It’s Not Too Late…

And before we can say “Gosh – that went fast” – we will be singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and preparing to welcome the start of another new year.

And let’s think about that for a moment.

Six months from now …
Christmas is over and you find yourself in a quiet moment of reflection as the new year approaches. You look back at the year just about gone and ask yourself – how was it?

• Did I achieve all that I set out to?  Did I even have a goal?
• Do I feel good about what I have achieved this year?
• Do I feel good within myself?
• Have I taken care of my health?

If the thought of another year with very little change fills you with dread, then NOW is the time to take control and see that there is still time to complete that important project.  Let’s not get to the end of 2022 and have to drown our sorrows in wine, whisky and sugary treats.  

It is not too late to turn things around.  We can take action now to re-focus and ensure that when the end of this year arrives, we can feel proud of our achievements.  

To do this in the very simplest form, find a quiet space, pour yourself a glass of wine or your favourite hot drink and ask yourself this question:

What would make me proud? 
To reach the end of 2022 and know that I had completed this specific task.
You are the project leader on this one there are no committees of decision makers impacting the delivery deadline (if you work in corporate, you know what I’m talking about!).  Whether the activity is a success or not, lies solely in your hands.  You make a commitment to yourself, and you take action every single day in order to drive progress.

Perhaps you have a goal to: 

• De-clutter your home?
• Lose a few pounds?
• Start a business
• Get healthy
• Clear out that spare bedroom so you can have friends to stay over?
• Sort out all the photos on your iPad or phone?
• Update your CV?
• Reduce your debt?

How about choosing one key goal and COMMITTING to making as much progress as possible by the year end? But make sure it’s one that really matters – one that will positively impact the way that you live your life, and then promise yourself 15-30 minutes each day to drive progress in this area.   You will be amazed how easy it becomes once you get started and build up some momentum.

But if you want more…..  If the thought of another year without change feels like nails on a chalkboard and is just too painful to contemplate, then you might want to go all in and consider an alternative approach.  It starts by designing a life that you will love.

The first thing to do is to get clear on how you want your life to look?
And I don’t mean specifically by the end of the year.  By all means, use that date if you wish – but it may be more realistic to set goals for one year from now (with a year-end review as a halfway point) or indeed at any point in the future.

Consider these steps:

Step 1

If you had all the resources you could possibly need – how would you design your life? Let’s imagine that you have the freedom to design your perfect life.

• Where would you live?
  In what type of property?
  Would you live alone or with someone else?
  Would you have a pet?
  How would you style your home?

• Do you work?
  Where do you work?
  In what type of role?  
  How many days per week do you work?
  How do you want to feel at the end of each workday?

• How about your finances?
  Perhaps you have a desire to be mortgage free – or to reduce your credit card debts?
  Generating a certain level of income?
  Creating a savings fund for a specific goal?

• Where do you buy your groceries? (Ideally)
  What items do you put in your trolley?

• What is in your handbag?

• Does travel have any role in your life?
  How often do you travel?
  Where do you plan to visit?  

• And so forth.  These questions are only ‘tools’ to help you dig a little deeper and help you gain clarity around the life you wish to lead.  Write in as much detail as you can about the life you CHOOSE to live.

Step 2

The next important question to ask yourself is this:

• Who do I have to BECOME to live this life?
  What are the characteristics of the person who is already living this life?
  What do they do differently to what you are doing today?
  Are there things you can learn from their approach?

Step 3

• Take action.  Now.
  Do something every single day that will bring you one tiny step closer to that goal.
  Practice BEING that person you have so articulately described above.
  Don’t attempt to change everything at once – we’ve all experienced what happens when we try that – but every day, make one tiny step forward towards the person you are becoming.

Step 4

• Conscious decision making.
  Each time you are faced with a decision that impacts your future, you get to choose.
  Will I respond as my ‘old self’, or will I respond as the person I am becoming?

The more frequently you respond as the person you are becoming, then the easier it will be.   All those tiny steps and conscious decisions will add up and you will realize that you have experienced a shift in identity and are now much more truly aligned to the person you aspired to be and the life you aspire to live.

I’m all in.  Are you?

Let’s create a great reason to celebrate.

x Until next time, sending you love x

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