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Date: Thursday 14^th July 2011

Venue:  Dexter Montague LLP Solicitors, 105 Oxford Road, Reading, RG1 7UD

Trainer: Stephen Wells - AIM to Succeed

 This highly interactive workshop was be facilitated by Stephen Wells, founder of AIM to Succeed.  Steve coaches Businesses and Individuals to help them reach their full potential by identifying previously hidden strengths and unbridled ambition.                 

In the literature for the event Steve suggested that we would be introduced (possibly for the first time) to the real you - the aim of this workshop.  This was the part that really grabbed me! 

As a group, we identified the following key objectives:

• Who is the real me?  
• What is it that makes me?
• What defines me?

Learning about yourself and what influences the decisions you make.  Building on the positives and learning to look at the old negatives in a new light.  Fascinating stuff and I'm confident that all those who attended the session agree that we certainly achieved this and a whole lot more!

We all have different experiences and what they mean to each of us.  Steve opened the workshop by asking each of us to introduce ourselves to the rest of the group, by stating what it is that defines us.  Tricky!

Introductions done, we moved on to try to define 'what I am' by compiling a personal list. 

My list began...

• I am Diane
• I am a wife to David
• I am a soon to be mum
• I am a member of JCI Reading Board of Directors
• I am an HR Business Partner etc  etc

Exploring these lists we discussed them and Steve took us deeper into how we use them to define ourselves. As I thought more about my 'what I am' list, my list began to grow at rapid speed including:

• I am happy
• I am loving
• I am a foodie
• I am motivated
• I am not creative

 The list is endless and will have to be rewritten continuously as I reflect.

While reflecting on the lists Steve also talked about perceptions and how we can each have very different views of the same story.  Steve provides an excellent example of this theory by reading us a detailed story.  It's fascinating how we each process and filter information so differently. 

This moved onto how we all use language patterns and how we process the world around us (as it happens) :

• Delete, distort and generalise information
• Are influenced by values and beliefs
• Posess internal representation
• Intrasinctly link our state to our physiology

.....attitude, passion & self belief

Which lead us to some interesting NLP concept, including Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

• Higher purpose / Identity
• Values
• Beliefs
• Capabilities
• Behaviors
• Environment

In summary, Steve explained the theory that by learning about ourselves we will be able to move forward with a new insight into 'our' world and how we are really in control of it.  Setting us up perfectly to set new goals and ensure that we achieve them.

Throughout the course of the workshop, Steve guided us through:

The current you:

• All the things that we are
• What made us think that is us
• What we have achieved so far
•  The Real you:

Steve challenged us to step into ourselves with new knowledge and identify who we really are, asking us to let yourself go and dream our dream.

This was our opportunity to ensure we know why we want to be where we want to be.  Allowing us to set ourselves ambitious and honest goals knowing that we committed to achieving them.

Steve closed the workshop by asking each of us to write a postcard which we addressed to ourselves with a short note of what we had promised ourselves personally.  Steve committed to post these to each of us in 21 days time as a reminder.  What a great idea - thanks Steve! 

Personally, I thought this was an excellent workshop provided by an excellent, passionate and highly knowledgeable trainer.  I got a lot from it, it really makes you think about who you are, what you want to be, how you will get there and what you already are and that's only scratching the surface! 

Trainer:

Training was provided by Stephen Wells, founder of AIM to Succeed

 AIM to Succeed:

• Ambition
• Inspiration
• Motivation

 Steve is also JCI Reading President 2011.

 Other workshops by AIM to Succeed include:

Leadership Workbook
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
Setting a DREAM goal

Resource Recognition

Finally, on behalf of all those who participated, thank you sincerely Steve for a fabulous workshop, it was highly interesting, informative, provided food for thought and good fun!

Review written by Diane Edgington (JCI Reading Training Director / HR Business Partner for the EMEA region Seagate Technology)

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Since finding JCI in 2009 Steve become a changed man.

Jumping straight in and going to the 2009 World congress in Tunisia only a few months after joining he found something that had been missing, a true passion. Being around a group of people that had energy by the bucket and determination to succeed Steve revitalised that he too the spark.

With a passion for people as his focus he set up AIM to Succeed Success Coaching. Working with Businesses and Individual helping them to identify their true passion and dream goals then helping them use the resources they already have to start their journey towards them, safe in the knowledge that they can achieve them.

