How to be successful by an ultra marathoner

Would you take advice on how to be successful from an ultra marathoner (me).

Ultra marathoners have many skills that make them successful, skills that can be brought into personal and career lives if only people would listen.

Listening can be your secret weapon in moving forward to success.

In order to be a successful ultra marathoner you must work on your training plan for 40, 50,100 mile races and understand the level of commitment it will take to reach your goal. Build a foundation and have a decent time frame to meet your goal.

The ability to understand, use and manage your emotions is crucial to overcome challenges, obstacles and injury and personal conflict.

The real prison is in our minds, the voices chatter and won’t stop until you identify it name it and then ignore it by letting it know it has no space in your mind.

Believing in yourself, the strength that comes from your heart and your soul deliver possibilities in life that once we thought not possible.

Running an ultra marathon successfully includes setting Smart goals, visualisation, holding yourself to a certain standard, in a way being relentless with yourself. If the journey is important enough you have the reasons to get up and keep going.

You see you can only get so physically fit and then the mind takes over. It’s important to surround yourself with positive people.

Visualisation is important, see yourself running the race, doing the interview, getting the job.

You can train your thought process about how you will approach your goals.

Imagine the situation, the sensations you feel, the confidence building the positive self talk motivation telling you that you can do it, focused because it means something to you, calming as your anxiety reduces and you manage the pressure.

Training yourself to be positive is fun

-Look at all the positive things around you.

-Take care of yourself

-Give something back

-Get positive feedback everyday

Building your emotional intelligence to reach any goal in life will help you become

-more self aware

-be motivated

-become a great listener

-build willpower & discipline.

The tips from an ultra marathoner can be brought into any aspect of your life bebause when you believe in yourself and master your emotions you can achieve anything.

Believe.

How To Slow Down In Life & Be Grateful

Life is a choice, its your life, choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly choose happiness.

In 2010, I suffered mental exhaustion working 84 hours a week in financial services. I was striving for greater things in a career which I did not need. Earlier in my career, I survived 7 armed robberies and just accepted that as part of life and the price for getting up a corporate ladder.

The crisis in my life in 2010 brought about a rebirth, a new awakening within me. I realised that although I had been successful in a career and was on a six-figure salary, I had lost my way.

In 2006, I sat in a hospital ward beside the bed with my alcoholic father. Our relationship was strained. The doctor delivered the news that they could do no more for him and his time was limited.  They arranged palliative care for him.

When the doctor left my father turned to me and said,

“Son, if I had my time over the things I would do different”.

At the time, I learned nothing from that experience. A few weeks later we buried my father I spoke at his funeral and I continued to work at 100 miles an hour. A year later, my best pal died of cancer leaving a wife and 3 young kids. During his illness, I spoke to him about a new job opportunity I had been offered he encouraged me to take it. I did.

We buried my good friend, I spoke at his funeral and I did not stop to think, to grieve, to understand what is important in life. How short life is.

Why would it be a surprise when my wife had gone to work and my kids gone to school, I cried like a baby at 50 years old? I did not understand what was happening. I was at the top of the corporate ladder, but I was suddenly realising my priorities were skewed. Memories of my father, and my best friend on their death bed came flooding back. The lessons they learned, the lessons that passed me by and were now crashing down on front of me.

I had to stop.

I had to slow down.

During my recovery I read about Bonnie Ware, a palliative care nurse in Australia who worked with patients who had gone home to die. It was one of the articles that helped me gain some perspective for the future.

She explains that patients experienced a number of emotions such as denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and then eventually to acceptance of the inevitable.

Every single patient, she says, found their peace before they died.

She came up with 5 simple messages learned for all these people who died.

1.       I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself not the life others expected of me.

• the people saw all their dreams that had gone unfulfilled , most had not done 50% of what they had dreamed of because of choices made and not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise until they no longer have it.

2.        I wish I had not worked so hard

• This came from almost every male patient, they missed their children’s youth and partners companionship. All the men deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

• Women spoke of regret, most from an older generation who could not be bread winners.

• By simplifying your life stye and making conscious choices along the way it is possible not to need the income you think you do. By creating more space in your life you become happier and more open to new opportunities, one is more suitable to your new lifestyle.

