What a relief!

I'm not into materialism. In fact, money means nothing to me but a means to an end, so this post is not about materialism at all.

Yesterday I went and purchased a desk. I've been working for two years from home on this...

I do a lot of work from home as I am a Business Trainer and Mentor, but sideline doing graphics, design and layout work. Previously, if you can imagine that tiny little computer desk with a huge computer on it, then you will realise that every time I wanted to put something on the desk, there was no room to do anything. This was especially frustrating when I had a client with me and I needed room for them to put their coffee cup down, as it caused unnecessary accidents.

So after I received a good payment for a particular job, I decided that was it. I was going to do something positive about the desk need! So I purchased two parts - a main desk and an executive return. They are supposed to butt up together but I haven't worked out the best position in the lounge yet. But here they are for you to see:

Ignore the mess on the desktop, because I'm not quite finished yet. The point is, I now have desktop space to spare and I'm thinking that the executive return will prove a handy place for me to have my youngest sit to do her homework while I'm working.

The effort to put these desks together was huge! I tried to do it by myself. Imagine me and a 6 year old and an 8 year old holding pieces together while I tried to work out how to use these funny looking screws and caps. Well, I got it together alright and turned it up the right way and within minutes it fell apart. If it wasn't so tragic, I'd be howling with laughter because I am the "I can" woman!!!

My husband, who was coming up for the weekend to be with the children arrived just as it fell apart to my humiliation and abject horror, as we'd already had a blazing row about him helping me put it together earlier in the day. He saw what I'd done and scolded me for not waiting for him to help me. Secretly, I'm glad I tried and failed because it made him see how much I need his practical help, despite us being separated. Why is it that when you are with someone for 12 years, you develop a dependency on certain aspects of their nature and when they are no longer around you realise just how important they really are to you?

Anyway, I'm very pleased to say that it was relief when we finally got every screw in place. By the way, my error was that I didn't screw the screws in tight enough for them to expand the thing that keeps it all together. I did it as tight as my fingers could go, but needed to use a screwdriver, which I couldn't find. :))))

Well, now I am sitting at my lovely new desk, typing this and thinking about the new office chair I am going to need to purchase because now the desk is too tall for my chair. It just doesn't end...

AMANDA’S DELICIOUS ZUCHINNI BAKE

Recipe: Amanda Reed
Photo: Hayley Solich
Ingredients

1.5 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated onion
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated bacon
1 cup cheese
½ cup plain flour
5 eggs
Add extra veggies to taste (add an extra egg)
Add seasoning to taste
Variations: Substitute Chicken or Tuna for Bacon.
Method

1. Grate the vegetables
2. Whisk the eggs.
3. Add flour
4. Mix in veggies
5. Add bacon
6. Pour into a baking tray
7. Cook on 180 degrees until skewer comes out with no fluid on it.
8. Delicious served with salad and fish or chicken.

Couldn't let it pass without comment.

The past week was a bit of hell at home with my children. I had four sick one day, then one sick for a whole week. There was a war zone with the school and it just seemed like everything was going to the wall. I seriously sat myself down and said, "What's going on here???"

Then as I reviewed what was happening I realised that I was responsible. Sure I had raged that the world was unfair. That if only my children would support me, if only my son would poo in the toilet and my daughter get better quicker. It wasn't my fault my house was disorganised, after all I was running as fast as I could to keep up with things. But at the end of my raging, I once again realised I was responsible. It was my job to organise my house, to help my children achieve social acceptance and to decide what I did and didn't allow in my life.

So taking commando action, I rallied my children together and I gave them the enough is enough speech. They saw me on the edge of something mega bad and responded accordingly. We worked as a team and in half a day the house was back in order. Then I could think straight. I also felt so much kinder towards them because I was no longer resenting them for making the mess, as they were also taking responsibility for their part.

This morning I got up and went for a walk with a friend. Michelle is one of the women on my Commando Kick Butt Challenge team and I so appreciated her strength and encouragement. She encouraged me walk faster than I would have and to keep striding it out. She encouraged me to run up the sand dunes which just about exploded my heart! She encouraged me to not think about the pain but focus on the gain!

When I came back from my walk I noticed that getting the children's breakfast and lunches made was no longer a chore. I was really awake and feeling vitality rushing through my veins. It also helped me to eat the right kind of breakfast to increase my protein intake. I am so grateful to Michelle for helping me to get my day in order.

As I am drinking more water, increasing my exercise and watching what I eat, I am finding I feel lighter on my feet, my attitude towards life is changing and I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. But I think the vital element in all of this is that I am no longer neglecting what is most important here - my health, my responsibilities, my family.

It bears thinking about. What are you doing daily to contribute to the longevity of yourself and your family? What are you doing to take responsibility for your situation, no matter how bad or unfair it is?

