Well – the holidays are behind us and it’s time to take a look at what our dreams are for this year. I am not talking about New Year’s resolutions. Some people make New Year’s resolutions and others don’t put any stock in them. I tend to be in the camp of not making resolutions for New Years. One of the reasons for this is most people make plans for what they want without contemplating them or even making a plan for how the goal will be achieved. And even if some contemplation is done, there usually isn’t the development of a reasonable strategy to get through the challenges that will arise – to obtaining the goal – whatever it is.
Therefore, since it is the beginning of the New Year I felt it was a good idea to revisit how to set goals for your life. To do this - we must begin at the beginning and that means taking a look at how we made it to this point in our lives. This allows us the opportunity to hopefully not repeat the same errors again along with knowing what went right. It also assists in helping us determine what we now want – we probably already know what we don’t want.
Back in 2007 I wrote an article on this very subject and rather than reinvent the wheel - I am reposting that article for your use.
2007 Article:
What is it that you want for the rest of your life? How do you really want to live? What people are beneficial for you and which ones no longer serve or support who you want to become? Are you living the life you envisioned for yourself years ago? If not, what do you think is in your way? Why are you not where you want to be?
It’s time to take a life assessment. Look at what brought you to this point in your life. I encourage you to always keep in mind that although you have had both joy and suffering in your life, you are not alone. You are never alone! All successful people who enjoy life made a decision to take an honest look at how they were living, identify how that differed from how they wanted to live and decided to do something about it, and take positive action.
Here are a few additional questions to ask yourself: Exactly what was your vision for yourself? Did you ever have a vision? Have you ever come up with a vision? If you had a vision, was it yours or someone else's? Do you take time out to daydream? To discover who you are and think about who you would like to be? It’s time to dream…
Getting Started:
The first part of this exercise is to take a look at where you are now and how you got here. Ask yourself, who you are at this time in your life. What do you do? Are you glad you do it or is this something you wish to stop? What don’t you do that you want to start doing? What do you read? Who do you hang out with? Answer whatever questions pop in your mind to get to who you really are right now. Then document your thoughts on paper—it may even help you to review the events and people who helped shape you.
Ask yourself if what you gained in life was or wasn’t in your best interest. If it was in your best interest, hold on to it. If it was not, you will need to make special note of it and make a plan to change it – if possible. Keep in mind that most of the people who influence you have or had no intention of doing so. Remember also, you influence others whether you intend to or not. I’m saying this because - this is not a blame game and it is not a time for you to feel sorry for who you may or may not be.
What’s next?
Now that you have looked back over your history and determined how you arrived at where you are today, it is time to look at what your needs are for a balanced future. After all, this is what life is all about; finding that seemingly unattainable balance in our lives so that we can live the robust, full and bold life we were meant to live.
To assist you with this, allow me to share the five key components you must look at to achieve your goals and to stay balanced. If any one of them is weak your goals are suspect. They are: Intention; nurturing self; Self-Esteem; Boundaries; and Beliefs. This is your foundation. Without a solid foundation your life is on shaky ground. When these areas of our life are balanced life flows easier and we are happier and more fulfilled.
Action time:
It is time you start living a balanced life. Take the life assessment I have outlined and begin to formulate in your mind what you want for yourself. You can also take the free 5 day e-course "5 Day Journey of Self Discovery”. The instructions for downloading are on my web site: www.padmalifecoaching.com. This after-all is the first day of the rest of your life.
Now go set some goals!!!
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