest to 'get things done', we often forget to celebrate our achievements big and small. Take time to feel the satisfaction of achieving each goal and notice what it was that helped you get there. The ‘high’ of achieving a win will keep you motivated for future success.

10. Embrace the small stuff

The greatest enjoyments in life are often hidden in the small events that happen every day. Unfortunately in today’s fast paced life, we are often too busy to even notice them. If you need ideas, check out 1,000 Awesome Things. Revel in life’s little pleasures and start your own book of Awesomes – you’ll be surprised how quickly you fill it.

How next year shapes up is well within your control. Great and not so great things will happen but that’s not as important as how you respond to them. So, go on, make the most of it, ‘let rip’ and love every moment for what the new year gives you.

Carpe diem

Caroline