I believe that one of the main reasons people fail to achieve their goals and do the things they really want to is lack of self-belief. I think that one of the solutions is to get out there and ask for feedback. This is something some of us (me included) tend to shy away from. But though ostriches feel safe it may just be a false sense of security.

If you ask for feedback then there is something you can do that will help you to receive the best kind of criticism only - constructive.

So, ask the person giving you feedback to do the following three things:

1    Say what they liked

2    Say where they felt they would have liked to know a bit more or could have done with more information

3    Make suggestions as to how they think you could improve.

This approach  makes it much easier to ask for feedback. And then, because this kind of feedback tends to make you feel good, optimistic and that you are on the right track, you start to beleive you are doing OK - and that helps develop self-belief.

So, as I head off for a week or so away, in the US and Canada and will be absent for a while I would like to give the new look Flowers some feedback . . .

I really like the new style site, particularly the forums. It is easy to navigate and makes me feel really involved. It has a warm and inclusive atmosphere.

I would like to know more about what lies beneath each of those tags (forum, about etc), with some kind of pop up bubble thing explaining them, so I can decide whether to click through or not. I would like an explanation of what the site is about at the top of the home page, before the blogs, just a paragraph, or mission statement so that newbies are instantly sure of what Flowers is about.

As for improvements, I’ll wait for the glitches to be removed before I suggest any. Right now, I know it is in transition. So a high five to RYK.

So, how did that feel?

Do we believe in ourselves?

Jo, the expat inspirer off to inspire a few hundred expats at FIGT 2008