I write this in the middle of the first month of the new year!
So how are you doing about those resolutions you set for yourself just a few weeks ago? What resolutions? …. Painful question? …. Maybe it is and if so keep reading. Let me offer some suggestions that will help you.
1. Are your resolutions wants or needs? The question is about motivation. If you made a resolution to lose weight, eat more wisely, or whatever--- did you do so because you truly want to or is it because you know you need to? A want is a stronger motivator than a need! Determine which it is. Wants come from deep within. Needs tend to be more external.
2. What is it that you have passion for in life? Often we make resolutions out of pressures that come to us from family members, friends or relatives. We may never really have a sense of ownership of these resolutions. Take some time to think about what it is in life that you truly feel passionate about. This takes time to do well. I am talking about real passion here. What is it for you? What makes you want to leap out of bed in the morning? What would you truly make sacrifices to accomplish? Develop a short list of your passions and then base your resolutions on these core values. The question of passion in life is one that a life coach will often ask a client. It is a way of knowing who another person really is and what “makes him or her tick”.
3. Make your resolutions measurable. Determining to be more loving, more considerate, more thoughtful, and so on, sounds great but….? These are really only nice thoughts. However, planning to write 5 thank you notes per month to people you appreciate for example, is a very measurable and worthwhile resolution. Planning at least two nights with the family per week is also measurable. Supporting a favorite and worthwhile charity at $100 per month is also a very measurable resolution. You get the picture. Can you take stock every once in a while to determine if you are actually being successful in carrying out your resolutions? They must be measurable and specific for you to be able to do so.
4. Find a group or an individual for purposes of accountability. Human nature is what it is. If I know that someone will ask me weekly or monthly about a decision or commitment I have made, I tend to be more motivated. I have pride and do not want to face my friend or accountability group having to admit that I did not fulfill what I promised or purposed to do. It just works that way. We do not want to let others down and even more, we want to present the best possible impression of ourselves to others.
Life coaching could be a wonderful investment for you at the start of a new year! Will this year be just like all the previous ones? Will you start out with the very best of intentions only to find that this year is nothing more than same old, same old? I invite you to break the cycle and consider the services of a life coach. It will make a difference and may well help you follow through and assist you to see your resolutions for the year to become reality in your life. What a happy prospect! I invite you to contact me at rick@icarecoaching.com or to use the contact portion of my website.
Happy New Year!
Dr. Rick Penner
Copyright, 2008
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