They Always Say...

Very true Andy.

This quote reminds me of the kids I grew up with back home, either you were like myself and moved away or you stayed in the village and married local, worked local. When I go back I sometime bump into old school mates and they are exactly the same, albeit a bit podgier, a bit wrinklier and a bit greyer (aren't we all!). I always get the same comment "Oh you're so lucky to have travelled and live abroad"

What absolute codswallop!

There was no luck, a unicorn didn't poop rainbow dropping at my feet and I was magically whisked off to another land.

Nope, I had to work at it, I had to take the courage to go it alone.

I had to change things for myself.

That goes the same for my job and my business. Change takes time but you have to make it happen.

One of my clients said yesterday that she came to Japan initially for a year because she felt that if she had stayed in her nice cushy job, she would have been there forever. The people she worked with are still there, 10 years on. She was the one who made the decision to change.

My version of the quote, if you want to see change, get of your arse and make it happen!

With this being Andy Warhol, it also reminded me of the Time Capsule project HERE, only 9 more years until we open it!

Everyone Thinks Of Changing The World...

It's funny, when I work with moms often they want to change their husband or their kids, the house or their in-laws! They rarely think of starting with themselves and that is where we need to start.

Non of us are perfect and if you think you are, you are sadly mistaken! But when we start with ourselves, little tweaks here and there, we start to notice a change around us.

Sometime it will be the attitude or behaviour of family members, sometimes it's the way we use the home, when we start treating or environment a little kinder, we get the same back.

One of my favourite kaizen tweaks is so simple and easy and most people think they do it but in reality they don't!

Just say thank you.

Whenever a family member does something without being asked (or even after being asked is nice too). 

"Thank you for clearing up after yourself"

"Thank you for hanging the towel up after you bath, I like it when it doesn't go moldy!"

"Thank you for putting your clothes away, that really helped me today"

"Thank you for playing nicely with your sister, it makes me happy when you play well together"

"Thank you for keeping the kids busy so I could tackle some of the housework, it's much easier when they are not underfoot"

And the strange thing is, because you are modelling this behaviour they start to mirror it back. The positive reinforcement when they are doing things right sinks in and because humans are natural people pleasers, they try to do more of the same.

So give it a go! Try it on for a week and let me know how it goes. pop over to the Moms That Rock group and share with me any a-has and break throughs.

Don't want to miss the latest news, join the challenges and basically hang out with a load of other cool moms, then jump on the Kaizen revolution playbook list. You will get a weekly email with lots of tips and tricks to make your life better, little by little!

Be The Change...

As you know, I am a Brit and last weeks referendum has made somewhat of a mess of things. I was in the remain camp, I believe in a world where we work together, building each other up and helping each other out. Sadly the Leave camp don't seem to think like that.

As the week has progressed more and more reports of racism and racial/religious assaults are being reported which makes me sick to the stomach. I worry about my 'non white' friends, many of which are British born and bred, they are second or third generation immigrants, and also all those who have moved to the UK for work. You know, respected, hard working contributors to the countries infrastructure.

Yes, I know this is opening a can of worms, and there are those who think Britain should be just for white folk but we have to get real here, unless the country is ruled by some nazi dictator that will never happen. We are a melting pot country and have been for a long time. 

Plus the immigration issue was never going to be "fixed" whether we stay or go, at the end of the day it was an excuse for easy votes.

My child is of mixed race too, we go back to the UK every year, I don't want him to be a target or to have to witness this kind of disgusting behaviour. And yes, it worries me travelling back this year, I'm not really sure what to expect.

Although I can't do much from the other side of the world, I will stand up for anyone who is being racial abused, I won't tolerate racist comments from 'friends' on social media and I will make every effort to teach my son that we are all human and we need to treat people the way we want to be treated.*

I want to see greater tolerance and understanding and I believe that us parents can help with that by talking about the issues and standing up for what is right, our kids need an example, a good example to follow.

*My exception to the rule, because we all need an exception is Donald Trump and Nigel Farage and anyone else who incites hate.