Need to kick start your business? Find your zest for life? Think Lego!

Last week was my son's 8th birthday. What he wanted more than anything else was Lego. From F1 Mclaren racing cars to Star Wars space ships. He has a real knack for them, deftly creating something amazing in half the time you would have hoped considering the amount of money the kits cost.

This got me thinking.

Firstly why is it no matter how much you check the floor for toys before commencing the hoovering there will always be a piece of Lego, a marble or one of Polly pockets shoes clanking around inside the hoover within 30 seconds? Amazing isn't it?

I believe there must be a black hole that opens up when I start hoovering and it spews out random bits of toy for me to spend 20 minutes sifting through the dusty, "O.M.G this is dead skin cells" dirt of the content of my hoover cylinder.

And no, bagless hoovers do not make this task easier. It just brings it to your distraught child's attention quicker. Where as you may have thought "Really how many shoes does Polly Pocket need? I'm sure she wouldn't miss one" Your daughter/Son is already imploring you to stop attempting to make the house look nice and try to get 20 more jobs done before you get tea started, and in actual fact you really want to spend 20 minutes going through the contents of your hoover.

The second thing that I thought, (was far nicer). As a child I too loved Lego. Okay technically I am just helping my son build things with it at this age. Technically at 35 I am not playing I am assisting my children - although if my husband is in the room too, my son quickly susses the safest option is to leave the room before his parents barge him out of the way and don't let him play with his own toys. He can be a right meanie you know.

The thing I loved about Lego is it did exactly what it said it would. You looked on the box, you found all the pieces inside and following the simple instructions, you too could build exactly what Lego had built. You could put your finished model next to the box and you would not be able to tell the difference.

How many toys as a child did you have that really could rise to this? How many times did you unwrap the cellophane and carefully open the box, only to be disappointed because there wasn't actually aliens clambering across the middle of the game, they had just added those on the front to make it LOOK exciting and amazing, when in actual fact the most exciting thing about the came was the sound the pop up dice made.

Lego doesn't play with you like this and never has. Ironically it is also the only present you receive that you are excited by the fact that it sounds like a very broken box of china. Under normal circumstances that noise, would get you walking as far a way from the Christmas tree as possible with a "that had nothing to do with me" look on your face.

What I wanted to share with you here was a great tip for you in your personal and professional life. Whether its concentrating on an area of your business or making changes in your personal life. THINK LEGO.

Don't just work out what you want and how you are going to get it. Try this. Imagine walking into a store and in every aisle there are thousands of boxes floor to ceiling and on every box is a picture of you. In each picture you are doing exactly what you want to do in some area of your life. Maybe you are stood by your dream car, in your ideal office location wearing just the perfect outfit looking amazing, or maybe you are lounging by a pool outside your idyllic home. Whatever your heart desires is in this store, just for you. Pick a box, don't get greedy now, come back another day for another one.

Now really think Lego. Describe that box cover to yourself in detail, know exactly what it looks like. Now open that box and follow those instructions. If you ever did Lego as a child you will know that although there maybe 30 pages of instructions to follow at every stage you only add about 5 pieces. So what 5 pieces are you going to add, today? if this sounds a bit daft, think about it from a different angle.

If I offered you every piece of Lego in the world and said you can build everything you want to. It would probably feel rather overwhelming. There are so many options to choose from where do you start? So back up and wander into your personalised Lego store, pick up a box, and follow the simple instructions. Don't try and build everything on the box today, just add 5 little pieces.

When you really think through what you want, you have a natural ability to head towards it. But it can still be a daunting job, so break it down, into little tiny pieces. and ask yourself this. I can see my completed image on the front of the box, what one thing could I do to work towards that?

I have a Lego box in front of me right now. It shows a picture of an office, with a fluffy "stupadog" at my feet and I am sat at my desk reading emails from around the world about everyone else's Lego boxes and I am smiling.