3.       I wish I had the courage to express my feelings

• Many of the people suppressed feelings so as to keep the peace of others so they settled for a mediocre existence and did not become who they were truly capable of becoming. Many became ill because of bitterness and resentment they carried as a result. You cannot control the reactions of others, people can change how they react because you speak honestly.

4.       I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

• The people said they did not truly realise the benefit of old friends until their dying weeks. Many were so caught up in their own lives that they let golden friendships slip by over the years. There was many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time an effort they deserved.

• Everyone missed their friend when they were dying and they realised it comes down to love and relationships in the end.

5.       I wish I had let myself be happier

• Many people did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice as they had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits.

• Fear of change had them pretending to others and themselves that they were content, when deep within they longed for a proper laugh and some silliness again in their life.

When you are on your death bed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. You can take advice from these points and implement them in your daily life. Don’t make the same mistakes, live life in the moment, and for what is important to you.

My mission as a career and life coach to my clients is to get this self -awareness through to them so they can be their authentic self and live the best life that can be.

Contact me through bjkennomotivation.com to see how we can work together.

Managing Your Priorities In A Fast Paced World

When your work is fast paced and change is constant you find your priorities consistently shift. People in the organisation all have different agendas. Constant interruptions can leave you drained.

In order to manage your priorities, it is crucial you work on your ability to communicate. Most people have issues dealing with delegation and time to follow up.

Let me help you learn to deal with the unexpected, manage your competing priorities, constant high levels of stress and try to find the time to build strong relationships for success.

It may seem simple but to manage your priorities you first must take the time out to identify them. Once you have a firm understanding of what they are, you can then start to identify the things that get in the way. You can identify what you are in control of and what you have no control of.

The inability to say ‘No’ gets you dragged into more and more work. Don’t forget about the importance of clear communication. To be successful you must be able to express your needs to others who have all these conflicting perspectives and priorities for their work that crosses yours.

It is important that in order to maximise your availability you keep your diary updated. When you are interrupted and have additional work thrust upon you it is important to be clear about the ask, the expectation, the delivery date, the expected role and responsibilities and any additional resources required or being offered.

Take the time out to do a reality check on the amount of work you have on your plate and ask for help if you are beginning to feel overwhelmed. It can be hard to admit that you need assistance and help but you are best placed to understand what you can and cannot deliver.

By reaching out and asking for assistance it shows you are aware of your situation, you are giving it your best shot and that you have a commitment to meeting deadlines and do not want to fail.

Meet your manager or the leader of your group or project to discuss the situation. The meeting should be constructive where appropriate action and any reordering of the priorities can be discussed and an action plan put in place.

You are asking for help because there are too many demands placed on you and you are stressed and overloaded. When organising the meeting with your boss you will feel uncomfortable so it is important that you take the time out to prepare your thoughts, suggestions and potential solutions. This shows you have given the matter some thought and are likely to gain support in the meeting.

Put a list of all your commitments and deadlines and present them. List some alternative solutions including temporary help, extending deadlines, delegating work elsewhere. Emphasise the impact on the business if deadlines are not met, keep the conversation factual and unemotional.

In order to manage your priorities, it is a good idea to keep a time log of all your work commitments and deadlines.

Track your work daily for a week then analysis the results, ask yourself :

What you spent your time on?

What the interruptions where?

If I had more information, could I deliver the work?

Could I have delegated better?

Take some time out during the day for a quiet hour, a time when you take no calls, no interruptions, no visitors. Block out the time in your diary every day. On a day you are delivering a deadline let people know you are busy and you are not accepting any interruptions.

When you put these processes in place you give yourself a good shot at meeting all your deadlines and managing priorities.

The 4 Colours of Bosses

Of course, I am not talking about the colour of your bosses’ skin - I am referring to your boss’s personality type.

There are four colours of bosses – red, yellow, green, blue. It represents their leadership style and management skills. It is crucial to know for building relationships and knowing what you have to deal with in the workplace.

Everybody knows someone who left a business because of the bad boss.

As an example, many people today have to deal with bosses who believe that they fought their way to the position they have and they should be seen as royalty in the company. These are usually seen as red bosses.

