Pruune Consulting Ltd

Professional advice, to the value of £2,000/€2,250 inc VAT (100% funded), is available for cross-border companies in manufacturing and tradable services, to address key business challenges related to Covid-19.

As an approved Intertrade Ireland approved suppler please get in touch to help with your supply chain, procurement, trade flow solutions.

Intertrade voucher support is available to help you understand the implications of the new trading relationship and its impact on your cross border business.

Intertrade ‘Planning Voucher’ provides 100% financial support up to £2,000/€2,250 (inclusive of VAT) towards professional advice to help businesses to identify Brexit exposure and to plan.

As an approved Intertrader Ireland supplier, we are approved to offer consulting support covering, supply chain, trade flows etc. 

Get in touch.

After undergoing the due diligence process with Intertrade Ireland, Pruune Consulting is now an Intertrade approved Brexit service provider offering our services to companies affected by Brexit. Contact us for any Supply Chain, Trade Flow, Logistics and Training.

Good hygiene lowers your risk for diseases and illnesses commonly spread through viruses and bacteria.

Failing to wash your hands and body regularly can cause these bacteria to multiply, increasing the risk for infection and other health problems.

 Germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, but also in less obvious ways, like after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them. A single gram of human feces—which is about the weight of a paper clip—can contain one trillion germs. Germs can also get onto hands if people touch any object that has germs on it because someone coughed or sneezed on it or was touched by some other contaminated object.

 Why is washing my hands important?

Washing your hands is one of the easiest and most important things you can do to stay healthy and stop the spread of bacteria and viruses such as colds and flu 

How does a virus on my hands lead to an infection in my body?

When you rub your eyes or touch your nose or mouth, any viruses on your hands can enter your body through mucous membranes in your eyes, nose or mouth.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, regular hand washing reduces the risk of respiratory illnesses, like colds, by 16-21%. Another study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews showed that hand washing reduced diarrheal illness by 23-40%. You should be washing your hands before and after you eat, as you prepare food, after using the bathroom, after taking out the trash and on a number of other occasions. 

What’s the proper technique for washing my hands?

There are only a few simple steps to take to give your hands a thorough cleaning and prevent the spread of illness.

The steps are:

Wet your hands with clean running water

Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. Wash your wrists, the back of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

Wash your hands well under running water.

Turn off the water with your elbow.

Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dry them.

If you used a towel to dry your hands, use the same towel to open the     bathroom door to leave the room. Discard the towel in a wastebasket.

Think about all the things you touch every day – doorknobs, elevator buttons, door handles, ATMs, money, laptops, cellphone (and all the surfaces it has touched.  When you touch these objects, any viruses that are able to survive on these surfaces may be transferred to your hands. According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, whether you realize it or not, it’s estimated that people touch their face at least 23 times an hour.

This is why washing your hands is so important.

Some ask do I need to use antibacterial soap to wash my hands?

According to the FDA there is no proof that using consumer-labeled “antibacterial” soap is better at preventing illness than ordinary soap and water. Actually, all soap is antibacterial.

You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

Before, during, and after preparing food

Before eating food

Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea

Before and after treating a cut or wound

After using the toilet

After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

After handling pet food or pet treats

After touching garbage

On the question of whether to hand-wash or sanitize, there’s a simple solution, according to the CDC: Hand-wash on most occasions and use an alcohol-based sanitizer when water and soap aren’t available.

 Alcohol-based hand sanitizers:

May not work well if your hands are heavily soiled or greasy.

May not remove chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals.

Can be harmful if swallowed.

Have to be used as instructed to be fully effective.

Everyone from the WHO to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly emphasized regular hand-washing (or hand sanitizer if water and soap aren’t available) as a way to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

 And it’s not just respiratory diseases like Covid-19: A 2008 review of the research looked at some of the best evidence for diarrhea-causing illnesses; they found that stringent hand-washing protocols, on average, reduced incidents of diarrhea by 29 percent in high-income countries and 31 percent in low- and middle-income countries.