So don't look at everyone else's Lego boxes, wander through your own store and enjoy. Life should be more about playing and enjoying yourself right?

Well the Easter Hols have started, and so here I am struggling to not let the "I should be's" get me.

As a business woman I love the way that with my chosen profession I can work the hours I want around my family, because ultimately I love being a Mum and I love being with and playing with my children. As I always say there is such a short time in their lives that they are little and that they actually WANT to be with me and I want to take advantage of every moment of that.

So in the school Hols I do my best to keep my diary free, when I do work I work iin the evening when they are in bed, or hubby can do playtime, or arrange a play date with grandad and nana, and thanks to the E world I can always find an hour to keep in touch with my business world.

Lets face it children dont notice you exist when they are in front of a Wii!

So this is all great for my children but the flip side is the worry about the effect this is having on my business. "I should be doing this" "I should be doing that" Can I really get away with not working everyday for two weeks and still have the successful business I want?

But who does that attitude help? It certainly does nothing for my mindset.The fact is that I am a good business woman, I am achieving what I want to, so I hold on to this knowledge. And do you know what? Building sandcastles and eating chips on the beach feels all the better for knowing that I can have the business I want and the fun I want with my children.

So when the "I should's" hit over the next two weeks I will smile knowing that everything is just fine.

I'd love to know how do you balance life, maybe not with children, but maybe with partners, hobbies, friends, or fitness. What ever it is do you always have the balance you would like? and how do you achieve it?Please share your ideas for a happy balanced successful life?I look forward to sharing with you via Twitter of Facebook.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter what ever you are doing.

Best Wishes,Mandie

Ive got what I wanted

For those that know me I have had a scary few weeks. 2 weeks ago I was rushed to hospital unable to breathe suffering from severe chest pain. Everyone (including me) thought heart attack, which is near on impossible, I am healthy, fit and have never even tried a cigarette so it was unlikely, but E.C.Gs and chest x-rays ensured. 2 Weeks later I am no better, and thanks to the interesting breathing I feel like I am about to pass out all the time.

The answer? The doctor signed me off for 2 weeks and gave me scary float off to the ceiling tablets, which I wont take.

Well we are one week exactly into this "rest, put your feet up and enjoy doing nothing" fortnight, and I am NOT enjoying it.

I love walking through the park and running with my children, I like a tidy home, I like an empty wash basket and I love my job. Its a great job I spend hours talking to people helping them appreciate their strengths and understand and tackle their weaknesses. To watch people achieve things they always thought were unattainable is a great way to spend your time and I am so missing it.

This got me thinking (as I often do) about what we really want. Life has been so hectic recently with the launch of The Business Woman's Network, writing for magazines, seminars, workshops, Coaching and not forgetting my wonderful children and hubby, I have on the odd occasion listened to the sound of the alarm and thought "wouldn't it be nice to just ignore that and lay here all day" Well to the Mandie of 2 weeks ago "NO it would not be nice to lay here!"

If one good thing comes out of feeling this yuck I know that it is an even bigger appreciation of my life. I rarely go a day where I do not look at my children or hug my hubby and not think "aren't I lucky" but now I can really appreciate everything.

I have my goals laid out for where I am taking my business and the business ventures that I am involved in, but I now appreciate that although I have not reached these yet I am enjoying the journey.

It made me think. How often are we looking into the distance at what we want to achieve, own or create that maybe we don't take the time to notice what we already have achieved, what we already have and do bring into this world and the peoples lives that surround us?

So today stop for a

moment and think, "What do I appreciate?" Its great to have goals and ambitions but if you are constantly looking over the horizon will you end up treading on and damaging what you already have?

So as I sit here in bed and think "Oh no, another week yet and no sign of improvement" I am also thinking.

What a great life I lead, and what a great opportunity to stand back and appreciate what is already around me. But don't worry I can still clearly see the horizon and I know its as bright and sunny as the here and now.