When will you begin?

When will you begin? Inevitably at the beginning of a new year people feel the sense of possibility in the air and resolve to change, add habits or elements of their lives. I see it as a blank slate, a covering of virgin snow glistening with opportunity. Over the last 20 years, I have approached the New Year with excitement. Some years I have sat right down after the stroke of midnight with a pen and paper other years I have lingered with the holiday spirit, literally, and began my resolution quest on the 2nd, 3rd or maybe even later in the month. One year I sat on a sled with a bottle of wine, red of course and a pen and paper and a candle until my balance was thrown off and the sled took off down the hill, ditching me and my paper on the way to be rescued by my Step Mum Tess. One year I participated in a New Years time capsule which we dug up the following year to review. Inside the capsule, the following year, I found my request of “to be or not to be” referring to with child or not. I smiled as I read it clutching my four week old child, Sofie.


Every New Year holds this excitement for me but this year especially as we are on the dawn of a new decade. Ten years is a huge chunk of time. Think of all the things you have done and all the changes that have occurred in the last 10 years. Life is change and nothing is more constant than change. This decade began with an even bigger dawn, the dawn of a new century. I remember the anticipation and excitement as we approached 2000. At first, I found myself stumped with how to refer to this new era, but quickly left the fear of end of the world behind us and got into a new stride for the new millennium. I remember my Grandad’s wish to see the turn of the century, unfortunately he didn’t get to see his wish come true. Desires come and go. Some come to fruition, some lay by the roadside forgotten and some always seem to slip elusively through our fingers.

With years and years of dreams and desires behind me, I have developed a system to empower me, keep me focused and enable me to learn from each year as it ticks by. I have refined this process for 10 years and put it all together in one book, “Discovering Your Intentional & Exceptional Life”. For years, I had searched for a system that included all the key elements and came up empty handed. And so I created my own. To me the three key elements are:

1. To review and take stock of the past year. I like to get them down clearly in black and white. This way I can build upon the challenges and opportunities of the past to leverage my progress in the future.

2. To check in with my core values and priorities. This way I am setting goals or intentions in alignment with who I am. By doing this, I achieve my goals easier and enjoy them more when I attain them.

3. To set clear priorities and have systems to remind me of them for the next 12 months. There is no point in setting clear goals if you forget them. I work with priorities as an umbrella for all the goals that are important to me. It is so much easier to keep in mind one to three priorities than a long list of goals. I always surprise myself at the end of the year with how much I have accomplished. What is also important to me is flexibility. As Joseph Campbell said, “If you see your path laid out in front of you, it is not your path.” My theme this last year was to forge my own path using Joseph Campbell’s words as inspiration. This was a challenge for me, the planner, but it allowed me to be flexible and to begin to learn to stop worrying so much about how. After working on myself and with hundreds of clients, I have found that is we are clear about “what” we want and take consistent action towards it the “how” takes care of itself and can surprise us sometimes. Using priorities and keeping them in mind allows for this flexibility of “how”, it allows me to stay focus but not at the same time to let the universe worry about the details.

There is no right way in life. There are lots of different ways of attaining the same thing. Just like when you are driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco. You can take the scenic route or the freeway. The coast route, the scenic route, is beautiful to drive through the coastal cities of Monterey and Carmel. Stopping off to take in the picturesque view and enjoying some of the wonderful food along the way is a treat. If you are heading off on a business trip and need to get to San Francisco fast or perhaps are in a hurry to get back to spend time with your family then the scenic route is not for you. With a reserve of time and money in your pocket meandering down the streets of Cambria or spending the weekend at a romantic bed and breakfast is fun and comfortable but without either you will be anxious and strapped for resources. You will most likely not enjoy the experience. It all boils down to being clear on your priorities. Then you can decide which route would work best. As a coach, I specialize in working with people to take the most direct, efficient route all the time checking in with the client and keeping them on top of their game, moving them forward but not at the expense of their wellbeing.

As the new decade lies ahead I wonder will you take the scenic route or the freeway. If you are looking for a co-pilot, give me a call. But first make sure you decide when to begin, set a date and take the first step. It starts with a thought, then a word then comes the action.

When will you begin?

Your Coach,

Marianne Emma Jeff
coach@motivatemyself.com
http://www.motivatemyself.com/