New Year Goals that are Reachable

New Year’s resolutions are made every year by millions of people. Unfortunately, many if not most of them are never completed. If you plan to make a resolution, you may want to set a New Year goal that is not beyond your reach.

Your ultimate New Year’s resolution may be to learn a new language or how to dance all forms of ballroom dance. However, an unreasonable goal is to assume you could do either of those in a short period of time. Some goals are possible within a month, such as losing five pounds, but learning how to speak fluent Chinese in that amount of time absolutely is not.

It is important for us to plan for the future so we’re not aimlessly wandering through life. Sometimes setting long-range goals can be overwhelming because they’re so far out in the future that we doubt if we’ll ever meet them. If there aren’t intermediate goals along the way to your ultimate goal, it will be too easy for you to lose focus and give up.

Instead of having just the one, long-range goal, consider having small goals that you can work on – even on a daily basis. This will help you by allowing you to feel a sense of accomplishment when you meet one of the smaller goals, as well as letting you know you’re on the right track to reach your goal.

How do you break down one big goal into several smaller goals? That all depends upon what your goal is. You can choose best what you need to do each day to help keep you on track. Don’t let your gaze go too far down the trail that you have laid out for yourself. If you don’t stay focused on the day at hand, you might miss something wonderful along the way.

Remember that reaching a goal is much like going on a journey. If you’re too focused on the destination, you’ll miss the beauty along the way. You can stop along the way and smell the roses rather than speeding along the path you’re on and missing them entirely. By setting smaller goals that you can reach, you’ll be moving toward your goal and be much more likely to actually reach it.

Don’t give up if things don’t work out exactly like you’ve planned. Things in life happen that may keep you from reaching a small goal in the time you had hoped. When things settle back down you can pick up where you left off. It may take longer to reach your goal than you wanted, but that’s no reason to give up.

Give yourself a reward when you’ve reached a smaller goal, rather than waiting to complete the large goal. Knowing you’ll have a small reward when you have met a goal may be the impetus you need to keep going when you feel discouraged.

When you have a goal in mind, consider the steps you can take. Set New Year’s goals that are not beyond your reach. Reward yourself when you’ve reached a small goal and then keep going to the next one

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New Years Resolutions & a Special For Yor

It’s that time of the year again; when we make a New Years resolutions. If you are anything like the majority of people in this country (83% to be exact), you probably made and broke a resolution before the end of January last year. But this year is going to be different. This message is all about how to make a realistic resolution and keep it. We’ll get you to your ultimate goal – whatever it may be one step at a time.

It doesn’t matter if you resolve to loose some weight, stop smoking or carve some more time out for yourself. Together we will get you there this year. Here’s to a successful 2010!

2009 Reflection

The end of the year has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the new year to come.

It’s a wonderful time to reflect on the changes we want and need to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.

Here are some questions to get you started in your reflection.

1) What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, awareness, etc.)
2) What did I accomplish? (Create a list of your accomplishments and achievements).
3) What would I have done differently? Why?
4) What still feels incomplete or unfinished to me?
5) What were the top 3 significant events of the year past?
6) What do I feel especially good about?
7) What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties?

Carve out some time to reflect, learn and grow from the past year. This will prepare you for a positive New Year ahead.

Action Steps

Here are a few action steps for you to take into consideration when working on setting your resolutions.

1) Make sure you set goals that you can realistically reach. Striving to be perfect is not a realistic goal. Striving to eat healthier, exercise more..etc. is a realistic goal.

2) Break your big goals up into bite-sized chunks. They key is to take small, thought-through steps to reach your ultimate goal.

3) Write your goals down and force yourself to be very specific about them. You can then refer back to your goals list and you can see how you are measuring up. It is an empowering feeling to set goals and achieve them.

4) Celebrate! When you achieve a goal or overcome a hurdle that brings you closer to that goal, CELEBRATE you and your accomplishment!

5) Get a goal buddy, coach, friend or partner to help you along the way!

You can accomplish just about anything you ask of yourself. Make your goals specific and clear. When you know exactly what you intend to do, you’re well on your way to getting it done.

New Year, New You Special

I am offering my subscribers a 20% discount on any of my coaching packages. You can view the packages at the link above. Be sure to mention this special when you sign up!

Freebies

Try a Free Session on the house! I offer free 35-minute consultations (valued at $45); by telephone, instant messenger or in person to help you decide if coaching is for you. If you are interested in setting one up for yourself, simply hit reply to this message and let me know

Your Guide To More Family Time

Whether we are working outside of the home or inside the home, it is becoming increasingly more difficult in the age of “instant communication” to take some TIME OUT for family. We have the cell phone, Blackberry, Instant Messaging, and the list goes on of ways that we can be contacted instantaneously. And in each of those moments our attention is diverted from whatever we were doing to give our attention to the “new” pressing issue.

Let’s face it; most of us take Family Time for granted. If you are working outside of the home, it is easy to let those precious few evening hours be taken up with phone calls, returning email, putting “final touches” on work related items, etc. If you are working in the home the distractions are similar; phone calls, volunteerism, housework, etc. The point is that working parents (both inside & outside the home) are letting outside influences take precedence over Family Time. Would we let having to stay an additional hour at work in order to send the CEO the sales figures for the 1st quarter have priority over our child’s ballet recital? Would we allow getting the last load of clothes laundered take precedence over singing “The Wheels on the Bus” (for the 100th time) with your toddler? Each of these things is important and depending upon our value system at the time any of these activities may or may not make it to your priority list. If you “schedule” the time, you may be able to get more “Family Time” than you thought.
Here are a few tips to finding more Family Time:

SCHEDULE IT! – Almost everyone has some system of remembering all the things that need to be done at work/home. Whether it is a Day-Timer, a Blackberry, a refrigerator calendar you have a way to keep track of the myriad of activities in your family. Family Time is a priority that you want to find time for so schedule it. In our home, Friday night from 6:30pm until the kids’ bedtime is Family Time. We all have to do an activity together. Each child gets a chance to choose what he/she would like to do for our Family Night and EVERYONE has to do it. This is a great way to get everyone together and you can find times in the midst of your time together to get to know what is happening in your child’s world in a relaxed setting. Some of the favorite activities at our house; the arcade, bowling, Scrabble tournaments, Uno, music concerts, and movies.

