We all know that exercise has many benefits for both your mental and physical health but what about combining both physical and mental challenges?  What if you could get a “double whammy”- effectively a 2-for-1 whilst up a mountain?! 

What can we learn from how we are on the mountain?
I first came up with the idea whilst skiing a particularly tricky slope (for me!).   I noticed I had reverted to my default way of skiing when well out of my comfort zone… weight too far back, jamming on the brakes before launching into the next turn…. It was exhausting and in fact counterproductive!!  I didn’t enjoy the slope and it set off a chain reaction of thought processes resulting in a dent in my confidence.   My mind naturally took me to how this physical and psychological reaction to challenge could be linked to how I react in life and particularly in my business. 

For me, the mountains are the perfect environment to really take time out, give yourself space to think clearly and reflect, in order to gain clarity for the way ahead.  Combining both physical and mental challenges can really help to raise self-awareness by highlighting thinking patterns and behaviours that serve us well and those that might be holding us back. 

​There are many, many lessons to take from the mountain – at it’s most basic, a mountain represents both a high point and a low point.  Have you thought about the peak you’re aiming for?  Are they the mountains you want to be climbing?  Have you taken the time to really know, deep within, if this mountain of life you’re on is the one you’re meant to be climbing at this moment? 
 
I decided to combine 2 of my biggest loves - skiing and coaching in the Peak Potential Programme – an annual week-long intensive coaching experience in Courcheval, France.  The underlying question that frames the week is:  “What can we learn from how we are on the mountain?”
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Taking the time out to work on you and your current situation with professional coaches in a supportive and challenging environment means that you have the potential to:

• Understand yourself more fully
• Identify what drives you & what can hold you back
• Harness your strengths & learn how to use them to achieve your goals
• Build self-confidence on & off the slopes
• Push your boundaries
• Build steely resilience
• Set your sights on things you never thought possible
• Get crystal clear about your next steps

Why do exercise & learning make a great match?
Exercise and learning go hand in hand.  Physical activity not only facilitates the birth of new brain cells, it also produces smart chemicals that promote learning.  Exercise balances neurotransmitters  along with the rest of the neurochemicals in the brain.  The more you use your brain, the stronger and more flexible it becomes.  The more your body exercises, the better your brain functions!

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So. . . get on your way.” ~ Dr. Seuss

This time next year our Peak Potential Programme 2022 begins in Le Praz, Courchevel, France! 
​On 19 to 26th March 2022, a small group of 11 will immerse themselves in the experience of BEING on the mountain.  They will leave with clear plans for the future, a positive mindset, coping strategies for stressful times as well as feeling motivated and inspired to make 2022 a year of PEAK POTENTIAL for them and potentially those around them!  Join Annie Lee Associates in Courchevel for the perfect post lockdown tonic - skiing, Peak Potential Coaching, delicious food, wine & more!  Prices currently start at £1495 with one week to go for early bird discount!  Book a FREE 30-min discovery call to find out more!  ​

Last week on 4th March was World Book Day 2021 celebrating everything to do with literature and reading.  I wanted to share some of the books that I’m currently dipping into and why I’m drawn to them.

I rarely have just one book on the go and 4 books is a bit extreme even for me!  However I’m currently juggling reading all of them for various reasons...

Olive Mabel & me by Andrew Cotter
Olive and Mabel went viral on social media with their sporting contests during the COVID-19 lockdown, with Andrew Cotter’s unique commentary propelling the videos to over 50 million views and certainly contributed to keeping my chin up during lockdowns.  The new book from broadcaster Andrew Cotter and his famous canine companions, Olive and Mabel is laugh out loud brilliant!

Second Wave Positive Psychology by Ivtzan, Lomas, Hefferon, & Worth, 2015; Wong, 2011
The positive psychology (PP) movement, launched by Martin Seligman (1998), is celebrated as the most significant phenomenon in contemporary psychology. PP continues to flourish and evolve in light of new theoretical formulations and research findings and the ‘second wave’ of PP (PP 2.0) represents a maturing of PP that is more nuanced, balanced, and inclusive. This is my current area of study – my “brain food”.

English Pastoral by James Rebanks 
This is a fascinating book around our changing landscape and it really takes me back to my roots - growing up on a smallholding in the Peak District alongside the hardiest of farmers.  It’s the story of an inheritance and legacy but most of all our changing relationship with the land.  It tells of how rural landscapes around the world were brought close to collapse, and the age-old rhythms of work, weather, community and wild things were lost. Then how, guided by the past, one farmer began to salvage a tiny corner of England that was now his, doing his best to restore the life that had vanished and to leave a legacy and hope for the future. 

