Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

The Holiday Capsule Wardrobe –by Sue Courtney

The holiday season is upon us and for those lucky enough to be escaping for a week or two there are issues to be resolved. I put my hand up and admit that I am completely incapable of travelling light – it is a struggle to carry my bag to the car even for a weekend away! If I am going away for a whole week or more the problem really doesn’t bear thinking about. I take every item of suitable clothing out of my wardrobe along with all shoes and accessories and a jumper or two in case it is cold in the evening. (For Goa in April – am I mad?) I then struggle to cram it all in, weigh the case and get cross and upset because it exceeds the weight limit and I now have to make choices. Sound familiar? Thought so.

There is a solution - travel light by taking a capsule wardrobe. I have researched the issue thoroughly and I would like to share my findings with you.

The first thing to consider is the sort of holiday you are going on. Is it a beach holiday, city break, safari or cruise? They each need a very different

wardrobe of clothes. Then think about what you will be doing each day and whether any of these have special requirements such as hiking boots for long walks or tops to cover your shoulders and arms for visiting some religious sites. Is there likely to be an occasion where a posh frock will be required? If so pack just one and use the hotel laundry service if required. If not then just don’t pack it! (I am really struggling with this piece of advice as I always pack at least one just in case!) One really comfortable pair of ‘walk anywhere’ shoes or sandals is usually sufficient, in a neutral colour that can be worn with dresses, shorts, jeans or trousers.

Many holidays involve lounging by the pool or on the beach, shopping, sightseeing and nights out at restaurants or a show. This can mean a selection of clothes that, these days, will put you seriously over your weight limit and out of pocket before you have even hit duty the duty free shops or boarded the plane! However, with some clever mixing and matching and some multi-tasking staples it is possible to look perfectly dressed for all occasions and still come in under your weight limit, which is great because that means that you can bring more back with you!

The easiest option is to wear an outfit out in the evening and then wear it again the following day with a change of shoes and fewer accessories. Current trends can easily be dressed up for evening and down for day so you always look stylish.

The basic items to go into your suitcase are the following:

·        Safari dress

·        Floral dress

·        Floppy hat

·        Gladiator/flat sandals (1 pair)

·        Tote bag for beach, shopping and sightseeing

·        Clutch bag for evenings and more formal day events

·        Sunglasses

·        High heeled shoes or sandals for evening – 1 pair in a neutral shade such as pewter or bronze work well

·        Lightweight flip flops for beach (not essential)

·        Lightweight, neutral cardi for cool evenings

·        2 sets of swimwear with 2 sarongs

·        1 pair of linen trousers or Capri pants

·        1 or 2 smart, embroidered vest tops/camis

·        3 or 4 cotton tops for the beach and general day wear

·        1 pair of cropped trousers and 1 skirt for day and beach wear

·        A couple of sets of jewellery – 1 for the safari look and 1 for the floral look

And that should see you happily from night to day, beach to shops for a week or two with clever mixing and matching and the occasional use of the hotel laundry service or some handwashing. If you coordinate all your colours you will have an even more versatile look. The dresses and shoes will see you happily through shopping sprees, sightseeing and more formal business meetings with no problem.

When it comes to beachwear, it is important to consider your body shape –  so

·        If you are a pear shape then opt for a padded bikini top and high leg briefs with a carefully coordinated and draped sarong to accentuate your top whilst drawing attention away from your hips.

·        If you are an apple shape then a tankini top or one piece will create the illusion of a waist, especially if it contains bodyshaper colour inserts.

·        If you have a full bust then halter necks offer more support and are more flattering.

Team your chosen swimwear with a coordinating kaftan or sarong for walking to and from the beach or for having lunch.

Over the years I have learnt that most holiday destinations sell beach towels quite cheaply, so I always buy when I arrive to save weight. I have also found that many resorts stock well known brands of toiletries and over the counter remedies for holiday ailments that work very well, so I buy those when I arrive as well. The more weight you can save on items like these, the more clothes you can take. The more weight you can save on the clothes you take the more you can bring back with you. (Are you sensing a theme here?) I have even invested in a very lightweight suitcase. In these days of luggage weight restrictions every kilo saved is an extra pair of shoes or an extra dress to give you a wider choice.

