Here you are, finished with the Thanksgiving obligations and family drama, facing holiday shopping,preparation, and commitments, ready to turn the corner to another New Year of possibilities.
YIKES!
Another stress moment; New Year’s resolution time!
For some of you this is a time to feel like an under-achiever. Once again making a promise not kept. Setting expectations high in hopes of making it part way. Finding yourself setting the same goals year after year. Are you navigate your life’s path alone, without guidance, someone to keep it real while keeping it achievable? Do you know what you might want to strive for this year?
Let’s take a look at some of your options:
Health/Fitness Goals – Being as healthy as you can seems simple enough; yet for some of you, this is an on-going challenge. Let’s first identify that objective, why it’s important to you, and make it achievable.
I once had a client that was losing weight (a lot of weight) and promised to walk 5-miles every day. We re-framed this goal to one he would do and committed to 20-minutes a day of some exercise. This was doable, and he looks and feels great today.
Choices:
- Lose weight in a healthy manner where meals fit into your current life-style
- Manage your desire for junk food and restrict it to once a week
- Participate in one activity you love (Swimming, yoga, dancing, jogging, etc.)
12-Month Career Goals – Whether your career is as an entrepreneur, business owner,employee, or senior executive, you should be clear about your goals and be sure that what you are aiming for aligns to what is important to you.
One of my clients had an objective to launch a business to promote a line of jewelry she created. Gorgeous art,but on-line sales just is not aligned to her capabilities. She is now pursuing a career that excites her and utilized her skill set and aligns to who she is at a core level.
Set realistic targets, healthy boundaries, and strategic check points for adjusting and redefining your activities.
- Do one thing differently every day that aims at achieving your objective
- Develop your communication skills where you listen and are able to speak in a way that what you say is heard, with ease and grace
- Develop a plan that is unique to your capabilities and skill set, relying on your authentic abilities
Financial Goals – This is where reality is extremely important. Goals can be a desire ($XX in the bank by end of the year) but it’s only through your action that transformation occurs, bringing your goal to reality. We are talking about, yes, a budget. You need to know where you are before you can plan for where you’re going.
One of my clients had a desire to be a millionaire by the end of one year. He was already in a career that could achieve this goal but needed to re calibrate priorities and focus. We uncovered his why for this goal and set a plan in place that was actionable and achievable. He achieved this goal in six months and is growing even more with commitment.
What are some things you might want to think about?
- Create a plan of action to pay off credit cards
- Live below your earnings, saving money
- Say no once a week to spontaneous spending
Family Goals – You have family, direct or extended, that you interact with on a regular basis. It is important to keep these relationships healthy,without attachment, as we achieve our best results when Tribe is supporting us.
One very important item I cover with clients is how they are relating to family. Some need to adjust their allotment of time. A client of mine created protected time with her family after our first visit. “Date-night” with one of her sons was amazing. He told her to thank her coach as he was becoming invisible to her and she didn’t even realize it. They now have a healthy connected relationship as she has time to focus on him.
Family needs nurturing.
- Live in harmony with family by giving them space and honor their views, opinions and needs
- Schedule and commit to protected time for close family (spouse, child, beloved)
- Meal time is communal time and having a sit-down family dinner (without technology) provides time to chat, laugh, and stay connected
Relationship Goals – You may be looking for that special someone, already have the love of your life, or looking for a way to re-kindle the love that has faded with your daily routine. No matter what your objective is, you’re an important piece of the puzzle. Your relationship goals are guidelines on how best to love and support each other. These “guiding lights” are based on who each of you really is and focuses on fact, not fantasy.
I had a client that worked on a five-year plan with me that included marriage to his current girl-friend. The hitch here is that I was also coaching her, and she was not ready for this kind of commitment. He and I worked on spacing his goals out as there was too much all at once and adjusting his commitment to his girl-friend with activity that re-kindled their relationship and provided space for her to continue to she is and what she wanted outside of their relationship. They are still together, years later, and she is loving her life with him.
You’re not trying to change each other, you are leveraging the love and respect you already have.
- Support each other’s independence honoring that you are two separate identities
- Keep learning and challenging each other in a positive way, make a commitment to learn new skills and knowledge together
- Date night routine is protected time, once a week, once a month, every six weeks… commit to it and dress for the date
Self-Development Goals – None of this works without first making it all about you.Stay connected to who and what you are. Know your dreams and do what it takes to nurture your mind, body, and soul.
I do combine my corporate leadership experience with my coach training and spiritual work with the objective of uncovering who you are, what blocks and restrictions are holding you back, and the information you need to make choices that are unique for you.
Through soul work with me, one of my clients discovered how important it is for him to create, to build, to physically be engaged. He decided to return to gaming where he could build hisworld and characters. He creates his world physically first with clay, and is integrating his hobbies that are all creative more into his daily life. His finances have increased, relationships improved, and his understanding of himself has allowed him to be even more open and engaged with others in his life.
- Learn who you are at a core level and how to make choices specific to your unique self
- Manage your reactions with questioning why you are feeling this way and detach from drama, allowing to be your personal best
- Visit your place of worship regularly
I invite you to choose a stress-free start of the New Year and embrace the chance to look at your actions and alter your choices just slightly. Engage in conscious living; take time to decide what’s important to who you are and what you want to become and allow your process to unfold. Define your goals now.
If not now, when?
Make conscious choices for conscious living now.
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