From Field & Forest: An artist's year in paint and pen by Anna Koska
This is stunning!  Anna (my fabulously talented cousin) celebrates the natural world; the changing of the seasons, the blossoming of flowers and the ripening of fruit. Anna's illustrations are reproduced in beautiful detail and they are accompanied by her musings and observations of objects, engaging us in the everyday realities of her artistic practice. Truly inspiring us all to take time to appreciate our surroundings.

An eclectic bunch of books - I know!  but I think it’s a pretty sound reflection of me & my interests!!!   The natural world, our inner world and a good dose of humour!!  How does your bookshelf reflect you?! 
 
While many start by cherishing one book at a time, there are several advantages of switching to multiple stories at a time. You’d be surprised how easy it is to keep track of separate books. Plus, reading multiple books at once can actually help you finish faster. If you don’t like a book, you have a backup. If you can’t remember a story, re-read it. This way you can also balance reading for work and reading for pleasure or both! 

Reflecting on the best books I’ve read in 2020 -  most of them were about running!!!  However here are my stand outs: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, Finding Ultra by Rich Roll, Set Free by Emma Slade & The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.

The book I recommend to everyone in 2021 - Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat
Why do I love this book?  So many reasons but the short answer is it is logical, challenging, well researched and Mo has a unique way of looking at happiness.  His story is one that hits you square in the stomach (I strongly encourage you to listen to his audio version if you can!) and helps keep all of his insights fresh in your mind.  What I also love about the book is that it doesn’t hold the ‘golden ticket’ until the end – it doesn’t promise five sure fire ways to reach optimum happiness!!  It is a rich discussion looking at happiness from a multitude of angles which can challenge our way of thinking.

In fact, I love this book so much that I’d like to give the gift of either this book or a bouquet of Freddie’s Flowers to anyone who recommends my 1:1 services in 2021 & their referral signs up with me. Just tell your connection to mention that you recommended them, and I’ll be in touch with your gift!

​I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing a bit about my bookshelf – I’d love to hear what you’re reading, any recommendations and also what you think your bookshelf says about you!

Located in a luxury chalet in picturesque Courchevel, close to the biggest ski area in Europe, Peak Potential is the ideal exclusive coaching experience.  With daily skiing, expert coaching, incredible trails, and exhilarating mountains the setting was just perfect for beginners, intermediate & expert skiers alike. 

All delegates arrived open minded and willing to take on an adventure.  With the help of experts Annie, Polly & Barney, they took a deep dive into their self awareness and they looked at the connection to and application of their strengths which lead to improved clarity and confidence.   Some were even able to identify some hidden barriers to then unlock hidden gems inside.

Peak Potential Takeaways

• Friendly, confidential, expert support
• Assistance with goal setting
• Understand yourself more fully
• The ability to be challenged and think laterally
• Identify what drives you and what can hold you back
• Harness your strengths and learn how to use them to achieve your goals
• Build self-confidence on and off the slopes
• Push your boundaries
• Build steely resilience
• Learning from the experiences, successes, and mistakes of group members
• Having a confidential sounding board for ideas
• Set your sights on things you never thought possible
• Improved business performance

It’s interesting looking back – in the months following Peak Potential, 2 people moved on from their jobs to set up on their own, 1 person switched careers to one that was more in line with her values, another found a better job in a different country, another is in a new committed relationship, and someone else scaled their business!!!  All of these things are not just down to Peak Potential buuuut it is interesting to see the amount of change that has happened.

“The mixture of coaching and skiing is the perfect combination. The two experiences complement each other so much; because as your skiing improves your mind gains clarity. Annie and Polly are amazing coaches; taking us out on the mountain to run a session will be something I never forget. Barney kept us informed, organised and entertained. I highly recommend Peak Potential; I'll be one who returns! Kate Ashmore, business owner.
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Next Peak Potential Experience
So, what's next?  Join us in Le Praz, Courchevel, France ·March 19 - 26 2022 for the perfect post lock down tonic- Skiing, Peak Potential coaching, delicious food, wine and more! 
 