 Side effects of poor personal hygiene

Good personal hygiene habits are directly related to less illnesses and better health. Poor personal hygiene habits, however, can lead to some minor side effects, like body odor and greasy skin. They can also lead to more troublesome or even serious issues.

For example, if you don’t wash your hands frequently, you can easily transfer germs and bacteria to your mouth or eyes. This can lead to any number of issues, from stomach viruses to pink eye.

Not brushing your teeth can lead to teeth issues and plaque buildup. Poor dental care is also a risk factor for several serious health issues, including heart disease.

Poor hygiene habits can also affect your self-esteem. Looking and feeling presentable can give you a confidence boost and a sense of pride in your appearance.

Other conditions may be prevented, or the risk minimized by practicing good personal hygiene. These are some examples:

scabies

pubic lice

head lice

body lice

diarrhea

athlete’s foot

ringworm

pinworms

swimmer’s ear

hot tub rash

 to summarize, a bad hygiene will increase a person’s chances of getting sick and infecting others. Therefore, in order to stay safe and prevent yourself and others from getting infected with any type of viruses and bacteria, wash your hands on a regular basis and stay attentive of your surroundings and actions in order to stay healthy.

Few women have been given the chance to lead great nations in the millennia of history. Among the first of them, however, set a precedent of female excellence other women in positions of power should choose to look up to.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was born in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik in 1930. Both of her parents were highly educated; her father was a civil engineer and professor and her mother was a nurse and chairperson of the Icelandic Nurses Association. She studied French literature at both the University of Grenoble and Paris’s prestigious Sorbonne, history of theatre at the University of Copenhagen, and received a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education and a Bachelor’s degree in French and English at the University of Iceland.

Prior to entering politics, Finnbogadóttir taught French and drama at several universities throughout Iceland. During the summers, when school would be out, she worked as a tour guide to make ends meet.

The history of the women’s rights movement in Iceland is a long one. Prior to Finnbogadóttir’s election in 1980, approximately 90% of Icelandic women participated in a nationwide strike in an effort to demonstrate how important women were to the country, a ploy that both wound up successful and has also been repeated globally due to that aforementioned success. Just five years later, the 1980 Icelandic presidential election was underway. The goal of these activist groups? To ensure that a woman was elected to the office.

In 1980, Finnbogadóttir was approached and asked to run for president. She was hesitant and required much persuasion. Her main reservations were the fact that she was a divorced, single mother, still not the norm in most of the world, and that all three of her opponents were men. She emerged victorious, however, though marginally - she was only a few percentage points ahead of her nearest opponent.

The office of president of Iceland is seen as primarily ceremonial. Finnbogadóttir, however, chose to use her office for good. She was a strong advocate for environmental activism while in office and fought for the preservation of Icelandic language and culture. These endeavours proved to increase her popularity immensely in Iceland. She was eventually re-elected three times, two of those times running unopposed. Her opponent in the re-election campaign where she did, in fact, have an opponent, was another woman.

As president, she also made significant efforts to emphasize the importance of smaller nations, like Iceland, in a time of the Cold War and tension between the global superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union. She was a key player in organizing the Reykjavik summit, a summit between US and Soviet leaders in 1986 that proved crucial to easing tensions between both nations. She was also a strong advocate for female education globally.

In 1996, Finnbogadóttir chose not to run for re-election. Having served a total of sixteen years as president, she is both the first democratically elected female president in the world and the longest-serving female president in history. As of 2020, she remains as Iceland’s only female president. Shortly after she stepped down from office, she was given the title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon an individual.

Source - NBC New

When describing an individual renowned for their good deeds and selflessness, he or she is oftentimes described as “a real Mother Teresa.” During her lifetime and in the years following her death, Mother Teresa has become synonymous with charity and selflessness.

Though she is famous for her work in Calcutta, now Kolkata, Mother Teresa was born in present-day North Macedonia during the late days of the Ottoman Empire. Her family was of Albanian origin. Little is know about her early childhood. Accounts state, however, that she knew she wanted to commit herself to her Catholic faith as early as the age of twelve. At eighteen, she left her home to learn English in Ireland and to join the Sisters of Loreto at Loreto Abbey.

