It’s that time of year again when most of us are sitting down to review our goals and dreams. We may be taking inventory of the years gone by and thinking through what our next steps to get from passion and dreams to purpose and reality are.
Are you the person you want to be?
A year ago I asked that question and had many responses. I am reflecting on the article and the same thoughts come to mind:
I don’t know if you are like me but until I started improving my life, mind and body I didn’t even realize I wasn’t the person I wanted to be. I was so stuck in my life I didn’t even realize I had dreams I wasn’t living and goals I didn’t achieve. 10 years ago I didn’t see myself as an unhealthy person, or selfish, or lacking in anything… but I was. (From my article Are you the person you want to be?)
Whether we want to get healthier or better at what we do, there are certain steps we need to take. I realized my passion and dreams came through because of a plan, hard work, focus and pushing through challenges. Some plans did not come to fruition. And that is part of the process of taking passion and dreams to purpose and reality.
Les Brown said:
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Here are five tips and resources to help us get unstuck and move forward to the person we want to be:
One: Setting goals
Setting goals and writing down a plan is important to track your progress and may be a way to stay focused. A goal is used as a guideline and not something that is set in stone. Through my experiences I’ve learned to set goals and give myself grace to evaluate and change the goals.
Last year I shared a free resource from the Mindset Maven, PJ McClure on how to know exactly what you want. It is still available for free. Grab your on his website, The Mindset Maven.
I would like to add another tip. There is a difference between talking about the goals and actually doing it. Here is a video from Derek Sivers published on TED to help you think through the process of setting goals.
He said “Telling someone your goals makes them less likely to happen.” (Source: TED)
Two: Seasons of Life
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… He has made everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 and 11)
Steven Furtick from Elevation Church has a series called Times and Seasons. In this series he talks about the different times and seasons of life, filled with mountaintops and valleys, blessings and drought, fulfillment and brokenness. (Source: Elevation Church)
Have you ever said, “If I could ever…”? He said every season has a struggle. Whether it is a season of plenty or scarce, this series will set us free from envy and comparison and embrace our season and walk and work on our own passion and dreams.
Three: Embrace Change
I am thinking about our move to Florida and how it makes sense to some and doesn’t for others. Changes are always difficult and there is also a lot of good when we make changes.
Do you remember Borders? They had bookstores everywhere. Today they are gone. Same goes with Blockbuster…they are out of store front business as well. Why? Maybe they were not willing to make changes fast enough. Amazon and Netflix practically swept them off from the face of the earth.
The canals in Central New York are not what we use now for transportation. (Central Nyers you may remember that song from Elementary School “I had a mule and her name was Sal 15 miles on the Erie Canal.”) First the railway replaced them and next came the road systems. You and I would not use the canals to travel to New York City if we needed to get there fast and within a few hours. We have the options to fly, drive or take the train.
What are the changes you need to make to be the person you want to be?
If it is health, we may have to look into taking care of what we eat, nutritional products and a work out routine. If it is getting out of debt, it may be cutting back on eating out and buying knick-knacks. If it is making more money, it may be time to start a home-based business or gain a new skill to work in another job.
Each of these areas require changes and efforts.
Four: Huddle Up
Live Science article on Huddle Up: The Surprising Physics of Penguin Movement could teach us a lesson about huddling up with a group of like-minded folks. The article said:
When male emperor penguins face the minus-58-degrees-Fahrenheit (minus 50 degrees Celsius), 120-mph (200 km/h) winds of Antarctic winters, the birds rely on their neighbors’ bodies to keep themselves — and the eggs that they protect in a pouch near their feet — alive and warm. (Source: Live Science)
Seriously, I started the Total Wellness Health Investors Club for this reason. It is a place that we can huddle everyday and learn from each other, keep each other motivated, and on track to achieving our goals. If you want to know how you can gain access to this private group email me at info@starrhealth.com and put Health Investor in the subject line.
Five: Celebrate YOU
Children’s books teach a lot about embracing our uniqueness and differences. As we reflect on our own lives and setting goals for the New Year, let’s take the time to celebrate the unique YOU.
Reader’s Digest recommended seven children’s books on “Everyone is Different.” One such book Knees: The Mixed-Up World of a Boy With Dyslexia by Vanita Oelschlager is about how a boy accepts his condition and embraces his special talents. Henry Ford and Walt Disney were some of the famous people who suffered from dyslexia.
Do you view YOU as uniquely designed? Celebrate YOU as we move forward to the next year.
Please share and place a comment on this article. I look forward to working and learning with you.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.
Mary, thank you for writing this. I need help and change in all those areas. I keep falling back, get overwhelmed, tired, and then just stop doing all I know I should be doing. A lot of change is happening in my life right now. I want to get to a better place in my health, business, finances, and relationships. This time I want to succeed.