New Year

Happy New Year!

Now that it is officially a new year, most people are setting resolutions. By and large, the resolutions don’t last and we are stuck with no results. This year I am not making a resolution. I am going to be intentional in my actions.

Intentional, defined as “done on purpose; deliberate.”  I am going to be deliberate in my actions, reactions, words and thoughts. By being intentional, I will be more focused on what I want to achieve. I will spend less time wasting time. Wasting time is one of the quickest to get nowhere.

If you want to see how you spend your time, log what you do and how long you do it. You may be amazed at what you find. If you have an Android phone and want to see how much you spend on it, you can Settings, Digital Wellbeing and parental controls. It will show you how much time you spend in your apps.  You can also click the chart button and look at a week’s view.

I hope 2022 is a better year than 2021 for everyone.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my readers and followers. May your Christmas be filled with memories, family and friends. Be safe in your travels.

I would like to a moment to remind all of us the reason for Christmas – the birth of Jesus.  Luke 2: 8-14 states:

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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Peace and Joy

This is the time of year that we hear a lot about peace and joy. Christmas is really about celebrating unconditional love, hope, peace, joy and the Good News of Jesus’ birth.

Looking at how it is celebrated now, you would hardly now it. We, as a country, have made it into a celebration of greed, hustle and bustle. Nothing like it was meant to be.

So, what can you do to bring some of the original meaning back into your (and your families) life? Here are some tips to enjoy more peace and joy this year.

• Remember the real reason for the season. Christmas isn’t a salebration, it is a celebration. A celebration of the birth of our Savior and His unconditional love for us.
• Slow down and enjoy the season. Take some to pray and meditate on the true meaning.
• Show unconditional love to others. While giving wonderful gifts to others is fun (as long as you don’t break the budget), showing someone unconditional will make a deeper, longer impression. Who knows, it could be the turning point for that person.
• Try to put the “merry” into Merry Christmas. Be happy for your blessings. Even if things aren’t as good as you would like to them to be, you are still blessed.

Real joy and peace come within, not from the latest gadget, a job title or model of car. By following these tips, you can enjoy some of the peace and joy of Christmas this year. Keep these tips in your heart year round and you can maintain that peace and joy.

Do you have any tips you would like to share? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Thanksgiving

In a few days, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. We will be sitting down with family and friends to our Thanksgiving feast. In a typical meal, you will probably talk about what you are thankful for. Some people take the time to post what they are thankful for each day this month on Facebook.

While, it is great to be thankful on Thanksgiving and throughout the month of November, we should really be thankful all year.

I had post a while back asking if you were practicing the attitude of gratitude. We have so much to be thankful for that we should be thankful each day. We have our health, a roof over our head, clothes, food on the table, etc. Those are just the things that are easy to forget to be grateful for. If you have your family, friends, a job, or insurance you probably take those for granted as well.

The key to thanksgiving is to really appreciate everything you do have and not focus on what you don’t. I like to start each day being thankful for at least one thing. By starting the day being thankful, you are getting your mind in positive mood for the day. When you don’t do this, you aren’t starting off with a positive mindset.

So, have a wonderful Thanksgiving day and try to be thankful each day for the rest of the year. See how that small change in attitude can improve your day and your life.

Leave your thoughts below. I look forward to your comments.

Hello 2012

Well, 2012 is officially here. These first few days we spend looking back at 2011, making resolutions, watching college football and spending time with family. We really don’t get into the year until almost week into the year. Then things start settling into the normal pattern.

This year can be your best year you ever had, if you are willing to grow and push your self to new limits. Or it can like the other years in your life where you simply go through the motions. How can you make this your best year ever? I have a few tips for you that I will share.

• Make SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Time based goals are easier to achieve because you can see your progress.
• Be accountable to someone. It can be a counselor, coach, pastor or a good friend. Accountability is needed so that you stay on track to your goals.  Without accountability you will have a tendency to drift off track. We all do.
• Spend time to grow your spiritual life. This connection helps bring peace and purpose to your life.
• Speaking of purpose, know yours. Living your life to the purpose you were made for is your highest calling.
• Finally, know your priorities. When you know and live to your priorities, you will have an inner peace instead of the conflict you feel when you aren’t living to your priorities.

Make the effort to make 2012 the year you live your life on purpose. Don’t be afraid to make changes, positive changes, in your life. Change is the only constant in life. Change is neither good nor bad. How you react to the change is what makes it good or bad.

If you are ready, but don’t know where to begin, check out my coaching packages or call for a free consultation. For a few days longer, my Christmas Special is still going.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

We are fast approaching another year gone.  Christmas is right around the corner and the New Year is close behind.  As we finish up our Christmas shopping, our minds start thinking about the new year, 2012, and looking back at this year.  As I look back over 2011, I am stuck with these thoughts.  If 2011 was a good year, is it good enough? Or is there things I would change, improve or get rid of all together?