A year after arriving in Ireland, she arrived in the Indian state of Bengal to begin her novitiate. Upon taking her religious vows in 1931, three years after she left North Macedonia, she adopted the name Teresa after the patron saint of missionaries, Thérèse de Lisieux. While a teacher in Kolkata, she took her solemn vows in 1937. She continued to teach at the school run by the Sisters of Loseto, eventually becoming its headmistress. However, the poverty she witnessed in Calcutta deeply unsettled her.

In 1948, Mother Teresa began her charity missionary work in Calcutta. During this time, she adopted the white sari with blue border she is known for, favoring it over the traditional nun’s habit. To further prove her dedication to helping the Indian people, she adopted Indian citizenship. After taking a basic medical training course, she ventured into the city slums to aid those in need.

In 1952, Mother Teresa founded what is perhaps her greatest achievement - the Kalighat Home for the Dying - with the help of Calcutta officials. It served as one of her first major charitable ventures. The hospice centre provided those with severe and/or terminal illnesses with hospice care and pre-funeral rights in accordance with the patients’ faiths. For example, Catholics were absolved of sin and Hindus were given water from the holy Ganges river. The centre received praise for not turning away individuals on the basis of faith and giving those in need a dignified death. In Teresa’s words, the purpose of the hospice centres was to let people “die like angels - loved and wanted.”

A few years later, Teresa helped open a hospice care centre for those suffering from leprosy. Patients were given food, shelter, and dressings for their wounds and sores. In 1955, she opened a home for orphaned children and homeless youth.

Positive attention and donations generated by the hospice centres, youth homes, and leper houses allowed Mother Teresa to open several hospice centres throughout India, providing help to thousands, if not millions, of people. By the late 1970s, she had expanded outside of India, opening several care centres throughout Europe, Africa, and the Americas. By the time of her death, the congregation founded by Mother Teresa had from from 13 to 4,000 members who operated care centres around the world.

Her dedication to the needy in Calcutta and beyond earned her international recognition and acclaim. She received India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, was the first to receive the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Following her death in 1997 following several issues with her health, Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church for her services to those in need in the name of her faith. The anniversary of her death is recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Charity and marks her official feast day on the Catholic calendar.

Source - Dundee Centre for Leisure and Culture

Born near Aberdeen, Scotland in the year 1848, Mary Slessor is regarded as one of the most important figures in the spread of Christianity in Nigeria. Her work in the Calabar region is remembered today for its success in converting several people living in the region and, notably, helping to end twin infanticide in the region. However, Slessor’s tenacity, sense of humor, and love for the people of Calabar are most notable of all.

Growing up, Mary was one of seven children born into the relatively poor, working-class Slessor family. Her mother, a skilled weaver, and her father, though a shoemaker by trade, both worked in the town’s mills. Slessor, too, would begin working at the age of eleven to help support her family, dividing her time between working part-time, attending school, and helping care for her household. By fourteen, however, she began to work full twelve-hour days as a jute worker.

After pneumonia killed her father and brothers, Mary was raised by her mother, a devout Presbyterian. Because of her, she was instilled with a deep respect and love for the Christian religion. As an adult, she trained to become a missionary in Edinburgh and left for Nigeria in 1876 at just 28 years of age.

Slessor arrived in Nigeria during a tense period of its history. The British had begun to further consolidate their power over the nation, having already been in Nigeria for almost half a century. The British policy of amalgamation which resulted in several ethnic and religious groups being forced to live together had caused internal tension in the then-colony.

Arriving in the Calabar region of Nigeria, Slessor learned of the local practice of twin infanticide. The practice was a fairly common one that stemmed from the belief that, if a woman gave birth to twins, it meant that one of the babies was evil. Since there was no way to determine which child was evil, both were left in the bush to die, exposed to the elements. Horrified, Slessor became dedicated to ending the practice. Not only did she speak out against it, but she also adopted abandoned children she found. She would even send fellow missionaries out with the sole purpose of finding and saving abandoned children.