Randy Pausch shared this piece of wisdom he learned from one of the men he worked under. When your critics stop criticising it is a sign that they have stopped caring about you and have written you off. As I see the school, my husband, my children, my friends through these eyes, it helps me to take responsibility for my part in any aggravated situation.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so please comment.

Can you help me, please?

Exercise - Do I really have the time?

Researching for the Commando Kick Butt Challenge I was again reminded of some teaching I had from Jenny Craig years ago about how to increase your natural activity levels, so I thought that I would share that information with my readers.

Firstly, we've heard most of it before. Use the stairs, park the furthest away from the shopping centre. But the one that I hadn't heard before was a gem that our physical trainer, Geoff Quinsee shared with us on Saturday. That is to move parts of your anatomy when you are sitting. ie shake your leg, move your foot, drum your fingers etc. Anything that will get your heart working harder. Here I was always stopping those around me from shaking their anatomy, only to realise now that I should not have been asking them to stop but actually joining in all the fun!

This is a marriage saving piece of advice that I am giving you here!

Now, if you are a computer nerd like me, you may also want to consider his other advice and that is abandon the chair with the back support and opt for a bouncy ball instead! A fit ball will help you to develop your core muscles (those that run through your abdomen) as you will be using them to keep yourself perched up there on that ball.

Now imagine with me if you will, an oversized woman sitting on a fit ball at the computer. You are allowed to giggle! Seriously, I know I am going to look a picture but if it works, then I say go for it. Imagine if everyone went into work tomorrow with a fit ball in tow and told the boss to throw away the traditional chair. Imagine whole meetings of people bouncing on their fit balls. It really could revolutionise the whole business sector! Imagine visiting your doctor and while you are telling them your woes, they are bouncing away on their fit ball. It seriously could be therapeutic!

Why not join me in the revolution to get fit and healthy?

Day 3 of the Commando Kick Butt Challenge

Well it is day 3 of the challenge and Perth has decided to have a sudden warm snap. Outside today it is 34 degrees and that means that I am going to only venture out if it is absolutely essential!

So what changes have I made thus far?

Well, I decided that Sunday was my day to get myself in order and to clear the decks of those things that have been mounting up to distract me. So I plodded my way through a huge project, I spent time with my family and I positioned myself for a great week. Today I have begun my onslaught on the house and I am going to put in some very high energy spurts throughout the day to bring order out of my kids chaos!

Today I am struggling a bit with the notion that I have to give up some things in order to gain something better. It seems that Diet Coke has a bit of a hold on me, but I am determined! I have decided that I need to do my vision board and was surprised to find some photos of myself that I didn't realise I had. In the photos I look great and I was slim and fit. I am going to make up a vision board with these images on them and start to create some words that will make my vision board work for me. Words like "energetic", "inspirational", "leadership", "success", "determined", "focused", "happy", "life giving" and all those other words that describe the me that I want to release onto the platform of my life.

What are you struggling with today? Do you have an image in your mind of the "you" you are seeking to create. Are you actively pursuing your destiny, your passion and your purpose?

Why not join the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest and commence a project that moves you towards your goals and your destiny?

With a view like that, why wouldn't you?

It is now Day 2 of the Commando Kick Butt Challenge and my day has begun with some stunning weather. As I look out the window the sun is shining and we are headed for a very warm 33 degrees. It seems like in just a very short time the weather has sprung up from the early 20's to mid 30's.

So what did we do on Day 1 of the Commando Kick Butt Challenge?

On the first day of the challenge we met at my home. There were about 13 of us gathered together to hear Geoff Quinsee, the physical trainer, give us our preparation advice for the challenge, as well as, Anne Charlotte Patrilla, Psychotherapist, our mental preparation session.

I followed this up by presenting a clear picture of what the purpose of the challenge was - to go through a process of change that is more than just a physical change. To connect with others and work together as a team, to bring about the kind of change that will last a lifetime.

Standing in the loungeroom I asked each woman what she felt she needed from me to help her achieve her goals. I explained that the first two weeks are all about mental and physical preparation, then on 1 November, when the Personal Challenge Quest officially begins, so too does the full-on physical component of the challenge.

Having completed all the introductions and having laid the stage for the day, everyone went their separate ways, after having arranged how we were going to connect and support each other. There were offers to go kayaking, swimming, walking, family outings that involved phsyical activity and the gym. I even encouraged them to have a girl's night out dancing!

My first session was with Val, pictured below walking with Sarah, my daughter, and we took our children down to Burns Beach for a play with Dad supervising while we went for our first brisk stroll.

With a view like this, why wouldn't you want to get out and enjoy the sun and the wind and the beauty of the sea?

We were delighted to be able to witness a wedding down on the beach. The bridesmaids were in the most beautiful pink through to orange dresses. Sounds disgusting but they looked like hibiscus lillies.

