Beware of “shoulds”. You know the ones. “I should lose weight.” “I should start a savings plan”, “I should exercise”, etc., etc. If you made a list of all those “shoulds” right now, would it look like last year’s list? Is there a particular “should” that has been at the top of that list for years? Would you like to be able to cross that off your list and know that you actually accomplished that one? It IS possible.
Now is a great time to really think about what you want to accomplish in 2017. What if you changed your top “should” into a personal intention to “have”? Does that excite you? If it’s truly a desire, it will. Imagine what it would be like to actually “have” that thing you labeled a “should” for so long. What would be different? It might set you up for a secure future, or relieve a burden on your physical or mental health. It might give you the confidence to try new things or move up in your career. Or, it just might make you happy! If you think back to this time last year, you know that 12 months flies by. Do you realize that you could have made huge progress with any one of your “shoulds” if you had installed a system to achieve your intention last year at this time?
Do you normally create goals for the new year? Goals are great, but systems are better. The problem with goals is that they are always in the future. They are something to be worked on and achieved; but they are always in the future. Good systems support us in the present moment while they also keep us moving forward. Because they are future-focused, goals can be easier to create than systems. Goals sound nice, and there’s a kind of safety in knowing that we have goals “down the road” without having to disrupt our lives today. New systems can temporarily disrupt our lives, that’s true. But they are the golden path to anything we want in life. Once you establish a system or pattern of healthy eating and exercise, for example, fitness is no longer a goal. It becomes the automatic result of what you normally do every day. Fitness is a “side effect” of your system! This is true of just about anything you want in life. Rather than set a “goal” for something you really want to achieve in the coming year, establish a system right now to ensure it happens automatically! Systems make success automatic, but they can be uncomfortable at first. I get that. But, just like any new learning, you get more comfortable as your skill improves, and the rewards are worth it. Just think how great you’ll feel about your accomplishment by next Christmas!
And if you want some help to establish your systems, schedule your free session with Linda now at: https://lindacobb.com/strategy-session.