Slessor was celebrated by fellow missionaries for her close relationship with the communities she worked with. She was noted to have begun eating the same foods as the natives - though mainly because she did not have enough money to purchase imported foods from the United Kingdom - which strengthened their bond. Most importantly, Slessor learned the local language, Efik, in order to better communicate with the people of Calabar while her companions oftentimes only spoke English.

Mary’s ability to speak Efik facilitated her missionary work. In an account by her contemporary W.P. Livingstone, her resolve to learn the language only grew when she learned how unreliable the interpreters. In one instance, the Biblical parable of Lazarus and an unnamed wealthy man in which the wealthy man suffers in the afterlife for his greed was so badly translated that, according to Livingstone, a local listening to the tale exclaimed he’d prefer to be the rich man. Many attribute the fact that she spoke Efik to be behind the genuine friendships with the people of Calabar to be therefore the reason behind her significant influence in Calabar.

Slessor’s contemporaries were also in awe of her patience. She took the time to interact and bond with the people she met and worked with, bolstered by the fact that she could communicate in the local language. “Christ was never in a hurry,” she wrote.

In 1888, Slessor traveled to the area of Okoyong, further north than where she had been previously stationed. Male missionaries had been killed by the people living in the area, so it was believed that sending a female missionary, especially one who was able to speak the language, would prove less threatening to the locals. She spent fifteen years working in the area. During this time, her proficiency in Efik improved and she became well-known for her close, personal friendships with those she worked with. Among her most important achievements during this time was the introduction of Western education and her successes in fighting against the practice of twin infanticide.

Throughout her time in Nigeria, Slessor temporarily returned to Scotland to recover from periods of deteriorating health due to bouts of malaria. She never, however, stayed permanently. After each health furlough, she returned to her missionary work. Near the end of her life, she was so weakened by years of malaria and severe fevers she could no longer walk unaided. Still, she continued her work. She died in January of 1915 and was given the colonial equivalent of a state funeral.

Source - Indiana Voice Journal

What was known as the Third Great Awakening in United States History saw a revival of religious belief and the birth of multiple new religious movements and denominations.  From the mid-1800s to the early 20th century, Americans were drawn to the many new preachers and evangelists who popped up during this time. Among them was one by the name Maria Woodworth-Etter.

Born in the state of Ohio, Woodworth-Etter reportedly did not have much of a relationship with the Christian faith growing up. It wasn’t until the age of thirteen that she converted to Christianity and became officially affiliated with any sort of church or denomination.

Shortly after converting, Woodworth-Etter received the first of many reported communications from God, saying he told her to “go to the highways and hedges and gather the lost sheep.”

In 1863, she married Philo Horace Woodworth in the hopes that she would be able to do missionary work with him since her denomination did not allow women to do so. They had six children together though only one of them survived past childhood.

At the start of her first marriage, Woodworth-Etter and her husband began to work as farmers in order to support their family. However, this endeavor ultimately failed and they both had to find other means of work. During her struggle to find work and deal with the losses of her children, Woodworth-Etter was certain of one thing: that it was her destiny to preach.

After the Woodworth’s farm failed, the husband and wife team founded a traveling ministry that preached all over the midwestern United States. Woodworth-Etter became famous as many believed that God would come to her during her sermons. During this time, Woodworth-Etter claims she received a direct message from God and Jesus asking her to pray on behalf of the poor. Following the reported vision, Woodworth-Etter’s sermons grew in popularity after she began to heal afflicted individuals in front of her congregation.

Though Woodworth-Etter’s preaching landed her in trouble on a few occasions, such as when she was arrested for falsely claiming she could heal others or when she was deemed insane by a group of psychiatrists after she had claimed to have seen God, she continued to preach throughout the Midwest. In 1891, she divorced her husband on the grounds of infidelity. Both had gained recognition for their sermons, but Woodworth-Etter continued to travel and gained more notoriety.