• Expert Group Coaching Sessions with Annie Lee & Polly Downes
• Confidence Coaching Sessions with Barnaby Kay 
• Expert Ski Instruction
• Breakfast & Dinner with Sparkling Wine
• Stunning contemporary, luxurious chalet
• Excellent resort location, 1 minute from the Jean Blanc piste and only 10 mins walk to Le Praz gondola station. Village pubs, hotels and shops are 5 minutes walk away

 
Places are strictly limited.

If you would like to chat through how Peak Potential could help you achieve the changes you are after please book a FREE 30-min discovery call or email me if you have further questions.

Reams of conflicting advice about why you MUST make new years resolutions to reach a 6 figure income, get a perfectly toned & svelte body, complete dry January etc. Then others shouting about why resolutions absolutely DON'T WORK. Some people advocate setting intentions not resolutions, some will advise us to make HUGE goals that are just out of reach and others would say to make sure our goals are achievable. We're encouraged to give up booze, become a vegan, lose weight, gain money etc. It's enough to make anyone stick their head in a bucket of ice cream and order a meat feast pizza with lashings of beer.

​But seriously what does all this say about us? To me, the blindingly obvious point is that we are all different!!  There is no one size fits all – especially where behaviour change is involved, and when we boil all of this new year stuff down it comes to just that…. we want to change something that we DO. In this blog post, I hope to give you a bit of background into behaviour change & habit formation as well as giving you some options of how to make that change stick. 
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Whether we make big goals or small ones, use milestones or accountability partners, one of the most important things to behaviour change is REPETITION! Put simply our brains want to make everything we do take up as little energy as possible. This is why certain actions become automatic – like driving a car. The first time we do something, it feels unnatural, takes conscious thought and often we forget how to do it. The more we do it, the easier it becomes until finally we drive all the way home and can't remember how we got there (or is that just me?!). 

​The point is in order to make lasting changes to our behaviour we invariably need to repeat, repeat, repeat! In neuroscience terms we are creating a new neural pathway or changing our thought processes through neuroplasticity. In order for the behaviour to become automatic it needs to become a habit.

Here are 5 methods that work for me and my clients:
1.    Vision board
Having a visual representation of your goals for the year. This could include pictures & words or phrase that symbolise where you want to be, who you want to be, what you think life will be like once you have achieved your goal, what the journey will be like, how you will feel, who will be with you on the journey and what qualities you need to help you on your way.  There are loads of different ways to achieve this – in a recent vision board workshop one of my clients did a vision vase sticking pictures onto different length sticks and placing in a vase. To keep the vision board with you all the time you could take a photograph of it and have it as your screen saver.

2.    Accountability
Some people need to have accountability in order to help them achieve their goals. It is one of the reasons many people come to coaching – your coach becomes a natural accountability partner. You could choose a friend/colleague/family member to be your accountability partner or you could just splash your intentions/resolutions/goals all over social media – I am using a mixture of all 3 this year for my goals!!

3.    Reward system
Setting up some kind of reward system really plays on your habit-forming psychology – one of the fundamentals of habit formation is that there is a reward for the behaviour.

​Charles Duhiggs video explains this in a video about, what he calls, the habit loop: 

Just make sure the reward is congruent with your resolution/goal! For example, using a chocolate bar to reward yourself when you have lost 2lbs is not really reinforcing the behaviour change you're after whereas having a candlelit bubble bath could be. This leads onto the next method.

4.    Milestones
By creating stepping stones towards your goal you are basically ensuring that you are a) tracking your progress – so often we don't give ourselves credit for how far we've come & therefore lose momentum b) tapping into our basic drive to achieve & the brain's reward system I talked about above and c) giving yourself an ideal opportunity to stop, reflect & make sure you are still heading in the direction you want to go. 

5.    Word of the year
This one takes some time to think about. If you could sum up the changes, you want to make in your life over the coming year what one word would sum this up? Utilising this word is key to success here – how are you going to remember the word and all that it means to you? You could write about it in a journal every week asking yourself; how have my actions been in keeping with my word of the year this week? What can I do next week to stick closer to my intended behaviours? You could have a visual representation of your word of the year on your phone or journal or fridge door!
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These are just some examples of how to make your changes stick – the main thing is to TAKE ACTION!!
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How many posts on social media do you see like this come the end of the week?  If your feed’s anything like mine I bet it’s a lot!  Well I want to challenge this habit and ask WHAT’S THE RUSH??  Why are we celebrating the end of another week like it’s been a chore?  Whilst we’re wishing the days away, counting down to the weekend, the holidays, the end of the holidays, we run the risk of missing the very thing we’re actually here for…. LIFE!!!
Last year I did a VLOG on the topic of “I’ll be happy when…” for those that missed it here it is again:

