Gayle HJanuary 1st 2020 is exactly 55 days away from today. And while we still have time to achieve our 2019 goals/intentions, and I encourage you to keep your eye on that ball, I suggest you start thinking about what ball you want to pick up for 2020.
While I fully support the idea that the last few weeks of December are prime time for setting your goals/intentions for the new year, I believe strongly that the earlier you start thinking about your big desires, the better.
Time to get excited. Time to get stronger. Time to work through your fears.
Time to commit to a really powerful life change.
You can do this. I promise you! There are enough people out there who you read/follow/watch/listen to who have done what you want to do.
That is why you read/follow/watch/listen to them. They have done something that deep down inside, you may want to do too.
Get healthier? Get in better shape? Drop some weight? Sleep more?
Spend more time with family? In the community? With yourself?
Start a hobby? Learn something new that doesn’t have anything to do with your job?
Pursue a career change? Cut back on your working hours? Find your work passion?
We all have something stored up inside of us that is just dying to be released into reality. That thing that we say, “I’ll do that when I retire” or “I can’t do that yet, but maybe in a few years” or “It would be really great if I could….”
2020 Is Your Year to Finally Make this Life Change!
Yes! Yes! I’m with you Gayle! But where do I start?
I love excitement. I love the buzz I get from visualizing the things/situations that I’d love to do or have in my life. I love the high I get from setting a scary (in a good way) goal. I love to think about what my life will be like once I hit my goals.
But inevitably, I feel the anxiety of the ‘how can I possibly make this happen’ reality.
Buzz kill, right?
So we are going to bridge the gap between that excited unattainable feeling and practical actions you can take move yourself forward.
1: Decide what powerful life change you’ll make.
Do you have a Who Do I Want To Be List? Never heard of this?
A few years ago I wrote a book called Live More, Work Better: A Practical Guide for a Balanced Life. In Chapter 2 of the book, I bring you through an exercise that helps you identify where you are right now in your life.
This exercise is simply a brainstorm of your current reality. Grab a piece of paper and a writing utensil (no computer – go old school with pencil/paper – old fashioned writing engages the brain/emotion more than typing on a computer).
I am a parent/partner
I am a (enter your current professional title/role)
I am a healthy eater/regular exerciser
I am a (enter community involvement)
You get the idea. This list is two-fold. First, a celebration of your life as it stands today. All you’ve accomplished. Success in the decisions you have made. Celebrate!
Second, this list is an anchor for your Who Do I Want to Be list. Because we need to ground ourselves in where we are now before we figure out where we want to go.
Once you have a good Who Am I list in front of you, I want you to flip your paper over and start your Who Do I Want to Be list.
Don’t think too hard about this. Just reflect, write, reflect and write.
I want to be someone who travels for life experiences, not work
I want to be more artistic/creative
I want to be healthier/successfully complete a health related goal I’ve always had
I want to be a role model for my family
Good! Easy so far, right?
Now, I want you to look at both lists and identify any gaps. Your I AM may already align with where/what you want to BE in one area or more areas of your life. Great news! Good on ya!
But for all of us, I’m sure there is one (or more) areas of life that you are not yet where you want to be. Maybe you want more money. More time. More energy. Maybe you have always wanted to run a marathon but your current AM is someone who doesn’t have time to exercise.
See where this is going? You are looking for a gap (or gaps) between where you are and where you want to be.
So what gap is calling you most strongly? What one area of your life would you like to move from AM to BE next year? What one big, powerful, scary, crazy thing have you always wanted to do in your life?
Write that one thing down. THIS is your powerful life change for 2020.
2. Give Yourself the Power You Need to Make this Life Change.
This process, of building yourself up, telling yourself you are not crazy, visioning the you you want to become – this process is call empowerment. And empowerment can come in many different forms.
Empowering yourself to make change comes from within. Sure, outside influences will help you figure out how to get from here to there. Maybe that’s a coach, a network of like minded people, information from people who have successfully done what you want to do.
But powerful life changes start with your ability to believe in yourself that you can, and will, make this happen.
So how do we make empowerment a practical exercise?
For a longer answer to that question, and some really sound advice to use as a foundation, I suggest to take a look at this post.
But for a short, easy to do, practical tactic, simply dedicate a few quality moments everyday to reground yourself in yourself.
That’s right – reground yourself in yourself. Basically this means taking a few moments of quiet time to listen to that inner voice telling you that you CAN do and be the best version of yourself, reminding you that you DESERVE to be the best version of yourself, and settling the fear that holds us back from being the best version of ourselves.
Because we all know that we know best.
For those of us that may need a little help to quiet our minds enough to do this regrinding work, I have just the thing.
Deepak Chopra just started a 21-Day Free Meditation experience focused on The Path to Empowerment.
For anyone who is scared about the word meditation – this is for you.
For anyone who has ever wanted to try meditation – this is for you.
For anyone who is already a strong meditator – this could be helpful for you.
For anyone who is looking to find the strength within themselves to make change – this is for you.
For 21 days, Deepak will guide you through quality time with your eyes closed. Every day is a new topic (all building on the idea of self empowerment). He gives you words of wisdom, a centering thought for the day, then time to meditate on what he has said, while listening to soothing music.
Being that we have 55 days until the end of the year, taking 21 of those days now, in the month of November, to ground yourself in your personal life changing power is an exceptional way to set you up for success.
3. Keep Your Energy Levels on High
This time of year is a tough one when it comes to maintaining our energy levels. The cold weather (for many of us), the sun setting earlier (for many of us), the lead up to the holidays (planning, preparing, stressing), the time spent with family (sometimes the holidays are a little stressful in as much as they are quality family time), final projects to wrap up at work, closing out fiscal years, money concerns, etc.
Making it through the holiday season and landing in January at your most energetic is not usually our norm. We look forward to the new year starting – new beginnings and all – but we usually hit the ground a little exhausted.
The good news is this – we have 55 days to onramp ourselves and our energy levels to make sure that when we hit the new year freeway, we ride in the passing lane!
There are my usual physical energy enhancers that I will once again remind you of: Sleep! Drink your water! Get some form of movement/exercise!
But for purposes of powerful life choices, my practical tip is focused on keeping your mental energy on high (which will be way easier if your physical energy is on high).
We want our mindset to be Positive. Empowered. Focused. Strong. Confident. Calm.
So here’s what I’d like you to do. I want you to write down the goal you identified in Step 1 on a sticky pad (again, old school). OR, for more technology based people, create a screen saver with your goal in mind (written or picture).
The point is that you want this goal front and center to your vision EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. You want to wake up and read your goal. You want the last thing you read before you shut down at night is your goal.
You want to smile every time you read that goal. You want to train your brain to believe that you have already hit that goal. You want to live that goal. I promise you, this is not just fun fantasy stuff – there is real science behind visualization and actualization.
When you believe it, you will see it (I’ve written more about this idea of changing your mind to change your life and mindset over matter). Keep your positive believing energies in excitement mode these next few months – so that when you hit January 1st, you have already set your stage for success. Because you believe you can do this.
I’m excited about what’s around our new year corner! And I’m looking very forward to giving you more tools to help structure your 2020 into a year where you make a powerful life change.
If you know anyone in your circle who could also use some of this guidance, but is not currently part of my community, please share by clicking one of the links below!
Gayle H
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