In 1902, Woodworth-Etter met Samuel Etter in Arkansas, United States and later married him. The two traveled together while Woodworth-Etter continued her work as a preacher. Though Etter would pass away about 10 years later, Woodworth-Etter continued to travel nevertheless, believing that her purpose in life had not been fulfilled yet. In 1912, shortly before her husband’s death, Woodworth-Etter joined the newly formed Pentecostal movement, helping to grow its legitimacy and popularity throughout the United States.

In 1918, Woodworth-Etter founded what is today the Lakeview Church in Indianapolis, United States, a church that is still active today. Though she turned her Indiana church into her “headquarters”, Woodworth-Etter continued to travel - less frequently - around the country to preach and give sermons until her death in 1924

Source - mentalfloss.com

The achievements of black people in the United States have been ignored for most of its history. Though she has been recognized for her mathematical prowess and role in the 1969 Moon Landing, it was only recently that Katherine Johnson was given the praise she so rightfully deserved.

Born the youngest of four children in West Virginia, United States, Johnson showed her mathematical aptitude from a young age. She advanced through her formal education quickly, graduating from high school at the age of just ten. By fourteen, Johnson was enrolled in university. While at West Virginia University, Johnson took every mathematics course made available to her. She graduated at the age of eighteen, the age most people start their college educations.

After marrying her first husband, James Goble, Johnson began to pursue graduate-level education in mathematics. Though she quit a year later after becoming pregnant and choosing to focus on her family. During this time, Johnson played a pivotal role in the integration of West Virginia University following the United States Supreme Court Case Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada. The court case ruled that states that provided higher public education to white students had to also provide it to black students.

After finishing her education, Johnson chose to be a research mathematician, a daunting task to undertake given that it was notoriously difficult for women to enter the field, not to mention African American women in a time of institutional sexism and segregation. In 1952, she began working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which hired black people while being supervised by whites. She worked as a computer for them, though her workplace was still subject to federal segregation laws.

While working alongside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), she calculated Alan Shepherd's 1961 flight’s trajectory successfully, a major victory for the United States in the so-called “Space Race” against the Soviet Union. She also calculated the launch window for Shepherd's 1961 Mercury Project flight.

Johnson was so adept at mathematics that, when NASA first began to use electronic computers for their calculations, Johnson was called to double-check the computer’s results.

One of her most notable achievements was her work on the 1969 Apollo 11 Mission, one that would ultimately see man land on the moon for the first time. The notoriously difficult mission was considered the end of the “Space Race” with the American victory, all thanks to Johnson and her work.

Later on in her career, Johnson worked for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, one that defined space travel in the latter half of the twentieth century. By the time she retired, the plans to send a rover to Mars were being drafted.

Johnson has received many prestigious awards throughout her lifetime. In 2015, then-United States President Barack Obama honoured her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian awards given. She was one of only seventeen individuals to receive it in 2015. She also received NASA’s Silver Snoopy Award, given to individuals who greatly contributed to the success and safe conclusion to NASA missions.

Johnson recently received greater national attention in the United States following the movie Hidden Figures where she was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson. The film highlighted her role and the role of the large number of black women who contributed to the success of the Apollo 11 mission. The movie was praised for giving those women a long-overdue celebration.

I had the opportunity recently to meet Noel Lourdes, the Managing Director at Kemtron Gaskets & Seals, at a Pine Hub Entrepreneurs Toolkit event. Noel wears an impressive suit and carries a history of successful leadership behind him, having acted in a number of directorial positions for several years now. I asked Noel if he could share with me his first-hand advice for finding such renown, and he provided for me a brief list along with the name Per Wimmer. This was when I first encountered the Seven Wimmer Values.