Finn explores the psychology of running ridiculously long races & the fascinating ride the mind goes through.  What struck me is that very often, despite having gone through pain like us meer mortals can’t begin to imagine & fighting the demons in their heads, the athletes will feel a huge sense of anti-climax when passing the finishing line!!  So the way they battle this is by staying in the present all the way through, some don’t take watches & take no notice of mile markers so they are purely living in the moment.  Now THAT is a great analogy for life!!  I, for one, don’t want to feel a sense of anti-climax when I get to the end of my race! I want to look back & know that I’ve savoured life as much as I could.  I remember feeling exactly the same when I ran (bimbled) the London Marathon.  I turned the corner at Buckingham Palace & didn’t want it to end – that 9 month long journey was almost over &, despite it being almost vomit inducingly tough, I felt sad.
This is particularly poignant when, like me, you have what’s known as a “Hurry up” driver!!  I really have to battle to keep mine under control!  When I have an idea I want to have already completed it by the end of the day – no matter how massive an idea it is, so I have to implement strategies to slow myself down!  If you are wanting to slow down & NOTICE – be more PRESENT why not try the following:

5 ways to SLOW DOWN & savour the moment

1. Take a mindful walk – notice the colours around you, feel the wind or sun on your skin, notice how your muscles feel as you move them.
2. Look at a photograph from 1 year ago – focus on all the details, events, experiences that you have encountered since that photograph.  Write them down or draw them or talk about them, make sure you go into detail!!
3. Take half an hour out of your day and do some mindful colouring.
4. Meditate – if you’re not used to it then use a guided meditation app like Calm or Headspace 
5. Go watch a dog or a young kid playing (obviously don’t be too weird and stand outside school playgrounds!)  Kids and animals don’t have any concept of time & look how happy they are!!!

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Part of my work as a positive mindset coach is based on building strategies to savour the moment more.  If you would like to find out about how we could work together please do book a call to discuss your options.

 I hope you find some nuggets of gold that you can either use yourself and/or pass onto others.
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Andy has a PHD in positive psychology & writes very amusing, sometimes hard hitting, easy to read self-help style books.  In this particular book he writes about 6 principles that will lead to a happier life:

1. Choose to be positive
2. Understand your impact
3. Take personal responsibility
4. Have bouncebackability
5. Set HUGE goals
6. Play to your strengths

The book is full of stories and activities which bring the book to life if you utilise the space to write and draw.  My books are filled with my own thoughts and answers to the thought provoking questions & are definitely a go to when I feel like I have lost my way a bit. 
Take a minute to reflect on the following questions from the book:

• Think of someone who inspires you.  What exactly do they do that makes you feel so brilliant? 
• Who are you at your best?
• It’s your 100th birthday and there’s a big family part in your honour.  Someone is going to say a few words about you.  What would you like them to say?

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He is controversially outspoken on the widespread use of antidepressants & he refers to research throughout the book.  The theory around causes of depression & anxiety are:

• Disconnection with Meaningful Work
• Disconnection with Other People
• Disconnection with Meaningful Values
• Disconnection with Childhood Trauma
• Disconnection with Status & Respect
• Disconnection from the Natural World
• Disconnection from a Hopeful or Secure Future
• The Role of Genes and Brain Changes

He then goes onto talk about how we can reconnect.  Once again there is an element of us taking responsibility for own environment & the environment we create for others.  What really draws me to this book is the links he makes between other primates & also our ancestors.  We have made life so complicated that sometimes we just have to strip life back to our basic needs as social animals to remember what’s important. Simple things like connecting with nature, feeling part of a community, having meaning in our lives and having something to strive for that’s bigger than ourselves.
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This really does what it says on the tin!! It’s a little book which breaks down the underpinning findings of Positive Psychology and puts them into 12 Happiness Habits.  These are:

1. Learn to Play
2. Express Gratitude
3. Savour the positive
4. Harness your strengths
5. Live with meaning
6. Learn Optimism
7. Value relationships
8. Practise kindness
9. Get physical
10. Turn to nature
11. Practise mindfulness
12. Strive for success

Take your time and read those 12 habits slowly…. If you had to mark yourself out of 10 (10 being smashing it, 1 being errrm not really doing this at all) what mark would you give yourself for each of those habits?  What one action could you take for each habit that would help move you up a point?
What I love about this book is that it is evidence based, it gives you a nice bit of digestible science AND activities for each habit – all of this in a pocket-sized book with beautiful illustrations – what’s not to love!