COMMIT TO IT! – It is easy to let phone calls, email, net surfing, etc. to take your attention away. Don’t let it! Turn the cell phone off, turn the computer off, turn the Blackberry off and truly give all of your attention to your family for your designated Family Time. Don’t let anything intrude on your time and your kids will see how much Family Time matters to you, how much they matter to you.

ENJOY IT! – If you are not accustomed to scheduling a block of Family Time, the prospect of spending a block of unstructured time could seem a little daunting. In order to ease into a comfortable time with your family, you might first want to schedule “activities” that take you out of the house. With activities, there is an opportunity to bond during the activity, but if there is a lull in communication it will be OK because you can focus on the activity.

Grab your copy of Real Life Guidance: Finding More Family Time and take a leap into finding more family time today.

Setting Small Goals

When people think about making New Year’s resolutions, they often think of the big picture and set goals that are unattainable. Instead of making a resolution to lose thirty pounds by the end of the year, you may want to set five small goals for the new year of losing ten pounds every two months.

Setting smaller goals, no matter what those goals may be, are easier to stick with and accomplish than long range, larger goals. These smaller goals are like stepping stones along a path. Follow each one and before you know it, you’ll have reached the end and succeeded in meeting your New Year’s resolution.

Be specific about the goals you want to meet. The more specific the goal, the more likely you will be to work hard at obtaining it. Know what you want to accomplish and even why you want to accomplish it. If your reasons for wanting to do something aren’t strong enough, it will be easier to give up.

Set measurable goals. If you haven’t been specific about what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and how you’re going to do so, how will you know if you’ve actually achieved it?

Write your goals down, being sure to specify the date you hope to achieve it and how you will determine whether you’ve been successful or not. Hang the list of goals up where you can see them regularly. When you see your goals written out, you’ll be much more likely to achieve your goal than if they are hidden away in a file folder somewhere.

Keep a journal about your progress and record what you’ve done in reaching for your goals. Discuss things that have worked and things that haven’t. Be specific so you know what to do if you have a similar goal in the future.

Don’t be afraid to share your goals with others. Telling others will help solidify your commitment to accomplish these goals. Ask your friends and family to hold you accountable by asking you how you’re doing on your goals.

Renew your commitment to succeed in case something goes wrong. With small goals you can see what you’re doing, know why you’re doing it, and can remain committed even in the worst circumstances. Celebrate each of your successes and move on toward the next.

When you set five small goals for the New Year instead of one, your chances of success are much higher than having one large goal. Not only will you be able to measure how you’re doing, you can use the goals as a means to know where you are on the journey.

Get your free ‘Goal Setting & Getting’ consultation today.

How to Combat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) with Food

SAD is a type of depression which affects millions of people in the United States and around the world. While most of the people affected are women, men also suffer from this sometimes debilitating disorder.

People with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) tend to put on weight because they tend to sleep more, are less active, and eat more than during the longer spring and summer months. They may crave carbohydrates and sweets to the point where they eat little else. Understanding these food dos and don’ts to beat winter blues may help you keep the extra pounds at bay while enabling you to feel better.

As stated above, people with SAD often crave carbohydrates and sugary treats because their body needs serotonin which helps regulate hunger and affects mood-enhancing chemicals. Unfortunately, when anyone eats too many sweets, extra pounds also creep onto the body.

Things to do:

* Eat complex carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables. Choosing the most colorful vegetables and fruits will not only help you avoid simple carbs, but they may actually help brighten your day with their colors. Some dieticians suggest their patients with SAD eat as many as four cups of brightly colored fruits and vegetables a day.

* Eat three servings of protein a day. The protein helps fill you up, gives you energy, and helps build muscle.

* You may want to keep the following foods on hand for when you feel you need a mid-afternoon snack: oatmeal, nuts, peanut butter, prewashed vegetables, air-popped popcorn, whole grain crackers or bread, turkey, fruit, or cottage cheese.

* Bananas are a good choice if you want something sweet. Not only do they curb the appetite for sugar, they also can help enhance your mood because they contain both dopamine and serotonin.

Things not to do:

* Avoid consuming too much caffeine. Caffeine has been shown to suppress serotonin levels, so you’re actually compounding the problem when drinking coffee. If you must drink it, wait until after the mid-day meal so there is still plenty of daylight left to keep you from getting too tired.

* Avoid sweet treats and simple carbohydrates. This would include white bread and rice. Eating too many simple carbs raises your blood sugar level and then drops it just as quickly, which leads to the afternoon slump many people feel.

* Don’t skip meals as a general rule, not only during the winter months. The longer you wait between meals, the hungrier you will be. You will also notice a dip in concentration and more of a tendency to make poor food choices.

Following these food dos and don’ts to beat winter blues will help improve the way you feel as well, as help you avoid putting on extra pounds. When the winter months are over, you can feel better about the way you dealt with SAD this year and feel good about not having extra weight to lose before summer months arrive.

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