Well this past week I’ve been slowing down a little and stopped chasing my tail. I’ve reigned in my time spent on social networking, written yet another timetable for day to day tasks, which, yes, unlike new year’s resolutions I am sticking too!
The freeing up of some time, meditating more, and generally just looking after me a bit better is starting to pay off. My concentration is heightened and I’m starting to get back to working through my list of goals for the year.
Setting up a mastermind group was a big one, and if you haven’t started one yet, do consider it. Ours is working really well; the support is great between us. We come together regularly and have a catch up, brainstorm, share business products and courses we’ve found useful and also do a little bit of business with each other. Oh, yes ok then, and we have a bit of a chinwag, but building relationships is what’s it’s all about.
This week, in fact just yesterday, I set about achieving another business goal. I have contacted an international businessman to ask him to be my mentor. Like the mastermind groups, it’s straight from the book of business coach Jack Canfield. The mastermind group helps you to support each other and set goals, whereas a mentor helps you by passing on advice, probably giving you a swift kick up the backside when you dilly dally on projects, but ultimately, you have someone to talk to who has been there done it and can help you to avoid the pitfalls.
The idea of a mentor is to speak with them for around ten minutes a month, enough time to ask any questions that might be bugging you and get a reasonable response.
It’s best to choose someone whom you admire and think you can work with though it doesn’t necessarily have to be someone from your industry; the person I’ve approached isn’t a photographer.
I have known for a long time who I wanted to approach, I read one of his books so I could get to understand the person behind the figurehead to see how he thought, to see if we might be a match. I loved his book, he made me giggle, inspired and touched me, most of all I understood that he’s the kind of person that I can approach out of the blue with a random request and not be laughed out of town.
My biggest problem about asking him was the how. Did I turn up at his office and try and get to see him? Did I try and approach him via social media? I very seriously considered hovering outside an event I know he’s speaking at, but can’t afford to attend, but decided none of these might be quite the right approach. In the end I decided on a letter, which as I write is winging its way to his office.
A letter wasn’t actually the easiest way for me to contact him; being someone who likes to write, and knowing that I should keep it as short as possible as he’s a busy man, was a challenge in itself. Did I keep it brief? Well it’s certainly shorter than the first 4 drafts, and I was very happy with it by the time I finished. I made my request explaining what it would entail and then finished with a little bit about me, who I am and what I’m doing.
If you aren’t sure if this is for you because you are a bit nervous about making such a request, just remember the worst they can say is no, and then what have you lost? Nothing! But think what you stand to gain if they say yes. Watch this space!
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Living in the beautiful rural county of Yorkshire it was perhaps natural for Ruth to have an affinity with the countryside and its wildlife. Creativity is Ruth’s driving force finding an outlet in television & radio she worked for many years as producer for BBC & ITV.
However a love of photography and for being surrounded by nature called her to go back to her photography training and bring pleasure and joy to people through her connection with our planet.
Staying in the moment when taking her images allows her to experience the natural magnificence unfolding before her eyes. It is this moment of mediation, of gratitude, that she evocatively conveys through her images.