I hope you enjoy your holiday and look stunning throughout your stay. My goal this season is to take a capsule wardrobe that is significantly under the weight limit. Wish me luck!

To find out more and learn how to dress for your body shape, Sue can be contacted at

·        sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

·        www.successandimagecoach.co.uk

·        www.suecourtney.com

·        www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk

Ladies, If you want to climb the corporate ladder then DON’T work for a bank (or the law)

I was staggered to read in my copy of the ILM magazine, that although 55% of the workforce in the financial sector are women (higher than the UK average of 49%), this not reflected at senior levels. Along with the legal profession, banking allows few women to rise to the top.

Why is this?

One reason, cited by 72% of respondents to the ILM research was the attitude of senior managers. Many women also felt that the role could be incompatible with family life as, in reality, there are few genuine opportunities for  flexible working.

70% of women felt that having a high proportion of men in senior roles inhibited their career progress as it appears that they recruit “in their own image”. 

There is more.

In the ILM survey, only 22% of all respondents (both male and female) believed that banking was a meritocracy, while nearly half (48%) believed promotion to be more likely if you know the ‘right’ people and  mix in the ‘right’ circles than if you possess an outstanding ability to do the job.

It was widely considered that there is a lack of female role models at the top of the industry, especially those who displayed a healthy work-life balance and weren’t perceived to have ‘given up everything’ to get to the top.

However, the idea of a quota system to ensure more women were promoted to the top was unpopular with all. It is also widely held that having a stronger female presence at board level would be beneficial to the industry.

Does this sound familiar?

So what can be done?

Well, a shift in culture towards rewarding results would create a more even playing field. More flexible working arrangements were a popular option with both men and women. They do exist already, but most feel that taking advantage of the provision would adversely affect their promotion prospects, so it is not widely used.

Identifying specific stages in the career ladder where women tend to drop out of management would lead to research on measures to remedy the situation. Returning to work after maternity leave is one such ‘choke point’. It isn’t that women want preferential treatment, just an equal opportunity, and in a talent-driven organisation this would be available.

Now, many of these solutions may be beyond the power of the individual to implement. And I do accept that women don’t always present as confident and assured an image of their management capabilities as men.

But this can be easily remedied with coaching, mentoring and styling.

I have developed my unique 3 Step MAP System to address this very issue and enable you to move up the career ladder, as far as you wish, with confidence and style.

For more information please email me at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

Or check out my website at www.successandimagecoach.co.uk

For your FREE copy of my book “The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Women Climbing the Corporate Ladder” please go to www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

Need a plumber/photographer/mortgage....?

Need a plumber/photographer/mortgage......?

Success & Image is proud to be a member of the Meon Valley Flyers Chapter of BNI (Business Network International). This is a group of local businesses which meet weekly and has a strict code of conduct ensuring that only quality businesses remain members.

What this means to you is that each business is carefully vetted and the level of service is monitored each week, so you can be sure that you are getting a reliable quality of service.

So whether you need a solicitor or a caterer, a mortgage consultant or an electrician, before you pick up the yellow pages or Google, have a word with Sue.

I may not be able to fix it myself – but I am sure I know a ‘man’ who can!

Email me at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk for contact details of businesses you need right now!

The "Ideal Job" Hat

This week the members of my networking group decided to shake things up a bit by wearing a hat which represented our business. There were some wonderful headwear ranging from Julie's which sported lovely yellow rosebuds fashioned from dusters and leaves made from scourers (she has a cleaning company) to Yvonne who wore a hard hat with a phone on the front and a lightbulb on the back, which actually lit up when you pulled a cord! (She is with Utility Warehouse).

 Mine was covered in maps to represent my Unique 3 Step MAP System - well, you wouldn't set out to travel from where you are to somewhere new and different without some means of identifying potential routes, would you?

I then addes a "Sindy" doll wrapped in my book "The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Females Climbing the Corporate Ladder"(www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk )
 - well, what else does a girl need? The book is packed full of tips and ideas to help you move your career forward!