​My entire career has been centred around growth – growth of embryos into live foals, live foals into yearlings for sale, young stud workers into managers, undergraduates into graduates with a purpose, small business owners growing their business, growth of authenticity, growth of confidence, growth of skills, growth of qualities, behaviours, knowledge and so on and so on. ​

​1. The people we surround ourselves with.
​We all need different things from our connections in order to grow – working this out is the first step!  Some people need gentle challenge or, put another way, a ‘loving boot’ up their backside!  Others respond positively to harder challenge.  Some need reassurance, some need recognition, some need guidance, some need freedom.  We all need a good dose of positivity!
Once you have worked out what you need you can then start to look at who can provide that support.  You will more than likely have heard the quote “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” most commonly attributed to Jim Rohn the motivational speaker.  Whilst this is not an evidence-based quote the fact that we are influenced by our friends does have legitimacy.  In a 2017 study by Christakis & Fowler it was found that people are 45% more likely to gain weight over the next 2-4 years if their friend has gained weight.  If a friend smokes you are 61% more likely to smoke. 
There is also a wealth of evidence regarding the impact of our mood on others and vice versa – in effect, as a species, humans are innately programmed to “catch” other people’s emotions.  So, it is vital to be aware of this and potentially think about how to combat negative impacts if we cannot avoid the source!!!  Working in teams is a great example – what can you do to lessen the impact of the ‘mood hoover’ in the team?  What can you do to positively affect that person?
 A quick and easy audit of your connections could be as simple as asking yourself:
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2. What we feed our mind.
​Our thoughts create our reality.   Do they really?  It all sounds a bit fluffy doesn’t it!  However, a deeper understanding of the brain through advances in neuroscience is now backing the fluffy up!   Put simply we have a filter in our brains which has several functions, one of which is to scan our environment for the evidence that will back up our beliefs and assumptions.  The brain likes certainty!   An example would be if you tell yourself you are no good at maths then every time you are unable to do a sum or you get something wrong you focus on that – almost saying to yourself and others “see, I told you so”.  If you get a sum right, you probably won’t even acknowledge it at the time so not even giving yourself an opportunity to question your self-talk.
So, regarding our growth we can start to be aware of how we talk to ourselves and what impact that has on our lives.  We can then start looking at the evidence that backs up our limiting beliefs, potentially rejecting or reframing those beliefs into more positive ones & therefore starting to create a different rhetoric in our heads.  This may sound simple, but it does take consistency & repetition to change beliefs and therefore behaviours – it is well worth the effort though!
We also need to be mindful what external information we feed our minds.  What material do we consume?  We are surrounded by negative stories in the media, catastrophes, or at least what the media would like us to think are catastrophes! Social media can be a positive influence, or it can be full of salacious gossip and fake news.  Again, it’s about raising our awareness as to how these channels of information affect us and our ability to grow.  What information and channels of information supports your growth and which hinders it?
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4. Your physical environment.
​What physical environment do you do your best thinking in?  Like the above everyone has different needs; some of my clients need peace and quiet.  Others work best listening to music.  Some need to be outside, some in a small room, some need to bounce ideas off team members, some need solitude.  It really is up to the individual but do not underestimate the impact it can have on growth. ​

​I invite you to take some time to reflect on the following: What are your needs and how can you provide yourself with them to create the best environment for you to not just grow but THRIVE? 
 
Get in contact if you would like to chat through how coaching could help you, your team or your business THRIVE!

This is known as a “Why statement” and is based on Simon Sinek’s Find Your Why exercise that can be found in his book of the same name. ​
You can also find out more at his website: 
​https://simonsinek.com/find-your-why/   ​

If you are a business owner, leader or embarking on a change in your career this can be a really useful exercise to do. 
​The basics are that we all have something that drives us, a purpose, the reason we get out of bed but few of us take time to find out what it is.  I’m not sure I totally concur with Mr Sinek when he says that our Why is fixed at an early age – but I will leave that for another time! However, from a business point of view it does a good job!! If you lead with your WHY you are connecting with your audience (e.g. customers/potential employers) via the primitive limbic part of the brain; the emotional part and the part where decision making is controlled. ​

If you are interested in a FREE consultation (see what I did there?!) please do get in contact.