This is the time, when faced with a clean and fresh calendar and 365 new days ahead of us where we sit down and make those lofty resolutions. Resolutions are a great idea - in theory, but as we know, by the second week of January we're not any more organized, we're not working out, and we've fallen down on eating better. Why is this? Why do we seem doomed for failure?
Well, it's not because we have no will-power (well, I think in terms of homemade chocolate chip cookies that may be my problem) or that we are weak, or otherwise lacking. The problem is we usually don't have a plan, we're trying to do too much at once, and we're trying to do it all alone.
When I was going through a divorce several years ago I went to a therapist who was wonderful. She listened to me cry week after week, supported me, and helped me through a painful chapter in my life. There came a point however where I got tired of my angst and sadness. I wanted to move my life forward and stop looking backward. So after seeing Cheryl Richardson on "Oprah" I found myself a life coach.
I know, sounds super first world doesn't it? Who needs a coach to help them be better at life? It completely sounded like a privileged Oprah-ism to me. But the thing is, it works.
When I hired my first coach, we had a deal - I could whine and complain for the first five minutes of our hour long phone session, after that it was all about what I was going to do to change my life. And I did..I actually was so inspired by how great it felt to have my own cheerleader/feet-to-the-fire-holder, I went through two years of training to become a life coach myself.
What does a coach do? A lot of times the first thing I do is to help a client define and clarify their goals. Again, the reason most resolutions don't work is because they're too amorphous, too vague. "I want to lose weight," "I'm gong to write that book," "I'm going to get rid of clutter," "I'm going to be happier," are way too daunting. You need to break it down into doable steps, and chart a path to achieving each one.
When I work with clients I become their best secret (or not so secret) weapon. I am going to be there every week to hold them accountable to what they want. In a way I give my clients permission to put their goals at the top of a very long to-do list.
I work with clients to create balance and keep going even when they don't think they can.
I believe we are all stronger, more capable and can achieve more than we think we can. I also believe people can change.I absolutely despise the saying, "I am what I am." You are what you choose. If you want different, choose different..
So what do you want not just this year, but the rest of your life to look like? Time whizzes by and one year turns into another and we're still not where we want to be. How about making the investment in yourself to finally do those things you know you want to do? What would that look like?
Maybe this is the year that you are ready to finally make it happen. If that's so, email me, and we can see if hiring a life coach might just give you the edge you need to create the life you've always wanted. Taking care of yourself, and being happy is the best gift you can give not just yourself, but everyone around you.
No comments:
Post a Comment