Get some inspiration about “How to make it happen for you in 2010!”
How many of you have set goals this year? How many of you will admit they are the same goals as last year? So what happened?
Is it lack of will power, or lack of won’t power. Why is it that some people appear to have it all and achieve everything they set their mind too whilst some of us simply ... don’t. We simply don’t set ourselves up for success – BUT WE CAN!
Take this example – You’ve been invited to go to a party with friends you’ve not seen in years – the only issue is, they live a long way away, and you really fear driving long distances – it’s outside your comfort zone. However, you REALLY want to go so you DECIDE to face your fears and go for it – you know where and when the party is and why you want to go – you have a compelling reason to take action.
So you set about planning what you need to do. You know where you are now, your start point and you decide the best route to take considering the different options available – the scenic route which is less stressful so you’ll enjoy the journey more, or the motorway which is more direct and will get you there quicker. You have your map or a SatNav, to support you and you probably plan to break the journey into stages, allowing for lunch or landmarks by which to mark your progress. The point is you don’t doubt that you’ll get there when you set off. If you come across a road closure or diversion you don’t give up and come home – you find another way. If you hit delays and it takes you a little longer than planned, you just accept it – you may be frustrated but you don’t doubt that you’ll get there - and you do!
So why is it we can so easily allow ourselves to ‘give-up’ with other goals?
Often we take the wrong approach by not creating the right circumstances and ‘mind set’ to motivate us to take the necessary action. At New Year in particular, we set masses of goals, overestimating what we think we can achieve in, say a month, setting ourselves up for the impossible, overloading and trying to make too many changes at once. We lack emotional ‘fuel’ to motivate and drive us to overcome the blips that life will inevitably throw our way and so perhaps we give up as soon as the going gets a bit tough. We can get ‘caught-up’ allowing other circumstances to take over.
But imagine the differences we could make to our lives in a year if we set ourselves up for success.
What if we really thought about what really is important to us and what we really want to be, doing or have - and then worked to change our mindset so we do take the action necessary to bring about our desired results. Who is in charge here – who is responsible for whom you are, what you do, how you spend your life? Sure we all have commitments, responsibilities and so on but ‘It’s up to you’ to make the changes that you want in your life.
A good starting point is to ask yourself some searching questions about your life:
Q. How are you feeling about you and your life now?
What emotions do you regularly experience? Are you overwhelmed, frustrated, compromised, bored, tired and exhausted? Or are you full of energy and zest for life, happy and full of excitement about the opportunities and experiences every new day brings?
You are probably somewhere in the middle – parts of life great, others not so good and you want to make some changes. One thing is certain – health, energy and wellbeing form the foundation for all areas of our lives – our mental and physical health MUST be a priority and yet we so easily assume it’s OK until we have a problem.
Q. What changes would you really like to make in 2010?
Q. What would you like more of in your life … and less of?
Q. Who would you like to be, what would you like to have and do?
Would you have more vitality, body confidence, balance and time, better relationships, job satisfaction, financial control, feel less compromised…
Q. What has to happen to make 2010 a huge success for you?
Or will you be setting the same goals again in 2011?
When you have answered these questions for yourself use the answers to spend some time really defining your goals throughout the different areas of your life
With each goal get really clear as to why you want it, what will achieving it bring you, how will you feel if you don’t achieve it?
Getting emotional will propel you into action allowing you to catch yourself fairly quickly if you get tugged in other directions. You’ll find it easier to say no to people or situations that don’t fit anymore – instead of being simply pulled along. The motivation has to be strong enough to be worth you making the effort and facing the situation head on – if you want to enjoy the party you have to get in the car!
Once your goals are set look at the reality of where you are now and plan your journey.
Remember:
- If the task seems big – break it down – small steps all add up.
- Get support where you need it and celebrate your successes, however small – feeling great about yourself propels you into action and works against that devil called Procrastination. It’s too easy to find excuses to delay taking action and yet the changes you avoid making could have the largest effect on your life if you just got on with taking the action.
Make 2010 your best year ever – turn off the snooze button and Make it Happen!
About the author
Sharon Knight brings more than twenty years’ experience in people development and management to Success Unlimited. With a background in human resources in the hotel and retail sectors, Sharon has also owned and operated her own highly successful fitness business with Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs. Sharon’s extensive experience of training spans both large corporate environments and small, privately owned businesses.
www.successunlimited-developingpeople.co.uk
sharon@successunlimited-developingpeople.co.uk
Article copyright YourDoc Medical Ltd 2010. All rights reserved.