She is climbing a ladder - the "corporate ladder" of the book title - looking radiantly happy and proudly holding her achievements - happiness, money, success & fulfillment!

This visually represents what I do. I work with ambitious women like yourself to achieve the career success and life that you want by working with my MAP system

• M - you develop a Masterful Mindset to ensure your success
• A - you decide which Amazing Actions will lead to your career success. You then plan them in detail and implement them.
• P - you then develop your Powerful Presence through learning what to wear to flatter your shape and present a professional and stylish image to the world both at work and out.

If you had a hat to represent your ideal job, what would be on it?
Why have you chosen thos items?

What is the essence of the career you want and the lifestyle you seek?

If you would like to learn more about my Unique 3 Step MAP System then please watch this short, five minute video where I explain it in more detail.

http://youtu.be/_lHatfqjN4I

In the meantime, I will leave you with a couple more photos of my "business" hat. I think my grandson looks rather wonderful in it - he certainly thought it was hilarious. I wonder what he will tell his teachers about his nana's hat?!

Ascot here I come!

I would really like to hear from you and see photos of your "ideal job" hat - what you have on it and why you have chosen those items. So please email me at

sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

Copyright - 2012, Sue Courtney - Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

Get That Summer Body by Sue Courtney

 Get that Summer Body

The days are longer, the sun is warmer (when it actually shines) and thoughts are turning to the holiday that will be upon you before you know it.

No matter whether you have the job of your dreams, are about to apply for a promotion or are in the process of looking for a new job, the holiday is a vital part of life and needs to be prepared for.

If you are like me, it is about now that the weight loss goal from January (long forgotten) becomes a bit of a priority. Some actions have been taken, but the weather has been cold and there was Easter, with cakes and chocolate, then the weather was cold again – and wet. No more excuses. The time has come to tackle this one, but absolutely NOT by dieting. There are much better ways.

Ask yourself some searching questions.

“Why do I want to lose weight or tone up?”

“What have I done in the past to create the reality of being the size I am?”

“What were the reasons for it?”

“What can I do to change it?”

“How much do I want to change it?”

“What difference will losing some weight make to my life?”

We all know that to lose weight we need to take in fewer calories than we use. So the overall aim is to eat a little less and do a little more. It is also a fact that even eating one biscuit a day more than you use in energy can result in a substantial weight gain. So presumably, if you eat one biscuit less each day than the energy you use it will result in a substantial weight loss. So if you can work out where the extra calories are coming from and why, you can develop ways to divert your attention so you forget to eat them!

The important aspect of this to remember is that you are NOT going to be on a diet. They rarely work long term and in his book ‘I Can Make You Thin’ Paul McKenna states

   “ Diets are no more than training courses in how to get fat and feel like a  failure……..If you continue to diet, you will gain weight and keep it on for life.”

All I suggest is that you change a few old habits that are no longer serving you and replace them with new, more enriching ones.

Some years ago I was shown this formula

        E + R = O

Which is an Event + your Response to it = the Outcome you experience. Well, if you change your eating response to events, the outcome of your weight problem will change. In the past you may have reacted to situations by eating, or by eating the wrong food. The outcome is a body that you are not happy with. So changing your response (R) will achieve a new outcome (O). Make new habits that will support your newly prioritised goal.

I am sure you are aware that you have choices about what you do because you are take 100% responsibility for your life. Your daily decisions about whether to eat that packet of crisps when watching the television (or even whether to watch that programme at all), or have a few biscuits with your cuppa when you get home from work are having an effect on your body and your long term happiness. Every small decision like this either supports you in creating your healthy new body, or it doesn’t. You choose which actions to take. You are in charge of your life.

You remember the old saying

  “If you always do what you’ve always done

    you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Well, that applies to eating and exercise habits too. The odd biscuit or packet of crisps, justified with the promise that you’ll do better tomorrow or what harm can it do, have created the person you are now. As has the decision to not take the exercise that your body craves.