When he took over as JCI Reading President in Dec 2010 he finished his speech with the following statement (an adaptation of Budha's 1000's candles)

I NOW walk through life with a fire burning bright inside me,

if I drop sparks on you let them burn,

for someday you will drop sparks of your own

and light a fire in someone’s life. – Stephen Wells 2010

If you would like to meet Steve and have him help you find your true calling, then come along to JCI Reading on Thursday 14^th July where his is running his Say hello to the real you workshop. This is your opportunity to find out what defines you and why you make the choices you make.

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 JCI Reading Training Session Review

“The Speed Reading Coach” with Alex Garcez

 Date: Thursday 30th June 2011 @ 7.00pm

Venue: Positive Computing, 252-256 Kings Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 4HP

In the 'experience what speed reading feels like, live!' workshop Alex Garcez, the speed reading coach, opened the session delivered to JCI Reading members by measuring everyone's reading speed.  i.e. how many words can you read comfortably in 1 minute?  Most of us could read somewhere between 150-300 words.  It’s interesting to understand that we tend to read at the same speed that we talk.  Therefore, if you normally speak quickly, you probably read faster than people who speak slowly.  Interesting!     

Alex then progressed to explain what happens with our eyes while reading so that we could begin to understand the principles of speed reading.

We think at least 10 times faster than we talk, isn’t that incredible! We can use this power to learn how to read faster and remember more of what we read.  Alex explained that even though we may not have noticed previously, that we’re probably sounding the words inside our heads.  We need to learn to silence this imaginary voice! 

Alex estimates that we skip back to re-read about 30% of the time.  If we become more focused and skip back only 10% of the time, we will be speed reading without even applying any of the techniques available.

Through use of stories and by comparing the act of speed reading with playing a video game Alex explained; whenever you start a new game you fail quite quickly but if you spend a few minutes practicing, your mind speeds up and you feel comfortable again and keep improving because our brain loves speed.

Alex continued to differentiate between the left and right sides of our brain:

Left Brain:

• Can comprehend
• Detail orientated
• Sequential and linear
• Words and language
• Time orientated
• Past and future
• Knows Name
• Safe

Right Brain:

• Can ‘get it’ (i.e. meaning)
• ‘Big Picture’ Orientated
• Holistic
• Symbols and Images
• Not time based
• Present
• Knows Face
• Risk Taking

To close the session, Alex presented a short video where everyone was required to read text which flashed one word at a time on a screen at a speed of 350 words per minute.  It was interesting that we could all understand the text, even when the speed was increased dramatically to 500 words per minute and 3 words per line.   

In summary, throughout the session we covered the following key points: 

• What your actual reading speed is
• The tricks to learn how to speed read
• That your brain loves speed!
• How to do it and you will experience how it feels...
• Slow is boring and fast is fun!!

Further information, including a tutoritial is available at:

www.zapreader.com

Special Promotion:

 Alex has made a special promotion of his 4 hour training session for JCI Reading members and friends: 

 Please click the link below to view all the dates available and to book yourself onto one of 

his public courses in London, or for a minimum group of 5 people in Reading.

http://www.thespeedreadingcoach.com/learn-with-us/public-courses/ 

To receive the special discount and pay £130.00 pp:

• Choose a date from the list and enter the number of places they want to book
• Please email Steve to get the promo code
• Click “Apply Discount” and the price will be “£130.00”
• Click “ORDER NOW”

This discount code will be valid until 31st July 2011.

Following the training, Alex would expect to see an improvement from 50% to 300%.

Finally, on behalf of all those who participated in the session, thank you Alex!

For more information Alex Garcez follow the link

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Trainer Biography

Alex Garcez teaches time pressured city professionals to read twice as fast.

He was a slow reader himself and after a breakthrough experience he has learned to read faster.

Alex has developed a new system that helps ambitious professionals to gain knowledge quickly and after 7 years of experience he has happy clients from Companies including JP Morgan, KPMG and IBM.

 With the Internet doubling every year, new information is becoming out of date faster than ever, whilst our ability to process information is still the same and the great majority still read like they used to as a teenager and can't read faster than they talk.

 Most people don't question their reading speed because they don't know there is a way to measure it.

 Alex delivers an intensive 4 hour speed reading training, teaching the tools and techniques to set his students up with a skill for life and he guarantees 33% improvement.

www.TheSpeedReadingCoach.com

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