Pushing boundaries and making history for several decades now, Per Wimmer is an entrepreneur and an adventurer with an enthusiasm for turning dreams into reality. His seven values, those that Noel had shared with me, are Wimmer’s own tools for success as he pursues the title of the first private Dane in space. And these values have brought him far – to the peak of Mount Everest, in fact. What makes the Wimmer Values particularly notable is that they are not complex or inaccessible. Rather, any entrepreneur can apply them to his or her own business and benefit. As such, I am eager to share these core principles.

  The Seven Wimmer Values

 Wimmer Value One| Think out of the box

 Creativity and innovation are vital to entrepreneurial success. The world evolves endlessly, and what is valued one day will be forgotten by the next. Successful entrepreneurs understand that they cannot be resistant to this truth. Instead they embrace it, allowing their products and services to grow with society. They are open to change and allow themselves to be inspired by the universe’s tendency to fluctuate. Adaptation is not a weakness, but rather a willingness to innovate.

  Wimmer Value Two | Follow your heart and passion

 When a person is passionate about their work, it shows. They put in the time and effort to deliver the highest quality goods and services. They seek out new experiences, new understanding and new ideas. They deliver results with enthusiasm and excitement. When an entrepreneur truly takes pride in their product, consumers are far more receptive and business soars.

Additionally, passion is a powerful motivator for any professional. Long hours of hard work are much less daunting when the result has significance to the individual. It can be tempting to forgo heart when presented with material gain, but a large effort is only sustainable if there is joy in the process.

 Wimmer Value Three | Focus and execution

 Work without a goal is unlikely to reward. A goal without pursuit is unattainable. To succeed in their field, an entrepreneur must be able to both define their objective and take the steps necessary to reach it. If the current direction of a company does not support the overarching goal of its employees, then there needs to be a change in either its focus or its execution. Don’t spend precious time on projects that don’t align with the business’s intent. Act with purpose and precision.

 Wimmer Value Four | Time discipline

 There is only so much time in the day, and successful entrepreneurs know how to make the most of each minute. Time discipline requires restraint, commitment and a realistic approach to scheduling. Establish clear priorities, know how much time each action will take and accept that no one can do everything. Entrepreneurs must be willing to turn down invitations when they are short on time, but also to accept priceless opportunities regardless of their fears. They understand the value of their time and they are keenly aware of how they spend it.

 Wimmer Value Five | Teamwork

 No man is an island. Success is a collaborative effort, the result of unique minds coming together and working towards a common objective. An entrepreneur should know their strengths and identify the value in those around them. Delegate tasks, and never be afraid to ask for the help of colleagues or friends. A fresh pair of eyes may see new solutions to a problem. As Wimmer reminds, “the sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts alone.”

 Wimmer Value Six | Take calculated risks

 While it is true that big risks can have big rewards, entrepreneurs should be discerning about the risks they take. Always know what stands to be lost and question whether the potential benefits are worthwhile. Profit is enticing, but the loss of integrity, respect or sustainability is not worth gamble. Before making a major decision, a professional should be sure they have considered what is at stake. Never act just for the sake of acting.

 Wimmer Value Seven | Inspire others

 If an entrepreneur reaches their goal, that is one person’s success. But if along the way they motivate their neighbours to pursue their own objectives, then the entire community can thrive. Connect with those around you and encourage them to chase greatness. While a professional’s work may be forgotten, they can continue to achieve through those they have inspired.

Author - Megan Schrader & Noel Lourdes

by Aoife Gaffney of Prudence Moneypenny Coaching

     Two of the most powerful words in the English language are “I am”.  

     We can choose to make positive or negative statements about ourselves.  Our minds will believe what we say, regardless of whether or not it’s true.

         I am tired and worn out.

         I am energised and full of vitality.

         I am hopeless and unsure of myself.

         I am confident and resilient.

    Try the statements for yourself and what happens.

    It’s a common myth to think that some people are born with natural confidence and the ability to bounce back after setbacks. The real truth is that confidence is a skill that can be developed over time and resilience will follow naturally.

    Most people, at some point in their lives, will experience a set back or two.  We cannot change what happens but we can change how we react to external events with a few simple techniques that, if practiced daily, can be life changing.  