Looking at the past is only good if we make changes to ensure that we don’t repeat what we don’t like about our past.  So, as you look back at 2011, do it from that perspective.  See what you did or didn’t like and take steps to change what you didn’t like.  Also take steps to continue doing what you did like about 2011.

So you have looked back and saw some areas that would like to improve.  How are going to improve those areas?  Will you have a plan?  Make a resolution to change?  You probably did that last year.  Did it work for you last year?  If you are like most people, by the end January, they had stopped working on their resolutions.

Now the question is what needs to change to improve those areas? Willpower alone doesn’t work.  What you need is accountability and encouragement as you improve your life.  Friends and family are wonderful to have as support, but sometimes you need more.  That is where a coach comes in.  A coach will help you set and attain your goals.  A coach will cheer your accomplishments, help you look at your setbacks to see how to overcome them.  A coach will hold you accountable.

Here are some results of a survey of coaching clients (this was from a survey taken by ICF). You can get the full results from coachfederation.com.:

• A higher level of self-awareness: 67.6%
• Smarter goal-setting: 62.4%
• A more balanced life: 60.5%
• Lower stress levels: 57.1%
• Self-discovery: 52.9%
• More self-confidence: 52.4%
• Improvement in quality of life: 43.3%
• Enhanced communication skills: 39.5%
• Project completion: 35.7%
• Health or fitness improvement: 33.8%
• Better relationships with boss or co-workers: 33.3%
• Better family relationships: 33.3%
• Increased energy: 31.9%
• More fun: 31.9%
• More income: 25.7%
• Stopped a bad habit: 25.7%
• Change in career: 24.3%
• More free time: 22.9%
• Increased profitability of business: 17.1%
• Started new business: 12.9%
• Empowered employees: 11.0%

And 98.5% of the respondents said that the investment in their coaching was worth the money. What other investment gets a 98.5% approval rating?

So, as we close out 2011 and get ready to start 2012, ask yourself if 2011 was a good year, is it good enough? If it isn’t good enough, there is no better time to start coaching than now.  With my Christmas Special, you can get a year of coaching for $360.00.

Happy Thanksgiving (belated)

I meant to get this post completed before Thanksgiving, but I was unable to.  I will go ahead with this post, even though it is late.

As we gather for Thanksgiving, I would like to take the time to share some things I am thankful for and some tips for your relationships.  First, I will share what I am thankful for:

• My faith, which without I would be nothing.
• My children, who make every day a holiday.  Watching them grow up, become adults is an honor.  I cherish every second with them.
• My family (sisters, extended family).  They are a support system that has helped me through my darkest hour.
• My friends.  I have very few true friends, but the ones I do have, I cherish.  Friends make life easier as we go through our trials and tribulations.
• My dogs.  Every day they show me unconditional love.  They are there when no one else is.

As I look at past holidays, I have some wonderful memories.  These memories include relationships that have ended for one reason or another.  Relationships that I can never repair or say what I wanted to say to them.  It is because of the lost relationships that I want to share some tips for this holiday – and every day.

• Cherish every relationship.  Never take a relationship for granted.  They will not always be here.
• Be truthful.  Lies slowly kill relationships.  As the truth erodes, so does the trust.  It is easier to tell the truth than to repair the trust.
• Never allow a day to end with harsh words.  Do what it takes to reconcile.
• Love unconditionally.  Everyone has faults.  Love and accept others as they are.
• Take time to show others you love them with your words and actions.

Holidays – really every day – are about sharing our life with others.  We should make time for the people that are important to us every day, not just on special days throughout the year.  As we enter this holiday season, lets celebrate our relationships every day.

Happy Thanksgiving and have a safe weekend!

 

Donald

 

New Year, New Resolutions

As the New Year approaches, people start to think of their resolutions for the New Year.  Weight loss, stop smoking, better time management, a more balanced life, closer relationships are a few of the top resolutions.  According to Wikipedia.com, only 12% are successful with their resolutions.

Let’s take a look at what could cause that low of success rate for keeping the resolution.  First, people set a resolution without a plan to achieve their resolution.  Second, people don’t let others know of their resolutions.  Finally, people set the resolutions and don’t have an accountability partner/cheerleader to help them.

Setting a New Year resolution is a noble act.  It shows that you recognize an area that needs changing and that you want to make that change.  Congratulations on the completing the hardest part of the process.  Now that you have made the resolution, what are the steps you are going to take to achieve your goal?  Create an Action Plan that includes the following:

• Actions you are willing to take
• Roadblocks
• Actions to get around the roadblocks

Keeping this Action Plan in front of you will help you achieve your resolution.

When making a resolution, let your friends and family know your resolution.  Your friends and family can provide encouragement as you work towards your resolution.  Encouragement is good for you as struggle to achieve your resolution.

Finally, use an accountability partner.  An accountability partner will keep you focused on your resolution without being judgmental.  The accountability partner will also be your biggest cheerleader.  An accountability partner can be a friend, spouse or anyone that you trust.

Good luck on your New Years Resolution and have a safe and prosperous New Year!