START... one of the most action-oriented and moment-centric words in the English language!
When activated, beginning transforms and changes the known.To START is to birth an idea, to give breath to a goal, to give life to that which you most desire. STARTING enables growth and leverages legacy. At the dawn of a new decade the concept of starting is filled with energy and anticipation. How you utilize that energy will directly impact your ability to begin and your capacity for consistency.
In 2014, when I launched my coaching practice I simply STARTED. The employee at iPEC Coaching who took my credit card to pay for my iPEC Coaching School tuition told me to START. She was specific in her message…she said not to wait…she instructed me, challenged me, inspired me, to BEGIN.
START.
Lead YOU.
Trust. You.
Not from a place of perfection, not because you chased a dream, or waited long enough.
Lead YOU intentionally from a place of head and heart so that you BEGIN.
Choose. Take your decision-making power back and use it.
Take the smallest step.
Capture your first feel good moment.
Then lead yourself again…one choice and one decision at a time.
What is your #2020vision4change?
Essentially the only way that this vision will become a reality for you is if you press START.
No one else can do this for you. Only you can START you.
Here are 7 meaningful strategies to get STARTED in marrying your 2020 intentions to the commitments that feed and fuel them:
1.
Focus on the step you are taking NOW. Sounds simple, yet you may be getting ahead of yourself envisioning the goal and not the process. Take the pressure off the 100% you want to accomplish in favor of the 1-10% you can drive now. What’s now and what’s next?
2.
Create a structured calendar. Your calendar is one of your most precious assets. You actually control that…not the other way around. When seeking to add more balance and better distribution of time back into your life, make it a habit to use your calendar to up your game. Use a calendaring tool on your website to help you keep track of appointments and calls. Add invites and networking to your calendar when they hit your inbox, not as an afterthought. Every Sunday, decide what part of the week ahead you will be investing in your own personal growth. Add that to your calendar AHEAD of all the other tasks not after. Back up your events and ideas with RSVP’s and credit card commitments.
3.
Reward the actions not the results. Many of the projects and goals you work on have multiple components and you may not always get the results you seek. When you get in the habit of celebrating the action steps, the process itself, you use the wins as momentum toward the larger objective. This is a great mindset trick to push past the concept of wasted time. Time is only wasted when you are not in action. All action counts!
4.
Give yourself a time out. It works for kids and it will work for you as well. During the course of your day if you feel like you are overwhelmed, or that you just need a break…you probably do! Give yourself a time out. Take a walk, phone a friend, take yourself to lunch, go to the gym, buy a new outfit. Separate from overthinking and overdoing by giving YOU back a brief escape. This commitment to yourself will drive your commitment to other aspects of your life.
5.
Take ownership of the beginning and the ending. Use your first and last waking hours of each day as positioning tools for grounding yourself. Do what you love. Read, exercise, meditate, cook, plan a trip…take the time to take the time for your own mental and personal renewal. Every morning ask yourself how you will use the day at hand, and then every evening ask yourself how you did use your day. Stay accountable to yourself.
6.
Take back a weekend of your life. This is easier than you think! Make a list of all the things that you do over the course of the average day that waste time. TV watching, Internet use, social media, waiting in lines, letting meetings run over…you get it. Next, figure out how much of each day you are investing in the above list. If you could shave off just 10 minutes of this excess “wasted time” per day, you would get back 70 minutes in your week. Over the course of the year, that is 3,640 minutes or the better part of 2 ½ days back in your life!
What can you do with a bonus 2 ½ days? How can this new appropriation of time support you in starting and accomplishing your goals?
7.
Ideate and curate next steps
. Ideation drives positive energy by building upon those aspects of your imagination and your inner most thoughts that you find intriguing, yet perhaps less explored. Often, these are the thoughts you don't act upon, but wish you did. Ideating creates and breeds action. It stimulates your mind and propels you forward.
Draw a picture of whatever you are ideating about. Set it to words or to music. Make ideation and the visions that it induces become your go to place for creativity and inspiration. Think about that vision when you go to sleep at night. Visit it again when you awaken. What you imagine, you can become! What can you say yes to now that will impact your tomorrows? Are you willing to figure it out?
START.
Need support getting and staying started?
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