The Next Chapter

What a fantastic week this has been! I took a beautiful trip to the Lake District to deliver two sessions to the Lake District Estates team. They put me in some luxury accommodation overlooking Lake Ullswater, and the group was a joy to work with. Thank you, CEO David Little, for your outstanding involvement on the second day. Your humour and contribution made it a great day!
 
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of delivering Masterclass 1 to a Rolls Royce team in Derby. Phil Marsh, the Quality and HSE Strategy and Operating System Lead, contacted me regarding running something based on mental health and stress management. I suggested Masterclass 1, which he agreed to.
 
The feedback from the session was brilliant, and the engagement and interaction from the group were terrific. Some flew in from the USA and some from Germany to attend the day, and I am delighted that my session was so well received.
 
 
Reflection on my future
 
I have been reflecting on my holiday of a lifetime in Australia and realised that while I was out there, I had spent some time thinking about the future and how the next chapter of my life might look.
 
Using my Dream Board, I have set milestones of things I would like to accomplish in the future, and many have already appeared in my life. Some of these are meeting and marrying Julie, working in places across the world like Dubai, USA, Germany, Malta, Gibraltar, and Finland, owning my dream car, being debt-free with money in the bank, and being fit and healthy.
 
I also work with world-class organisations like Rolls Royce, Siemens Gamesa, Pilkington Glass, Nat West Bank, Applus, and Lake District Estates. These things have appeared in my life, and considering where I was 9 years ago, it is almost miraculous. However, this is a comma, not a full stop, and I haven’t finished yet!
 
 
Seventy and still going strong
 
Next February, I will be 70 years of age, and I am spending a week in Dubai to celebrate. I have chosen Dubai because the weather at that time of the year is the best in the world, and I want to finally see some of the beautiful parts of Dubai I haven’t had time to see in my previous 5 business trips. I will spend this week with Julie, and I can’t wait!
 
But again, this is not the end; it is just the beginning of my next chapter. I am now planning this next part of my life, which spans 10 years to the age of 80. Many of you know that I dream of speaking on stage at 80, and on the 9^th of February 2034, I want to be booked somewhere in the world to speak on that very day.
 
While in Australia, I had an interesting thought that I could speak to my clients to see if one of them could organise a conference on that very day so that my dream could be fulfilled. That sounds a bit crazy, but if you put it out there and visualise it happening, you increase the chances of this happening.

 
The next 10 years
 
The next 10 years include lots of international travel, but being realistic, as I approach the age of 80, I may not fancy the long-haul trips, so I am planning the big trips up to the age of 75 and then shorter haul trips to the age of 80. I will reassess when I hit 80, and I may still want to travel abroad, but if not, I will be happy that I have been everywhere I wanted to go while I was fit enough to travel.
 
I want to work with my existing and many new clients. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy my work, knowing that after each session, whether online or live, whether a masterclass, personal coaching or a keynote talk, there will be many people whose lives are changed forever as they apply the techniques I teach. They will live happier, more fulfilled, and healthier lives.
 
This next chapter includes keeping healthy both physically and mentally. The evidence is clear that if you maintain a positive attitude, you maintain physical health with higher energy levels. Maintaining a positive attitude significantly changes the way you experience challenges in your life.
 
 
A very long-haul flight
 
For example, many people find the 30-hour travel to Australia tiresome and extremely long. I experienced the exact opposite and enjoyed every moment of these long flights. One reason for this was how I approached the flight mentally, and the other was how I organised things for the flight.  
 
I invested in an iPad and noise-cancelling headphones, then downloaded many of my favourite box sets and films. When flying, I find that I have already watched most of the films provided by the airlines. The flight then consisted of watching movies and box sets, eating, sleeping, and repeating, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every moment both ways.
 
Your mindset is fundamental in the way you approach challenges. With a positive mindset, the outcome will always be better than with a negative mindset.
 
 
Nothing is guaranteed
 
The next 10 years will be very interesting as nothing is guaranteed in life, including life itself. But I believe you increase the chance of long life and health by maintaining a positive attitude and sensible eating and sleeping routines. We will see as time progresses, but I am very excited about the next chapter of my life.
 
If things don’t work out as I hope, I will deal with the circumstances positively because mental resilience makes a massive difference in how we cope with adverse situations.
 
My dream is to keep working to at least 80, travelling the world with Julie, and improving people’s lives. There is tremendous joy in doing what I do, and I want to keep doing this for as long as possible.
 
 
Thoughts for the week 

1. Do you have any long-term plans?
2. Are you aware of your mindset? Are you more positive or more negative?
3. This week, look at your next chapter and see if you can plan some exciting things to experience.
4. None of us know how long we have, so make sure you experience some beautiful things while you are able. 

 
Warm regards

John