I know from experience that will power won’t do it, so we’re not going there. Instead we (and yes, I am doing it too ) will change our habits and do things differently. And there will still be no diet.

The first step is to know the reality of your situation. When do you eat those extra calories – in what situations? What time of day? Why? Do you eat from boredom, stress, habit or because everyone else does? Once you know the when and the why you can begin to tackle the problem – so be honest with yourself. I snack from boredom, out of habit, because it is there and so I may as well eat it, because I ate my meal too quickly and so my body hasn’t had a chance to register that I am full or because I am putting off doing something I don’t want to do. I expect some of these will sound familiar.

The times I snack are when I sit down in the evening, when I am procrastinating (any time of day) and at break times when I am not at home. A few weeks ago I discovered how easy it is to develop a bad eating habit. In just two days I was in the habit of eating a biscuit with my break time drink because I was away from home on a course and the biscuits were there. Try as I may, I had to have a biscuit if they were there.

So since I clearly don’t have any, we won’t be using willpower here!

I want you to brainstorm what else you could do instead of eating, at your snack trigger times. Is there something that would help you achieve one of your other goals? What could you do to take your mind off your habit of snacking?

I don’t usually have tea breaks when I am working from home, but if I do I get out a magazine to read and reaching for the biscuit tin is futile as I no longer have one. (We have already established that I lack will power, so I simply don’t put that temptation in my way any more). After dinner, I wash up straight away. If I am still hungry I phone a friend for a chat – it takes my mind off the thought of snacks until my stomach realises that I am not hungry. I may even go for a walk. My biggest problem was crisps when I sat down in the evening. I thought long and hard about a new habit I could develop, then it came to me. I’ve gone back to an old hobby of knitting. It’s great. I can’t knit and eat crisps at the same time and the knitting is creative and gives me a sense of achievement. I also stopped buying crisps!

So think about what you could do. At work could you take fruit or a yoghurt or some cucumber and carrot sticks and start eating them before the biscuits arrive? Could you take your drink back to your desk or sit in a different place? At home maybe phone a friend for a chat, read a book or magazine, go for a walk after dinner, swim or do an exercise DVD or hire a personal trainer? You could take up a new hobby or craft or cook the next day’s dinner. You could be so engrossed in the activity that you forget about snacking.

Challenge yourself to break old habits that aren’t supporting the new you and try something radically different. I know someone who has a large exercise ball. She balances on it to watch television – that combines exercise with making eating difficult. I’ve even tried rebounding while watching television. Try things and see what works for you.

I have mentioned before that I sometimes ask myself,

“What would a successful person do in this situation?”

A better question to ask in this situation is

“What does the new slim and successful me do in this situation?”

One answer you may come up with is to take more exercise. Well, if you live in the Portsmouth area (about 20 mile radius) you are very lucky because I know a wonderful personal trainer by the name of  Lara Geall. She develops personalised programmes for her clients, beginning with an assessment of where they are so they have a benchmark to measure from. As Lara says

“Ultimately, my aim is to train your body and mind, by teaching you the fundamentals of fitness to help you establish a realistic fitness routine - one which gives you the body and the lifestyle that you desire."

If you would like to speak to Lara to find out how working with her could help you achieve your goal then she can be contacted at

07747 014459

Or email her at lara_geall@yahoo.co.uk

Focus on your successes each day – one biscuit missed, some potatoes left on your plate at dinner, an exercise session with Lara or someone similar in your area – and list them in a journal, along with how you feel about yourself for achieving it. Also write about how good your new habits make you feel too. Read them often to keep you going.

Get family and friends to support you, not taunt you with treats. Trudie Styler (Mrs. Sting) is careful what she eats all week but has one day a week when she can eat cakes and biscuits and have extra portions. Only you can decide what will work for you.

You will notice that I haven’t mentioned scales, target weight or target size. That is because they aren’t important here. You are aiming for a slim, fit, fabulous and confident new you, on your terms. The size and weight that happens to be is not important. You will notice the changes as you become fitter, happier and more energetic. The weight will come off slowly and naturally because you aren’t focused on it.

