New Year, New Decade. Time for Change.

By now you’ve probably set those new year’s good intentions.  If not, there is still time.  If you suffer from FOMO from time to time, aim to have your intentions set by January 31st.   You will  still be within the grace period some people give themselves.

The start of a new year is an easy time to pause and reflect.  An opportunity to check in with our goals and plans. A time to celebrate our accomplishments and areas of progress.  Take stock of the skills we’ve learned, the relationships we’ve nurtured and the meaning we’ve created for ourselves and others.  Life is short!

Are we living our best lives?

In mid-November (about 60 days ago now), I set a short term goal for myself.  One of my favorite coaches issued a challenge.  She asked us:  “What is one thing that if you were able to achieve by January 1st, you would feel AMAZING?  Choose one thing, that after you achieve it,  you will feel confident, clear and ready to take on the world in 2020!” 

I set my goal.  I knew what I wanted to do.  I wanted to overcome the doubt and negative self-talk I was engaging in about a particular aspect of my life.  The stuff we all do sometimes when we hold ourselves back or get in our own way.   I had gotten comfortable and was operating on autopilot. I was assuming this is how things would be instead of changing to how I wanted things to be.  I asked my friend Ben to be my accountability partner.

From mid-November to December 31st, Ben and I checked in regularly via text, email and the occasional phone call.  Ben acted as my accountability partner and I started playing new, positive scripts in my head.  The first week was a challenge.  It takes time to train yourself to think differently and stop the cycle of habitual thoughts.  Through a simple process of:

1. Setting a goal (Choose!)
2. Making a plan (Be Intentional!)
3. Telling myself everyday I would be successful (Positive Self Talk!)
4. Going “public” with my desired change (Have an Accountability Partner!)

I achieved my goal on December 29th.  On New Year’s Eve, I had an extra reason to celebrate!!

How did last year go for you?  How about the last decade? 

If you had to tell your best friend or significant other how you felt about the last year (and the last 10 years) how would you describe it? Did you meet the majority of your goals?  Some of your goals? A few maybe? Wait! Did you even have goals?  

Between now (January 11, 2020) and March 31st, what is one change you would like to make your in life?  What is that thing you used to do, but you stopped and now you miss it?  Or, the bad habit you’ve fallen into that’s keeping you from being the best version of yourself?  You’ve probably been telling yourself you want to change it for quite some time already.  You may have even tried and haven’t found the secret sauce to success.

Whatever your answer, I’m here to affirm you and support you! It’s never too late to start.  It’s never too late to stop.  It’s never too late to change!  You are not too old, too young, too outdated, too tired, too lazy, too busy or any of those other “too” adjectives we use as excuses.

In fact, the most important thing we have to do, the key to all change is to ACT.  Change is an activity.  It’s movement.  It’s forward momentum.  It’s not cerebral or theoretical.  It’s not easy or  comfortable.   There will be times you will backslide or fall.  There will be times your accountability partner or community will have to pick you up, dust you off and encourage you to get back to it.  But, you will survive.  You will be stronger for it.  

 KEEP MOVING AND DO THE WORK!

Are you ready to change your life, kick the negative self talk and create the next iteration of yourself?  Have you been working at a goal, and while you’re making progress, you’ve recently stalled? Message Me! Everyday I am in service to helping leaders and organizations realize the change they want to see in their lives and organizations.