·         They believe they have all the answers

·         They feel they must always be right

·         They manage a fear-based culture that drives success

·         They believe micromanagement is essential

·         They hate feedback

Senior leaders of the future must have empathy and soft skills in management. Accountability is important for the future.

A personality test can tell you what colour boss you are or look at the descriptions below to find out what colour your boss is.

What reactions do you see from your boss? Below is a brief view of the 4 main leadership personality types or colours.

RED

Anger, Rage, Frustration, Will Power, Wrath, Urgency

Red is usually a Directional leadership style usually driven by purpose and is determined to push things forward. Without a directional leader purpose and direction falls off over time. They are focused only on results and will do anything to get there.

YELLOW

Motivated, Enthusiastic, Sociable, Light hearted, Inspiring, Sense of Humour

Yellow is usually identified as an Inspirational leadership style who leads through relationships. They invest in their people and inspire action. Without an inspirational leader mission and purpose can feel hollow.

GREEN

Patient, Intune with feelings, Loving, Sharing, High Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Relaxed, Caring

Green is identified as a collaborative leader. They lead by encouraging the team in the midst of challenging times. They excel at lateral leadership bringing all areas together by building trust. Without collaborative leaders’ people can start working in silos and overall teamwork can suffer.

BLUE

Logical, Organised, Analytical, Calm, Cool, Steady, Cautious

Blue is identified as an operational leader that can build processes and systems to ensure the organization succeed. They have the ability to create a culture to serve people that lead to success. Without operational leaders the mission does not gain traction and systems and processes will be poor.

Understanding the leadership colours can help you manage upward and become successful in your career. It will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leading and communicating with your team.

If you would like to know more about my career coaching and stress management coaching visit my website bjkennomotivation.com

if you would like to read about my recovery from mental exhaustion and how I changed my life you can read it all in my book The Bulletproof Banker available on Amazon ( for delivery to Ireland please purchase on Amazon.de)

If this blog was helpful to you please give it a like and subscribe.

Why work with a career coach? , Brian in particular

Changing career, changing job, or moving into a new promotion is a big step.

Working with Brian through bjkennomotivation can help support you through in depth conversations and powerful questions where you as the client get to understand yourself better with professional guidance to identify your strengths and things that give you value and purpose.

Brian will use coaching tools and techniques designed to help you slow down take time out to really understand your present situation and future goals.

Together we will help you find a new job, improve your leadership skills and create a healthier life balance.

I can help you with your job search and transition to a new promotion or new job. Brian will hold you accountable for your actions help you update your CV and prepare for a competency based interview.

I will monitor your progress, motivate you and throughout our sessions ensure you are accountable for your actions.

I will get you crystal clear on your priorities and values agree a set of goals an map out a way to achieve them.

I look forward to working with you to help identify why you are stuck in a rut and support you to find opportunities that suit your ambitions goals and values.

Investing in your future career is worthwhile and given the number of years you work it’s a bargain.

Contact Brian through bjkennomotivation.com for a consultation and start your amazing journey now.

The fate of souls is at stake.

The fate of souls is at stake.

Well maybe not but I may have your attention.

It may come as a surprise but people as a whole are naturally creative and resourceful.

Why then are so many people struggling?

Why are so many trying to manage stress? , the whims of a myrid of demands without a care for each other and each demanding a piece of you each day.

Overstressed, frustrated, depressed, reactive, sound familiar.

Striking a balance between the whims of an unconscious mind (fears, frustrations, failures), and the requirements of daily life is made easier when you slow down.

Replacing negative thoughts with positive self talk will improve your life.

Sometimes you just have to hear it from someone else, like me for it to hit home.

A survivor of 7 armed robberies in a banking career.

A survivor of mental exhaustion working 84 hours a week in 2010.

A man who changed his life for the better and became an ultra marathoner to raise funds for others and help others through motivational speaking and personal coaching transform too.

If you don't like something in your life change it, if you can’t change it then change your attitude toward it.

I can support your corporate wellness program and help your greatest asset your people identify stress, bust it and become more resilient.

I can also coach individuals through stressful career situations and promotions.