If you need more motivation then pin up a picture of the holiday and a description of how you want to feel and be by then. When the going gets tough ask yourself:

What will happen and how will you feel if you do keep it up?

What won’t happen and how will you feel if you do keep it up?

What will happen and how will you feel if you don’t keep it up?

What won’t happen and how will you feel if you don’t keep it up?

Visualise the fun, fit and fabulous new you and then go and do something different to take your mind off those snacks!

Get out and walk, get a personal trainer or join a Zumba class – whatever works for you.

Just remember that you are responsible for the results in your life – nobody else. If you don’t take action to get the body and the life you want, nobody else can do it for you.

Want more information? Then email me at  sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

or go to my website at www.successandimagecoach.co.uk
For my FREE book "The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Females Climbing the Corporate Ladder" please go to www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk

7 Top Tips For What To Wear

7 Top Tips For What To Wear–

For interviews, dating – anything!

Recently I was asked to be the guest expert speaker on a teleseminar run by the relationship expert George Pirinizi (www.AttractYourIdealPartner.com). I was to talk about what to wear on a first date and to attract a partner, generally. Now, this is not something I often have to consider, but I agreed to speak on the teleseminar and thought about what my top 7 tips would be.

It occurred to me that my 7 top tips would be relevant for dressing for any occasion. The principles remain the same, whatever the circumstances – the only difference is in the items of clothing you would select to wear for the different occasions.

However, it is no good dressing to impress someone and not being yourself. The idea is to enhance ‘you’ by dressing to look the best version of you – the one who knows how to look effortlessly stylish.

So, in reverse order, here are my 7 Top Tips for what to wear – at any time!

7. The “Best-Front-Room” Syndrome

Do you remember the days when most families had a “best room” that was reserved for special guests and Christmas? Or the “best” tea set that was rarely used – every day the family had to make do with mismatched crockery?

Well, too many women adopt this principle with their clothes – keeping a few choice items for “best” and wearing cheaper, less flattering clothes for every day. Don’t.

I don’t see the point in dressing down for work, when that is where you will be seen by most people, and dressing up and looking your best only occasionally. The result of this is that, often, the best clothes go out of fashion and have to the ditched before they have been worn more than once or twice. What a waste.

No, don’t save your fab look for social events, dates and interviews. You are special – treat yourself as such and wear your “best” often – to work, to the pub, shopping, to put the bin out....! You deserve to look your best at all times. You don’t need loads of clothes to look good, just a core of well fitting, flattering items that you can mix and match.

Far better to have to ditch gorgeous clothes because you wore them out than because they went out of fashion before you had the chance to wear them.

6. Less is More

The “decked out like a Christmas tree” look is not elegant or stylish. The general rule is don’t wear more than 3 accessories at any one time. Also, don’t wear earrings and necklaces at the same time. I know they can be bought as sets, but that doesn’t mean you have to wear them together. If you wear earrings, leave your neck unadorned. If you wear a necklace, leave your ears bare.

Take the advice of Coco Chanel – before leaving the house, look in the mirror and remove one item.

Dress simply to look stunning.

5.Mix and Match

Never buy a whole outfit from one collection, it isn’t stylish. Mix and match to let the authentic you shine through. You don’t want people to admire that outfit from XXX. You want them to admire your wonderful sense of style. So mix it up.

I love to wear a gorgeous, expensive, tailored shift dress (which is really quite smart) with a lovely leather biker jacket. It gives a quite unexpected edge to the look.

Also, don’t go for high fashion looks – they rarely suit and rarely look good. They certainly aren’t a good investment of your money.

As Yves Saint Laurent said “Fashion Fades, Style is Eternal”.

Oh yes, and another tip – the neckline/hemline rule.

If your hemline rises, the neckline should rise too.

If your neckline drops so should your hemline.

This avoids the ‘belt’ look when the two meet in the middle! Not stylish.

4. PPPPPP or Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

I imagine you have never heard this uses in relation to dressing. But it is as relevant to what you wear as any other aspect of your life.

·       If you are going out shopping for clothes then take the shoes you will wear with the outfit with you – or borrow from the shop. This is especially important when buying trousers and jeans.

