Posts Tagged ‘goals’

The first response to the month of January is to set resolutions, goals, and/or intentions for the New Year, right?  All well and good.  I’m all for it.

But what if your “new” goals are just piling up on top of last year’s goals and resolutions?  What if this year’s resolutions feel like they’re more of a burden or a wish list than anything doable and motivating?  Hmmmm.  I invite you to reflect on that for a minute.

Sometimes we fall into the unconscious habit of using January to add to our already hectic lives.  And I am indeed referring to both our hectic external lives as well as our hectic internal lives.  And then we wonder why we feel so BLAH about everything.  We wonder why we feel so overwhelmed and resistant (well, I do, anyway) just about now.

And then roughly a month later many of our resolutions and good intentions are sitting by the wayside, nothing more than rapidly receding distant memories.

Well, no more!

What about using January to LET GO of whatever you’re carrying around from last year, or even from the last decade?

What about thinking of January as a fresh start?

A clean slate.  Not one that we’ll immediately fill up with the new resolutions.
No, this clean slate is meant to stay clean for a little while.  Let’s give ourselves some breathing space.  Let’s only fill it up when we’re ready.

Let’s bask in a month or two of not striving, not achieving, not working overtime to meet our goals.

What do you think?  Does that sound too scary?  Or does it sound freeing?  And maybe even a little bit like you might feel less burdened and less blah-ed out?

I encourage you to reflect on your goals and intentions for this year.  Take some time to see if there is anything that you’d be better served by letting it go than by keeping it on your list.

Take a look at your list of goals and intentions.  Then identify something that you didn’t do last year and that you automatically put back on the list again this year.  Remove that item from the list.  Don’t panic.  You can always put it back on the list in the future.  But give it a try.

See if letting go of just that one thing doesn’t free you up and let you feel like January is indeed a fresh start.  I dare you!

Here’s to letting go … for a fresh start!
~Margie

Wander Woman: How high achieving women find contentment and direction

I just finished reading this fabulous book that made me feel like the author had been following me around and getting to know me better than I knew myself.  I kept finding myself saying, “Aha, so that’s why I do that!” and “So, I’m not crazy after all – other women feel this way, too.”  And stuff like that. 

Author Marcia Reynolds, PhD, has described me to a tee. 

And I believe that she may have your number, too. 

Check out her insightful book about women who want more out of life and who feel like it’s out there for them if they could only put their finger on what’s missing. 

Boy do I know that feeling!  That’s the reason I’m a life coach today – I had that feeling, found my own path to fulfillment, and now want to help other women find their path.

I had the good fortune to speak with Dr. Reynolds on a conference call just the other day along with a handful of other “wander” women. 
What a wonderful experience – to have a dialogue with the author of such an inspirational work!  Her energy and enthusiasm for spreading the work about all of us Wander Women seems to be limitless. 

Read it yourself and let me know what you think!
~Margie

            

It occurred to me the other day that sometimes my efforts are scattered. 

Sometimes my dreams and goals feel jumbled. 

I tend toward piles – piles of ideas to develop, stacks of journals to write in, and multiple piles of books to read.  At times it seems they are strewn about my home and my life.  Huh.  And I wonder why I don’t feel like I’m moving forward?  I shouldn’t be surprised. 

I’m scattering my dreams all over the place, and not in a good way that will allow them to germinate in safe soil.

What if I created a sacred space for my dreams and goals?

What if I collected and honored my journals, my affirmations and intentions, my goals and dreams, my ideas? 

What if I made a point to keep them near me?  Doesn’t that sound beautiful and nurturing? 

I think my ideas and dreams can take root in such an environment.

I’m going to give it some thought and then create a treasure box for my aspirations and the physical representations of them. 

What do you think? 

Do you already have a gorgeous space for your dreams and journals?

Or do you feel inspired to create one? 

I’d love to hear your ideas.
~Margie