Reach Your Dream in 2011!

How do you feel about 2011 so far? Has it met with your expectations? Is it working out the way you had hoped? Are you feeling safe and secure about the future or does it feel like a rocky road?

Maybe you are dealing with a lot of unknowns and you feel you just aren’t in a secure place. Or maybe you know exactly what you are dealing with...and you don’t like it.

However much you feel you can predict what this year will bring or plan the future, you really can’t predict everything. So this year the more flexible and resilient you can be, the happier you will be as you deal with everything that life can bring you. Developing this inner resilience comes from having an inner confidence and knowledge that you can cope, survive and thrive in a changing world.

So to get you started on this year and to help you polish up those good intentions you made at New Year it’s helpful to play the game of looking back at the past. (We’ll also look at the future, but that's in another article!)

Looking back on the past year, think about all the things you did and what you accomplished. Some things you deliberately set out to do, perhaps other things just happened. Now take a look at the feelings that you have about these events. Think about the things that made you feel good in 2010. At the end of the year there must have been some things you were celebrating (even if it was just celebrating getting though the year!).

Really identify the feelings you have about the past year, all the positive feelings that you’d like to repeat or have more of. And look at what actions or activities in the past year contributed to those feelings.

Now, considering what you have done over the past year, what do you want to do more of this year? What do you want to repeat or have more of?

* More positive conversations with your teenager?

* More challenging but interesting assignments at work?

* More clients (but only more of the ones you really click with)?

* More and better vacations?

* What activities or events from last year could contribute to you having a better 2011?

And now a challenge for you – how many of these activities or events have you done so far this year? Are they in your schedule? And if they are in the schedule is it a ‘definite’ or a ‘maybe’?

Maybe you have carried around things from your past that don’t contribute to your future – old habits, old thoughts, old alliances, old obligations. But now is an opportunity to make sure you bring the good stuff from your past with you and build it into your plans for this year.

The past is not the future, but it does influence it. So let’s make that influence a positive one, and actively build into your future all the stuff you want. I believe you get to create your future, but only if you are prepared and ready to take an active part in its creation!

And if you want to get a head start with a special half hour planning session for this year, email me directly, Liz@truecouragecoaching.com with Plan 2011 in the subject line. I’ll get back to you with details of how to ensure 2011 is a success for you!

(c) 2011 Liz Copeland