9 Steps to a Better You in 2016

The start of a new year is a great opportunity to reassess where you are in life both personally and professionally. I’m sure this sounds like your typical new year’s resolution activity but it’s not. Making a resolution that is normally broken within the first 90 days is much different that actually taking a look at your current situation and taking steps to improve it. What exactly is required you may wonder? First you’ll need to revisit the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the previous year. You’ll need to assess whether you made great strides, did you get side-tracked or had to make adjustments. Once you determine that then you can answer the question, “Where are you and where do you want to be?”

Like many others I would take time at the beginning of the year to set goals for myself. The purpose of these goals is to give myself a road map leading to success. They were called as mentioned above, “new year resolutions”. In order to give myself a greater shot at success required me to make a change in my thinking. That change started with me changing “new year resolutions” to, “commitment” instead. Commitment to me meant I was taking responsibility and ownership for the plans I made for myself. This commitment didn’t allow me to easily give up should I fall short instead I was encouraged to make adjustments in order to be successful if my initial plans did not produce the results I hoped for.

Have you ever made a commitment to yourself? How did you go about setting that commitment? Do you take time throughout the year to assess where you are? Well here’s a perfect time to jumpstart 2016 in a different mindset. Below are my tips that I hope will give you reason to make a commitment to yourself:

Write it Down – Commitments or Goals are specific, measurable and time bounded. Write your commitments or goals so that they reflect all three components.

List Your Personal Benefits – Identify exactly “why” you want to achieve this goal.  List all the ways you will benefit personally.

 Analyze Your Current Position – Success is information dependent. You need integrity in your information. Identify your specific strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as it relates to achieving this goal.

 Identify Obstacles and Risks – List everything that could possibly prevent you from achieving the commitment or goal you’ve set for yourself. Identify Investments and Sacrifices.  List everything, including time, money and sacrifices that you can anticipate.

Identify Knowledge Requirements – List what additional knowledge you need to acquire or have access to.

Have Support Team –  List the people, groups, and organizations you may need help from as well as the specific role each one plays.

Develop Your Plan – List in chronological order each activity and their corresponding target date for completion. Use all the information gathered in previous steps to develop your plan.

 Set a Deadline – Determine on what date you will achieve this goal.

Reward and Celebrate – Identify your reward for the achievement of your commitment or goal. You deserve it! But don’t just rest on the successful completion, start again and make it even better. I can guarantee you won’t give up at the three-month mark.

Here’s hoping 2016 will usher in a new, positive, focused and determined you.

Your Best Self Revealed in 2016

In 2016 I want to encourage you to make a genuine effort to let your best self be revealed for all to see and especially you! All of us have different sides of our personalities. There’s the kind and good person. There’s the dependable and secure person, there’s the insecure, need a helping hand person and so on. But in spite of all those different sides of us there will always be a dominant side. So how do you determine what your dominant side is? And if that side is not the side you’d want to be the dominant one is it possible to change it?

My philosophy has always been that for me if there’s something about me I don’t like then as long as there is life in my body I can make a change. First of course you have to be certain that it is something that requires changing and in the process of changing  please be certain you’re not doing yourself or anyone else harm.

I believe that if I hold the candle to myself and see all my imperfections then I will be less likely to try to hold a candle to someone else. After all if I’m busy bringing the best me in 2016 to the forefront then I can’t possibly do that if I’m trying to help someone else be what I think is their best self. Did you catch it? Did you catch the key phrase in that last sentence? Just in case you missed it – trying to help someone else be what I think is their best self. Write this down and never forget it. It is not for us to determine what another person’s best self is. That is theirs to do, you can offer guidance and support if asked, otherwise keep your focus on you. So here are a few statements to ponder over this week as you begin to plot your journey to your best self being revealed in 2016.  And not just ponder them, answer them. No worries it’s not a test to be graded but it can serve as a guidepost along your journey to your best self.