What I took away from the day was that once again connections between women are powerful. In fact, connections between two human beings, when the goal is for the mutual benefit and enhancement of life, are the most amazing and powerful tools in the world!

I'm really looking forward to getting to know Val and the other girls better as we traverse this adventure together.

You don't have to be in Perth to join us in the Personal Challenge Quest. All you have to do is decide on a project, complete the action planner on our website and forward it to info@womencaninternational.com. The decision you make to "have a go" at life will bring with it a wave of freshness and energy.

Why not pop over to our website and find out more now?

So what is my next challenge? Meeting Anita on Tuesday at Quinns Beach for a walk with the dog, Val on Wednesday morning for a walk by the lake in Landsdale, phoning Linda during the week to see how she's going with her exercise plan and organising the masses for Helen Frost's nutrition session next week.

A process that works with children...

Someone told me that they used to have family meetings with their children, so I thought I'd give it a try. Well, we just had our sixth family meeting, which I run like a business meeting. Each of us has a book and pen and we write down our issues and some praise points. We then discuss the issues and come up with some possible solutions, which they suggest, as well as some punishments for doing the wrong thing. They are way harder than I would be!

We then draw a job out of the hat and everyone gets their task for the week. It's kind of fun, unless you get the kitchen for the third week in a row, which is what happened to my 9 year old who cried real tears of frustration! Suffice to say, she negotiated her way out of the kitchen and into floors. I felt a whole load of satisfaction as she complained about how hard mopping the floors is - she is the worst offender when it comes to messing up the floors! She has pledged to never eat anywhere but at the table again and I am going to hold her to it.

The beauty of these times together is that it is bringing a cohesion within our family unit which was missing before. Also, a cooperative movement forward as a family.

I don't know if you have the same issues as I do in getting everyone motivated, but this business process works. It works in the workplace and it works in the home. Communication is vital to the success of any business and a family is just another form of business run on goodwill!

Pop me a comment and share your family secrets for gaining and maintaining order and cooperation.

Thirty Day Challenge - a Real Challenge!

I'm doing the Thirty Day Challenge, but got a little challenged the first week. Have decided to re-start the challenge once the kids are back at school and I am no longer sick.

Here is what I had to say when I got stuck...

Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest

I am so excited about the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest that is about to launch on 1 November 2008.

This is an opportunity for women of all ages from all nations of the world to get involved in this international women's event.

Please, watch the video and respond! It is a simple process. Choose a challenge, register it with us by downloading our action plan and filling it in and emailing it back to us and then complete your challenge. This is going to be one of the most exciting events Women Can has ever hosted.

I look forward to seeing what you ladies get up to over the month of November. If you have a video camera, please make a video journal. Most mobile phones have a camera in them, so make the most of the technology around you!

Watch the video, leave a comment on You Tube and help the ratings go up so that this video gets featured and women get to see it. Don't leave it buried in You Tube. Help me out!

Thanks,
Hayley

Embedded Video

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The Thirty Day Challenge

I recently signed up to do the Thirty Day Challenge. After all, I have nothing better to do, ha ha. Seriously, I thought it looked great and offered a quick road into understanding all the technology out there and how it works. It covered blogging, SEO's, Adwords, Market Sumarai, Keywords, and everything a newbie could want to know about internet marketing.

How I came to find out about it was that I was on You Tube looking for some interesting videos I could use on the new ning.com site, Twitter Go Getters and I came across this interesting guy called Ed Dale, who seemed to have copious amounts of videos on all the basics.

So being the research freak that I was, I decided to check him out.

Then, quite by chance, I was following up on researching the competition and thought I'd check out another women's network from NSW. I was surprised to find that this group was a syndicate that were doing the Thirty Day Challenge. I did wonder why they only had a one-page squeeze page up and no other website. It wasn't until I saw Ed Dale there on their home page that I realised what was going on! They were only part way through the challenge. :)

So I have started this mini-adventure.

Day 1 I sped through the DVD's like there was no tomorrow. I just wanted more, so I hopped over to Day 2 and got started. This is where I came unstuck. Either I'm a slowby, which is quite possible, or keyword research is really tough! Finding a niche - yikkkkeeesss! If I stay with Women Can and networking, then there appears to be a small niche there but how do I drill it down? Do I go completely local and find the mini niche of Perth or Australia?

Then there is analysing the competition. I need a partner! I need someone who actually enjoys doing the headbend analysis stuff. Bring on June Kelly, the whizz! Can't wait for her to get up to speed and help me out here.

So, I'm now up to Day 4 . I guess it doesn't help that I had the flu for the first three days of the challenge. Perhaps if I go back and start at the beginning with a non-flu-ridden body, things may be okay.

Wish me luck as I adventure!!!