    Many years ago, I found myself in a very challenging situation.

         I had two mortgages that I could not pay.

         I had been made redundant and my industry sector was not hiring.

         My relationship had broken down.

         I was massively in debt.

    I had 2 choices; sink or swim.

    Here are a few techniques that worked for me and I continue to practice daily.

Master your mind

    What “I am” stories are you telling yourself? Are they real?  What evidence do you have to support those current beliefs? Focus on new beliefs and find evidence to support those instead.

    I told myself “I am bad at managing money” and my current reality was that I was drowning in debt.  I had evidence to support my belief.  I then decided that I was no longer willing to live my life like that and I needed to create a new reality and find new, supporting evidence.

    I began to tell myself “I am a good steward of money” and I found stories of people who had gotten themselves out of debt.

There is success in momentum

    Like many people, I am usually trying to tame an enormous to do list that gets seems to get longer rather than shorter.  

    I would often start my day with a huge to do list and finish the day not having achieved very much and then beat myself up and feel overwhelmed. Multi-tasking is a myth. It is more productive to do one task well rather than 4 tasks simultaneously and badly.

    I started to get laser focused on my priorities. Instead of a lengthy list of things to do, I decided to categorise my tasks into 4 sections

Do

Decide

Delegate

Ditch

    The tasks in to Do section were urgent, important, absolutely non negotiable and had to be done by me.

    Decide section contained tasks that were important but not urgent and I was deciding whether or not they even needed to be done.

    I started to delegate what I could to free up my mind and my time.  What could I get my family to help me out with and what expert advice did I need to ask for.

    Everything else got flung into the Ditch category. Did I really need to tidy my sock drawer; did I really need to spend an hour watching rubbish on TV?

    Then I started to celebrate my successes. Instead of “to do”, I had “ta dah!”. I felt great celebrating my wins instead of immediately moving onto the next thing. The more I celebrated my wins, the more I wanted to do and do well. I began to associate pleasure and happiness with completion and achievement.

     If you are absolutely emotionally attached to having a task list, I highly recommend the book “Rock Your To Do List”.  

Unconscious reminders

    Once I had made a conscious decision to get out of debt and get my life back on track, I needed to figure out a way to keep myself from slipping into old habits.

    I wrote down the exact amount of money I needed, what I needed it for how I would feel when I had sorted things out.  I used a mixture of vision boards, affirmations, visual anchors and afformations to set up effortless and unconscious reminders to myself in case I felt that it was all to hard.

    I had symbols of money, pictures of me when I was happier, images of my dream home and pictures of images that made me happy on my vision board.  I took a photo of the board and used it as a screen saver on my phone and my computer.

    I stuck affirmations and afformations on post its and stuck them around the house, in my car and put them into my wallet; again to remind my unconscious mind to stay on track.  An affirmation is a positive statement, similar to a positive “I am” statement.  According to Noah St John, “afformations are empowering questions that immediately change your subconscious thought patterns from negative to positive – by changing your beliefs about yourself and your relationship to the universe.”

    For example, using the “I am statements” above, I could change “I am confident and resilient into a question “how am I always so confident and resilient?”  This immediately forces my mind to believe that the question being asked needs an answer and encouraged me to look for evidence to support the question.   It works beyond the demands of the original affirmation.

Live with an attitude of gratitude

    Many of the world’s most successful people maintain a daily practice of gratitude, either written or intentional.

    Oprah Winfrey says she kept a gratitude journal for ten years without fail during her ascent to stardom, she still maintains this practice today.

    Tim Ferriss, entrepreneur and author of “The four hour work week” who has spent his  much career studying the habits of top-performers, journals about what he’s grateful for as part of his morning routine.  

    It can be easy to overlook simple things that we can take for granted each day like freedom, fresh air to breath, and food to drink.  There are also many opportunities, and forms of support we have around us that build a foundation of confidence and encourage us to believe in ourselves.  All we have to do is shift our focus, ask for help and be ready to make positive change.

