On this glorious bank holiday Monday I hope that you are in a position to enjoy the weather and find some time to unwind and relax. Women’s mini marathon

I am running the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon today for the seventh year in a row.  I’ll be joining  the  thousands of women who have decided to do something good for themselves and at the same time raise money for charity.  It is indeed a win-win situation.

Motivation often comes from focusing on rewards.  The reward system in your mind is very strong but it can need help at times to be channeled positively.  I believe in living in the present moment but also in setting clear, attainable goals that focus the mind and allow us to reach our full positive potential.

As summer is now well and truly in full swing, why not think about something that you wish to achieve this summer?  It doesn’t have to be anything huge, any change that genuinely  rewards you is significant. Our minds are activated by reward and this can be used to both our advantage and our detriment.   The reward from becoming fitter, making healthier choices, brushing up on a language, reading more books  or spending more time with positive people is a reward worth pursuing.

To help you define what goals you wish to pursue, think back to times in your life when you felt fulfilled and were achieving.  Ask yourself what things were you doing then that you are not doing anymore? Find one goal that makes you feel good just by thinking about it and imagine/visualise how amazing you will feel when you have achieved it. I’ve been doing this  for seven years now with the Mini Marathon and it clearly activates something in my mind that  keeps me focused on training and raising money for my chosen charity.