That Friday Feeling

I love Fridays but I’m really not sure why!  It’s the one day of the week that is somehow different from the other six.  There’s a subdued feeling of excitement, the anticipation of possibilities still unexplored.  There’s a lightness of spirit – have you ever noticed that people smile more on Fridays?

 
When I was a child, Friday meant the end of a week of school, no homework for a couple of days, and no need to get up early.  Two whole days of play!

As I grew up, Friday meant getting ready to enjoy the evening out with friends (is Friday still the best night for going out?).  It didn’t matter that I had to get up early for my Saturday job – I never seemed to need much sleep back then!

During my corporate career, Friday meant looking forward to a lie-in for the next couple of mornings and a chance to recharge batteries.  Friday evenings with my (then) husband were no longer spent on the dance floor; instead a meal out or a take-away was the weekly treat because it meant no cooking!

Now that I have my own business, Friday no longer means the end of the working week.  I often find myself checking emails at the weekend, networking on facebook, and catching up with reading blog posts and newsletters that I didn’t get time for during the week.

So Fridays have always been a bit special to me.  Then I started thinking that it would be great to feel like that every day of the week.  And it’s absolutely possible!  Using some simple NLP (neuro linguistic programming), you can recall a pleasurable experience from your past and apply all the feelings associated with it whenever you want.

But I think I prefer to leave Friday as a special day and enjoy that ‘Friday Feeling’ – just like today! 

What do you think?  Do you love Fridays too, or do you have a different favourite day of the week?

© Louise Barnes-Johnston

Is there a 'Secret' to Business Success?

Over the years, I've heard this question asked many times. Some people are quite firmly in the 'no' camp, and are of the opinion that success is the result of hard work, luck, who you know, etc. Other people really do believe that a 'secret' exists and that they will be successful, just as soon as they find it!

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programing) is sometimes called the study of excellence. It teaches us that, if we want to do something, anything, really well, we need to find someone who is already doing it very well, study what they do and then do the same. It's a bit more involved than that but, to me, it's the nearest thing I've found to the 'secret' of success.

I think that when people are looking for a 'secret' to business success (or success in anything), what they're really looking for is a short cut. They want a way of going from zero to millions without too much effort. (Why else would so many people buy lottery tickets at such outrageous odds?).

The funny thing is that, the people I observe who are convinced that a 'secret' exists, spend an awful lot of time and effort looking for it. If they had spent that time and effort working on becoming excellent at what they do, they'd probably be successful by now! But of course, that might be too much hard work ......