·       If you are buying for a special occasion – date, interview, wedding etc. then buy in advance and wear the outfit around the house to get used to how it feels and works. On a special occasion you want to feel confident and be able to give your attention to the matter in hand, being yourself, not worried about whether the skirt rides up, the zip will split, the front of the blouse is gaping or whatever else proper planning can alleviate.

3. Build on a Strong Foundation

A properly fitting bra is essential. It can alter the way clothes fit and look on you and can change your shape by a size. So get properly fitted as a priority. It isn’t an exact science and you may need to take as many as ten bras of the same size into the fitting room to find one that fits properly. It is worth the effort.

Get re-fitted regularly, at least every twelve to eighteen months.

Now we have all been guilty of buying gorgeous sets of undies for that ‘special occasion’ and wearing really quite ‘manky’ undies every day – it’s that “best-front-room” syndrome again. Don’t do it. You know how wonderful you feel in the good stuff – so wear it every day – for YOU.

2. Extreme care

Take care of your clothes – they are an investment.

I once did a Wardrobe De-Tox session for a woman who had a great many expensive designer dresses and outfits in her wardrobe – well some of them were, others were in a heap in the corner of the room, dirty, in need of mending and unwearable.  Don’t be like that.

Before I put anything into my wardrobe I ensure it is ready to wear again – so I check to see whether items need cleaning, ironing or mending. I have a shoe cleaning basket in the wardrobe and always check my shoes and clean them before replacing them in their box.

If clothes need dry cleaning don’t have them cleaned too often as this will weaken the fabric. But do take care of your clothes and they will take care of you.

When you open your wardrobe door you want to feel inspired not terrified.

1.Dress for your Shape.

There is no perfect shape. Those who appear to have a ‘perfect’ shape will be a fortunate combination of several. Most of us would rather have a different shape and most of us are a combination of two or more shapes, but acceptance is crucial. If you know and accept the shape you are you can begin to use this information to your advantage to dress to flatter your shape and look fab all the time.

You may be an apple, pear, rhubarb, strawberry or hourglass shape (see blog “Dress for your Shape” for details) but as long as you dress to enhance the shape you actually are and follow my other top tips you will always look stylish and draw attention in a positive and authentic way.

If you haven’t already done so, might I suggest that you go to my website, www.successandimagecoach.co.uk  and get yourself a copy of my FREE book “The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Females Climbing the Corporate Ladder”. All the information about the different shapes is in there as well as many more expert tips and hints.

So go there NOW and claim your FREE BOOK at www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.

Love the Life You've Got Now (While You Work To Improve It)

Love the Life you’ve got now

(while you work to improve it)

On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your life at the moment? I imagine not many of you can honestly say ten to all areas of your life – it just doesn’t work like that, does it? There are usually one or two areas that are working better than others and a few that need a complete overhaul. But what can you do about it? In her book “Simple Abundance. A Daybook of Comfort and Joy” by Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests that you bloom where you are planted. Right at this moment you may not have the perfect career, home or relationship but you do have the opportunity to make it as good as you possibly can today, and plan how you are going to improve it further tomorrow.

 Recently I introduced my local Chamber of Commerce to the Wheel of Life, a coaching tool to structure an assessment of how each area of your life or business is doing. It then leads on to developing an action plan to improve the situation and move closer to the life you truly want. Blooming where you are, or making the most of your current life is a good place to start, but there is absolutely no reason to accept it as your lot in life. Using the Wheel of Life you can begin to plan small adjustments that will lead you to achieve the life you would like.

The wheel of life is a circle, divided into six segments, each of which is further divided into 5 sections. The first step is to decide which area of your life or business you will assign to each segment. You could choose career, finance, family, relationships, leisure, home – whatever seems appropriate to you.

For each area of life you then decide what perfection would look like and feel like to you. You can’t make your life perfect for someone else, only you. Let them sort out their own life, this is for you and you alone. So if one area is home, what would your ideal home look like? Where would it be? How many rooms would it have? How would the house be furnished? What would the garden look like? Make it as real and inspiring as possible. Then ask yourself why you want it to be like this? What is the essence of the vision? Is it ‘old world charm’ when you currently live on the fourth floor of a modern apartment block or ‘modern minimalist’ when you are juggling the demands of full time work and four children? If you know the essence of what you are trying to achieve then you may be able to introduce little aspects of it into your current life to make things a little more bearable.