For each of the statements below write yes if it applies to you. Write no if it doesn’t apply to you. But if when you read the statement it’s not a clear yes or no statement then put a question mark by it. I am easily misled by others in order to be accepted. I depend on others to satisfy my basic needs. I spend more time with people who define my self-worth. I spend more time dwelling on the shortcomings of others. I am comfortable standing up for what I believe is right. I react to situations based on what others think of me. I satisfy the needs of others before dealing with my own needs. I try to control others as a means to feel good about myself. I spend time trying to adopt standards others have set for their lives. I have something to offer that can help someone else. When people disagree with me, it only means they don’t like me.

Now look back at your list and ask yourself, “Do I need to make an adjustment in me in order for the best me to come to the forefront?” Be really honest with yourself and decide for yourself, if you need a little extra guidance to get started to your best self being revealed.

If you believe you can benefit from a little extra guidance then perhaps you’d be interested in a six-part series that Fresh Start for Women is offering to jumpstart 2016. This series is entitled, ‘From Adversity to Passion: A Journey to Your Divine Destiny and Joy’. This series is being offered in two formats. The first is as a guided online course that you can embark on at your own pace. The second is a live course which will commence on Saturday January 16^th from 9:30am to 11:30am. The live course does require you to register in order to receive the pre-course materials and meeting location. You can register here. Either way we at Fresh Start for Women wish you well on your journey to Your Best Self Revealed in 2016.

 

New Year’s Resolution or Commitment?

2015 has arrived with an opportunity to experience new things, refine others and live in the moment. It is also that time of the year when everyone decides to make a ‘new year’s resolution’. However each year, although they are made with good intentions accomplishing these resolutions usually fall by the wayside within 30 to 90 days.

So how can you increase your odds for success?  I’m so glad you asked! While loving myself with a hot cup of coffee I thought about my own resolutions. The first thing I decided was to steer clear of resolutions and instead concentrate on making a commitment.  Resolutions don’t seem to hold as much power as making a commitment. Think about this when you get married you’re making a commitment to another person as well as yourself. And although marriages fail ever day that commitment forces a degree of stamina and drive than making a resolution. After all you wouldn’t make a resolution on your wedding day…would you?

Something else about resolutions –  you usually make them to yourself, rarely will you let anyone else in on your secret. And it’s because if you fail no one else knows. But a commitment demands that it be shared and by sharing you gain supporters and a team of encouragers to see you through the difficult times when you’re ready to let go and try again ‘Next Year’.

For 2015 I’d like to offer these 10 Steps to making ‘Successful Commitments’

Write it Down – Goals are specific, measureable and time bounded. Write your goals so that they reflect all three components.

List Your Personal Benefits – Identify exactly “why” you want to this goal. List all the ways you will benefit personally.

Analyze Your Current Position – Success is information dependent, You need integrity in your information. Identify your specific strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as it relates to achieving this goal.

Identify Obstacles and Risks – List everything that could possibly prevent you from achieving this goal.

Identify Investments and Sacrifices – List everything, including time, money and any other sacrifices that you can anticipate.

Knowledge Requirements – Identify what additional knowledge you need to acquire or have access to.

Get a Support Team – List the people, groups and organizations you may need help from as well as the specific role each one plays.

Develop Your Plan – List in chronological order each activity and their corresponding target date for completion. Use all the information gathered in previous steps to develop your plan,

Set a Deadline – Determine on what date you will achieve this goal.

Reward and Celebrate – identify your reward for the achievement of this goal. You deserve it!

After determining my top three  I shared them with four people I trust to help hold me accountable. Now I’m making you my reader the fifth member of my team. Throughout 2015 I will keep you posted on my progress  in the three goals I’ve set for myself and what I do to get back on track should I stumble.  What are my three goals (commitments)?

1. I am committed to getting healthy physically – I have 125 pounds to lose. This means I must lose an average of 10.5 pounds per month.

2. Get healthy financially – by December 2015 I want an additional $3,500 in my savings.

3. Write book number three and have it published by September 2015.

These are my three main goals. I will repeat the ten steps listed for each goal I’ve set for myself. I am excited and look with great expectation to succeeding!

I wish you all the best in achieving your own goals and sticking to the new year commitments you make. I’d love to hear from you. Start today  and plan your steps to making 2015 your best year yet!