About the Author

by Megan Schrader

    I had the opportunity recently to meet Noel Lourdes, the Managing Director at Kemtron Gaskets & Seals, at a Pine Hub Entrepreneurs Toolkit event. Noel wears an impressive suit and carries a history of successful leadership behind him, having acted in a number of directorial positions for several years now. I asked Noel if he could share with me his first-hand advice for finding such renown, and he provided for me a brief list along with the name Per Wimmer. This was when I first encountered the Seven Wimmer Values.

    Pushing boundaries and making history for several decades now, Per Wimmer is an entrepreneur and an adventurer with an enthusiasm for turning dreams into reality. His seven values, those that Noel had shared with me, are Wimmer’s own tools for success as he pursues the title of the first private Dane in space. And these values have brought him far – to the peak of Mount Everest, in fact. What makes the Wimmer Values particularly notable is that they are not complex or inaccessible. Rather, any entrepreneur can apply them to his or her own business and benefit. As such, I am eager to share these core principles.

The Seven Wimmer Values

Wimmer Value One| Think out of the box

    Creativity and innovation are vital to entrepreneurial success. The world evolves endlessly, and what is valued one day will be forgotten by the next. Successful entrepreneurs understand that they cannot be resistant to this truth. Instead they embrace it, allowing their products and services to grow with society. They are open to change and allow themselves to be inspired by the universe’s tendency to fluctuate. Adaptation is not a weakness, but rather a willingness to innovate.

Wimmer Value Two | Follow your heart and passion

     When a person is passionate about their work, it shows. They put in the time and effort to deliver the highest quality goods and services. They seek out new experiences, new understanding and new ideas. They deliver results with enthusiasm and excitement. When an entrepreneur truly takes pride in their product, consumers are far more receptive and business soars.

    Additionally, passion is a powerful motivator for any professional. Long hours of hard work are much less daunting when the result has significance to the individual. It can be tempting to forgo heart when presented with material gain, but a large effort is only sustainable if there is joy in the process.

Wimmer Value Three | Focus and execution

    Work without a goal is unlikely to reward. A goal without pursuit is unattainable. To succeed in their field, an entrepreneur must be able to both define their objective and take the steps necessary to reach it. If the current direction of a company does not support the overarching goal of its employees, then there needs to be a change in either its focus or its execution. Don’t spend precious time on projects that don’t align with the business’s intent. Act with purpose and precision.

Wimmer Value Four | Time discipline

     There is only so much time in the day, and successful entrepreneurs know how to make the most of each minute. Time discipline requires restraint, commitment and a realistic approach to scheduling. Establish clear priorities, know how much time each action will take and accept that no one can do everything. Entrepreneurs must be willing to turn down invitations when they are short on time, but also to accept priceless opportunities regardless of their fears. They understand the value of their time and they are keenly aware of how they spend it.

Wimmer Value Five | Teamwork

     No man is an island. Success is a collaborative effort, the result of unique minds coming together and working towards a common objective. An entrepreneur should know their strengths and identify the value in those around them. Delegate tasks, and never be afraid to ask for the help of colleagues or friends. A fresh pair of eyes may see new solutions to a problem. As Wimmer reminds, “the sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts alone.”

Wimmer Value Six | Take calculated risks

     While it is true that big risks can have big rewards, entrepreneurs should be discerning about the risks they take. Always know what stands to be lost and question whether the potential benefits are worthwhile. Profit is enticing, but the loss of integrity, respect or sustainability is not worth gamble. Before making a major decision, a professional should be sure they have considered what is at stake. Never act just for the sake of acting.

Wimmer Value Seven | Inspire others

     If an entrepreneur reaches their goal, that is one person’s success. But if along the way they motivate their neighbours to pursue their own objectives, then the entire community can thrive. Connect with those around you and encourage them to chase greatness. While a professional’s work may be forgotten, they can continue to achieve through those they have inspired.

Feeling inspired? Learn more about Per Wimmer’s work at http://www.wimmerspace.com/.

About the Author