If leisure is an area you have chosen to focus on, ask what you would love to do with your leisure if time and money were no object? Would you eat out more, go to shows or concerts, have several holidays a year, join a golf club or go windsurfing or horse riding or dancing?  Then ask yourself what is the core reason? What is the feeling you will have when you are able to spend your leisure doing what you love? Once you know the essence of the activity ask how you can inject a little of that into your leisure now. What could you do now to give a bit of that feeling?

OK, you get the idea. The next section asks you to rate your current life against the goal of perfection which you identified in the previous section. One indicates that nothing works and the area needs a complete overhaul. Ten indicates that perfection has already been attained. If you join all the numbers up around the wheel you may end up with a fairly even circle at about 5 or 6. You may, though, have a rather jagged circle with some peaks and troughs. This will indicate the areas of your life which need most urgent action and those which are not too bad at present.

Outside the wheel are a series of boxes labelled ‘Strengths’. There is one box for each segment of the wheel. In each box you can list everything that is working in each area. What is quite good? What could you build on? In home you could list that you actually have a home or a room that you can work on. In leisure it may be that you actually have an hour or so to call your own each week. Dig deep and be as positive as possible. They say you get more of what you focus on so maximise the good.

So now you know what perfection would look and feel like, you know how life currently rates and you have identified what is currently good in your life. Next you go round the wheel and ask the question

“If there was just one thing I could do that would move me a small step closer to my goal of perfection in this area what would it be?”

If more than one idea comes to mind then list them and decide which you feel most compelled to do. At the moment they are just ideas that you could do if you chose to. What would have to do to cause some positive change?

What one thing could you do to get the process started?

What are the barriers that may stop you from taking this action or achieving your goal in this area of life? This is a really important aspect of the process so please don’t skimp on it. The barriers may be physical such as not living in the right sort of house or not having any spare time. They may also be self imposed limiting beliefs that you need to identify and deal with before you can successfully achieve your goals. Whatever they turn out to be, take them seriously and give them the attention they require. If you know what you are dealing with you are better able to take the appropriate action. If you don’t have any spare time then you might consider reorganising your time, re-prioritising tasks and delegating. If you don’t live in the right sort of house could you do a bit of clever decorating and accessorising?

If you have limiting beliefs then take advice from Anthony Robbins. He says that beliefs are like a table top, they have to be supported by a certain number of legs or evidence. The trick is to destroy the legs of the beliefs by finding enough evidence to the contrary. Then make a new, empowering belief and actively seek evidence to support the new belief. It may take time but it will be well worth the effort.

The final step is to list all the actions you need to take to reach ten in each area and do something each day to move you towards that goal. Paul McKenna suggests making a time line to show the steps you will have to have taken in order to get from where you are to where you want to be. This is not a quick process but you may find that by focussing on one area for a while – maybe the one that will have the biggest impact on your life, or the one that seems easiest to start with – other areas will be improved as a result. Life is, after all, interconnected and creating the life you truly want should be a lifetimes work. There will always be new goals to achieve to replace the goals achieved. Enjoy the journey it is all part of your life and you deserve to have the life you want.

One action you could take is to go to www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk to claim your copy of my FREE book "The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Females Climbing the Corporate Ladder". Go on - it's really very good!

One final thought, for now – if you find yourself stuck and you are struggling to achieve a goal it could be that your goal and your values are in conflict. Your goal may be to embark on a risky financial venture when your key value around finances is stability. Take some time to discover your core values in relation to each area on the wheel and ask yourself whether your goals are compatible with your values.

If you would like to explore more then go to my website where you can purchase my “Wheel of Life” CD and Workbook set. This will really get you moving in the right direction and taking action.

Have a look at www.successandimagecoach.co.uk

Copyright © - 2011, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.