DM me or contact me through bjkennomotivation.com

Why it’s important to set goals in life.

Through out my life I have been unconsciously and then consciously setting goals for myself, driving myself on whether it was football, family or my corporate career.

I was a different person when I set foot over the white lines of a football pitch, it was total commitment, total concentration, I always wanted to win and I always wanted to score goals and it earned me a professional football trial in the UK.

During a successful corporate career on a personal note it was very similar, I was completely driven for success.

As a leader I coached many people for performance. I coached so they could be the best they could be and build on their strengths.

Of course errors were discussed with direct reports because customers were let down by bad service or procedures not followed but deep in my soul those discussions were always difficult but I always approached them as I would like to be treated.

To be successful with personal and business goals it’s important to identify them and write them down.

By writing them down you give yourself a chance to have some control over your future by setting a plan and not leaving things to chance as many people do with for example with their financial plans for pensions which leaves them pining for a future that may never occur.

When you understand why you have set a goal and clearly understand the reasons you want to achieve it, then you have given yourself a better opportunity to be successful.

Brian at bjkennomotivation can coach you to reach your personal and business goals through a partnership with agreed strategies that clearly set your mindset for success.

As an experienced corporate business coach, a marathoner and ultra marathoner Brian understands the need for goal setting to be clear, specific and measurable with accountability that ensures his clients stay motivated.

Visualising what the success will look like, small incremental improvements and developing a growth mindset are strategies Brian will assist you with to reach your goal.

Success is within you and within your grasp, invest in yourself for the future now with Brian at bjkennomotivation.com

What are you doing right now?

What are you doing right now?

Sitting on a couch thinking of a goal you want to achieve for yourself but the real world environment within which you exist has you living  at 100 miles an hour the pace and volume of work make even the easiest tasks seem arduous.

You've been thinking of the goal for a while now, it's nagging, you can't get to it.

If that's the case  you need to consider a change because the company you work for is most likely dysfunctional and that will affect your personal relationships, build stress and your opportunities for progression.

Please do not wait for a crisis to change your life, reach out to me for personal 121 coaching and see how better life can be when you slow down in the moment and stop pining for a future that may never occur.

bjkennomotivation.com

#coaching #leadership #motivation #leadershipdevelopment #personaldevelopment #mindfulness

What part does happiness play in your life?

Hmm happiness

How happy are you now? , In my coaching field I use a tool called the wheel of life with my clients.

If I asked you how happy your were with a 10 being very happy and zero meaning you are miserable, where would you place yourself on the scale.

I believe happiness is an inner state, you can’t buy it, you can’t wear it, you can’t drive it and you can’t go on holiday to it.

Marketing is all about making us believe if we buy a product we will be happy.

What do you believe.

Ken Dodd had a hit single many years ago called happiness…

He sang happiness happiness the greatest gift that I possess.. To me the world is a wonderful place, i’m the luckiest human in the human race.

I’ve got no silver i’ve got no gold but i’ve got happiness in my soul.

A wise man once told me one time when you go measuring a man’s success, don’t count money count happiness.

If your happiness depends on what others think of you the you are giving away your superpower.

Abraham Lincoln said “ Most folks are as happy as they make their minds up to be.

Coaching through bjkennomotivation can help you reach your personal and business goals and as a result self acceptance and genuine happiness.

bjkennomotivation.com

Let me help you rediscover your dream that leads to your destiny.

What a fantastic group of people in the Legal Services Regulatory Authority. Thank you to CEO Brian Doherty, Natasha Lee and Ultan Ryan for the invitation to speak to the management and staff for your warm welcome and interactions.

I am delighted to have delivered my trilogy of talks of
1. The importance of Positive Mental Health in meeting your goals.

2. Living with covid 19 while WFH and home schooling and building a strategy for a new way of living.

3. Identifying stress, coping mechanisms to manage stress and how to build resilience for the future.

If you would like me to speak in support of your corporate wellness program or you would like some individual coaching  please DM me or contact me through bjkennomotivation.com

You are on this earth to do more than work, pay bills and die.

#mentalhealth #wellness #wellbeing #selfcare #workplacehealth #thankyou #wfh #ceo